Efficacy of Sodium Tetrathiocarbonate and Propiconazole in Managing Armillaria Root Rot of Almond on Peach Rootstock

Abstract

The efficacy of sodium tetrathiocarbonate (STTC or Enzone 31.8%, a liquid formulation that releases carbon disulfide) and the demethylation inhibiting (DMI) fungicide propiconazole (Alamo 1.1EC) was evaluated for management of Armillaria root rot of almond grown on Lovell peach rootstock. After 12 months, pre-/post-plant STTC (189 liters of 3,850 and 500 mg/liter/3 m2 treatment site, respectively) or tarped pre-plant methyl bromide (Dowfume 98%, 454 g a.i./3 m2) soil fumigation treatments significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the recovery of Armillaria mellea from naturally infected root segments at 0.3 and 1.2 m soil depths, compared with control sites. Tarped methyl bromide treatments eradicated the fungus from infested root segments at both depths; however, nontarped sites significantly reduced the recovery only at the 1.2 m depth. Pre-plant STTC (189 liters of 3,850 mg/liter/3 m2) reduced the recovery of the fungus but was not as effective as the pre-/post-plant STTC treatment. Recovery of the fungus in post-plant treatments with STTC (189 liters of 500 mg/liter/3 m2) was not significantly (P > 0.05) different from control sites. Additionally, mortality of almond tree replants from phytotoxicity was significantly higher in post-plant applications of STTC, compared with the other treatments or with the control trees. A gel formulation of 31.8% STTC (1,800 ml of 318,000 mg of STTC per liter per tree stump) applied in wells that were drilled into tree stumps eradicated the fungus from trunk and primary roots but not secondary or tertiary roots, whereas liquid formulations of STTC and metam-sodium (Vapam - 32.7% sodium N-methyldithiocarbamate) eradicated the fungus from only trunks but not roots. Treatments with STTC (189 liters of 500 mg/liter/3 m2) were not effective in preventing mortality of A. mellea-infected, mature, 7- to 8-year-old almond trees. Propiconazole (Alamo 1.1EC) was shown to be toxic to mycelial growth of A. mellea grown on potato dextrose agar with an EC50 value of 0.15 mg/liter. Therapeutic, passive injections of propiconazole into 7- to 8-year-old almond trees (Lovell peach rootstock) were successful in reducing mortality of infected trees during two growing seasons, compared with infected control trees treated with water.