![]() ![]() "Tolerance alone is not enough, spray alone is not enough, but together there is good synergy," Mutschler-Chu said. That information is available to growers via Cornell's Vegetable MD website. This led to a potential reduction of sprays from weekly application to once or twice a season. But Mutschler-Chu teamed up with professor Tom Zitter to identify a complementary fungicide strategy with the lowest possible environmental impact. In addition to the strongest possible resistance to late blight-provided by the combination of two genes, Ph2 and Ph3-tolerance to early blight and resistance to Septoria leaf spot, the plant also has resistances to verticillium and fusarium wilts, common to most modern tomato varieties.Įarly blight tolerance is not as strong as resistance, so the need for fungicides may not be completely eliminated. Iron Lady, the cross of a "triple resistant" Cornell line and a late blight/early blight line from North Carolina State University, is the first of these hybrids to become commercially available, via High Mowing Organic Seeds. ![]() "In order to reduce the need for fungicides, you need to genetically control all three diseases." "We have demonstrated that we have tomato hybrids with good medium fruit that will stand up to these diseases," Mutschler-Chu said. However, since those plants could still be defoliated by Septoria leaf spot, Mutscher-Chu worked with research associate Stella Zitter and plant pathologist Tom Zitter to create Septoria resistance.Įxperimental hybrids using these "triple blight resistant" tomatoes were successfully grown in trials in North Carolina, West Virginia, Virginia and New York, in a project supported by the Northeast Regional Integrated Pest Management Center. Iron Lady is available to both producers and home gardeners for the upcoming growing season.įavoring the Northeast's moist, cool conditions, one or more of these diseases occurs yearly, prompting Martha Mutschler-Chu, Cornell professor of plant breeding and genetics, to create tomatoes that resist late blight and early blight. ![]()
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