Fusarium crown + root rot of asparagus

Symptoms

Yellow + wilted ferns in patches that spread radially over years, crown + root tissues show pink-to-orange Fusarium discoloration when sliced, spear yield + size decline progressively, complete patches die out after 3-5 years, plantings become uneconomic to maintain after 10-15 years.

Plants affected

• asparagus

Easily confused with

• asparagus rust

  How to tell them apart: Puccinia asparagi (asparagus rust) shows its signature ON the green fern: raised, powdery pustules erupting through the cladophyll and stem surface — bright orange-yellow in early/mid season, turning rusty cinnamon-brown, then black overwintering pustules in autumn; rub a stem and orange spore dust comes off on your finger, and the yellowing fans outward from these spots. Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. asparagi (Fusarium wilt/crown rot) has NO surface pustules and nothing rubs off: instead spears emerge few and spindly, ferns yellow and wilt one-sided or whole-plant from the base upward, and the diagnosis is made by cutting the crown and lower stem lengthwise to reveal red-brown to chocolate streaking of the internal vascular tissue plus rotting, reddish roots. Rust = colourful dust on intact green tissue; Fusarium = clean exterior but brown rot inside the crown when you cut it open.

Common questions

How do I recognise Fusarium crown + root rot of asparagus on asparagus?

Yellow + wilted ferns in patches that spread radially over years, crown + root tissues show pink-to-orange Fusarium discoloration when sliced, spear yield + size decline progressively, complete patches die out after 3-5 years, plantings become uneconomic to maintain after 10-15 years.

Do I have to report Fusarium crown + root rot of asparagus?

No. Fusarium crown + root rot of asparagus is not a notifiable organism, so there is nothing to report to an authority. Treat it as a normal garden problem.

How is Fusarium crown + root rot of asparagus treated?

Mainly with biological and cultural measures — removing affected material, changing the conditions that favour it, and treating with agents approved in your country. The exact steps and their timing depend on the plant, the season and where you live: Dr. Phyto works them out in a free diagnosis.