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Spore traps in southern Ontario look for late blight and cucurbit downy mildew

August 10, 2021  By Fruit and Vegetable


Earlier this summer, researchers and extension specialists from the University of Guelph and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) set up spore-trapping networks in Kent, east Elgin and Norfolk counties to catch two different fungal pathogens: Phythophthora infestans, which causes of late blight in potato and tomato; and Pseudoperonospora cubensis, which causes cucurbit downy mildew in cucumbers and melons.

The networks of spore traps were established across 15 locations in tomato- and cucumber-growing regions in the three counties. The aim is to better understand if spore-trapping is a useful tool to better predict risk of these diseases.

A recent update shows that only one site in Kent has found late blight spores in late July, whereas cucurbit downy mildew spores have been found at multiple locations in Kent and east Elgin/Norfolk since July 12, with four sites showing evidence of spores in both county networks between July 29 and Aug. 2. |READ MORE

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