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Plant disease fact sheets
Disease Spotlight – Cucurbit Downy Mildew
Disease Spotlight Red thread is a cool-season turfgrass disease caused by the fungal pathogen Laetisaria fuciformis.
Disease Spotlight Leaf and crown rot of liriope (lily turf) are caused by the common plant pathogen Phytophthora palmivora.
Disease Spotlight Bacterial wet wood or slime flux, caused by many common genera of bacteria, affects many mature shade trees, including live oak, elm and maple. Bacteria such as Clostridium, Bacillus, Enterobacter, Klebsiella and Pseudomonas gain entry into older trees through wounds such as those created by birds and human activities (mowers, weed eaters, nails, flower hangers).
Sooty mold is the common name given to several genera of fungi that grow on honeydew secretions deposited on the plant by plant-sucking insects. Examples of insects that secrete honeydew include aphids, whiteflies, leafhoppers, mealy bugs, soft scales and psyllids. Although sooty molds do not cause an infection, they reduce the overall vigor and health of the plant by decreasing the amount of sunlight that penetrates the plant. They also reduce the curb appeal of the trees.
Colletotrichum crown rot (anthracnose crown rot) of strawberries is caused by the fungi Colletotrichum gloeosporiodes and Colletotrichum fragariae. Both pathogens can kill the plants by invading the crown tissue. In Louisiana, disease is most likely to occur during when temperatures exceed 77° F.
Integrated vegetable disease management
The Horticultural Crops Pathology Laboratory strives to improve the well being of growers of horticultural crops by providing practical, economical, sustainable and effective disease management strategies.
