Effect of Verticillium wilt (Verticillium dahliae Kleb.) and mycorrhiza (Glomus mosseae) on root colonization, growth and nutrient uptake in tomato and eggplant seedlings

Effect of Verticillium wilt (Verticillium dahliae Kleb.) and mycorrhiza (Glomus mosseae) on root colonization, growth and nutrient uptake in tomato and eggplant seedlings

2002

A:PS

The effect of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) Glomus mosseae and the soil-borne Verticillium dahliae and their interaction on root colonization, plant growth and nutrient uptake were studied in eggplant and tomato seedlings grown in pots. It was found that: (a) root colonization by the AMF as well as spore formation was higher (34.6 and 30.5%, respectively) in the eggplant than in tomato. Also it was twice as high in the mycorrhiza treatment than in the treatment with the double inoculation (mycorrhiza+Verticillium); (b) the mycorrhiza treatment increased fresh and dry weight and mean plant height in tomato by 96, 114 and 21% compared to controls. The respective values in eggplant were 114, 104 and 30%; (c) infection by Verticillium reduced fresh weight by 28%, dry weight by 35% and plant height by 14% in tomato. The respective reductions in eggplant were 27, 37 and 12%; (d) the treatment combining both V. dahliae+G. mosseae increased fresh weight by 33%, dry weight by 24% and mean plant height by 21% in tomato. The respective increases in eggplant were 32, 10 and 16%. This leads to the conclusion that the beneficial effect of the AMF supersedes the pathogenic effect of V. dahliae; (e) P and N uptake were higher in mycorrhizal treatments than in controls, although no difference in K, Ca, Mg and B uptake was observed between treatments; (f) mycorrhizal treatments had lower concentrations of micronutrients Zn, Mn, Fe and Cu in shoots and leaves than controls.

v.94(1/2):145-156, SCIENTIA HORTICULTURAE

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