Long-Term Cover Cropping Suppresses Foliar and Fruit Disease in Processing Tomatoes

Author:

Trueman Cheryl L.1ORCID,Awrey Jessica C.2,Delaporte Aaron3,Kerr Jamie3,Weersink Alfons3,Van Eerd Laura L.2ORCID

Affiliation:

1. Department of Plant Agriculture, Ridgetown Campus, University of Guelph, Ridgetown, Canada

2. School of Environmental Sciences, Ridgetown Campus, University of Guelph, Ridgetown, Canada

3. Food, Agricultural, & Resource Economics, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada

Abstract

While links between soil and plant health are implied, there are few opportunities to empirically evaluate this due to inherent differences among sites. An exception is a long-term experiment established in 2007 (repeated in 2008) in Ridgetown, ON, where improved soil health scores and changes in soil microbial communities were observed in the medium-term with annual cover crops (CC). This led us to hypothesize that CC-induced changes in soil health might affect bacterial spot (Xanthomonas hordorum pv. gardneri) and anthracnose (Colletotrichum coccodes) development in processing tomato. Five CC treatments (no CC control, winter cereal rye, oat, radish, and mix of radish + rye) planted after winter wheat harvest were evaluated in 2019 and 2020 (CC grown nine times over 12 years). Fruit yields and net revenue were similar or greater with CC than without. In 2019, there was greater defoliation (area under the disease progress stairs = 4,370 ± 204), percent red fruit (71.0% ± 5.38), and rots (1.91% ± 0.5) in no CC than with radish (3,410, 39.1%, and 0.62%, respectively, P ≤ 0.0366), indicating earlier fruit maturity in no CC plots. Similarly, no CC had a greater incidence of red fruits with anthracnose (25.8% ± 2.89) compared with all CCs but rye (7.4 to 12.1% ± 2.89; P = 0.0029). Environmental conditions in 2020 were less favourable for disease development. Defoliation was not affected by CC treatment (P = 0.1254), and anthracnose incidence was low (≥90.3 ± 1.22% healthy fruit), which may have limited the ability to detect treatment effects (P = 0.2922). Long-term cover crops have the potential to produce greater or equivalent tomato yield with decreased defoliation and anthracnose fruit rot.

Publisher

Scientific Societies

Subject

Plant Science,Agronomy and Crop Science

Cited by 1 articles. 订阅此论文施引文献 订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3