Application to soil of disinfectants through irrigation reduces Verticillium dahliae in the soil and verticillium wilt of olive

The application of disinfectants through drip irrigation could be a feasible practice against verticillium wilt (Verticillium dahliae) of olive. OX-VIRIN (activated peroxide) and OX-AGUA AL25 (quaternary ammonium compounds) are two disinfectants that have shown efficacy against V. dahliae in irrigation water and potential for reducing the disease in young olive plants. In this work, various post-planting application strategies incorporating OX-VIRIN (once a month, or twice a month on alternate or successive weeks) or OX-AGUA AL25 (once a month, or twice a month on alternate weeks) were assessed for their effect on V. dahliae in soil, disease in olive trees, and olive yield, in a 2-year pot-experiment under natural environmental conditions. The disinfectants were injected via metering pumps into a drip irrigation system that irrigated olive trees planted in V. dahliae-inoculated soil. All the application strategies significantly reduced the total inoculum density in soil compared to controls with no disinfectants and noninoculated soil. The microsclerotia density was also significantly reduced in disinfested soils by 73.6–86.8%, depending on the strategy. The symptoms and infection incidence were always lower in treatments subjected to disinfestation. The treatment with OX-AGUA AL25 applied twice a month on alternate weeks most reduced the symptoms (by 53.0%) and colonization index (by 70.8%) with respect to untreated water control. This soil disinfestation also significantly strengthened the symptom remission. Tree growth and production were negatively affected by soil inoculation (reduced by 45.6% and 88.7%, respectively), but not so by disinfectants, which even relieved the reduction in inoculated soils, especially when OX-AGUA AL25 was applied.     

Assessment of the effect of surface drip irrigation on Verticillium dahliae propagules differing in persistence in soil and on verticillium wilt of olive

For efficient integrated management of verticillium wilt in olive (VWO), it is important to establish whether irrigation treatments (with Verticillium dahliae‐free water) that mitigate the disease in V. dahliae‐infested soil, also reduce the levels of more and less persistent propagules of the pathogen in the soil. Effects of irrigation on VWO and V. dahliae propagules were evaluated under natural environmental conditions. Potted plants were irrigated (pathogen‐free water) to two ranges of soil water content (RWC; high and low) at three surface drip‐irrigation frequencies (daily, weekly, and daily during some periods and otherwise weekly). VWO and total inoculum density (ID), density of less persistent micropropagules (MpD) and more persistent sclerotia in wet soil (S_wD), and sclerotia density for air‐dried soil (S_dD) were monitored. A logistic model (multiple sigmoid) of disease incidence revealed the lowest parameter values in treatments irrigated daily. Daily frequency of irrigation showed significantly lower disease incidence (39.2%) and disease intensity index (43.9%) and MpD (88.0%) values as areas compared with other frequencies, regardless of the RWC. High RWC significantly reduced (70.8–84.9%) ID, S_wD and S_dD as areas, but significantly increased (18.0%) the incidence of infected plants (IIP), regardless of the irrigation frequency. The disease incidence was not correlated with temperature. Daily irrigation to low RWC mitigated the VWO and the IIP, kept soil to the lowest MpD and resulted in the lowest S_dD level at the end of the trial. Results suggested that less persistent propagules could have played a part in the disease development.     

桃树黄萎病在我国首次发生报道

在甘肃省农业科学院林果所2010年建植的桃园内,自2011年以来,每年6-8月都陆续出现枯死的桃树;严重年份桃树病株率达20%。经病原菌分离培养、形态观察和致病性测定,确认桃树枯死是由大丽轮枝菌(Verticillium dahliae)侵染所致。这是桃树黄萎病在我国的首次发生报道。     

Interactions between Trichoderma harzianum and defoliating Verticillium dahliae in resistant and susceptible wild olive clones

