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Efficacy of chlorine, chlorine dioxide and ultraviolet radiation as disinfectants against plant pathogens in irrigation water

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Abstract

A number of disinfection treatments are available to treat irrigation water to reduce the risk of plant disease. However, limited published studies had compared the efficacy of disinfection treatments on a range of plant pathogen species, on their various life stages and in different water qualities. In this study, propagules (spores, mycelium, cells) of eight plant pathogens including Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis, Alternaria alternata, Chalara elegans, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Calonectria pauciramosa, Fusarium oxysporum, Phytophthora cinnamomi and Pythium aphanidermatum were exposed to chlorine (sodium hypochlorite), chlorine dioxide and ultraviolet radiation (UV) at a range of application rates and exposure times, in deionised water and dam water. The efficacy of treatments varied with exposure time, application rate, water type and the pathogen and propagule. Cl. michiganensis subsp. michiganensis, Ph. cinnamomi and Py. aphanidermatum propagules were most sensitive to all treatments, while propagules of Ch. elegans, Ca. pauciramosa and F. oxysporum required the highest rates and longest exposure times to chlorine, chlorine dioxide and UV to kill >99 % CFUs. Chlorine dioxide, applied as a “shock” treatment at a high rate for a limited time period, and UV radiation offered more effective biocidal activity than the chlorine levels tested in both water types. This study demonstrates that sensitivity to disinfection treatments and application rates varies between pathogens, and between propagules of the same pathogen.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Michael Danelon, Nursery and Garden Industry NSW and ACT for technical advice and support. We are grateful to Daniel Ewings for assistance in the field. This project was supported by the Nursery and Garden Industry Australia and Horticulture Innovation Australia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, Biomedical Building C81, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia

    Kelly Scarlett & Floris van Ogtrop

  2. Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Private Bag 4008, Narellan, NSW, 2567, Australia

    Damian Collins, Luke Jewell & Rosalie Daniel

  3. NSW Department of Primary Industries, Central Coast Primary Industries Centre, Locked Bag 26, Gosford, NSW, 2250, Australia

    Len Tesoriero

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  1. Kelly Scarlett
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  2. Damian Collins
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  3. Len Tesoriero
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  6. Rosalie Daniel
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Correspondence to Rosalie Daniel.

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Scarlett, K., Collins, D., Tesoriero, L. et al. Efficacy of chlorine, chlorine dioxide and ultraviolet radiation as disinfectants against plant pathogens in irrigation water. Eur J Plant Pathol 145, 27–38 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-015-0811-8

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