Early Blight and Septoria Leaf Spot of Tomato

Sources of Pathogen Seed and transplants. Spores dispersed by wind or water. Crop debris.

Potential Impact Loss of leaves. Sunscald of exposed fruit. Fruit lesions due to EB. Poor fruit quality (lower sugar content). Plants produce less. Severity increases over years.

Septoria Leaf Spot

Management Purchase seed from reliable supplier. Hot water treat seed right before planting. Rotate land. At least 3 yrs, Select EB resistant varieties when suitable. Early maturing varieties have more EB. Indeterminant varieties have less EB. Mulch to interfere with spore dispersal. Hairy vetch might induce resistance. Rows parallel to prevailing wind.

Management Wide row and plant spacing. Separate plantings. Stake or trellise; disinfect first if used. Optimum growing conditions. Drip irrigate or overhead when leaf wetness period minimally extended. Work when foliage is dry.

Management Control weeds and volunteer tomato plants. Rescue treatments – start very early. Use disease forecasting system. Copper fungicides, Sonata biofungicide, PlantShield (not labeled for this use) Incorporate crop residue promptly after harvest.

Early Blight Resistant Varieties Mountain series from NC: Mountain Pride, Supreme, Gold, Fresh and Belle. Late maturing and fruit small. Cornell Program. First variety expected available in More suitable for northeast.

New Tomato Selection from Cornell StandardSusceptibleVariety Selection with Resistance to early blight and late blight Defoliation due to late blight (US-7) in 1999

Plantshield (Trichoderma harzianum) drench + foliar applications Mycostop (Streptomyces griseoviridis) - drench Trilogy (neem oil) - foliar Serenade (Bacillus subtilis) - 4 and 8 lb/A foliar Oxidate (hydrogen dioxide) - foliar Drench after transplanting (1 or 9 days after). 3 Foliar sprays at 2-week interval. Treatments - Tomato Early Blight (Abby Seaman, 2001 and 2002)

Plantshield drench5.6a Plantshield foliar20.0b Plantshield drench + foliar10.0ab Trilogy8.1a untreated21.3b % Diseased Foliage Treatment 9/26/01 Treatments - Tomato Early Blight

Plantshield drench6.25bc Plantshield foliar8.25ab Plantshield drench + foliar 4.50c Mycostop drench7.25bc Trilogy8.75ab Serenade 8 lb/A7.00bc Oxidate7.00bc untreated11.25a % Diseased Foliage Treatment 10/3/02 Treatments - Tomato Early Blight

Organic Tomato Production Fertility Low N - vetch cover crop High N - vetch + peanut meal (50 lb/A N) Control of Foliar Diseases Compost tea Sonata (2 qt/A)(AgraQuest biofungicide) Compost tea + Sonata Compost tea + rescue fungicides

Organic Tomato Production 6/1Flail chopped vetch. 6/11Transplanted. 6/23Peanut meal applied.

6/10/04

6/17/04

7/9/04

7/28/04

Tomato Foliar Diseases Powdery mildew Septoria leaf spot Bacterial speck Compost tea. Fungicides for organic production.

Foliar Disease Treatments Compost tea applied undiluted with fish hydrolysate (1 oz/15 gal) and nuFilm P (6 oz/A) on 8, 16, 23, and 29 Jul; 4, 11, 17, and 25 Aug; and 1 and 8 Sep. Sonata (2 qt/A)(AgraQuest biofungicide) applied 11, 17, and 25 Aug; and 1, 8, and 17 Sep. Rescue fungicides JMS Stylet oil (5 qt/100 gal) applied on 25 Aug and 1 Sep for powdery mildew. copper fungicide Champion (4 lb/A) applied on 3, 12 and 17 Sep for all 3 diseases.

Low Nitrogen Nontreated1153 Compost tea (10X; 7/30 - 9/24)335 High Nitrogen Nontreated1143 Compost tea (10X)1046 Sonata (6X)962 Tea (10X) + Sonata (6X) 840 Tea + Rescue fungicides (5X)940 Powdery Mildew Severity Treatment 9/19/24 Organic Control Tomato Diseases

Low Nitrogen Nontreated2844 Compost tea (10X; 7/30 - 9/24)3646 High Nitrogen Nontreated1844 Compost tea (10X)3642 Sonata (6X)3244 Tea (10X) + Sonata (6X) 3855 Tea + Rescue fungicides (5X)3848 Bacterial Speck Incidence (%) Treatment 9/2410/1 Organic Control Tomato Diseases

Low Nitrogen Nontreated3041 Compost tea (10X; 7/30 - 9/24)3551 High Nitrogen Nontreated2834 Compost tea (10X)5652 Sonata (6X)3648 Tea (10X) + Sonata (6X) 4548 Tea + Rescue fungicides (5X)3941 Septoria Leaf Spot Incidence Treatment 9/2410/1 Organic Control Tomato Diseases

Low Nitrogen Nontreated1153 Compost tea (10X; 7/30 - 9/24)335 High Nitrogen Nontreated1143 Compost tea (10X)1046 Sonata (6X)962 Tea (10X) + Sonata (6X) 840 Tea + Rescue fungicides (5X)940 Defoliation (%) Treatment 9/2410/1 Organic Control Tomato Diseases

Treatment not started early enough? Need to treat seed or seedlings? Effective organisms not present? Change recipe? Change brewing conditions? Applied at wrong time? Evening better than morning? Why Was Compost Tea Ineffective?

9/23/04 Nontreated, High N

9/23/04 Compost tea + Rescue fungicides, High N

Compost Tea Recipes Ingredient 4 lb Grape pumice compost 4 lbLeaf-based compost 4 lbLeaf-based compost 4 lb4 lbVermicompost (manure-based compost) 12 oz 12 ozKelp (Fertrell Liquid Kelp) 7 oz4 ozFish hydrolysate ( Organic Gem Liquid Fish or Neptune’s Harvest Benefits of Fish ) 7 oz4 ozFish hydrolysate ( Organic Gem Liquid Fish or Neptune’s Harvest Benefits of Fish ) 7 oz16 ozHumic acid (Fertrell Bio-Hume) 60 gal water Brewed 24 hr in Sotillo Brewer

Compost Tea Expenses, 2004 $ lbVermicompost $ ozHumic acid (Fertrell Bio-Hume) $ ozKelp (Fertrell Liquid Kelp) $0.524 ozFish hydrolysate (Neptune) $0.524 ozFish hydrolysate (Neptune) $ gal $ gal $ gal/A $1.92 Fish hydrolysate (2 oz/15 gal) $1.64nuFilm P spreader (6 oz/A) $1.64nuFilm P spreader (6 oz/A) $22.72per acre cost undiluted

Treatment Costs ($/A) $22.72Compost tea (undiluted) $26.50Serenade (4 lb/A) $6.50Champion (2 lb/A)