Enkele waarnemingen over het opreden van de verwelkingsiekte bij luzerne in Zeeland in 1957

Summary Some observations have been made on lucerne wilt disease during the growing season in 1957, and in experimental inoculation tests in a glasshouse in 1958. In the province of Zeeland the disease does harm to the crop and prevents many farmers from keeping their crops longer than two years.In a survey data have been collected on soil type, preceding crops, green manuring and manuring with stable dung, pH, structure and weeds. No correlations between these factors and the degree of attack by the disease could be proved, except that on heavy soils the disease was less severe than on lighter soils (as a mean of all observations).Development of the disease is facilitated by damage caused by mechanical equipment to the crop. Damage to the crown of the plants should be avoided as much as possible. The disease is distributed extensively after frequent mowing. On attacked leaves left behind on the mowed stalks, and on decayed leaves dropped to the soil, masses of spores ofVerticillium albo-atrum are produced, which form a potential source of infection in a weakened crop.It seems that the disease is more air-borne than soil-borne, since one year old crops are seldom attacked.From attacked lucerne plants in the field the following fungi have been isolated:Verticillium albo-atrum Reinke & Berth.,Gliocladium roseum Bain andFusarium avenaceum (Fr.) Sacc. (table 1).Isolations have been made from 50 different species of weeds, out of which the following fungi were obtained:Verticillium albo-atrum Reinke & Berth. fromCapsella bursa-pastoris Med. andPlantago major L.,V. dahliae Kleb. fromPrunella vulgaris L.,Capsella bursa-pastoris Med. andThlaspi arvense L., andV. lecanii (Zimm.) Viegas fromPlantago major L.In inoculation experiments with all these isolates, in roots, stalks and on cut plants of lucerne, onlyV. albo-atrum, both from lucerne and weeds, andV. lecanii proved to be able to cause wilting of leaves and stalks. WithGliocladium, Fusarium andVerticillium dahliae no such symptoms could be obtained. The results were the same whatever method of inoculation was used.