Does Hydrogen Peroxide Kill Fusarium Wilt?

Table of Contents

Fusarium wilt is a growing plant disease that is prominent in plants with vascular systems. The characteristic nature of fusarium wilt disease is vascular wilting along with premature leaf drop, chlorosis, necrosis, and browning of xylem and phloem. And the causative agent is a fungal pathogen called Fusarium oxysporum.

This fungus is present in many plants in the form of saprophytic species, which may even benefit the host plant.

However, some immunosuppressed plants may suffer a pathogenic attack from the same species of fungi. F. oxysporum predominantly affects tomato, tobacco, legumes, sweet potatoes, and banana plants.

Morphologically, Fusarium wilt appears as a small venous outgrowth, followed by drooping of the lower leaves, stunting, defoliation, marginal necrosis, and ultimately plant death. The symptoms of this wilt appear in plants during the flowering and fruiting stage.

Can hydrogen peroxide kill fungi and remove Fusarium wilt? Read on to find out!

Fungi Are Difficult to Kill!

Now that we have gone over what exactly Fusarium wilt is and how deadly it can be to plants, we can begin discussing the other reasons why it is so menacing.

The thing with wilting such as Fusarium wilt is that fungi cause them, and this class of microbes is one of the most stubborn to treat. Because they do whatever a bacteria does (kill and cause disease) while having a much stronger cell wall and size.

More so when fungi affect living organisms such as plants. Because in that case, you cannot use highly potent disinfecting agents like bleach, as seen in fungal outgrowths in homes and hospitals. Using bleach over plants mean exposing them to poisonous chemicals such as chlorine.

In this condition, there is a desperate need for a disinfecting agent that is both effective and nontoxic. And what other agent has both of these properties than the one present in a brown bottle present at your home!

Hydrogen Peroxide & Its Antifungal Properties

Now we can truly begin addressing the treatment part of this discussion, e.g., hydrogen peroxide and its effectiveness against fungal diseases such as fusarium wilt.

Scientists in many research papers have thoroughly studied the oxidative properties of hydrogen peroxide. It is generally believed that the chemical can produce oxidative stress whenever it is applied due to a loose oxygen atom present in its molecular lattice.

You can use this oxidative stress for oxidizing, disinfecting, cleaning, bleaching, and various other procedures.

Similarly, research focused on hydrogen peroxide-induced cleaning of fungal infections in plants, and scientists found excellent results regarding the disinfection properties of hydrogen peroxide.

They deduced that hydrogen peroxide severely reduces the wilting and root rot while increasing the life span of surviving plants!

How to Remove Fusarium Wilt – The Procedure

Now that we know that hydrogen peroxide is potent in treating fungal infections like fusarium wilt, we can begin discussing how you can perform this procedure yourself.

What Do You Need

Using hydrogen peroxide gives you an added benefit of a straightforward procedure, in addition to outstanding results and fantastic utility. All you need for this procedure is:

Performing

  • Begin the procedure by equipping yourself with gloves and similar protective gear
  • Find out the affected part of the plant and wash it with some water
  • Now by directly taking hydrogen peroxide in a spraying bottle, spray over the part that appears wilting
  • Feel free to cut the part where the wilted leaves are present, as they might be spreading the infection
  • Make sure to cover all of the plants thoroughly, as well as some of the roots
  • Listen to the sound of sizzling as you wait a few minutes for hydrogen peroxide to take action
  • Repeat the procedure 2-3 times every day until the leaves are green again

And that’s it!

Final Words

Hydrogen peroxide is a fantastic disinfecting agent, and its cleaning properties reach far beyond common bacteria. As we have seen from research and experiences, hydrogen peroxide is almost as effective in removing fungal disease, if not more!

So if you are someone who keeps plants as a hobby and fears the fusarium wilt, order your set of hydrogen peroxide bottles today!

Faizan Khan
Faizan Khan
Leave a Reply
Shopping Cart