ISHS Acta Horticulturae 479: IX International Asparagus Symposium
A BIOASSAY TO MONITOR THE AUTOTOXIN LEVELS IN ASPARAGUS REPLANT SOILS |
| Authors: | P.E. Schofield, M.A. Nichols, P.G. Long, B.R. MacKay |
| Abstract:
A bioassay using lettuce seed on blotting paper was developed to detect the toxicity of water extracts from asparagus soil. Immediately after destruction of the asparagus crop at two sites very high levels of toxicity were measured compared with the same soils with no history of asparagus production. The toxicity level declined rapidly in the first five months after destroying the asparagus crop but was still detectable when the soil water extracts were concentrated. The levels of asparagus autotoxin present twelve months after destroying the old plants in an old asparagus bed are unlikely to be high enough to directly inhibit new asparagus plantings but may reduce the survival and vigor of new plantings through an interaction with Fusarium spp. carried over from the previous crop. | |
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