A gardener who grows tomatoes must be aware of the diseases that can affect this crop at different stages of its growth and development. This is a mandatory requirement for those who want to get a healthy and generous harvest with good taste qualities. Further in the article we will talk about fusarium - a very common tomato disease. We will find out what it is, what are the main signs of the presence of the disease, and also figure out how you can fight it.
What kind of disease is it and where does it come from?
Fusarium is a common and very dangerous fungal disease. This infectious disease may be caused by fungi from the genus Fusarium. It can manifest itself in almost all climatic regions.
Fusarium affects the tissues and vascular system of vegetable crops. The plant withers, roots and fruits begin to rot. Another problem is the fact that the pathogen can remain in the soil for a long time, as well as on the remains of vegetation, after which it can infect newly planted crops with renewed vigor.
Previously affected planting and seed material can also provoke the occurrence of the disease. Also, as experienced ones note, lack of lighting and dense plantings can also cause the appearance of fusarium. 
The environmental factor is also important. If there is a large-volume plant located near the garden industrial production, then it can also negatively affect the yield of tomato crops.
Among other things, fusarium wilt can be caused by nearby groundwater, an excess or lack of nitrogen and chlorine-containing fertilizers, excessive or insufficient watering, and errors in crop rotation.
Did you know? For a long time, tomatoes were considered not only inedible, but also poisonous. Gardeners in European countries grew them as plantings and decorated the space around gazebos with them. Starting from mid-19th century this culture began to be grown in Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus.
Why is it dangerous?
Before you learn how to deal with tomato fusarium, you need to understand the danger it poses to this crop. Fusarium begins its negative impact when the root system rots.
The fungus initially penetrates from the soil into the smallest roots, after which it moves into larger ones as the plants develop. Then the disease penetrates the stem through the vessels and spreads to the leaves.
The lower leaves quickly fade, while the rest take on a watery appearance. The vessels of the petioles and foliage become weak, sluggish, and begin to sag along the stem. If the air temperature drops below 16 °C, the tomato plants will die quite quickly. 
If you do not take any measures to treat the plant, then in 2–3 weeks the crop will be completely destroyed. That is why it is very important to start fighting this disease as quickly as possible.
Signs of defeat
Symptoms manifest themselves from bottom to top.
- At first, the disease can be noted on the lower leaves of the tomato crop. After some time, fusarium affects the remaining parts of the bush. The foliage turns pale or yellow, the veins begin to lighten.
- The petioles of the leaves become deformed, and the leaves themselves curl into tubes and then fall off.
- The top shoots of the tomato crop begin to fade. After some time, the plant completely dries out and dies.
- The last stage of the disease is the death of the root system.
- In humid weather, a light-colored coating may appear on the roots, and in hot weather the symptoms intensify even more.
How to prevent disease
Here are the main prevention methods that will help reduce the likelihood of tomato fusarium blight.
Compliance with crop rotation
Preventing Fusarium wilt of tomatoes is much easier than treating it. First of all, it is important to comply with crop rotation standards on the site. It is recommended to plant tomato crops every year in a new bed.
Good predecessors are eggplants, peppers, physalis, and potatoes. It is also highly advisable to apply a large amount of organic fertilizers to the predecessors.
If this is done, then there will be no need to revitalize the soil with nitrogen-containing fertilizers, which can provoke the formation of fusarium.
Pre-planting seed preparation
To protect plants from fungal disease, it is recommended to treat the seeds before sowing them. For this purpose, agents from the benzimidazoles group are used, which include “Fundazol” and “Benazol”.
They need to be used to treat the seed two weeks before sowing. For 1 kg of seeds you will need approximately 5–6 g of the drug.
The drug must be dissolved in water, after which the prepared solution is poured into a hand-held spray bottle. Seeds need to be placed in a container. Using a spray bottle, you need to spray the seeds and mix them, evenly distributing the product over their surface.
After 20–30 minutes. the seed must be scattered to dry completely, then placed in bags and stored until the sowing period.
Soil disinfection
Before planting tomatoes on the plot, the bed also needs to be disinfected from fusarium. Before planting a tomato crop, the soil should be disinfected with copper sulfate, 70 g of which must first be diluted in one bucket of water.
You can also add dolomite flour or chalk to the soil, which will also help reduce the likelihood of fusarium, because the pathogenic fungi do not like neutral soil, which has a lot of calcium.
In the fall, after the harvest is harvested, you can additionally water the area with lime (100 g per 1 sq. m). Also in the autumn, you can treat the bed with a solution of potassium permanganate or a mixture of ash and powdered sulfur. 
Dip the roots of the seedlings into the solution
Some gardeners practice treating not only seeds and soil, but also seedlings before planting. The root system of tomato seedlings can be dipped into a solution of an antifungal drug for a few seconds, then dried a little and planted in the ground.
Did you know?Tomatoes contain chromium, which helps speed up the process of satiety and dull the feeling of hunger. Interestingly, during the process of heat treatment, the beneficial qualities of tomatoes only improve. But low temperatures have a detrimental effect on tomatoes, so it is recommended to avoid storing them in the refrigerator.
Other preventative measures
Among other things, a gardener should know about other methods of preventing fungal disease:
- Excessively moist soil and high air humidity can provoke the development of fusarium. In this regard, it is necessary to ventilate the greenhouse as often as possibleif tomatoes grow in it and not in an open garden bed.
- It is also important to disinfect it before planting tomatoes. It is necessary to sterilize all working tools with alcohol - knives, scissors, threads, wire (garter material).
- Tomato culture requires a sufficient amount of light. Therefore, if there is a lack of natural light, incandescent lamps must be used.
- It is important to provide tomato seedlings with temperature conditions ranging from 16 to 18 °C.
- The seed must not only be treated, but also warmed up before sowing.
