Damping-off: How does damping-off kill seedlings and what steps can growers take to keep it off the nursery?

摘要

Two pathogens are mainly responsible for damping-off in seedlings—Rhizoctonia solani and various species of Pythium. Both are necotrophs —they draw on the nutrients of their host's dead cells for growth. Both diseases kill seedlings from the inside, growing through plant tissue and breaking down cells and cell walls. This leads to the collapse of the plants, or "damping-off".