Tomato Twilight Meeting 2016

Which tomato lines are resistant to disease and produce high-quality, delicious tomatoes? This was the focus of our second Tomato Twilight meeting on August 31, 2016. Led by Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture Program, the trial is part of an ongoing breeding program to develop tomato lines with resistance to three destructive plant diseases: late blight, early blight, and septoria leaf spot. The trial also focuses on breeding in other desirable traits, including increased tomato size and greater yield.

Guest speakers Teresa Rusinek and Meg McGrath of Cornell University led several dozen participants on a tour of the tomato plants and a discussion of disease resistance. The conversation also focused on overall disease management and an update on the diseases prevalent in the Hudson Valley this season.