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central Missouri

I have a plant dying, or dead, from phytophthora. At least that is my diagnosis. Please see the photos in the gallery to see if you agree. What can be done to save this plant? To prevent my other plants in the patch from getting the same thing? This is a new patch. It is on top of a ridge. I can't believe I could possibly have drainage problems. That said, we did have 3 inches of rain in a one week period 5 days before this happened. The plants have all been treated the same receiving nothing but grub-ex and water. I have not watered in almost 2 weeks now due to all the rain. I have read that Alliete is able to control phytophthora, but that it is pretty expensive. I have also read that Alliete is converted to potassium phosphite which is available as a fertilizer? Would I be able to treat my patch with potassium phosphite?
Thanks for you help.

6/19/2005 4:02:08 PM

Eugene,OR

I've got some Alliete on the way but I'm not sure about the dosage either?

6/19/2005 6:05:19 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

I ran the numbers for a golf super last week. Potassium Phosphite cost him $65/acre versus $320/acre for Aliette.

Potassium Phosphite is sometimes labeled as 0-26-18 but in some states the Phosphonate is not recognized so many labels instead read 0-0-18.

Plants don't know the difference.

6/19/2005 6:27:15 PM

Ohio

Mark Id get that wilted dead plant out of there ASAP, Id hate to see your other plant get it.I would also get rid of the dirt around the wilted plant. You probably done this already but just making sure you know.

Good Luck,
Brooks

6/19/2005 9:25:06 PM

central Missouri

I haven't been able to make myself yank this plant. I'm beginning to question if this is actually phytopthora I'm dealing with here. The new growth on the vine tips is looking good. Shouldn't it be dead too? I really don't want to pull this plant. Another possibility has come to light: a soybean field about 20 yards from this plant was sprayed earlier in the same week it met it's apparent demise. Some sort of selective herbicide? If so why were my other plants not affected? Wouldn't this have killed the new growth rather than the old growth? What is happening to this plant is a mystery to me. Tomorrow I will have the oportunity to check with the co-op to see if I can get potassium phosphite and figure out how I should apply it and at what rate.

6/20/2005 6:25:50 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

If its 0-0-18 then the rate is one gallon per acre. Use enough water to drench the foliage & the soil.

6/20/2005 8:26:51 PM

Somers, CT

Try cutting off a vine in the affected area (if you can on an un-needed secondary). Bacterial wilt clogs the vine and restricts water to the area causing the leaves to wilt and eventually turn brown. If you section a piece of vine and find a stringy membrane between the two pieces that looks like spider web then it could possibly be bacterial wilt. I have it and am starting a new post. Here is a good link.
http://www.news.cornell.edu/Chronicle/01/9.6.01/pumpkin_wilt.html

6/21/2005 1:00:41 PM

central Missouri

Well, the plant is still hanging on, not growing by any means but not dying either. Went by the co-op today. They hadn't ever heard of phytophthora. They didn't know anything about potassium phosphite or phosphonate either. I guess it's not something they routinely deal with. But they did have a 5 pound bag of Aliette WDG for $12.00 per pound. The guy who had them order it for him never picked it up. Had I not read Rob's post on bacterial wilt just before lunch I would have bought it. Great links Rob! I don't have any leaves with intervenal chlorosis but then again that probably only forms on one leaf at the initial site of infection. How long would it take for this leaf to shrivel up and die if it was a more mature leaf, about 20 inches across? If it would take more than 2 days bacterial wilt is probably not the cause of my problems. When I get home tonight I'll do as Rob suggested and cut off a vine to see if any stringy goo is present. I'm obviously still quite unsure what I'm dealing with at this time. I do have cuke beetles which are the vector for bacterial wilt. However, the plant looks like it has phyto, but is being grown in a new patch on ground that has not been worked in over 20 years. And when it was worked it was almost certainly soybeans, corn, or wheat that was grown. How could I have phyto? The mystery continues.

6/22/2005 3:34:30 PM

central Missouri

I cut off a side vine yesterday and it actually looked very healthy inside, no swelling or stringing stuff. Aliette goes on tonight if I can figure out how to mix and apply it.

6/24/2005 11:29:41 AM