Fungus threatens basil plants this year and beyond

Sweet basil, the mainstay herb of summer, is under attack from the aggressive fungal disease downy mildew, The Washington Post reported. Long an affliction of other plants, the disease is new to basil in the United States and threatens to become a permanent headache for grower, gardener and cook alike.

"It's here. And it's here to stay," said Meg McGrath, a vegetable disease expert at Cornell University's research farm on Long Island. "It was something we didn't have a couple of years ago, but we now have it."

Garden plants that are now healthy might become infected. The disease spores are carried in the air and also survive in seeds. The effects first appear as faint yellow bands on the upper surfaces of the leaves. The lower leaf surfaces become dotted with tiny gray specks.

For the full story, visit The Washington Post.