Interaction between Allelochemicals and &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Fusarium&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt; Root Rot in Asparagus Seedlings Cultured &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;In Vitro&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;

Jia Liu,Yoh-Ichi Matsubara

doi:10.4236/ajps.2018.94041

Abstract

The interaction between Fusarium root rot and 4 allelochemicals in asparagus seedlings was estimated in vitro to clarify the relationship between biotic and abiotic factors in asparagus decline. In in vitro culture of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. asparagi (Foa) with or without addition of 4 allelochemicals (caffeic acid, ferulic acid, quercetin, malic acid; 0.01%, 0.1%, w/v) using Czapec-Dox media, Foa propagation was suppressed in all the treatments. The degree of suppression became higher in 0.1% than 0.01% among all the allelochemicals. As for the axenic culture of asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L., “Welcome”) seedlings with the 4 allelochemicals, dry weight of both shoots and roots became lower compared to control in 0.1% and 0.01% of caffeic acid, 0.1% ferulic acid, 0.01% quercetin, only dry weight of shoots decreased in 0.1% malic acid. Two weeks after Foa inoculation with Foa-cultured PDA cubes in vitro, incidence of Fusarium root rot reached 100% in most of the plots. The severity of root rot increased in 0.01% and 0.1% caffeic acid, 0.1% ferulic acid, 0.1% malic acid compared to control. From these results, the 4 allelochemicals used in this study are supposed to suppress asparagus growth, and such growth reduction might enhance the disease severity of Fusarium root rot as an indirect effect. In addition, such effect might differ with the allelochemicals and concentrations in asparagus.

Highlights

Asparagus decline is a serious and increasing threat in asparagus-producing regions over the world [1] [2] [3] [4]
In in vitro culture of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. asparagi (Foa) with or without addition of 4 allelochemicals using Czapec-Dox media, Foa propagation was suppressed in all the treatments
The 4 allelochemicals used in this study are supposed to suppress asparagus growth, and such growth reduction might enhance the disease severity of Fusarium root rot as an indirect effect

Summary

Introduction

Asparagus decline is a serious and increasing threat in asparagus-producing regions over the world [1] [2] [3] [4]. There have been many reports on Fusarium diseases or allelochemicals in concern with asparagus decline. It has been still unclear the interaction between Fusarium diseases and allelochemicals. Wu et al [15] [16] [17] reported that allelochemicals of watermelon, such as coumarin, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, salicylic acid, cinnamic acid, have inhibitory effects on growth of Fusarium oxysporum f. These reports are estimated only the direct effect of allelochemicals on Fusarium growth in vitro It is still unclear the direct effect of asparagus allelochemicals on propagation of Fusarium oxysporum f. It is still unclear the direct effect of asparagus allelochemicals on propagation of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. asparagi, and the interaction between disease severity and allelochemicals in asparagus plants

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion