Small-Scale Fungicide Delivery Equipment to Manage Early Blight in Three Types of Tomato

Abstract

Management of early blight, one of the most common diseases of tomato, can be challenging for small- and large-scale growers alike, and robust disease resistance is not present in most commonly grown varieties. Comparisons of fungicide application equipment for early blight management have been completed for large-scale growers; however, comparisons have not been conducted of equipment suitable for small-scale plantings. In three trials, small-scale fungicide sprayer options (hand-pumped backpack, gasoline-powered mister-blower, and compressed CO2 backpack sprayer) were compared for effectiveness against early blight in determinate, indeterminate round-fruited, and indeterminate grape/cherry tomatoes. Results suggest that applying fungicides with a compressed CO2 sprayer most consistently managed early blight compared with other sprayer options tested in determinate tomatoes. Statistically significant differences in early blight severity by sprayer were not apparent for indeterminate grape/cherry tomato types and were variable for indeterminate round-fruited types. Determinate varieties consistently had the highest early blight severity among the three types of tomato evaluated. These results are influential to small-scale and beginning growers balancing the cost of fungicide application equipment with the type of tomato being grown.