Late blight management in home and community gardens: benefits transcend Community/Ag boundaries

Abstract

Late blight is a serious plant disease that affects both home gardeners and farmers. Because infected plants produce huge quantities of spores that spread the disease, accurate disease identification and appropriate response are important for everyone in the community growing tomatoes or potatoes. We have engaged Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Coordinators to plan a series of five workshops for Master Gardener Volunteer across the state. We have updated information on disease resistant tomatoes and potatoes on the Vegetable Varieties for Gardeners web site, and are surveying greenhouse growers on their information needs around growing late blight resistant tomato varieties. for sale to home gardeners.