The importance of both seed and soil-borne inoculum in the epidemiology of common scab disease under Australian conditions was clearly demonstrated. In field trials the severity of disease in harvested potatoes was directly related to the severity of disease on the planted seed tubers. Chemical seed dressing treatments were assessed for common scab disease control under field conditions in four trials over 5 years. Where seed treatments were applied to both diseased and visibly clean seed pieces significantly more disease was found in tubers harvested from diseased seed than the corresponding clean seed treatment. In all but one trial, the treatments applied to diseased seed significantly reduced the incidence of common scab. Fluazinam, flusulfamide (at elevated rates), fenpiclonil, pentachloronitrobezene and mancozeb seed treatments were particularly effective as seed dressing treatments. Applications to visibly clean seed failed to significantly diminish disease levels below that found on untreated seed. Preliminary investigations of some chemical soil treatments gave disappointing levels of control.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Research Division:	Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences
Research Group:	Horticultural Production
Research Field:	Horticultural Crop Protection (Pests, Diseases and Weeds)
Objective Division:	Plant Production and Plant Primary Products
Objective Group:	Horticultural Crops
Objective Field:	Vegetables
UTAS Author:	Wilson, CR (Professor Calum Wilson)
ID Code:	16920
Year Published:	1999
Web of Science® Times Cited:	42
Deposited By:	Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture
Deposited On:	1999-08-01
Last Modified:	2000-05-16
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