The New Tomato Variety Iron Lady that is "triple resistant" to 3 Major Fungal Diseases.

Ready to plant: ‘Iron Lady’ tomato punches out blights ByStacey Shackford tomatoes High Mowing Organic Seeds The new Iron Lady tomato provides resistance to three fungal diseases; it is now available for planting. If the name fits, grow it: "Iron Lady" is the first tomato to resist three major fungal diseases - early blight, late blight and Septoria leaf spot - plaguing New York's growers for years. For farmers, this new tomato dramatically reduces the need for expensive fungicide. Iron Lady is available to both producers and home gardeners for the upcoming growing season. Favoring the Northeast's moist, cool conditions, one or more of these diseases occurs yearly, prompting Martha Mutschler-Chu, Cornell professor of plant breeding and genetics, to create tomatoes that resist late blight and early blight. However, since those plants could still be defoliated by Septoria leaf spot, Mutscher-Chu worked with research associate Stella Zitter and plant pathologist Tom Zitter to create Septoria resistance. Experimental hybrids using these "triple blight resistant" tomatoes were successfully grown in trials in North Carolina, West Virginia, Virginia and New York, in a project supported by the Northeast Regional Integrated Pest Management Center. "We have demonstrated that we have tomato hybrids with good medium fruit that will stand up to these diseases," Mutschler-Chu said. "In order to reduce the need for fungicides, you need to genetically control all three diseases." Iron Lady, the cross of a "triple resistant" Cornell line and a late blight/early blight line from North Carolina State University, is the first of these hybrids to become commercially available, via High Mowing Organic Seeds. In addition to the strongest possible resistance to late blight -- provided by the combination of two genes, Ph2 and Ph3 -- tolerance to early blight and resistance to Septoria leaf spot, the plant also has resistances to verticillium and fusarium wilts, common to most modern tomato varieties. Early blight tolerance is not as strong as resistance, so the need for fungicides may not be completely eliminated. But Mutschler-Chu teamed up with professor Tom Zitter to identify a complementary fungicide strategy with the lowest possible environmental impact. This led to a potential reduction of sprays from weekly application to once or twice a season. That information is available to growers via Cornell's Vegetable MD website. "Tolerance alone is not enough, spray alone is not enough, but together there is good synergy," Mutschler-Chu said. Iron Lady is suitable for organic production, and was tested by organic farmers as part of a federal Organic Agriculture Research and Extension-funded project coordinated by Cornell breeder Michael Mazourek. He said disease-resistant tomatoes were identified as a top priority for organic growers, who currently use copper to control blight, a solution that can be just as bad for the environment as chemical fungicides. "This represents a really valuable tool for growers," Mazourek said. "And the tomatoes are head and shoulders above those you would find shipped to the grocery store." Mutschler-Chu said she wanted to make Iron Lady available to growers quickly because of the real and immediate need. "We have even better lines coming along," she said. "We are testing second-generation hybrids now." While breeding the new lines, Mutschler-Chu and her team created molecular markers that can be used to detect the presence of Ph2 and Ph3 in plants. "Use of markers cuts in half the number of generations it takes to breed," she said. "Development of a similar marker for the Septoria resistance gene is nearing completion." Mutschler-Chu is sharing her discoveries with scientists and seed companies, so that the resistance traits can be incorporated into other varieties. This project was supported in part by a New York Specialty Crop grant. Stacey Shackford is staff writer for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Trending Editor's Picks Most Emailed Most Read Cornell theorists affirm gravitational wave detection Gene discovery suggests surprising evolutionary pattern New desktop-sterilization device disinfects cell phones Conference rallies, supports women entrepreneurs Related Information Cornell Plant Pathology Vegetable Disease site High Mowing Seeds Vegetable MD Share Facebook logo Facebook LinkedIn logo LinkedIn Reddit logo Reddit StumbleUpon logo StumbleUpon Twitter logo Twitter Printer-friendly version Send by email  Unbookmark Story Contacts Cornell Chronicle Susan S. Lang 607-255-3613 ssl4@cornell.edu Media Contact John Carberry 607-255-5353 jjc338@cornell.edu . -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About the Office Contact Us

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! To all my Gardening Friends and readers of my blog! Hope everyone haves a wonderful year! Happy New Year Gardener Den

Today is December the 28th,2015. It will soon be January 1st 2016. Another New Year!

Hi  to all my gardening friends. It looks like another New Year is coming fast. The first of the year is this coming Friday. January 1st, 2016. And what a year its going to be with the Presidental Election in this coming November. And all the excitement of voting for a new president. Also all the work coming up for the coming growing season either for this coming spring or for growing seedlings for planting in the garden for the summer months. Well I am cleaning up my greenhouse for the up and coming spring and summer growing and selling season. I hope I have helped my customers and the readers of this blog in the past and in the future. In growing fine specimen plants for everyone to enjoy.And giving expert advice folr all to use. So lets all get together to celebrate the up and coming New Year and new growing season. Yours Truely and Happy Gardening Gardener Den!

Happy New Year to all my gardening friends!

Hi Everyone!
Happy New Year To all my gardening friends.Hope the new year brings you all the things that you want in the new year.me  Come back often this next year to see post about all kind of gardening subjects. I will be discussing how to grow all kind of plants and there care. So come back often to see what is going on Gardener den

Hi Gardening Friends!

Hi Gardening Friends!
Here is a page on Facebook that I would like you to look at when you get time?
www.facebook.com/DensGreenhouseFunds
I hope if you go there would you like my fanpage?
                                                                                    Thank You
                                                                             Dennis Hoyman

I am growing Herbs in the greenhouse for resale.

I am growing Herbs in the greenhouse for resale.
In the next few months I will be selling herbs over the Internet,
So keep coming back to my blog to see what kinds of  herbs that I am growing do I
have to sell. Here are some that I am growing.
a. Peppermint
b. Chocolate Mint
c. Spearmint
d.Orange Mint
e. Common Sage
f. Oregano
g. Rosemary
h. Basil

So if your interested in growing Herbs in the winter time in your house come back to see what I have to offer.   Gardener Den

Hi Gardening Friends

Hi Gardening Friends
Well it almost the end of June and didn't get my garden planted yet?
But there is more time to get those tomatoes and peppers in the ground.
So hope to get them planted before the end of the month.
Let me know if you have any ideas?
                                                       Have A Nice Day
                                                       Gardener Den









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