Is Fusarium Pest Your Hidden Opportunity

Two different species of Fusarium can be found in the top ten fungal plant pathogens[1] list, making it one of the most potentially devastating pests in agriculture. And since about eighty percent of microbial spoilage of fresh fruits and vegetables is caused by fungi, this basically means that if fusarium is present, the chances of other fungal infections to be either latent or active is high. Rather than an opportunity, this may sound like the telltale of disaster.


The Fusarium genus is complex, with over a 1500 identified and estimated species that have spread throughout the world[2], affecting a wide range of host plants, even jumping to new ones leaving farmers paralyzed when this happens, especially when the symptoms are unknown, meaning the cures or ways to control them are also unknown or non-effective. Which of the 36+ species is the one affecting a given crop? Does it matter? Not, if one considers that they are all fungi and that they can all be controlled with Biodox™.


Biodox™ is a type of aqueous chlorine dioxide especially designed for your agricultural needs across the board. Biodox™ is highly effective for various types of applications, from root drench and soil sterilization (the main places where Fusarium and other fungal life-forms thrive), to direct foliar and stem applications, all the way to surfaces, equipment and even environmental sterilizations.


Specifically for Fusarium, various studies have proven the efficacy of chlorine dioxide in a wide range of applications, from stored potatoes[3] to hot water treatments of Daffodil Bulbs[4], to the inactivation of Fusarium spore inactivation inoculated[5] with chlorine dioxide in fresh chestnut kernels, among others.


The question is not whether chlorine dioxide—and in this case Biodox™ (do consider that not all chlorine dioxides are created equal)—is effective against Fusarium, regardless of species, but how and when to apply it.


Biodox™, being a gas in solution, needs specific ways of application depending on the particular type and area of the problem—soil, stem, leaves, environment, tools and equipment—as well as the magnitude of the problem, the type of crop, time of year, and other considerations.


For example, Is it a latent problem or a severe pest that is getting out of control? Does it need a root drench, soil sterilization, or an emergency application of the entire plant? What is the appropriate concentration or dilution rate for each? All these questions have easy and straightforward answers. The first one is that yes, Biodox™ is effective against any type of Fusarium.


The second question regarding how to apply it depends on the type of crop, magnitude and contamination stage (latent, chronic, or acute), as well as whether its seedlings or harvest time, or whether its in storage or during transport. If these variables are known—and they usually are (except perhaps when the problem is still only latent and therefore invisible)—then a solution depends simply on the farmer’s decision to act quickly, in case of an emergency, or follow Integrated Pest Control protocols to not only hit the problem at harvest time, but avoid it all together.

Where is the opportunity in all of this?


As mentioned above, even though you may be concerned about one of the many Fusarium species, it most likely isn’t the only pathogen that is affecting your investment. Biodox™ will aid in not only controlling or eradicating Fusarium, but it will also prove effective toward other latent, chronic or acute microbial spoilage since it’s effective not only against fungal infections like Fusarium, but it’s the most potent biocide in the market that has no health or environmental side effects, and against which germs cannot build a resistance.

[1] Dean, Ralph, et al. “The Top 10 Fungal Pathogens in Molecular Plant Pathology: Top 10 Fungal Pathogens.” Molecular Plant Pathology, vol. 13, no. 4, May 2012, pp. 414–30. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1364-3703.2011.00783.x.


[2] Arie, Tsutomu. “Fusarium Diseases of Cultivated Plants, Control, Diagnosis, and Molecular and Genetic Studies.” Journal of Pesticide Science, vol. 44, no. 4, Nov. 2019, pp. 275–81. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.1584/jpestics.J19-03.


[3] Olsen, Nora L., et al. “Efficacy of Chlorine Dioxide for Disease Control on Stored Potatoes.American Journal of Potato Research, vol. 80, no. 6, Nov. 2003, pp. 387–95. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02854250.


[4] Chastagner, G. A., and K. L. Riley. “POTENTIAL USE OF CHLORINE DIOXIDE TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF FUSARIUM BASAL ROT DURING THE HOT WATER TREATMENT OF DAFFODIL BULBS.” Acta Horticulturae, no. 570, Feb. 2002, pp. 267–73. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2002.570.34.


[5] Chen, Z., and C. Zhu. “Modelling Inactivation by Aqueous Chlorine Dioxide of Dothiorella Gregaria Sacc. and Fusarium Tricinctum (Corda) Sacc. Spores Inoculated on Fresh Chestnut Kernel: Modelling Inactivation by Aqueous Chlorine Dioxide.” Letters in Applied Microbiology, vol. 52, no. 6, June 2011, pp. 676–84. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1472-765X.2011.03061.x. //


Chen, Zhao. “MECHANISM OF FUSARIUM TRICINCTUM (CORDA) SACC. SPORE INACTIVATION BY CHLORINE DIOXIDE.” Journal of Microbiology, Biotechnology and Food Sciences, vol. 4, no. 6, June 2015, pp. 542–45. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.15414/jmbfs.2015.4.6.542-545.