Vol. 16, No. 21. August 14, 2009 The Ohio State University Extension Vegetable Crops On the WEB at: http://vegnet.osu.edu

In This Issue

1. Late Blight Update – Now Here in Ohio Tomatoes

2. Crop Reports

Late Blight Update – Now Here in Ohio Tomatoes

Sally Miller, Department of Plant Pathology

While late blight has been raging through tomato gardens and farms (especially organic) in the Northeast this summer, we have been pretty lucky that it did not seem to have gotten a foothold here. However, it appears that our luck has run out and late blight has been found in tomato plantings in the Buckeye State. Nancy Taylor, Director of the OSU C. Wayne Ellett Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic, confirmed late blight from both Portage and Licking Counties this week. Also in tomatoes in Clark county More samples are starting to come in for diagnosis, especially from home gardeners. Some of these samples will undoubtedly prove to be something else (we are getting a lot of samples that are diagnosed as Septoria leaf spot (see VegNet Vol. 16, #20-09 Part B – July 29, 2009), which has been very common this year and will also kill tomato plants in pretty short order).

Recommendations for late blight management provided by Cornell University can be found in VegNet Vol. 16, #20-19 July 29, 2009.

Late blight in tomatoes. Notice the black lesions on the stems, petioles and leaves. Photos by Virginia Carlberg, Cornell Cooperative Extension.

Crop Reports by Brad Bergefurd and Hal Kneen

Southern Ohio vegetable crop report 8/12/09
Rains continue to fall with many areas receiving 1 to 3 inches the past week. High temperatures were welcomed and brought on the tomato, watermelon and melon harvest. Harvest of all summer produce continues and planting of peas, onions, radish, beets, broccoli, cauliflower continues. Harvest of blackberry and fall red raspberry continues. Pumpkin harvest has begun with interest and demand for this early product at the Bainbridge Produce Auction. Disease pressures continue to plague the southern Ohio production area including; on vine crops yellow vine decline, downy mildew, powdery mildew, bacterial wilt; on tomato bacterial canker, bacterial spot, early blight, late blight, septoria, yellow shoulder disorder; on beans downy mildew and phytophthora. Cabbage worm and cabbage looper are being treated in broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and kohlrabi.
Strawberry tips are being planted for plasticulture strawberry plug plants with field plantings to start the first week of September.  

Meigs County Counts

Big Bend Area, Portland Oh.

Corn Earworm Helio Trap August 3-August 10 2009                 11 moths

Racine Oh.

Corn Earworm  Helio Trap  August 5-August 10, 2009              12 moths

Beet Army Worm             August 5- August 10 2009                7 moths