Tomato Root Rot

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Tomato root rot is especially harmful on waterlogged substrates and grounds. It manifests itself mainly in the decay of the root necks of growing crops and in their withering. Tomatoes attacked by root rot often die prematurely. This happens especially often if the plants were affected by the ill-fated disease at an early age. To avoid such a nuisance, it is important to timely identify the disease and direct all efforts to get rid of it as soon as possible

A few words about the disease

Root and root necks infected with root rot turn black, and a little later they form numerous constrictions (the so-called "black leg"). As a result, the tomatoes either wither or develop destructive wet rot on them. And in the case of infection by fungi, when wet weather is established, a white bloom consisting of mycelium forms on the infected tissues. If the plants are affected by rhizoctonia, the leaves of adult tomatoes will begin to darken and dry out, and brown, slightly depressed spots will form in the axils of the leaves and on the lower parts of the stems. These spots are first covered with whitish, and somewhat later - with a brownish felt bloom ("white leg").

The causative agent of the ill-fated misfortune can be either pityum or rhizoctonia. The oomycete pythium is characterized by a thin and colorless unicellular mycelium. This fungus can only infect weakened and severely damaged roots. First, it is introduced into the dead, and only then into the living cells in the neighborhood.

And the multicellular brownish mycelium of rhizoctonia consists of short thick cells. The spread of the pathogen in this case occurs by pieces of mycelium, while the development of sporulation almost does not occur. Rhizoctonia is especially harmful on non-sterile soils. And its development is favored by excessive watering in thickened plantings and wet weather with frequent rains.

The primary source of infection is usually peat that is part of the seedling mixture, as well as old soil. Seeds can also serve as a source of infection, but this is extremely rare, and the pathogen is in this case mainly on the surface of the seeds.

How to fight

When growing tomatoes, only healthy seedlings should be planted in the ground. And just before planting it in the holes, it is recommended to add a teaspoon of Rossa, and then pour the plants with a solution of a stimulating agent called Effekton (one tablespoon of this drug is diluted in five liters of water).

A very effective way to combat this unpleasant ailment is the disinfestation of the soil with steam - sterilization of the substrate allows you to quickly cope with the infection. You also need to disinfect the seedling mixture or take substrates that are sterile from the pathogen. About a day before sowing, the seeds are also treated. You can also soak them for 18 - 24 hours in a solution of "Pseudobacterin-2". For each kilogram of seeds, you should take about a liter and a half of this drug. By the way, tomatoes are watered with its solution both during planting and during the growing season, diluting this product with water in a ratio of 1: 100. As a rule, about 100 ml of solution is consumed for each plant.

Also, during the growing season, the plants are fed twice with the "Drop" preparation (for ten liters of water it will need two tablespoons). At the same time, one liter of solution is consumed for each plant.

If there are not many tomatoes on the site, spilling the substrate with a working solution "Previkur" will help to overcome root rot - this procedure is carried out not only during planting, but also several times throughout the growing season.

And in order to protect against rhizoctonia, the soil is spilled with a suspension of sulfur-containing preparations (0.3%). Colloidal sulfur as well as Tiovit and Cumulus are particularly suitable.

If the tomatoes are affected by root rot sufficiently strongly, then it is recommended to use a suspension of "Metaxil" or the drug "Ridomil Gold MC" (in both cases - 0.25%).