ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of swine manure (SM) doses applied to soils showing pH of 4.8 and 7.2 on the control of damping-off in beetroot seedlings caused by Rhizoctonia solani. To set the trial, plastic bags were filled with 4 kg soil (pH levels of 4.8 and 7.2) and 15 g R. solani inoculum kg soil-1. This mixture was moistened, homogenized and kept in a greenhouse for seven days. Following this period, SM doses (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20%) were incorporated into the bags, which were again stored in a greenhouse. After seven days, part of the soil from each plastic bag was separately placed into 16 cells of a 128-cell polystyrene tray, and two beetroot seeds were sown per cell. Seedling emergence and damping-off were evaluated for 21 consecutive days. The other part of the soil was used for microbial activity quantification based on the CO2 release method at 7, 14 and 21 days. The trial was conducted in a completely randomized design, with four replicates per treatment, and repeated twice. All tested SM doses reduced the number of damped-off beetroot seedlings in both trials, and the greatest disease control was provided by treatments that had SM doses of 15% and 20% applied to soil showing pH level of 7.2. In addition, regardless of the pH level, all tested SM doses increased soil microbial activity.
Keywords
soil borne pathogen; organic matter; Beta vulgaris
