Tomato root rot: why it occurs on seedlings and adult tomatoes, as well as photos of affected fruits and their treatment

Tomato root rot is a common disease that is dangerous not only for the infected plant, but also for other vegetable crops growing near it, since this disease is fungal and can quickly spread in the soil.
To stop the rapid spread of pathogenic fungi, it is necessary to take urgent measures at the first symptoms of the disease.

Reasons for appearance

Spores of pathogenic fungi are carried through the air by insects or wind. Most often, the disease appears on weakened plants that have mechanical damage.

Fungi feed on plant debris on the soil surface, but under conditions of high soil moisture and high air temperature they intensify their activity, moving to the root collar and roots of tomatoes. The increased acidity of the soil also contributes to the proliferation of fungi.

The causes of infection can be:

contaminated equipment used when working with diseased plants;
soil in which affected seedlings were previously grown;
undisinfected seeds taken from diseased tomatoes.

The disease appears when seedlings are densely planted, with insufficient lighting and with large changes in air temperature.

All equipment used: shovels, pruners, rakes, hoes must be washed and disinfected. Fungal pathogens are spread by unsterile and contaminated instruments.

Vershinnaya

Damage to tomatoes by blossom end rot
The non-infectious disease blossom end rot of tomatoes affects only the fruits of the crop. On the side of the tomato opposite the stalk, a dark brown depressed spot forms, under which the flesh begins to rot. This happens because pathogenic fungi (bacteria) settle on the affected part of the skin of the fruit and then penetrate inside the tomato. The disease affects individual bushes and does not spread to neighboring plants. Dry rot on tomatoes causes unripe fruits to fall off.

The main cause of blossom end rot is a lack of calcium in the plant body. The following can also contribute to its formation:

increased soil acidity;
violation of the irrigation regime: long periods of drought are replaced by prolonged waterlogging of the soil;
exceeding the norms for applying nitrogen and potassium fertilizers to the soil;
phosphorus and manganese starvation of tomatoes;
stressful situations for plants: sudden, prolonged cold snap after heat, hail.

Photo

Below you can see photos of tomatoes affected by this disease:

How does it develop and why is it dangerous for tomatoes?

Having penetrated the root system of seedlings, the pathogenic fungus begins to feed on cell sap , increasing in size. The condition of the plant deteriorates sharply.

The stem in the lower part becomes thin, sluggish, loses turgor and bends towards the ground. The plant stops growing. The leaves, which droop at the beginning of the disease only under the influence of the sun and are restored at night, wither and dry out as the disease progresses.

Dark brown spots appear on the root neck. Over time, they increase in size and the stem becomes black. The stem tissues soften, and its surface is divided into thin fibers. The roots split and die.

The seedlings that fall on the ground continue to rot, becoming like rotten black rope.

When the first symptoms of root rot appear, it is necessary to reduce watering.

Treatment becomes more difficult if the stem begins to turn black . The seedlings die within a few days from the moment they become infected with the fungal disease.

Types of disease

There are many varieties of root rot: black, gray, white, wet, brown, red and others.

Anthracnose

The disease is caused by the ascomycete colletotrichum. The second name of the disease is black spot rot. Brown putrefactive spots with black dots form on large roots - these are microsclerotia in which the fungus overwinters. The aerial part is covered with depressed spots consisting of concentric rings. In their center there are also sclerotia.

Late blight rot of fruits and roots

The causative agent is the fungus phytophthora. Spots of wet rot appear on the roots, small roots die, leaving a wet mass. By cutting the thickest root, you can see the blackening of the blood vessels. Brown spots appear on the leaves, stems and fruits, and the ovaries become mummified.

Root fever

The second name is suberization of roots. The causative agent is the fungus pyrenochaeta. First, the thin overgrown roots dry out, turning into a dry brown mass, then the main ones. The taproot cracks and swells. The disease spreads to the stem and the bush dies.

Fusarium rot of roots and root collars

The causative agent is a fusarium fungus. The roots darken, become brown, and the neck turns brown, the vessels of the root darken. The leaves, starting from the lower ones, turn yellow and wither. If the air is humid, pycnidia appear on them.

Southern sclerotial

The causative agent is the fungus sclerotium. The roots and root collar die. First, brown spots appear on the neck. If you dig up the plant at this stage, you will see that the roots have rotted. The rot then spreads along the stem and leaves. Following this, a cobweb-like white coating with yellowish sclerotia appears.

Treatment

The disease “Root rot” occurs rapidly and must be combated from the moment the first signs appear.

After infection, tomato bushes mostly die. If you still manage to save them, they grow weak and yields will be low. Diseased plants are easier to remove than to try to cure.

At the first signs of root rot, it is recommended:

reduce watering;
remove diseased plants;
reduce planting density by thinning weakened shoots;
before planting, disinfect the soil with a solution of potassium permanganate, copper sulfate or Bordeaux mixture;
When the soil is highly acidic, add wood ash, coal or lime.

Agrotechnical methods

Growing tomato seedlings requires sufficient lighting and heat . With their deficiency, moisture evaporation decreases and the processes of root rotting begin. In this case, it is recommended to stop watering and loosen the soil.

