Both types of diseases can cause extensive transplant loss. This bulletin briefly describes both types of diseases and appropriate measures for their control. It occurs in home gardens as well as commercial fields and greenhouses, and may be caused by several soilborne fungi. Losses due to damping-off can be severe and often appear as reduced stands in seed flats or rapid wilting and death of young seedlings.
Prevention is the key to control damping-off and can be achieved by several methods.
Damping-off may occur before or after seedlings emerge from the soil. As infection progresses, seeds rot and eventually disintegrate. Fungi infect stems at or near the soil surface. The affected area of the stem takes on a water-soaked appearance and sometimes becomes constricted. In some cases, seedlings survive infection in seed flats or as young transplants and are planted in the field.