The earlier seasonal onset of warm temperatures in parts of the world is resulting in a threat of earlier disease development. With an increase in the potential for more severe epidemics, the number of fungicide applications needed for control also increases. Researchers have determined that 1-3 more fungicide sprays will be needed in Egypt to control tomato diseases as a result of climate change…

“The ranges of several important tomato disease[s] in Egypt; including tomato late blight (the most destructive tomato disease causing fruit yield losses) have expanded since the early 1990s, possibly in response, in part, to climate trends. … Based on analysis of plant/disease/climate relations, an epidemic of late blight onset on tomatoes that is 1-2 weeks earlier means 2-3 additional sprays to achieve sufficient control of late blight. Accordingly, 1-3 more sprays will be applied at the incoming decades of the 2025-2100.”

Authors: M.A. Fahim¹, M.K. Hassanein¹, A.F. Abou Hadid² and M.S. Kadah²
Affiliation: ¹Central Laboratory for Agricultural Climate, Giza, Egypt; ²Climate Change Information Center, Giza, Egypt
Title: Impacts of climate change on the widespread and epidemics of some tomato diseases during the last decade in Egypt
Publication: Acta Horticulturae. 2011. 914.