Further testing of these varieties in disease hot spots along with integrated pest management strategies that focus on nematodes and early blight should be pursued. 'LBR-6' and 'LBR-ll,' which are early blight resistant, were rated excellent for taste and had high market acceptability, but were susceptible to nematodes. 'Tengeru 97' and 'Meru' were the most promising varieties based on tolerance to nematodes, good fruit characteristics, and high market acceptability, but were susceptible to early blight. Field experiments were conducted at Mikocheni Agricultural Research Institute and five onfarm sites in Kinondoni and Bagamoyo districts during the 010 seasons to evaluate performance and adaptability of tomato varieties. Stress-tolerant cultivars adapted to environmental conditions in the region can increase productivity. Good seeds have a habit of disappearing almost as fast as the dreaded disease appears.Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) productivity in eastern Tanzania, mainly in the coastal belt, is low due to drought, excessive heat, declining soil fertility, pests and diseases, and low genetic potential of available varieties. Besides Mountain Magic, they offer two other late-blight-resistant varieties: Defiant and Plum Regal. And it’s Canadian: Vesey’s in Prince Edward Island ( ). Thus far, I’ve found only one seed supplier that sells these must-have seeds. Last spring, I checked with a few and was told by a huffy woman at one store that “all of our tomato plants are resistant to blight, ma’am.” This is, of course, claptrap.Īnd here’s the kicker. Garden centres, it seems, haven’t yet cottoned on to the disasters precipitated by devilish Phytophthora. So all of the above leads me to this: If late blight is ruining your fun in the garden – and who doesn’t love watching tomatoes grow? – try the resistant kinds.īut you’ll have to do it with seeds. The tomatoes are on the small side – halfway between a regular tomato and a cherry-sized one, but my neighbour Ann (who grew one of my plants, too) thought they had the best flavour of any tomato last summer. Even though all around them stood forlorn, drooping, dying plants (Heirloom Black Krim, my favourite-tasting tomato, was particularly badly affected for the second year in a row) the marvellous Mountain Magic came through unscathed. For once, the advertising hype wasn’t overblown. These I’d raised from seed and planted as an experiment, because they were touted to be “late blight resistant” – although I didn’t really believe it. I checked two tomato plants called Mountain Magic. Nothing can save it.īut then, wow! Utter astonishment in my veggie plot.

Not even fit for the compost heap (because you don’t want those nasty little spores hanging around). And all this usually happens within less than 48 hours. A tomato plant can be infected with both early blight and late blight at the same time.

Both early blight and late blight impact a plant in similar ways, but prevention strategies vary based on what type of blight it is. Then the tomatoes themselves develop hard or soft patches, either pale or rotten-looking, while their insides go squishy and smelly. There are two distinct types of tomato blightearly blight and late blight. It first shows up as curling leaves on tomato plants, which quickly turn brown or black and, often, mouldy. Vain hope, of course, because late blight is incurable – and strikes in a flash. Why didn’t you shut up about it?” I muttered to myself, inspecting the damage, praying that some of my luscious red and golden orbs could be saved. Only days before, I’d been bragging in this column that my crop had escaped the deadly bacterial scourge (Latin name Phytophthora infestans), which is currently spreading like wild fire across North America. They were suddenly getting attacked by late blight.

Early blight resistant tomato varieties