You go to the field one morning and see unhealthy plants. Maybe your tomatoes are wilting despite being in moist soil, or perhaps there are black spots emerging on your cucumbers. What do you do?
You can start by visiting Vegetable MD Online at http://VegetableMDOnline.ppath.cornell.edu.
Part of the Cornell Plant Pathology Vegetable Disease website, Veg MD provides detailed information on many plant problems, not just diseases, but also symptoms of nutritional deficiencies, insect damage and even chemical exposure. The broad range of topics is valuable because what you might think is a disease, could be actually herbicide drift from a neighbour’s field, herbicide residue in your compost or a nutrient imbalance in your soil.
As you navigate through the website, you will find links to numerous Vegetable Disease Fact Sheets from Cornell University. The fact sheets contain diagnostic information along with tips on preventing and treating problems. It is not the most user-friendly website, but be patient — there is a lot of valuable information.
Rather than waiting for disease to hit, check out the information on preventing problems. If you tend to have problems with certain diseases, check out the lists of resistant varieties.