Diseases

Fusarium wilt of eggplant

Solanum melongena L.

A vascular disease of eggplant caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melongenae. It manifests as yellowing of the lower leaves, daytime wilting, and browning of the stem vascular bundles.

In the reference 29 varieties crop Eggplant, where this is mentioned in the description.

The primary causal agent of Fusarium wilt in eggplant is the specialized fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melongenae, although Fusarium solani can also play a pathogenic role. The infection penetrates through the root system and colonizes the plant's xylem, leading to an impairment in the transport of water and nutrients.

Initial symptoms include chlorosis of the lower leaves and temporary wilting during daytime hours, which progresses to irreversible desiccation. A characteristic diagnostic sign is the brownish discoloration of the vascular bundles in a cross-section of the stem, and under high humidity, a pinkish fungal growth may appear on the tissues.

The International Seed Federation classifies resistance to this pathogen with the code Fom. In some eggplant genotypes, resistance is controlled by a single dominant gene, and in variety descriptions, resistance is categorized into high (HR) and intermediate (IR).

General information about the subject — on the page Fusarium wilt and blight.

Sources8

Varieties of Eggplant mentioned in the description

Selection based on the description text, not on official evaluation: these data are absent from registers. For specific variety details, please refer to its profile.