Fusarium question
 

I was letting my mind wander while I was physically wandering
through the tomato patch yesterday.
Upon seeing a fusarium infested plant I begin to think....

Now, if this fusarium plant is wilting/yellowing due to
the disease essentially clogging the arteries, couldn't
we give it something to help the pipes start flowing
again?
I think there are medicines that do this in people that have
clogged artieries, so shouldn't it be possible in plants as
well?

Of course, I may have my assumptions mixed up, but
what do you think?

Lee

So why wouldn't a fungicide systemically applied work?

Nanobots... just wait and see.

I think I just saw on tv, there is a pill you take for fungus in the nail. Not the same thing? Of course, not to say that this is necvessarily proof that it is safe for humans.

You have to take Lamisil pills for like 6 MONTHS to wipe it out completely and it is quite toxic to the liver.

Some of the side effects attributed to Lamisil probably wouldn't be good for tomatoes.

Fatigue, loss of taste, depression, loss of weight, and loose stools are a few that wouldn't set well with some tomato afficionados.

[size=2] [url]http://www.askapatient.com/viewrating.asp?drug=20192&name=LAMISIL[/url] [/size]

PV

I was told at a local nursery that there was a chemical available across the Rio Grande that would treat fusarium. Unfortunately it's been banned in the US, something about toxicity and cancer.......

laurel-tx

Don't know if anyone has tried this yet with tomatos, but Trichoderma harzianum, Strain T-22 has been 'developed' to protect plants from various soil pathogens.

According to the [url=http://www.entomology.wisc.edu/mbcn/kyf504.html]university literature[/url] it is effective against fusarium.

It is available from Johnnys as "[url=http://www.johnnyseeds.com/catalog/product.aspx?scommand=search&search=RootShield&item=9346]Root Shield[/url]"

Very interesting..... Might be worth a try next season for
some of the more Fusarium intollerant varieties....

Lee

:shock: I noticed something Craig posted under the thread Brad's Black Heart about a plant having fusarium and rather than mess up that thread thought this would be the appropriate place to ask a question.

Craig said:

"Well, my single plant of BBH is fighting gamely against a Fusarium attack. It has set a few definitely heart shaped fruit - my guess is that, if the plant survives and bears fruit, we are 2-3 weeks away from confirming the color and getting some seeds."

Why would you want to save seeds from a plant that has fusarium? I know on the other thread sources for fusarium were discussed and seed-borne was one of them. Unfortunately fermenting seeds does nothing for diseases within the seed only helps with those on the outside seed coat. I thought fusarium was one of the diseases that could be found within the seed--perhaps this is incorrect.

from Some Diseases of Vegetables and Agronomic Crops Caused by Fusarium in Florida (1992)

"This fungus can be seed borne. However this source of inoculum is not common. The importance of seed-borne inoculum relates to the potential for introducing new races from other areas of the world."

Craig , I know you are very experienced in growing heirloom tomatoes and I admire all your work so I don't mean this as a criticism. (edited--maybe these saved seeds are for your use only ) . I wouldn't want anybody to think fermentation alone takes care of ALL possible seed-related diseases and therefore that it is "OK" to save seeds from diseased plants.

Interesting question. I do know that TSWV cannot be spread by seed.
Seed harvested from an infected plant has been grown for
3+ seasons now, with no occurance of TSWV in any of
the subsequent years.

However, I do not know if the same is true for fusarium.

Lee