- It is recommended to hill up tomato bushes from time to time to a height of 13–15 cm.
- Black film, which should be used to mulch the beds, can inhibit pathogenic fungi.
Drugs against fusarium
Drugs that help fight fusarium are divided into biological and chemical. Let's take a closer look at each of them.
Biological
Biological preparations that are used to treat fusarium do not contain any chemical components. This is a collection of bacteria that help fight fungus.
The principle of their effectiveness is quite simple: the more good bacteria there are in the soil, the fewer harmful microorganisms there are. The ways to use them are as follows:
- added to the substrate for tomato seedlings. Take 2 g of product for each bush.
- The same “Trichodermin” can also be applied to the soil at the rate of 1 kg per 10 square meters. m.
- Tomatoes that have already been planted in the garden are watered with a solution of Planriza or Pseudobacterin-2. Prepare the solution according to the instructions. One bush will need approximately 100 ml of liquid.
Other biological agents that can be used to combat fusarium are Trichocin, Alirin-B and Gamair. For those growing tomatoes on a large scale, avirulent isolates may be of interest. 
These are means for large-scale cultivation of the territory. They are able to populate the area with beneficial bacteria, thereby increasing the culture’s resistance to pathogenic organisms.
Chemical
Chemical agents are more effective compared to biological analogues. But they have a very important drawback: after treating the area with such means, you cannot consume the fruits that grow there for several weeks.
You need to remember this and carry out the treatment at least 3 weeks before the expected harvest.
As practice shows, to combat Fusarium wilt it is worth adding a large amount of lime or dolomite flour. You can also treat tomato bushes with a preparation containing copper and a solution of potassium permanganate.
Is it possible to fight in the active phase of development?
Fusarium is a very dangerous disease of tomatoes, since both the spores and the fungi themselves that cause the disease are very resistant to chemical influences. The fact is that the bulk of fungi is not located outside the plant, but inside, which makes it extremely difficult to remove them, and at times impossible at all. 
Seedlings that have been severely affected by the disease can no longer be treated. In such cases, it is necessary to remove the tops along with the roots and burn them, since the harvest will still not be possible, and the infection from the diseased bush will spread to healthy ones.
If a gardener does not take any action to treat the tomato crop for a long time, the crop will be destroyed in literally 2–3 weeks.
Resistant varieties
There are practically no varieties of tomatoes that do not wilt. But there are those that have increased resistance to fusarium. These are hybrids “Syuzhet”, “Carlson”, “Rusich” and “Solnyshko”.
Also, as practice shows, those tomato varieties that have an extended period of fruit formation are relatively resistant. These varieties can be called “De Barao”
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As soon as it hatches, the delicate and translucent root rushes to where it will spend its entire life - down into the fertile thickness of the soil layer...
And there is the enemy. One of the worst phytotrophs lies in wait for prey, unseen and unheard. He spread out the hyphae like trapping nets and scattered the poisoned bait of spores. Well-protected capsules were hidden here and there, ready to release a destructive “landing force” at the slightest touch. Fusarium, omnipresent and all-pervasive, able to wait for years, will never miss its chance. He is the culprit fusarium, a disease that mows down entire fields.
Fusarium - who is it? Omnivorous family
[!] Saprophytes are fungi or bacteria that live off the remains of dead organisms. Symbionts are fungi or bacteria that live at the expense of living organisms.
Should I list them all? Not only this article, but also a multi-volume volume will not be enough. The first three included only those who particularly “distinguished themselves” in a field that was by no means noble. Simply the most harmful.
(F. graminearum), feeding on the tissues of the host plant, “in gratitude” saturates them with toxic secretions. “Drunk bread”... a seemingly harmless name refers to a deadly syndrome - nutritional-toxic aleukia (ATA). In the forties of the last century, thousands of people fell victims to the fungus, mainly residents of the Urals and Volga region.
A healthy (left) and a fusarium-damaged ear. Fusarium cereal under a microscope
(F. nivale). Micronectriella snowy. No mushroom has brought as many tears as this one. It’s spring, the snow is melting in the fields... Not all of them: winter crops remain under a white blanket. More precisely, under the shroud. Because it's not snow at all. Farewell, hope for the harvest...
(Fusarium solani) and its genetic twin Nectria haematococca. Contrary to the name, it is not limited to potatoes. His “interests” include all nightshades, legumes and pumpkins. And that’s not all: the fungus is responsible for outbreaks of tree cancer that reach epiphytotic proportions.
A plant affected by potato fusarium (left) and a healthy specimen. Fusarium potato under a microscope Fusarium causes losses not only agriculture. The omnivorous family is capable of ruining a forest nursery and garden center and sending owners of vegetable greenhouses and flower greenhouses around the world. Of course, if they are careless.
Like a true mafioso, Fusarium never goes into business alone. For example, Fusarium graminearum is always accompanied by “cousins” - F. avenaceum, F. culmorum, F. poae, F. sporotrichioides and others. Nectria hematococcus has acquired an equally lush retinue: it is closely followed by Fusarium heterosporium, F. ubglutinans and F. verticilliodes, Fusarium oxysporum... And again, the ubiquitous F. graminearum, which for the sake of this occasion took the form of Gibberella zeae.
The attentive reader will ask: what do Nectria, Gibberella and Micronectriella have to do with it? Fungi of this genus have two life forms, sexual (teleomorph) and asexual (anamorph). Their physiology differs, however, in essence they are the same thing.
So: the asexual form is Fusarium. And nectria, gibberella, micronectriella and others are its second, highest hypostasis.
Fusarium - signs
A summer day in the garden is full of life. You can directly hear how everything around you is growing, blooming, gaining ripeness... But the keen eye of the owner notices: the tops of one of the plants do not look very good. And the others next to him were depressed... Water it, urgently! But the leaves behave somehow strangely: instead of straightening out, they wilt and are completely hopeless.
