Topic summary
Early blight
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Alternaria solani.
Economic significance
Early blight caused by A. solani is the most destructive disease of tomatoes in the tropical and subtropical regions. Each 1% increase in intensity can reduce yield by 1.36%, and complete crop failure can occur when the disease is most severe. Yield losses of up to 79% have been reported in the U.S., of which 20–40% is due to seedling losses (i.e., collar rot) in the field.