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Title: CONTROL OF FUSARIUM ROOT ROT WITH A MUSTARD GREEN MANURE, 2003

Author
item Grunwald, Niklaus - Nik
item Collins, Harold
item MCGUIRE, A - WASHINGTON STATE UNIV

Submitted to: Biological and Cultural Tests for Control of Plant Diseases
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/25/2006
Publication Date: 6/1/2006
Citation: Grunwald, N.J., Collins, H.P., Mcguire, A. 2006. Control of fusarium root rot with a mustard green manure, 2003. Biol. Cult. Tests. 21: Vo 25

Interpretive Summary: The effectiveness of control of Fusarium root rot through use of a mustard (Brassica hirta) green manure crop was evaluated in a field trial. The experiment was conducted in a grower's field near Quincy, WA, naturally infested with Fusarium solani f. sp. pisi. Treatments consisted of five replicated field plots (9 x 9 m) with or without a mustard green manure cover crop. The mustard (variety Caliente) was planted 3 Mar 03 and incorporated 27 May. Dry matter yield of the mustard green manure was 4402 kg/ha. Following incorporation of the mustard, pinto bean var. Othello were planted on the 15 June and harvested 9 Sep. Colony forming units of Fusarium and Pythium were determined by dilution plating on peptone-PCNB agar medium and MPVM medium, respectively. Total pinto bean yield, yield per plant and number of pods per plant were significantly greater in the mustard green manure treatment than fallow. There was no significant difference in the size of the microbial biomass, soil respiration, N-mineralization or number of total culturable bacteria and populations of Pseudomonads between treatments. Fusarium root rot developed slowly and continuously in all plots. Although there was a trend for decreased populations of Fusarium and Pythium, no significant differences were found between the mustard green manure and fallow treatments.

Technical Abstract: The effectiveness of control of Fusarium root rot through use of a mustard (Brassica hirta) green manure crop was evaluated in a field trial. The experiment was conducted in a grower's field near Quincy, WA, naturally infested with Fusarium solani f. sp. pisi. Treatments consisted of five replicated field plots (9 x 9 m) with or without a mustard green manure cover crop. The mustard (variety Caliente) was planted 3 Mar 03 and incorporated 27 May. Dry matter yield of the mustard green manure was 4402 kg/ha. Following incorporation of the mustard, pinto bean var. Othello were planted on the 15 June on 56 cm spacing and harvested 9 Sep. Colony forming units of Fusarium and Pythium were determined by dilution plating on peptone-PCNB agar medium and MPVM medium, respectively. Populations of culturable aerobic soil bacteria were enumerated on 0.3% tryptic soy agar; Pseudomonas on King's B; and fungi on potato dextrose agar. Microbial biomass C and N was determined for soil samples using the chloroform fumigation-incubation method. Soil respiration was determined by incubating duplicate 100 g moist-sieved samples from the 0-30 cm depth increment of each field replicate. Headspace CO2 was measured using the NaOH base trap method. Yields of bean were taken from the center 2.5 m of row within each plot. Data were analyzed by analysis of variance. Total pinto bean yield, yield per plant and number of pods per plant were significantly greater in the mustard green manure treatment than fallow. There was no significant difference in the size of the microbial biomass, soil respiration, N-mineralization or number of total culturable bacteria and populations of Pseudomonads between treatments. Fusarium root rot developed slowly and continuously in all plots. Although there was a trend for decreased populations of Fusarium and Pythium, no significant differences were found between the mustard green manure and fallow treatments.