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Evaluation of non-chemical seed treatment methods for control of Alternaria brassicicola on cabbage seeds

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Abstract

Due to the lack of foliar fungicide use, the organic production of Brassica seeds free of Alternaria spp. is difficult. Therefore, effective seed treatments certified for use in organic farming are needed to eradicate or at least effectively reduce the seed-borne inoculum. We here report results of greenhouse and field experiments in which non-chemical seed treatments were tested for control of A. brassicicola on cabbage seeds naturally infested with the pathogen. In greenhouse experiments, significant improvements were obtained by seed treatment with some commercialised and experimental microbial biocontrol agents, an emulsion of thyme oil in water (0.1%) and by the tested physical seed treatments methods (i.e. hot water, aerated steam and electron seed treatment). Resistance inducers tended to increase the percentage of healthy plants, but the effects were statistically not significant. Generally the combination of physical treatments with the effective agents did not result in improved performance. Positive effects on crop establishment and yield by the same treatments were also observed in field tests. Overall the results indicate that several options for non-chemical control of A. brassicicola on Brassica seeds exist that are comparable in efficacy to the chemical standard Aatiram (active ingredient thiram) used in this study.

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Author notes

  1. Tahsein Amein

    Present address: Dept of Plant Biology and Forest Genetics, Swedish University of Agricultural Science (SLU), Box 7080 SE, 750 07, Uppsala, Sweden

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept of Cell and Molecular Biology, Box 462, 405 30, Göteborg, Sweden

    Tahsein Amein

  2. Dipartimento di Scienze Animali, Vegetali e dell’Ambiente, Università degli Studi del Molise, Via F. De Sanctis snc, 86100, Campobasso, Italy

    Sandra A. I. Wright

  3. Jordbruksverket, Växtskyddscentralen i Alnarp, Box 12, 23053, Alnarp, Sweden

    Mariann Wikström

  4. JKI, Institute for Biological Control, Heinrichstrasse 243, 64287, Darmstadt, Germany

    Eckhard Koch, Annegret Schmitt & Dietrich Stephan

  5. JKI, Institute for Strategies and Technology Assessment in Plant Protection, Stahnsdorfer Damm 81, 14532, Kleinmachnow, Germany

    Marga Jahn

  6. Centre of Competence for the Innovation in the Agro-Environmental Sector (AGROINNOVA), University of Torino, Via L. da Vinci 44, 10095, Grugliasco, Italy

    Federico Tinivella & M. Lodovica Gullino

  7. Seedgard AB, Svalövsvägen 3, 75651, Uppsala, Sweden

    Gustaf Forsberg

  8. Hild Samen GmbH, Kirchenweinbergstr. 115, 71672, Marbach am Neckar, Germany

    Sigrid Werner

  9. Plant Research International, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, NL-6708, PB Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Jan van der Wolf & Steven P. C. Groot

Authors
  1. Tahsein Amein
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  2. Sandra A. I. Wright
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  3. Mariann Wikström
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  4. Eckhard Koch
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  5. Annegret Schmitt
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  6. Dietrich Stephan
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  7. Marga Jahn
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  8. Federico Tinivella
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  9. M. Lodovica Gullino
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  10. Gustaf Forsberg
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  11. Sigrid Werner
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  12. Jan van der Wolf
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  13. Steven P. C. Groot
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Correspondence to Tahsein Amein.

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Amein, T., Wright, S.A.I., Wikström, M. et al. Evaluation of non-chemical seed treatment methods for control of Alternaria brassicicola on cabbage seeds. J Plant Dis Prot 118, 214–221 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03356406

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03356406

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