When the first shoots appear, they are earthed up.
Then the dried top layer of soil is loosened and the soil is rolled to the base of the stem.
After this, the soil is moistened.
To keep the stems of the seedlings dry, watering is carried out in the grooves between the rows of tomatoes.
To prevent disease, dense plantings must be thinned, removing weaker plants.
With high humidity and poor ventilation, it is necessary to regularly ventilate greenhouses and reduce the frequency of watering.
Affected leaves must be removed in time to prevent the disease from spreading to healthy plants.

Folk remedies

Folk remedies are used to prevent and treat root rot:

The soil is sprinkled with a thin layer of wood ash, this prevents the development of pathogenic fungi. Soil treatment is carried out once.
Prepare an iodine solution (1 part alcohol tincture of iodine is diluted in 4 parts water) and moisten the roots and lower part of the seedling stem with it.
Water the soil with a weak pink solution of potassium permanganate and disinfect the root collar of the tomatoes. The procedure is carried out once a month to prevent the disease.
The seedlings are sprayed with onion infusion. Take 1 cup of onion peel, add 1 liter of water, bring to a boil and leave for 24 hours. The resulting infusion is used to treat plants 2 times a week when initial signs of root rot appear. Pathogenic fungi react negatively to onion tinctures.
To disinfect seedlings, use a baking soda solution. To do this, dissolve 5 g of soda in a glass of water. Water the seedlings once a week throughout the growing season.
To neutralize the acidity of the soil and disinfect the sprouts, use a mixture of equal parts of crushed chalk and wood ash, which is used to dust the lower part of the stems and the upper roots once a month.

Chemicals, fungicides and their use

If there are obvious signs of root rot, chemicals and fungicides are used.

An effective remedy for fungal diseases is Previkur . To prepare the solution, dilute 15 ml of the drug in 10 liters of water. The resulting solution is sprayed on seedlings and adult plants and watered on the soil. The drug inhibits the growth of fungi one day after treatment. The procedure is repeated every 10 days until the signs of the disease disappear. Price of the drug: 60 ml costs 360 rubles.
At the initial stages of fungal infection, the drug Fundazol is used . The working solution is prepared at the rate of 5 ml of product per 5 liters of water. Water the soil with the solution once a month, and the soil should be well moistened. A sachet weighing 10 g costs 50 rubles.

Biological drugs

Biological products are made from beneficial fungi and bacteria that penetrate the mycelium of pathogenic fungi and destroy them. Biological products also increase the immunity of tomatoes.

Biological products can be used for both treatment and prevention of disease . When treating soil and plants, other dangerous diseases are simultaneously prevented.

It is not recommended to use the solution immediately after preparation, since live bacteria need to be activated within an hour and a half.

The drug Baktofit is diluted at the rate of 3 ml per 1 liter of water. Water the tomatoes with the resulting solution once a week. 3 treatments are carried out, after which the drug is changed.
The biological product Planriz is the most effective in the fight against fungal rot. 100 ml of the product is diluted in a bucket of water and watered the soil before planting seedlings and throughout the growing season. This drug has a beneficial effect on the growth of tomatoes and increases productivity.
Fitosporin inhibits the growth of pathogenic fungi. During the entire growing season, tomatoes are sprayed with a solution prepared from 15 g of the drug dissolved in 10 liters of water. The same solution is used to water the soil 2 times every 2 weeks.

Biological products to combat root rot of tomatoes

An analogue of “Baktofit” is the drug “Fitosporin-M”.
It is used both for the prevention and treatment of the initial stage of root rot. Preparations of biological origin help to combat root rot of any etiology quite successfully. Glyokladin tablets have proven themselves to be excellent as a prophylactic agent . They are placed in the root zone when planting tomato seedlings in the ground - 1 tablet per bush. The drug contains the soil fungus Trichoderma harzianum, which is activated in the soil and suppresses pathogenic microorganisms. The protective effect lasts for 1.5 months, after which you can put 1 more tablet under the tomatoes.

At the first signs of root rot, you can water the plants with the biological product “Baktofit” based on the bacterium Bacillus subtilis (bacillus hay). Its metabolic products - chitinase and a number of antibiotics - destroy the cell wall of fungi and suppress their development.

Prevention measures

To prevent the disease, it is necessary to adhere to the rules of agricultural technology and follow the recommendations:

for planting, choose varieties that are resistant to fungal diseases;
disinfect seeds before sowing;
thin out seedlings in time, removing weakened sprouts;
before planting, it is necessary to disinfect the soil by spilling it with Trichodermin and Fundazol;
reduce soil acidity levels;
do not allow the soil to become waterlogged;
carry out regular ventilation in greenhouses;
constantly loosen the soil.

Gray rot

The signs of this disease are similar to the previous one. It is no longer only fruits that are affected; leaves and stems can also be damaged. The methods of fighting are simple. It is necessary to remove all parts of the plant exposed to fungal infection. Brown spots with watery contents appear towards the end of the growing season. Disinfection of the soil on which tomato beds are located can be very beneficial. Gray rot of tomatoes in a greenhouse is very common, as is white rot. The photo shows white rot.

