Journal of Plant Pathology (2006) 88, p. S48 (Lima et al.)

G. Lima, F. De Curtis, D. Vitullo and D. Piedimonte (2006)
Activity of natural amendments and composts against soil-borne plant pathogens
Journal of Plant Pathology 88 (3, Special Issue), S48-S48
S.I.Pa.V XIII National Meeting - Foggia, 12-16 September 2006 - Poster
Abstract: In recent years considerable research efforts were made to find more eco-compatible and safer plant diseases control methods for organic and integrated agriculture systems. Among the new alternative approaches, natural amendments and composted biomass are being intensively studied not only for beneficial agronomic effects, but also for their potential suppressive effects against different plant pathogens. In the last years, our investigations were aimed at evaluating the inhibitory activity of some natural-derived substrates and composts for their suppressive activity against important fungal pathogens of crops. Assays in vitro on solid and liquid media amended with water extracts (10% w/v) of natural substrates showed high inhibition rates of mycelial radial growth as well as the reduction of conidial germination and elongation of some fungal pathogens (Fusarium spp., Botrytis cinerea; Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotium rolfsii, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Verticillium dahliae). In experiments conducted under controlled conditions on pot-grown plants of olive, eggplant and tomato (plants artificially inoculated or soil contaminated with fungal inoculum), some compost was tested at different concentrations in mixtures with standard substrates. A concentration of 15% (v/v) of an experimental compost reduced the inoculum density (microsclerotia) of V. dahliae in the rhizosphere of olive and eggplants and the severity of S. rolfsii and S. sclerotiorum symptoms on tomato and lettuce plants, respectively. Biochemical and microbiological investigations are in progress to characterize mechanisms of suppressiveness and to optimize the potential application of amendments and composts as alternative disease control means.
Database assignments for author(s): Giuseppe Lima, Filippo De Curtis

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

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Athelia rolfsii	Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)	Italy
	Sclerotinia sclerotiorum	Lettuce (Lactuca)	Italy
	Verticillium dahliae	Eggplant (Solanum melongena)	Italy
	Verticillium dahliae	Olive (Olea europaea)	Italy