Interest in farmers’ market production has been on the rise in Clark County and Kentucky. The number of farmer markets in Kentucky has vastly grown in the last decade along with the number of “Kentucky Proud” farmers. As of 2017, there were 160 farmers’ markets in the state of Kentucky, and a total of more than 2,700 farmers’ market vendors. At the Clark County Farmers’ Market in Winchester alone, the number of vendors has increased from 6 in 2011, to more than 30 in 2017. Many farmers’ market producers around the state are part-time farmers, and are looking to minimize expense whenever possible. Tomatoes are a staple farmers market crop in Kentucky. Early Blight of Tomato and Septoria Leaf Spot are two of the most common and most damaging foliar diseases for small retail growers in Kentucky.

 In 2017, Clark County ANR Agent David Davis, UK Extension Plant Pathologist Dr. Emily Pfeufer, ANR Summer Intern Kendal Bowman, and Clark County farmer Zeldon Angel collaborated to conduct an on-farm tomato fungicide application trial in Clark County. The purpose of this trial was to compare the standard recommendation tomato fungicide program (ID-36) to 4 other less expensive options. This included a protectant only fungicide program, 2 protectant and one systemic programs, the ID-36 fungicide program, and an untreated control for comparison. The goal was to not only provide information for Clark County farmers, but to provide small scale retail tomato growers across Kentucky with decision making information for their operations by considering the role of implementing less expensive (than the standard recommendation) fungicide programs. Plots were established in late May of 2017 on the Zeldon Angel Farm located in Clark County. Fungicide treatments were applied weekly, and the plots were maintained by the Clark County ANR Agent, Summer Intern, and Clark County farmer. Plots were rated for disease severity, and the results compiled by Dr. Pfeufer. 

The conclusion of the fungicide trial was that in a really good production year, the minimal- expense, protectant-only fungicide program was a viable option for smaller growers. These results and conclusions were shared at numerous production meetings throughout Kentucky. At the Clark County Winter School, 86 attendees that included tomato growers and home gardeners learned about less expensive preventative fungicide application options as a result of this trial, more than 120 fruit and vegetable growers that attended the 2018 Kentucky Fruit and Vegetable Conference learned from the results of the trial, and the results and conclusions were shared to benefit producers in various tomato production meetings conducted for growers throughout Kentucky. The study will also be repeated for a 2nd year, and an organic treatment option will be added in 2018.