Verticillium wilt (VW) in olive is best managed by an integrated disease management strategy, of which use of host resistance is a key element. The widespread occurrence of a highly virulent defoliating (D) Verticillium dahliae pathotype has jeopardized the use of commercial olive cultivars lacking sufficient resistance to this pathogen. However, the combined use of resistant wild olive rootstocks and Trichoderma spp. effective in the biocontrol of VW can improve the management of VW in olive. In vivo interactions between D V. dahliae and Trichoderma harzianum were studied in olive and wild olive plants displaying different degrees of resistance against this pathogen using confocal microscopy. This multitrophic system included wild olive clones Ac‐4 and Ac‐15, olive cv. Picual, and the fungal fluorescent transformants T. harzianum GFP22 and V. dahliae V138I‐YFP, the latter being obtained in this study. In planta observations indicated that V138I‐YFP colonizes the roots and stems of the olive and wild olive genotypes, and that GFP22 grows endophytically within the roots of them all. YFP fluorescence signal quantifications showed that: (i) the degree of root and stem colonization by the pathogen varied depending upon the susceptibility of the tested wild olive genotype, being higher in Ac‐15 than in Ac‐4 plants; and (ii) treatment with T. harzianum GFP22 reduced the extent of pathogen growth in both clones. Moreover, root colonization by strain GFP22 reduced the percentage of pathogen colonies recovered from stems of olive and wild olive plants.     

Insights into the role of ethylene perception in tomato resistance to vascular infection by Verticillium dahliae

A Tobacco rattle virus (TRV)-based virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) system was employed to investigate the role of the tomato ethylene receptor ETR4. By comparing wilting symptoms of verticillium wilt in wild-type, ethylene-insensitive Never ripe ( Nr ) mutant tomato plants and ETR4 -silenced plants, it was demonstrated that disease severity in the Nr and ETR4 -silenced plants was statistically reduced compared to wild-type plants. Disease incidence and severity were reduced by 11 and 20%, respectively, in the Nr plants compared to the wild-type plants, at 33 days post-inoculation (d.p.i.). In the ETR4 -silenced plants, disease incidence and severity were reduced by 14 and 15%, respectively, compared to the TRV -only-inoculated plants, at 37 d.p.i. Quantification of Verticillium dahliae by qPCR revealed that the reduction in symptom severity in the Nr plants was associated with significant reduction of growth of the pathogen in the vascular tissues of the Nr plants compared to that in the wild-type plants, suggesting that impaired perception of ethylene via the Never-ripe receptor results in increased disease resistance. Fungal reduction was evident at each sampling day in the Nr plants, ranging from 1·5 to 1·75 times less than that in the wild-type plants. Fungal quantification in the ETR4- silenced and TRV -only-inoculated plants showed similar levels of fungal biomass.     

Development and application of new molecular markers for analysis of genetic diversity in Verticillium dahliae populations

The aim of this study was to develop new polymorphic markers for analysis of genetic diversity in the fungal soilborne plant pathogen Verticillium dahliae. Twelve polymorphic markers (five microsatellites and seven polymorphic sequences) were developed from a genomic library enriched for microsatellites. Screening of polymorphic loci was done using a collection of 25 V. dahliae isolates of diverse geographic origins, host sources and vegetative compatibility groups (VCGs). Three methods were used to score alleles: polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), sequencing of PCR‐amplified loci, and capillary electrophoresis. The new markers were used to assess genetic differentiation between isolates associated with different host plants. Two collections of isolates were analysed, obtained from artichoke (30 isolates) and potato (20 isolates) from crops grown in rotation located in the same area in eastern‐central Spain. The resolution of genetic differentiation between these two collections using the new markers was compared to that provided by other often‐used markers (SCARs and VCGs). Sequence analysis of the alleles proved to be the most unambiguous technique for scoring microsatellite data. The relatively high genetic differentiation observed between isolates from different crops (genetic differentiation coefficient, G_ST = 0·24) and their high genotypic diversity suggest a divergence between V. dahliae from artichoke and potato. It is hypothesized that evolution of V. dahliae from the local resident population in association with the two host crops has occurred. The new markers are useful for resolving population structure within V. dahliae and may contribute to a better understanding of the population biology of this fungus.     

Effects of Verticillium dahliae on tomato root morphology considering plant growth response and defence

The soilborne pathogen Verticillium dahliae invades its host via the root, and spreads systemically throughout the plant. Although a functional root system of appropriate size is essential for water and nutrient uptake, to date, effects of pathogens on root morphology have not been frequently investigated. Therefore, this study aims to improve knowledge of how V. dahliae infection impairs root morphological characteristics of tomato, considering plant growth and physiological responses, particularly those involved in defence in roots and leaves over a growing period of up to 28 days post‐inoculation. Verticillium dahliae infection suppressed the growth of both shoot and root. Diseased plants developed a smaller leaf area, and exhibited a reduction in the rate of photosynthesis and stomatal conductance. An early response to pathogen invasion in the host root was the up‐regulation of several defence‐related genes, such as proteinase inhibitor II (Pin2), β‐1,3‐glucanase A (GluA) and two pathogenesis‐related genes (PR‐1a, PR‐1b). However, this response did not prevent colonization of the roots by the pathogen. Although a high variability in pathogen density was found within the root system, a significant increase of both the specific root length and surface area was observed in response to pathogen invasion; these traits correlated with water use efficiency. Morphological changes of the root may represent an adaptive response evolved to sustain the supply of both water and nutrients in the presence of the pathogen.     

