THE EFFECT OF PHOSPHATE DEFICIENCIES ON INFECTION OF WHEAT BY FUSARIUM CULMORUM
The influence of phosphate deficiencies on infection of wheat by Fusarium culmorum (W. G. Sm.) Sacc. was studied. Marquis wheat was grown in pot cultures of quartz sand with different types of manuring, including a fully manured control, and four series having deficiencies of phosphate. One-half of the pots were inoculated with F. culmorum and sown with inoculated seed, the remainder served as uninoculated controls. The plants were grown for 36 days. The experimental data were treated by the analysis of variance method.Under the conditions of the experiment, deficiencies in phosphate did not significantly increase or decrease the susceptibility of wheat plants to root rot caused by F. culmorum. On the other hand, deficiencies in phosphate significantly reduced root development and total dry weight of the plants. The results suggest that the effect of phosphatic fertilizers is much more important on plant growth and yield than on the severity of infection by F. culmorum.