Black rot (Xanthomonas Campestris) What symptoms to observe.
Black rot (Xanthomonas Campestris) Where does it come from?
Commonly found bacteria – being both airborne and water borne. Enters the plant through natural openings. Usually more problematic in summer due to higher temperatures. Bigger challenge in fields where irrigation is not managed efficiently
Black rot (Xanthomonas Campestris) What can we do about it?
- Spraying preventatively is better than spraying curatively – spray weekly to stay ahead of possible infections.
- Plant resistant varieties to have the best possible chance of limiting spread in the rainy season (for summer rainfall areas). Optima is known as one of the most resistant varieties in the industry when it comes to black rot – making it the number 1 summer cabbage cultivar in South Africa.
- Spraying copper-based products will assist in keeping the plants healthy and limiting spread, should an infestation occur.
Optima F1 Hybrid cabbage
Sakata’s answer to Black rot:
- Optima is a market-leading cabbage variety specifically selected for summer production.
- Optima has Intermediate resistance to Black rot (Xcc) disease making it perfectly suited to areas with high Black rot pressure.
- It’s a strong plant that takes 80 – 95 days to mature from transplant.
- The big frame protects the heads very well against sunburn and wind damage.
- Heads are semi-round to round with a good head weight.
- Optima’s frame has an upright growth habit, so water doesn’t accumulate as easily at the base of the plant