Phytophthora Blight

This fungal disease can be found worldwide and is a widespread issue in cucurbits and peppers throughout much of the vegetable-producing areas in the United States. This disease can impact every part of the plant from the roots to the fruit. The disease was a crown rot, a dark, water-soaked lesion that eventually turns light brown right above the soil surface. Other symptoms of the disease include rapid wilting of the plant with root infections, dark-green, water-soaked lesions on the fruit, which eventually shrivel but don’t drop off. Phytophthora blight is a soil-borne disease that needs warm, wet soils to infect the plant. Control of this issue can be difficult, but it usually involves discarding any diseased plants as soon as possible, rotating crops to non-susceptible plants such as cereal crops (corn), and using a fungicide to help prevent fungal infection. It is also recommended that plant varieties that are resistant to the disease be planted in areas where there is known to be a problem.

 

Have questions? Contact our office where our Horticulture Extension Agent will assist you with questions.

Phone: (316) 321-9660

Email: callae@ksu.edu