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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