Potato Late Blight On-line Workshop
The Fungus and the Disease
Discussion Forums

Tomatoes and Late Blight

Recommendations

Late blight is a potential threat to the tomato industry, but it is not an immediate concern with the exception of Mexico and Eastern U.S. production areas.

1. Research needs of the potato and tomato industry are similar for late blight. Recommend a coordination of potato and tomato late blight research.

2. Identify the role of late blight infections in tomato transplants, commercial tomato plantings, and tomatoes in home gardens in relation to outbreaks of late blight in potatoes.

3. Develop quick identification techniques for tomatoes (transplant and field) that can be used at the grower level.

4. Develop forecasting systems in the U.S. and Canada that combine Blitecast and TOMCAST for scheduling fungicide applications on potatoes and tomatoes similar to the system in place in Mexico.

5. Provide funding to insure information transfer for late blight on potatoes and tomatoes to clientele.

6. Determine the seasonal survival of Phytophthora infestans on tomatoes in areas where potatoes are not produced.

7. Develop tomato transplant certification programs for states and countries within North America.

8. Evaluate the level of resistance of commercial tomato cultivars and develop late blight resistant tomato cultivars.

9. Incorporate various control strategies, such as new generation fungicides (SAR, etc.), biocontrol agents, and fungicides, into a total disease management program for tomatoes.

Late blight is one disease of many diseases that has to be managed in a total disease management program for tomatoes.

 © Copyright 1997 by the American Phytopathological Society