Black Shank Official Variety Test, Edgecombe County, North Carolina, 2024

Black shank, caused by the oomycete pathogen Phytophthora nicotianae, is among the most devastating diseases of flue-cured tobacco in tobacco-producing regions throughout the world. Symptoms include yellow, wilting, blackening, and discing of the pith and plant death. This report evaluates the resistance of flue-cured varieties to black shank. The trial was conducted in 2024 in a black shank nursery in Rocky Mount, NC. Results from these trials will help advise tobacco growers in developing integrated management programs for this disease.