Verticillium albo-atrum
verticillium wilt of lucerne
Verticillium albo-atrum var. caespitosum
Verticillium albo-atrum var. tuberosum
Worldwide, primarily in cool temperate climates and in potato producing areas
Widespread, especially in northern states
2025-09-15
fungus
China, Thailand
Main: cauliflower. broccoli, lucerne, tomato, potato; Other: brussel sprouts, cucumber
VERTAA
Verticillium albo-atrum is a soilborne fungal pathogen that causes Verticillium wilt in a wide range of host plants, including vegetables, ornamentals, and woody crops. The fungus invades the plant through the roots, colonizes the vascular system, and disrupts water transport. It survives in soil for many years as microsclerotia, making management difficult. The pathogen is primarily spread through infested soil, plant debris, and infected planting material, but seed transmission has been reported (and unverified) in older reports for some crops.
17 Known Hosts
Allium cepa
onion
Not a host
VERTAA-2, VERTAA-9, CABI CPC, VERTAA-13
No references found indicating that onion seed is a pathway.
2025-09-15 08:48:07
Anonymous 1960. Index of Plant Diseases in the United States. U.S.D.A. Agric. Handb. 165: 1-531. (94)
Richardson, MJ. 1990. Annotated List of Seedborne Diseases, Fourth Ed. International Seed Testing Association. Zurich, Switzerland
Crop Protection Compendium. Wallingford, UK: CAB International. www.cabi.org/cpc.
Schwartz, H.F. and Mohan, S.K. (Eds) (2008). Compendium of Onion and Garlic Diseases and Pests (Second Edition). American Phytopathological Society (APS Press): St. Paul, Minnesota (USA).
Apium graveolens
celery
uncertain
VERTAA-10, VERTAA-9, CABI CPC
Verticillium albo-atrum in celery is primarily soilborne, and seed as a pathway is uncertain. One reference suggests seed could be a pathway, but it provides no supporting evidence, and no additional literature confirms seed transmission
2025-09-15 09:48:36
Buangsuwon, D., Bhudhasamai, G., Nabheerong, N., & Topark-Ngarm, A. (1978). A list of seed-borne diseases in Thailand.
Richardson, MJ. 1990. Annotated List of Seedborne Diseases, Fourth Ed. International Seed Testing Association. Zurich, Switzerland
Crop Protection Compendium. Wallingford, UK: CAB International. www.cabi.org/cpc.
Beta vulgaris
table beet, swiss chard
No
VERTAA-2, VERTAA-9, CABI CPC
On reference found indicating B. vulgaris is attacked by this fungus. No literature found indicating that seed is a pathway for this crop.
2025-09-15 09:31:10
Anonymous 1960. Index of Plant Diseases in the United States. U.S.D.A. Agric. Handb. 165: 1-531. (94)
Richardson, MJ. 1990. Annotated List of Seedborne Diseases, Fourth Ed. International Seed Testing Association. Zurich, Switzerland
Crop Protection Compendium. Wallingford, UK: CAB International. www.cabi.org/cpc.
Brassica oleracea vars.
cabbage, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, broccoli
Not a host
VERTAA-2, VERTAA-9, CABI CPC, VERTAA-14, VERTAA-15
No references found indicating Brassica spp. as a host for this pathogen.
2025-09-15 08:49:27
Anonymous 1960. Index of Plant Diseases in the United States. U.S.D.A. Agric. Handb. 165: 1-531. (94)
Richardson, MJ. 1990. Annotated List of Seedborne Diseases, Fourth Ed. International Seed Testing Association. Zurich, Switzerland
Crop Protection Compendium. Wallingford, UK: CAB International. www.cabi.org/cpc.
Rimmer, S.R., Shattuck, V.I. and Buchwaldt, L. (eds) (2007). Compendium of brassica diseases. APS Press. 117pp.
Koike, S.T., Subbarao, K.V., Davis, R.M., Gordon, T.R. and Hubbard, J.C. (1994). Verticillium wilt of cauliflower in California. Plant Disease 78: 1116-1121.
