Root rot is a condition in which

anoxic Anoxia means a total depletion in the level of oxygen, an extreme form of hypoxia or "low oxygen". The terms anoxia and hypoxia are used in various contexts: * Anoxic waters, sea water, fresh water or groundwater that are depleted of dissolved ox ...

conditions in the

soil Soil, also commonly referred to as earth, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, water, and organisms that together support the life of plants and soil organisms. Some scientific definitions distinguish dirt from ''soil'' by re ...

or potting media around the roots of a plant cause them to rot. This occurs due to excessive standing water around the roots.-
Hydroponics Root Rot: What is It, How To Treat It, How to Prevent It
''Origin Hydroponics.'' June 2, 2018
Root Rot In Your Hydroponic System: 4 Reasons (+ Solutions)
''YOUR INDOOR HERBS AND GARDEN. n.d''
Tips For Preventing Root Rot In Hydroponics
''Fresh Air With Housplants''. February 3, 2022. It is found in both indoor and outdoor plants, although it is more common in indoor plants due to overwatering, heavy potting media, or containers with poor

drainage Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of a surface's water and sub-surface water from an area with excess water. The internal drainage of most agricultural soils can prevent severe waterlogging (anaerobic conditions that harm root gro ...

. The leaves of plants experiencing root rot often yellow and die, and if allowed to continue, the condition can be fatal to the plant. To avoid root rot, it is best to only water plants when the soil becomes dry, and to put the plant in a well-drained pot. Using a dense potting media such as one dug up from outdoors can also cause root rot. Plants from different environments have different tolerances for soil moisture: plants evolved for desert conditions will experience root rot at lower moisture levels than plants evolved for tropical conditions. In both indoor and outdoor plants, it can be lethal and there is no effective treatment, though some plants can be propagated so they will not be lost completely. Many cases of root rot are caused by members of the

water mold The Oomycetes (), or Oomycota, form a distinct phylogenetic lineage of fungus-like eukaryotic microorganisms within the Stramenopiles. They are filamentous and heterotrophic, and can reproduce both sexually and asexually. Sexual reproduction o ...

genus ''

Phytophthora ''Phytophthora'' (from Greek (''phytón''), "plant" and (), "destruction"; "the plant-destroyer") is a genus of plant-damaging oomycetes (water molds), whose member species cause economic losses on crops worldwide, as well as environmental dam ...

''; perhaps the most aggressive is ''P. cinnamomi''.

Spore In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual reproduction, sexual (in fungi) or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for biological dispersal, dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores fo ...

s from root rot causing agents do contaminate other plants, but the rot cannot take hold unless there is adequate moisture. Spores are not only airborne, but are also carried by insects and other

arthropod Arthropods ( ) are invertebrates in the phylum Arthropoda. They possess an arthropod exoskeleton, exoskeleton with a cuticle made of chitin, often Mineralization (biology), mineralised with calcium carbonate, a body with differentiated (Metam ...

s in the soil. It can be controlled by drenching

carbendazim Carbendazim is a fungicide, a member benzimidazole fungicides. It is a metabolite of benomyl. The fungicide is used to control plant diseases in cereals and fruits, including citrus, bananas, strawberries, macadamia nuts, pineapples, and pomes. ...

Hydroponics

Root rot can occur in

hydroponic Hydroponics is a type of horticulture and a subset of hydroculture which involves growing plants, usually crops or medicinal plants, without soil, by using water-based mineral nutrient solutions in an artificial environment. Terrestrial or ...

applications, if the water is not properly

aerated Aeration (also called aerification or aeriation) is the process by which air is circulated through, mixed with or dissolved in a liquid or other substances that act as a fluid (such as soil). Aeration processes create additional surface area in th ...

. This is usually accomplished by use of an

air pump An air pump is a pump for pushing air. Examples include a bicycle pump, pumps that are used to aerate an aquarium or a pond via an airstone; a gas compressor used to power a pneumatic tool, air horn or pipe organ; a bellows used to encoura ...

