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Warwood

D Nelson you have a very good point and thank you for the advice on beneficials. I've been researching this disease for awhile and have discovered some things I'd like to share. In my case, I will need to basically build up good soil maybe a foot or so on my existing patch of untarnished composted soil. Apply beneficials, not sure when to do this I've put on many diverse beneficials in both Spring and Fall. My problem is also affording some of the marketed stuff. I add them to my compost pile. I take good care of the soil but probably need to do the above and then rest the soil for awhile until it is immune and supercharged....I'd like to keep discussing prevention of this disease since I'm plagued with it nearly yearly. I often add soil and good composted horse manure with bunches of shredded maple leaves. My patch is surrounded by woods. It can get nearly tropical in mid-summer and when it's humid as it usually is the dreaded disease haunts me. Please give me some feedback, it would probably benefit the many......Be Well

9/16/2013 7:08:25 PM

Connecticut

Here is my input on Fusarium in general. First off the pumpkin growing community needs to understand that there are many different types of fusarium and there are even different races of fusarium. For those that want true scientific descriptions of this pathogen check out this website:

http://www.apsnet.org/edcenter/intropp/lessons/fungi/ascomycetes/Pages/FusariumWatermelon.aspx

Ok, for those of you that have not lost interest yet, I see the potential future for curing fusarium is to inoculate our soil with a non pathogenic form of fusarium that will bind to the same active site as the pathogenic one and reduce the chance of infect by competitive exclusion. What this basically means is that if the ‘good’ fusarium takes up all the attachment points the ‘bad’ fusarium will not be able to attach and then also not able to infect. While this is currently not possible, biologically it is very possible and it offers a potential method to specifically reduce infection in our chosen host crop.

Regarding what we can do for next season the following contribute to increased odds of fusarium infection…
-Mono-cropping, by growing cucurbits (squash, pumpkins, cucumbers,…) multiple times in the same location
-High nitrogen
-High organic matter
-Water logged soils (either poor drainage, or excessive irrigation)

So try and reduce these conditions and incorporating a monocot (a grass type species) into a crop rotation would also offer reduced pressure.

Hope this helps and is not overwhelming.

9/16/2013 7:57:01 PM

Simi valley, ca

All i can say is Good luck !!! Once its in your soil , your never gonna grow a pumpkin to its complete potential < Iv tryed plastic covering all summer ,iv tryed 100 gallons bleach watered into soil , all the companion ,actiovate & other stuff, waited yrs before trying again in that spot ,, NOTHING REALLY WORKS ! , My wifes veg patch is 200 feet from my patch & i did not grow in hers last yr & never had it in hers before but it found its way there this yr, just when i thought i finely had that 1000 lber, day 50 on pumpkin & plant going down,its now 900 on new chart, had a Long ways to go if not for the disease, , I my not be growing anymore ,disease really sucks !!!!

9/16/2013 9:33:12 PM

Warwood

Anything will help but I believe we're on somewhat the same wavelength as to how we see this. Very good post and synopsis of prevention and various fusarium species.
In pumpkins the two main species that infect are Fusarium oxysporum and Fusarium solani. Under the microscope they look like little worms or grubs. The solani are slightly shorter and more rounded off at the ends of these Chlamydospores. I will probably cover crop the whole 3500 sq.ft. patch for awhile and in the future acquire the Fusarium C20 & Fo47 which has been found to do just what you mentioned.
I would then probably need to grow one plant a year at 750 sq.ft. and rotate to 4 sites to establish more of a chance against this disease.......I may also try solarizing or...Sorry to say I've even been thinking of the last option of fumigation with Basamid or Chloropicrin.

9/16/2013 10:41:41 PM

Warwood

Fissssh, Thanks for the support and I often am thinking like you as to not growing again. I live in what you could say is at least a semi-valley area and a lot of dew, moisture, humidity...Appalachian foothills here also block the sun until about 10:00 am but then full until dusk. I beleive it has always been in my soil , I have double-dug the whole patch by hand, I have put different cover crops in, put tons of good soil, sand, beneficials, and have sprayed and drenched just to have a chance in h&*() to have any pumpkin to take to weigh-off. I am still trying searching, researching and applying. One day things will get better on more of an optimistic note...Be well.

9/16/2013 10:51:22 PM

Williamsport, Pa.

question here? would multiple plantings and tilling under mustard control this disese?or doesn't mustard kill fulsarium?

9/17/2013 4:26:42 AM

NE Kansas

Before you fumigate, water with bleach, drench or spray with a fungicide, consider this:

Will it selectively kill only fusarium? What beneficials will it kill? What happens to the pathogen spores that it does not kill? Will these then mutate and gain resistance to your treatments? What happens to your soil if they mutate? How resistant might those fusarium spores be after you drench several years in a row? What else might be mutating and gaining resistance? What beneficials might be killed off completely, never to return?

This is my opinion only, but I feel that if you spray, you will become a slave to spray. It is also my feeling that you will never rid yourself of the problem as long as you spray. That is opinion only, so take it as you may.

9/17/2013 8:13:39 AM

Warwood

Mustard mix is being more by growers and then tilling it under usually in the fall. Steve Geddes, who grew the 1843 last year tilled in the mustard after cutting it while it is still green. When tilling deeper into the soil it emits a gas killing the disease fungi and nematodes.
I think I'm going to rest my soil and spend a couple years building it and continuing to research more on how to introduce beneficials back into the soil using diverse beneficials, humus etc.

9/17/2013 1:04:55 PM

Torrance, Ca.

Geddes, Wallace a bunch of the guys are on the mustard. Steve Daletas just tilled his second crop of mustard under.

It tells me something if you have disease in your soil.

My big patch will have mustard for sure this season.

9/17/2013 3:57:15 PM

Rhode Island

great post. one of the better post and discussions this season

even though ron and i did noy grow this year we were very active in our three garden plots.the soil is and always will be the first big key to success,second being weather and third being seed selection.

early spring we tilled and grew mustard grass. just before flowering we tilled under and let it sit for a couple weeks

then we planted sudan grass and sun hemp in mid june-let it grow to over 7 ft tall and brush hogged and tilled under (several passes) late august.(a real tough job even for a tractor and tiller)

a final seeding of winter rye and hairy vetch last week will do us until next spring.when the world record assault begins again.

pap

9/18/2013 8:21:42 AM

Williamsport, Pa.

thankyou all for your input. but my question is not anawered. i'm sure there are a hundred other growers who are reading this... i know i can grow at least 3-4 musard crops a year and till under. would it be benificaly to do this?may i let my patch rest.

9/18/2013 7:53:14 PM

NE Kansas

Scottie, I think this article will answer your question and also has a great deal of other good information regarding the additional benefits of mustard biofumigation on other diseases and even pests.

ucanr.org/sites/test1/files/92359.pdf

9/19/2013 10:15:56 AM

West Paris Me.

Is this mustard grass sold everywhere or do you need to special order it?
I don't believe I've ever seen it before.

9/19/2013 1:55:31 PM

Williamsport, Pa.

thanyou d nelson, i get my mustard from territorial seed kathyS

9/20/2013 5:03:31 AM