Variation of pathotypes and races and their correlations with clonal lineages in Verticillium dahliae

Understanding pathogenic variation in plant pathogen populations is key for the development and use of host resistance for managing verticillium wilt diseases. A highly virulent defoliating (D) pathotype in Verticillium dahliae has previously been shown to occur only in one clonal lineage (lineage 1A). By contrast, no clear association has yet been shown for race 1 with clonal lineages. Race 1 carries the effector gene Ave1 and is avirulent on hosts that carry resistance gene Ve1 or its homologues. The hypothesis tested was that race 1 arose once in a single clonal lineage, which might be expected if V. dahliae acquired Ave1 by horizontal gene transfer from plants, as hypothesized previously. In a diverse sample of 195 V. dahliae isolates from nine clonal lineages, all race 1 isolates were present only in lineage 2A. Conversely, all lineage 2A isolates displayed the race 1 phenotype. Moreover, 900‐bp nucleotide sequences from Ave1 were identical among 27 lineage 2A isolates and identical to sequences from other V. dahliae race 1 isolates in GenBank. The finding of race 1 in a single clonal lineage, with identical Ave1 sequences, is consistent with the hypothesis that race 1 arose once in V. dahliae. Molecular markers and virulence assays also confirmed the well‐established finding that the D pathotype is found only in lineage 1A. Pathogenicity assays indicated that cotton and olive isolates of the D pathotype (lineage 1A) were highly virulent on cotton and olive, but had low virulence on tomato.     

Characterization of resistance against the olive‐defoliating Verticillium dahliae pathotype in selected clones of wild olive

Verticillium wilt of olive is best managed by resistant cultivars, but those currently available show incomplete resistance to the defoliating (D) Verticillium dahliae pathotype. Moreover, these cultivars do not satisfy consumers' demand for high yields and oil quality. Highly resistant rootstocks would be of paramount importance for production of agronomically adapted and commercially desirable olive cultivars in D V. dahliae‐infested soils. In this work, resistance to D V. dahliae in wild olive clones Ac‐13, Ac‐18, OutVert and StopVert was assessed by quantifying the fungal DNA along the stem using a highly sensitive real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) protocol and a stem colonization index (SCI) based on isolation of V. dahliae following artificial inoculations under conditions highly conducive for verticillium wilt. Ac‐13, Ac‐18, OutVert and StopVert showed a symptomless reaction to D V. dahliae. The mean amount of D V. dahliaeDNA quantified in stems of the four clones ranged from 3.64 to 28.89 pg/100 ng olive DNA, which was 249 to 1537 times lower than that in susceptible Picual olive. The reduction in the quantitative stem colonization of wild olive clones by D V. dahliae was also indicated by a sharp decrease in the SCI. Overall, there was a pattern of decreasing SCI in acropetal progression along the plant axis, as well as correlation between positive reisolation and quantification of pathogen DNA. The results of this research show that wild olive clones Ac‐13, Ac‐18, OutVert and StopVert have a valuable potential as rootstocks for the management of verticillium wilt in olive.     

Effect of coinoculation by Verticillium dahliae and Colletotrichum coccodes on disease symptoms and fungal colonization in four potato cultivars

Interactions between Verticillium dahliae and Colletotrichum coccodes , major causal agents of potato early dying (PED) syndrome, were studied in four potato cultivars that differ in their susceptibility to these pathogens . Aseptic plantlets of Nicola, Desiree, Alpha and Cara were inoculated with identical concentrations of each pathogen or with a mixture of the pathogens, and grown for 4 weeks in a monitored growth chamber. Coinoculation of Nicola with both pathogens caused more severe foliar disease symptoms and crown rot and greater C. coccodes colonization, than inoculation with each pathogen separately. Significant reductions in weight and height were also observed in plants coinoculated with both pathogens, as compared with plants inoculated with each pathogen separately or noninoculated plants. In Desiree, more roots were covered with C. coccodes sclerotia and disease symptoms were significantly more severe in plants inoculated with both pathogens together. However, plant weight and height were similar to those of plants inoculated with C. coccodes only. In Alpha, disease symptoms and levels of sclerotia in the roots were not affected by simultaneous inoculation with both pathogens. Weight and height of all plants were similar, whether inoculated with each pathogen separately or with both pathogens together. In Cara, plants inoculated with the mixture or either pathogen alone were smaller than the noninoculated control. Disease symptoms and occurrence of sclerotia were similar in plants inoculated with the combination and with a single pathogen. Compared with the effects of inoculation with either pathogen, simultaneous inoculation with both pathogens can, in some cultivars, increase the incidence of PED syndrome and thus severely decrease yields.     

