Diseased areas become invaded by other fungi or bacteria that further rot the fruit. Harvested fruit may not show symptoms until placed in storage. Disease Management Use the fungicide program previously outlined for Septoria leaf spot. Mulch around plants to reduce splashing of inoculum from the soil onto fruits. Improve air movement around plants by staking the tomatoes.
Harvest tomatoes frequently and pick all ripe fruit at each harvest.
Wash harvested fruit thoroughly to reduce the risk of anthracnose developing during storage. Wilt Diseases Figure 7. Verticillium Wilt Figure 8. Both diseases are caused by fungi that inhabit the soil and infect plant roots. Verticillium wilt has a large host range and can affect many vegetables including potato, pepper and eggplant.