At Risk Crops are popular crops with inherent disease challenges. The good news is effective control strategies can help ensure clean, healthy plants. This presentation from experts at Ball Horticultural Company covers diseases affecting Garden Mums, especially Chrysanthemum White Rust and Fusarium, as well as presenting some effective control strategies.

1. Risk Management:
Understanding and
Minimizing Crop Failure
 Use only tested seed & URC
 Clean production facility
 Optimum cultural protocols
 “Right chemical-right time”
 Monitor and control pests

2. At Risk Crops: Garden Mums
Dr. Will Healy, Senior Technical Manager | whealy@ballhort.com

3. Garden Mums
Risk Factors
 Chrysanthemum White Rust (Puccinia horiana)
 Irregular, white to tan pustules on bottom of leaf.
Upper surface shows irregular light green to yellow
spots that corresponds to the location of the
pustule on lower surface.
 Usually found on young tissues and flowers
 Quarantinable Disease in the US.
 Can overwinter on several related species
 Fusarium Wilt (Fusarium oxysporum)
 Vascular wilt which normally affects only a portion
of the mature plant but can kill entire young plants.
 Infection and spread occurs under stress conditions.
 Easily spread by contaminated soil and water.
Chrysanthemum White Rust
Pennsylvania Dept of Agric and USDA, APHIS
Chrysanthemum White Rust
Margery Daughtrey, Cornell University
Fusarium Wilt
Tina Smith University of Massachusetts

4.  Use only clean URC and liners
 Eliminate CWR alternative hosts
 Disinfect wet areas in production beds
 Treat irrigation water in needed
 Begin spray programs for CWR after planting in high risk areas
 Drench for Fusarium and Pythium before stress conditions begin.
 Avoid overhead watering and wet foliage
 Limit the amount of NH4 late in the crop to increase plant tone.
Chrysanthemum
Managing the Risk

5. At Risk Crops: Garden Mums
For more resources:
https://www.ballseed.com/QuickCulture/ProductionGuides/
Tech On Demand Podcast:
https://www.growertalks.com/TechOnDemand/