Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection (2011) 118, 214-221

Tahsein Amein, Sandra AI Wright, Mariann Wikström, Eckhard Koch, Annegret Schmitt, Dietrich Stephan, Marga Jahn, Federico Tinivella, M. Lodovica Gullino, Gustaf Forsberg, Sigrid Werner, Jan van der Wolf and Steven P.C. Groot (2011)
Evaluation of non-chemical seed treatment methods for control of Alternaria brassicicola on cabbage seeds
Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection 118 (6), 214-221
Abstract: Due to the lack of foliar fungicide use, the organic production of Brassica seeds free of Alternaria spp. is difficult. Therefore, effective seed treatments certified for use in organic farming are needed to eradicate or at least effectively reduce the seed-borne inoculum. We here report results of greenhouse and field experiments in which non-chemical seed treatments were tested for control of A. brassicicola on cabbage seeds naturally infested with the pathogen. In greenhouse experiments, significant improvements were obtained by seed treatment with some commercialised and experimental microbial biocontrol agents, an emulsion of thyme oil in water (0.1%) and by the tested physical seed treatments methods ( i.e. hot water, aerated steam and electron seed treatment). Resistance inducers tended to increase the percentage of healthy plants, but the effects were statistically not significant. Generally the combination of physical treatments with the effective agents did not result in improved performance. Positive effects on crop establishment and yield by the same treatments were also observed in field tests. Overall the results indicate that several options for non-chemical control of A. brassicicola on Brassica seeds exist that are comparable in efficacy to the chemical standard Aatiram (active ingredient thiram) used in this study.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Database assignments for author(s): Dietrich Stephan, Eckhard Koch, Jan M. van der Wolf, Federico Tinivella, Annegret Schmitt, Gustaf Forsberg, Marga Jahn

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
control - general

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Alternaria brassicicola	Cabbage (Brassica oleracea)