Black Leaf Mold Development and Its Effect on Tomato Yield

Abstract

The severity of black leaf mold, caused by Pseudocercospora fuligena, was compared under epidemic conditions in field experiments on susceptible tomato lines that were either inoculated with the fungus or not inoculated. In one trial, 10 tomato entries that were infected by field inoculum had an average black leaf mold severity of 53 and 60% recorded over two assessments taken during fruit-set. In another experiment, different levels of disease severity were induced on a breeding line, CL 5915-153D 4 -3-3-0 (CL 5915) and a commercial variety, TN 2, by inoculating plants at various intervals(.)