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Description

Onions are grown in 1,500 acres in northern Utah and are a large part of growers' income. In the fall of 2021, 30% of a grower's onion yield was affected by Fusarium bulb rot (caused by a fungus known as Fusarium proliferatum) and the onions were unmarketable. The literature surrounding this pathogen is sparse and losses of this magnitude could cause growers to lose between six and seven thousand dollars per acre. Samples of the fungus were plated onto potato dextrose agar at half strength and maintained fresh throughout the winter. In vitro experiments were performed with various fungicides at different rates to determine which would most effectively inhibit the growth of F. proliferatum. The study also performed inoculation tests with onions in a greenhouse to discover proper inoculation methods for a field trial. The field trial was conducted to examine the effects of fungicides and different cultural practices in conditions similar to the growers of northern Utah. The field trial was the culmination of the entire study and it showed that two different treatments had a lower incidence of Fusarium bulb rot. This project was a big first step in filling in gaps on the literature surrounding F. proliferatum. These results will help refine future research when testing cultural and chemical treatments.

Publication Date

12-7-2022

City

Logan, UT

Keywords

chemical treatment, fungus, fusarium bulb rot, onions

Disciplines

Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Examining Cultural and Chemical Treatments to Fusarium Bulb Rot in Onions

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