Relationships of the Clover Root Curculio, <i>Fusarium</i> Wilt, and Bacterial Wilt in Alfalfa¹

Abstract

Alfalfa, Medicago saliva L., plants were exposed to larvae of the clover root curculio, Sitona hispidula (F.), the Fusarium wilt fungus, Fusarium oxysporum Schlecht. f. sp. medicaginis (Weimer) Snyd. &amp; Hans., and the bacterial wilt organism, Corynebacterium insidiosum (McCull.) H. L. Jens., in factorial combinations in two greenhouse experiments. S. hispidula and F. oxysporum significantly reduced the growth of alfalfa plants. A higher level of Fusarium wilt was observed when S. hispidula was present than when it was absent. C. insidiosum did not reduce growth of alfalfa. No relation between effects of S. hispidula and C. insidiosum was detected.