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Alternaria blight

Posted: Sun Apr 14, 2024 1:53 pm
by bower
After two hot summers when 'Early Blight' turned into a nightmare, I searched around for some resistant varieties, so I can compare them with my own tomatoes and see if I can do some crosses to improve the situation for my early non red determinates.
I've read that no tomatoes are completely resistant, and my own are variable, with the yellow being most susceptible.

Also with a view to disease management, I am trying... to limit the numbers for the small space.
I think I have to stick to determinates this season, again to keep air flow and reduce maintenance. Get some tomatoes but keep it to a dull roar? I really don't want to face another year where I have too many plants and a lot of them high maintenance with the LB in humid heat.

So here are the newcomer seeds I'm starting, and would appreciate any feedback about how well they handle the Early Blight.

I have Mountain Gem and Plum Regal and Golden Jubilee - all three I have found listed as Early Blight resistant.
I also have started:
Favorie de Bretagne
Mini Rose
EM Champion
Any thoughts about the struggle with EB, and how those have done for you in a bad (hot humid) EB situation?
Are there any other determinates that you would recommend for EB? (I know I have others in the Big Binder of Shame that is my hoard of seeds not grown!) Okay, I will take a look.

Also if there is an indeterminate that outperforms in the EB resistance, worth hearing about. I will probably grow some indeterminates in the mix next year too.

Re: Alternaria blight

Posted: Sun Apr 14, 2024 3:36 pm
by PlainJane
I’m no stranger to hot and humid here in N. Florida. My growing season for tomatoes ends in June as it’s just too brutal after that.

I don’t spray. I’m growing in fabric bags which I soak in bleach solution every year. I wipe down all the cages with bleach as well.

Almost all tomatoes will show signs of blight by early June or before, depending on how wet it’s been.
I prune pretty heavily.

Since I grow for fresh eating and flavor I just put up with disease. There are a few indeterminate varieties that seem to give fruit despite everything, and the best have been Eva Purple Ball, Daniel Burson, Green Bee, Polish and Mary Reynolds. For smaller plants Lime Green Salad is not too bad.
At least I’m not dealing with gophers, chipmunks, rabbits, deer and turkeys like my Mass. garden.

Re: Alternaria blight

Posted: Sun Apr 14, 2024 4:40 pm
by bower
Thanks for sharing that, PlainJane.

I was reading some professional work about the genetics of resistance - there are two known genes, with EB-9 being most common, found in 'Devon Surprise', some unnamed heirlooms, and some wild accessions. A second QTL called EB-5 was identified in Hawaii 7998 - surprisingly developed in Florida not Hawaii. It has other disease resistances as well and some have trialed it as a rootstock.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/ful ... /tpj.16495
Other heirlooms with EB-9 resistance should be named in the full text but it is paywalled.
Several sources mention Aunt Ginny's Purple, Big Rainbow, Black Plum, Old Brooks, Manyel, Tigerella and Matt's Wild Cherry and Tommy Toe as resistant heirlooms.
Most famous hybrids being Juliet, and the Mountain series. Legend is OP, also resistant.

I think I have some seeds of Lime Green Salad in hand, that'd be great to try this year.

Re: Alternaria blight

Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2024 6:28 am
by rossomendblot
Defiant, Galahad, Jasper, Verona, Valentine and Cherry Bomb are all hybrids with intermediate EB resistance.