Effects of soil pasteurization on root rot, seedling survival and plant dry weight of subterranean clover inoculated with six fungal root pathogens

Abstract

Subterranean clover was exposed to two levels of inoculum of millet seed colonized by Fusarium avenaceum, Fusarium oxysporum, Phoma medicaginis, Phytophthora clandestina, Pythium irregulare, or Rhizoctonia solani within pasteurized and unpasteurized field soil from sites with (root rot site) and without (virgin site) a history of subterranean clover root rot at Augusta, W.A., with the aim of establishing their pathogenicity in the presence of other soil organisms including resident pathogens. Introduction of F. avenaceum (2.5% w/w), P. clandestina (0.5 and 2.5%), P. irregulare (0.5 and 2.5%), or R. solani (0.2 and 1.0%) increased damage to tap and lateral roots of subterranean clover in pasteurized and unpasteurized root rot and virgin soils. All fungi tested, with the exception of P. medicaginis (2.0 and 10.0%) or P. medicaginis (2.0 and 10.0%) and F. oxysporum (0.5 and 2.50%), caused reduction of seedling survival in pasteurized root rot and virgin soils respectively. When the soil was unpasteurized, all fungi except F. oxysporum (2.5%) and P. medicaginis (2.0 and 10*0%) in virgin soil, but only P. irregulare (2.5%) or R. solani (0.2 and 1.0%) in root rot soil, reduced seedling survival. In unpasteurized soils plant dry weight was reduced by P. clandestina (2.5%), P. irregulare (0.5 and 2.5%), or R. solani (0.2 and 1.0%) in root rot and virgin soils, but F. oxysporum (0.5%) reduced plant size only in the root rot soil. Within pasteurized soil all fungi, with the exception of P. medicaginis (2.0 and 10.0%) in virgin soil and F. avenaceum (2.5%), P. irregulare (0.5 and 2.5%), or R. solani (0.2%) in root rot soil, caused reduction in plant size. P. clandestina, P. irregulare or R. solani, in particular, and to a lesser extent, P. avenaceum, are capable of causing serious damage to subterranean clover in natural soil.