Greenhouse Evaluation of Products That Induce Host Resistance for Control of Scab, Melanose, and Alternaria Brown Spot of Citrus.

Products that induce disease resistance in plants were evaluated on potted seedlings of rough lemon for citrus scab, caused by Elsinoe fawcettii; grapefruit for melanose, caused by Diaporthe citri; and Dancy tangerine for Alternaria brown spot caused by Alternaria alternata pv. citri. Plants were pruned to a single stem with mature leaves and treated at bud break or various times thereafter. New foliage was inoculated and subsequently evaluated for disease severity. Oxycom, Nutriphite, Messenger, Goemar H11, Serenade, ReZist, ProPhyt, Aliette, Actigard, and KeyPlex were evaluated and compared with benomyl or strobilurin fungicides as standards. Most products reduced disease severity compared with the untreated control, but were less effective than standard fungicides. The most generally effective products were ReZist and Actigard, those that contain or produce phosphorous acid (Aliette and Nutriphite), and a bacterial preparation (Serenade). Oxycom and Messenger controlled scab well in some tests. Products that induce host resistance may be useful for disease control in citrus in an integrated program with standard fungicides.

Influence of Environmental Factors on Severity of Citrus Scab and Melanose.

Citrus scab, caused by Elsinoe fawcettii, and melanose, caused by Diaporthe citri, produce external blemishes on citrus fruit, reducing acceptability of the fruit for the fresh market. In laboratory studies, rough lemon seedlings and grapefruit seedlings were inoculated with conidia of E. fawcettii and D. citri, respectively, and exposed to a range of temperatures and durations of leaf wetness. Scab was most severe at temperatures from 23.5 to 27°C and much less severe at 17, 20, 30, or 32°C. A leaf wetness duration of 4 h was sufficient for some infection, but 12 h of leaf wetness were needed for maximum infection with scab. Melanose was equally severe at 24 and 28°C, moderate at 20°C, and low at 32°C. Melanose infection was minimal with 4 h of leaf wetness, moderate with 8 to 16 h, and reached maximum levels at 24 h or more of leaf wetness. In field studies, grapefruit seedlings with new shoots were placed beneath trees weekly, and disease severity was evaluated in relation to environmental factors. Melanose severity increased sharply with an increase in total weekly rainfall, leaf wetness durations of greater than 80 h per week, and average temperatures above 22°C.