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Effect of nitrogen supply rate on disease resistance in tomato depends on the pathogen

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of tissue nitrogen concentration, as a consequence of nitrogen supply rate, on the susceptibility of tomato plants to three pathogens. We varied tissue N concentration by supplying N at different rates by adding nitrate in different, exponentially increasing amounts to the nutrient solution on which the tomato plants were grown. Separate experiments were carried out to test susceptibility of tomato plants to the bacterial speck-causing Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato, to the wilt agent Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici and to tomato powdery mildew caused by Oidium lycopersicum. The effect of tissue N concentration appeared to be highly pathogen-dependent: there was no effect on susceptibility to F. oxysporum, but susceptibility to P. syringae and O. lycopersicum increased significantly with increasing N concentration. We have previously demonstrated the opposite for susceptibility to Botrytis cinerea: decreasing susceptibility with increasing N concentration. The apparent contradictory effects are discussed in relation to the effect of N supply on both the nutritional value of the plant tissue to the pathogen and on the concentration of resistance-related compounds. We conclude that the effect of changing both characteristics on disease susceptibility is highly pathogen-specific and is probably dependent on differences in resource requirements of the pathogen or the sensitivity of the pathogen to plant resistance reactions or on both these factors.

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Author notes

  1. Ellis Hoffland

    Present address: Laboratory of Soil Science and Geology, P.O. Box 37, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands

  2. Michael J. Jeger

    Present address: Department of Agriculture and Horticulture, Wye College, University of London, Wye, Ashford, Kent, TN25 5AH, United Kingdom

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Netherlands Sub-department of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 8005, 6700 EC, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Ellis Hoffland & Marinus L. van Beusichem

  2. Laboratory of Phytopathology, P.O. Box 8025, 6700 EE, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Michael J. Jeger

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  1. Ellis Hoffland
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  2. Michael J. Jeger
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  3. Marinus L. van Beusichem
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Hoffland, E., Jeger, M.J. & van Beusichem, M.L. Effect of nitrogen supply rate on disease resistance in tomato depends on the pathogen. Plant and Soil 218, 239–247 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014960507981

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