Asparagus plants are prone to a wide range of diseases . In most cases , the visible symptoms will avail to determine the cause of the infection , and handling are loosely available .
But diagnosing the beginning of the infection can be take exception .
This templet will help you to describe between the kingdom Fungi , water mold , and virus that could be afflict your plants .
Photo by Göksel ÖZER, Abant Izzet Baysal University, Bugwood.org, viaCC BY-SA.
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Some of these diseases are more pronto treatable than others , and we will provide advice on how to deal with the pathogens that can be keep in line .
Common Asparagus Diseases
Fungi
Asparagus plants are vulnerable to a extensive array of fungus , some of which prefer cool , moist weather , while others attack in affectionate , dry atmospheric condition .
Anthracnose
This fungus that causes anthracnose , Colletotrichum gloeosporioides , thrives in hot conditions ( 77 ° F ) and is in the main a problem on the East Coast .
To square up whether your asparagus is under attack , attend at the base of the main stem to check where the fern first branches out . If there is an anthracnose infection , you will see light pink lesions that will call on brown after . finally , the spores will form homocentric rings that are also seeable .
Anthracnose spreads in a sort of way :
CEASE Biological Fungicide
you’re able to do by anthracnose with the biofungicide CEASE , usable via Arbico Organics , that is comprised of a patented strain ofBacillus subtilis .
Asparagus Rust
Asparagus rust , caused byPuccinia asparagi , is an extremely complex fungal disease that peril crops throughout the world .
While industrial plant breeder work firmly to produce variety that are resistant to asparagus rusting , the fungus finally overcomes this underground , and the plants are no longer protected .
This type of rust has four life sentence round that are active at various points throughout the year , and the spore undergo ultra forcible changes from one phase to the next .
The most damaging form occur in the summer and bring on rust - color spores , which is where the disease get its name . These spore are called aeciospores , and they apace spread the contagion with the help of wind and/or rain .
New infections are diffuse by the next sort of spore – urediniospores – which damage the foliage the most seriously . They can infect the plants in the comportment of rain , dew , or overhead irrigation .
An transmission with this fungus can kill young plants , reduce the quality of the spear , and make the plant more susceptible to jacket crown rot .
you could help come down the number of spore that winter and take off contagion in the spring by burning all the crop residue in the fall – or at least pocket it up and disposing of it off your property .
Destroy untamed asparagus or any volunteers near your plantings . constitute the rows of asparagus in the guidance of the prevailing winds to promote good flow of air .
you could also use the microbial fungicide CEASE , uncommitted via Arbico Organics , or various man-made fungicides to hold in this disease .
determine more about asparagus rust in our pathfinder .
Cercospora Needle Blight
Cercospora asparagiis a fungus that stimulate lesions to come along on the leaves and stems . It can be a horrific problem in warm humid environment like those in North Carolina and easterly Oklahoma .
lucky condition let in 95 per centum or high humidity and average temperatures of 77 to 86 ° F . However , it does not cause much damage in cooler or drying agent mood .
Small oval grayish - tan lesions with purplish borders first appear on lower share of the ferns . The septic ferns rick yellow to brown and then die untimely . Yield losses can be high the undermentioned spring .
Spacing rows six feet asunder can increase the movement of air , so that the foliage will dry out more easy , and planting row in a north - south guidance will turn on the prevailing southward lead to dry out the foliage .
inquiry on the habit of fungicides to control this disease has been super promising . In Oklahoma , research worker incur takings increases of up to 2,000 lbf. per Accho following a year in which they deal the crop with three different antifungal agent .
In cultivar trials via theNorth Carolina Cooperative Extension Service , researchers find that chlorothalonil , uncommitted as Bonide Fung - onil dressed ore was an effective fungicide against this disease .
Crown and Root Rot
Crown and root bunkum , caused byFusarium oxysporumf . sp.asparagiandFusarium proliferatum , can be so serious that it drove a lot of commercial-grade asparagus operations on the East Coast out of business in the twentieth century , according toan clause in Phytopathology by the plant diagnostician Wade Elmer .
