Risultati preliminari nel contenimento biologico del marciume radicale del pesco

Peach replanting is an important issue in Italian peach industry, characterized by a small average holding size and consequently by the difficulty to make a correct crop rotation. Recently, root rot has become one of the most important replanting-related peach disease. The fungus involved is Armillaria mellea, that occurs all over the world on a wide variety of forest and fruit trees in both hemispheres and in a range of climates. The fungus colonizes both living and dead tissue and can survive for decades in the soil. Possible biological tool to reduce the negative effect of A. mellea is the root colonization by an effective competitor. Such competitors may be found among species of Trichoderma, arbuscolar mycorrhizal fungi and actinomycetes, that have used in commercial biofertilizers. Another biological way to reduce re-planting diseases is the soil incorporation of plants with biocidal effect, that after their degradation produce chemical compounds harmful for the peach pathogens (this technique is called biofumigation). Among the species that have been studied, the most important are those belonging to the genus Brassica for the high concentration of glucosinolates that can be converted in isothiocyanates. From the research carried out by the Department of Colture Arboree (University of Bologna) along with the private advisory service of the Consorzio Agrario di Ravenna (Ravenna, Italy), although no direct effect of biofertilizers and biocide plants on A. mellea was found, however the use of the commercial biofertilizers Remedier (a mix of Trichoderma spp) and biocide extract of Brassica spp (Biofence) has promoted peach growth and nutrient uptake (i. e. P), with the final results of healthier trees.