A beginner usually makes many unnecessary gestures: waters again, more generously; loosens the soil, shades, even fertilizes just in case. Finally, he decides to spray for insects: so what if they’re not visible, they’re probably hiding... That’s where it usually ends. The plant is sent to the compost heap (again an error, we will explain why below).
An experienced grower will not waste a minute. Anyone who already has some experience of “dealing” with fusarium will cut off the affected shoot and examine the cut. Preferably under a magnifying glass, even better if you have a microscope. However, the characteristic dark ring is visible to the naked eye. These are vessels clogged with fungal hyphae.
“Oh, you... wilt!!” - the agronomist curses. And he will send the plant to the laboratory. For the disease, the name of which comes from the English wilt, that is, “to fade,” is generated not only by Fusarium.
Withering. In our country, this term is most often accompanied by the word “verticillium”. Foreign plant pathologists, having discovered hyphae inside the vessels, make a general disappointing diagnosis: wilt. Synonym: tracheomycosis. For an individual representative of the flora, this sounds like a death sentence. Because wilt cannot be treated. And it doesn’t matter whether it is of Fusarium or Verticillium origin. Drooping shoots say: it’s too late.
Fusarium affects plants of any age. If these are shoots or seedlings, then we are talking about the so-called black leg. There it doesn’t come to the point of wilting - a fresh-looking shoot falls overnight, with a characteristic constriction in the area of the root collar. But an older plant is still able to resist. Not for long, though - from a few days to a month or two, depending on the size and species.
Since Fusarium lives in the soil, the attack always starts from below. For some time nothing is noticeable, because an adult has many vessels, and their walls are quite strong. The fungus gradually moves upward to the young tissues, maintaining strength with plant juices. The incubation period can take up to thirty days. As the hyphae grow, they completely seal the vessels. No moisture goes up, and photosynthesis products go down. That’s it, the “circulatory system” no longer functions.
Sooner or later, under the pressure of the mycelium, the walls of the vessels burst, and the fruiting bodies come out into the air. But this is already the final stage of fusarium, when the plant is actually dead.
So, signs of Fusarium wilt as the infection progresses:
- chlorosis and watery areas on the leaves;
- loss of turgor;
- dark ring clearly marked on the cut;
- darkening, when viewed through light, of the vascular network of the leaf;
- drying and death of the aboveground part;
- the appearance, usually in the area of the root collar or in shaded areas, of a coating of whitish, and more often reddish mold, that is, sporulation of the fungus.
The sequence described above is not always followed. Even a venerable plant pathologist, who has devoted half his life to the study of fusarium and the fight against it, will not say anything without laboratory tests.
However, the most important thing a visual inspection will give: confidence that he attacked simplest mushroom. Which one is not so important. Because most modern fungicides have, let’s say, a wide “firing sector”. That is, universal or almost universal.
Root rot
To be fair, we should first describe the “roots”, and then the “tops”. The appearance of fusarium in the aboveground part of the plant is preceded by long and methodical work to destroy the root system. The mushroom is an inhabitant of the soil, and in this environment it feels more confident than anywhere else. If the situation at the top does not suit him in some way (for example, an abundance of sunlight or good ventilation), then he will remain underground. Fortunately there is plenty of food.
Plant roots not only draw moisture from the soil, but also secrete their own substances. This is what the mycelium threads react to. And they attack. Breaking resistance is not difficult. Yes, it doesn’t exist, where does it come from? After all, the root cap is probably the most delicate and unprotected organ of the plant. Having broken through, with the help of enzymes, a barrier just one cell thick, the fusarium settles inside. It is arranged in a homely way, thoroughly growing into the walls. He eats and gains on everything he eats. Along the way, it slowly but surely poisons the owner, releasing mycotoxin poison into his body.
He doesn’t value “home”, he doesn’t value it at all. However, what is the point of Fusarium preserving the life of its host? The mushroom assimilates much better organic matter that is at the initial stage of decomposition.
Tubers, bulbs, and root crops stored for storage become a serious source of fusarium. Slightly less common are fruits and seeds. The names correspond to the nature of the lesion: dry rot of potatoes, red rot of bulbs, or black rot. For those who don’t know, kaghats are industrial storage cellars, huge in area. That is, a place where, due to oversight, the fungus “unleashes” with might and main, nullifying the work of vegetable growers. The home subfloor, of course, does not reach the level of the pile. So what, Fusarium will not disdain, it will pay a visit there too.
Risk group
The most famous victims of fusarium are agricultural crops. IN middle lane wheat, rye, barley, soybeans, peas, sunflowers and others are affected. More heat-loving crops, such as cotton, melons, rice and corn, are also not ignored. Greenhouse farms, and even ordinary summer residents, may lose their harvest of tomatoes and cucumbers due to this scourge. Signs of tracheomycosis wilt may appear on radishes, peppers and eggplants. Cabbage also suffers. The adult is less common, but its seedlings are extremely susceptible to “”, which is, in fact, the same fusarium. Asters, dahlias, carnations, and petunias will not remain intact; clematis and roses will fall.
Forest nurseries are losing hectares of seedlings. In dense ridges, fusarium spreads like a steppe fire.
Plants living in apartments did not escape the fate of their “street” counterparts. Fusarium on indoor flowers, forgive the tautology, is thriving. He is always ready to spoil the mood by feasting on a collection of orchids and snacking on his favorite begonia. The Fusarium menu includes fuchsia, balsam, azalea, pelargonium, indoor and garden chrysanthemum, cyclamen...
It’s easier to say which crops do NOT suffer from fusarium.
Zinnia, gypsophila, periwinkle, mallow, ferns, ageratum, primrose and philodendron are invulnerable to it. Among indoor plants, only Saintpaulia can withstand, and among vegetable plants, asparagus ().
