What is Verticillium?
Verticillium is a large fungal genus with representatives found all over the world. These fungi are often pathogenic, causing health problems for plants and animals they infect, and they can be a serious problem for the agricultural industry. A Verticillium infestation can ruin a crop or cause severe damage, which lead to significant financial losses for a farmer. Once present in an environment, the fungus can also be extremely difficult to get rid of, which makes an infection even more costly. These fungi manifest in the form of woolly colonies of mold which can be yellowish to green in color. Most species grow into the substrate, covering the organism they infest with a thin layer of mold which is difficult to remove because it is entangled in the vascular system of the organism. As a result, the fungus often kills its hosts by cutting off the supply of fluids and nutrients. Verticillium infection can kill insects in less than a week, while infected trees and plants may struggle for
