Tomato Diseases


Damping Off and Root Rot
Rhizoctonia solani, Pythium spp., and Fusarium spp.

Found worldwide

 Damage Symptoms

Plants become stunted due to rotting of roots or stem collar. Under severe conditions, the stems become girdled followed by plants drooping and dying.

Can occur either before or after emergence of seedlings. Usually occurs in patches in nursery beds or in scattered areas of the field with direct seeded crops.

Conditions for Development

Occurs in infested soil or growth medium. Often associated with overwatering and poor drainage.


Control

Nursery beds must have good drainage and ventilation. If possible, use a sterile growth medium or fumigate nursery beds before sowing. Coat the seed with a suitable fungicide such as captan or thiram. If disease appears, apply a fungicidal drench to prevent further infection.

Infected (cucurbit) seedlings with girdled stems

Loss of (pepper) transplants due to damping off