← All problems
Fungal disease
Fusarium wilt
Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. fragariae
Soil-borne wilt. Symptoms overlap heavily with Phytophthora crown rot, and the two get confused constantly.
What you see
- 01Wilting and stunting
- 02Death of older leaves first
- 03Internal browning of the crown
- 04Discolouration of the xylem
What brings it on
Warm soils, and ground carrying the pathogen from previous plantings.
Why it costs money
Plant loss, and a soil problem that persists rather than a season that goes wrong once.
What to do
- Distinguish it from Phytophthora crown rot before acting — Phytophthora gives a deep red spongy crown, Fusarium a browner internal discolouration with xylem staining
- Clean planting material, and rotation away from infested ground
- Resistant cultivars where they are available to you
Spray strategy. There is no spray answer to a soil-borne wilt. Control is planting material, rotation and cultivar choice.
Also check
