We are all well aware that insects can cause some nasty plant diseases, and we also know that humidity and water imbalances can result in disastrous fungal problems— especially in a hydroponic environment. However, there is another cause of deadly plant disease circling your greenhouse like a shark and infiltrating your precious crop, and it goes by the name abiotic. Look abiotic up in a dictionary and will find descriptions like “not of a biological nature” or “inanimate and non-living.” Translation: an abiotic disease is caused by non-living influences, such as heat or humidity. These diseases are also referred to as physiological disorders and can be a little tricky to diagnose. Since they’re a direct result of nonliving influences, we need to turn our attention to our environments to detect the cause of an abiotic disease.
THE PROBLEM WITH VISUALLY IDENTIFYING AN ABIOTIC DISEASE IS THAT THE SYMPTOMS ARE VERY SIMILAR TO THOSE CAUSED BY PESTS OR FUNGAL AND BIOLOGICAL DISEASES.”
Maximum Yield | January/February 2013
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