Impact of animal manures on verticillium wilt, potato scab, and soil microbial populations

Abstract

This study examined the effect of chicken, liquid swine, and solid cattle manures on verticillium wilt and potato scab incidence at two commercial farms near Alliston, Ontario. The manures (chicken, 66 tlha; swine, 55 hUha; cattle, 100 tlha) were spread in the spring of 1996 and incorporated with a Rototiller to a depth of 15 cm. Survival of Verticillium dahliae microsclerotia (MS) was determined by burying nylon mesh bags containing MS in the plots. After 4 weeks, the MS were plated on agar medium. Soil samples collected after incorporation of manures were brought back to the laboratory and used for concurrent laboratory experiments. Ten-gram amounts of soil were placed into test tubes, bags of MS buried in the soil, and survival measured under controlled conditions. Potatoes were planted in the field I month after amendment. Potatoes were planted in 1997 and 1998 without any further treatment. Verticillium wilt incidence was determined by isolation of V. dahliae from petioles. Scab incidence was determined from visual estimation of lesion coverage on tubers. Changes in soil chemistry, in soil microbiology, and in populations of plant pathogenic nematodes were also determined. Chicken manure reduced scab and wilt incidence and nematodes to near zero levels at both sites. Swine manure reduced scab incidence at both sites but reduced wilt and nematode populations at one site only. Cattle manure application caused a small reduction in wilt at one site. Disease incidence in the second crop was similar for all treatments except for swine manure at one site where a lower scab incidence was observed and chicken manure at both sites where wilt incidence remainded below that in untreated plots. Scab incidence in the third crop was reduced at one site treated with swine manure, but one of the chicken manure treated plots had a higher scab incidence than the untreated plot. The viability of MS was similar for identical treatments in the field and laboratory assay and predicted which treatments decreased verticillium wilt. Reductions in viability of MS were found to be manure and soil specific.Resume: La presente etude avait pour but d'examiner, sur deux fermes commerciales pres d'Alliston (Ontario), l'effet du fumier de poulet, du lisier de pore et du fumier de vache sur la verticilliose et sur la gale de la pomme de terre.Les fumures (poulet, 66 t/ha; pore, 55 hUha; vache, 1 ()() tlha) ont ete repandues au printemps de 1996 et incorporees a une profondeur de 15 cm a !'aide d'un motoculteur. La survie des microsclerotes (MS) du Verticillium dahliae a ete determinee en enterrant, dans les parcelles, des sacs de tulle de nylon contenant des MS. Apres 4 semaines, les MS furent placees sur un milieu gelose. En parallele, des echantillons de sol recoltes apres !'incorporation des fumures furent apportes au laboratoire pour d'autres experiences. Des sacs de MS furent enfouis dans des enchantillons de 10 g de sol en eprouvettes et la survie fut mesuree en conditions controlees. Des pommes de terre furent plantees dans le champ un...

Influence of crop rotation and conservation tillage practices on the severity of soil-borne potato diseases in temperate humid agriculture

“…The use of organic soil amendments including green and animal manures and plant and animal meals has had variable effects on scab severity (Blodgett 1940;Weinhold et al 1964;Conn and Lazarovits 1999;Lazarovits et al 1999), and differences in organic amendment composition and concentration, soil type, soil chemistry, soil moisture and soil microflora have all been identified as contributory factors. There is a perception among many growers in Prince Edward Island that minimum tillage systems increase common scab severity, which has been a critical factor limiting the adoption of minimum tillage systems on PE (R. DeHaan, Prince Edward Island Department of Agriculture and Forestry, personal communication).…”

Residual Effects of Fresh and Composted Dairy Manure Applications on Potato Production

“…Conversely, Lee and MacDonald (1977) and Hall (1905) did not detect tuber yield differences with cow and farmyard manure applications compared to fertilizer applications, and Conn and Lazarovits (1999) detected no yield differences with cow manure application of 100 t ha −1 in comparison to control plots not receiving fertilizers. Nutrient cycling and accumulations in potato production systems are also important to understand, as applications of fertilizers often need to be adjusted to compliment the nutrient supply from the manure source.…”

“…Sharma and Grewal (1986) and Conn and Lazarovits (1999) detected no residual effects on tuber yield up to 3 years after application. These limited findings suggest that it is difficult to predict long-term effects of manure applications on potato yield.…”

Effect of Fodder Radish (Raphanus sativus L.) Green Manure on Potato Wilt, Growth and Yield Parameters

“…In fact, incorporation of soil amendments leads to increased soil microbial activity and diversity [46] as well as density of bacteria [47], fluorescent Pseudomonas spp. [32,47,48], streptomycetes, and other actinomycetes [47,49] in soil.…”

“…[23][24][25][26][27] leading to interesting and promising results [28]. For example, the incidence of Verticillium wilt of potato has been reduced using pea (Pisum sativum), oat (Avena sativa), broccoli (Brassica oleracea), sudan-grass (Sorghum vulgare) and corn (Zea mays) as green manures [29][30][31], and addition of animal manures [32,33].…”