New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science abstracts

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Effects of cessation of irrigation and time of lifting of tubers on bacterial soft rot of calla (Zantedeschia spp.) tubers

P. J. Wright

New Zealand Institute for Crop & Food
 Research Limited
Cronin Road, RD1
Pukekohe, New Zealand
email: wrightp@crop.cri.nz

G. K. Burge

New Zealand Institute for Crop & Food
 Research Limited
Private Bag 11 600
Palmerston North, New Zealand

C. M. Triggs

Department of Statistics
University of Auckland
Private Bag 92 019
Auckland, New Zealand

Abstract   The incidence and severity of bacterial soft rot of calla (Zantedeschia spp.) tubers at harvest were affected by the time that irrigation ceased and the time when tubers were lifted from the ground. The longer that tubers were left in the ground after the onset of foliage senescence, the greater the levels of soft rot. When irrigation was terminated early, foliage senescence occurred more rapidly than when irrigation was terminated later. Early cessation of irrigation reduced the incidence and severity of tuber rots at lifting without greatly affecting tuber size. Early lifting of tubers reduced the incidence of rots but also reduced tuber yield because tubers were still actively growing.

Keywords   Zantedeschia spp.; calla; soft rot; Erwinia carotovora; cultural control; irrigation; tuber harvest

H02047 Received 9 July 2002; accepted 5 September 2002; published 9 December 2002
New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science, 2002, Vol. 30: 265-272
0014-0671/02/3004-0265 $7.00 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2002

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