Capsicum annuum
pepper
No
VERTAA-2, VERTAA-9, CABI CPC, VERTAA-29
Only one reference found indicating pepper is attacked by this fungus. No evidence that seed is a pathway for this crop. Verticillium dahlia is the primary pathogen for verticillium wilt in pepper.
2025-09-15 09:49:35
Anonymous 1960. Index of Plant Diseases in the United States. U.S.D.A. Agric. Handb. 165: 1-531. (94)
Richardson, MJ. 1990. Annotated List of Seedborne Diseases, Fourth Ed. International Seed Testing Association. Zurich, Switzerland
Crop Protection Compendium. Wallingford, UK: CAB International. www.cabi.org/cpc.
M, Miladinovic Z, Stevanovic D, Lazic B, 1997. Characteristics of new sweet spice pepper genotypes. In: Jevtic S (ed.). Proceedings of the first Balkan symposium on vegetables and potatoes, Belgrade, Yugoslavia, 4-7 June 1996: Volume 2. Acta Horticulturae, No. 462, 713-716.
Cucumis melo
melon
No
VERTAA-2, VERTAA-3, CABI CPC
No evidence found indicating that seed is a pathway for this crop. Verticillium dahlia is the primary pathogen of verticillium wilt in cucurbits.
2025-09-15 10:24:20
Anonymous 1960. Index of Plant Diseases in the United States. U.S.D.A. Agric. Handb. 165: 1-531. (94)
Gubler, WD. 1996. Verticillium Wilt. In, Compendium of Cucurbit Diseases. Eds. Zitter, TA, Hopkins, DL and Thomas, CE. APS Press, Minniapolis, MN.
Crop Protection Compendium. Wallingford, UK: CAB International. www.cabi.org/cpc.
Cucumis sativus
cucumber
No
VERTAA-2, VERTAA-3, VERTAA-4, CABI CPC, VERTAA-16
No references found indicating that cucumber seed is a pathway for this pathogen.
2025-09-15 08:51:52
Anonymous 1960. Index of Plant Diseases in the United States. U.S.D.A. Agric. Handb. 165: 1-531. (94)
Gubler, WD. 1996. Verticillium Wilt. In, Compendium of Cucurbit Diseases. Eds. Zitter, TA, Hopkins, DL and Thomas, CE. APS Press, Minniapolis, MN.
Gubler WD, Grogan RG, and Greathead AS, 1978. Wilt of cucumber caused by Verticillium albo-atrum in California. Plant Disease Reporter, 62:786-788
Crop Protection Compendium. Wallingford, UK: CAB International. www.cabi.org/cpc.
Zitter, T.A., Hopkins, D.L. and Thomas, C.E. (Eds) (1996). Compendium of Cucurbit Diseases. American Phytopathological Society: St. Paul, Minnesota (USA). 120 pp.
Cucurbita spp.
squash, pumpkin, gourd
No
VERTAA-2, VERTAA-9, CABI CPC, VERTAA-28
On reference found indicating Cucurbit spp. may be a host for this fungus. No references found indicating seed is a pathway.
2025-09-15 10:25:05
Anonymous 1960. Index of Plant Diseases in the United States. U.S.D.A. Agric. Handb. 165: 1-531. (94)
Richardson, MJ. 1990. Annotated List of Seedborne Diseases, Fourth Ed. International Seed Testing Association. Zurich, Switzerland
Crop Protection Compendium. Wallingford, UK: CAB International. www.cabi.org/cpc.
Volesky, N., Murray, M., & Nischwitz, C. (2022). Fusarium and Verticillium Wilts of Vegetables.
Glycine max
soybean
No
VERTAA-2, VERTAA-9, CABI CPC
One reference found indicates that soybean is a host of this fungus, but no citation is presented. No evidence that seed is a pathway for this crop.
2025-09-15 10:25:49
Anonymous 1960. Index of Plant Diseases in the United States. U.S.D.A. Agric. Handb. 165: 1-531. (94)
Richardson, MJ. 1990. Annotated List of Seedborne Diseases, Fourth Ed. International Seed Testing Association. Zurich, Switzerland
Crop Protection Compendium. Wallingford, UK: CAB International. www.cabi.org/cpc.
