Evaluation of Solanum sisymbriifolium as a Potential Inoculum Source of Verticillium dahliae and Colletotrichum coccodes

Solanum sisymbriifolium, the litchi tomato, is a perennial herbaceous plant from South America that is used as a trap crop to reduce soilborne populations of the pale cyst nematode Globodera pallida, an important potato pathogen. Possible interactions of soilborne potato pathogens Verticillium dahliae and Colletotrichum coccodes with litchi tomato are unknown, yet important for potato production if litchi tomato is to be planted as a trap crop. The goal of this research was to quantitatively assess if litchi tomato is a potential inoculum source for C. coccodes and V. dahliae by comparing colony forming units (CFU) observed in litchi tomato to susceptible and resistant potato cultivars. The potato cvs. Alturas (P = 0.0003), Ranger Russet (P = 0.0193), and Russet Norkotah (P = 0.0022) produced more CFUs of the potato pathotype of V. dahliae than litchi tomato the first of two years of greenhouse trials. Significantly more CFUs of the potato pathotype of V. dahliae were quantified from stems and roots of on...