Abstract
The efficacy of three steam application techniques (steam injection, iron pan and sheet steaming) was evaluated against five soilborne pathogens under controlled laboratory conditions. Injection and pan steam systems proved to be efficient and feasible alternatives to traditional sheet steaming for suppressing Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. basilici at 60% moisture field capacity in sandy-loam soil. Injecting steam was the best technique to suppress F. oxysporum f. sp. basilici, F. oxysporum f. sp. raphani, F. oxysporum f. sp. conglutinans, Rhizoctonia solani and Phytophthora capsici. The mycelia of R. solani and P. capsici were very sensitive to heat and were effectively killed by injection of steam and by the pan steam system at 80% and 40% moisture field capacity.
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported by grants from the Italian Ministry for Environment, Land and Sea, and Piedmont Region (CIPE: Tecniche e strategie innovative e eco-compatibili per la disinfestazione dei terreni agrari in orticoltura specializzata ad alto reddito) and by a INJETVAP project. The fellowship of Pingxiang Lu was co-funded by the Italian Ministry for University and Research, the University of Torino and the Italian Ministry for Environment, Land and Sea. The authors thank Dr. Robert Milne for language revision.
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Lu, P., Ricauda Aimonino, D., Gilardi, G. et al. Efficacy of different steam distribution systems against five soilborne pathogens under controlled laboratory conditions. Phytoparasitica 38, 175–189 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12600-010-0086-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12600-010-0086-8