VIEW ARTICLE

Ecology and Epidemiology

Relative Collection Efficiency of Rotorod and Burkard Spore Samplers for Airborne Venturia inaequalis Ascospores. Donald E. Aylor, Department of Plant Pathology and Ecology, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, P.O. Box 1106, New Haven 06504; Phytopathology 83:1116-1119. Accepted for publication 9 July 1993. Copyright 1993 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-83-1116.

Rotorod spore samplers and a Burkard volumetric spore sampler were placed next to each other in an orchard and used to simultaneously collect Venturia inaequalis ascospores naturally discharged during rain. In addition, these spore samplers were operated next to each other inside a closed room in which V. inaequalis ascospores were released via the exhaust of a spore-release tower. These data were used to determine the relative collection efficiency of the two types of samplers for airborne V. inaequalis ascospores. In the relatively still air of the laboratory, E_Rotorod was ~0.24 E_Burkard. In the field, E_Rotorod was ~0.37 E_Burkard. A large part of this difference between the findings in the field and laboratory can be explained by the effects of wind on collection efficiency of the samplers.