Articles
EFFECTS OF WOUNDING, INOCULATION WITH ERWINIA CAROTOVORA SUBSP. CAROTOVORA, WATER-LOGGING, AND TEMPERATURE ON INCIDENCE OF BACTERIAL SOFT ROT IN CALLA PLANTS
Article number
886_56
Pages
401 – 407
Language
English
Abstract
The effects of wounding of calla (Zantedeschia spp.) tubers (Black Magic), inoculation of plants with Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora (Ecc), water-logging of plants, and temperature of planting media on the incidence of calla soft rot was investigated under controlled conditions in the greenhouse in two seasons.
The highest disease scores occurred in plants at 28°C that had been wounded, inoculated with Ecc, and water-logged, whereas the lowest disease scores occurred in plants at 24°C that were not wounded, not inoculated with Ecc, and not water-logged.
The major treatment effect was that of temperature with plants subjected to 28°C having significantly (P<0.001) higher levels of rot than plants at 24°C. Wounded plants had significantly higher mean disease scores than non-wounded plants, although wounding had less of an effect on disease severity than did temperature.
Inoculating with Ecc and water-logging the soil also both increased the disease score but only to a small extent in comparison with the temperature and wounding treatments.
The study clearly demonstrated that calla soft rot caused by Ecc was favoured by wounding of plant tissue, and infection was greatly enhanced under conditions that impaired host resistance (anerobic conditions caused by water-logging) and favoured bacterial development (28°C that is optimum for bacterial multiplication).
The highest disease scores occurred in plants at 28°C that had been wounded, inoculated with Ecc, and water-logged, whereas the lowest disease scores occurred in plants at 24°C that were not wounded, not inoculated with Ecc, and not water-logged.
The major treatment effect was that of temperature with plants subjected to 28°C having significantly (P<0.001) higher levels of rot than plants at 24°C. Wounded plants had significantly higher mean disease scores than non-wounded plants, although wounding had less of an effect on disease severity than did temperature.
Inoculating with Ecc and water-logging the soil also both increased the disease score but only to a small extent in comparison with the temperature and wounding treatments.
The study clearly demonstrated that calla soft rot caused by Ecc was favoured by wounding of plant tissue, and infection was greatly enhanced under conditions that impaired host resistance (anerobic conditions caused by water-logging) and favoured bacterial development (28°C that is optimum for bacterial multiplication).
Authors
P.J. Wright, G.E. Clark, A.R.G. McLachlan
Keywords
Zantedeschia spp., agronomic methods, greenhouse, irrigation, disease control
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