Fusariosis of tomatoes is a dangerous disease of tomato bushes that many gardeners encounter. After reading this article, you will learn about the causes of its appearance and typical manifestations, as well as how to treat fusarium, and the necessary prevention.

What is it and what is dangerous for tomatoes

Fusarium oxysporum Fusarium wilting of tomatoes is a fungal disease that affects the roots and leaves of the plant, and subsequently leads to the complete death of the bush. This disease is caused by a fungus called Fusarium oxysporum. This fungus develops rapidly in sterile soil, without exposure to other microorganisms - therefore, a new, cleaned soil will be an ideal medium for its propagation.

However, in many cases, especially when growing fruits without soil, the primary source of infection is fungal particles that are transmitted through the air. Mosquitoes can also transmit this infection. In fertilizers, the pathogen can be stored for up to one year.

Did you know? The world's largest tomato is considered the fruit of the variety 3.8 kg Big Zac grown in the United States in 2014

The fungus penetrates through mechanical damage that occurs on the roots or stalk. The most comfortable temperature for the development of the disease is from 10 to 18 ° C.

Reasons for the appearance

There are several reasons for infection of a plant with this fungal disease.

This can happen in the following cases:

• growing tomatoes on the same site for several seasons in a row;
• the use of low-quality fertilizers;
• selection of beds for tomatoes near groundwater or industrial areas;
• insufficient watering;
• untimely harvesting rotten fruits;
• bad light.

It is worth remembering that infection can occur during planting if the root was damaged.

Signs of tomato damage

Symptoms of Fusarium wilt:

• the appearance of brown spots on the roots, and after - the darkening of their surface completely;
• acquisition by leaves of yellow or pale green color;
• curl of leaves, falling of the lower row;
• petiole deformity;
• milk plaque on the roots after rain;
• death of the plant.

How to deal with tomato Fusarium

Fusarium wilt is a very dangerous fungal disease, which is difficult to treat. For this purpose, you can use both chemicals and folk remedies.

Important! The sooner you begin to treat the disease, the more chances to save the plant.

Chemicals

This method is quite effective, but after processing the bushes with drugs, you can not eat fruits for 3 weeks. In this case, high-quality fungicides are required - substances that are harmful to fungi.

Fungicides from Fusarium:

• Strake;
• Tricycin;
• Benazole
• Gamair;
• Financialazole;
• Alirin-B and others.

Also in the soil for seedlings make Trichodermin (2 g per bush or 100 g per 1 square meter). Freshly planted seedlings are poured with a solution of Pseudobacterin-2, as well as Planza (100 ml of solution per bush). If sterile soil is used to grow seedlings, it is sprinkled with a solution of Gliocladin.

Folk remedies

Alternative methods of combating a fungus of this kind are not as effective as medicinal, but much more economical.

Most often they are used for prevention.

1. You can deal with fusarium wilting of tomatoes by adding a lot of lime or dolomite flour.
2. Before sowing, the seeds are soaked for 30 minutes in a 1% potassium permanganate solution. Later it is washed with water at room temperature and dried.
3. The greenhouse and garden tools are sprayed with a 0.5% potassium permanganate solution.

Important! It is impossible to completely cure Fusarium wilting with folk remedies, they can only be used as concomitant methods of drug treatment.

Resistant varieties

Some varieties of tomatoes are resistant to fusarium by nature:

• De Barao
• "Swallow";
• "The Pink Giant";
• "Plot";
• "Sun";
• Rusich
• Carlson
• "Orka F1";
• Meron F1;
• "Amaneta F1";
• Raisa
• "Semko-2010 F1";
• "Malika";
• "Tsarin";
• "Silhouette";
• "Minaret";
• “Partner Semko”;
• "Bobcat."

Prevention

Since the treatment of tomato fusariosis is quite complicated and not always effective, it is better to take measures in advance to prevent its occurrence.

For prevention, you need to:

• high-quality cleaning of the beds after harvesting and before the onset of cold weather;
• soil disinfection and its deep digging before planting seeds for seedlings;
• disinfection of seeds with drugs and their heating before germination;
• pinching secateurs, not with the help of hands;
• timely hilling of recently planted plants.

Did you know? Red tomatoes have a lot more nutrients than yellow tomatoes.

Fusariosis is a rather rare, but very contagious fungal disease, causing great damage to gardeners. It is possible and necessary to fight it, because only those plants whose forces are spent on the formation of fruits, and not on the fight against diseases, can bring the desired yield.