Previous PageTable Of ContentsNext Page

Biological control of Orobanche aegyptiaca in tomato

M. Hadj Seyed Hadi, F. Fazeli, M. Taghi Darzi and R. Shahmoradi

Islamic Azad University, Roodhen Branch, Iran (P.O.Box: 16765-131, Tehran, Iran). mrhshadi@yahoo.com

Abstract

Broomrapes are a chlorophyllous holoparasites of many economically important dicotyledonous crops. As weeds, they cause reductions in crop yield, adversely affect crop quality, and result in loss of cultivated land due to reduced crop alternatives. Few effective control measures exist for broomrapes. One of the most promising approaches is the use of biological control.

The aim of this investigation was evaluation of Fusarium solani effectiveness to broomrape control. This experiment was conducted in the spring of 2004 in factorial arrangement in frame of randomised complete blocks design in three replications in research fields of IA University of Roodhen. Treatments were broomrape control in three levels (Without removing of parasites, hand cutting and Fusarium solani) and three varieties (Petoearly CH, Early Urbana Y and Hybrid Petopride II). Each plots contains 4 rows and samples were taken from 2 middle rows. Individual plots size was 3 m wide by 4 m long. Tomato seed were planted in nursery and at 4- leaf stage, they transplanted. At this time, plant roots were inoculated by Fusarium solani. Orobanche seed was supplied by weed research department of PPDRI and planted in tomato root zone. Measured traits were stem fresh and dried weight, stem height and tomato yield.

Result of this investigation showed that stem length varied from 40 to 45 cm, the lowest was from the control plots (which orobanch was not removed in entire the growing season) and the highest was from plots under Fusarium solani treatment. Stem fresh weight was affected by hand cutting and highest stem fresh weight (60.889 g/plant) was recorded in plots under hand cutting treatment. Stem weight was not affected significantly by varieties, but highest stem weight was recorded in control plots (49g/plant).

Media summary

Orobanch aegyptiaca cause tomato yield reduction and its control is essential.

Key Words

Fusarium solani, Orobanch aegyptiaca, tomato, biological control

Introduction

Broomrapes are attack the roots of many dicotyledonous crops. They lack chlorophyll (Baccarini and Melandri 1967; Saghir et al. 1973) and obtain carbon, nutrients, and water through haustoria, which connect the parasites with the host vascular system. O. aegyptiaca occurs mainly in southeastern Europe, northeastern Africa, and the Middle East, in the former.

Broomrapes reduce the number of crop alternatives available to farmers. The presence of broomrape in a field may force farmers to plant a less economical, non-host crop or to leave the field fallow. For instance, many productive carrot and solanaceous vegetable growing areas had to be abandoned in Israel due to broomrape infestations and lack of other economically viable crop choices.

In USSR, O. aegyptiaca caused a 50% reduction in yield of watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Mansf.] (Panchenko 1974), 13 to 52% in muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.), and 15% in tomato (Kabulov and Tashpulatova 1974). Yield losses have also been reported in broad bean (Mesa-Garcia and Garcia-Torres 1982, 1984; Mesa-Garcia et al. 1984; Zaitoun et al. 1991), sunflower (Malykhin 1974; Shalom et al. 1988), tobacco (Emiroglu et al. 1987; Krishnamurthy et al. 1977), and tomato (Cordas 1973; Hodosy 1981). Although it is hard to make exact estimates of the above yield losses due to the difficulty in creating broomrape-free plots for comparison with infested plots, the potential for loss in crop yield due to broomrape infestations is never over estimated.

Control of Orobanch spp. remains the challenge to workers in the field of weed science because economic control measures are not yet available. Several attempts were made to control this parasite including the use of herbicides, synthetic germination, stimulation, crop rotation, nitrogenous fertilizers and soil solarization (Qasem and Kasrawi 1995).

Fungi such as Fusarium oxysporum var. orthoceras gave some control of O.aegyptiaca (Panchenko 1981) and O. cernua (Bedi and Donchev 1991). F. oxysporum, along with a complex of fungi, controlled O. ramose in tomato to some extent (Hodosy 1981). Addition, some researches have shown that Fusarium solani can diminishes development of Orobanch aegyptiaca.

