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Tomato pith necrosis, first observed on tomato plants in 1978, continues to be a threat to tomato production across the US. The disease most severely impacts crops where high humidity and stress conditions are present, and as a result, it is mostly a concern for greenhouse and high tunnel tomatoes, but it can also impact field-grown tomatoes. There are currently no tomato varieties resistant to pith necrosis, nor any chemical treatments commercially available, so preventing the disease with good management practices is the best way to limit its occurrence.
Clavibacter michiganensis, commonly known as bacterial canker, is considered one of the most necessary-to-manage diseases in the greenhouse tomato industry. Bacterial canker spreads quickly to infect both transplanted and directly seeded crops, especially through pruning practices when shears are not properly disinfected. An epidemic can begin with a single infected seed, so disease prevention should always remain a top priority for all growers.
