How to prevent Fusarium wilt

This wilting disease is caused by a fungal infection. In this article, we’ll review the symptoms of fusarium and the methods you can use to prevent infection and spreading.

Fusarium (in particular fusarium oxysporum) can pose a big threat to your vegetable plants or ornamental plants. It’s especially known for causing cucumber or bell pepper plants to wilt, as well as for causing plant death in ornamental and flowering plants.

How to detect fusarium infections

Fusarium enters a plant’s veins and can easily spread throughout the plant. It affects the veins themselves and causes them to turn brown. By inhibiting proper nutrient and moisture flow throughout the plant, it eventually causes leaves to turn yellow and the plant to wilt.

The fungus also affects the roots of the plant, causing them to rot.

When the first plants have been infected, and the fungus has had time to grow within the plant, it will produce a fluffy material on the outside of the plant as well. This fungal fluff contains its spores and helps the fungus to spread to other plants.

In a more advanced stage, the fluff can turn pink because of a high density of spores. Plants can also start showing stem or fruit rot.

Symptoms of fusarium

If you’re worried about fusarium wilt, pay attention to these symptoms:

• Brown veins: visible when severing one of the stems
• Yellow/brown foliage: usually on one side of the plant first
• Wilting
• Stem rot
• Fruit rot
• White fluffy mycelium
• Pink fluffy mycelium (advanced stage)

How to prevent fusarium wilt

To prevent a fungal infection of your crop, it’s key to provide your plants with an optimal growing environment for them to thrive. Healthy plants are resilient and can fight off possible infections.

The structure of your substrate is also relevant to help prevent this fungal disease.

Finally, make sure to use a clean water source, free of contamination to irrigate your plants. Fusarium spores can easily travel through and reside in water, making this a possible source of infections.

If you spot an infected plant it’s important to take immediate action. To prevent the spread of fusarium, do the following. Cover the plant with a plastic bag to stop the spores from spreading through the air when you move the plant. Immediately remove it from your cultivation site and thoroughly clean the environment. Make sure to check and keep an eye on any plants that were in its proximity.

Preventing the recurrence of a Fusarium infection is even more complicated. That’s because the types of spores created by Fusarium can survive on substrate/soil, plant material and equipment for years. As a result, it’s vital to establish proper sanitation protocols and to disinfect the greenhouse environment, containers and equipment thoroughly.

Contact your distributor if you’re looking for more information on this subject.