Development of Phytophthora cinnamomi Infection in Roots of Eucalypt Species Growing in a Soil That Suppresses Phytophthora Root Disease

Abstract

When Eucalyptus sieberi was grown in either a steamed or unsteamed krasnozem that suppressed Phytophthora cinnamomi root rot and repotted when either 6 or 12 weeks old in a larger container of inoculated sandy loam, seedling survival was significantly greater in the unsteamed treatments. By varying the treatments in the inner core soil and outer inoculum jacket, substituting a biologically inert coarse sand in place of the krasnozem in the core, and using eucalypt species of varying disease tolerance while maintaining very strict hygiene conditions throughout these experiments, it was possible to either demonstrate or deduce that: (a) the seedlings were killed when infection spread into the major roots, root collar and lower stem; (b) the microflora in the unsteamed krasnozem appeared to slow down the decay process within the root, possibly when the fungus was attempting to establish itself within the root; (c) the phenotypic resistance of a seedling to root disease depended, inter alia, on its genetic resistance and on the microflora in the surrounding soil; (d) once the fungus was established in the suberized tissues the microflora in the external environment had no influence on disease.