Thermal inactivation of Phytophthora capsici oospores.

BACKGROUND Phytophthora capsici is a major fungal plant pathogen that causes root and crown rot of pepper crops and its oospores are the most resistant propagules. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effect of different temperature regimes and exposure times on the survival of P. capsici oospores. METHODS Thermal inactivation treatments simulated field conditions, through the use of different constant and cycling temperature regimes, in moistened sterilized soil (15-53 °C) and sterilized water (45-53 °C). The plasmolysis method evaluated oospore viability. Relationships between oospores viability and exposure time were statistically determined by linear regression. Interpolation was used to calculate the estimated times required to kill a determined percentage of the population. RESULTS The required time to reduce P. capsici oospores viability decreased with increasing temperatures. Times required to kill 100% of oospores were 199-22-6.6-4.7-1.0 hours at 40-45-47.5-50-53°C respectively in moistened soil and 31-1.0-0.2 hours at 45-50-53 °C in water. Oospores were scarcely affected at temperatures ≤ 35 °C. With 1,680 hours at 15-35 °C, oospores survival in soil ranged from 88 to 36%. The 4 hours-40 °C regime killed 100% of oospores after 28days, while the 5 hours-35°C regime after 70 days killed only 75%. Time required to achieve total oospores death was remarkably shortened in water when compared with moistened soil. CONCLUSIONS The developed models can be used to predict survival values at any exposure time with constant temperatures ranging from 40 to 53 °C in moistened soil and from 45 to 53 °C in water. The weakening of P. capsici oospores under sublethal heating, is a useful observation that can be applied for pathogen control with solarization.