Aggressiveness of Verticillium dahliae isolates from different vegetative compatibility groups to potato and tomato

Aggressiveness of Verticillium dahliae isolates from three vegetative compatibility groups (VCGs) was tested on potato and tomato. VCG4B was the most aggressive to potato and VCG2A was the most aggressive to tomato; VCG2B was the least aggressive to both potato and tomato. In potato, disease incidence, symptom severity and colonization index of stem segments were significantly higher in plants inoculated with VCG4B isolates than in those inoculated with VCG2B and VCG2A isolates. Inoculation with VCG4B and VCG2A decreased plant height and fresh weight more than inoculation with VCG2B. In tomato, VCG2A caused significantly more severe symptoms than either VCG4B or VCG2B. The colonization index in tomato plants inoculated with VCG2A was also significantly higher than in those inoculated with VCG4B and VCG2B. Similar patterns of relative aggressiveness were observed in potato and tomato when the pathogenicity of isolates of various VCGs, each originating from a specific host (cotton, potato or eggplant), was compared.     

土壤大丽轮枝菌微菌核的快速定量检测

 微菌核是大丽轮枝菌在土壤中的主要存活结构和黄萎病的初侵染来源。对土壤中大丽轮枝菌微菌核进行定量是黄萎病监测和预警的基础。本研究以大丽轮枝菌Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS)区特异性引物对P1/P2扩增产物的重组质粒为标准品,构建SYBR Green I实时荧光定量PCR反应的标准曲线,结合土样水筛法建立了土壤大丽轮枝菌微菌核定量检测体系。同时,建立了土壤中微菌核数量与棉花黄萎病发病率的关系模型。结果表明,实时定量PCR检测灵敏度比常规PCR高10倍,检测下限为1个微菌核/克土,在5.54×10²～5.54×10⁷copies范围内,DNA拷贝数的对数值与Ct值具有良好的线性关系。建立的土壤中微菌核个数n与Ct值之间的关系为n=e^7.3-Ct/3.905。温室人工接种微菌核数量与棉花黄萎病发病率间的线性关系为y=2.710n+0.251。     

Pathogenicity and Virulence of the Two Dutch VCGs of Verticillium dahliae to Woody Ornamentals

Two experiments were performed in two consecutive years to test whether isolates of different vegetative compatibility groups (VCGs) differ in their ability to cause disease in woody ornamentals, to study the host specificity of the isolates and to get an insight into disease development in woody hosts. A range of woody ornamental plant species, including Acer campestre, Acer platanoides, Acer pseudoplatanus, Catalpa bignonioides, Cotinus coggygria, Robinia pseudoacacia, Rosa canina, Syringa vulgaris and Tilia cordata, were root-dip inoculated with six isolates of Verticillium dahliae, belonging to the two VCGs that occur in the Netherlands (VCG NL-1 and VCG NL-2). Isolates belonging to each VCG caused severe symptoms of verticillium wilt in most plant species tested. Disease progress differed between plant species, but was generally the same for the two VCGs. No overall differences in virulence were observed between the two VCGs for external wilt symptoms, number of dead plants, or shoot length. No significant VCG × plant species interactions were present for these characteristics. However, isolates of VCG NL-1 caused more vascular discolouration than did isolates of VCG NL-2. Isolates within VCGs often differed considerably in their virulence to certain hosts, as shown by highly significant isolate × plant species interactions. Isolates were more virulent on their original host. These findings imply that VCG identification does not contribute to disease prediction for a range of woody hosts.     

