Temperature is an important parameter for infection and plant desease development. In order to determine the influence of temperature on the severity of clubroot caused by Plasmodiophora brassicae in Pak choi Chinese cabbage plants, infection tests were carried out under temperatures set at 5ºC increments, from 10 to 40ºC. A reduction in severity of the disease was observed during the analysis of results in 28-day-old seedlings, at temperatures above 30ºC. The optimal temperature for disease development and crop growth were from 20 to 25ºC. It was observed that at this temperature range inoculated seedling presented 26% less dry matter than noninoculated seedlings, thus demonstrating a direct effect of clubroot on plant dry matter accumulation.
clubroot; soilborne pathogen