The risk increases on acidic soils, especially with excess moisture. Fusarium does not favor clays and heavy loams; it prefers something lighter, that is, sandy loam. It is almost never found in leached soils, except in the form of single spores.
Conditions for the development of fusarium
Until the middle of the last century, there was an opinion that fusarium was dangerous only in greenhouses. Or in the south, where in summer daytime temperatures range from 25 to 28 degrees. Alas, over time, the pathogen has moved deep to the north and continues its march.
It is impossible to say unequivocally: fusarium develops under such and such conditions. The combination of heat and high humidity is favorable for the mushroom itself. Plus the presence of air in the soil, because fusarium is an aerobic organism, it also needs oxygen.
However, for many plants these same conditions are optimal, therefore their resistance is higher. Yes, Fusarium does not come out the winner every time. Otherwise, there would be only mushrooms left on the globe... a sad picture.
[!] General pattern: an outbreak of infection is provoked by those conditions that allow Fusarium to develop and at the same time inhibit plants.
If there is stale air in the room, crowded plants, high humidity, and old soil in the containers, plus a lack of drainage, signs of fusarium will almost certainly appear.
Fighting fusarium
First of all, all contaminated soil must be changed. The one that will take its place should be etched with Trichodermin in advance. Instead, you can use: Fitosporin-M, Trichofit, Fitolavin, Glyokladin, Gamair, Previkur, Agat-25K, Alirin-B and others.
[!] Don’t let the word “etch” scare you: these biological drugs are completely safe. After using them, berries, fruits and vegetables can be eaten.
Bordeaux mixture, Vectra, Vitaros, Quadris, Skor, Maxim, Topaz, Oxychom, Bravo, Rayek, Discor and other chemical fungicides require caution. But in advanced cases, when delicate biofungicides are powerless, they are needed. Instructions to help, children and pets - go to another room, gloves on your hands and forward. Yes, don’t forget about the respirator.
Boxes, pots, flowerpots and other containers must be disinfected. Wash well with soap and treat with bleach. The instruments are also sterilized.
In ninety cases out of a hundred, a plant that is already sick cannot be saved. For the remaining ten, proceed as follows: cut the stalk, see if the cut is clean. If it is dark, cut higher. And so on to healthy tissues. The cuttings are soaked in a solution of one of the drugs (Fitosporin-M, Trichodermin, Maxim) and then rooted in calcined sand using biostimulants (Zircon, Kornevin and the like).
This way you can save phalaenopsis, azalea, and any houseplant that the owner values and that can be propagated by cuttings.
Prevention of fusarium
Preventive measures are the alpha and omega of combating all fungal infections, including fusarium. So:
- Compliance with agricultural technology. Strong, healthy plants do not suffer from fusarium.
- Disinfection of soil, containers, tools and other garden props.
- Destruction of diseased plants. Burn! Getting them into the compost heap makes it one big reservoir of fusarium.
- Acidified soils are neutralized by liming. A good option is ash or dolomite flour.
- Do not stress plants. This can be caused by a sharp change in conditions, shaking, movement, and especially rotation relative to the cardinal directions.
- Fusarium travels, “riding” aphids, spider mites, whiteflies and other phytophages. Consequently, the fight against insect carriers is in the foreground.
- Use of fusarium-resistant varieties. Almost every culture has them today.
By following these generally simple rules, you may never encounter fusarium at all.
), hazardous to the health of people and animals.
Protective measures: alternation of grain crops and corn with a break of at least one year in crop rotation; growing varieties tolerant to the disease (there are no varieties highly resistant to the disease); treating seeds with fungicides to reduce the development of seedling rot (the measure does not affect the development of fusarium head blight); treating plants with fungicides, which to some extent reduces the severity of the disease; incorporating plant residues to help reduce disease; storing seeds at a moisture content of less than 14%, preventing the growth of pathogens and the production of mycotoxins.
Fusarium head blight on rye
Fusarium head blight of barley
Fusarium alfalfa
Caused by a complex of species Fusarium, among which dominates Fusarium oxysporum. The fungus causes root rot and plant wilting. The leaves turn whitish-yellow initially on one stem, later the other stems of the bush turn yellow, and then the whole plant. The top of the stem dries out or the entire plant dries out. In a diseased plant, the main root and root collar begin to rot. Sometimes the roots look outwardly healthy, but on the cut there is a browning of the vascular-fibrous bundles. Fusarium wilt is more common on 2-3 year old and older alfalfa. The aerial mycelium on potato-sucrose agar is filmy-cobwebby or felt-like, low, pale lilac or white. Macroconidia are few. Microconidia are abundant, in false heads, cylindrical, oval, ellipsoidal, unicellular. Chlamydospores are intermediate and apical, smooth, single and in pairs, round, uncolored.
The development of the disease is promoted by increased acidity and unstable water regime in the soil, as well as high temperature. On the territory of the former Soviet Union alfalfa fusarium has been registered in the Voronezh region, Rostov region, Stavropol region, Krasnodar region, the Baltic states, Ukraine (Poltava region, Kharkov region) and Uzbekistan (Tashkent). The disease can cause the death of alfalfa and lead to thinning of crops. Protective measures: destruction of plant residues, compliance with crop rotation recommended for each zone, use of resistant varieties.
Fusarium blight on corn seedlings
Pathogens: fungi of the genus Fusarium. The disease is widespread.
Low temperatures during seed germination, high humidity and acidity of the soil enhance the development of the disease. On the surface of the germinating grain there is a faint coating of pink or white fungus. Soon after the corn plant emerges, the sprout turns brown and dies. If the sprout survives, then it has a poorly developed root system, diseased plants are stunted in growth, leaves dry out, and some plants lie down.
Protective measures: it is recommended to sow treated seeds in well-warmed areas and at optimal times; carry out a set of agrotechnical measures that promote faster germination of seeds and better development plants. Much attention is paid to the creation and use of disease-resistant hybrids.
