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Fusarium wilt #876342

Asked July 08, 2024, 1:45 PM EDT

I had a tomato plant that I pulled with strongly suspected fusarium wilt (yellowing leaves on one side and when I cut open the stem it showed the brown striping along the outer ring). I have a couple of questions: - is fruit from fusarium infected plants safe to eat? Most of what I am reading says they are but there are a few sources that say they are not. - I know fusarium is wide spread, but is it the same pathogen that effects them all? As in, if the infected plant is a tomato, could I plant cucumbers in that garden next year? (I am especially confused about this one) - what does “high” resistance mean? If next year I plant tomatoes with “high” resistance to races 1-3, does that mean the plants won’t get it at all or that it just won’t bother them? - is there anything I can do to treat the soil? - I read that, in general, for this year it won’t spread from plant to plant. Is that true? Thank you, Rachael Sent from my iPhone

Anoka County Minnesota

Expert Response

This web page describes plant family crop rotation. Cucumbers are in a different family, so you should be okay.
https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/crop-rotation-vegetable-garden
Regarding your other questions, I am asking that they be reassigned to someone with more vegetable knowledge.  

Hi Rachael,

Wilt diseases can be difficult to distinguish. This page may help you figure out if your diagnosis is correct:

https://apps.extension.umn.edu/garden/diagnose/plant/vegetable/tomato/plantwilt.html

This is a good page on fusarium wilt:

https://extension.umd.edu/resource/fusarium-wilt-tomatoes-home-garden/

Regarding edibility, this is a response from a university staffer on a similar question:

https://ask2.extension.org/kb/faq.php?id=477138

This publication mentions other vegetables that can be affected, and how to avoid future infections:

https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/fusarium-wilt-of-tomato

Heirloom tomatoes are especially prone to this problem. "Resistant" varieties mean that a plant is less likely to get the disease, but it's not a guarantee it won't.

Here's a list of tomato varieties and disease resistance:

https://www.vegetables.cornell.edu/pest-management/disease-factsheets/disease-resistant-vegetable-varieties/disease-resistant-tomato-varieties/

Your best strategy is to pull any sick plants now and plant tomatoes elsewhere for the next several years. This fungus lives in the soil for up to ten years. If you have nowhere else to plant tomatoes, try growing them in very large pots, replacing especially the top few inches of soil every year. I've done that and had good success with avoiding reinfection.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

MJ Replied July 09, 2024, 6:20 PM EDT

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