Cause The fungi, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. pisi, races 1, 5, and 6, produce wilt symptoms; race 2 produces near-wilt symptoms. Races 5 and 6 are known to be economically important only in western Washington and southwest British Columbia. Races 1 and 2 reportedly are in all pea-growing regions of Oregon and Washington.
Symptoms Wilt-plants are yellow and stunted, and leaves tend to curl and wilt, usually in definite areas within the planting. Often, the vascular system is reddish to yellow-brown, especially at the nodal area of the stem (stem leaflet area).
Near-wilt-usually occurs in scattered plants in the field and is evident when the plant approaches green or canning maturity. In severe cases, where rotations are close, disease can be widespread within a planting.
Cultural control
- Practice longer rotations (not shorter than one in 5 years).
- Plant resistant varieties.
- Race 1-Most garden pea varieties grown today, with the exception of Little Marvel, are resistant to race 1.
- A limited number of canning and freezing varieties are resistant to races 2, 5, and 6. Consult seed catalogs and/or seed companies for specific varieties and their resistance to these races.
Biological control
- Bexfond at 7 to 14 fl oz/A. O