Samples from May and June showed a wide range of plant health issues across crops, with both diseases and abiotic factors involved that, in some cases, played a central role in favoring opportunistic fungi. Conifers, in particular, frequently exhibited needle blights related to environmental stresses.
The flow of the diagnostic samples is definitely increasing and weather conditions with strong rains have contributed to the appearance of bacterial diseases.
Sample Volume received by the Clinic from the beginning of the year to mid June.
May Highlights
Diagnostic samples submitted in May were dominated by ornamental and fruit crops, with environmental and abiotic stress identified as a major contributing factor across many cases. Among ornamentals, needle blights (Phyllosticta, Pestalotiopsis, Phomopsis) were commonly observed in combination with stress-related decline on arborvitae and juniper. Boxwood, frequently exhibited Volutella blight and insect damage.
Dieback caused by Volutella on boxwood twigs. The orange masses are the spores of Volutella. This is a combination of symptoms and signs that can be used to recognize Volutella infections.
In fruit crops, tree fruit samples were often associated with abiotic stress and occasional bacterial and fungal diseases. Strawberry diagnostics were dominated by crown and root rot diseases, including black root rot, anthracnose and Neopestalotiopsis (NeoP) disease, along with frost injury. Field crops showed root rot diseases and one wheat sample was diagnosed with Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus, while among vegetable crops, one tomato was diagnosed with Rhizoctonia crown rot.The remaining tomato samples showed abiotic disorders.
One Peony sample had a severe case of coinfection with Tobacco Rattle Virus, Bacterial Leaf Spot and Botrytis blight.
Marbled crown tissue that was confirmed through culturing being caused by anthracnose. The darken discolored tissue is often associated with strawberry black root rot complex .
Peony plant (A) with a co-infection of Botrytis (B), Bacterial spot (C) Tobacco Rattle Virus (D)
May summary table for the sample received and Diagnosed
|
Crop |
County |
Diagnosis |
|
Soybean |
Highland |
Fusarium root rot |
|
Soybean |
Highland |
Rhizoctonia crown rot |
|
Wheat |
Henry |
Wheat streak mosaic |
|
Apple |
Ashland |
Slime flux suspected |
|
Apple |
Columbiana |
Fire blight |
|
Apple |
Lorain |
Abiotic stress |
|
Apple |
Lorain |
Abiotic stress |
|
Apple |
Lorain |
Abiotic stress |
|
Apricot |
Wayne |
Bacterial spot |
|
Muskmelon |
Wayne |
Abiotic suspected |
|
Peach |
— |
Peach leaf curl |
|
Pear |
Lucas |
Pseudomonas blossom blast |
|
Raspberry |
Wayne |
Anthracnose; frost damage |
|
Raspberry |
Cuyahoga |
Phytophthora root rot |
|
Strawberry |
Pike |
Frost damage |
|
Strawberry |
Pike |
Black root rot; Neopestalotiopsis |
|
Strawberry |
Wayne |
Black root rot; Neopestalotiopsis |
|
Strawberry |
Summit |
Neopestalotiopsis; black root rot |
|
Strawberry |
Wayne |
Black root rot |
|
Strawberry |
Wayne |
Neopestalotiopsis |
|
Strawberry |
Wayne |
Angular leaf spot |
|
Strawberry |
Wayne |
Black root rot |
|
Strawberry |
Pike |
Frost damage |
|
Arborvitae |
— |
Environmental stress |
|
Arborvitae |
Richland |
Environmental stress |
|
Arborvitae |
Montgomery |
Phyllosticta tip blight |
|
Arborvitae |
Stark |
Phyllosticta needle blight |
|
Arborvitae |
Franklin |
No root rot pathogen |
|
Arborvitae |
Montgomery |
Environmental; Pestalotiopsis |
|
Arborvitae |
Logan |
Phyllosticta Needle Blight; environmental |
|
Arborvitae |
Montgomery |
Pestalotiopsis; environmental |
|
Arborvitae |
Montgomery |
Root rot (Phytopythium); stress |
|
Arborvitae |
Montgomery |
Pestalotiopsis; transplant stress |
|
Arborvitae |
Franklin |
Environmental stress |
|
Boxwood |
Cuyahoga |
Leafminer damage |
|
Boxwood |
— |
Leafminer; cold damage; Volutella blight |
|
Boxwood |
Franklin |
Macrophoma; mite; frost damage |
|
Boxwood |
Franklin |
Volutella blight; mite; psyllid |
|
Boxwood |
Franklin |
Volutella blight |
|
Cedar |
Franklin |
Pestalotiopsis needle blight |
|
Cedar |
Franklin |
Sirococcus needle blight |
|
Cherry |
Greene |
Botryosphaeria canker; stress |
|
Cypress |
Highland |
Botryosphaeria canker |
|
Dogwood |
— |
No disease detected |
|
Dogwood |
Putnam |
No pathogens observed |
|
Dogwood |
Franklin |
Colletotrichum leaf spot |
|
Elm |
Hamilton |
Leafminer |
|
Juniper |
Franklin |
Pestalotiopsis tip blight; scale; environmental |
|
Juniper |
Montgomery |
Pestalotiopsis tip blight |
