The California Garlic and Onion Research Committee is excited about research findings that could help the industry fight against white rot disease.
Using Product to Fight White Rot
White rot continues to be the number one concern for the garlic and onion industries. Research commitee CEO Bob Ehn says growers have abandon fields where the disease is present but research using left over product is showing good results.
The research is basically looking at putting some of the product back into the soil as those compounds may have an affect on the disease. Ehn says continued industry support will them find an answer.
Symptoms and Signs of White Rot
From the UC IPM Website: Leaves of plants infected with the white rot pathogen show yellowing, leaf dieback, and wilting. Leaf decay begins at the base, with older leaves being the first to collapse. A semi-watery decay of the bulb scales results. Roots also rot, and the plant can be easily pulled from the ground. Associated with the rot is a fluffy white growth, the fungal mycelium, which develops around the base of the bulb. As the disease progresses, the mycelium becomes more compacted, less conspicuous, with numerous small spherical black bodies (sclerotia) forming on this mycelial mat. These sclerotia, the resting bodies of the pathogen, are approximately the size of a pin head or poppy seed. Plants can become infected at any stage of growth, but in California, symptoms usually appear from mid-season to harvest. Read more from UC IPM.