Plant Pathology (2006) 55, 200-206

M.R. Sosnowski, E.S. Scott and M.D. Ramsey (2006)
Survival of Leptosphaeria maculans in soil on residues of Brassica napus in South Australia
Plant Pathology 55 (2), 200-206
Abstract: The survival of Leptosphaeria maculans, which causes phoma stem canker (blackleg), on oilseed rape residues (Brassica napus) in South Australia was investigated. Using a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for L. maculans DNA, the pathogen was mainly detected in the upper 5 cm of the soil profile, including residues on the soil surface. As the size of organic matter particles in the soil decreased, so did the quantity of L. maculans detected in them. To obtain representative data for a field, at least 30 subsamples needed to be collected over the 0·81 ha area studied. In a survey of 49 commercial fields in South Australia, most L. maculans was detected in fields 1 year after oilseed rape had been grown, with less detected after 2 years and negligible amounts 3 years or more after cropping. The diagnostic DNA-based assay for L. maculans reduced the time and cost of studying L. maculans survival in soil and increased the sensitivity and accuracy of results compared with estimates of propagule number of colony-forming units on a semiselective medium.
(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): Mark R. Sosnowski, Eileen S. Scott

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
population dynamics/ epidemiology
surveys/sampling/distribution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Plenodomus lingam	Rape/canola (Brassica napus)	Australia (South+SE)