Fusarium corn cob
Pathogens: hemibiotrophs Fusarium verticillioides(Sacc.) Nirenberg (syn.: Fusarium moniliforme J. Sheld., Gibberella moniliformis Wineland).
A pale pink coating of fungus appears on the surface of corn cobs at the end of milky - beginning of waxy ripeness. With a thick coating, the grains are destroyed. There may be 15-30 dilapidated grains on the cob. The coating consists of mycelium and microconidia of the fungus. The source of infection is contaminated seeds and post-harvest corn residues. In spring, germination of microconidia and infection of plants is observed. The marsupial stage of the fungus can form on post-harvest corn residues - Gibberella fujikuroi. In this case, ascospores can also be a source of infection. Caryopsis damaged by insects is especially susceptible to infection by the fungus.
Fusarium cob blight is the most widespread disease of corn, especially in areas with high humidity. In these areas, up to 50-60% of corn crops are affected. Fusarium cob disease leads to a decrease in yield and deterioration in its quality. The disease continues to develop when cobs are stored in conditions of high humidity and insufficient aeration. Mushroom F. moniliforme may produce mycotoxins known as fumonisins. These toxins are carcinogenic to humans and animals.
Protective measures: removal of diseased cobs; autumn plowing of the field with removal of corn plant residues; seed dressing; carrying out measures to combat insects that damage cobs; the right conditions storage of cobs and control of mycotoxin content before storing grain.
Fusarium pea (root rot and tracheomycosis wilt)
Fusarium blight of rice
Pathogens: some species of the genus Fusarium, in particular Fusarium graminearum Schwabe (syn.: Gibberella zeae(Schwein.) Petch).
The spots on the surface of the glumes are initially whitish, then yellow, pink or carmine. Affected grains are light, puny, crumbling, and may have a reddish color or brown spots. The nodes of the stems rot, turn black and collapse. The stems wither, break and the plants die. Sporodochia, clusters of conidia, and blue-black perithecia may be visible on the scales. Perithecia also form on the nodes of affected stems. The source of the primary inoculum is the affected plant residues, on which bags with ascospores, overwintered conidia and infected seeds are preserved. The fungus persists in the seeds for more than 13 months. The germination capacity of affected rice seeds is reduced by 2-3 times. The fungus produces mycotoxins that contaminate grain.
Protective measures: optimal agricultural technology, compliance with crop rotation, cultivation of relatively resistant varieties, destruction of affected plant residues, cleaning seed material from puny seeds, treating seeds before sowing, spraying with fungicides during the growing season.
On the territory former USSR the disease is observed in the Rostov region, the Caspian region, the Krasnodar region, Dagestan, the Far East, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
Fusarium root rot of wheat
Fusarium soybean (root rot, tracheomycosis wilt)
Sunflower fusarium, sunflower root rot
Fusarium or tracheomycosis wilt of coniferous trees
Fusarium wilt of tomatoes
Fusarium wilt of cucumber
Cucumber root rot
Tracheomycosis wilt of rhododendron
Pathogen: mushroom Fusarium oxyspopum. Symptoms: the roots turn brown and rot, the fungus penetrates the plant’s vascular system and fills it, blocking the movement of nutrients. The leaves, starting from the upper parts of the shoots, gradually lose turgor, turn brown and dry out. The leaves fall along with the petioles, and a grayish-white mycelium begins to spread from the vessels of the stem along the bark. The infection persists in plant debris and infected plants.
Control measures: timely burning of dead plants along with the roots. During industrial cultivation, preventive spraying of plants and watering of the root zone with a 0.2% solution of foundationazole.
Notes
- Sokolov M.S. SKNIIF research on the epiphytotiology of fusarium head blight and fusariotoxygenesis // Abstracts of reports: fusarium head blight of cereal crops. - Krasnodar, 1992. - pp. 4-7.
- Shipilova N.P., Gagkaeva T.Yu. Fusarium head and grain blight in the North-West region of Russia // Plant Protection: Journal. - 1992. - No. 11. - P. 7-8.
- Levitin M., Ivashenko V., Shipilova N., Gagkaeva T. Fusarium head blight of the cereal crops in Russia // Plant Protection. - 2000. - T. 51, No. 231-232. - pp. 111-122.
- Voilokov A.V., Gagkaeva T.Yu., Dmitriev A.P., Baranova O.A. Resistance of autofertile lines of winter rye to leaf rust and fusarium head blight // Bull. VIZR. - 1998. - No. 78-79. - pp. 59-63.
- Levitin M.M., Ivashchenko V.G., Shipilova N.P., Nesterov A.N., Gagkaeva T.Yu., Potorochina I.G., Afanasyeva O.B. Pathogens of fusarium head blight of grain crops and forms of manifestation of the disease in the north-west of Russia // Mykolgia and phytopathology. - 1994. - T. 28, No. 3. - pp. 58-64.
- Shipilova N. P. Species composition and bioecological characteristics of fusarium pathogens in grain seeds // Author's abstract. diss. PhD - 1994.
infectious disease of the ear, causing significant crop losses, making grain unsuitable for use for food and feed purposes
Specialists from the Crop Science division of Bayer, together with the laboratory of mycology and phytopathology of the All-Russian Research Institute of Plant Protection, have prepared unique information about dangerous disease- fusarium head blight; its biology; symptoms; factors that increase the risk of its occurrence; diagnostic methods, as well as control measures that allow obtaining high yields of high-quality grain
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Fusarium is a dangerous and very common disease of plants at any age, caused by fungi of the genus Fusarium
The pathogen, at various periods of plant development, can infect roots, leaves and ears.
Some types of fungi form mycotoxins (from the Greek mukos - mushroom + toxikos - poison) - molecules associated with the secondary metabolism of fungi, which exhibit toxic properties and make it unsuitable for use for food and feed purposes.
