*** Epidemic Update - Thursday, June 22: Blue Mold has been reported from the NC burley region. *** Paul Shoemaker reports that Madison County Extension Agent Terri Scruggs found blue mold in 2 separate fields in Madison County, NC, in the central NC mountains. One outbreak is near Marshall, NC and the second is in Grapevine, NC. Only a small number of primary and secondary lesions are present. A trajectory from Madison County will be included in the forecasts for the southern Appalachian Mountains, and the presence of disease included in our analysis.
FORECAST DISCUSSION: Wednesday, June 21: *** 21 June Epidemic Update: We have two new reports of blue mold *** Blue mold has been reported in southern Ontario near the town of La Salette, in western Haldimand-Norfolk County. Disease activity was discovered on greenhouse seedlings and on recent transplants. The greenhouse plants have been destroyed, and only a few fresh lesions have been found so far on the field plants. We also have some unofficial information indicating that disease may be present in other nearby locations. The other new report comes from extreme southwest VA, near the town of Greendale in Washington County. Active lesions were found on a handful of plants in a small field of burley tobacco. With the new reports and the increasing number of sources..... we are re-organizing the forecasts. The Clayton, NC and Vass, NC sites are combined into one forecast (central NC).... as are the Rutledge, TN and Greendale, VA sites (southern Appalachian Mountains) and the Tifton, GA and Alma, GA sites (southern GA). The Canadian source is being added to the Current Source group.
*** Mostly unsettled weather will persist in many areas on Wednesday and Thursday *** The air mass over the eastern U.S. remains warm and humid. Another front is approaching from the Midwest and Great Lakes. Scattered afternoon showers and thunderstorms will be possible in many areas. Airborne spores will be moving northeast to east. Near southern Ontario..... growers near the source are at Strongly Moderate Risk today, Low Risk on Thursday. In the southern Appalachian Mountains and the mid-Atlantic.... there is Strongly Moderate Risk on Wednesday for northeast TN, northwest NC, southern WV, western and northern VA, and MD. With fewer thunderstorms east of the mountains today, there is only Weakly Moderate Risk for central and eastern NC and eastern VA. On Thursday... conditions will be mixed. Moderate Risk for eastern TN, all of NC, southwest and extreme southwest VA, and southeast VA. In the Southeast.... mixed conditions each day, with Moderate Risk for the growers in southern GA, southern SC, and northern FL.
*** The 2000 bluemold county disease map is now available. Follow the link below or from our Homepage ***
*** International disease reports are now online *** Links to these reports can be found on our homepage and on the page with all the forecasts for 2000.
TK
Seriously Threatening Sources: None
HIGH RISK areas: None, but portions of the mountains, mid-Atlantic, and southern Ontario are at Strongly Moderate Risk today
Blue Mold in the Field (click on small image for larger image)
What should one look for?
*** New for 2000 *** Climate Outlooks and Epidemic Prognoses
County Map of New and Existing Outbreaks, 2000
(Red = New, 1 to 7 days; Blue = Active, > 7 days; Green = Old)
Current Sources:
Previous Sources:
Pinar del Rio, Cuba
Papantla, Mexico
Tepic, Mexico
***** NOTE: These forecasts/outlooks only apply to disease development from airborne transport of spores!!! We do not have the capability to ascertain blue mold development by other means, such as transplanting of infected seedlings, nor will we attempt to do so. Please consult the Extension Service personnel in your area if you have concerns about these matters! *****
This service is provided by the North Carolina State University departments of Plant Pathology and Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences.
