The Influence of Potassium and Phosphorus in Predisposition of Tomato to Verticillium Wilt

The effects of varying the concentration of phosphorus and potassium independently in the growing medium of pot-grown tomato plants on their subsequent susceptibility in normal medium to vascular wilt caused by Verticillium dahliae Kleb. were studied. The degree of host invasion was measured by estimating the chitin component of diseased tissue. Different levels of potassium had little effect on the degree of invasion of inoculated stems, but this was considerably enhanced in plants raised in the absence of phosphorus. Root inoculated plants were particularly resistant when raised in nutrients totally lacking in potassium, and very susceptible when raised in the absence of phosphorus.