Cause The fungus, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. corianderii, causes wilt and root rot of cilantro and has been reported in California, India, and South America. This strain of Fusarium can survive many years in soil in the absence of a cilantro crop. Non-wilt forms of F. oxysporum that exist in the Pacific Northwest can cause damping-off and root rot of cilantro and other crop species.
Symptoms Plants exhibit stunting and poor growth with a yellow to reddish coloration of foliage. Vascular tissues in the lower stem, crown, and large roots appear light brown to reddish-orange in color. Roots may be rotted. Wilting can occur and plants eventually collapse, turn brown, and die.
Cultural control
- Plant Fusarium-free seed to prevent the introduction of wilt.
- Treat seed with a registered fungicide or hot water to control seedborne Fusarium.
- Avoid planting on soil known to be infested with Fusarium wilt of any crop.
- Rotate field out of the Apiaceae family for several years (carrot, celery, celeriac, dill, fennel, parsley, parsnip, etc.)
- Do not plant cilantro in consecutive years. A 4- to 6-year rotation may help control wilt if disease appears in a field.
Chemical control
- Maxim 4FS at 0.08 to 0.16 fl oz/100 lb seed will help to control Fusarium and other fungal spp. 12-hr reentry.
- Thiram 42-S at 2.5 to 5.0 fl oz/100 lb of seed plus a dye. For use in OR (SLN OR-100002) and WA (SLN WA-060022, WA-060023) only. For export only to Mexico.
Biological control
- Actinovate AG at 3 to 12 oz/A as a soil drench at planting. 4-hr reentry. O
- Actinovate Lawn & Garden at 0.5 to 1 teaspoon/gal water. H O
- Bexfond at 7 to 14 fl oz/A. O
- Double Nickel LC at 0.5 to 4.5 pints/A as a soil drench at planting. 4-hr reentry. O
- Mycostop at 0.07 oz/half lb seed or Mycostop Mix at 0.05 to 0.08 oz/lb seed. 4-hr reentry.
- Prestop WG. 4-hr reentry. O
- Rootshield WP at 3 to 5 oz/100 gal water for greenhouse soil drench and field chemigation or at 16 to 32 oz/A as an in-furrow spray. 4-hr reentry. O
- SoilGard at 0.5 to 10 lb/A at 4-week intervals will suppress Pythium and Rhizoctonia. See label for specific application types and timings. Can be applied on the day of harvest. 4-hr reentry. O
References Koike, S.T., and Gordon, T.R. 2005. First report of fusarium wilt of cilantro caused by Fusarium oxysporum in California. Plant Disease 89:1130.
UMass Extension. Hot water treatment of seeds. At https://Ag.umass.edu/vegetable/news/hot-water-treatment-of-seeds (accessed 20 Dec 2017).