European Journal of Plant Pathology (2012) 132, 271-279

María Socorro Serrano, Paolo De Vita, Pilar Fernández-Rebollo and María Esperanza Sánchez Hernández (2012)
Calcium fertilizers induce soil suppressiveness to Phytophthora cinnamomi root rot of Quercus ilex
European Journal of Plant Pathology 132 (2), 271-279
Abstract: Based on the observation that the root disease caused by P. cinnamomi on Q. ilex has a low incidence and severity in soils with medium-high Ca²⁺ content, we studied the ability of Ca²⁺ fertilizers to induce soil suppressiveness to the pathogen. Studies on cultures of P. cinnamomi exposed to different Ca²⁺ fertilizers in vitro showed significant inhibition of sporangial, chlamydospore and zoospore production at millimolar concentrations while mycelial growth was mainly unaffected. Experiments performed with artificially infested soil showed that some Ca²⁺ fertilizers induce a significant decrease on chlamydospore viability. Additionally, greenhouse experiments using artificially infested soils showed a significant reduction of foliar and root symptom severities in Holm oak seedlings growing in soils amended with Ca²⁺ fertilizers. We suggest that limestone amendments in oak rangelands could enhance the suppressiveness of soils to P. cinnamomi, and it is likely that the inhibition of sporangial production was the main mechanism involved.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): María Esperanza Sánchez, Maria S. Serrano

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
environment - cropping system/rotation

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Phytophthora cinnamomi	Oak (Quercus)