Fusarium Wilt

Causal organism: Fusarium oxysporum f.sp.capsici
Family: Tuberculariaceae
Order: Tuberculariales
Class: Hyphomycetes
Sub.Division: Deuteromycotina

Fusarium wilt is one of the important disease occurring in both temperate and warmer areas. The degree of loss caused by the pathogen varies depending upon host cultivar, race of the pathogen and environmental conditions. 

Fusarium wilt

Symptoms:

1. On the young seedlings initially, water soaked areas developed at the collar region and a brown sunken lesion which soon appeared as girdled resulting in seedling collapse.
2. On adult plant initially, slight drooping of leaves which led to drying of leaves starting from lower ones extended from root to stem region and plants exhibited wilting symptom.

Yellowing of leaves	Drooping of leaves
Drying of plants	Discoloration of Vascular bundle

Disease cycle:

Primary source of inoculum: Chlamydospores, Soil, Seed.

Secondary source of inoculum: Micro conidia, Macro conidia, water

Epidemiology:

• Fusarium is a soilborne fungus. Once a field is infested, the pathogen may survive in the soil for many years. The fungus can be transported by farm equipment, drainage water, wind, or animals, including humans. The fungus is seed and soil borne.
• Warmer and drier climates (>25o C) favor disease and also when crop rotations are not practiced.