Biological Management of Fusarium Wilt of Tomato: An Approach for Sustainable Agriculture

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is one of the most important commercial crops. Tomato is commercially grown in various parts of the world. But it has a high disease infestation rate. This crop has a wide range of diseases among which the fungal diseases like Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (FOL) is one of the devastating diseases of tomato crop. FOL reduces the yield of tomato at a very high level. Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici is a soil-borne pathogen and can be transmitted through soil in tomato plants. The fungus firstly enters through the soil to the vascular plant tissues of roots and causes wilting of the plant and eventually causes the plant death. Drying of leaves, discoloration of lower leaves of plants and finally wilting of the plant are the major symptoms of Fusarium wilt. Various crop management practices like use of resistant varieties, crop rotation, intercropping, disinfection of tools and implements, physical control methods, chemical control and cultural control should be opted, but sustainable management practices are very important to practice for the control of Fusarium wilt in greenhouse, glasshouse and field conditions. The present review paper provides the complete information and current update about tomato Fusarium wilt and its sustainable management to protect the tomato crop from such a great loss commercially.