Re: CULT: first casualty

From: Gullo <tgf@frontiernet.net>

Hi Jeff,

     I had other comments from Dorothy Hartman and Kathy Guest regarding the
use of aspirin, so here is a summary.  For those who are AIS members, an
article in the July 1999 bulletin by Adam Fikso ( p.63 "A solution for Erwinia"
) details his use of aspirin with irises.  He pulled much of his information
from botany journals which describe a growth of research with salicylic acid.
Salicylic acid is said to prompt a defense reaction in the plants treated with
it, which then helps the plant use it own protective mechanisms when it comes
in contact with certain pathogens.  Adam describes Salicylic acid's role as
"activating other aspects of the plant's physiology and certain genes which
together function to make the plant immune to further invasion by that
pathogen".  As for concentrations he used " two 325-mg nonbuffered aspirin
tablets per gallon of tap water as a soil drench " which he applied twice in
the fall " after planting in mid September and again a week later" and again
the following spring " after the last snow ".  By stimulating the plant's own
defense response salicylic acid can help protect plants against bacterial,
viral, and fungal pathogens.  Of particular interest, is the fact that Adam has
had tremendous results with arils and arilbreds, which are reputed to be more
susceptible to some of these pathogens.
     I do think that your observations about the medians and the rebloomers are
significant.  Both seem to be more vigorous and resistant.  Good luck to you
and let me know if you have further questions.

Michael Gullo
West Walworth, New York, USA
zone 6
PS- Does anyone know Adam Fikso and possibly get an update form him?


Jeff and Carolyn Walters wrote:

>
>
> Michael,
>
> My experience has been that different classes of iris vary in the level of
> risk that Botrytis presents to them. I have never had a case of Botrytis
> infection in a beardless iris. Among bearded irises, Arilbreds are most
> susceptible, followed by the regular bearded irises in order by size with
> TBs most affected and no cases ever observed in SDBs or MDBs. While I
> believe I have seen a difference among cultivars in susceptibility to
> bacterial soft rot, it seems that all TBs are potentially susceptible to
> Botrytis, and it is a matter of the luck of the draw which ones actually
> are affected. For example, I have grown BEVERLY SILLS for over 15 years
> during which time it has never before been bothered by Botrytis, but this
> year a vigorous two-year old clump with multiple bloom size fans and
> numerous increases has almost completely rotted out. On the other hand,
> should it be considered mere coincidence that BS's white sport, BEVERLY IN
> WHITE, is another clump that has been severely infected with Botrytis?
>
> I have never made a big fuss over rebloomers, and consequently have not
> enjoyed much rebloom, but last summer I dug all dozen cultivars I grow with
> known reblooming tendencies and replanted them in a separate bed where I
> can give them the special attention they are reported to respond to. None
> of these is showing any sign of Botrytis. The ground they are in has not
> been planted with irises for five years, but there are other irises, some
> of them with Botrytis infection, growing only a few feet away. I did make
> it a point of soaking everything I replanted last summer and all new
> acquisitions in a 10% bleach solution for at least a half hour. So far, the
> only newly planted/replanted TB rhizome that has shown signs of Botrytis is
> one that I stuck in a hole in a bed that was left from a cultivar that
> succumbed to Botrytis last year. Three replanted Arilbreds also have shown
> signs of Botrytis, but as I have already said, Arilbreds have proven
> extremely susceptible to this pest, and the infections in these cases are
> much less severe than what I am seeing in the established clumps of TBs
> that are affected.
>
> >  I've been doing some
> > reading on salicylic acid ( aspirin ) and would suggest that trying some
> might
> > not be a bad idea to see if it helps control the Botrytis.
>
> What dose rate, and how do you apply it? I'm willing to give it a try. The
> problem with evaluating the effectiveness of Botrytis treatment is that the
> fungus becomes inactive as soon as the ground dries out or the temperatures
> rise above 40 degrees and stay there. Of course, it is a bit early to
> expect either of those conditions to prevail here yet.
>
> Jeff Walters in northern Utah  (USDA Zone 4/5, Sunset Zone 2)
> jcwalters@bridgernet.com
>
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