Seasonal development
and life cycle—Verticillium wilt
Verticillium dahliae survives for years in soil as tiny, dormant sclerotia. The pathogen has a
wide host range including many vegetable crops, weeds, and trees. When roots of susceptible crops grow
in close proximity, sclerotia germinate and infect the roots. Verticillium wilt is most severe during
relatively cool periods and subsides during the hottest part of the summer, but wilting is usually seen
during warm dry periods when the plant is under stress, such as after fruit set. The pathogen grows in
the water-conducting tissue, causing plugging and interference with water transport.
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Vascular
discoloration of pepper roots
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