Recovery of Olive Trees with Verticillium Wilt After Individual Application of Soil Solarization in Established Olive Orchards

Abstract

Evidence was obtained suggesting that olive trees with Verticillium wilt (caused by Verticillium dahliae) could be recovered after soil solarization of individual 10- to 15-yr-old trees. Rate of recovery of trees in solarized soil significantly exceeded natural recovery of untreated control trees and was attributed to the lack of root reinfection. Microsclerotia of V. dahliae were nearly eliminated in the soil around treated trees, whereas propagules of Talaromyces flavus, a known antagonist of V. dahliae, not only survived solarization but also increased in treated soil, compared with untreated control soils (...)