VIEW ARTICLE

Ecology and Epidemiology

Survival and Colonization Potential of Fusarium moniliforme var. subglutinans in Soil. H. A. Bolkan, Associate professor, Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Universidade de Brasilia, Brasilia DF, 70.910 Brazil; J. C. Dianese(2), and F. P. Cupertino(3). (2)(3)Associate professors, Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Universidade de Brasilia, Brasilia DF, 70.910 Brazil. Phytopathology 69:1298-1301. Accepted for publication 23 June 1979. Copyright 1979 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-69-1298.

Conidia of Fusarium moniliforme var. subglutinans were short-lived in soil in the absence of host tissues; they survived 6–13 wk depending on soil moisture and incubation temperature. However, conidia colonized sterilized pineapple stem and leaf segments that were previously mixed in soil of 10% moisture content, which enabled the fungus to survive at least 12 mo. In general, free conidia survived better in air-dried soil than in soil adjusted to 10, 25, or 35% moisture content and survived better at soil temperatures of 4 and 18 C than at 25 and 30 C. F. moniliforme var. subglutinans also colonized sterilized dead stem segments of corn, bean, and soybean, which indicates that the fungus exists mainly by colonizing plant tissues and less frequently as conidia in a field.