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Search research reports:
Ecological and Genetic Diversity of Soilborne Pathogens and Microflora
K.W. Seebold, M. Elliott, C. Canaday, C. Rothrock, A. Westphal, T. Keinath
Department of Plant Pathology
Project Description
Vegetables and ornamentals are important crops grown in the southeastern us and suffer from a number of disease problems. The use of biological agents to manage diseases in these crops would offer an effective, sustainable, and environmentally sound approach to management of disease.
The purpose of this project is to evaluate biological agents for suppression of root diseases common to vegetable crops and bedding plants. For the current reporting period, only objective 1 (examine commercial and non-commercial biocontrol agents for use as seed treatments, in-furrow treatments or as potting mix amendments) was addressed. This trial, conducted as part of a regional test coordinated by Craig Canaday, University of Tennessee, was initiated in late October, 2007. Potting mix was amended with binucleate rhizoctonia-amended millet seed (34 g/800 g mix), monarda herbage (18 g/800 g mix), or bioyield fl (2.84 ml/l water, applied to 130 plants). Soil was added to a 200-cell speedling tray; 130 seeds of ‘packman’ broccoli were planted per tray (1 seed/cell). Non-amended soil was used to fill two trays and seeded as described above to supply plants for a non-treated and fungicide-treated (terraclor 75w) control. Five weeks after seeding seedlings were transplanted. Twenty plants of each treatment were placed in 20-ft rows (12-in. spacing). Each treatment was replicated 4 times in a randomized complete-block design. Freezing temperatures and heavy rains resulted in a near-loss of the trial, which will be repeated in spring of 2008.
Impact
It is anticipated that in the long term, the potential of biocontrol agents applied to potting media will provide acceptable and economical control of wirestem on cabbage. Success with this pathosystem could translate to other vegetable systems.