The effect of water potential on soil-borne diseases of wheat seedlings

Under glasshouse conditions, Fusarium culmorum caused more injury to wheat seedlings in soil at 33% saturation (approximately – 1 bar) than at 66% (–0·1 bar). The same effect occurred with inoculated seeds raised on soil moisture tension tables at –0·1 and –0·5 bar, at 20° and at 15°C. In controls, spontaneous infection by soil-borne F. culmorum was unaffected by soil water potential. Inoculated F. nivale, at 127deg; and at 15°C, showed a similar, but smaller, effect to that with inoculated F. culmorum. Water potential in this range did not affect disease incidence with inoculated Gaeumannomyces graminis, but disease was more severe in the drier soil. On tension tables, seedlings did not consistently develop faster under wetter conditions, and factors other than host growth rate probably played a part in limiting fungal attack.