|
Juniper |
Montgomery |
Phomopsis needle blight |
|
Lilac |
Wayne |
Salt damage |
|
Maple |
Montgomery |
Verticillium wilt not detected |
|
Maple |
Montgomery |
Abiotic stress |
|
Mixed ornamentals |
Montgomery |
Herbicide drift |
|
Oak (red) |
Franklin |
Biscogniauxia (formerly Hypoxylon) canker |
|
Oak (red) |
Montgomery |
Biscogniauxia (formerly Hypoxylon canker |
|
Oak (red) |
Montgomery |
Leafminers; Tubakia |
|
Pachysandra |
Stark |
Volutella blight; scale |
|
Pachysandra |
Franklin |
No pest or pathogen |
|
Peony |
Wayne |
Tobacco Rattle Virus; Botrytis blight; Bacterial leaf spot |
|
Petunia |
Licking |
Botrytis blight; temperature stress |
|
Pine |
Montgomery |
Brown spot needle blight |
|
Rhododendron |
Franklin |
Colletotrichum leaf dieback |
|
Smoke bush |
— |
Verticillium wilt |
|
Snowball bush |
Stark |
Leaf beetle larvae |
|
Spruce |
Richland |
Abiotic stress |
|
Spruce |
Richland |
Abiotic stress |
|
Spruce |
Franklin |
Environmental stress |
|
Spruce |
Summit |
Abiotic stress |
|
Spruce/Arborvitae |
Montgomery |
Spider mite; stress |
|
Spruce (blue) |
Montgomery |
Sudden needle drop |
|
Taxus |
Franklin |
Abiotic stress |
|
Walnut |
Franklin |
Not processed |
|
Golf turf |
Delaware |
Leaf spot |
|
Golf turf |
— |
Leaf spot; mower damage |
|
Home lawn |
Shelby |
No disease |
|
Kohlrabi |
Wayne |
Black rot |
|
Onion |
Wayne |
Bacterial streak rot |
|
Potato |
Lake |
Fusarium dry rot; soft rot |
|
Pumpkin |
Washington |
Bacterial spot |
|
Squash |
Washington |
Bacterial spot |
|
Tomato |
Wayne |
Rhizoctonia crown rot |
|
Tomato |
Stark |
Aphids; Ethylene damage |
|
Tomato |
Holmes |
Abiotic stress |
|
Tomato |
Wayne |
Spray injury |
|
Tomato |
Washington |
Herbicide injury |
June Highlights
Diagnostic trends in June closely mirrored those observed in May, with environmental stress continuing to play a key role in plant health issues. Ornamental plants, particularly conifers, showed continued problems with needle blights, root and crown rot diseases (Phytopythium and Phytophthora), and general stress-related decline. Broadleaf ornamentals exhibited leaf spots (anthracnose), cankers, and insect damage.
In fruit crops, strawberry diseases remained prominent, including black root rot, NeoP, and anthracnose, along with several fruits affected by frost injury. Verticillium wilt was diagnosed on tomato, and angular leaf spot was diagnosed on zucchini squash. Fire blight was diagnosed on apple and crabapples.
One wheat sample was diagnosed with Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus.
The heads were bleached and nearly empty, with little to no kernel development. Although BYDV infection is reported to cause reduced yield, it is unclear whether the poor kernel formation observed in this sample was caused solely by the viral infection or if additional abiotic stress factors also contributed to symptom development.
(A) Pine affected by Phytophthora root rot and (B) young fir trees with Phytopythium and root stress caused by overfertilization
Summary table for the sample received during the first two weeks of June
|
Crop |
County |
Diagnosis |
|
Winter wheat |
Putnam |
Barley yellow dwarf virus |
|
Raspberry |
Pike |
Cane blight |
|
Strawberry |
Wayne |
Anthracnose |
|
Strawberry |
Ashtabula |
Not specified |
|
Strawberry |
Ashtabula |
Black root rot and Anthracnose |
|
Strawberry |
Wayne |
Anthracnose |
|
Arborvitae |
Franklin |
Spider mites; Phyllosticta needle blight |
|
Arborvitae |
Montgomery |
Phyllosticta needle blight; environmental stress |
|
Boxwood |
Cuyahoga |
Mite; Volutella blight |
|
Boxwood |
Hamilton |
Volutella blight |
|
Boxwood |
Butler |
Volutella blight; leafminer |
|
Boxwood |
Franklin |
Volutella blight |
|
Boxwood |
Franklin |
Winter damage |
|
Cedar |
Franklin |
Spider mite; Environmental stress |
|
Cherry ornamental |
Franklin |
Not specified |
|
Conifer mix |
Butler |
Phyllosticta needle blight; stress |
|
Dahlia |
Franklin |
No Cyclamen mites observed |
|
Elm |
Montgomery |
Vascular pathogens not detected |
|
Elm |
Montgomery |
Leafminer; weevil |
|
Fir |
Morrow |
Phytopythium root rot; root stress overfertilization |
|
Juniper |
Montgomery |
Phomopsis blight |
|
Maple |
Franklin |
Armillaria not confirmed |
|
Oak (red) |
Montgomery |
Tubakia; nutritional |
|
Pine |
Medina |
Phytophthora root rot |
|
Pieris |
Hamilton |
Cold damage |
|
Smoke bush |
Summit |
Colletotrichum anthracnose |
|
Viburnum |
Wayne |
Phytophthora root rot |
|
Tomato |
Pike |
Verticillium wilt |
|
Zucchini |
Wayne |
Angular leaf spot |
