Help ID Stem Damage

[windchicken]

I've been through all the pest/disease pages in the Bosland/DeWitt book several times, and cannot find this condition. It started in the Poblanos, moved to the Españolas, and is now in the Tabascos.

It initially presents as a longitudinal cavity in the main stem, not unlike the normal "stretch marks" that occur around the base of a thickening stalk, only much more severe. After that the cavity appears to fill in and scar over. It doesn't seem to harm leaf production or fruit production, however, in the early "cavity" stage the branch becomes weak and needs to be supported. After the "scarring over" stage the plant seems to be okay.

Initial "cavity" stage

Later "scarring over" stage

Early on in the season I had a bout of BLS, but I seem to have stopped its spreading with several heavy applications of Daconil, a fungicide. Later on there were some grasshoppers and those crazy orange bugs, so the garden got a couple of healthy rounds of Sevin Dust. That's all I've done to it. Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

 

[GarrettM18]

That looks a lot like the grasshopper marks on my plants where they have eaten them in half or sometimes just take a big bite out of my stems but someone else might have a better answer. Are your grasshoppers like 3 to four inches long with small red wing looking things.

 

[windchicken]

Thanks! The grasshoppers I observed were probably less than 2 inches long, but there may have been some larger ones that I didn't see...

 

[GarrettM18]

Thanks! The grasshoppers I observed were probably less than 2 inches long, but there may have been some larger ones that I didn't see...

do they look like that? That is a fairly large one but i have seen the males i guess that are around two inches on top of this one trying to mate...atleast until i squish them.

 

[windchicken]

Wow, no. Formidable!

Mine were much smaller, and just a solid light green, as nearly as I can remember. By the way, the Seven Dust nailed 'em.