Smart Ways to Protect Your Tomato Plants from Fungus

June 7, 2011 - PRLog -- Tomatoes contain health-enriching compounds such as lycopene, which are beneficial for you. This seasonal fruit can be grown all year round with hydroponics. Hydroponic gardening has several benefits – you can control the fruit production, extend fruit production and also supply natural sugars and other nutrients required by the tomato plant to produce, large, luscious, juicy and tasty tomatoes. Hydroponics enables growers to harvest all year round. And this is a huge benefit for commercial hydroponic growers. Tomatoes can be easily grown indoors or outdoors in a simulated environment if their specific nutritional and environmental needs are fulfilled.

However, you should take care of pests and pathogens which might infect your hydroponic garden and affect the tomatoes. Some of the common fungal problems you might encounter in tomato plants are:

• Gnats: The gnats you observe on your tomato plant are basically fungi. You can recognize them by their dark bodies and translucent wings. Adult gnats do not feed and therefore they do not harm your plants. The larvae can be a problem with tomato plants, especially if they are grown hydroponically. The larvae will feed on any organic matter and this includes tomato plant roots. By feeding on the roots, the larvae interfere with the plant's ability to absorb nutrients. This can cause wilting and failure to thrive. A badly infested tomato plant will yield less fruit and the fruit it does manage to produce will not be as large or as nutritious.

• Fusarium wilt and Fusarium crown rot can be diagnosed when you see the older leaves becoming yellow. In this case, the leaves then slowly turn brown or black and eventually wither. The root cause for this problem is a common tomato fungus that lives in the plant's vascular system, which carries water from the roots to the leaves.

• Root rot can be caused by several fungi. However, poor drainage and overwatering are some of the common causes for this fungal disease. Management of root rot involves proper watering, improved drainage and rotation of tomatoes.

• Early blight, a fungal disease in tomato plants is caused by the fungus Alternaria solani. Symptoms become prevalent during summers. You can see brown to black target like spots on older leaves once the plant is infected by the fungus. Sanitation is the best control. Remove all diseased plant tissue as the fungus stagnates on leaf debris. Do not plant tomatoes in the same place next year. Plants should be spaced properly to improve air circulation. Avoid overhead irrigation. If the infestation is heavy, sulfur dust may help protect new leaves from infection.

Check http://www.advancednutrients.com and get the tips to grow your hydroponics garden.

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