We’ve been battling this in East, Ky for about 10 years. Its killed literally 1000s of plants. Weve not seen the likes of this for 50 years. I grew my first plants in 72.
My buddy is the real grower, though he passed last October. He guerilla farmed for 45+ years. Got popped once in 1984. He was 74 when he passed.
But in the past 10 years this started showing up more and more,.
I also supplied him with some hard to get seeds, and most of them got trashed. 1000’s of dollars worth over the years.
But the disease starts with purple/Black usually starting at the growing tips, and spreading t the main stalk. Also, it doesnt always kill the plant, and sometimes, they even grow out of it, but that isnt the norm.
Usually it turns the growing tips black, withered, and useless, and eventually the plant dies. This usually starts when the plants very first start to flower, or a week or 2 before.
Im certain its some kind of Phytoplasma disease, which is a Viroid, and there is no cure, and is highly infectous. Its generally transmitted by leafhoppers.
Like I said, Ive been speaking of it, along with several others on a couple other forums for several years, that have also experienced this plague. There have been people from Hawaii, to South Africa who have responded on the other forums, that have experienced this disease.
We have also noted a much higher incidence of leafhoppers in the past 10 years too. The suckers are everywhere. We’ve been growing this stuff for almost 50 years, and never has anything been so destructive in the last 10 years as this.
While some may disagree. Im convinced climate change is allowing the bugs to spread further north, because they dont get killed off by consistent, long, freezing winters anymore. Which also has made them not migrate as far back south, and they overwinter in places they usually wouldnt be in the winter.
This is a photo I borrowed, and it is the beginnings of the plague. Eventually,on a really badly infected plant, the whole plant turns black.