The fungi are ever present , even after the soil is no longer being used to maturate asparagus . Such soils can still hold in propagules from 30 class ago ! Therefore , chemicals are not feasible to control them .
you could enjoin if your plant have crown and root rot because the fleshy theme will have lesions and may have almost all moulder away if the infection is severe . You may also be able to see reddish - browned wound on the lower shank and/or crowns . In improver , the fern will turn over white-livered .
You should assume that the grease in which you are raise your edible asparagus plants is contaminated . Therefore , it is decisive to avoid stressing your plants , helping to increase their chances of survival in the presence of these pathogens . Steps to take let in irrigate on a regular basis , so they do not get drought stressed , and command grass and louse .
Keeping the pH at 6.0 or mellow can also help to keep your plant life safe . Research suggests that treating the soil with salt ( sodium chloride ) can avail confine infections .
Also be measured not to do any tilling that could damage the crowns of your plants , since that can disperse the transmission . Do not rotate to maize , since it is susceptible to infection by Fusarium and can serve as a reservoir of the pathogen .
Learn more about asparagus cap and origin rot in our guide .
Fusarium Wilt
Fusarium culmorumis a direful pathogen that lives in the ground and affect a wide array of plants .
Regrettably , the fungus can live for long periods in the soil in the form of resting spore call chlamydospore – as recollective as 30 years !
The first sign that your asparagus plant are under attack will be a single beat plant life theme . If you appear more closely , you will see an elongated , desiccated , wan flushed or orangish lesion just below or near the surface of the grunge .
Water transports the fungus , and infections are most commonly observed after long periods or pelting or in soused conditions . The fungus enters the flora through wounds and spread out from there .
Sources of wounds include :
Fusarium wilt take place more ofttimes in sandy soil rather than heavier case of soil .
unluckily , there is no effective method acting to controlF. culmorum . keep infection by minimizing wounds to the plant is your undecomposed wager .
Gray Mold
In improver to attacking asparagus flora , this widespread fungus ( Botrytis cinerea)can make serious disease on a number of high profile crops , including strawberry , tomato plant , and grapes .
It stimulate similar symptom in all of these flora , starting with dead flowers that will be cross with a greyish film of fungous thread . From there , the infection spreads to other parts of the plant .
The wind spread this fungus , which can spread apace . It is most problematic in plot where the asparagus plants dry out slowly , and under blistering and humid conditions .
When circumstance are wet , the spores will enter the plant through petals , wounds , or dead industrial plant persona . From there , the fungus will rot the tissue paper .
This fungus can persist for a long time , even during drouth or in cool temperatures , by forming resting spore calledsclerotia .
One style to prevent this disease is by planting the row in the direction of the prevailing winds , so the plant will dry out rapidly . Limiting the enjoyment of overhead irrigation will also facilitate keep the plants ironical and limit contagion .
Given how widespread and serious this disease is , antimycotic agent are often used to operate grey-haired mould . However , this type of fungus is exceptionally quick at developing resistance to antimycotic agent .
Another trouble is that the resistance variegate between locations . A fungicide will work in some locations and not others .
Therefore , the advice on which chemicals to use is constantly changing . Your best wager is to check with your local county extension office to find out what fungicides are recommended in your area .
Biofungicides are another option to study .
Purple Spot
Purple speckle , caused byStemphylium vesicariumandPleospora herbarum , can be a serious problem for newly emerge Asparagus officinales spears , or the presence of the fungi that stimulate it may be of no effect , reckon on the atmospheric condition .
New spears can be affected when the conditions is cool and wet , ensue in uttermost crop deprivation for home nurseryman as well as commercial-grade growers . However , the disease subside when the weather warms up .
symptom include little reddish - empurpled lesion on the lower halves of the Modern spears . Sometimes , the disease is much worse where the wind blows against the lance . This chance because the sand that blow in the farting creates wound that the fungi work to enter the plant tissue .
Ascospores produced on edible asparagus fern debris left on the solid ground from the former time of year may serve as a reservoir of infection . Bagging and removing or fire this debris will greatly help to reduce the potential difference for infection .
You will postulate to check the recommendation in your area to decide if you’re able to treat this disease with antifungal . If so , chlorothalonil is effective .
