Fusarium wilt - Ask Extension
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 brow...
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Fusarium wilt #876381
Asked July 08, 2024, 4:30 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
Cuyahoga County Ohio
Expert Response
Fusarium wilt is a common problem, that has resulted in a lot of research. I have included links to 3 research-based sources that will answer most of the questions you have asked.
Since the spores of the disease are in the soil there is not much that can be done to eliminate the threat by treating the soil. Tomatoes and cucumbers are both susceptible, so it is wise to avoid putting either of those plant families in a rotation plan of less than 5 years, according to some sources.
None of the sources below talks about eating the fruit, which may mean that there is not enough danger to be worth discussing? Several other sources indicate that fruits of tomato are not affected by fusarium in the rest of the plant.
https://plantpathology.ca.uky.edu/files/ppfs-vg-15.pdf
https://extension.umn.edu/disease-management/fusarium-wilt#using-fungicides-1876212
https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/fusarium-wilt-of-tomato
You may learn more by calling or visiting your county's office of The OSU Extension Service, at:
12200 Fairhill Road, E. Building
Cleveland, OH 44120
Phone:<personal data hidden>
Fax:<personal data hidden>
<personal data hidden>
Thank you for your question. I hope this information is valuable to you. We wish you success.
Since the spores of the disease are in the soil there is not much that can be done to eliminate the threat by treating the soil. Tomatoes and cucumbers are both susceptible, so it is wise to avoid putting either of those plant families in a rotation plan of less than 5 years, according to some sources.
None of the sources below talks about eating the fruit, which may mean that there is not enough danger to be worth discussing? Several other sources indicate that fruits of tomato are not affected by fusarium in the rest of the plant.
https://plantpathology.ca.uky.edu/files/ppfs-vg-15.pdf
https://extension.umn.edu/disease-management/fusarium-wilt#using-fungicides-1876212
https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/fusarium-wilt-of-tomato
You may learn more by calling or visiting your county's office of The OSU Extension Service, at:
12200 Fairhill Road, E. Building
Cleveland, OH 44120
Phone:<personal data hidden>
Fax:<personal data hidden>
<personal data hidden>
Thank you for your question. I hope this information is valuable to you. We wish you success.
