Field library

Fusarium Rot

A fungus that lives in the soil and attacks the flat plate at the bottom of the bulb, where the roots come out. The roots rot away and go brown, and white or pink mould can be seen on the base of the bulb. The leaves turn yellow from the tip, the plant is easy to pull out of the ground, and the bulb goes on rotting in store after harvest. It is worst in warm, wet soil and in fields where garlic or onion has been grown again and again.

How to scout

Pull out any plant whose leaves are yellowing before time, cut the bulb in half from top to bottom, and look at the flat base — if it is brown, soft, or carries white or pink mould, this is the disease.