Late Blight in two more States, USA

Date:06-04-2010


Late blight was confirmed in Pennsylvania and Kentucky in late May. There is concern that Ohio may be next on the list, according to a news release from Ohio State University Extension.

According to Sally Miller, a vegetable pathologist with Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) this disease may be present in Ohio sooner than June 25, which is when it occurred last year.

In northwestern Pennsylvania, late blight was found on local greenhouse tomato transplants. Since then, the affected plants reportedly have been destroyed and fungicides are being used to manage the disease.

In Kentucky, the disease was detected on tomatoes in Boone County and Lexington retail operations. The plants in both locations came from Michigan. According to Miller, this operation may sell tomato seedlings in Ohio, mainly in the Cincinnati and Columbus areas, but its sales are reported to be fairly limited in Ohio.