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Epidemiology of root rot caused by Leptosphaeria maculans in Brassica napus crops

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Abstract

The infection of above-ground tissues of Brassica napus by Leptosphaeria maculans is well understood. However, root infection (root rot) under field conditions, the development of root rot over time and its relationship to other disease symptoms caused by L. maculans has not been described. A survey of B. napus crops was conducted in Australia to investigate the incidence and severity of root rot. Additionally, the pathway of root infection was examined in field experiments. Root rot was present in 95% of the 127 crops surveyed. The severity and incidence of root rot was significantly correlated with that of crown canker; however, the strength of this relationship was dependent on the season. Root rot symptoms appeared before flowering and increased in severity during flowering and at maturity, a pattern similar to crown canker suggesting that the infection of the root is an extension of the crown canker phase of the L. maculans lifecycle. All isolates of L. maculans tested in glasshouse experiments caused root rot and crown canker in B. napus and Brassica juncea. In the field, the main pathway of root infection is via invasion of cotyledons or leaves by airborne ascospores, rather than from inoculum in the soil. Root rot was present in crops in fields that had never been sown to B. napus previously, in plants grown in fumigated fields, and in glasshouse-grown plants inoculated in the hypocotyl with L. maculans.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Australian Grains Research and Development Corporation. We acknowledge the assistance of Chris Duff, John Sykes, Geoff Pitson and Greg Condon for the collection of B. napus plants for the survey and John Graham (CSIRO Plant Industry) for data collection. We also acknowledge the statistical advice provided by Alec Zwart (CSIRO Plant Industry).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Botany, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia

    Susan J. Sprague & Barbara J. Howlett

  2. CSIRO Plant Industry, GPO Box 1600, Canberra, ACT, 2602, Australia

    Susan J. Sprague & John A. Kirkegaard

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  1. Susan J. Sprague
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  2. Barbara J. Howlett
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  3. John A. Kirkegaard
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Correspondence to Susan J. Sprague.

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Sprague, S.J., Howlett, B.J. & Kirkegaard, J.A. Epidemiology of root rot caused by Leptosphaeria maculans in Brassica napus crops. Eur J Plant Pathol 125, 189–202 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-009-9470-y

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