The specific abiotic and biotic damage of poppy (Papaver somniferum) — a review

Abstract

The poppy (Papaver somniferum) is a very sensitive crop, suffering from specific types of abiotic and biotic damage. Herbicides, soil conditions, weather and their combination are frequent causes of abiotic damage. Specific type of herbicide deformation is spiral stem. Damage caused by sequence of registered herbicides is also known. Massive solidification of the soil can cause fat growth of root neck or beet deformation of roots. Seedless capsules as a specific poppy damage that is caused by the influence of stress factors (herbicides, soil conditions, high amount of plant chemicals) at elongation growth phase, followed by inappropriate weather at the blossom time. Atypical biotic damage can be caused by diseases Fusarium sp., Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Botryotinia fuckeliana or bacterial infection. Visual symptoms of fusarial infection (orange colored plant parts or pinkish mycelium) occur only rarely. The often-detected traces of fusariotoxins in the seeds suggest, that the hidden infection of poppy by Fusarium is also possible. Sporadically, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Botryotinia fuckeliana can infect stems and capsules too. Lower intensity of bacterial infection (Erwinia carotovora ssp. carotovora) causes the black colored stem basis and root neck. Verticillium sp. causes similar symptoms and so these infections can confused for each other. If the pest damage is unusual, is questionable, because papaver stem midge (Timaspis papaveris) occurs commonly, but this pest is not too well known. The poppy capsule weevil (Neoglocianus maculaalba) is well known in the warmest growth areas and it is now extending to the colder areas too. Hares and roes cause specific biotic damage, when they eat only the buds in the elongation growth stage