March 2025 - 24

DISEASE SURVEY REPORT
2025 disease survey report
T
BY DOUG OHLEMEIER
ASSISTANT EDITOR
he challenges from disease
continue for vegetable, tree
fruit, berry, grape and melon
growers across the nation. The
upcoming season could be filled with
challenges from disease.
A recent survey conducted by
Vegetable Growers News revealed
some insights on the most prevalent
disease issues and concerns, as
well as the type of support growers
are seeking to combat the hurdles
caused by damaging diseases.
Crop challenges
In the survey, conducted in late
2024, fruit and vegetable growers
listed more than 30 diseases
they battle, from anthracnose to
neopestalotiopsis, also known as
pestalotia leaf spot and fruit rot on
strawberries. Polled about the most
significant disease challenges they
face, growers listed an array
of diseases, including blights,
mildews, rots and rusts.
The percentages listed in
the results represent the
distribution of pests mentioned
by the respondents. Each disease
contributes equally to the total,
regardless of whether it was
mentioned once or multiple times in
different responses.
Fire blight emerged as the biggest
identified disease threat, with up
to 20% of respondents stating the
disease can kill apple trees and
entire orchards, and was the most
troublesome to their growing. In
addition to apples, fire blight also
damages pears, raspberries and
other rose family plants.
Downy mildew was listed by
18% of respondents as the secondmost
troublesome disease. Powdery
mildew was third-most troubling
to their groves, vineyards and
fields at 16%.
Anthracnose and scab each polled
at 12.7% as most troublesome, with
phytophthora rated at 11%. Botrytis
and bacterial spot respectively
polled at 7%.
Bitter rot rated at 4% of those
surveyed. However, all of the rots
combined, including brown rot,
soft rot, crown rot and leather rot,
constituted 25% of responses.
Combining all other blights
listed - including early and late
blight, GSB (gummy steam blight
or black rot), leaf blight, tomato
blight, sclerotinia and cane blight -
blight, as a category, represented
11% of responses.
2025 worries
As 2025 progresses, growers
anticipate continued challenges
from disease. Growers were most
concerned about fire blight at 12%,
powdery mildew and scab at 11%
and the following diseases all at 7%:
alternaria (black spot), a fungus that
causes leaf spots, blights and rots on
numerous plants, anthracnose and
downy mildew.
All rots combined constituted 13%
of responses.
Combining all blights listed
as a category represented 7% of
responses that growers listed as
most concerning diseases for 2025.
Other diseases reported by
growers as most troublesome
included alternaria or black
spot, fusarium and bacterial wilt,
marssonina, red and sooty leaf
blotch viruses, mold, BLS (bacteria
leaf streak), mummy berry (a fungal
disease common among blueberry
species), bacterial canker, glomerela
(apples), cranberry false bottom,
cucumber virus, pythium, vector in
winegrapes, x-disease (western x)
and northern corn leaf blight.
Growers provide insight into most pressing disease challenges
Any types of controls to combat
these problems. "
24 | MARCH 2025
March 2025

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of March 2025
