STUDIES ON FOOT AND ROOT ROT OF WHEAT: I. EFFECT OF AGE OF THE WHEAT PLANT UPON THE DEVELOPMENT OF FOOT AND ROOT ROT

Abstract

Studies were made to determine whether, in sterilized inoculated soil, Marquis wheat plants became more or less susceptible during the post-seedling stage to Ophiobolus graminis, Helminthosporium sativum, and Fusarium culmorum. While it was found that the plants in the seedling stage were more susceptible than at later stages, there was, with the technique used, no evidence that the plants become more or less susceptible during the post-seedling stage. The reasons for indefinite evidence on this important question are given. In sterilized soil, in open pot culture, inoculum of O. graminis was definitely more virulent when alone than when mixed singly or in combination with H. sativum, F. culmorum or Leptosphaeria herpotrichoides. The virulence of all pathogenes mentioned decreased progressively in sterilized soil, the greatest decrease taking place during the first 40 days, after which they were only slightly pathogenic and at the end of 120 days inoculum of O. graminis was impotent. The virulence of inoculum when added to unsterilized soil was greatly reduced in contrast with that in sterilized soil, and after 10 days it was practically at a minimum. These results emphasize the necessity of protecting inoculated sterilized soil against contamination by other micro-organisms in critical studies made in soil. They also throw light on the much recognized difficulty of producing foot rot in the field by prepared inoculum added to such soil.