Biofumigation with Brassica plants and its effect on the inoculum potential of Fusarium yellows of Brassica crops

The use of Brassica crops as green manure in the so-called biofumigation treatment has been successfully exploited for the management of soilborne pathogens and is gaining interest particularly in the case of less intensive agricultural systems. A study was undertaken to investigate possible negative side-effects of biofumigation in order to prevent possible damage caused by wilt pathogens able to attack both plants used for biofumigation as well as agricultural crops. To do so, firstly the response of different Brassicas, including some used in biofumigation, to the formae speciales of Fusarium oxysporum known for being pathogenic on Brassica crops was evaluated. Secondly, the effect of green manure treatments on yield, quality of crops, and inoculum densities, infection and survival of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. conglutinans and F. oxysporum f. sp. raphani was evaluated. In the second part of the work, four Brassica crops, selected for their response (susceptibility or resistance) to F. oxysporum f. sp. conglutinans and to F. oxysporum f. sp. raphani were evaluated in order to determine their response to the two pathogens during subsequent crops grown in soil where plants were incorporated as green manure into the soil at the end of each cycle. Moreover, the dynamics of the populations of F. oxysporum f. sp. conglutinans and F. oxysporum f. sp. raphani in the soil after several biofumigation cycles was studied. Many of the Brassica crops used for biofumigation tested were susceptible to F. oxysporum f. sp. conglutinans and or to F. oxysporum f. sp. raphani. Green manure treatment, carried out by growing nine cycles of biocidal plants, with a short crop cycle of 30–35 days, did not reduce Fusarium wilts on susceptible Brassica hosts. The population of the pathogen was partially increased as a result of the incorporation of tissues of the susceptible plants. When Brassica crops grown were resistant to the two F. oxysporum pathogens used for soil infestation, green manure simulation did inhibit both pathogens, thus confirming its biocidal activity. The results obtained under our experimental conditions show that biofumigation treatment is not applicable for soil disinfestation on crops susceptible to the same formae speciales of F. oxysporum affecting Brassica species used for biofumigation. Brassica crops resistant to Fusarium yellows should be grown where biofumigation is applied. Moreover, alternation of crops used for biofumigation should be encouraged.