Cauliflower
Bacterial Soft Rot of Cabbage
Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum
Bacteria
5 mins to read
In a Nutshell
- Sunken, soft spots.
- Mushy and discolored plant tissue.
- Leaves, stems and roots affected.
Can also be found in
Cauliflower
Symptoms
Initially water-soaked spots are formed. They enlarge and become sunken and soft. The plant tissues beneath the spots become mushy and discolored, from cream to black. Under severe infection leaves, stems and roots may rot entirely. A strong odor is noticeable.
Recommendations
Organic Control
To this day we are not aware of any biological control method available against this disease. If you know of any successful method to reduce the incidence or the gravity of the symptoms, please contact us.
Chemical Control
Always consider an integrated approach with preventive measures together with biological treatments if available. Control measures are done in a preventive way as the bacteria itself cannot be cured. To prevent and suppress the bacterial pathogen use copper-based fungicides. Ciprofloxacin also good inhibition of the disease.
What caused it?
The damage is caused by the bacteria Pectobacterium carotovorum, which survives in soil and crop residues. It enters the crop through wounds caused by tools, insects, hail damage or natural openings. The pathogen is spread by insects, tools, movement of infested plant material, soil or contaminated water. It becomes a major problem during wet weather and warm temperatures of 25-30°C, and even more severe when plants suffer from calcium defficiency. Occurs on the field but also in the storage.
Preventive Measures
- Use resistant varieties if available.
- Plant disease free and healthy planting material in rows that allow good air drainage.
- Handle your plants with care to minimize injuries.
- Clean and disinfect your tools.
- Avoid overhead irrigation.
- Remove and destroy infected plants.
- Harvest only during dry weather.
- Inspect your harvest before it goes into storage.
- Clean your storage with copper-based solutions and use straw or paper as buffering material to prevent injuries to the heads.
- Remove and destroy plant residues after harvest.
- Consider crop rotation with non-host crops for three years.
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