Tomato is one of the most important vegetables in Iran and area under cultivation and yield of tomato is increasing. In 2003, the area under cultivation of tomato was 133000 hectare and its production was around 4200000 tons (Anonymous, 2003). Every year, about 10-15 percent yield loss is reported by broomrape. So determining the best method to control this parasite is very important. Thus, the aim of this investigation was evaluation of Fusarium solani effectiveness to broomrape control.

Methods

Field Experiment

Field study was carried out in the spring of 2004 at the Research Fields of IA University of Rudhen (35º 36´ N, 51º 48´ E and 1300 m mean sea level). The soil of the experimental plots was loamy in texture, rich in nitrogen, available phosphorus and medium in potassium with slightly alkaline in reaction (pH 7.7). Treatments were three levels of weed control (Without removing of parasites, hand cutting and Fusarium solani) and three usual tomato varieties in Iran (Petoearly CH, Early Urbana Y and Hybrid Petopride II).

This experiment was done in factorial experiment in frame of randomised complete blocks design in three replications. Plots were 3 x 4 m with 4 rows and final harvest were taken from two central rows (2m2). There was one row space between plots and 2 meters between replications. Other weeds (Except orobanch) controlled by hand. Plots were irrigated at 7 days intervals. Tomato seed were sown in the nursery and when seedlings reached to 15 cm height, they transplanted to the field at 80 x 40 cm spaces. Before planting, seedling roots were inoculated by Fusariem solani. This fungi was supplied by Talfigh Dane Co.(The first biological agent producer in Iran). Seed of Orobanch aegyptiaca was supplied by weed research department of PPDRI and planted in depth of seedling roots of tomato.

Data on phenological phase, plant height, fresh and dried weight of stem and leaf of tomato and fresh and dried weight of broomrape were recorded every 2 weeks and in each stage 2 plants were harvested per plot. Stem and leaf of tomato and stem of broomrape were dried in the oven (75 °C for 48 hr) in the laboratory of physiology of faculty of agriculture.

Statistical analysis

Data ware subjected to statistical analysis using ANOVA, a statistical package available from SAS. Means comparisons were done by Duncan multiple range tests at 5% level. Graphs were drawn by using Excel.

Results

Stem Length

The stem length varied from 40 to 45 cm, the lowest was from the control plots (which orobanch was not removed in entire the growing season) and the highest was from plots under Fusarium solani treatment. Between tomato varieties, PetprideII had highest stem length. Among treatments, here were no significant differences. While, varieties had significant differences (α = 5%) and PetoprideII was in the highest level of significance. But, other varieties (Petoearly CH and Early Urbana Y) had no differences.

Fresh and dried stem weight of tomato

Stem fresh weight was affected by hand cutting and highest stem fresh weight (60.889 g/plant) was recorded in plots under hand cutting treatment. But, two other treatments had no differences. Among varieties, PetoprideII by 58.889g/plant was in the first level of significance.

Highest stem dry weight was allocated to PetoprideII (10.191g/plant), while there were no significant differences recorded between varieties and treatments separately.

Fresh and dried weight of broomrape stem

Stem weight was not affected significantly by varieties, but highest stem weight was recorded in control plots (49g/plant) and after that in plots under Fusarium solani treatment (41.911g/plant).

Table2. Mean comparison of measured traits in tomato and broomrape.


Treatments

Tomato

Broomrape

Stem length

Fresh stem weight
(g/plant)

Dried stem weight
(g/plant)

Fresh stem weight
(g/plant)

Dried stem weight
(g/plant)

Varieties

         

Petoearly CH

40.66b

40.125b

7.491a

43.578a

13.112a

Early Urbana Y

40.88b

48.222b

9.7a

41.412a

11.58a

Hybrid Petopride II

43.83a

58.889a

10.191a

40.222a

11.02a

           

Controls

         

Control plot

40.05a

42.222b

7.506a

49a

15.226a

Hand cutting

40.33a

59.889a

7.902a

-

-

Fusarium solani

45a

45b

11.974a

37.33b

10.937b

As it is clear in the Fig1, Petopride II had highest yield and there were no differences between Early Urbana Y and Petoearly CH. Also Fusarium solani had no significant effect on broomrape control and tomato yield. Minbashi (2003) indicated that insignificant effect of Fusarium solani is related to antagonistic, climatic and edaphic factors.