, air stones,

air diffuser Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC ) is the use of various technologies to control the temperature, humidity, and purity of the air in an enclosed space. Its goal is to provide thermal comfort and acceptable indoor air quality. H ...

s and by adjustment of the frequency and length of watering cycles where applicable. Hydroponic air pumps function in much the same way as

aquarium pump An aquarium (: aquariums or aquaria) is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aquatic reptiles, ...

s, which are used for the same purpose. Root rot and other problems associated with poor water aeration were principal reasons for the development of

aeroponics Aeroponics is the process of cultivating plants in an air or mist environment, eliminating the need for soil or an aggregate medium. The term "aeroponic" originates from the ancient Greek: ''aer'' (air) and ''ponos'' (labor, hardship, or t ...

Particular diseases

Some particular pathogens infect plants and causes root rot. Such pathogens are listed: *

Armillaria ''Armillaria'' is a genus of fungi that includes the '' A. mellea'' species ('honey fungus') that live on trees and woody shrubs. It includes about 10 species formerly categorized summarily as ''A. mellea''. ''Armillaria'' sp. are long-live ...

causes

Armillaria root rot Armillaria root rot is a fungal root rot caused by several different members of the genus ''Armillaria''. The symptoms are variable depending on the host infected, ranging from stunted leaves to chlorotic needles and dieback of twigs and bran ...

or white rot root disease * Phellinius noxius *

Rhododendron root rot ''Phytophthora cactorum'' is a fungal-like plant pathogen belonging to the Oomycota phylum. It is the causal agent of root rot on rhododendron and many other species, as well as leather rot of strawberries. . Hosts, symptoms, and diagnosis ''Ph ...

Shoestring root rot Shoelaces, also called shoestrings (US English) or bootlaces (UK English), are a system commonly used to secure shoes, boots, and other footwear. They typically consist of a pair of String (cord), strings or cords, one for each shoe, finished o ...

Texas root rot Texas root rot (also known as Phymatotrichopsis root rot, Phymatotrichum root rot, cotton root rot, or, in the older literature, Ozonium root rot) is a disease that is fairly common in Mexico and the southwestern United States resulting in sudden ...

* ''

Rosellinia necatrix ''Rosellinia'' is a genus of fungi in the family Xylariaceae consisting of over 90 species. Several of the species in this genus are plant pathogens. Fossils of ''Rosellinia'' have been found in 12 million year old rocks from central England. T ...

'' aka ''Dematophora necatrix'' * ''

Scytinostroma galactinum ''Scytinostroma galactinum'' is a fungal plant pathogen infecting apples. References External links Index FungorumUSDA ARS Fungal Database
Fungal plant pathogens and diseases Apple tree diseases Russulales Fungi described in 1851 T ...

'' aka ''Corticium galactinum'' * ''

'' – see ''

Phytophthora cinnamomi ''Phytophthora cinnamomi'', also known as cinnamon fungus, is a soil-borne water mould that produces an infection which causes a condition in plants variously called "dieback", "root rot", or (in certain '' Castanea'' species), "ink disease". O ...

'' for discussion on treatment *

Basidiomycete Basidiomycota () is one of two large divisions that, together with the Ascomycota, constitute the subkingdom Dikarya (often referred to as the "higher fungi") within the kingdom Fungi. Members are known as basidiomycetes. More specifically, Basid ...

fungi are wide-spread saprophytes and afflicts

Acacia ''Acacia'', commonly known as wattles or acacias, is a genus of about of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa, South America, and Austral ...

plants with root rot.Old, K. M., See, L. S., Sharma, J. K., & Yuan, Z. Q. (2000). ROOT ROT. In ''A Manual of Diseases of Tropical Acacias in Australia, South-East Asia and India'' (pp. 89). Center for International Forestry Research. http://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep02154.21 *

Ganoderma ''Ganoderma'' is a genus of polypore fungi in the family Ganodermataceae that includes about 80 species, many from tropical regions. They may be called ''shelf mushrooms'' or bracket fungi and have a high genetic diversity. ''Ganoderma'' can b ...

spp. *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Root Rot Plant pathogens and diseases

Hydroponics

Particular diseases

See also

References