Ipomoea Diseases
The Ipomoea plant genus includes flowering vines, such as morning glories, and food crops, such as sweet potatoes. Many Ipomoea plants have no serious health problems; other species often succumb to plant diseases. Does this Spark an idea?
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Types
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Common Ipomoea diseases include stem rot and black rot. Root knot commonly affects sweet potato crops.
Causes
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Root knot nematodes (Meloidogyne) cause root knot infections. The fungus Fusarium oxysporum causes stem rot, while black rot disease is caused by the Ceratocystis fimbriata, a fungal pathogen.
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Symptoms
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Root knot nematodes cause root cracking and nutritional deficiencies. Stem rot symptoms include swellings on infected stems; black rot causes small, dark lesions on the roots.
Effects
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While black rot causes no serious effects, stem rot can lead to stunted growth, yellowing foliage and plant death. Root knots often cause surface pitting and stunted growth.
Control
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Controlling Ipomoea diseases involves practicing crop rotation and applying nematicides, which kill the harmful nematodes. Gardeners should plant only disease-resistant seeds.
Other Problems
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Ipomoea plants occasionally attract aphids and tortoise beetles. Blister beetles sometimes feed on the leaves of sweet potato plants.
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References
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- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Rosana Prada
