Managing root rot on celery seedlings in the greenhouse

Michigan ranks as the number two producer of celery in the U.S., an industry valued at $18.9 million for the state. Commercial celery production begins with greenhouse transplants grown in plug trays using peat-based growing media. Root rot most often occurs at the greenhouse seedling stage, although field plants may also become affected and show symptoms.

As an industry, root rot is one of the disease problems that celery growers must manage each year. Root rot can be a sporadic or chronic problem for individual growers depending on their adoption and implementation of an integrated management approach. The microscopic, soilborne pathogens responsible for root rot initially attack celery seedlings during greenhouse production, but can linger in the field, occasionally causing severe production losses. More commonly, diseased celery plugs produced in the greenhouse can lead to loss of plant vigor and growth resulting in an uneven plant stand (Photo 1).

To address this, Michigan State University has been working with the celery industry to develop management strategies for growing healthy greenhouse celery transplants to ensure robust field production.

Click here for the complete study on the website of Michigan State University