复合菌剂对草莓黄萎病的田间防治效果

由轮枝孢属真菌Verticillium spp.引起的草莓黄萎病在草莓各产区均有发生,危害严重。在江苏镇江和扬州两地的大田试验表明复合菌剂能有效防治草莓黄萎病,平均防效达到76.8%。该菌剂对草莓有较好的促生作用,150d时,无病田平均增产25.8%,病田增产133.6%。     

基质中添加西兰花残体对大丽轮枝菌GFP标记菌株在棉花体内扩展的影响

 由大丽轮枝菌引起的棉花黄萎病是一种难以防治的土传病害,西兰花残体还对其有一定的防治作用,防效为62.82%。为解析西兰花残体对棉花黄萎病的防治机制,本研究通过土壤杆菌转化的方法构建了大丽轮枝菌的绿色荧光标记菌株,采用共聚焦显微镜观察标记菌株在添加西兰花残体营养基质中和空白对照营养基质种植的棉花体内的侵染和扩展情况。结果表明构建的标记菌株gfp-wx-1与野生菌株wx-1的生物学特性无显著性差异。同时发现大丽轮枝菌在添加西兰花残体营养基质中棉花体内扩展较慢,具体表现为:在空白营养基质种植的棉花体内,大丽轮枝菌在接种第2 d时就可侵染根尖表层及根内部,第3 d到达茎部维管束,第5 d叶片可观察到少量病原菌,第7 d第一片子叶呈现大量病原菌,后期迅速扩展,叶片出现黄萎病斑;而在营养基质中添加西兰花残体种植的棉花体内,大丽轮枝菌在接种第2 d时就可侵染根尖表层,第3 d侵染根尖内部,第5 d侵染茎部维管束,直到第7 d第一片子叶才出现少量病原菌,后期扩展慢,叶片病斑较少。本研究通过荧光定量PCR方法检测了大丽轮枝菌在两个处理棉花根部定殖情况,结果表明西兰花残体能够显著降低大丽轮枝菌在棉花根部定殖的量。该研究初步明确了西兰花残体对棉花黄萎病的防治机制,为棉花黄萎病的绿色防治提供了一条新的途径。     

Sulphur accumulation after Verticillium dahliae infection of two pepper cultivars differing in degree of resistance

Elemental sulphur levels, sulphur localization in stems, and levels of sulphate, glutathione and cysteine were studied in pepper ( Capsicum annuum ) cvs Yolo Wonder (higher resistance) and Luesia (lower resistance) after inoculation with Verticillium dahliae , the cause of vascular wilt. Accumulation of elemental sulphur (S⁰) was first detected 10 days after inoculation in Yolo Wonder (mean S⁰ level 7·3  µ g g⁻¹ DW), and 15 days after inoculation in Luesia (mean S⁰ level 3·3  µ g g⁻¹ DW). The maximum level was reached 21 days after inoculation in Yolo Wonder (14·1  µ g g⁻¹ DW). In control plants, elemental sulphur was not detected. SEM-EDX (scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis) indicated that the sulphur was not restricted to a specific location, but was dispersed throughout the vascular tissue. Sulphate levels showed a decline at the end of the experiment in inoculated plants, possibly related to the increase in sulphur levels seen in the two cultivars. The differences in sulphate levels between the two cultivars may be due to faster sulphate breakdown in cv. Yolo Wonder.     

棉花组织结构与黄萎病抗性的关系

 黄萎病严重危害棉花生产。本试验以温室种植31 个不同抗性的棉花品种为材料,通过对供试品种的组织结构研究,使用根系扫描法和石蜡切片法,了解棉花对黄萎病的抗性机制。结果如下:棉花根系的吸收根根长密度与相对病指呈显著正相关,相关系数为0. 923;抗病品种与耐病品种、感病品种的总长度、总投影面积、总表面积和吸收根根长密度差异显著,但耐病品种与感病品种的这4 个指标差异不显著。抗病材料根、茎的组织中薄层细胞密度大于感病材料,耐病品种根、茎的薄层细胞密度介于两者之间;抗病品种的根和茎的导管数最多,导管直径最小,其次是耐病品种,感病品种的根和茎中导管数最少,但是导管直径最大。棉花根系的吸收根根长密度,根和茎的薄层细胞密度,导管数可以作为对黄萎病抗性的检测指标。     

Role of co‐infection by Pectobacterium and Verticillium dahliae in the development of early dying and aerial stem rot of Russet Burbank potato

