EFFICACY OF WATER SOLUBLE SILICON IN MANAGING FUSARIUM DRY ROOT ROT OF CITRUS

Fusarium solani, the soil-borne fungus inciting dry root rot (DRR) disease of citrus, is regarded as a weak pathogen infecting trees under stresses caused by over-irrigation, soil compaction, nematodes and root damage from certain fertilizers. Substantial losses in tree mortality and production are caused by this disorder. There are currently no effective fungicidal treatments known for the management of this disease. Soluble or aqueous silicon has long been recognized for its prophylactic role in alleviating plant diseases when absorbed by plants. The effect of two silicon products SilMatrix (PQ Corp) and Carbon Defense (Floratine Biosciences, Inc.) on managing Fusarium DRR in ‘Valencia’ sweet orange on C35 rootstock was investigated. Treatment applied over a period of 4 years resulted in mortality percentages of 66, 22 and 11 for the untreated controls, SilMatrix and Carbon Defense treatments, respectively.