ISHS Acta Horticulturae 789: XV Meeting of the EUCARPIA Tomato Working Group
INFLUENCE OF RECYCLED SUBSTRATES ON THE SEVERITY OF CROWN ROT ON SOILLESS TOMATO |
| Authors: | A. Minuto, G. Minuto, A. Garibaldi |
| Keywords: | hydroponics, disease suppressiveness, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. Radicis-lycopersici |
| Abstract:
Fusarium crown and root rot caused by Fusarium oxysporum Schlect f. sp. radicis-lycopersici Jarvis and Shoemaker (FORL) is one of the most damaging soil-borne diseases of tomato. The disease occurs both in the greenhouse and in open fields where it causes significant losses in tomato production. The disease is reported to cause serious problems in closed systems with recirculation of the nutrient solution and rockwool or other organic material as a growing medium. On the basis of preliminary studies carried out within the framework of a national research project involving five research units, the suppression against FORL on tomato was detected in recycled substrates sampled from several old, closed soilless systems. The mechanism of suppressiveness seems to be mediated by substances held by the substrate, the previous growing history and the presence of resident microflora. By adopting perlite as the substrate and drip irrigation as the nutrient solution delivery system, steamed and unsteamed inoculated substrates did not appear to enhance disease development on 15- to 25-day-old tomato cv. Cuor di Bue seedlings. On the contrary, never-used steamed and unsteamed inoculated perlite incited high disease incidence. The same tests carried out adopting rockwool as the substrate and drip irrigation as the nutrient solution delivery system showed a different situation. Unsteamed inoculated recycled substrates showed a consistent suppressiveness against Fusarium crown and root rot, while steamed inoculated substrates enhanced disease infections. | |
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