Title: Southern Blight Disease in Ornamental Production and Landscapes
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Southern Blight Disease in Ornamental Production and Landscapes

Publish Date: December 18 2025 |    Pub Number: W1364 |    Language: English

Publish Date: December 18 2025

Pub Number: W1364

Language: English

Contact your County Extension Office to learn more
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Contact your County Extension Office to learn more
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Abstract

Southern blight is caused by the fungus Agroathelia rolfsii and is a destructive soil-borne disease that threatens plants in ornamental production and landscapes. First documented in 1911 on tomatoes in the southern US, this plant pathogen now infects more than 500 plant species, causing rapid wilting, stem rot, and eventually plant death. Once established in soil, managing this fugus becomes expensive due to the need for both labor-intensive practices and repeated fungicide applications.