Green Manures and Organic Amendments to Control Corky Root of Tomato
2010
Michel, V.V. | Lazzeri, L.
Corky root of tomato, caused by Pyrenochaeta lycopersici, is a major soil-borne disease in greenhouse tomato production of Switzerland. The methods for its control alternative to methyl bromide, which is prohibited in Switzerland already for 20 years, are steam-sterilization of soil, grafting on resistant rootstocks, and soil-less productions systems. These methods are efficient but present also some inconvenients (high energy input, partial loss of resistance, high investment costs) and search for other methods to control corky root are needed. The use of green manures, especially with biocidal cruciferous plants (biofumigation), a product based on defatted mustard seed meal (biofumigation pellets), and a chitin-containing organic fertiliser were tested to control corky root in pot and glass house trials. The use of resistant rootstocks was another factor included in these studies. Incorporating green manures one week before planting a susceptible tomato cultivar was the most efficient treatment in the pot trial. Biocidal mustard plant incorporation achieved the same result as steam soil sterilization. Non-biocidal plants such as canola had a slightly lower efficacy. Also both organic amendments tested were less efficient than the green manures but better than the control treatment. In the glass house trials, soil was amended with the chitin-containing fertiliser for three years. Grafted and non-grafted susceptible tomatoes were planted and the impact on yield and root health was assessed. Grafting on resistant rootstocks gave a significant higher yield in two of three years. Root health of the resistant rootstocks was significantly better in all three years compared to the non-grafted tomato roots. In contrast, the organic soil amendment did not improve both plant yield and root health.
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