Once infected, there are a number of organic options for minimizing the he spread of the fungus through a field, although these methods are not always successful. Although this method is usually effective, if the treatment is too prolonged or performed at too high a temperature, the garlic can die. Alcohol, bleach and hot water are all used to bathe garlic seed prior to planting. Some growers prevent the fungus being introduced by decontaminating their seed stock. It is also advantageous to remove harvest waste from the field and disposing of it by either burning or segregated composting. Besides carefully monitoring seed and soil introduced to a field, crop rotation of three to four years is essential. This being the case, prevention is the best way to avoid a white rot infection. Since any remaining sclerotica can remain dormant in soil for decades, the fungus can render a field uninhabitable for alliums, effectively ending the growth of garlic in that field. Although there are a number of methods to treat white rot once it has occurred, their effectiveness is not reliable. White rot is feared by many garlic growers because it is so difficult to control. Infected plants must be immediately removed, along with the surrounding soil, and burned. White rot fungus manifests as a fluffy white growth on the roots and root plate, eventually spreading upwards over the outer skin of the bulb. The disease is much more apparent on the bulb itself. If allowed to progress, there will also be an obvious rotting of the stem above the bulb. Growers may first notice stunted plant growth, followed by the early yellowing and death first of the outer leaves, then the rest of the leaves and the central stem. It usually affects patches of plants, rather than individuals. White rot can be difficult to differentiate from other diseases above ground. White rot sclerotic will remain dormant in the soil until they come within less than a centimeter of an allium, wherein the exudate from the plant will encourage the fungus to germinate. Higher temperatures will inhibit growth of the fungus, and heat over 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) will kill it. They are at their most active in cooler temperatures, ideally below 20-24 degrees Celsius (68-76 degrees Fahrenheit). White rot sclerotica persist in the soil for decades, surviving through cold winter temperatures. The spread of white rot is accomplished not by spores, but through the sclerotic - hard, black beads that live both in the soil and on infected plants. It can also be spread by machinery and flood water that were previously in contact with diseased material. Once even a small area of a field is infected, white rot is easily spread to healthy soil and plants from physical contact with contaminated ones. The same rules apply when you are buying soil or compost. White rot is generally introduced into a field through contaminated plant material or soil, hence why it is so important both to purchase seed stock confirmed to be disease-free, and to quarantine new seed away from known healthy stock. This disease is a particular nightmare for organic growers, since the fungus is nearly impossible to remove effectively once a field has been infected. Also known as Sclerotica cepivorum, it occurs in many parts of the world, affecting alliums such as onions and garlic. White rot is an insidious fungus that can render soil unusable for garlic for decades. In this post, I will consider white rot, perhaps the most severe allium disease. In my next series of posts, I will discuss various diseases that infect garlic, and different ways to treat them. White rot garlic disease is an invasive fungus that every garlic grower needs to be aware of! Home Organization News, Blog, & Articles.Energy Efficiency News, Blog, & Articles.
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