References

Anonymous. (2003). Department of statistics and information, Ministry of Jihad-e-Agriculture, Tehran, Iran.

Baccarini A and Melandri BA (1967). Studies on Orobanche hederae physiology: pigments and CO2 fixation. Physiology Plant. 20, 245-250.

Bedi JS and Denchev N (1991). Results on mycoherbicide control of sunflower broomrape (Orabanche cernua Wall.) under glasshouse and field conditions. In ‘Proceedings of 5th International Symposium in Parasitic Weeds’, pp.76-82.

Cordas DI (1973). Effects of branched broomrape on tomato in California fields. Plant Disease Report 57, 926-27.

Emiroglu, Nemli Y, Küçüdِzden R (1987). The resistance of Aegean tobacco lines to broomrape (Orobanche ramosa L.) and the effect of that parasite on yield and quality. In ‘Proceedings of the 4th International Symposium Parasitic Flowering Plants.’ (Eds H Marburg, HC Weber, W Forstreuter) pp. 175-182, (Germany: Philipps-Universitنt).

Foy CL and Jacobsohn R (1989). Recent approaches for chemical control of broomrape. Review of Weed Science. 4, 123-152.

Hodosy S (1981). Biological control of broomrape, Orobanche ramosa, a tomato parasite. I. Occurence and adaptability of Fusarium species to control broomrape in Hungary. Zoldsegtermesztesi Kutato Intzel Bulletinje 14, 21-29.

Kabulov DT and Tashpulatova SZ (1974). The effects of Egyptian broomrape on tomato yields (in Russian). Nauchnye Trudy Samarkandski Gosudarstvennyi Universitet Imeni Navoi 207, 141-45.

Krishnamurthy GVG, Nagarajan K and Lal R (1977). Some studies on Orobanche cernua Loefl., a parasitic weed on tobacco in India. InWeed Sci. Conf. Workshop in India’, pp. 113-14.

Malykhin II (1974). The time to restore sunflower to its former place in the crop rotation (in Russian). Zernovya i Maslichnye Kul'Tury 10, 36-37.

Mesa-Garcia J and Garcia-Torres L (1982). Broomrape-faba bean competition. FABIS Newsletter 4, 36-38.

Mesa-Garcia J and Garcia-Torres L (1984). A competition index for Orobanche crenata Forsk. effects on Vicia faba (L.). Weed Research 24, 379-82.

Minbashi M (2000). Integrated management of broomrape (mechanical and biological) in tomato. Weed Research Department. 20 pp.

Minbashi M (2003). Orobanche, botany, biology and control methods. Weed Research Department.

Panchenko VP (1981). The biological protection of water melons and tomatoes from broomrape in Astrakhan province (in Russian). Doklady Vsesoyuznoi Akademii Sel'Skokhozyaistevennykh Nauk Imeni V. I. Lenina 8, 25-27.

Parker C and Riches CR (1993). Parasitic Weeds of the World: Biology and Control. Wallingford, UK:CAB International. 332 p.

Qasem JR and Kasrawi MA (1995). Variation of resistance to broomrape (Orobanche ramose) in tomatoes. Uphytica 81, 109-114.

Saghir AR, Foy CL, Hameed KM, Drake CR and Tolin SA (1973). Studies on the biology and control of Orobanche ramosa L. In ‘Proceedings of European Weed Research Council Symposium Parasitic Weeds’ pp. 106-116, Malta.

Sauerborn J (1991). The economic importance of the phytoparasites Orobanche and Striga. In’Proceedings, 5th International Symposium in Parasitic Weeds’ pp. 137-143.

Shalom NG, Jacobsohn R and Cohen Y (1988). Effect of broomrape (Orobanchaceae) on sunflower yield. Phytoparasitica 16, 375.

Zaitoun FMF, Al-Menoufi OA and Weber HC (1991). Loss assessment and forecasting work on plant diseases: 1. A new method for assessment of loss in Vicia faba through infection by Orobanche crenata. InProceedings of International Workshop in Orobanche Research (Eds K Wegmann, LJ Musselman) pp. 167-184, Tübingen, Germany, (Eberhard-Karls-Universitنt).

Previous PageTop Of PageNext Page