PATHOGENIC FUNGI IN PEAT MOSS AND SOIL AND THEIR IMPACTION ON COVERED FARM VEGETAB¬LE CROPS

Abstract

Identification of pathogens and locating their inocul¬um source (S) are the first strategies toward successful disease management program the pretransplating seedl¬ing damping - off problem on vegetable crops was found to be caused by Pythium aphanidermatum and Rhizocto¬nia solani. Both fungi were isolated from peat (moss) for the first time in Iraq. In addition, considerable num¬ber of pathogenic fungi was found as contaminants in soil samples from Alrashidiah vegetable covered farming station. Among the isolated fungi were: Pythium apha¬nidermatum, Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium solani phialophora spp., Cephalisporium spp Rizopus stolonfier and Botrytis cine¬rea, in addition to several of other folair pathogens Econo¬mic important diseases such as vascular wilt, stem and root rots, blight and fruit rots were found to be caused by those fungi on tomato, cucumber, cucurbit, eggplant and pepper plants that were grown at Alrashidiah. The results suggest that chemical, physical and / or biological treatments should be urgently applied for profitable vegetable growing at this station.