{"id":18782,"date":"2019-09-16T09:35:20","date_gmt":"2019-09-16T13:35:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/ipm\/?page_id=18782"},"modified":"2021-08-31T15:50:55","modified_gmt":"2021-08-31T19:50:55","slug":"5062e","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/ipm\/ipddl\/publications\/5062e\/","title":{"rendered":"Blossom End Rot"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n \n \"Print\n <\/a>\n <\/div><\/h3>\n

Pest Management Fact Sheet #5062<\/h3>\n

Authors: Dr. Alicyn Smart and Abigayl Novak<\/em><\/p>\n

For information about UMaine Extension programs and resources, visit extension.umaine.edu<\/a>.
\nFind more of our publications and books at extension.umaine.edu\/publications\/<\/a>.<\/strong>
\n<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Abiotic Disorder:<\/strong> Deficiency of Calcium<\/h4>\n

Introduction<\/h3>\n

Blossom end rot is a physiological disorder relating to a calcium deficiency and is detrimental to both tomato growers and home gardeners. Fruits 1-3 weeks old are most susceptible to this disorder due to the increased requirement of calcium for rapid fruit growth. Calcium is a none mobile nutrient, meaning it does not move throughout the plant easily. If there is a limited amount of calcium in the soil, water or roots for the nutrient to be taken up and moved throughout the plant, the fruit will not have a sufficient amount of calcium to form healthy fruit. High levels of salt and use of ammonium nitrogen is also a contributing factor to increasing the occurrence of this disease.<\/p>\n

Host Plants<\/h3>\n
    \n
  • Tomatoes (Solanaceae<\/em>); less common on peppers (Piperaceae<\/em>), squash (Cucurbitaceae<\/em>), and eggplant (Solanaceae<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Symptoms and Signs
    \n<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n

    This disorder shows up as light-tan, water-soaked lesions on tomato fruit. Most lesions develop at the blossom end of the fruit and in rare cases, internal growth of lesions can appear. As Blossom end rot progresses, the lesions enlarge in a circular pattern and appear as a black leathery texture (Figure 1 and 2). If left too long the disease can lead to secondary black mold. Fruits with this disorder grow and ripen more rapidly than normal, especially if they are on the windward side of the farm or garden. This disorder does not spread from one plant to the next like a pathogenic disease might.<\/p>\n\n\t\t