Biological control of fusarium outdoors

[Great outdoors]

So a bit of an unwanted experiment I find myself in. My outdoor plants on my 10yr old no till mounds have given the early signs of fusarium.
A few mornings ago I thought my plants needed water as a couple lower branch tops were drooping slightly. Moisture meter said slightly dry confirming this was probably the issue. I watered and the plants were slow to recover and did not fully recover until evening. I still didn't take it as too big a deal as we have been in a recording breaking heat wave for almost a month with temps to the mid 40's C.
The next morning they did a little droop again when the sun hit and that was when I knew there was trouble. By the next morning a few other plants showed the same symptoms. So I chopped some lower branches and sure enough there was a little brown discoloration on the vascular system.
Here's the psicodelecia plant showing the droop and the cut stalk with browning.

 

[Great outdoors]

So this is pretty serious for me. I grow my 4 legal plants a year outside to have smoke for myself and the family for a year. No redo here.
So I have spent hours scouring the internet on studies of biological control of fusarium in banana's and tomato's.
I am only interested in organic solutions as I am no till and if I kill biology I can say goodbye to these plants.
One of the simpler solutions seems to be Mycostop. Of course not available in Canada.
But through the studies I have read I have come across some heartening info.

Some things fusarium does not like
Higher pH
Zinc
Boron
Manganese
For this I have and will be adding wood ash

Things that have shown to help Seaweed treatment
Out competing biology
For these daily compost tea and seaweed

Here is the plant we will use as a guage. Golden Cobra
The lowest branch was giving some top droop but I don't feel it needs to be culled yet and seems a good indicator of what I am doing.
So yesterday morning started the compost tea and some wood ash. Last evening some more seaweed made with EM and compost tea again this morning.
This top came up 95% yesterday once the sun was not directly on the branch. This morning it was about 98% but once the sun hit it,it dropped to the last picture.

 

[Great outdoors]

So far, they looked better this morning, and now 2 hours later, still in the heat of the sun this top came back up to 98%

 

[moose eater]

I was thinking that some of what you're seeing might well be 'heat stroke' on them.

But I found Pre-Stop to be more effective than Mycostop with Fusarium Wilt, assuming that's your issue. I beat Fusarium Wilt with Pre-Stop, though the product itself has some less than desirable features, and it's not commercially available in Alaska. I was, however, able to legally have it 'boomeranged' to me, by having a friend in a legal-to-buy Prestop State, receive it at his house, then re-package and send it to me. Our Dept. of Environmental Conservation (Alaska DEC) told me that as long as I wasn't using it commercially, as in, growing crops for market, and only used it on my property, that such an arrangement was legit. (And here I'd gotten a bit excited about yet another opportunity to violate a nonsensical law, when it wasn't a violation at all..

Down-side includes that it's the consistency of a coarse, dried/powered milk, and requires a lot more volume of the mix when mixing in water, compared to Mycostop, which I also keep on-hand. both products are biofungicides, though Pre-stop is stated to be nearly as, or as effective as chemical fungicides. Both have limited shelf-lives, and both should be kept in a refrigerator to extend their worth.

The consequence of the consistency of the Pre-stop when mixing, is that, like with powdered milk, clumping is not uncommon, so making a slurry, then further diluting, is advised.

Good luck. I beat Fusarium, as I stated above, but it took tenacity and stubbornness. Fortunately, much of my lineage or identity comes form Irish ancestors. ;^>)

 

[Great outdoors]

The actual deformity of the growth tips and canoeing of the upper leaves I agree are heat stroke. But the loss of fluids in the bottom branches and browning inside is definitely fusarium.
I have dealt with it for a plant or two here or there in the past. But usually later in the season and not my whole crop affected.
I am very attuned to my plants after 40yrs of growing and notice the slightest changes for better or for worse.
In the past I would say these were toast being that it is this early in the season. That's why it would be interesting, and rewarding if I can push through. Time will tell but I am seeing good improvement.
I used to use compost tea quite regularly, but the last couple years I figured my biology of my soil was beyond needing the boost anymore except on rare occasions. This will be a good test.
Yeah I like the idea of the Mycostop and Pre stop. Just a more direct way of planting the right biology. I can only hope my compost has that biology in there to build.
I myself like a challenge as well

 

[moose eater]

My understanding of the mechanism or method with both Pre-Stop and Mycostop, are/is that it attaches to the roots or other plant tissues, preventing the fungus from attaching in those places.

I still get some -limited- yellowing, then browning in lower inside leaves, but chalk that up to those leaves in that area of the plants being prone to reacting to absence of light, and eventually photosynthesis and N.

Admittedly, I have two Satori plants at the moment (referenced minimally here in the infirmary, and needing to be photographed), that have mutation to several primary stalks/colas, which I've never seen before. I've attributed this to poor watering technique when I was down south for surgery, and then later in the hospital here, with an inexperienced volunteer assisting in my absence. Either that, or they got a concentrated bit of mineral, etc. that gave them pause. The other cloned plants from the ame mother, in the same mix, with the exact same feed regimen, show none of that.

Mysteries abound. Good luck.

 

[Creeperpark]

You don't have Fusarium Wilt on the plant above, but you do have heat stress. Plants wilt in the full sun daily and don't be fooled by it. You can water all you want and the next day the plant will wilt and do the same thing. Add more mulch, however, I don't like hardwood mulch because it ties up the nitrogen and gets hot, and doesn't cool very well. I always us straw hay or native grass. Spread the hay wide a couple of feet around the plant, and a foot high, to keep the soil cool, wide and deep and hold the moisture in the ground. Your plant looks good.

