Are root diseases hammering your crop?
Use for correcting poor root growth &
preventing root disease
These
two plants were grown with a nutrient solution infested with Pythium
and Phytophthora root diseases. The plant on the left was treated
with Regen-A-Root and the plant on the right received no treatment.
Do you know how many diseases are waiting to attack
the roots of your hydroponic crop? The effect of root disease can be
mild through to devastating. Most growers have had the experience of
thinking that their crop is going to be great only to find that,
within the space of a few days, the crop’s condition has degenerated
markedly. For example, the leaves start to change color and it
begins to wilt. Almost without exception, your crop has been
attacked by one of the myriad root diseases that lurk in the nooks
and crannies of most hydro systems waiting for an opportunity to
start feasting on your plant’s roots. What are these diseases? There
is Pythium, Rhizoctonia and Phytophthora which are the most common.
In addition, there are several others which are less common but
nevertheless very dangerous if they infect your crop. Among these
are Thielaviopsis, Fusarium, Sclerotinia and
Cylindrocladium.
Pythium is the most commonly found root disease in
both hydroponic systems and in the soil. The symptoms are quite
specific. If the plant’s roots go brown and smelly and the plants
wilt when the lights are on, then you are probably dealing with
Pythium. Before blaming a disease, however, check that the nutrient
aeration is ok. Lack of oxygen in the system can cause similar
symptoms.
When plants are growing strongly, they can usually
fight off the effects of the disease. They are able to produce
chemicals which attack the disease organisms. When the plants are
under stress, however, they produce much less of these chemicals and
the disease organism can take hold.
Stress situations can occur at any time but
flowering is always a stressful situation and is the time that
disease is the most likely to get the upper hand. This occurs also
because the plant’s energies are going into flowering and root
growth tends to be limited to replacement of dead roots only.
At Canadian Xpress, their
scientists have isolated the battery of chemicals that the plant
manufactures to defend itself. They have encapsulated these
chemicals in a liquid formulation and when this is used in your
nutrient solution they have the same effect as the plant’s own
defenses and the result is healthy plants. This approach is known as
Induced Resistance.
