Researchers tackle lettuce disease at Yuma farm
Danyelle Burke North
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – In Tuesday’s Home Grown report, the University of Arizona is leading a collaborative effort to fight a devastating soil-borne fungus that is infecting lettuce fields in the region.
The fungus, known as lettuce fusarium wilt, clogs the vascular structure of the plant, preventing water and nutrients from reaching the leaves.
This causes the plant to wilt, appear water-deficient, and eventually die, resulting in financial losses for farmers.
Researchers are now testing various chemical formulations to kill the fungus in the soil, while seed companies are trialing different lettuce varieties that may be resistant to the disease.
“You know, we’re finding that some varieties are really resistant to this fungus while some others are not which tells us that if a farmer finds this disease in their field, they can go to their seed salesman and order special seed that’s more resistant to this disease, and they can plant that out and have a better chance for success,” said Robert Masson, agricultural extension agent for the University of Arizona.
The project has been underway for several years with the help of student interns.
The university is also organizing collaborative projects with the USDA, the University of Florida, Yuma Cooperative Extension, and the Yuma Center of Excellence for Desert Agriculture.