Natural control of root diseases in greenhouse crops

Protecting plants against diseases and pests using biological methods is far from simple. In a recent project, researchers from the business unit Greenhouse Horticulture at Wageningen University & Research (WUR) investigated the natural control of a fungal disease (Fusarium) in cucumber cultivation on rockwool and lisianthus cultivation in soil. One of the key findings is that manipulating the natural microbial populations around the roots provides the most robust results when it comes to preventing disease symptoms in both cultivation systems.