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Plant & Pest Advisory – June 9, 2024- Andy Wyenandt
Symptoms usually begin to appear on random plants throughout the field as green fruit begins to
mature. The bacterium (Pseudomonas corrugata) is ubiquitous to soils and develops when weather
conditions (cooler nights/very hot, humid days) and cultural practices (i.e., excess heavy N use) lead
to favorable conditions for disease development. Symptoms include the development of irregular
greasy (at first), brown lesions on main stems and branches. Late pruning (i.e., suckering) can provide
entry points for the bacterial disease. Internally, stems will become chocolate brown and mushy.
High humidity is necessary for disease development. High nitrogen and lower night temperatures are
associated with Pith Necrosis development. Control begins with cultural practices such as avoiding
working in fields with wet foliage, avoiding late pruning, tying when plants are wet, and watching the
amount of N applied to plantings. Infected plants can be rouged from field and most often it does not
spread to nearby uninfected plants.