The diversity of pathogenic fungi in the rhizosphere of pot-plants of different phytopathologic state

A. Stankeviciene, V. Snieskiene and V. Varkuleviciene

Kaunas Botanical Garden of VMU, Ž. E. Žilibero 6, LT 46324 Kaunas Lithuania;e-mail: a.stankeviciene@bs.vdu.lt

Abstract:

The mycological research works of two groups have shown that pathogenic fungi species, potentially dangerous for plants, from genera Fusarium (4 species), Pythium (5), Verticillium (4) and Thielaviopsis basicola functioned in the rhizosphere of 8% of healthy-looking plants and 76% of sick plants. After a long unfavourable treatment easily adapting plants were injured most slightly and plants of a hard adaptation group were injured most strongly.

Key words:

Pathogenic micromycete species functioning in the rhizosphere of sick pot-plants growing in peat substrate

A. Stankevičienė and J. Varkulevičienė

Kaunas Botanical Garden of Vytautas Magnus University, Ž. E. Žilibero 6, LT 46324,Kaunas, Lithuania; e-mail: a.stankeviciene@bs.vdu.lt

Abstract:

During 1994–2005 investigations were carried out on 53 taxa of ornamental pot-plants belonging to 26 cultivars, 48 species, 35 genera, and 15 families. From the rhizosphere of 43% plants kept under unfavourable growth conditions plant pathogens were isolated from the following genera: Fusarium (8 species), Pythium (6 species), Verticillium (5) and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Thielaviopsis basicola, Rhizoctonia solani. Simultaneously on each sick plant rhizosphere there functioned several species of pathogenic micromycetes: from Aechmea fasciata – Fusarium equiseti, F. oxysporum and Pythium irregulare; from Dieffenbachia seguine – Fusarium oxysporum, Pythium aristosporum, P. debaryanum, from Dracaena fragrans – Fusarium oxysporum and Pythium.irregulare; from Dracaena marginata – Fusarium oxysporum and Pythium flavoense; from Alocasia x amazonica – Fusarium oxysporum and Verticillium nubilum.

Key words:

plant pathogens, rhizosphere, sick pot-plants