Potato blight is one of the most dangerous and common tomato diseases and is caused by the fungus organism Phytophthora infestans. In some years, the disease completely destroys tomato bushes and fruit.The first symptoms usually appear at the end of May, and in less favorable weather conditions they appear later
Initially watery, yellowish-brown, and then brown, misshapen, gradually enlarging spots appear on the edges of the leaves.On the fruit you can observe slightly convex brown spots, clearly harder than the he althy part of the fruit. The boundaries of the stains are not sharp. The browning extends deep into the flesh and may cover the entire fruit in the next few days.
Favorable weather for the development of late blight is frequent and abundant rainfall, high relative humidity, temperature around 15-18 ° C and long-lasting wetting of the leaves.When the weather conditions allow the disease to develop all fruits and leaves can be destroyed within a few days. In conditions of high air humidity on the underside of the leaves, a delicate white coating can be seen on the border of he althy and infected tissue.
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Let's protect tomatoes from the plague
Protection of tomatoes against late blight consists primarily in the careful harvesting and destruction of infected plants.
However, chemical treatments are the primary method of protecting tomatoes against potato blight. The first spraying should be carried out just before the appearance of favorable conditions for infection or at the latest when the first symptoms of disease appear on the plants.
Tomatoes in pots
The best way to combat late blight is to use systemic fungicides in combination with downhole fungicides.On the other hand, for subsequent treatments (performed every 10-14 days), use preparations with a surface effect.Remember not to use the same preparations for chemical treatments, because it favors the formation of resistant forms.
