Weather Dependence, Yield Losses, and Control of Bacterial Speck of Tomato Caused byPseudomonas tomato

YUNIS, H., Y. BASHAN, Y. OKON, and Y. HENIS. 1980. Weather dependence, yield losses, and control of bacterial speck of tomato caused by Pseudomonas tomato. Plant Disease 64:937-939. Field weather (temperature and relative humidity) and bacterial speck of tomato were directly correlated. The disease developed and spread only at temperatures between 13 and 28 C and at high relative humidity with free water on the leaves. Yield losses varied from 75% in plants infected at an early stage of growth to 5% in plants infected later in the season. Copper treatments reduced disease severity and increased yield even at optimal conditions for disease development.