Sanitation practices that inhibit reproduction of Monosporascus cannonballus in melon roots left in the field after crop termination

Abstract

Ascospores of Monosporascus cannonballus function as primary inoculum for infection of melon roots. Previous studies demonstrated that pathogen reproduction (i.e. ascospore production) occurs on infected melon roots primarily after the crop has been terminated. Therefore, the key to maintaining low soil population densities of the pathogen is to destroy the hyphae of the pathogen in infected roots as soon as possible after crop termination, thereby inhibiting ascospore production. Results from a 3‐year field study demonstrated that, relative to the nontreated controls, an immediate postharvest application of metam sodium (applied via the drip irrigation system at 187 L ha−1) or cultivation (which lifts roots onto the surface of the soil for rapid desiccation) significantly inhibited pathogen reproduction in infected melon roots, as shown by the number of roots subsequently bearing perithecia. Additionally, ascospore populations in plots that received either the metam sodium or cultivation treatment were significantly lower (P < 0·05) than populations in the nontreated control plots at the end of the 3‐year study. These results demonstrated the efficacy of these postharvest treatments in the inhibition of pathogen reproduction and retardation of inoculum build‐up in soil.