Helianthus annuus
sunflower
uncertain
VERTAA-11, VERTAA-9, CABI CPC, VERTAA-30
Verticillium albo-atrum in sunflower is primarily soilborne, and seed as a pathway is uncertain. Although one reference listed seed as a potential pathway, it used only seed from plants grown in a “Verticillium nursery” under controlled conditions; the pathogen was not isolated from seeds of naturally infected plants, and there are no reports of seed transmission under natural conditions.
2025-09-15 10:37:55
Sackston, W. E., & Martens, J. W. (1959). Dissemination of Verticillium albo-atrum on seed of sunflower (Helianthus annuus). Canadian Journal of Botany, 37: 759-768.
Richardson, MJ. 1990. Annotated List of Seedborne Diseases, Fourth Ed. International Seed Testing Association. Zurich, Switzerland
Crop Protection Compendium. Wallingford, UK: CAB International. www.cabi.org/cpc.
Bahadur, A., & Dutta, P. (2023). Diseases of sunflower (Helianthus annuus) and their integrated management. In Diseases of Oil Crops and Their Integrated Management (pp. 1-25). CRC Press.
Lactuca sativa
lettuce
Not a host
VERTAA-9, CABI CPC, VERTAA-15, VERTAA-17
No references found indicating that lettuce seed is a pathway.
2025-09-15 08:52:36
Richardson, MJ. 1990. Annotated List of Seedborne Diseases, Fourth Ed. International Seed Testing Association. Zurich, Switzerland
Crop Protection Compendium. Wallingford, UK: CAB International. www.cabi.org/cpc.
Koike, S.T., Subbarao, K.V., Davis, R.M., Gordon, T.R. and Hubbard, J.C. (1994). Verticillium wilt of cauliflower in California. Plant Disease 78: 1116-1121.
Vallad, G.E., Qin, Q.M., Grube, R., Hayes, R.J. and Subbarao, K.V. (2006). Characterization of race-specific interactions among isolates of Verticillium dahliae pathogenic on lettuce. Phytopathology 96, 1380-1387.
Medicago sativa
alfalfa
Yes
VERTAA-5, VERTAA-6, CABI CPC, EPPO, VERTAA-31, VERTAA-32
Seed is known to be a pathway, though contamination is primarily external.
Yes
Culture plating, Microscopic exam
This method has not been validated or standardized.
VERTAA-5, VERTAA-6, VERTAA-7, CABI CPC
Thiram has been used in Canada, but no data on success found. Â Storage of seed for 1 yr. may eliminate pathogen from the seed.
Resistant varieites are known
VERTAA-6, VERTAA-8
2025-09-15 10:53:35
Christen AA, 1983. Incidence of external seedborne Verticillium albo-atrum in commercial seed lots of alfalfa. Plant Disease, 67:17-18
Sheppard JW, Needham SN, 1980. Verticillium wilt of alfalfa in Canada: occurrence of seed-borne inoculum. Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology, 2:159-162
Crop Protection Compendium. Wallingford, UK: CAB International. www.cabi.org/cpc.
OEPP/EPPO Global Database - European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization
Isaac I, Heale JB, 1961. Wilt of lucerne caused by species of Verticillium. III. Viability of Verticillium albo-atrum carried with lucerne seed; effects of seed dressings and fumigants. Annals of Applied Biology, 49:675-691.
Peaden, R. N., Gilbert, R. G., & Christen, A. A. (1985). Control of Verticillium albo-atrum on alfalfa. Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology, 7(2), 511-514.
Christen AA, 1982. Demonstration of Verticillium albo-atrum within alfalfa seed. Phytopathology, 72:412-414
Huang HC, Kozub GC, Kokko EG, 1994. Survival of Verticillium albo-atrum in alfalfa seeds. Canadian Journal of Botany, 72:1121-1125
Phaseolus vulgaris
common bean
No
VERTAA-2, VERTAA-9
One reference found indicates that the common bean is a host of this fungus, but no data are presented. No evidence that seed is a pathway for this crop.