Toxins cannot be detected without special equipment, and they can be found not only in grain, but also in its processed products - flour and bread.
Symptoms
Infection of plants with fusarium leads to both a decrease in yield and a catastrophic deterioration in its quality.
Symptoms of fusarium head blight:
- pink-orange coating of mycelium and fungal sporulation on the glumes of the ear;
- pale pink sporulation of the fungus on the glumes;
- eye spot on glumes;
With mild damage, the mycelium is located in the grain shells, while visually the grain is practically no different from healthy ones. But with more pronounced damage, the pathogen penetrates deeper, reaching the aleurone layer and the grain germ. Diseased grains are usually lightweight. Their surface is deformed (“wrinkled”), with a depressed deep groove and pointed barrels, and may have a pinkish tint.
Symptoms of grain fusarium:
- The affected grains are puny, wrinkled with a depressed deep groove and pointed barrels;
- The surface of the grain is discolored or pinkish, without shine;
- The endosperm is loose and crumbly; low glassiness of the grain or its complete loss;
- In the groove and especially in the embryonic part of the grain there is a cobweb-like coating of fungal mycelium, white or pink, and accumulations of conidia, in the form of pads;
- The grain germ is nonviable, dark in color on the cut.
However, apparently healthy grain can also be affected by fungi and contain mycotoxins!
This disease can cause damage to a batch of healthy and apparently healthy seeds. The presence of a milligram of mycotoxins in a kilogram of grain destroys all its beneficial properties.
Reasons
Infection of leaves and ears with fusarium blight occurs by ascospores formed in fruiting bodies on post-harvest residues, or by conidia that appear on stubble residues or on the lower infected leaves. Infection of the ear mainly occurs during wheat flowering in conditions of sufficient humidity and at temperatures above +20°C. This subsequently leads to infection of developing grains.
The primary lesion occurs on the lower tiers of dead leaves. However, in most cases, no specific symptoms are noticeable. The resulting spores are spread by splashing rain.
The main period of infection is the flowering time of cereals. In this case, the anthers apparently serve as the entrance gate to each individual flower. Nutrient-rich pollen promotes the germination of fungal spores. Any weakening of the plant contributes to the defeat of the ears by fusarium.
Microscopic development
1. Conidia develop on the surface of the plant
2. Form mycelium
3. Penetrate the plant
4. Develop in tissues
5. After the incubation period, new conidia are formed
Factors influencing Fusarium infection
Plants of cereal crops are susceptible to fusarium in the flowering phase at high humidity and temperatures of about +20-25°C (especially F. graminearum). But for species such as Fusarium sporotrichioide and F. poae, increased humidity and air temperature are not mandatory conditions for infection. Weather conditions are an important, but far from the only factor influencing the development of the disease.
Tillage
- Tillage methods have a great influence on the development of fusarium.
- The presence of fungal-infected plant residues on the surface or in the surface layers of the soil after minimal tillage greatly increases the likelihood of infection of growing plants.
- This means you can reduce the risk of infection by plowing plant debris into the soil, where it decomposes more quickly.
3000 2000 1000 0
Crop rotations
- The rotation of crops in a crop rotation has a particular impact on the potential development of infection.
- Saturation of crop rotation with grain crops promotes the accumulation of inoculum.
- Low-field crop rotation, especially including corn, increases the risk of plants being damaged by Fusarium.
- Beetroot is also an unfavorable predecessor.
1500 1000 500 0 DON content, µg/kg
Variety resistance
- Cultivation of resistant varieties has a greater impact on reducing disease incidence and improving grain quality.
- Most cultivated varieties of grain crops are susceptible to fusarium.
- Bread wheat varieties vary in level of susceptibility from relatively resistant to highly susceptible.
- Durum wheat and oats are highly susceptible to fusarium grain blight.
These data are taken from studies on the level of deoxynivalenol DON, a minotoxin secreted by fungi of the genus Fusarium. France 2000 - 2001, number of fields 663 pcs.
Find out in 30 seconds how the Fusarium pathogen develops
The gene modified with green fluorescent protein makes it possible to monitor the development of the fungus Fusarium graminearum in the ear.
Under favorable conditions, fusarium completely infects the ear in 5-6 days!
Consequences
Mycotoxins (from the Greek mukos - mushroom + toxikos - poison) are specific toxic substances produced by fungi. Poisonous macromycetes such as toadstool and red fly agaric are well-known “poisoning villains”. But their microscopic relatives (micromycetes) are no less poisonous and even more dangerous. After all, their toxins cannot be detected without special equipment, and they can be found not only in grain, but also in its processed products - flour and bread.
What are mycotoxins?
- Mycotoxins are molecules associated with the secondary metabolism of fungi that exhibit toxic properties to humans and animals.
- All major fungal species that cause Fusarium blight can produce mycotoxins.
- Mycotoxins produced various types mushrooms river Fusarium have various toxicological properties.
- Mycotoxins have different effects on different types, such as pigs, poultry, humans, etc.
- The most common mycotoxins in cereals are deoxynivalenol (DON) and T-2 toxin
Toxic effects
Trichothecenes
type A(T-2, HT-2, DAS)
F.sporotrichioides F.langsethiae
- The most toxic metabolites.