 

[Great outdoors]

You don't have Fusarium Wilt on the plant above, but you do have heat stress. Plants wilt in the full sun daily and don't be fooled by it. You can water all you want and the next day the plant will wilt and do the same thing. Add more mulch, however, I don't like hardwood mulch because it ties up the nitrogen and gets hot, and doesn't cool very well. I always us straw hay or native grass. Spread the hay wide a couple of feet around the plant, and a foot high, to keep the soil cool, wide and deep and hold the moisture in the ground. Your plant looks good.

If it is not fusarium wilt explain the discoloration on the stalk. Or that the wilt happens first light in the morning with the heavy uptake a plant does then. It actually improves during the heat of the day prior to treatment.
Sorry going to respectfully disagree with you on that one. This is far from my first rodeo.
Plant mounds have a foot of soft wood chips on the sides and 3-4 inches of straw on top.

 

[Creeperpark]

Get those hot rocks off the ground next to your plant because they collect solar heat from the Sun and is lot of your problem. Pile the mulch on heavy and wide to keep the plant cool.

 

[Great outdoors]

Get those hot rocks off the ground next to your plant because they collect solar heat from the Sun and is lot of your problem. Pile the mulch on heavy and wide to keep the plant cool.

Can't help it if you can't recognize the early signs of fusarium. We all know what full blown fusarium looks like.
The rocks are to keep the birds from digging up my mounds. Funny but back in the day guerilla growing the very best plants always grew right in the cliffs completely surrounded by baking hot rocks. Through many a heat wave.
I can grow plants to.

 

[Creeperpark]

Once fusarium wilt infects a plant, there is no effective treatment, and the plant will die very quickly. I don't see that in your plant, however, I do see you do know what you are doing, by the looks of your plants. She looks good to me and will give you some nice flowers. Now in 7 days you come back and show me a yellow plant that is losing all its leaves and the roots are rotting, and I will agree. Those are very pretty plants.

 

[Creeperpark]

The fungus Trichoderma viride will control the fusarium wilt nematodes. No disrespect intended.

 

[Great outdoors]

The fungus Trichoderma viride will control the fusarium wilt nematodes. No disrespect intended.

All cool. Just my thought was this thread was to document some real life results not debate what the problem was.
Anyways water under the bridge. I am supposed to be getting some trichoderma from a buddy today

 

[Great outdoors]

Well 420, sunlight just got off the plant and it was 37C today (99F)
Top is almost 100%.
The big question is will it still do it's wilt first thing tomorrow morning???

What the plant should look like. Purple Romulan with no infection.

 

[Creeperpark]

Having a major heat wave in the West and N West US and Canada at this time, with excessive heat baking those areas. I thought you may be one of those guys living in those areas. My photos above are for the grows living in very hot areas, (100f or 37.7c plus) dealing with excessive heat and drought.

 

[Creeperpark]

To use Trichoderma-- Mix 1 L of Liquid Trichoderma thoroughly with 100 L of water (distilled water) in a plastic cup. For drenching apply this solution to the root zone of the plants. However, if your plants are already at their peak, you may not see an effect from adding this microbe. Its best in the beginning, to apply this fungus to the seed and it will colonize the plant’s root system as it grows. Or you can apply it directly into the planting area, when planting your living plant. Early application is important and key when using Trichodermato for good root health. You are doing a super job and your plants look amazing!!!Good luck.

 

[Great outdoors]

So far so good. They are all looking really good. The Golden Cobra top was pretty darn close to 100% this morning. When the sun got on it it barely changed a hair.
I gave another compost tea this morning brewed with coconut water for it's sugar source. Probably skip the compost tea/ seaweed thing tomorrow morning and just give them some coconut water. The plants and soil always love coconut water and the gibberillins and other hormones in there can't hurt. Then I will continue with the ash, seaweed, compost tea applications.

A little history on the test subject the Golden Cobra. It is a feminized seed, cross between a Grape Kush and a Tangie. All seeds were started outdoors April 15th. Plant is now 9 feet tall and has been growing a steady 2-3 inches a day through it's vegetative life, including when showing signs of fusarium.
Here is the top in the morning.

And after a couple hours of sun

 

[Great outdoors]

To use Trichoderma-- Mix 1 L of Liquid Trichoderma thoroughly with 100 L of water (distilled water) in a plastic cup. For drenching apply this solution to the root zone of the plants. However, if your plants are already at their peak, you may not see an effect from adding this microbe. Its best in the beginning, to apply this fungus to the seed and it will colonize the plant’s root system as it grows. Or you can apply it directly into the planting area, when planting your living plant. Early application is important and key when using Trichodermato for good root health. You are doing a super job and your plants look amazing!!!Good luck.

Still haven't got my hands on the trichoderma. Hopefully today.
I know it isn't optimum use later in life, but it could help with my theory of overpopulating the rhizosphere with good organisms and making life hard for the fusarium.
That's why I like the idea of that Mycostop, even later on. The bacteria it has is supposedly parasitic to the fusarium.
Thanks for the compliment. I take pride in my little hobby these days. Nothing tastes like sungrown organic buds

 

[Great outdoors]

Well just gave them some coconut water this morning. Brewing some more compost tea for tomorrow.
The fight continues. Branch looked perfect this morning and then dropped within a hour of sun.

 

[Great outdoors]

Top came back up in the heat of the sun around noon. It's just that early morning hard pull of juices when it shows itself.
Took some soil temps today. In the heat of the day with 95F air temperature, the soil 2 inches below the shallowest mulch on top was 72F. Not too bad.
But when air temps were over 110F two weeks ago the soil must have broke 80F which is considered critical for fusarium formation.