07/05/16   Dallas County Effected By Tomato Blight

According to the latest information from the Arkansas Cooperative Extension service, currently 15 counties in Arkansas have had tomato plants test positive for late blight, including Dallas County. Generally, Arkansas has one or two reports of this disease.

According to extension officials, the increase in occurrence could be due to our cool, spring which provided the perfect environment for this disease to establish and spread. According to the expert, the best way to manage this disease is to start a fungicide spray program. The disease can be prevented and growers are urged to begin a spray program for this disease to ensure their plants do not become infected. It's very difficult to control once symptoms begin to show.

If the disease has progressed, the plants should be destroyed by burning them or throwing them out in plastic trash bags so that spores cannot escape from infected plants. For more information contact your local extension agent. .