Early Blight Fungus Disease

When most gardeners hear "early blight," the first thing that comes to mind is the fungal leaf blight that strikes tomatoes. As with other tomato blight diseases, early tomato blight affects other tomato family members, including potatoes. Early tomato blight flourishes in warm, moist, crowded gardens.

What is early blight disease?
What causes early blight?
How do you get rid of early blight?
Is early blight treatable?
How do you kill blight in soil?
What does early blight look like?
Why it is called late blight?
What is the difference between early blight and late blight?
What are the symptoms of blight?
How do I get rid of bean blight?
How do you prevent potato blight?

What is early blight disease?

Early blight (EB) is a disease of potato caused by the fungus Alternaria solani. It is found wherever potatoes are grown. The disease primarily affects leaves and stems, but under favorable weather conditions, and if left uncontrolled, can result in considerable defoliation and enhance the chance for tuber infection.

What causes early blight?

Common on tomato and potato plants, early blight is caused by the fungus Alternaria solani and occurs throughout the United States. ... Early blight overwinters on infected plant tissue and is spread by splashing rain, irrigation, insects and garden tools. The disease is also carried on tomato seeds and in potato tubers.

How do you get rid of early blight?

Treatment. Tomatoes that have early blight require immediate attention before the disease takes over the plants. Thoroughly spray the plant (bottoms of leaves also) with Bonide Liquid Copper Fungicide concentrate or Bonide Tomato & Vegetable. Both of these treatments are organic.

Is early blight treatable?

When it rains, water hits the ground, splashing soil and spores onto the lower leaves of plants, where the disease shows its earliest symptoms. While there is no cure for blight on plants or in the soil, ² there are some simple ways to control this disease.

How do you kill blight in soil?

The key is solarizing the soil to kill the bacteria before they get to the plants. As soon as you can work the soil, turn the entire bed to a depth of 6″, then level and smooth it out. Dig a 4-6″ deep trench around the whole bed and thoroughly soak the soil by slowly running a sprinkler over it for several hours.

What does early blight look like?

What does early blight look like? Symptoms of early blight first appear at the base of affected plants, where roughly circular brown spots appear on leaves and stems. As these spots enlarge, concentric rings appear giving the areas a target-like appearance. Often spots have a yellow halo.

Why it is called late blight?

Found on tomato and potato plants, late blight is caused by the fungus Phytophthora infestans and is common throughout the United States. True to its name, the disease occurs later in the growing season with symptoms often not appearing until after blossom.

What is the difference between early blight and late blight?

Early Blight: dark, sunken lesions at or above the soil line, sometimes called collar rot. Late Blight: black and brown lesions appear on stem and petioles; when petioles or leaf stalks are affected, entire leaf can collapse; entire vine or plant can quickly collapse and die in period of high humidity.

What are the symptoms of blight?

Blight, any of various plant diseases whose symptoms include sudden and severe yellowing, browning, spotting, withering, or dying of leaves, flowers, fruit, stems, or the entire plant.

How do I get rid of bean blight?

Prevention and treatment methods are basically the same as well – try to keep foliage dry and don't touch it when it's wet. Try not to wound the plants, as this is how the bacteria gets inside. Keep weeds and pests to a minimum. As with treating common blight in beans, destroy affected plants.

How do you prevent potato blight?

To prevent blight, plant your potatoes in a breezy spot with plenty of space between plants, and treat with fungicide before blight appears. It's also important to rotate crops regularly to prevent build up of the disease in the soil, and to remove and destroy infected plants and tubers as soon as blight develops.