DIAGNOSTIC UPDATE 



□ 



That sums it up for interesting 

 samples received by the PDL. 

 What should we watch for in the 

 coming months? Remember that 

 pythium root rot and botrytis 

 blight are the most common 

 problems in greenhouse crops 

 To avoid problems (especially to 

 those tender bedding plants), 

 remember nothing beats sanita- 

 tion, good air circulation, and 

 careful monitoring for preventing 

 disease problems. Greenhouse 

 crops should also be monitored 

 for thrips and any symptoms of 

 INSV (ringspots, necrotic spots, 

 stunting, growth distortion, etc ). 

 Suspect plants should be iso- 

 lated and samples should be 

 submitted for testing Geraniums 

 should be monitored for bacte- 



rial blight Although the crop has 

 been relatively clean for the last 

 couple of bedding plant seasons, 

 it is always a potential problem. 

 The most common symptom is 

 wilting of one or more leaves, 

 even though the soil is moist. 

 Leaf spotting, although less com- 

 mon than wilt, may occur if se- 

 verely infected plants are 

 present nearby. Leaf spots de- 

 velop when the bacterium is 

 splashed from one plant to an- 

 other or drips from hanging bas- 

 kets onto plants below. Leaf 

 spotting is usually accompanied 

 by yellowing, often in a V- 

 shaped pattern. If bacterial 

 blight is suspected, a laboratory 

 diagnosis is necessary to confirm 

 the presence of the bacterium. 



If you wish to submit plant material 

 to the PDL for diagnosis, send samples 

 {with a check for $12.00 for each plant 

 species) to-. The UNH Plant Diagnostic 

 Lab, C/O Dr. Cheryl Smith, Plant 

 Biology Department, Nesmith Hall- 

 UNH, Durham, NH 03824 Samples 

 should be accompanied by an 

 identification form {available from 

 your county Cooperative Extension). 

 Cheryl Smith is the UNH Cooperative 

 Extension Specialist ^ m 

 in Plant Wealth, and ^ 



can be reached at ^(^ * 



603-862-3841. • 







1-800-447-4745 



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28 



THE PLANTSMAN 



