Skip to main content
ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » Horticultural Crops Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #285559

Title: The 2009 late blight pandemic in eastern USA – causes and results

Author
item FRY, W - Cornell University
item MCGRATH, M - Cornell University
item SEAMAN, A - Cornell University
item ZITTER, T - Cornell University
item MCLEOD, A - University Of Stellenbosch
item DANIES, G - Cornell University
item SMALL, I - Cornell University
item MYERS, K - Cornell University
item EVERTS, K - University Of Maryland
item GEVENS, A - University Of Wisconsin
item GUGINO, B - Pennsylvania State University
item JOHNSON, S - University Of Maine
item JUDELSON, H - University Of California
item RISTAINO, J - North Carolina State University
item ROBERTS, P - University Of Florida
item SECOR, G - North Dakota State University
item SEEBOLD, K - University Of Kentucky
item SNOVER-CLIFT, K - Cornell University
item WYENANDT, A - Rutgers University
item Grunwald, Niklaus - Nik
item SMART, C - Cornell University

Submitted to: Plant Disease
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/31/2012
Publication Date: 3/1/2013
Citation: Fry, W.E., Mcgrath, M.T., Seaman, A., Zitter, T.A., Mcleod, A., Danies, G., Small, I.M., Myers, K., Everts, K., Gevens, A.J., Gugino, B.K., Johnson, S.B., Judelson, H., Ristaino, J., Roberts, P., Secor, G., Seebold, K., Snover-Clift, K., Wyenandt, A., Grunwald, N.J., Smart, C.D. 2013. The 2009 late blight pandemic in eastern USA – causes and results. Plant Disease. 97:296-306.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The tomato late blight pandemic of 2009 made late blight into a household term in much of the Eastern United States. Many home gardeners and organic producers lost most if not all of their tomato crop, and their experiences were reported in the mainstream press. Some CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) could not provide tomatoes to their members. This article reviews and documents the emergence of the 2009 pandemic, addressing several important questions: How did it happen? What was unusual about this event compared to previous late blight epidemics? What is the current situation in 2012, and what can be done?