Behaviors of Pythium butleri and P. zingiberum in and around cucumber stem segments buried in recolonized autoclaved soil.

Abstract

Behaviors of Pythium butleri and P. zingiberum in and around the autoclaved cucumber stem segments buried in recolonized autoclaved soil were studied. Oospores of the former germinated around segments, and were more effective in colonization than those of the latter, but no oospore germination was found in P. zingiberum under the same environment. Hyphae of P. butleri were able to grow more rapidly than those of P. zingiberum through the soil. No clear differences in survival in the form of mycelium were found between two fungi. P. butleri produced more oospores around the segments than P. zingiberum. P. butleri survived longer period of time in the colonized segments than P. zingiberum.