Septoria
Leaf Spot, Early and Late Blight are generally the most severe tomato diseases
in Nova Scotia. Early blight-resistant tomato varieties aren't available, so
gardeners have to use a combination of disease management practices.
Septoria leaf spot can occur at
any stage of plant development. Symptoms may appear on young greenhouse
seedlings ready for transplanting or be first observed on the lower, older
leaves and stems when fruits are setting.
Early
blight shows up as a leaf blight on the lower part of plants. The disease moves
upward. As the disease progresses, leaves turn yellow, wither, and drop from
plants.
Late
blight may or may not arrive to Nova Scotia. In some years it can be
devastating for tomato crop while in other years it is not present.
A
management program for this disease is based on crop rotation, removal and
destruction of crop debris from previous crops, staking, mulching, and timely
application of fungicides.
Staking
and mulching are important for leaf diseases, since staking keeps foliage and
fruit from contacting the soil surface, and mulching cuts down on "soil
splash" onto lower parts of the plant.
Soil particles often contain the early blight fungus spores, and
mulching is a good way of keeping the fungus from invading plants.
A prevention
fungicide program is very important. For detailed information on fungicides
registered for field tomato please visit:
