Increased Shade Intensity and Afternoon Irrigation Decrease Anthracnose Severity on Three Euonymus fortunei Cultivars

Abstract

The effectiveness of shade intensity and time of day in which irrigation was applied were tested for control of anthracnose symptoms caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Penz.) Penz. & Sacc. on container-grown Euonymus fortunei (Turcz.) Hand.-Mazz. `Canadale Gold', `Emerald 'n Gold', and `Emerald Gaiety' during the 2002 and 2003 growing seasons. Rooted cuttings in 3.8 L containers were placed in 0% (full sun), 63%, 73%, or 80% shade at Park Hill, Okla., in 2002 and 2003 and at Stillwater, Okla., in 2002. Overhead irrigation was used to irrigate one-half of the plants in each cultivar and shade treatment in the morning and the other one-half during the afternoon. At both sites, disease damage ratings were inversely related to shade intensity throughout each growing season. Disease incidence was usually lower on afternoon irrigated plants than on morning irrigated plants. `Canadale Gold' typically had the most anthracnose symptoms followed by `Emerald 'n Gold'. `Emerald Gaiety' had the least symptoms regardless of shade intensity or irrigation time.