Southern Blight

This disease is caused by a fungus that infects beans, eggplants, peppers, tomatoes, and other vegetables. Symptoms vary among vegetables, but often the earliest one is wilting of leaves and a brown rot on the stem near the soil surface. During wet periods a white cottony mold may be seen around the stems of infected plants. Also, small mustard-seed-sized reproductive bodies called "sclerotia" ranging in color from cream to brown may be present on the stem and surrounding soil. The fungus survives as sclerotia in the soil for several years and may be moved with soil.

Control: Remove and discard infected plants. Apply calcium nitrate at transplanting or apply near the base of plants as a side-dress treatment within 2 to 5 days after transplanting and at monthly intervals. Plow under or remove crop debris immediately after harvest. Do not plant tomatoes after beans or eggplants. Rotate crops annually with a grain or grass-type crop.