Articles
Assessment of biofumigation with mustard or canola residues for controlling Rhizoctonia solani in organic greenhouse-grown cucumbers
Article number
1428_10
Pages
71 – 80
Language
English
Abstract
Soil biofumigation with Brassica plant residues has shown significant potential for the control of soil-born plant disease, while offering the substantial benefit of reducing the reliance on chemical fumigants.
Furthermore, the utilization of plant residues as green manure is highly recommended for agricultural systems, due to their capacity to enhance nutrient availability, although it depends on the specific material and Brassica species used.
The goal of this study was to assess the effectiveness of brown mustard (Brassica juncea) and canola (Brassica napus) residues in suppressing R. solani under laboratory and greenhouse conditions.
Additionally, the study aimed to investigate the impact of these Brassicaceae plant residues on the growth parameters of cucumber plants within a greenhouse environment.
To achieve this, the infested growing media underwent various treatments, including brown mustard cultivars ‘Terminator’ and ‘Centennial’, canola cultivar ‘Invigor L340PC’, as well as two control treatments representing healthy soil and soil infested with R. solani. After a 14-day inoculation period, cucumber seedlings were harvested, and different parameters evaluated, including the presence of diseased plants, fresh and dry weights, and the lengths of surviving plants’ shoots.
Furthermore, soil chemical properties and microbial activity were examined.
The results of this study indicated that both brown mustard and canola plant residues were effective in reducing R. solani mycelial growth, achieving a reduction of 40 and 12%, respectively.
The incorporation of mustard and canola residues significantly mitigated the severity of root rot disease in cucumber plants when compared to the untreated control under greenhouse conditions.
Among the treatments, ‘Terminator’ mustard exhibited the highest efficacy, with a remarkable 55% reduction in disease severity, followed by canola and ‘Centennial’ mustard, which achieved reductions of 50 and 34%, respectively.
The decrease in root rot damage had a positive impact on cucumber growth parameters, resulting in increased plant height and fresh and dry weights per plant compared to the untreated control.
These results suggested that the Brassica residues acted as a green manure, enhancing the structure and physicochemical properties of the growing media.
In addition, the incorporation of Brassica residues led to elevated microbial enzymatic activity, indicating an increase in populations of antagonistic bacteria and fungi.
This microbial shift could contribute to the reduction in both the quantity and impact of R. solani, the pathogen responsible for root rot disease in cucumber plants.
Furthermore, the utilization of plant residues as green manure is highly recommended for agricultural systems, due to their capacity to enhance nutrient availability, although it depends on the specific material and Brassica species used.
The goal of this study was to assess the effectiveness of brown mustard (Brassica juncea) and canola (Brassica napus) residues in suppressing R. solani under laboratory and greenhouse conditions.
Additionally, the study aimed to investigate the impact of these Brassicaceae plant residues on the growth parameters of cucumber plants within a greenhouse environment.
To achieve this, the infested growing media underwent various treatments, including brown mustard cultivars ‘Terminator’ and ‘Centennial’, canola cultivar ‘Invigor L340PC’, as well as two control treatments representing healthy soil and soil infested with R. solani. After a 14-day inoculation period, cucumber seedlings were harvested, and different parameters evaluated, including the presence of diseased plants, fresh and dry weights, and the lengths of surviving plants’ shoots.
Furthermore, soil chemical properties and microbial activity were examined.
The results of this study indicated that both brown mustard and canola plant residues were effective in reducing R. solani mycelial growth, achieving a reduction of 40 and 12%, respectively.
The incorporation of mustard and canola residues significantly mitigated the severity of root rot disease in cucumber plants when compared to the untreated control under greenhouse conditions.
Among the treatments, ‘Terminator’ mustard exhibited the highest efficacy, with a remarkable 55% reduction in disease severity, followed by canola and ‘Centennial’ mustard, which achieved reductions of 50 and 34%, respectively.
The decrease in root rot damage had a positive impact on cucumber growth parameters, resulting in increased plant height and fresh and dry weights per plant compared to the untreated control.
These results suggested that the Brassica residues acted as a green manure, enhancing the structure and physicochemical properties of the growing media.
In addition, the incorporation of Brassica residues led to elevated microbial enzymatic activity, indicating an increase in populations of antagonistic bacteria and fungi.
This microbial shift could contribute to the reduction in both the quantity and impact of R. solani, the pathogen responsible for root rot disease in cucumber plants.
Authors
T.T.A. Nguyen, D. Thibodeau, A. Barrada, A. Brégard, M. Dorais
Keywords
biofumigation, Brassica, Rhizotonia solani, microbial activity
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