- Responsible for nutritional toxic aleukia (ATA)
- Causes epidermal necrosis and ulcerative stomatitis, serious gastrointestinal disorders that can lead to death
type B(DON, NIV)
F.graminearum F.poae F.culmorum F.cerealis
- Acute toxicity characterized by vomiting (more sensitive in pigs), food refusal, weight loss, diarrhea, tissue necrosis
- No indication of carcinogenic, mutagenic or teratogenic effects
Zearalenone
F.graminearum F.culmorum
- Reduce animal productivity
- Estrogenic effects infertile, miscarriage (pigs are especially sensitive)
- Possible effect on cervical cancer in women
Fumonisins
F.verticillioides F.proliferatum
- Equine leukoencephalomalacia (a disease of horses), characterized by neurotoxic effects, pulmonary and cerebral edema, and liver damage
- Possible link to esophageal cancer in humans
Moniliformin
F.tricinctum F.avenaceum
- Changes in cardiac muscle tissue
- Intestinal bleeding (limited studies)
Distribution of deoxynivaleonol in fusarium wheat milling products
It has been proven that in bread made from fusarium grain the content of mycotoxins does not decrease, and sometimes even increases, especially when producing yeast dough and bread!
Fusarium
threat to people!
Effect of mycotoxins on animals
Wheat represents 50% of pig growth feed. If mycotoxins are present, feed consumption by pigs is significantly reduced. Serious symptoms include refusal to eat, weight loss and vomiting. Moreover, reproductive function may be affected
Impact of fusariotoxins contained in feed on the health of animals and poultry
- Refusal to feed
- Decrease in productivity
- Immunosuppression
- Ulcerative stomatitis
- Epidermal necrosis
- Damage internal organs(liver, kidneys, organs of the reproductive system, etc.)
LD50 indicator for mycotoxins entering through the gastrointestinal tract
LD50- the average dose of a substance that causes the death of half the members of the test group. ZhM- live weight
Relative toxicity- degree of toxicity of a substance in comparison with another substance (in in this case compared to T-2 toxin). more toxic substance< 1,0 < менее токсичное вещество
| LD50 for mice | LD50 for poultry | ||||
| Mycotoxin | mg/kg FA | Rel. toxicity | mg/kg FA | Rel. toxicity | |
| T-2 toxin | 5,2 | 1,0 | 5,0 | 1,0 | |
| HT-2 toxin | 9,2 | 1,8 | 7,2 | 1,4 | |
| DON | 70,0 | 13,5 | 140,0 | 28,0 | |
| Nivalenol | 4,1 | 0,8 | - | - | |
| Diacetoxyscirpenol | 23,0 | 4,4 | 3,8 | 0,7 | |
| Moniliformin | 20,0 | 3,8 | 5,4 | 1,1 | |
The ability of fungi of the genus Fusarium to cause typical symptoms and produce species-specific mycotoxin
| Presence of typical symptoms of fusarium | |||
| Type of mushroom | generative organ | corn | Mycotoxin produced |
| F. graminearum | ++ | ++ | DON, ZEN |
| F. culmorum | ++ | ++ | DON, ZEN |
| F. sporotrichioides | + | — | T-2 |
| F. langsethiae | — | — | T-2 |
| F. poae | — | — | NIV |
| F. tricinctum | + | — | MON |
| F. avenaceum | ++ | + | MON |
| F. verticillioides | ++ | + | FUM |
| absence possible phenomenon mass phenomenon | |||
T-2 and HT-2 toxins are among the most dangerous mycotoxins produced by fungi of the genus Fusarium. At the same time, their producers - F. langsethiae and F. sporotrichioides - can develop on the ear without visible signs.
T-2 toxins
hidden threat
Occurrence of species of the genus Fusarium in grain samples from various regions of Russia
| Regions of the Russian Federation | |||||||
| Type of mushroom | North Caucasus | Center. Part | Volgo Vyatsky | North West | Ural | Siberia | Far East |
| F. graminearum | +++ | ++ | + | +++ | |||
| F. culmorum | ++ | ++ | + | + | + | ||
| F. sporotrichioides | +++ | ++ | +++ | +++ | +++ | +++ | +++ |
| F. langsethiae | ++ | + | ++ | ||||
| F. poae | ++ | +++ | +++ | +++ | +++ | + | +++ |
| F. cerealis | ++ | + | ++ | ||||
| F. avenaceum | ++ | ++ | +++ | +++ | ++ | ++ | ++ |
| F. tricinctum | + | ++ | ++ | ++ | + | ||
| F. verticillioides | ++ | + | ++ | ||||
| rare common very common | |||||||
Grain contamination winter wheat fungi of the genus Fusarium depending on their predecessors
| Krasnodar region | Stavropol region | |||||
| FZ*, % | FZ*, % | |||||
| Previous culture | Number of samples, pcs. | on average | Min-max | Number of samples, pcs. | on average | Min-max |
| Peas | 3 | 2,3 | 1-5 | 2 | 4,5 | 1-8 |
| Corn | 21 | 3,8 | 1-14 | 5 | 25,8 | 5-53 |
| Onion | — | — | — | 1 | 14 | — |
| Mn. herbs | 2 | 1,5 | 0-3 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Oz. cereals | 1 | 1 | — | 9 | 1,7 | 0-4 |
| Sunflower | 24 | 2,7 | 0-8 | 3 | 6,3 | 2-13 |
| Sah. beet | 7 | 3,6 | 0-13 | — | — | — |
| Steam | — | — | — | 7 | 1,3 | 0-3 |
| Soybeans | 4 | 1,7 | 0-5 | 1 | 4 | — |
| NSR | 0,8 | — | — | 4,4 | — | |
| % FZ, on average | — | 3,1 | — | — | 6,9 | — |
The least favorable predecessor in terms of the subsequent risk of developing fusarium is corn. The presence of such a precursor makes it necessary to develop a strategy for protecting winter wheat from fusarium head blight.
HOW TO DETERMINE FUSARIOSIS?
1. Visual assessment
In areas where the species F.graminearum, F.culmorum, and F.avenaceum are distributed, visible symptoms of fusarium blight on ears can be detected in the field. Infection with fusarium does not always manifest itself visually, but this disease can cause the “disqualification” of a batch of full-bodied and apparently healthy seeds. The presence of literally a milligram of mycotoxins in a kilogram of grain - and that’s it! At best, such grain will be used as fodder. Neither protein content, nor IDC indicators, nor nature matter if the grain contains a microscopic amount of a deadly poison of fungal origin.
