|
Abstract: The successful control of diseases is unlikely to be achieved without a sound knowledge of the etiology and epidemiology of the causal organism. Verticillium malthousei causes considerable economic loss in the United Kingdom and the difficulties encountered in its control are a reflection of our lack of information on several aspects of its biology. Because of this, mushroom growers can unknowingly encourage the development and spread of the disease whilst undertaking their normal cultural operations. The present paper summarizes the results of observations and experiments on the interaction of some cultural practices and disease development. Verticillium malthousei develops rapidly on mushrooms under favourable conditions. When detached pilei were inoculated with drops of spore suspensions in distilled water and incubated 24 hr at 20°C, microscopic examination showed that sporulation had begun in all brown lesions, however small. When a mushroom crop with sporophores at the button stage was sprayed with a suspension of V. malthousei conidia, superficial brown lesions developed within two days, and only 17% by weight of mushrooms picked two to three days after inoculation were healthy (Table 1 ).
Full text download: ISMS subscribers
ISHS members & pay-per-view
Translate:
   |