Symptoms vary and include rapid death of young succulent plants.

Discoloration of taproots, longitudinal cracks of the stems, stunting, wilting and poor yields.

Complete control of root rot and damping off is difficult, and no variety of cowpea is resistant to root rot.

Persistent damp weather prior to development of the first true leaf and also the crowding of seedlings due to poor seed spacing may increase damping off.