James A. Chatfield, Ohio State University Extension, Northeast District/Horticulture and Crop Science; Nancy A. Taylor, Plant Pathology, C. Wayne Ellett Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic, Ohio State University; Erik A. Draper, Ohio State University Extension, Geauga County; and Joseph F. Boggs, Ohio State University Extension, Hamilton County/Southwest District.
Disease summaries for 2002 were derived from the OSU Extension Buckeye Yard and Garden Line (BYGL) electronic newsletter, reports from the C. Wayne Ellett Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic (PPDC), and other reports. As always, environmental conditions unique to the particular growing season played a big part in the profile of diseases for 2002.
The profile for much of Ohio in 2002 was a very wet spring, which got anthracnose diseases and apple scab (which love wet weather on emerging and new foliage) off to a good start, followed by a very dry summer and normal to excessive fall precipitation. A few of the disease profiles and disease control perspectives from 2002 are noted here.
First, though, here is a reminder of one of the basics of plant disease management.