Effect of soil treatments in the development of strategies for the control of kiwifruit wood decay.

The effect of different soil treatments, including i) commercial formulations of Trichoderma harzianum strain T22 (Rootshield), ii) a mixture of bacteria and fungi (Ekoprop) and iii) silicon, on physiological and morphological parameters of potted kiwifruit plants artificially inoculated with Fomitiporia mediterranea (Fom) and Phaeoacremonium aleophilum (Pal), has been investigated in an experiment performed in 2005 and 2006. Glucanase and chitinase activity of leaf proteins, shoot dry weight, leaf chlorophyll content and root apparatus development have been detected. Glucanase activity, determined in 2006, was increased by Ekoprop and Rootshield, Fom inoculation, Rootshield + Pal inoculation in July and by all treatments + Fom, except for silicon in April, and reduced by silicon treatment applied singly. Chitinase activity, detected in 2006, was increased by all single treatments and inoculations, by Rootshield + Pal in April, by silicon + Pal in June and by Rootshield + Fom in April. In 2005, all treatments increased shoot dry weight, whereas silicon caused a slightly decrease in 2006. In general, the chlorophyll content was not influenced by biological treatments, while the root apparatus was enhanced by the treatments.