Suitability of Ten Plant Baits for the Rapid Detection of Pathogenic Pythium Species in Hydroponic Crops

Abstract

Ten types of plant baits were tested in the laboratory to assess their capacity to detect pathogenic Pythium species. These were orange tree leaves, tomato leaves, pepper leaves, geranium leaves, Bermuda grass leaves, pine needles, immature carnation petals, hemp-seed cotyledons, pepper and cucumber fruits. The Pythium spp. tested were P. aphanidermatum, P. irregulare and Pythium ‘group F’ from hydroponic market garden crops in the Poniente region of Almeria (south-east Spain). The test consisted of observing the velocity at which five baits were colonized and the day of colonization of the first bait. Results indicated that the slowest baits to be infected were immature carnation petals and pine needles. These two, together with Bermuda grass leaves, were also the baits infected in lowest number, such that practically no further infection was produced in the baits after the fifth day of contact with the inoculated water. The other plant baits tested were equally suitable for detection of Pythium spp. over the first two days, although only orange leaves and hemp-seed cotyledons were infected on the first day.