This document focuses on the disease Fusarium basal rot, providing information on the biology, drivers of disease development and possible management strategies available to onion growers.

It is intended to provide information to assist best practice control of Fusarium basal rot using integrated disease management strategies, known as IDM.

All integrated disease management strategies aim to determine the cause of the problem and apply the most appropriate management solutions to limit unacceptable loss in marketable yield.

The solutions should:

• utilise a range of cost-effective methods to achieve disease control in crops
• be effective for as long as possible
• minimise adverse effects on users, the environment and other crop management systems.

There are a range of issues to consider when deciding what solution is the most appropriate. These include:

• correctly identifying the pest or disease
• understanding the threat posed to production
• identifying the possible actions needed to minimise the impact
• undertaking the most appropriate management strategies
• assessing the effectiveness of the management strategies undertaken.

Prepared by: Michael Rettke and Blake Gontar, from the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), a division of PIRSA.