Survival of Macrophomina phaseoli (Maubl.) Ashby on cucurbit roots

Summary Experiments on the survival ofM. phaseoli on cucurbit root pieces were carried out. The sclerotia ofM. phaseoli were almost unaffected by 10 months dry storage in the laboratory. Under dry to moderately moist soil conditions it survived for 2 months with little loss of viability. In wet soils however, the buried root pieces were colonized by other soil microorganisms which prevented the growth ofM. phaseoli.