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  Aerobic Compost Tea, Compost, and a Combination of Both Reduce the Severity of Common Scab (Streptomyces scabiei) on Potato Tubers




Khalil I. Al-Mughrabi1, Claude Berthélémé2, Tim Livingston3, Amy Burgoyne4, René Poirier2 and Appanna Vikram1

Partner: Jolly Farmer Product Inc. and New Brunswick Soil and Crop Improvement Association.

Abstract: Field trials were conducted in Woodstock, New Brunswick, Canada to study the efficacy of compost tea and compost on reducing tuber diseases in potato. A randomized block design was established in a commercial field setting with four treatments (control, compost, compost tea, and compost + compost tea), each replicated four times. Tubers were assessed for disease severity, tuber number, tuber weight, defects, and total yield. Treatment of potato plants with compost, compost tea or a combination of compost + compost tea significantly reduced the severity of common scab tuber disease by 81%, 42%, and 81%, respectively, compared to the untreated control. Treatments were ineffective against the potato tuber diseases fusarium dry rot, black scurf and silver scurf. Potato plants treated with compost tea and a combination of compost + compost tea produced higher yield compared to all other treatments. However, the number and weight of knobby tubers were significantly higher in compost tea treatment, and significantly lower in the combined treatment of both compost + compost tea compared to the treatments. This is the first study to report on the effect of compost and compost tea against common scab of potatoes.




1New Brunswick Department of Agriculture and Aquaculture, Potato Development Centre, 39 Barker Lane, Wicklow, New Brunswick, Canada E7L 3S4
2New Brunswick Department of Agriculture and Aquaculture, Crop Development Branch, P.O. Box 6000, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada E3B 5H1
3Jolly Farmer Product Inc., 56 Crabbe Road, Northampton, New Brunswick, Canada E7N 1R6
4New Brunswick Soil & Crop Improvement Association, 16 Gilks Road, Maugerville, New Brunswick, Canada E3A 8N4

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