Products and treatments to eliminate soil fungi

Soil-associated fungi can begin by affecting the roots or crown area of the plant, so the first symptoms may appear in the above-ground parts before the damage is evident underground. The plant may show loss of vigor, yellowing or wilting even when it receives sufficient water and nutrients, and the problem may progressively develop into lesions, rots and root loss. 

Main signs: 

• Wilting or decline of the plant without an apparent cause. 

• Leaves progressively turning yellow. 

• Slow growth and general loss of vigor. 

• Leaves drying out and eventually falling. 

• Roots with lesions, darkened or deteriorated areas, or tissue loss. 

• Soft roots and rot in certain diseases. 

• Lesions or rot in the crown area. 

• Plants that deteriorate especially when the substrate remains wet for a long time. 

• In advanced cases, significant root loss and progressive deterioration of the plant. 

Do not confuse with nematodes, nutritional deficiencies or lack of water 

The condition of the roots, substrate moisture and the progression of symptoms help distinguish these causes. Problems caused by soil fungi can produce lesions and progressive deterioration of the roots, which in some diseases develop dark, soft or rotten areas. The above-ground parts may show wilting, yellowing and loss of vigor even when the substrate contains sufficient water. In certain diseases, symptoms become particularly severe when there is excess moisture because these conditions favor the development of some pathogens and hinder root respiration. 

Nutritional deficiencies, on the other hand, usually appear mainly through characteristic patterns on the leaves, such as yellowing between the veins or yellowing that begins on young or old leaves depending on the nutrient affected, and they do not themselves cause root rot. 

Lack of water usually causes wilting associated with dry substrate and may improve after adequate hydration is restored. If the plant remains wilted while the substrate is wet, other causes should be considered, including root problems. Nematodes can also affect the roots and cause weakening, yellowing and loss of vigor, but the type of damage depends on the species. Some produce galls, swellings, lesions or characteristic alterations of the roots, while others can cause damage without producing an obvious deformation.