White Leaf Spot
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White leaf spot (Mycosphaerella capsellae) affects all cole crops, but leafy varieties are more susceptible than cabbage or broccoli. The first symptoms are small, light-green to grayish spots on foliage. Older lesions are circular, tan to white in color, and may reach 10-12 mm in size. Whitish sporulation is common on the undersides of lesions during humid conditions. Expanding lesions often merge, creating large areas of blighted tissue.
Lesions of napa cabbage caused by white leaf spot
(Photo: Ty Cato, University of Kentucky)
Severe blighting of napa cabbage caused by white leaf spot
(Photo: Ty Cato, University of Kentucky)
Management:
- Crop rotation.
- Weed control.
- Fungicides.
