Help identify hop disease (with pictures)

[IanMC]

Hi everyone,

Today I noticed that one of my hop plants is starting to show issues with the leaves. White, yellow, and brown patches; general necrosis; and definitely some big bites taken out by insects.

Can you help me identify what is causing the discoloration and leaf death? The plant is potted, on a drip irrigation system, and was just fertilized. Still, I suppose it could be underwatered or nutrient deficient. Does this look like dryness, nutrient deficiency, or some kind of a disease? Any suggestions would be most appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[bonecitybrewco]

LOOKS like ApMV (Apple Mosaic Virus) but can’t be certain without more photos.

 

[IanMC]

What type of pictures would you need? I'm happy to take some more.

Thanks!

 

[bonecitybrewco]

What type of pictures would you need? I'm happy to take some more.

Thanks!

Just more detailed photos (closeups) of a few leaves that seem badly affected and some that just seem to be starting. For example, close up of the 2nd leaf from the top on the right hand side of picture 1 looks like it might help confirm it.

 

[nagmay]

To me, those leaves look physically chewed on - perhaps by a number of pests: caterpillars, aphids, mites, etc.

I would start by defoliating the lower couple of feet. This will help to keep the pests off. It can also help to slow the spread of fungal diseases.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

The leaf top-centre-ish looks clearly chewed, and the one to its left and the one below that one look like they're in the early stages of having the leaf "flesh" eaten out between the veins. That suggests a "big" herbivore (as opposed to spider mite etc), something like rose chafer or Japanese beetle if you're in the US.

Have a close look at leaves, particularly the undersides, see if you can find anything.

 

[kl Roosevelt brewer]

I'm having a terrible time! It's even in my tomatoes. I sprayed it with a fungicide that's what the white specs are

 

[Northern_Brewer]

As per above - if it's insect damage then fungicide will make no difference.

 

[OG-wan Kenobi]

Gray Leaf Spot: How to Identify and Treat It in Tomatoes


Gray leaf spot is a disease that affects tomato leaves. It’s caused by three different fungi, Stemphylium solani, Stemphylium floridanum, and Stemphylium botryosum.



The fungus survives for a long time on plant debris, weeds, alternate hosts such as nightshade plants (peppers, eggplant, and potatoes), volunteer tomato plants, and gladiolas.

Spores are spread by wind and water. Wet weather, dew, and overhead watering help them germinate quickly.

Breeders have developed tomato varieties that are resistant to the disease. Look for disease-resistant code letters “S” or “St” (to indicate “Stemphylium”) on seed packages or plant labels.

What does gray leaf spot look like?

• Brown to black specks appear first on older leaves, then newer growth.
• Spots develop a gray center surrounded by a yellow halo. Leaves turn yellow, then brown, then drop.
• The center of the spot may fall out leaving holes.
• The entire plant may be affected.
• Fruit is not affected directly, but the disease can stunt them. When plant loses its leaves, tomatoes are susceptible to sunscald.

I would say this sounds like what you have

 

[Northern_Brewer]

Gray leaf spot is a disease that affects tomato leaves.

And these are not tomatoes. Plant pathogens are generally fairly specific, and Stemphylium mostly attacks solanaceous plants. I'm not aware of it attacking hops - but I would add that being based in the UK, I'm not familiar with all the bugs and beasties across the pond.

And what we're seeing here is a fairly generic necrosis, there's nothing particularly distinctive about it, other than that first photo where it looked like something was nibbling it.

 

[OG-wan Kenobi]

And these are not tomatoes. Plant pathogens are generally fairly specific, and Stemphylium mostly attacks solanaceous plants. I'm not aware of it attacking hops - but I would add that being based in the UK, I'm not familiar with all the bugs and beasties across the pond.

And what we're seeing here is a fairly generic necrosis, there's nothing particularly distinctive about it, other than that first photo where it looked like something was nibbling it.

It's in his tomatoes and the disease is airborne

I am not a plant Dr but to me that reads like his picture shows

I'm having a terrible time! It's even in my tomatoes. I sprayed it with a fungicide that's what the white specs areView attachment 633667

 

[Northern_Brewer]

It's in his tomatoes and the disease is airborne

I am not a plant Dr but to me that reads like his picture shows

Whereas I do have some qualifications in this area and am not convinced. That kind of necrosis is the plant equivalent of a runny nose, all sorts of things can cause it. In the UK at least, if tomatoes were starting to show necrosis a little after the first fruits show then 95% of the time it would be "potato blight" or "late blight" caused by Phytophthora infestans of Irish potato famine "fame". Which is completely specific to Solanums.

There's clearly some insect damage in the first photo. Whether that's the underlying cause or just incidental is not clear, it needed closer examination at the time whereas now the culprits could be long gone. But my feeling is that the hop problem and tomatoes are probably unrelated.

 

[B-Hoppy]

It's in his tomatoes and the disease is airborne

I am not a plant Dr . . .

And this is exactly the reason there are plant doctors, lol!!

 

[OG-wan Kenobi]

Well in my humble opinion that looks nothing like blight that I have seen. Blight forms large round brown / purplish spots off the center vein of the leaf typically and the stems rot that is not what is going on in those pictures. Blight looks like this

That's not what I am seeing in his plants. His plants seem to be losing some color and developing grey/white spots in a much more random pattern. The tomato plant looks like it has something else going on it's yellow and brown edges with some speckled through the leaves.
@IanMC have you checked the PH of your medium? That's were you need to start if your PH is off it can cause all kinds of funky problems that will look like any number of other problems, if your PH is good flush your medium with something like FloraKleen and start fresh at the roots. What is the humidity and temperature and what hop strain? That matters a lot. For the bug bites you can buy lady bugs at a lot of places and they will eat what's eating your plants most times. Your best bet for help on this is most likely a gardening forum where they dedicate more time in that particular hobby and more likely have the experience to answer your questions better they come across more issues like this than us I am sure.

Whereas I do have some qualifications in this area and am not convinced. .

I never said I was without qualifications

 

[Northern_Brewer]

The tomato plant looks like it has something else going on it's yellow and brown edges with some speckled through the leaves.

Err - where do we have a photo of his tomato plants, other than you can see some fruit in the background of the last photo, growing behind his hop?

For the bug bites you can buy lady bugs at a lot of places and they will eat what's eating your plants most times.

It helps a lot if you can identify what's actually eating them - that first photo looks like some kind of "big" insect feeding, which ladybirds/bugs won't handle.

 

[wstumper]

LOOKS like ApMV (Apple Mosaic Virus) but can’t be certain without more photos.

Based on these photos, I'd agree. Appears to look as more advanced at this stage.