Root rot disease in plum trees causes & treatment

Root rot disease in plum trees is considered a widespread disease, as it affects seedlings and young trees, as well as large fruit trees.
The seriousness of this disease is due to the participation of many pathogenic fungi in the appearance of this disease, as these fungi decompose and eliminate the roots, leading to the death of plum trees at all stages of their growth, from seedlings to fruit trees.

Conditions that allow root rot disease to appear in plums

1 – High soil salinity, as well as high salinity of irrigation water, which weakens trees, as it is easy for pathogenic fungi to penetrate the roots, especially in seedlings when planted in permanent land.
2 – Transferring soil infected with fungi, as well as fertilizing using infected, non-decomposed organic fertilizers, as the fungi attack the roots and infect them with the disease.
3 – The high level of ground water, which helps the spread of fungi that attack the roots and infect trees with disease.

Symptoms of root rot disease in plum trees

1- Yellowing of the leaves and then their wilting.
2- Ease of uprooting trees in the field.
3- Decomposition and death of seedling roots
4 – Yellowing and wilting of seedlings in the nursery.
5 – The inner vascular bundles are colored in different colors depending on the type of fungus that has infected the trees, and these dye colors refer to the secretions secreted by the fungus that causes the disease.

Controlling root rot disease in plum

1 – Uprooting the seedlings infected with the disease, and clearing the seedlings’ place using quicklime. The infected seedlings are also burned away from the farm.

2- Take care not to be excessive in irrigation.

3- Lack of density of trees and planting at the recommended distances.

4- Take care not to injure the roots of seedlings when transporting them or when planting them in permanent land.

5- Dip the roots of the seedlings before planting them in disinfectant fungal solutions (according to the recommended recommendations).

6- Treat infected trees with one of the recommended fungal disinfectants.