Subproject 5
Effects of catch crops on club root

Participants
John Larsen and Birgit Jensen, Danish Institute of Agricultual Sciences, Årslev.

Emails: John.Larsen@agrsci.dk, Birgit.Jensen@agrsci.dk

Background

Cruciferous plants are popular as catch crops as they efficiently counteract nutrient leaching due to their dense and deep root system. On the other hand, one-sided cultivation of cruciferous catch crops can result in an increase in the inoculum potential of club root, which is a disease caused by the pathogen Plasmodiophora brassica. Club root is a serious disease in cruciferous crops, such as rape and cabbage crops. The objectives of this project are to screen for resistance of potential or used cruciferous catch crops against club root and to examine whether use of cruciferous catch crops with low club root susceptibility can lead to an increase in the soil inoculum potential of P. brassica. Green house pot experiments are being performed using club root infested soil as P. brassica inoculum and field experiments are conducted in club root infested filed sites. Preliminary results show great differences in susceptibility against club root between different cruciferous plants. On going experiments are going to clarify to what extent the use of cruciferous catch crops result in an increased soil inoculum potential of P. brassica.

Non-scientific publications

Larsen J og Jensen B. Kålbrok, Grøn Viden (ultimo 2003)

Larsen J og Jensen B. Kålbrok modtagelighed i korsblomstrede efterafgrøder. Frugt og Grønt (ultimo 2003)

International reviewed publications

Larsen J and Jensen B. Screening of cruciferous catch crops for susceptibility against club root using arachadonic acid to quantify Plasmodiophora brassica in roots. European Journal of Plant Pathology (ultimo 2003)