Effect of herbicides on rhizoctonia root and crown rot disease in glyphosate-resistant sugarbeet.

摘要

Glyphosate-resistant sugarbeet cultivars are widely planted in the United States due to the ease of weed management. Previous studies have suggested that host plant resistance to Rhizoctonia root and crown rot (RRCR) was compromised in glyphosate-resistant sugarbeet following glyphosate application. Field and greenhouse studies were conducted to evaluate the interaction between glyphosate-resistant sugarbeet and herbicides (glyphosate, phenmedipham plus desmedipham, trisulfuron-methyl and clopyralid) on RRCR disease. Herbicides were applied at the recommended field rate on Rhizoctonia-susceptible and Rhizoctonia-tolerant glyphosate-resistant sugarbeet cultivars grown in soil inoculated with Rhizoctonia solani (isolate AG-2-2). Quadris fungicide was an additional treatment included only in the field study. Herbicides had no effect on RRCR disease, yield, or recoverable sucrose under field conditions. However, herbicides significantly increased RRCR disease compared to the no-herbicide treatment in the greenhouse. No significant herbicide by cultivar interaction was detected in either the field or greenhouse studies with respect to RRCR disease, which implies that cultivars responded similarly to the various herbicides. Quadris fungicide application was highly effective in controlling RRCR disease in the field under low or high disease pressure. Disease resistance level of cultivars was masked by fungicide. Without fungicide, host plant resistance was much more important for RRCR management. Field and greenhouse results indicated that host plant resistance of glyphosate-resistant sugarbeet was not changed with herbicide. Response of Rhizoctonia-tolerant or -susceptible sugarbeet was similar to herbicide treatments. Timing of glyphosate application relative to inoculation had no significant effect on RRCR disease. Laboratory experiments indicated that the response of a range of R. solani isolates to increasing concentrations of glyphosate was hormetic with mycelial growth stimulated at sub-lethal concentrations of glyphosate but growth was inhibited if glyphosate concentration in the growth media was ≥3.5microg per ml. However, the in-vitro result was not validated with either a soil incubation laboratory experiment or field study. Hence, accurate interpretation of direct effect of glyphosate on inoculum potential in the field cannot be ascertained at this point. Herbicide-fungal disease interaction cannot be completely ruled out, but further studies are necessary to fully understand the interactions. Recommendations may be given to growers with a long history of RRCR disease to choose cultivars tolerant to R. solani and couple the positive effect of host plant resistance with fungicide application.