Last week we talked about bacterial leaf spot and bacterial speck on tomatoes. This week will be talking about bacterial canker and tomato pith necrosis commonly found on field tomatoes. The following information for this article came from The Ohio State University Department of Plant Pathology.

Factsheets are available at https://go.osu.edu/tomato_diseases

Bacterial Canker

What to look for on the plant: 

Early infections on seedlings:

• Originate from seed
• Cause severe symptoms
• Wilting and stunting
• Open cankers on the stem
• A thin, reddish-brown discoloration can be seen inside the stem when the stems are split open length wise

Late infections on plants:

• Symptoms observed in the field
• Browning of the outer edges of the leaflets with a thin yellow band of tissue
• Curling upwards of leaflet edges

What to look for on the fruit:

• Small tan colored spots surrounded by a white halo on green or red fruit that resembles a bird’s eye

Tomato Pith Necrosis

What to look for on the plant:

• Yellowing of young leaves and leaflets
• Wilting of shoots on the upper portion of the plant
• Split or collapsed stems that are associated with dry brownish-grey lesions
• Stems are often hollow, black in color or have a ladder appearance when they are split open
• Stems can appear swollen and contain many roots

Optimal pith necrosis are cool nights, high humidity, and prolonged cloud cover.  To avoid this disease, start with a clean field and delay spring plantings until the ground has warmed up.

Upcoming events in Wayne County

• The Scoop on CAUV Soil Value Changes to Cropland and Woodland

August 29, 2023 | Program 7 - 8:30 PM. Trade show 6 - 7 PM and 8:30 - 9 PM.
 Fisher Auditorium, OSU Wooster Campus | 1680 Madison Ave. Wooster, OH 44691
 

• 2023 Farm Tour

This year's Drive-It-Yourself Farm Tour will take place on Oct 7 and 8, 2023 in the NW quadrant of Wayne County.

This year's tour features 8 stops (some are only open on Saturday): 

#1 Winkler Farms LLC (13344 Kauffman Avenue Sterling, OH 44276)

#2 Ag-Pro (7762 Cleveland Road Wooster, OH 44691)

#3 Buckeye Agricultural Museum & Education Center (877 W Old Lincoln Way Wooster, OH 44691)

#4 Centerra (1009 W Old Lincoln Way Wooster, OH 44691)

#5 Badger Farms LLC (9122 N Elyria Rd West Salem, OH)

#6 Ross Maple (9076 Stair Rd West Salem, OH)

#7 Yoder Farm and Greenhouse (5454 Ruff Rd. West Salem, OH 44287)

#8 Yoder Hardware (15077 Rickel Rd. West Salem, OH 44287)

The farm tour booklet will be available at wayne.ofbf.org by Sept 1 at the latest. Printed copies will be available to pick up at the Wayne County Fair, the Wooster Farm Bureau office, as well as a variety of agribusinesses. We will also email it out to members in early September.

• Exploring Crop and Livestock Integration: Barriers and Benefits

August 30, 2023

5PM-8PM

12892 Western Rd. Apple Creek

Shelby Tedrow is an Agriculture and Natural Resources and 4-H Program assistant for Wayne County Extension. She can be reached at 330-264-8722
CFAES provides research and related educational programs to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis. For more information, visit cfaesdiversity.osu.edu
This article was previously published in The Daily Record.