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Tomatoes are among the most commonly grown plants grown in gardens throughout the world. Most gardens in the US have a tomato or two because they are so useful in the kitchen. One of the most common diseases of tomato is anthracnose (Figure 1). This disease is caused by several species of a fungus called Colletotrichum. The disease can be devastating to commercial producers who have many plants and to homeowners who may have just one or two plants. The disease is spread by spores in water or by insects that become contaminated with the spores when they contact the lesions. Spores are produced in salmon colored masses on the lesions (Figure 1). Fruits of infected plants can be severely disfigured if the disease is not managed properly. The disease can be difficult to control. Commercial producers rely on disease resistance, fungicides and a variety of cultural methods. Homeowners can protect their garden tomatoes most easily by buying healthy seedlings at reputable markets, by planting resistant cultivars and by removing and destroying diseased leaves and fruits as they appear. They should also minimize splashing water from infected materials to healthy plant parts and minimize the amount of moisture on leaves and fruits by not watering plants with overhead methods since the pathogen is easily spread by water. 

These image can be found on the American Phytopathological Society cd-rom entitled Diseases of Vegetables - Cucurbits, Garlic, Lettuce, Onion and Tomato.

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