Blossom end rot of Tomato

There has been a lot of calls in the last couple of weeks regarding Tomato fruit rotting prior to harvest. This is called Blossom end rot and occurs every year to varying degrees. This problem is associated with the fluctuation of wet and dry conditions in the soil. Sprays after the fact are not affective for this disorder and actually sprays are not effective prior to this problem. The key to this situation is to maintain soil moisture and not allowing the plants to dry out.

The following link is an article written by Dr. William Nesmith and Dr. Paul Vincelli. http://www.ca.uky.edu/agcollege/plantpathology/ext_files/PPFShtml/PPFS-VG-2.pdf

Take a look I think your questions will be answered.

Orange Rust on Blackberries

Last week I found the first outbreak of Orange Rust in Nelson County this year. Orange Rust is a big threat to the commercial Blackberry industry in Kentucky. Nelson county has about ten acres of Blackberries planted and that is expanding yearly.

The main problem associated with Orange Rust is the fact that once the plant becomes infected with the disease it can't be healed. Orange Rust moves systemically within the plant infecting the roots, crown, stem, and foliage. The plant will become less vigorous and decline with time. It is easily recognizable this time of year due to its large orange pustules that populate the underside of the leaves. For more information on how to control Orange Rust on Blackberries visit: http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/ho/ho15/ho15.pdf