Pacific Pests, Pathogens & Weeds - Mini Fact Sheet Edition

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Ginger soft rot (162)

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Photo 1. Ginger rhizome with severe soft rot, Pythium sp. affecting the young buds and shoots.

Photo 2. Ginger with soft rot, Pythium sp., showing drying-up of the leaves and collapse of the plants.

Diagram. Life-cycle of Pythium.

Summary

• Worldwide distribution. In tropics and sub-tropics. On ginger, taro, giant taro, Xanthosoma, beans and capsicum (see Fact sheet no. 44). Many kinds of seedlings are susceptible to damping-off disease in the nursery (see Fact Sheet No. 47).
• A water mould, an oomycete, not a fungus, living in soil on remains of crops, weeds, or as resistant spores.
• Swimming spores infect roots, buds on rhizome or the stems of shoots. Stems collapse, and leaves yellow and die. Patches of yellow develop in the field.
• Spread occurs in soil water to neighbouring plants, and long distances in “seed” used for planting.
• Cultural control: raised beds with deep ditches to drain soil and isolate disease outbreaks; clean “seed” from healthy crops; weed; 3-4-year crop rotation.
• Chemical control: metalaxyl and phosphorous acid (possibly), but unlikely to be economic.

Common Name

Soft rot, rhizome rot

Scientific Name

Pythium spp. Pythium myriotylum is the most serious of the species on ginger.

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