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Diseases of Coleus

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Handbook of Florists' Crops Diseases

Part of the book series: Handbook of Plant Disease Management ((HPDM))

Abstract

Coleus (Plectranthus scutellarioides), an herbaceous bedding plant, has been prized by gardeners for its bright colorful foliage since Victorian times and in recent years has seen a resurgence in popularity. At retail greenhouses, coleus can be purchased as flats of mixed cultivars, hanging baskets, or individually potted plants. The most serious pathogen of coleus is downy mildew. Downy mildew on coleus, identified as a Peronospora sp. based on morphological characteristics, was first reported in the United States in 2005. Coleus are not considered to be susceptible to the pathogens commonly associated with other bedding plants. However, Rhizoctonia crown and stem blight, Botrytis gray mold, and select viruses have been observed. Management of coleus diseases in the greenhouse and landscape usually centers on the control of downy mildew and includes chemical and cultural control and host resistance.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, 612 Wilson Road, 140 Plant Biology Lab, East Lansing, MI, 48824-1312, USA

    Blair R. Harlan & Mary K. Hausbeck

Authors
  1. Blair R. Harlan
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  2. Mary K. Hausbeck
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Correspondence to Blair R. Harlan .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. NBD Research Co. Ltd., Lampang, Thailand

    Robert J. McGovern

  2. Department of Plant Pathology and Ecology, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, Connecticut, USA

    Wade H. Elmer

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Harlan, B.R., Hausbeck, M.K. (2018). Diseases of Coleus. In: McGovern, R., Elmer, W. (eds) Handbook of Florists' Crops Diseases. Handbook of Plant Disease Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39670-5_32

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