Emerging soilborne pathogens and trends in their management

The most recent outbreaks of soilborne pathogens in horticultural crops are described with particular reference to vegetable, ornamental, and medicinal crops. New Fusarium wilts have been detected on leafy vegetables as well as on ornamentals, while several species of Pythium and different anastomosis groups of Rhizoctonia solani have been observed on leafy vegetables and on ornamental plants, respectively. Some of the new pathogens are seed transmitted and are favoured by the rises in temperature that currently characterize the climate change scenario. The evolution of some soilborne diseases, as a possible consequence of the current limitations in the use of chemicals and of fungicide resistance and climate change, is discussed and the currently available control measures are critically described.