Damping-off

Symptom

The disease is caused by the fungus Rhizoctonia. It commonly affects seedlings and young plants. Infected seedlings can be easily pulled from the soil without the stem breaking, as the roots are weakly attached. Symptoms include shriveling of the cotyledons, yellowing, and stunted growth. Brownish to reddish-brown lesions develop at the base of the stem where it contacts the soil, eventually turning black as the disease progresses. In severe cases, root rot occurs, leading to the collapse and death of the plant.