ISHS Acta Horticulturae 960: V Balkan Symposium on Vegetables and Potatoes
EFFECT OF VERMICOMPOSTS ON TOMATO TRANSPLANTS RESPONSE AGAINST TOMATO MOSAIC VIRUS (TOMV) |
| Authors: | G. Pasev, I. Tringovska, D. Kostova, T. Dintcheva, V. Radeva |
| Keywords: | Solanum lycopersicum L., plant viruses, plant nursery, worm castings, ELISA |
| DOI: | 10.17660/ActaHortic.2012.960.48 |
| Abstract:
One of the most important keys to successful vegetable crops is the production of high quality transplants. The choice of growing media is considered one of the largest challenges. Nutritional quality, structure and stability of the substrate are of primary importance. Vermicomposts have proved to be very promising as substrate amendments in transplants production. Utilization of good vermicomposts stimulates plant growth, as well as it has some suppressive effect on plant diseases. Tomato mosaic virus (ToMV) is one of the most dangerous pathogen on tomato, readily transmitted mechanically by human activities, especially during production of tomato transplants. The aim of the current study was to assess the ability of different vermicomposts, produced in Bulgaria, to influence on the tomato transplants defense reaction against ToMV. Tomato transplants were grown in potting mixtures, amended with two different vermicomposts (Lumbrical and Biohumus), utilized in 25, 50, 75 and 100% ratio. The control variants were transplants, grown in potting mixtures without vermicomposts as additives. Virus inoculation was performed at cotyledon stage. The stem length, leaves number and shoot fresh weight of the transplants were considered as criteria to establish the vermicomposts’ influence on tomato transplants defense against ToMV. Biological assay on TMV local lesion host and ELISA were used to establish the virus concentration in different treatments. The obtained data supported the positive effect of vermicomposts on transplants’ vegetative growth, regardless the systemic spread of the virus. Biological assay and ELISA established significantly lower virus concentration in vermicomposts treatments compared with those in controls. The two tested vermicomposts differed in their ability to improve the tomato transplants defense reaction against ToMV. The best results, supported by all indicators, were received in treatments with utilization of Biohumus, in rations above 50%. | |
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