Diseases of Vegetables - Celery

Fusarium Yellows
Fusarium oxysporium (F. apii)

What to look for?
Celery does not grow well in most Alberta soils. Muck soils are most suitable for this semi-aquatic plant where large quantities should be grown.

Photo: Ormrod	Picture description Wilted infected plants.
Photo: Ormrod	Picture description Fusarium susceptible celery on the left and resistant celery on the right.

Management strategy
Fusarium is a seed-borne disease which is soil persistent. Many acres of muck soils in Canada are now infected with both race 1 and race 2 of this pest making celery production impractical.

Soft Rot
Erwinia carotovora

What to look for?
Under cold or cool conditions celery may be susceptible to common soft rot bacteria.

Photo: Ormrod

Picture description
Rotted stems.

Management strategy

Cercospora Blight

What to look for?
Cercospora blight (Cercospora apii) or early blight of celery. This disease is seed- and soil-borne. Round chlorotic spots show up on the leaves early in the season and later turning gray. Infected plants are unmarketable.

Management strategy
Fungicides have been used for disease control.

Septoria Blight

What to look for?
Septoria blight (Septoria apii) or late blight. Small flecks appear on the lower leaves which turn brownish black and necrotic. The fungus is seed- and residue-borne.

Management strategy
Foliar fungicides are important in disease control.

Aster Yellows

Aster yellows is generally sporadic but occasionally high infection in excess of 30% may occur in some seasons.

Photographs and information assembled and prepared for ARD by Dr. Ieaun R. Evans Agri-Trend Agrology Ltd.

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For more information about the content of this document, contact Ron Howard.
This document is maintained by Shelley Barkley.
This information published to the web on November 26, 2003.
Last Reviewed/Revised on March 25, 2009.