RE: A possible solution to fusarium wilt

Well, here goes:
 
Most grafting is done on woody plants, which when looking at a cross-section, would appear solid. Don't know about "young" AG's but more mature vines are usually hollow, except at the leaf nodes, which eventually become hollow. Don't know if Hubbard or Butternut is hollow or solid, but you start to see some of the problems. Also, there is much complexity to the cross-section of a vine that we never think about--some layers provide structure, some transfer water, etc. An easier way to look at this (please bear with me on this) is if both you and your neighbor each accidentally cut a finger off while working outside. Can you switch the severed piece with him? what would the result be if doctors could sew yours on his, his on yours, etc? what about the nerves, would an experienced doctor be able to match yours to his, his to yours, etc. This is wierd enough already, but now add this: what if one has a structural piece (the bone) and the other one didn't have the bone remaining, as in the hollow vine-solid vine example? SO, some of these things may matter or come into play:
Structure/solidity
Layers
Cell duties
Unmatched/mismatched tissue, layer, etc
 
Sounds kind of complicated for a pumpkin grower to figure out all the answers. Maybe keep the grafting to the experts or the Orchard guys and figure out a better way to get rid of the Fusarium. Just my 99 cents. Hope it may help without causing a big debate on this soon to be winterized forum/list.
 
Mark
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-pumpkins@mallorn.com [mailto:owner-pumpkins@mallorn.com]On Behalf Of John Failor
Sent: Friday, November 30, 2001 6:29 PM
To: pumpkins@mallorn.com
Subject: A possible solution to fusarium wilt

Hello to all,
 
    I have been signed off the group for some time but my love of pumpkin growing couldn't keep me away for two long. For the past 3 years my pumpkin plants have been devastated by fusarium wilt which is a fungus that attacks and kills pumpkin roots. I tried many new products this year with no change whatever. I had pretty much given up on the idea of growing pumpkins in this infected soil utill a few weeks ago when I was walking through my orchard. I noticed that some of the older fruit trees show pronounced marks on their lower trunks where they were grafted when young seedlings. They are commonly grafted onto roots of more hardy or disease resistant trees. Then I thought why couldn't I do this with pumpkins??? maybe it would avoid fusarium???
 
    Even though all Atlantic giants I planted in my soil this year died from fusarium not a single regular pumpkin, butternut squash had died. And only 15% of my prizewinners and old heirloom giant pumpkins had died from the disease. So why couldn't I graft the AG's on these or other rootstocks?? I looked it up on the internet and the technique is possible at less than a week old. Now that I know it is possible I have a few questions left that some of you out there may be able to help me with:
 
1. Are AG's(C. maxima) graft compatible with regular pumpkins and butternuts(C.Pepo and C. moshata)?
2. And if they are would their rootstocks have a dwarfing effect on the plants or would the vine roots compensate for this?
3. Would the disease also attack the vine roots?(I have never seen the disease attack vine roots only up from the main stump)
4. What root stocks would anyone recommend?   Which C. maxima plant gets the biggest? Would banana squash or maybe hubbard work??
 
Thanks for any advice!!
John
   
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index