Microbial activity and biomass in container media for predicting suppressiveness to damping-off caused by Pythium ultimum

• Published in: Phytopathology Vol. 78; no. 11; pp. 1447 - 1450
• Main Authors: Chen, W, Hoitink, H.A.J, Madden, L.V
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: St. Paul, MN American Phytopathological Society 01.11.1988
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; BIOMASA; BIOMASSE; CUCUMIS SATIVUS; FONTE DE SEMIS; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fungal plant pathogens; MICROORGANISME; MICROORGANISMOS; Pathology, epidemiology, host-fungus relationships. Damages, economic importance; Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection; PODREDUMBRE DEL CUELLO DE LA RAIZ; PYTHIUM; RECIPIENT DE CULTURE; RECIPIENTE DE CULTIVO; SUBSTRAT DE CULTURE; SUSTRATO; Microbial activity; Cultivated soil; Phycomycetes; Fungistasis; Phospholipid; Container growing; Phytopathogen; Microbial biomass; Epidemiology; Fungi; Pythium ultimum; Content; Suppressivity; Severity score; Thallophyta
• ISSN: 0031-949X; 1943-7684
• DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-78-1447

Predictive guidelines, based on general microbial activity and biomass, were developed for the formulation of container media suppressive to cucumber damping-off caused by Pythium ultimum. Disease severity correlated negatively with microbial activity, based on the rate of hydrolysis of fluorescein diacetate, and with microbial biomass, based on extractible phospholipid phosphate content in the container media. A preliminary mathematical model for predicting Pythium damping-off severity, based on both microbial activity and biomass, is proposed, and possible applications and potential limitations are discussed