Effect of Soil Solarization and Fungicide Soil Drenches on Crater Disease of Wheat. Elize M. Smith, Small Grain Centre, Private Bag X29, Bethlehem 9700, Republic of South Africa. F. C. Wehner and J. M. Kotzé, Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, Republic of South Africa. Plant Dis. 68:582-584. Accepted for publication 12 January 1984. Copyright 1984 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/PD-68-582.

The development and yield of wheat growing in crater disease soil was enhanced significantly by tarping with clear polyethylene and by fumigation with methyl bromide. Soil drenching with copper oxychloride, fenarimol, and benomyl also controlled crater disease significantly but to a lesser degree than solarization and methyl bromide. Bipolaris sorokiniana, Fusarium culmorum, F. equiseti, Rhizoctonia solani, and Sclerotium rolfsii were associated with the wheat roots, but only B. sorokiniana was suppressed by some of the treatments, ie, solarization, methyl bromide, and procymidone. Application of the latter fungicide, however, did not result in enhanced plant growth.