What to Know About Fusarium in Greenhouse Cannabis (Video)

Posted by Brian Sparks|June 24, 2021

Fusarium (Fusarium oxysporum) is a soilborne root disease that affects vegetables, ornamentals, and cannabis, causing root and stem rots and yellowing of leaves. Fusarium likes warm, wet weather, and plants that have sat with overly saturated root zones for too long of a time are especially vulnerable.

“We typically see fusarium in seedlings or cuttings,” says Matthew Brecht, Key Account Manager for Marrone Bio Innovations. “With cannabis, fusarium is most susceptible at a young age when you’re transplanting it into a new pot.”

Brecht says natural openings in the plant’s root zone, as well as stem or root trauma, can be an entry point for fusarium. The spores produce three types of structures, all of which are all easily dispersed through air or water. Once inside the plant, the fungus will cause an infection by getting into the vascular system of the plant and gumming up the xylem with water. Grower will see the bottom of the stem, near the soil line, become mushy and wet looking. The top leaves will also get droopy, a sign that something is affecting the plant’s root system.

Learn more in the video below.