Infection of peas by Fusarium solani var. martii forma 2 and the spread of the pathogen

Abstract

Early Bird and Laxton's Superb peas were inoculated by growing them in compost into which had been stirred suspensions of Fusarium solani ‘conidia’ from submerged, shaken culture. The fungus normally infected the cotyledons, foot and roots. Sporodochia formed on the foot-rot lesion and testas. All the roots were susceptible to penetration, but the progress of infection was very slow. Aerial parts were also infected under very humid conditions. F. solani conidia were shown to be dispersed by air currents from dry sporodochia, on particles of dry soil to which they adhere and in drops of water splashed from sporodochia. In nonsterile compost, F. solani mycelium from infected roots spread only to immediately adjacent roots. On glass slides in garden soil at different water-holding capacities, the fungus did not grow but formed chlamydospores.