Within the program to support cooperation between our university and the state departments related to society, and at the invitation of the Agricultural Extension and Training Department, the Agricultural Training Extension Center in Karbala, each of the teaching professors, M.D., participated. Haider Abdel Hassan Ali and M. Warif Muhammad Hanoun and M.M. Alaa Talib Salem in the field observation held at the desert extension farm on 4/29/2024 about (infection of tomato crops with fusarium wilt and methods of treating it) and in the presence of a large number of fellow farmers and agricultural engineers. The lecture included the following aspects:
1- Diagnosing the disease through the pathological symptoms that appear on infected plants (explained in the field) 2- Identifying the pathogen and its life cycle has a major role in understanding the mechanism of controlling or eliminating the disease 3- Methods of prevention and treatment, as the importance of waste disposal was explained. Previous planting and sterilization of tools and equipment between uses to prevent the spread of fungi. Also discussed was the rotation of tomato cultivation with non-solanaceous crops (plants from other families) to break the disease cycle. Avoid planting tomatoes or other sensitive crops in the same soil for consecutive seasons. The need to avoid excessive irrigation was also discussed, because excess soil moisture can promote the growth of Fusarium wilt. Use drip irrigation or water in the morning. The importance of cultivating varieties resistant to the pathogenic fungus was also emphasized. When we talked about chemical pesticides in case of infection, a large number of farmers pointed out that chemical pesticides lose their effectiveness if they are used more than once. Therefore, farmers were directed to the necessity of using biopesticides as an alternative to chemical pesticides.
The attendees expressed their happiness and gratitude for this lecture because of the valuable information it contains to reduce the impact of this dangerous pest on their agricultural crops, and they wished for continued cooperation among us in the service of our dear governorate.
