Late blight in Ontario – update

OMAF & MRA have now confirmed late blight in the Region of Waterloo, Wellington County, Lambton County, Brant County, and additional sites in Chatham-Kent.  Commercial tomato growers across Ontario should ensure they have a protective fungicide program on their plants and should monitor the crop closely.

Remember that conventional tomato growers using a recommended fungicide program for early blight, septoria leaf spot, and anthracnose, are also protecting the crop from late blight infection, but once it is in the area, consider shortening spray intervals and choose products with good late blight activity (see below). Cloudy and high humidity or wet conditions are favourable for late blight.  The pathogen prefers cool temperatures.  The disease is suppressed by hot, dry weather, but it can continue developing and spreading when suitable conditions return.

If late blight is found in the area:

• Tighten up spray intervals – During wet cool periods, a fungicide should be applied every 5 – 7 days to protect against late blight. If the weather conditions become dry, the spray intervals may be extended.
• Scout fields often.  Know the symptoms. See the Tomato Late Blight Photo Gallery and refer to Late Blight Look-Alikes for photos of late blight and possible look-alikes on tomato.

Fungicide registrations:

• chlorothalonil (Bravo, Echo) – contact fungicides – have been very effective protectants in tomato
• mancozeb (Manzate, Dithane), metiram (Polyram) – contact fungicides – have been very effective protectants in tomato
• Acrobat 50 WP – translaminar – has some ability to move into the plant – must be tank-mixed with another late blight fungicide from a different chemical family – can add to the fungicide program, but rotate chemistries
• Cabrio EG – translaminar – has some ability to move into the plant – strobilurins generally rated lower than the other targetted late blight materials by researchers
• Presidio – translaminar, some “kickback” activity – registered (in tank mix with Bravo), but note that after using it, rotation to any crop except brassica (head and stem), bulb vegetables, cucurbit vegetables, fruiting vegetables, leafy vegetables (except brassica), root and tuber vegetables (except carrot and sugar beet) is prohibited
• Ranman 400SC or Torrent 400SC – protectant, locally systemic – should be tank-mixed with a non-ionic or organosilicone surfactant
• Reason 500 SC – locally systemic and translaminar – has some ability to move into the plant – must be tank-mixed with mancozeb or Bravo 500
• Revus – translaminar, some “kickback” activity – have some ability to move into the plant – can add to the fungicide program, but rotate chemistries and use in combination with protectants for resistance management
• Tanos 50 DF – translaminar, some “kickback” activity – have some ability to move into the plant – can add to the fungicide program, but rotate chemistries and use in combination with protectants for resistance management
• Zampro – two active ingredients – protectant and systemic, translaminar – can move into the plant

Past OMAFRA articles on tomato late blight are found under the late blight tag to the right.  Please report any occurrences so that we can keep the tomato community informed about its development and spread and so that we can collect samples to learn about the strains, fungicide sensitivity, and the biology of this evolving disease.

Contact OMAFRA at 519-674-1690 or janice.leboeuf@ontario.ca if you suspect you have found late blight in Ontario. Those in the US can contact their state cooperative extension service or report online at http://www.usablight.org/.

Note:  Organic producers may be interested in an article by Meg McGrath (Cornell University) on managing late blight in organically-produced tomato.  Note that crop protection products mentioned in her article relate to US registrations.  Consult the Canadian labels and your organic certifier for registered products that can be used in organic production.

Late blight has continued to spread in the Northeast US in recent weeks.  In the past week, numerous new reports of late blight have been made in New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania (http://usablight.org/).