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Extension > Garden > Diagnose a problem > What's wrong with my plant? > Vegetable > Carrot > Leaves wilt

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Carrot > Leaves > Leaves wilt

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  • Image: Pythium Root Dieback 1
  • - CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE -

Pythium root dieback
Pythium spp.

  • Carrot top may yellow and wilt if root damage is severe
  • Carrot root is short stunted and may be forked or misshapen
  • Horizontal lesions (1/10 cm to 1 cm) may appear on the surface of the root
  • Common in heavy wet soils and organic soils
  • More information on Pythium root dieback
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  • Image: Bacterial Leaf Bight 1
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Bacterial leaf blight
Xanthomonas campestris pv. Carotae

  • Severely infected leaves, yellow, wilt and die
  • Leaf spots start small, circular, light brown to tan
  • Eventually spots become elongate; dark brown with yellow edges
  • Infection progresses down the leaf
  • Lower leaf surface is very shiny, and may be sticky in wet weather
  • Young leaves can become distorted
  • Roots are not directly infected, but may be small due to severe leaf damage
  • More information on Bacterial Leaf Bight
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  • Image: Carrot Weevil 1
  • Image: Carrot Weevil 2
  • Image: Carrot Weevil 3

Carrot weevil
Listronotus oregonensis

  • Leaves can wilt
  • Small, circular, dark egg laying scars on leaf petiole
  • Tunneling and holes in carrot roots
  • Larvae are legless, cream colored, C-shaped grubs, up to 1/3 inch long
  • Adults are dark-brown, less than 1/4 inch long, and have a snout
  • Present throughout the growing season
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  • Image: Northern Root Knot Nematode 1
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Northern root knot nematode
Meloidogyne hapla

  • In severely infected plants, carrot tops may be stunted, yellow, and wilt during the day
  • Tap root is stunted, deformed, or forked
  • Many fibrous roots may be present
  • Many small round to irregular lumps and swellings can be found on both the tap root and fibrous roots
  • More information on Northern Root Knot Nematode
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  • Image: Bacterial Soft Rot 1
  • Image: Bacterial Soft Rot 2

Bacterial soft rot
Erwinia carotovora subsp. Carotovora

  • Rotted sections of the root may dissolve into liquid when carrots are pulled
  • Dark sunken, soft mushy cavities may form in the root
  • Eventually part or all of the root becomes soft, watery, and slimy
  • When root damage is severe, leaves turn yellow and wilt
  • A foul odor may be present with the rot
  • Common in very wet heavy soils
  • More information on Bacterial soft rot

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