Inoculum levels ofVerticillium dahliae in the soils of the hot semi-arid negev region of Israel

Abstract

In the Negev area,Verticillium dahliae Kleb. produces 50 times more microsclerotia (MS) on potato plants harvested in the winter than on those harvested in the summer. Number and distribution of viable fungal units, subsequent to incorporation of infected potato plants and during a sequence of non-susceptible hosts, were estimated in February of the following years by counting fungal units in four sublayers: 0–10, 10–20, 20–30 and 30–40 cm. Inoculum density ofV. dahliae was the highest in the top layer, decreasing to the deepest sublayer. Reduction of population density of viableV. dahliae units was less in the field than in the laboratory. No viable units were detected after 5 years of storage in the laboratory, whereas 4% of the original population remained viable after 7 years of crop rotation. Although crop rotation did not control the fungus completely, it did reduce inoculum density markedly.