I will not comment on whether you really had fusarium or not. The most normal Symton is darken pseudobulbs from the rhizome up. You did not mention you had these signs.
Fusarium is a common fungus and it exists ever where in the world. It is a constant fight. It spreads by hands, water splashing and contact of plants touching each other.
Commercially it is treated with a number of fungicides. The fungicides are all expensive and need to be rotated. None of them should be used more than twice a year.
The old recommended treatment was Thiophanate metyl and iprodine. They have been used so extensively that they no longer work. Most strains of fusarium are resistant to the drugs.
The QOL inhibitors are the newest attack but very expensive. The best is Heritage and it costs $500 a pound wholesale, not to mention it is very dangerous like most of these drugs. The manufacturer literature warns using it more than twice a year creates drug resistant strains.
Compass by Bayer $100 a pound and Insignia by BASF $150 a pound are cheaper and similar but not quite as good. These three are all QOL drugs and you can not rotate among them. You must use a different family of drugs.
None of these will cure fusarium but are used commercially as a prevention of the disease spreading.
The only treatment if it is an important plant is to cut the infected sections back to good tissue. Normally they go directly to the burn pile.
I have been using Companion brand Bracillus bacteria which is a natural innoculate against fungus. After one year of regular use the rate of fusarium is way down. Even when it comes in with new purchases it does not spread to the older plants which were treated. I do however destroy infected plants immediately.
Last edited by orchidsamore; 09-10-2009 at 05:11 PM..
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