31 october 2017
There is a bigger risk of the growth of saprotrophic fungi in the culture, because of the rise of the number of applied substrate components and the decline of the number of legal pesticides and herbicides. Did you discover fungus? Report it (anonymously if necessary) to the platform saprotrophic fungi, in which RHP takes part.
Central registration and analysis of practical situations is necessary to gain insight as a sector into the size and nature of the fungi problems in cultures and find a collective solution. If contamination is reported, then specialised researchers can deal with it and research the conditions further.
Saprotrophic fungi are not directly harmful for the plant, but sometimes there is an influence on production. Growth of fungus in a substrate can, for example, lead to a reduction in their water uptake. And with that a fungus can indirectly lead to damage to the plant, like a stunted growth and lesser quality. A latently present fungus infection can grow explosively under favourable conditions. So be alert!
In the advice card saprotrophic fungi (see My RHP: Other downloads for English version and Anderes Downloads for German version) you can read how to recognise fungi and what measures you can take to prevent contamination of fungus in your culture. Hygiene is and remains important to prevent spreading within the company.
Read also this month’s background article about fungi on page 40/41 in the Dutch magazine Onder Glas (number 10, October 2017), in which the platform saprotrophic fungi appeals for reporting problems.
