Additive effect of the root-lesion nematode Pratylenchus penetransand the fungus Rhizoctonia solanion potato yield and damage

Abstract

The significance of nematodes for disease development caused by other soil-borne pathogens has been demonstrated in many crops throughout the world and specifically prevalent are interactions between plant-parasitic nematodes and species of plant pathogenic fungi. Here, the interaction between the fungusRhizoctonia solani(AG2) and the migratory endoparasitic root-lesion nematodePratylenchus penetranswas investigated on potato. The hypotheses were that the combination ofR. solaniandP. penetranswould result in more severe canker lesions, reduced quality of the tubers and lower tuber yield, and we also expected higher nematode levels to render more nematode damage. To test this, potato plants were grown in pots in two replicate experiments and the presence and/or abundance of the two pathogens were controlled. The first three hypotheses were rejected as (1) the tuber yield decreased when the fungus and nematode occurred together but not more than the sum of their separate effects, i.e. additive, (2) there was no effect of presence of nematodes on the incidence of stem canker, and (3) the quality of tubers was actually partly improved as the presence of the nematodes reduced the likelihood of elephant hide on the tubers in one of the experiments. As expected, there were more visible nematode damages with addition of more nematodes, but beyond that the different nematode levels rendered in most cases similar responses. To have knowledge about interactions between pathogens, as the one showed here, is essential for disease control through appropriate management methods.

Keywords

Black scurf; Disease complex; Elephant hide; Solanum tuberosum; Stem canker

Published in

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection
2020, volume: 127, pages: 821-829
Publisher: SPRINGER HEIDELBERG

SLU Authors

• Viketoft, Maria

  • Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Flöhr, Adam

  • Department of Biosystems and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Englund, Jan-Eric

  • Department of Biosystems and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Kardell, Jonas

  • Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Edin, Eva

  • Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

Associated SLU-program

SLU Plant Protection Network

UKÄ Subject classification

Agricultural Science

Publication identifier

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41348-020-00346-6

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/106848