Seed treatments are useful for many vegetable crops to prevent root diseases, as well as certain diseases carried on or within the seed. There are two general types of seed treatment: eradicative and protective. Eradicative seed treatments use hot water or chlorine to kill disease-causing agents on or within the seed. They are useful in controlling certain seed-borne diseases such as bacterial leaf spot on pepper and bacterial canker on tomato (see page 60).  Protective seed treatments use fungicides on the seed surface to protect the seed against decay and soil-borne organisms such as damping off. For more information regarding seed treatments, contact your seed sales representative, Extension vegetable specialist or plant pathologist.