Effects of growing leafy daikon (Raphanus sativus) on populations of Plasmodiophora brassicae (clubroot)

Abstract

Control of some soilborne pathogens may be achieved by use of decoy or catch crops. These stimulate the germination of resting spores, resulting in limited expression of disease symptoms. Results achieved using this approach are reported here using leafy daikon (radish, Raphanus sativus var. longipinnatus) for control of Plasmodiophora brassicae, the cause of clubroot disease of Brassicaceae. Disease indices of Chinese cabbage plants grown in pots that had previously contained leafy daikon were lower compared with pots where no plants had been grown before (control pots). Numbers of resting spores of P. brassicae in soil in pots after cultivation with leafy daikon were reduced by 71% compared with control pots when resting spores were recovered and counted directly. In a field experiment, numbers of resting spores were reduced by 94% compared with the start of the experiment when leafy daikon was grown in advance of Chinese cabbage, but there was no reduction in disease severity in the Chinese cabbage. Plasmodiophora brassicae infected the root hairs of leafy daikon and those of Chinese cabbage, but no clubs were found on leafy daikon roots. The results from pot trials indicate that leafy daikon may be useful as a decoy crop for the control of clubroot disease in field crops.