FF – Fusarium Wilt (Race 2)

Scientific Name: Fusarium oxysporum

Type: Fungus

Fusarium Wilt, Race 2, is a world-wide fungal disease that affects the growth of tomatoes. It is one of the most devastating of all soil-borne diseases. Race 2 is found in Arkansas, Florida, New Jersey, and Ohio in the United States. It attacks the roots of the plants and moves up the stems. Symptoms include yellowing and browning of the older bottom leaves, stunting, and wilting. Often the entire plant will die. Usually little or no fruit develops. The infected plants will produce inferior and unmarketable tomatoes. It can cause significant yield loss and even total crops losses. If you stick with Fusarium Wilt Resistant tomato varieties you don’t have to worry. Many of the older heirlooms don’t have any resistance to the disease, so if you grow these then you should keep an eye out for it. The infected plants should be removed and burned to avoid further infestation. Plan on using a 5 to 7 year crop rotation and avoid planting in the same location, year after year, as the disease can survive in the soil up to 10 years. The best option is to use disease resistant varieties.

FFF – Fusarium Wilt (Race 3)

Scientific Name: Fusarium oxysporum

Type: Fungus

Fusarium Wilt, Race 3, is a world-wide fungal disease that affects the growth of tomatoes. It is one of the most devastating of all soil-borne diseases. Race 3 is found in California, Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina in the United States. It attacks the roots of the plants and moves up the stems. Symptoms include yellowing and browning of the older bottom leaves, stunting, and wilting. Often the entire plant will die. Usually little or no fruit develops. The infected plants will produce inferior and unmarketable tomatoes. It can cause significant yield loss and even total crops losses. If you stick with Fusarium Wilt Resistant tomato varieties you don’t have to worry. Many of the older heirlooms don’t have any resistance to the disease, so if you grow these then you should keep an eye out for it. The infected plants should be removed and burned to avoid further infestation. Plan on using a 5 to 7 year crop rotation and avoid planting in the same location, year after year, as the disease can survive in the soil up to 10 years. The best option is to use disease resistant varieties.

LB – Late Blight

Scientific Name: Phytophthora infestans

Type: Oomycete

Late Blight is a fungal disease that affects the growth of potatoes and tomatoes. Symptoms include large dark brown blotches with a green gray edge on the leaves resulting in large sections of dry brown foliage. Stems become dark brown. Dark brown circular spots cover most of the tomato. The entire field turns brown and wilted as if it was hit by frost and die.It can cause significant yield loss and even total crops losses. The diseased tomatoes are usually unmarketable. Late blight was responsible for the Irish potato famine of the late 1840s. The air-borne disease can destroy an entire field in a short period of time. The infected plants should be removed and burned to avoid further infestation. If you stick with Late Blight resistant tomato varieties you don’t have to worry. The disease is favorable when temperatures are 60-70 F and usually occur when moisture and humidity are very high. Plan on using a 3 year crop rotation and avoid planting in the same location, year after year, as the disease can survive in the soil for 7 years. Fungicides are available for management of late blight on tomatoes. The best option is to use disease resistant varieties.

TMV – Tobacco Mosaic Virus

Type: Virus - Potyvirus

Tobacco Mosaic Virus is a world-wide virus disease that affects the growth of eggplants, peppers, and tomatoes. Tobacco mosaic virus may cause significant losses in the field and in the greenhouse. The virus does not usually kill the plant, but it does cause damage to flowers, leaves, and the tomato. Symptoms include stunted or dwarfed plants, yellow-green mottling, blistering of the leaves, a light-green and dark-green mosaic pattern on the leaves, leaf distortion and curling of the leaves, fernleafing, and reduced growth rate and yields. Blooms may have brown streaks. Pepper plants may have yellow spotting on the leaves. Slightly sunken brown rings will appear on tomatoes. The virus is spread primarily by mechanical methods. The virus is not spread by aphids. Smokers can infect plants by handling them. Gardeners contaminate the plants when they touch tobacco products or infected plants or weeds and spread the virus to healthy plants. The virus can stay alive in dead plant material for long periods of time. It can survive on infected seeds, plant debris, and even clothing for months or years. Tobacco mosaic is one of the most highly persistent tomato diseases because it can remain viable for many years and is able to withstand high heat. The virus can survive for up to 50 years in dried plant debris. The infected plants should be removed and buried or burned to avoid further infestation. Plan on using a 3 year crop rotation and avoid planting in the same location, year after year. Keep your garden weed free. Wash your hands thoroughly and disinfect tools. Try to avoid smoking while working in the garden. Spraying plants with 20 percent nonfat dry milk has been shown to be somewhat effective in preventing the spread of the virus. The best option is to use disease resistant varieties.

ToMV – Tomato Mosaic Virus

Type: Virus - Tobamovirus

Tomato Mosaic Virus is a world-wide virus disease that affects the growth of peppers and tomatoes. Symptoms include dark green mottling or mosaic appearance on the leaves, yellowing of leaves, and stunting of the plant. The leaves tend to be fern-like and younger leaves may be twisted. The tomatoes will will be deformed and have yellow spots and the interior is brown. Infected plants usually wilt and die. It can cause significant yield loss and even total crops losses. It is a seed-borne virus and can be spread by farm equipment, workers, clothing, and contaminated tools. The disease can stay alive in dead plant material for long periods of time. The infected plants should be removed and destroyed to avoid further infestation. Plan on using a 2 year crop rotation and avoid planting in the same location, year after year, as the disease can survive in over winter on crop debris for 50 years. Keep your garden weed free. The best option is to use disease resistant varieties.