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Root Rot and Wilt of Kangaroo Paw ( Anigozanthos manglesii ) Caused by Pythium myriotylum (Drechs.) in Israel
Author(s) -
Tsror Lahkim L.,
Hazanovsky M.,
MordechaiLebiush S.,
BenDavid T.,
Dori I.,
Matan E.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of phytopathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.53
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1439-0434
pISSN - 0931-1785
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-0434.2003.00812.x
Subject(s) - inoculation , biology , fusarium solani , rhizoctonia solani , root rot , horticulture , pythium , fusarium oxysporum , veterinary medicine , medicine
A root rot and wilt disease of Anigozanthos manglesii (Kangaroo Paw) grown in greenhouses in Israel, for exporting as cut flowers to Europe, was characterized. Pythium myriotylum (Drechs.) and Rhizoctonia solani (Kühn) were the prevalent pathogens in diseased plants collected from commercial greenhouses. Fusarium oxysporum , Fusarium spp. and Myrothecium sp. were also isolated, but P. myriotylum or R. solani were not detected in samples from symptomless plants in tissue cultures (Australian origin) or plants at different stages in the nursery; non‐pathogenic F. oxysporum and Fusarium spp. were detected in several samples. In pathogenicity tests carried out in pots, plant mortality occurred 7 days after inoculation with P. myriotylum . In a field experiment carried out in methyl bromide‐fumigated soil, the incidence of dead plants following inoculation with P. myriotylum alone was 22% 10 days after inoculation, increasing to 78% after an additional 25 days. The incidence of dead plants following inoculation with R. solani alone was only 5% and in plants inoculated simultaneously with both pathogens, disease incidence was 88% 35 days after inoculation. Mortality reached 90–100% in plants inoculated with P. myriotylum , either singly or combined with R. solani 60 days after inoculation, whereas in plants inoculated with R. solani it was 5%. The maximum mortality in plants inoculated with R. solani was 25%, 76 days after inoculation. These results clearly demonstrate that P. myriotylum was the dominant pathogen in the root rot and wilt of A. manglesii.