Effects of root inoculation and fungicide soil drenches on sclerotinia blight of coneflower

Greenhouse studies showed that root inoculation had significant effects on sclerotinia blight (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) of coneflower (Echinacea sp.). Seedling wilt and root rot symptoms caused by S. sclerotiorum were most severe when inoculum was placed in direct contact with seedling roots, and diminished as the distance of the inoculum from the roots increased. When colonized agar disks, colonized oat grains and sclerotia as inoculum sources were evaluated on E. angustifolia, grain inoculum was the most virulent and sclerotia the least. An in vitro bioassay was conducted, and a logistic dose-response model was developed for the fungicides benomyl, vinclozolin, iprodione and dicloran. The first three fungicides were further evaluated in greenhouse experiments. Benomyl was the most effective in controlling S. sclerotiorum in both bioassay and greenhouse evaluations. The same three fungicides were evaluated in two field experiments in Alberta, where all were effective in reducing disease incidence. Key words: Echinacea sp., Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, dose-response model