Advantages:- Fast and inexpensive way
- The chain reaction is a process that occurs in three stages (denaturation, annealing and expansion), repeated in several cycles.
- PCR is a relatively fast and reliable method for identifying fungi.
- Allows you to detect the presence of a certain type or several types of fungi in plant tissue. Detection of the number of fungi is possible using quantitative PCR (real-time PCR).
- The amount of fungal DNA detected is related to the presence of mycotoxins they produce.
- Simultaneous determination of several mycotoxins.
- Ease of sample preparation
- Quick result (25 min)
- No special laboratory training required
- Need for specialized equipment
At each stage of the process, the number of copies doubles from two to four, then to eight, and so on. After 20 cycles there are approximately 1 million copies, that is, enough material to determine the desired DNA using the traditional method. Advantages:
4. Planar waveguide technology
A reliable and fast method using innovative technology planar waveguide to detect four to five toxins in one measurement.
Advantages:
How to fight fusarium?
For more than 20 years, Bayer has worked on the problem of fusarium blight, a worldwide disease that affects a variety of grain crops.
Intensive research work led to a better understanding of aspects of the disease and the development of optimal solutions to suppress pathogenic fungi and reduce their negative impact on product quality.
Application of fungicides
Treating crops with a fungicide during flowering is an important method of combating fusarium.
Azoles have fungistatic effect. They suppress the synthesis of ergosterol in the fungal cell membrane at the level of formation of dimethylergostatrienol from lanosterol by inhibiting the cytochrome P450-dependent reaction of C14-a-dimethylation
Azoles are the best weapon! against fusarium
Bayer's Crop Science division has developed a new active ingredient, prothioconazole, which provides high level protection of the ear from fusarium and, as a result, leads to the most effective reduction of the level of mycotoxins in the grain.
According to independent assessment(information from the website www.eurowheat.org) combination of various active ingredients in the fight against fusarium head blight in European countries tebuconazole with prothioconazole has maximum effectiveness against fusarium head blight!
Both active substances belong to the group of triazoles and inhibit the biosynthesis of sterols, disrupting the integrity of the cell walls of pathogens.
Hello. Please tell me how to get rid of Fusarium wilt? Last summer, cabbage, eggplants, and tomatoes became sick on the plot. I watered it with potassium permanganate, but it still didn’t help. It’s a pity, because this disease is detected when the plant has already become stronger. The plants became sick in the area where humus was scattered in the spring. I'm afraid it will happen again this year. What to do?
Tamara Tulinova, question from the Garden World website
Other gardeners also contacted the editor with a similar question. They say that last year there was simply an “epidemic” of this disease. Suddenly, adult plants withered: asters, zinnias and even phlox! I was especially sorry for the eggplants that already had ovaries.
WHAT IS THIS DISEASE?
Gardeners themselves make a diagnosis: Fusarium wilt. The causative agent of the disease is a fungus that lives in the soil. Affects roots. If you dig it up, you can see that the roots turn black and die. They cannot supply the plant with moisture. This is why the leaves wither, as if from lack of watering. Very quickly the entire plant dries out and dies.
Compost can become a source of infection if it contains tops from diseased plants. You can also bring contaminated soil into the garden with purchased planting material. Seedlings in containers are often sick with fusarium.
In addition to Fusarium wilt, there is a similar disease - vertillus wilt. It develops very rapidly, the plants die in literally 2-3 days. Strawberries and clematis often suffer from vertillus wilt. The second name for this disease is wilt.
COMBAT MEASURES
FUNGICIDES are used against fungal diseases. Potassium permanganate is a very weak fungicide and does NOT control fusarium!
On ornamental plants can be used chemicals - Maxim, Vitaros, Fundazol. It is advisable to spray all purchased plants with these preparations directly in the container or immediately when planting in the ground.
For vegetable plants, especially in the fruiting stage, it is better to limit ourselves to biological preparations.
Plants affected by fusarium are very difficult to save, so every effort must be made to prevent the disease. That is, methods of combating fusarium must be preventive - they must be applied IN ADVANCE, without waiting for symptoms to appear!
Preparations have been created specifically to protect roots from fungal diseases. GLYOCLADIN And TRICHOCIN. These are biological fungicides that are harmless to plants. Allows you to obtain an environmentally friendly harvest.
The preparations Gliocladin and Trichocin are based on the beneficial microscopic fungus Trichoderma. Once in the soil, it displaces pathogenic microflora and protects plants from pathogenic fungi.
Glyocladin and Trichocin should be used at the seedling stage. In this way, the plants will be protected from harmful fungi before planting in the garden.
When preparing the soil for sowing or picking, fungicides are applied to purchased soil or garden soil harvested in the fall. Consumption rate - 1 tablet of Glyokladin per 300-400 ml of soil. The tablets should be mixed with soil (for example, in a basin) and watered until it is moderately damp. Leave for about a week. In this way we disinfect the soil. You can sow any crops in it. There will be no blackleg or other diseases.
When picking, Glyokladin tablets can be added to seedling cups - one per 300-500 ml of soil.
The drug Trichocin is available in powder. It is convenient to apply it to the garden bed when planting seedlings in a greenhouse or in open ground. The powder is dissolved in a watering can and applied to the soil by watering. When transplanting seedlings into a greenhouse, the hole can be shed with Trichocin solution.
If you notice signs of fusarium on plants (withering of leaves in wet soil), then immediately apply Glyocladin tablets to the root zone.
When using any biological preparations, do not forget that they contain LIVE microorganisms. The soil should always be moist. To preserve moisture, be sure to mulch the tree trunk circle or the entire bed!
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