The following plant disease highlights have been compiled from samples submitted to the University of Kentucky Plant Disease Diagnostic Laboratory from April 1 to 24, 2024.
Diagnoses on agronomic crop samples have included brown stripe on orchardgrass and low fertility symptoms on tobacco transplants.
On fruit and vegetable samples, diagnoses have included rose scale on blackberry; Phytophthora root rot and Botryosphaeria dieback on blueberry; Phomopsis canker on apple; Fusarium crown/root rot, Botrytis blight, Sclerotinia stem rot (timber rot), cold injury, and symptoms of possible growth regulator exposure on tomato.
On herbaceous ornamentals and turfgrass, diagnoses have included downy mildew on bacopa; Botrytis blight, Pythium root rot, and iron deficiency on calibrachoa; Pythium root rot on coleus; powdery mildew and injury from high soluble salts on dahlia; broad mite infestation and iron toxicity on geranium; physiological leaf curl on impatiens; Botrytis blight and Sclerotinia stem rot on petunia; and dollar spot on bentgrass.
On woody plants, diagnoses have included Volutella canker and Macrophoma dieback on boxwood; anaerobic soil conditions on Canaan fir; transplant shock and winter injury on various woody landscape plants.
By Julie Beale, Plant Disease Diagnostician/Director, and Sara Long, Assistant Plant Disease Diagnostician
Kentucky Pest News 