Potato Disease Advisory #12 – June 26, 2008

Bob Mulrooney, Extension Plant Pathologist; bobmul@udel.edu

Disease Severity Value (DSV) Accumulation as of June 25, 2008 is as follows:
Location: Broad Acres, Zimmerman Farm, Rt. 9, Kent County
Greenrow: April 27

  LATE BLIGHT EARLY BLIGHT
Date Daily DSV Total DSV Spray Recs Accumulated P days*
5/30-6/1 3 35 10-day interval 252
6/2-6/4 1 36 10-day interval 279
6/4-6/5 4 40 5-day interval 279
6/5-6/6 2 42 5-day interval 288
6/6-6/7 1 43 5-day interval 298
6/7-6/11 0 43 10-day interval 321
6/12-6/15 1 44 10-day interval 350
6/15-6/18 0 44 10-day interval 376
6/19-6/22 0 44 10-day interval 409
6/22-6/23 1 45 10-day interval 418
6/23-6/25 0 45 10-day interval 435

* P days– We use the predictive model WISDOM to determine the first fungicide application for prevention of early blight as well. The model predicts the first seasonal rise in the number of spores of the early blight fungus based on the accumulation of 300 physiological days (a type of degree-day unit, referred to as P-days) from green row. To date, 435 P-days have accumulated at the site.

Early blight and black dot. Many fields are flowering or have flowered and this is a good time to consider switching to an application or two of Gem, Headline, Quadris, or Evito (no black dot label) for early blight susceptible varieties. This can also be helpful for late season varieties including russets if stress makes plants susceptible to black dot later. Make one or two applications at the end of flowering and repeat 14 days later. Apply mancozeb or chlorothalonil 7-days later between the two applications. Otherwise maintain fungicide applications for early blight control.

For specific fungicide recommendations, see the 2008 Delaware Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations Book.