Skip to main content

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Plant Sci.
Sec. Plant Pathogen Interactions
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1437702

Application of Asteraceae Biomass and Biofertilizers to Improve Potato Crop Health by Controlling Black Scurf Disease

Provisionally accepted
Muhammad Rafiq Muhammad Rafiq 1*Amna Shoaib Amna Shoaib 2*Arshad Javaid Arshad Javaid 2*Shagufa Parveen Shagufa Parveen 2*Muhammad Ahmad A. Hassan Muhammad Ahmad A. Hassan 3*Hafiz H. Nawaz Hafiz H. Nawaz 4*Chunsong Cheng Chunsong Cheng 1*
  • 1 Lushan Botanical Garden (CAS), Jiujiang, China
  • 2 University of the Punjab, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
  • 3 Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Hefei, Anhui Province, China
  • 4 Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivation in Pakistan faces challenges, with black scurf disease caused by Rhizoctonia solani Kühn being a significant concern. Conventional methods like chemical fungicides partially control it, but an effective solution is lacking. This study explores the potential of biofertilizers and soil amendments from Asteraceae weed biomass to manage the disease. Two potato varieties, Karoda and Sante, were chosen, and two biofertilizers, Fertibio and Feng Shou, were tested alone or with Xanthium strumarium biomass. Disease pressure was highest in the positive control, with significant reduction by chemical fungicide. X. strumarium biomass also decreased disease incidence significantly. Fertibio showed better efficacy than Feng Shou.Physiological and biochemical attributes of plants improved with biofertilizer and biomass application. Tuber weight, photosynthetic pigments, total protein content, and antioxidant enzymes (CAT, POX, and PPO) were positively correlated. Combined application of Fertibio and X. strumariumS. marianum biomass effectively managed black scurf disease. These eco-friendly alternatives could enhance disease management and yield. Future research should explore their cost-effectiveness, commercialization, and safety.

    Keywords: sustainable agriculture, biofertilizers, weeds, Disease management Font: Italic, Complex Script Font: Italic Font: Italic, Complex Script Font: Italic

    Received: 24 May 2024; Accepted: 22 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Rafiq, Shoaib, Javaid, Parveen, Hassan, Nawaz and Cheng. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Muhammad Rafiq, Lushan Botanical Garden (CAS), Jiujiang, China
    Amna Shoaib, University of the Punjab, Lahore, 54590, Punjab, Pakistan
    Arshad Javaid, University of the Punjab, Lahore, 54590, Punjab, Pakistan
    Shagufa Parveen, University of the Punjab, Lahore, 54590, Punjab, Pakistan
    Muhammad Ahmad A. Hassan, Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Hefei, Anhui Province, China
    Hafiz H. Nawaz, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, 39100, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy
    Chunsong Cheng, Lushan Botanical Garden (CAS), Jiujiang, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.