Quantitative Investigations of Infection and Colonization of Peanut Roots by Cylindrocladium crotalariae

Cylindrocladium black rot (CBR) is a destructive root disease of peanut caused by Cylindrocladium crotalariae. New and quantitative approaches were developed to estimate the inoculum potential for this soil-borne pathogen under soil-temperature tank conditions favorable for CBR development. Using cultural plating methods, numerous Q. crotalariae infections (1 to > 1,000 per plant) were observed on asymptomatic root systems of peanut plants, susceptible and resistant to CBR, grown in naturally infested soils at 25 C. Regression-line slope values of log10-log10 plots for microsclerotial inoculum density versus the number of observed root infections per plant and per unit root length [0.98 (R2 =0.94) and 0.99 (R2 = 0.94), respectively] indicated direct proportionality between the respective variables. Efficiency of inoculum for observed infection (percent of germinating microsclerotia that infect roots) estimates were high (near 100%), while efficiency of observed infection for necrosis (percent of infections that develop into necroses) estimates were low (0.27 to 0.28%). Observed infection observed infections per m root per day per rates, I 0 r (the number of microsclerotium per g of soil) were significantly lower (P = 0.001) for CBR-resistant 'Spancross• than for CBR-susceptible 'Florigiant•. The majority of observed infections did not appear to be restricted to outer cortical root tissues. A portion of observea infections near root surfaces resulted in subsequent colonization of the inner cortex and stele of plants for each cultivar. A significantly greater (P = 0.05) number of segments from steles of CBR-susceptible Florigiant taproots were colon~zed by Q. crotalariae than those from CBR-resistant Spancross. Using naturally infested peanut field soils, a dose of 7.4 )-lg NaN3 (sodium azide)/g soil was effective in reducing initial microsclerotial populations by 50%, based upon a highly significant dosage-response curve (R2 = 0.96, P = 0.0001). CBR development was reduced significantly (P = 0.05) for Florigiant plants grown in Q. crotalariae-infested soils treated with 7.5 fl' NaN3/g soil or higher, compared to plants grown in untreated soils. Sublethal doses of NaN3 combined with biological control agents may be useful in the development of integrated CBR control measures.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph. D.

Level thesis:degree_level

doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Plant Pathology

Department dc:contributor.department

Plant Pathology

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Year dc:date.issued

1986

Author dc:creator

• Tomimatsu, Gail Susan

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Griffin, Gary J.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Hale, Maynard G.
• Powell, N.L.
• Porter, Duncan M.
• Stipes, R. Jay

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10919/76172

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/76172