Responses requested - Fusarium in pot grown tomatoes? - Page 2

Love2Troll · July 2, 2006

MsCowpea writes:

Quote:

If you got the diagnosis correct you have the pleasure of coming on the forum to say I TOLD YOU SO.

Really not an issue. What I have so far this year I think may be race 1 or 2 fusarium, but even if the usual race 3... (according to my past guesses) what does it matter as am not going to use any pesticides or fungicides anyways?

What I want is a REALLY cold winter that just might solve my problems.

But I agree with you in that it would be really nice to know exactly what I have. And if can get a reasonable price will have the test done. Thanks!

JB,

I knew exactly what I was doing when bought this place in '93 as far as living in or out of KC. 2 blocks north of KC, thankyouverymuch... LOL!

jt

MsCowpea · July 2, 2006

KCTomato, not sure if you worked in an extension or plant lab-- either would be very interesting. Know exactly what you mean in referring to carefully chosen words so as not to have them come back and bite you.

The extension office I am familar with has a microscope and will certainly try to figure out what the problem may be but it doesn't test utilizing immunstrips or more expensive procedures. For that one goes to Univ. Plant Diagnostic Center. Unfortunately, I don't think fusarium has a quick and easy test like the one available for TSWV.

http://www.agdia.com/immunostrip/

(you can get 5 strips for $50 to test for TSWV--no special equipment is needed)

If a person has yellowing on ONE SIDE of the leaf only and the brown in the stem then that does indicate fusarium and no reason to test unless you just want to verify . But if I grew lots of plants and was not 100% sure I would certainly utilize a lab just like the commercial folks do all the time.

MsCowpea · July 2, 2006

Craig, yoohoo???? You started this thread --what do you think of the variables that Suze or Kansas brochure mentioned. Could any of that be the source of the problem? Obviously clean soil alone is not enough to be fusarium free. I would think that if you insured that none of those possible contaminations were at work then you could be fusarium free in containers. If I understand correctly fusarium has to be in the soil and the fungus enters wounds-- (ie insect chewing on roots or whatever.) You could even eliminate dust contamination by mulching. Don't think it is in your irrigation water as all your plants and transplants would be infected. Did you reuse stakes? If all the bases are covered then the insect theory (not as a traditional vector but simply moving contaminated soil onto your clean soil) would make more sense. Finally are you sure what you have is fusarium? I just think with clean sterilized soil, pots, stakes, seeds , and transplants it could be something else.

July 2, 2006	#17
MsCowpea Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: S. FLorida / Zone 10 Posts: 369	KCTomato, not sure if you worked in an extension or plant lab-- either would be very interesting. Know exactly what you mean in referring to carefully chosen words so as not to have them come back and bite you. The extension office I am familar with has a microscope and will certainly try to figure out what the problem may be but it doesn't test utilizing immunstrips or more expensive procedures. For that one goes to Univ. Plant Diagnostic Center. Unfortunately, I don't think fusarium has a quick and easy test like the one available for TSWV. http://www.agdia.com/immunostrip/ (you can get 5 strips for $50 to test for TSWV--no special equipment is needed) If a person has yellowing on ONE SIDE of the leaf only and the brown in the stem then that does indicate fusarium and no reason to test unless you just want to verify . But if I grew lots of plants and was not 100% sure I would certainly utilize a lab just like the commercial folks do all the time. __________________ "When we kill off the natural enemies of a pest we inherit their work." Carl Huffaker

July 2, 2006	#18
MsCowpea Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: S. FLorida / Zone 10 Posts: 369	Craig, yoohoo???? You started this thread --what do you think of the variables that Suze or Kansas brochure mentioned. Could any of that be the source of the problem? Obviously clean soil alone is not enough to be fusarium free. I would think that if you insured that none of those possible contaminations were at work then you could be fusarium free in containers. If I understand correctly fusarium has to be in the soil and the fungus enters wounds-- (ie insect chewing on roots or whatever.) You could even eliminate dust contamination by mulching. Don't think it is in your irrigation water as all your plants and transplants would be infected. Did you reuse stakes? If all the bases are covered then the insect theory (not as a traditional vector but simply moving contaminated soil onto your clean soil) would make more sense. Finally are you sure what you have is fusarium? I just think with clean sterilized soil, pots, stakes, seeds , and transplants it could be something else. __________________ "When we kill off the natural enemies of a pest we inherit their work." Carl Huffaker