Plant Pathology (1997) 46, 320-328

A. Raio, A. Zoina and L.W. Moore (1997)
The effect of solar heating of soil on natural and inoculated agrobacteria
Plant Pathology 46 (3), 320-328
Abstract: Solarization trials were carried out over 3 years and in two countries to control crown gall disease on fruit trees and eliminate Agrobacterium. In 1992, agrobacteria in naturally infested soils of two Italian nurseries were monitored before and after solarization. Agrobacteria populations decreased by 99% and 92% after the treatment; however, crown gall incidence did not decrease. In 1993 and 1994 solarization was tested in Oregon in fields artificially infested with two marked strains of A. tumefaciens. In sandy loam soil, the target bacteria were eliminated in 4 weeks, while in silty clay soil the populations were markedly reduced after 2 months of treatment. Crown gall incidence on cherry rootstocks transplanted to the field at the end of 1993 was 3.7% in the sandy loam soil control plots, while no tumours were observed on plants from solarized plots. The use of solarization in combination with reduced doses of metham-sodium was also evaluated.
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Database assignments for author(s): Aida Raio

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.
	Agrobacterium tumefaciens		Italy
	Agrobacterium tumefaciens	Cherry (Prunus avium - Prunus cerasus)	U.S.A. (NW)