Trees and shrubs that are re-located from one growing site to another (e.g., from nursery to landscape) endure stress. If care is taken to minimize stress through proper transplanting techniques and maintenance, plants are likely to recover rapidly and become…

Peach leaf curl occurs annually in commercial and residential orchards throughout Kentucky.  The disease causes severe defoliation, weakens trees, and reduces fruit quality, fruit set, and yield.  Peaches, apricots, and nectarines are susceptible to peach leaf curl.  Plum pockets is…

Herbicides are used to control unwanted plants in many different locations. In turfgrass, several herbicides are used to control weeds before they germinate and begin to grow. These are called “preemergence herbicides” and are commonly sold as “weed preventers.” They…

Downy mildew is a significant disease of commercial and backyard grapes in Kentucky. This disease causes direct yield losses when flowers, fruit, and shoots become infected. Indirect losses result when premature defoliation impacts fruit quality, predisposes vines to winter injury,…

Diagnosing turfgrass diseases can be challenging in the field, but it is even more problematic when relying on a small sample collected from the site.  However, proper collection and submission of turfgrass samples can enhance the accuracy and timeliness of…

Tobamoviruses, including tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) and the new tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV), can be persistent in greenhouses and other protected cropping environments.  Herbaceous ornamentals, vegetables, and tobacco can be affected by tobamoviruses.  Once introduced into a site,…

Chapter 6 in the Master Gardener Manual (Figure 1) provides an excellent overview of the types of living organisms that cause plant diseases.  These organisms include fungi, water molds, bacteria, viruses, nematodes, phytoplasmas, and parasitic plants. Large, color pictures (Figure…

Dr. Nicole Gauthier, University of Kentucky Plant Pathology Extension Specialist, explains the steps for completing an orchard site analysis in this 5-minute video. This process can be used by county agents and consultants when diagnosing diseases and other problems in…

Commercial growers consider diseases their biggest challenge for high tunnel tomato production. In this 18-minute video, Dr. Nicole Gauthier first presents a basic definition of what constitutes a plant disease, along with the interaction of host, pathogen, and environment in…

The Midwest Fruit Pest Management Guide 2023-2024 was recently revised to keep up with the latest management and pesticide recommendations for tree fruit and small fruit. This publication for commercial producers was developed by the Midwest Fruit Workers Group, which…

Ever wonder how disease pathogens survive winter?  This 14-minute video, presented by Dr. Nicole Gauthier as part of a webinar series, provides an excellent overview of this topic.  Dr. Gauthier identifies the various types and sources of plant pathogens, how…

Beginning in autumn and extending through winter, the loss of foliage on deciduous woody plants makes it easier to identify the presence of crown gall. This disease can affect a wide range of crops, including woody ornamentals, tree fruits, and…

Sclerotinia lettuce drop is a cool season disease that commonly occurs in spring on lettuce.  Speaking within a high tunnel lettuce planting, Dr. Nicole Gauthier, University of Kentucky Vegetable Extension Plant Pathologist, explains common symptoms and signs for identifying lettuce…

Powdery mildew is a summer disease of cucurbits that can spread rapidly and result in plant death.  Standing in a high tunnel squash and zucchini variety trial, Dr. Nicole Gauthier, University of Kentucky Vegetable Extension Plant Pathologist, discusses this important…

Scouting and monitoring crops to determine potential problems before they result in serious economic loss is key to the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach. This IPM guide was designed to aid in the identification of common disorders encountered on solanaceous…