Strange disease strikes pumpkins
- To: "pumpkins@mallorn.com" <pumpkins@mallorn.com>
- Subject: Strange disease strikes pumpkins
- From: C* T* <r*@worldnet.att.net>
- Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1998 08:50:54 +0000
Just thought you might like to read what was in the newspaper this morning,
anyone else read this in there newspaper.
Los Angeles Times Sept.10, 1998,
Halloween could suffer in some parts of New York state this year because of an
emerging pumpkin plague, plants experts said Wednesday.
A strange bacterial disease has erupted in upstate pumpkin patches, resulting
in stunted growth, yellowing leaves and the destruction of interior plant
tissue, say plant pathologists at Cornell University in Ithaca. Eventually,
the plants wilt and die.
The disease is not considered dangerous to humans.
"This is a brand-new disease; we only began seeing it three weeks ago," said
plant pathologist Thomas Zitter.
Plant breeder Molly Jahn at Cornell said the economic impact for individual
farmers may be substantial.
"Pumpkins are, in some years, about the most valuable crop on an acre of
land.....People will pay two or three bucks per fruit,"
One weapon may be crossbreeding. This is done by scanning existing pumpkins
varieties for any that have natural resistance. When disease-resistant strains
are found, attemplts are made to crossbreed the trait into other varieties.
Although it isn't known how the disease is spread, the fact that it shows up
randomly in different fields suggests it may be carried from plant to plant by
insects. There seens to be no evidence that the disease lurks in soil or
seeds, scientists said.
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