🍄Fungal diseasesSevere
Southern Blight
Risk near you, next 48h
See whether your local forecast favours this disease right now.
When it strikes
Temperature
25–35°C
Humidity
≥80%
Leaf wetness
Required
Season
Summer
About
Southern blight (Sclerotium rolfsii) is a hot-weather soil-borne fungus attacking tomatoes, peppers, beans and many vegetables at the stem base, common in warm humid climates.
Symptoms
Sudden wilting and yellowing; a white fan of fungal threads at the soil line studded with tan, mustard-seed-sized resting bodies; rapid plant collapse.
Organic Treatment
Remove infected plants with surrounding soil, deep-bury or solarise, add compost, and mulch with a barrier that keeps the fungus off the stem.
Chemical Treatment
Flutolanil or PCNB soil treatment in commercial production; limited options in the home garden.
Prevention
Rotate with cereals, bury crop debris deeply, raise soil pH, and avoid mulching directly against stems in hot weather.