Late blight hits three Eastern States in US

Late blight was confirmed on Monday, June 4, on tomato and potato in Franklin and Blair County, PA. According to an Extension report by Beth Gugino, assistant professor vegetable pathology at Penn State, there have also been several unconfirmed reports of late blight in commercial potato fields in central Pennsylvania.

The disease also has been reported on potato in New Jersey and Long Island, NY, and has been determined to be US23. Samples from the recent Pennsylvania findings are being sent to a lab at Cornell University for genotyping.

To best protect crops, Gugino tells growers to visit usablight.org, which is a central portal for information on the disease. The website has information on the latest outbreaks and the crops involved. Information also is available on how to identify the disease and links to management recommendations.