Importance and mobilization of nutrients in soft rot of wood

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Soft rot of wood by Chaetomium globosum and Scytalidium lignicola was negligible in the absence of added nutrients. Independently varying the concentrations of nutrients in double Abrams' solution (which is often used for testing soft rot of wood) showed that these concentrations are higher than necessary, and in some cases supraoptimal, for soft rot as measured by weight loss. Optimal nutrient concentrations were lower in cases of low decay capacity than in cases of high decay capacity. A suitable, reduced solution contained, per litre, 1.5 g NH4NO3, 2.5 g KH2PO4, 2.0 g K2HPO4, and 1 g MgSO4∙7H2O. Best results were obtained when blocks were infiltrated with the solution. Increasing osmolality with KCl inhibited soft rot, suggesting that the solution satisfies specific nutrient requirements rather than an osmophilic requirement. P and especially N were actively mobilized into decaying blocks. As any of the nutrients were added at low levels to the external solution, decay and the influx of N increased. Key words: wood decay, soft rot, nutrients, translocation, osmophily.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: