Open AccessEffect of Some Host and Microclimate Factors on Infection of Tomato Stems byBotrytis cinerea
Author(s) -
Timothy Michael O’Neill,
D. Shtienberg,
Y. Elad
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
plant disease
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.663
H-Index - 108
eISSN - 1943-7692
pISSN - 0191-2917
DOI - 10.1094/pdis.1997.81.1.36
Subject(s) - botrytis cinerea , conidium , inoculation , biology , horticulture , incubation , botrytis , incubation period , spore , vapour pressure deficit , plant disease , relative humidity , botany , biochemistry , photosynthesis , physics , transpiration , thermodynamics , microbiology and biotechnology
The susceptibility of tomato stems to infection by Botrytis cinerea and the influence of temperature and humidity on disease development were investigated with stem pieces and whole plants. Stem rotting resulted after inoculation of wounded stems with a conidial suspension in water or with dry conidia; no symptoms developed following inoculation of unwounded stems. The proportion of inoculated stems developing Botrytis rot increased as the inoculum concentration was increased from 10 to 10,000 conidia per stem. Stem susceptibility to infection declined from 60 to 8% as wound age increased from 0 to 24 h before inoculation. Wounded stem pieces maintained in a low vapor pressure deficit (VPD) environment ( 1.3 kPa; however, incubation at the lower VPD did increase the intensity of sporulation.