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Old January 7, 2019   #11
RandyG
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: western North Carolina
Posts: 84
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Greatgardens View Post
Hi Dr. Gardner-

I have a question you can probably answer. What is the status of varieties with resistance to Septoria? Of the disease resistant hybrids that have been released (Stellar, Iron Lady, etc.), a couple suggest "intermediate resistance" to Septoria. Any versions coming that you are aware of that have good resistance to Septoria?

Thanks,
GG
Martha Mutschler at Cornell is continuing to work on breeding Septoria resistance into tomatoes and released the lines that were used as parents in the hybrids you mentioned. Septoria has become more severe over the years and in my observations is more destructive than early blight because of the rapid defoliation of plants. One of the problems with Septoria resistance is that varieties that have resistance can be overwhelmed by the disease spores from susceptible varieties if grown in close proximity. Other diseases that are becoming more severe under non-sprayed condtions are powdery mildew and leaf mold, even when plants are grown in tunnels to keep rain out. Breeding to reduce or eliminate chemical sprays for control is difficult because diseases that were previously controlled by broad spectrum fungicides become severe in the absence of chemical sprays.
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