Mineral nutrition of host plants is known to influence the severity of numerous plant diseases, but little information is available on relationships of mineral elements to brown rot and scab in plum trees. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of nitrogen and potassium, applied to the soil, on brown rot and severity of scab in plum cv. 'Reubennel' during three crop years in a commercial orchard located in Araucária, Paraná State, Brazil. The treatments were five rates of nitrogen (40, 80, 120, 160 and 200 kg ha-1year-1) applied as urea, and two rates of potassium (55 and 110 kg ha-1year-1) applied as potassium chloride. The incidence of brown rot was evaluated in all fruits on the trees. Incidence of scab was estimated using 100 arbitrarily chosen fruits, and 20 fruits were used to assess scab severity. Incidence of brown rot was higher when K was at 110 kg ha-1year-1 and when N was applied at 160 and 200 kg ha-1 year-1 compared to the other levels tested. Potassium applied at 110 kg ha-1 year-1 reduced the severity of fruit scab by 21.2% in 2003-2004. In contrast, the higher rates of N increased scab severity during 2004-2005. No difference in scab incidence was found in response to the nitrogen treatments. No interaction was found between the effects of the nitrogen and potassium levels in incidence or severity on scab and brown rot.
Prunus salicina; Monilinia fructicola; Cladosporium carpophilum; nutrition
