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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] tomato blight

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  • From: Richard Taylor <richard AT angelicorganics.com>
  • To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] tomato blight
  • Date: Mon, 29 Aug 2005 07:36:15 -0500



We control them using sprays of copper hydroxide (eg Champion Copper) until harvest, then using Storox (a potentiated peroxide) after harvest starts. Both materials are OMRI listed, but they are somewhat damaging to the eyes so you should wear goggles when handling. Also use a sticker/spreader in the mix.

Another factor in spread of the blight is that the spores are transported from one plant to the next by human hands, so when harvest starts the Storox spray follows right on the heels of the last harvest of the week.

We still have plants that are 70%+ green, but the blight is entrenched on the bottom leaves. They should last til the end of September.

Richard

http://www.angelicorganics.com

On Sun, 28 Aug 2005 07:23:28 -0700, you wrote:


We have late blight here and there are a few supposedly resistant varieties,
but the main strategy is to keep water off teh leaves. No overhead watering
(I have a drip system) and a plastic cover to keep the rain off, so a
greehouse or hoophouse type thing. The disease spreads by spores being
splashed up off teh ground onto the lower leaves by water drops.


Would a plastic mulch be helpful?

I've read (in a Cornell Extension Fact Sheet that I cannot
find at the moment) that the spores can also be spread by
the wind, which is very discouraging indeed.

Almost all my tomatoes are dead now from late blight. For
us, it's an annoyance although a fairly large one. For
someone depending on selling them, it could be disastrous.

Pat
-- northern Pennsylvania





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