Potato early dying (PED) is a disease complex primarily caused by the fungus Verticillium dahliae. Pectolytic bacteria in the genus Pectobacterium can also cause PED symptoms as well as aerial stem rot (ASR) of potato. Both pathogens can be present in potato production settings, but it is not entirely clear if additive or synergistic interactions occur during co‐infection of potato. The objective of this study was to determine if co‐infection by V. dahliae and Pectobacterium results in greater PED or ASR severity using a greenhouse assay and quantitative real‐time PCR to quantify pathogen levels in planta. PED symptoms caused by Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum isolate Ec101 or V. dahliae isolate 653 alone included wilt, chlorosis and senescence and were nearly indistinguishable. Pectobacterium wasabiae isolate PwO405 caused ASR symptoms including water‐soaked lesions and necrosis. Greater Pectobacterium levels were detected in plants inoculated with PwO405 compared to Ec101, suggesting that ASR can result in high Pectobacterium populations in potato stems. Significant additive or synergistic effects were not observed following co‐inoculation with these strains of V. dahliae and Pectobacterium. However, infection coefficients of V. dahliae and Ec101 were higher and premature senescence was greater in plants co‐inoculated with both pathogens compared to either pathogen alone in both trials, and V. dahliae levels were greater in basal stems of plants co‐inoculated with either Pectobacterium isolate. Overall, these results indicate that although co‐infection by Pectobacterium and V. dahliae does not always result in significant additive or synergistic interactions in potato, co‐infection can increase PED severity.     

北疆棉花黄萎病发病率调查及土壤中黄萎病菌微菌核数量与种群类型分析

为了解北疆棉花黄萎病的发生情况及发病与土壤中黄萎病菌微菌核数量的关系和病原菌种群类型, 2021年对北疆石河子?奎屯?博乐等8市(县)棉田棉花黄萎病发病率?土壤中黄萎病菌的微菌核数量?菌株种群类型进行了抽样调查?结果表明, 北疆未发生棉花黄萎病的棉田占49.2%, 0%<发病率<5.0%的棉田占32.7%, 发病率≥5.0%的棉田占18%?与2013年?2015年相比, 2021年无病田率分别增加17.7和12.7百分点, 发病率≥5%的棉田分别减少15.7和21.6百分点?从棉田黄萎病发病率与土壤中微菌核数量的关系来看, 整体上北疆棉田棉花黄萎病发病率与微菌核数量相关性不显著(r=0.119 1); 分区域看, 石河子-沙湾片区?奎屯-乌苏片区?精河-博乐片区棉田黄萎病发病率与微菌核数量的相关系数分别为0.033 2?0.007 6?0.062 3, 均无显著相关性; 而呼图壁-玛纳斯片区棉田黄萎病发病率与微菌核数量的相关系数为0.635 7, 呈中度正相关?土壤中的黄萎病菌菌株以菌核型为主, 占57.9%, 菌丝型占23.2%, 中间型占18.9%?用特异性引物进行PCR检测表明, 土壤中黄萎病菌落叶型菌株占97.6%, 占绝对优势?本研究将为北疆棉区棉花黄萎病的综合防控提供理论依据?     

Verticillium longisporum and Fusarium solani: two new species in the complex of internal discoloration of horseradish roots

This study was conducted to determine the causal agent(s) of internal discoloration of horseradish roots. In 1999, 133 roots from 31 fields, and in 2000, 108 roots from nine fields, were assayed to determine the incidence and severity of internal discoloration of horseradish roots as well as the pathogen(s) associated with discoloured tissue. Verticillium dahliae , Verticillium longisporum and Fusarium solani were isolated from 14, 16 and 23% of roots in 1999, and from 24, 20 and 19% of roots in 2000, respectively. Verticillium longisporum on horseradish was identified for the first time. Pathogenicity tests of isolated microorganisms were conducted on horseradish in the glasshouse. In one experiment on the susceptible cultivar 1573, roots (sets) were inoculated by dipping the sets in a suspension of either V. dahliae microsclerotia, V. longisporum microsclerotia, or F. solani conidia and then grown in a soil mix over 5 months. Plants inoculated with any of the three species developed root discoloration similar to that observed in commercial fields. Internal root discoloration symptoms developed over a period of 5 months. For all three pathogens, severity of root discoloration was significantly higher after 5 months compared with 2 months from inoculation. In another experiment on cultivar 1590, tissue culture-generated seedlings and sets were planted in an infested soil mix with V. dahliae or V. longisporum and grown in the glasshouse. Plants developed root discoloration, as observed in the field. The pathogens were reisolated from inoculated plants in both experiments. No pathogen was isolated from the control plants in the experiments. The results of this study suggest that internal discoloration of horseradish roots is a disease complex caused by at least three fungal species.