Foot and root rot

Fusarium oxysporum fsp. radicis-lycopersici Jarvis and Shoemaker (FORE) (Jarvis and Shoemaker, 1978) [1] is a pathogen of tomato which, with the arrival of intensive tomato culture under glass, has developed to serious proportions [2]. This forma specialis of F. oxysporum affects largely the root and crown tissues of tomato and the symptoms occur as foot and root rot. FORL isolates are pathogenic on tomato plants with genes for resistance to races 1 and 2 of Fusarium oxysporum Schlecht. fsp. lycopersici (Sacc.) Snyd. Hans (FOL), that cause the common Fusarium wilt of the tomato. However, although resistance to FORL has been found and incorporated into commercial cultivars, the disease is a severe problem in wide areas of the North Hemisphere [3-9]. 

Chin-A-Woeng TFC, GV Bloemberg, IHM Mulders, LC Dekkers, BJJ Lugtenberg (2000) Root comonization by phenazine-l-carboxamide-producing bacterium Pseudomonas chlororaphis PCL 1391 is essential for biocontrol of tomato foot and root rot. Mol Plant-Microbe Interact 13 1340-1345. 

Sorokinianin, an unusual sesquiterpenoid, is isolated from Bipolaris sorokiniana, a fungal phytopathogen that causes spot blotch or foot and root rot diseases in wheat, barley, and oat. It is biosynthesized from phytotoxic prehelminthosporol and C3 unit derived from oxaloacetic acid.328 Prehelminthosporol itself was isolated as a phytotoxin of Helminthosporium sativum. Sorokinianin is more phytotoxic than prehelminthosporol in inhibiting the germination of barley seeds. 

Peas can be attacked by a range of pests including pea and bean weevil, pea cyst nematode, aphids, moths, thrips, pea midge, silver Y moth and slugs. Damping off, foot and root rot, leaf and pod spot, downy mildew, powdery mildew, botrytis, virus and bacterial blight can affect the pea erop and may need controlling. 

Previous mention was made of the success obtained in the control or partial control of potato scab and take-all disease of wheat by the addition of green manures. Considerable success has also been obtained in the curtailment of Phymatotrichum root rot of cotton. More recent additions to the list are root- and foot-rot diseases of snap beans caused by Rhizoctonia solani and by Fusarium solani f phaseoli, respectively. The effectiveness of control of these diseases depends on many factors, especially the soil and the organic amendment added. 

Tissue disintegration. This type of damage is associated with many of the root or foot rots and storage rots. The affected cells are broken down and release liquid (wet rot) or become dry and brittle (diy rot). 

If the roots or crown are also soft and rotted, the plant is suffering from crown or foot rot. Destroy plants infected with these fungal diseases. Prevent both diseases by planting in raised beds or hills. 

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