Tillage

The soil for sowing seeds and seedlings is subject to disinfection. Heat treatment is considered effective.

Spread a 2 cm layer of soil onto a baking sheet.
Warm up at a temperature of 110-120 degrees for 30 minutes.
After this, add vermicompost (1 liter per 10 liters of soil) and spill it with a solution of Fitosporin.

When growing tomatoes in open ground, the soil is prepared in the fall after harvesting. For treatment, bleach is used, which is added in an amount of 200 g per 1 square meter of land.

In the spring, before planting seedlings, the soil is shed with a 40% formaldehyde solution. This treatment is considered the most effective against root rot. To prepare a working solution, 100 ml of formalin is diluted with 10 liters of water.

A month before planting seedlings, wood ash and mineral fertilizers are added to the soil.

What does blossom end rot look like on tomatoes (photo)

Blossom rot appears in two forms:

dry, mainly appears on green fruits;
bacterial - these are weeping spots without sharp boundaries. Rot appears already on ripening fruits, and in the case when the fruits lie on the ground.

Tomatoes can get sick both in a greenhouse and in open ground. The first symptoms appear on the tips - the tops of the fruit in the form of flat or depressed spots. The affected fruit becomes dense and dry. The color of the spots is initially light green, but as the disease progresses it changes to gray-brown, even black.

As soon as such a spot appears, the fetus stops developing and its deformation begins. As soon as the skin in the affected area dries out and cracks, the disease penetrates inside the fruit itself and complete rotting of the fruit is only a matter of time. Such fruits easily fall off the bushes. Affected tomatoes color faster than others. They are tasteless and are not suitable for fresh consumption or processing.

Disinfection of seeds and seedlings

To prevent root rot, tomato seeds are first disinfected in disinfectant solutions.

Most often, a 1% solution of potassium permanganate is used. The seeds are kept in a warm solution for 30 minutes.
Disinfect the seeds in a 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide, which is heated to 40 degrees and keep the seeds in it for 10 minutes.
The seeds are soaked in Epin solution. To prepare it, 4 ml of the stimulant is diluted in 1 liter of water, the seeds are soaked in it overnight (the solution deteriorates in daylight). Seeds treated in this solution are not affected by root rot. Treatment in solutions of Fitosporin M and Trichodermin gives the same result.

Seedlings are treated with these solutions before planting in the ground.

Varieties resistant to disease

Prevention of this disease must begin with the choice of seeds.

The most resistant to root rot disease are the following tomato varieties:

Hybrids Spartak f1 and Virtuoso f1.
A little prince.
Orange giant.
Salting miracle.
Bohemia.
Luch and others.

Advice from gardeners

When thinning seedlings, gardeners recommend not pulling the plant out of the ground, but cutting it with garden shears. In this case, the roots of neighboring seedlings will not be injured.

According to the experience of gardeners, additional addition of soil around the stem gives good results. This is done to obtain additional roots, which are dormant on the stem in the form of pimples above the soil level. This part of the stem is carefully pressed into the ground, covered with soil and watered. After 2 weeks, the young roots will begin to grow. The old section of the root with the rot that has appeared is removed.

Root rot of tomatoes is one of the most dangerous diseases of this crop; it can destroy plants in a few days. Affected sprouts cannot always be saved, and those that survive are not able to produce the expected harvest. Compliance with the rules of agricultural technology and timely preventive measures will help you grow healthy seedlings and achieve good fruiting.

Tomatoes in a greenhouse

A greenhouse is a good help for a gardener. It can create all the conditions for growing many crops. In general, this is an excellent way to get a harvest even in not very warm periods. But if any rules for operating a device such as a greenhouse are not followed, a temperature difference may occur, which will undoubtedly affect the plants located there, and the consequences will be negative.

The time comes when the seedlings are planted, fertilizers are applied as intended, and the gardener is left with only timely weeding and watering. Harvest time becomes gratitude for the worker; his labors are returned to the table in the form of fresh vegetables and fruits.

But what to do if, while waiting for the harvest of well-deserved fruits, an unexpected problem of rotting appears? How to correct the situation and get at least some harvest? Answers to these questions can be found in various sources. Measures of action differ depending on the type of plant affected and the infection that was picked up by it.

Consider a vegetable crop such as a tomato. Probably not a single housewife can do without it when preparing food, so it is present in almost any garden. A greenhouse also cannot do without this crop. There are a great many varieties and varieties of tomato, but, unfortunately, this crop also has many diseases. Even rot can be different, as a result of which the methods of dealing with it will also vary.

It all depends on the source of infection. Everything is the same as in other organisms inhabiting the planet. The same bacteria, fungi, viruses and other microorganisms. It is also possible to distinguish infectious and non-infectious causes of appearance. In the first case, pathogens appear from the external environment, penetrate the fetus and begin their unfavorable activity; in the second, disorders begin due to genetic reasons, improper care or lack thereof, as well as some unintentional reasons, for example, unsuitable climate, increased or decreased humidity.