• During cultivation

No control method , no product can effectively control this disease during cultivation.

The application of a fungicide to the feet of plants is sometimes recommended in certain countries ( e-phy ) *; the cost of the treatments carried out (often ineffective) is very high compared to the results obtained.

Many growers have the unfortunate habit of burying crop residues in the soil after harvest. The buried plant tissues are abundantly colonized by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici which produces numerous chlamydospores there. The elimination of plants with their root system limits this phenomenon and helps to reduce the amount of inoculum in the plots.

• Next crop

It will be necessary to use quality seed , free from contamination; the same will apply to the substrate and the plants - producers will have an interest in checking the sanitary condition of the latter at the time of delivery. The plants produced should not come into contact with the soil, especially if the latter has not been disinfected. A plastic film should insulate them. We also advise you to apply the hygiene measures recommended in the sheet on Sclerotinia spp ..

Avoid producing tomato plants in an already affected plot. Of crop rotation long enough, at least 3 to 4 years, will help prevent the onset of this disease. They will however be ineffective if F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici is already present in the soil because it will keep there for many years.

The soil disinfection with steam or with a fumigant *; dazomet, metam-sodium alone or in combination with dimethyl polysiloxane ( e-phy ) exhibit some efficacy. Their effectiveness will depend on the fumigant applied, the methods and conditions of application, but above all on the precautions taken to avoid early recontaminations by this Fusarium . Under the best conditions, it will not last more than one campaign. Indeed, like all Fusarium, F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici very quickly recolonizes disinfected soils. Some authors recommend for crops under cover to completely cover the soil to avoid recontamination (this measure is imperative in the case of crops without soil). Solarization would have some effects, especially associated with treatment with dazomet. The 1-3-dichloropropene + chloropicrin combination would give good results with regard to the complex Meloidogyne incognita + F. oxysporum f . sp. lycopersici .

It should be noted that soils resistant to wilting Fusarium wilt have been reported in several countries, notably in France.

Above-ground, it will be necessary to disinfect all the equipment used to carry out the culture, the nutrient solution tanks (which must be covered) and the nutrient solution supply circuit. For this, we can use solutions of 3% formalin or bleach, which can also disinfect the substrates of soilless crops.

Of manure nitrogen from nitrate, less favorable to Fusarium that forms ammonia will be-used. One will be wary of too much nitrogenous manures which seem to have a positive influence on the disease. Liming would lessen the effects of this disease.

Care should be taken in handling the plants and working the soil to avoid injury to the root systems. The tools used for these interventions in the contaminated plots will be well cleaned before their use in healthy plots, without forgetting the wheels of the tractors. Thorough water rinsing of this material will often be sufficient to rid it of infested soil.

By far the most effective method of controlling this vascular fusarium will be to use resistant varieties . Several genes are used:
- the “ gene I ” , derived from Lycopersicon pimpinellifolium (“PI 79532”) and located on chromosome 7, induces resistance to race 1;
- the “ gene I-2 ” ; derived from a hybrid between L. esculentum and L. pimpinellifolium (“PI 126915”) and located on chromosome 11, confers resistance to race 2;
- resistance to race 3 comes from L. pennellii (LA 716). It is controlled by a dominant “ gene I-3 ” located on chromosome 7.

Note that in Brazil, several accessions of L. hirsutum - L. chilense, L. pennellii and L. peruvianum - would combine a high level of resistance to the 3 races.

Thus, many varieties currently marketed are resistant to Fusarium wilt, in particular to race 1, and increasingly to race 2, or even to race 3.

Indeed, some varieties now combine resistance genes to the 3 races. As previously reported, three breeds capable of circumventing Fusarium resistance exist. Also, the choice of varieties used must take into account the situation of the breeds present in the production area. The use of KNVF type rootstocks can also be envisaged: their behavior with respect to this vascular disease is quite comparable to that of resistant varieties .

Parmi les Méthodes alternatives , signalons qu'un aqueux extrait d ' Oxalis articulata inflows in arrosage Foot Plant contrôlerait the fusariose. Other plant extracts would have the same effects (e.g. Citrus paradisi ).

Several microorganisms have been reported for their different effects against F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici . For example, Penicillium oxalicum (brought to the plants before planting) would be the cause of induced resistance in tomatoes, thus ensuring a certain protection. Other micro-organisms seem to have revealed activities modifying the development of this Fusarium : Trichoderma harzianum, Streptomyces griseoviridis, Glomus intraradices , non-pathogenic isolates of Fusarium oxysporum , Pseudomonas fluorescens …


* Chemical control : As the number of pesticides available for a given use is constantly changing, we advise you to always confirm your choice by consulting the e-phy site of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries which is an online catalog of plant protection products and their uses, fertilizers and growing media approved in France. This also applies to all biological products based on microorganisms or natural substances.


1. Decreases in the efficacy of metam-sodium and dazomet have been observed in some soils in Israel, where these fumigants were often used. This would be due to an accelerated degradation of methylisothiocyanate.