Fusarium Yellows Celery Symptoms and Treatment

Let’s find out about fusarium yellows celery symptoms and treatment guidelines!

Fusarium Yellows Celery Definition

Fusarium yellows celery meaning – What are fusarium yellows of celery?

In North America and parts of Europe, Fusarium yellows are the most important celery disease from the soil. The damage to susceptible cultivars can be so bad that they can’t be harvested. From the 1930s to 1959, Fusarium yellows were controlled by cultivars resistant to it. But later, race 2 of the pathogen came along, got around this resistance, and did a lot of damage. Race 2 is now popular all over the United States. Even though there are now cultivars that are resistant to race 2, the disease is still a major concern.

Fusarium Yellows Celery Causes

What causes fusarium yellows celery? What is the most common cause of fusarium yellows celery?

Fusarium yellows are caused by a fungus called Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. apii, which lives in the soil. The shape of the pathogen and the way it forms colonies are the same as those of other F. oxysporum fungi. On monophialides, the fungus makes microconidia with one or two oval or kidney-shaped cells and macroconidia with four to six cells that are fusiform and curved.

The size of microconidia is 5–12 x 2–4 μm, while the size of macroconidia is 25–45 x 3–5 μm (four-celled) to 35–60 x 3–5 μm. (six-celled). Most macroconidia are made in structures that look like cushions. These are called sporodochia. Some chlamydospores form. Symptomatic vascular tissue is usually a good place to find the pathogen.

If there are organisms that cause secondary rot, semi-selective media like Komada’s medium can help find the pathogen. It seems that celery is the only plant that this pathogen can infect. There have been records of two different races. Race 1 only affects cultivars that turn white on their own. Race 2, first seen in California in 1978, affects both self-blanching and green cultivars. The race 2 isolates are not all the same. For example, isolates from Ohio seem much more dangerous than those from California.

Fusarium Yellows Celery Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of fusarium yellows celery: What are some symptoms of fusarium yellows celery?

The affected plants grow very short, and their leaves turn a bright yellow. The blood vessels and pith inside the crowns and roots change from dark red to brown. This discolouration rarely goes all the way up into the attached petioles. As the disease gets worse, the central pith of the crown and root will break down, be taken over by organisms that cause secondary decay, and become soft and rotten. The pathogen gets into big roots, making them soft, grey, and soaked with water. Plants that are hurt badly can fall over and die.

Fusarium Yellows Celery Disease Cycle

The pathogen lives in the soil and can live there for a long time as hardy chlamydospores. When celery root juices come out, chlamydospores germinate and infect the roots. The pathogen then gets into the plant’s vascular system and spreads. Fusarium yellows grow best in dry and warmer soils (20–32º C). In the field, symptoms can appear 30 to 40 days after planting. This disease is only spread by a primary inoculum from the soil, which is called a monocyclic disease.

Fusarium Yellows Treatment Guidelines

Treatment of fusarium yellows celery – What is the best treatment for fusarium yellows celery?

Don’t plant susceptible celery types in fields with Fusarium yellows. So, keep good records and an eye on where the disease is happening. Don’t let the pathogen get into fields that aren’t infected by finishing production steps in clean fields before going into known infected areas. If your equipment or vehicles have been in fields with pests, clean them before going to other areas. The most important thing you can do is use resistant or tolerant cultivars. Few types of celery are completely immune to this pathogen, so even those that can tolerate it may still show some symptoms.

I hope you understand about fusarium yellows celery symptoms and treatment guidelines.