Effect of Curing Treatments on the Fusarium Wilt (Fusarium oxysporum) of Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas L.)

Abstract

Fusarium wilt (Fusarium oxysporum) is responsible for damage or negative effect on sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) cultivation. This study evaluated the effect of curing treatment on the growth of sweet potato and soil microbial communities using fatty acid methyl ester method. We utilized three treatment groups, control, curing treatment of cutting for a day (C1), and curing treatment of cutting for 5 days (C5). Soil chemical properties showed no significant effect for the treatments. The marketable root number per plant and yield of sweet potato in C5 treatment were significantly higher than those in control and C1 (p < 0.05), whereas the Fusarium wilt in C5 treatment showed significantly lower than that of the control and C1 (p < 0.05). In addition, Fusarium wilt showed significantly increase as increasing soil fungi biomass, while the yield of sweet potato significantly decreased as increasing Fusarium wilt (p < 0.05). The soil of C1 and C5 had a significantly lower biomass and community of fungi when compared with that of control (p < 0.05). These results indicate that curing treatment of cutting was more effect on the prevention of Fusarium wilt as well as the productivity of sweet potato. Correlation between soil fungal biomass, fusarium wilt and yield of sweet potato.