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There's a Fungus Among Us

All this wet weather hits CT's tomatoes hard

By Yvonne Nava

| Friday, Jul 10, 2009 | Updated 9:15 AM EDT

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A pesky potato problem in Ireland has made its way to New England. But it seems to be targeting delicious tomatoes like these.

From Ireland to New England, tomato plants are in jeopardy. The culprit breeds in wet weather.

This fungus happens to be the same one that destroyed the potato crop in Ireland in the mid-19th century. While our region's potato crop is also at risk, it's tomatoes that will really get slammed.

State experts say the persistent rain Connecticut has received over the past few weeks isn’t helping.

Pathologists think tomatoes won’t survive the season if the constant rain continues, according to the Hartford Courant.

"If we don't get some dry weather, we may not have any tomatoes in the state of Connecticut," Jude Boucher, who teaches at the University of Connecticut, told the paper. The state's commercial vegetable expert went on to explain that the disease multiplies best in a wet environment of 65 to 70 degrees. Which is sorta where we're at.

There have already been some reported cases in Connecticut. The late blight has struck some backyard plants. Just Wednesday, a commercial farm was hit and four other farms in the Connecticut River Valley had it.

Local farmers are taking precautions and using fungicide to prevent their crops from being targeted.

Gardners are being asked to check their tomato and potato plants every day for anything that looks suspect, such as dark green spots, a grease stain in the leaves, or a white mold.

The good news: Aside from tomatoes and potatoes, other vegetables are said to be safe and fungus free.