A common problem tomato growers face this time of year are fruit defects caused by high temperatures. Heat stress on tomatoes can lead to reduced yield and abnormal fruit development. The common physiological disorders on fruit development under heat stress include yellow shoulder, internal white tissue, and blotchy ripening. In a recent presentation by Gordon[Read More…]
Solanaceous Crops
On hot days in the summer, high tunnel growers may wonder whether to place shadecloth on high tunnels. Considering excessive heat inside the structures that may lead to plant stress, blossom drop and unmarketable fruit, there is a rational for doing it. However, it is important to realize the limitations of placing shadecloth on high[Read More…]
We received calls recently reporting observations of leaf curling on tomatoes. This article discusses factors that may cause tomato leaf curling. In a similar way as other vegetables, hot and dry conditions may cause leaf curling on tomatoes. In late spring and early summer, plants that are actively growing and developing fruit have a high[Read More…]
Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) is making headlines and eliciting USDA action. Growers need to learn more about ToBRFV biology, symptoms and control. Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) is a newly identified virus affecting tomato, pepper and possibly their relatives. ToBRFV first appeared in Israel in 2014. Since then, it has shown up[Read More…]
Botrytis gray mold can cause disease on many different host plants, enabling the fungus to easily survive and disperse between crops. Host crops include flowers such as geraniums, vegetables such as green beans and fruit such as strawberries. The disease is favored by relatively cool temperatures and high humidity. We recently observed botrytis gray mold[Read More…]
In creating the new format of the Midwest Vegetable Production Guide for Commercial Growers 2020 (ID-56), I inadvertently left out the portion of the fruiting vegetable section that deals with Phytophthora blight of pepper. The new format allows me to update items easily; I have now added information on this important disease. Go to mwveguide.org[Read More…]
We know from published research that the health and quality of a vegetable transplant affects how it will establish, grow, and yield in the field. Our recent work comparing tomato and cucurbit seedling growth in different organic growing media and with and without added fertilizer has provided some good examples of this. See Vegetable Crop[Read More…]
The Florida-weave or sometimes called stake and weave is a commonly used tomato trellis system (Figure 1). It has several benefits and is easy to implement. However, sometimes the plants grow too tall and can hardly be supported by the stakes, or they may be too vigorous and break the strings. In this article, we[Read More…]
Two types of injury on young warm-season vegetable plants are caused by low temperatures: frost/freezing injury and chilling injury. Frost/freezing injury occurs when temperatures drop below 32°F. Ice formation in plant tissues cut cell membranes. When the tissue thaws, the damage results in fluids leaking from the cell, causing water soaked damage. Frost/freezing injury is[Read More…]
Chilling injury occurs when temperatures are above 32°F and below 55°F. The plant tissue becomes weakened that leads to cellular dysfunction. The most noticeable visual symptom of chilling injury is leaf and hypocotyl wilt (Figure 1). This is caused by the rapid decline in the ability of roots to absorb and transport water. It also[Read More…]