Blight Info

So far, I’ve found that many cherry tomatoes, including Matt’s Wild Cherry tomatoes, are blight resistant.  Look for

• “Legend”, which is not a hybrid (you can save the seeds),
• Ferline (F1) Hybrid
• Fantasio (F1) Hybrid
• Tommy Toe cherry (not verified)
• St. Pierre (not verified)

From Beginner-Gardening.com:

“… If you have a problem with tomato blight, then do plant modern cultivars with disease resistance. Look for letters after the name of the plant in seed labels that might say “V” for verticillium resistant, or “F” for fusarium resistant. While not specifically blight resistant, they do have better overall resistance to tomato blight problems than those without those initials.

Read more: http://www.beginner-gardening.com/tomato-blight.html#ixzz0VKpMPETT

Also,

LATE BLIGHT CLEANUP

Penn State Cooperative Extension in Monroe County answers questions regarding fall cleanup.

Q. Can plants with late blight be disposed of by composting?

Theoretically yes, however, plant tissue including potato tubers) can survive the winter in a warm compost pile. If plant tissue survives, so can the pathogen. Unless you know that you are composting properly, it is recommended that you dispose of infected plants, fruit and tubers in the trash.

Q. Do I need to treat the soil this fall or next spring to prevent late blight from developing next year?

No. Once the tomato plant tissue is dead, the late blight pathogen cannot survive on crop debris. It can, however, survive in potato tubers, so it will be important to destroy any volunteer plants next year.

Q. Can the late blight pathogen survive in or on tomato seed?

No, but there are other pathogens especially bacterial pathogens) that can survive in or on the seed, so there are other reasons to only use seed from healthy plants.

Q. Could the late blight pathogen survive on tomato cages and stakes between seasons?

No. But it is a good idea to disinfect stakes and cages to help control bacterial diseases.

Q. Are there late blight-resistant tomato varieties that I should consider planting in the future?

There are some potato varieties with some resistance. These include Elba, Kennebec, Allegany, Sebago, Rosa, Defender, Jacqueline Lee and Ozette. Elba is considered the most resistant. There are some new late blight-resistant tomato varieties that may be available as soon as 2010.

Q. What can home gardeners and growers do to prevent another late blight epidemic next year?

Next year, make sure to plant healthy, disease-free transplants. Examine your plants regularly for symptoms of late blight, especially if conditions are cool and wet. Avoid wet leaves by watering at the base of the plant or by using overhead irrigation during mid-morning so the leaves dry quickly. Improve air circulation by spacing plants farther apart and eliminating weeds.

To see the full article “Tomato Late Blight: Fall Cleanup” by Beth Gugino, Penn State Plant Pathologist, visit www.ppath.cas.psu.edu/EXTENSION/VEGDIS/Vegetable_Pathology_Home.htm or call the Extension Office at 570) 421-6430 for a free copy.

See http://www.ppath.cas.psu.edu/EXTENSION/VEGDIS/Late-Blight-Webinar–Chat-RoomQandA.pdf for additional information.