Abstract
THE importance of inoculum potential of a pathogen in overcoming host resistance and causing infection is now well recognized1. This is particularly so with root-infecting fungi which have to overcome not only host resistance but also competition from soil saprophytes. As pointed out by Sanford2, “The importance to disease incidence of serious competition between the pathogen and saprophytes associated in general soil habitat or in the rhizosphere seems to be undetermined”. A fungus like Fusarium oxy-sporum f. vasinfectum (Atk.) Snyd. and Hans., having a high degree of competitive saprophytic ability3, can be expected to build up sufficient inoculum in soil by colonizing saprophytic substrates. Whether such a change in its inoculum, potential will cause any alteration in its infective capacity is not understood. A study of infective behaviour of the fungus with changes in inoculum potential was therefore undertaken by us.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Garrett, S. D., Plant Pathology, edit. by Horsfall, J. G., and Dimond, A. E., 3, 23 (Academic Press, New York, 1960).
Sanford, G. B., in Plant Pathology—Problems and Progress, 367 (Univ. Wisconsin Press, 1959).
Rao, A. S., Trans. Brit. Mycol. Soc., 42, 97 (1959).
Garrett, S. D., Biology of Root-infecting Fungi (Cambridge, 1956).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
RAO, A., RAO, M. Inoculum Potential and the Fusarial Wilt of Cotton. Nature 200, 598–599 (1963). https://doi.org/10.1038/200598a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/200598a0
This article is cited by
-
Influence of Hyphal Inoculum potential on the Competitive Success of Fungi Colonizing Wood
Microbial Ecology (2015)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.
