Missouri Disease Beat

Published: August 1, 2014

For the month of July there were 90 samples sub-mitted to the Plant Diagnostic Clinic. Two were for plant / weed identification, 14 turfgrass disease identi-fication and the other 74 were for general plant dis-ease diagnosis. Not included are the countless num-ber of emails, phone calls and walk-ins that trickle or flood in each day. Overall, it has been a steady month with some days busier than others.

The weather has been variable, or perhaps crazy is a better word to describe it. This is the first year I remember wearing a long sleeve shirt on the 4th of July! The cooler weather, especially the low night temperatures, are taking a toll on tomatoes and cu-curbits. Both of these crops like warm temperatures. Cool weather can cause flowers to be aborted and / or poor fruit set and development. Cool tempera-tures coupled with moist conditions in early July also favored powdery mildew, for an early start on pump-kins usually not seen much until late summer.

The table has a list of diseases or issues for vegetables that have been diagnosed for the month of July. Some of the issues we have seen repeatedly, they are marked with an *.