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Evaluation of non-chemical seed treatment methods for the control of Alternaria dauci and A. radicina on carrot seeds

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Abstract

The current study was initiated to evaluate the efficacy of physical methods (hot water, aerated steam, electron treatment) and agents of natural origin (resistance inducers, plant derived products, micro-organisms) as seed treatments of carrots for control of Alternaria dauci and A. radicina. Control of both Alternaria species by seed treatment with the resistance inducers was generally poor. Results were also not satisfactory with most of the formulated commercial micro-organism preparations. Based on the average of five field trials, one of these, BA 2552 (Pseudomonas chlororaphis), provided a low but significant increase in plant stand. Among the experimental micro-organisms, the best results were obtained with Pseudomonas sp. strain MF 416 and Clonostachys rosea strain IK726. A similar level of efficacy was provided by seed treatment with an emulsion (1%) of thyme oil in water. Good and consistent control was generally achieved with the physical methods aerated steam, hot water and electron treatment. Aerated steam treatment was, apart from the thiram-containing chemical standard, the best single treatment, and its performance may at least partially be due to extensive pre-testing, resulting in dosages optimally adapted to the respective seed lot. In some of the experiments the effect of the hot water treatment, which was tested at a fixed, not specifically adapted dosage, was significantly improved when combined with a Pseudomonas sp. MF 416 or C. rosea IK726 treatment. The results are discussed in relation to the outcome of experiments in which the same seed treatment methods and agents were tested in other seed-borne vegetable pathosystems.

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Acknowledgement

Thanks are due to Petra Zink for excellent technical assistance and to Dr Inge Knudsen (Copenhagen University) for supplying C. rosea strain IK726. The research reported in this article was funded by the European Commission in the frame of project ‘Seed Treatments for Organic Vegetable Production—STOVE’ (QLK5-CT-2002-02239).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. JKI, Institute for Biological Control, Heinrichstrasse 243, 64287, Darmstadt, Germany

    Eckhard Koch, Annegret Schmitt & Dietrich Stephan

  2. JKI, Institute for Strategies and Technology Assessment in Plant Protection, Stahnsdorfer Damm 81, 14532, Kleinmachnow, Germany

    Carola Kromphardt & Marga Jahn

  3. Agricultural Service Centre, DLR-Rheinpfalz, 67435, Neustadt, Breitenweg 71, Germany

    Hermann-Josef Krauthausen

  4. Seedgard AB, Svalövsvägen 3, 75651, Uppsala, Sweden

    Gustaf Forsberg

  5. Hild Samen GmbH, Kirchenweinbergstr. 115, 71672, Marbach am Neckar, Germany

    Sigrid Werner

  6. Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Box 462, 40530, Göteborg, Sweden

    Tahsein Amein

  7. Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Box 461, 40530, Göteborg, Sweden

    Sandra A. I. Wright

  8. Dipartimento di Scienze Animali, Vegetali e dell’Ambiente, Facoltà di Agraria, University of Molise, Via Francesco De Sanctis, 86100, Campobasso, Italy

    Sandra A. I. Wright

  9. Centre of Competence for the Innovation in the Agro-Environmental Sector (AGROINNOVA), University of Torino, Via L. da Vinci 44, 10095, Grugliasco, Italy

    Federico Tinivella & Maria L. Gullino

  10. Plant Health Solutions, 20 Beauchamp Road, Warwick, CV34 5NU, UK

    Steven J. Roberts

  11. Plant Research International, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, NL-6708 PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Jan van der Wolf & Steven P. C. Groot

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  1. Eckhard Koch
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  2. Annegret Schmitt
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  3. Dietrich Stephan
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  6. Hermann-Josef Krauthausen
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  7. Gustaf Forsberg
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  9. Tahsein Amein
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  11. Federico Tinivella
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  12. Maria L. Gullino
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  13. Steven J. Roberts
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  14. Jan van der Wolf
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  15. Steven P. C. Groot
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Correspondence to Eckhard Koch.

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Koch, E., Schmitt, A., Stephan, D. et al. Evaluation of non-chemical seed treatment methods for the control of Alternaria dauci and A. radicina on carrot seeds. Eur J Plant Pathol 127, 99–112 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-009-9575-3

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