2025-09-15 10:54:14
Solanum lycopersicum
tomato
No
VERTAA-2, VERTAA-9, CABI CPC, EPPO, VERTAA-18, VERTAA-22, VERTAA-23, VERTAA-24
The role of tomato seed in transmitting Verticillium albo-atrum is uncertain. A 1934 reference suggested seed as a possible pathway, but more recent studies found no association, and seed-to-seedling transmission has not been verified. Soil and plant debris remain the main inoculum sources.
Yes
Blotter assay, PCR, culture plataing
Testing methods have not been standardized.
CABI CPC, EPPO, VERTAA-25, VERTAA-26
Chemical
The use of fungicides has shown to be effective.
CABI CPC, VERTAA-27
2025-09-15 09:15:35
Anonymous 1960. Index of Plant Diseases in the United States. U.S.D.A. Agric. Handb. 165: 1-531. (94)
Richardson, MJ. 1990. Annotated List of Seedborne Diseases, Fourth Ed. International Seed Testing Association. Zurich, Switzerland
Crop Protection Compendium. Wallingford, UK: CAB International. www.cabi.org/cpc.
OEPP/EPPO Global Database - European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization
Blancard, D., 2012. Tomato diseases: identification, biology and control: a colour handbook. Second edition. Academic Press. Elsevier. 688pp.
Dixon, G. R. (2021). Amino acid changes during the early stages of tomato wilt disease (Verticillium albo-atrum). Plant Protection Science, 57(2).
Bělonožníková, K., Hýsková, V., Vašková, M., Křížek, T., Čokrtová, K., Vaněk, T., ... & Ryšlavá, H. (2022). Seed Protection of Solanum lycopersicum with Pythium oligandrum against Alternaria brassicicola and Verticillium albo-atrum. Microorganisms, 10(7), 1348.
Kadow, K.J., 1934. Seed transmission of Verticillium wilt of Eggplants and Tomatoes. Phytopathology, 24(11), pp.1265-1268.
Koike, M., Itaya, T., Hoshino, K.I., Nagao, H. and Ohshima, S., 1997. PCR detection of Japanese isolates of Verticillium dahliae and V. albo-atrum using European subgroup-specific primers. Microbes and environments, 12(1), pp.15-18.
Christen AA, 1982. A selective medium for isolating Verticillium albo-atrum from soil. Phytopathology, 72(1):47-49
Rezaee, S., Heydari, A., Naraghi, L., Razavi, M., Jahanifar, H. and Khaledi, E., 2010. Biological control of tomato Verticillium wilt disease by Talaromyces flavus. Journal of Plant Protection Research, 50(3), pp.360-365.
Solanum melongena
eggplant
Not a host
CABI CPC, VERTAA-18, VERTAA-19, VERTAA-24
No references found indicating that eggplant seed is a pathway.
2025-09-15 11:03:27
Crop Protection Compendium. Wallingford, UK: CAB International. www.cabi.org/cpc.
Blancard, D., 2012. Tomato diseases: identification, biology and control: a colour handbook. Second edition. Academic Press. Elsevier. 688pp.
Raymond, A. T. G., 2009. Vegetable seed production. 3rd Ed. CABI Head Office. Nosworthy Way, Wallingford. UK. 320pp.
Kadow, K.J., 1934. Seed transmission of Verticillium wilt of Eggplants and Tomatoes. Phytopathology, 24(11), pp.1265-1268.
Spinacia oleracea
spinach
Not a host
CABI CPC, VERTAA-20
No references found indicating that spinach seed is a pathway.
2025-09-15 11:04:49
Crop Protection Compendium. Wallingford, UK: CAB International. www.cabi.org/cpc.
Iglesias-Garcia, A.M., Villarroel-Zeballos, M.I., Feng, C., du Toit, L.J. and Correll, J.C. (2013). Pathogenicity, virulence, and vegetative compatibility grouping of Verticillium isolates from spinach seed. Plant Disease, 97 (11), 1457-1469.
Zea mays
corn
No
CABI CPC, VERTAA-22
No references found indicating that corn seed is a pathway.
2025-09-15 11:02:19
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