- 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.