Bonide Fung - onil Concentrate
you may find chlorothalonil as Bonide Fung - onil Concentrate , available via Amazon .
ascertain more about violet spot in our guidebook .
Red Rot
This serious fungal disease , caused byHelicobasidium purpureum ( Rhizoctonia violacea),afflicts edible asparagus , lucre beets , carrots , and chicory .
The aboveground portion of the plant life will not show symptom , but a revealing sign is the mysterious red ink of plants in specific parts of a plot . These bare spots in your garden will increase in size every year as the fungus spreads from one plant to another .
Unfortunately , this disease can outlast in the soil for tenacious periods of time , via resting social organization calledsclerotia .
Certain type of weeds can be good host flora , include creeping thistle , field bindweed , and couch dope .
Your only choice is prevention . Do n’t grow asparagus in plot that have been affected by red rot in the past . take out any infected plant by paw . If your plot is affected , do n’t subject it to any mechanically skillful discussion , because they may spread the fungus .
The optimal temperature for disease maturation is approximately 68 ° fluorine , and the fungi seem to prefer dirt that have a high subject of hommos and a low pH.
White Mold
Asparagus is among the 100 of unlike sort of plants that can be infect bySclerotinia sclerotiorum . transmission typically come late in the growth stage of the ferns . White mold is primarily a scourge when conditions are blistering and moist .
The most distinctive symptom is a snowy discoloration of the master stem or sidelong stems . As the disease build , the fungus get resting structure called sclerotia in the white mycelium . These structures take care like tiny rat dung . At this point , the affected stem parts will expire .
Since the sclerotia bring about in the stems start the fungus to survive for up to 10 years , it is imperative that you take away and destroy infected works tissue .
However , this fungus can become so entrenched in your crop that you may be respectable off starting over in a different part of your garden .
Water Molds (Oomycetes)
Pathogens in this class were originally separate as fungus before they were determined to belong to a totally unlike group of organisms known as oomycetes .
The pathogen are still commonly forebode water molds due to their power to spread in moist atmospheric condition .
Phytophthora Crown, Root, and Spear Rot
As if it were n’t bad enough that Fusarium can cause crown rot on Asparagus officinales , Phytophthora asparagican also induce this severe affliction .
This disease first manifests as soft , urine - soaked lesions that take place more or less above or below the soil personal credit line . As the infected spears grow , a bend social organization that looks like a sheepherder ’s crook is seeable . The ferns of infected plants will turn yellow , and the crowns will pass away .
The pathogen producesoosporesthat live in the soil for an extremely long time until they sense the presence of a potential host . Then , they germinate and infect the ascendant and crowns of the plants .
At this point , another type of spore forms on the infected tissues . When moisture is present , these green groceries mobilezoosporesthat can swim in water . They are well splashed by rain onto the spears , where they cause transmission .
One way to avert this disease is to desist from plant in low - lying fields or area that debilitate poorly .
There are fungicides that can be used against this pathogen as well .
Viruses
As if all the asparagus diseases due to fungus and the water mold are not enough , this crop is also vulnerable to viral disease .
Asparagus Virus I and II
Asparagus plant can be infected with one or both of these diseases , but you may not actualise they are infected due to a lack of visually apparent symptoms . They do result in reduced energy and an increase in susceptibility to other pathogen .
If a plant is under siege by just one of these viruses , it will remain fair vigorous . However , when both viruses are present , the infected plant will have modest vigor and less luck of survival , particularly if it is also young .
Aphids can transmit both types of viruses , although ensure them does not seem to avail to control these pathogen . Virus II can be transmitted by pollen and is more usual in quondam cultivars .
Consult your local county annex agent to memorise the best techniques to control these viruses .
So Many Pathogens
Asparagus plants can be faced with a number of unwellness , some of which are more easily controlled than others .
Our hope is that this guide will help you to diagnose price to your plant and hopefully learn appropriate control measures .
Even the dreaded Fusarium crown and source rot can be partially brought under control with cultural treatments .
If your plant do have a pernicious disease , there may well be available techniques to help prevent infection in the hereafter .
And for more information ongrowing asparagusin your garden , check out these guides next :
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About
Helga George , PhD
