| Southern California native plant nurseries are key to the conservation of native plants vulnerable to ecological encroachments. Fungal pathogens can be an important challenge in these nurseries. This thesis evaluates maintenance and cultural methods to minimize fungal infection of ashyleaf buckwheat (Eriogonum cinereum) in an open-air nursery. Two different irrigation methods (overhead watering, basal watering), four irrigation regimens (twice a day, control, once a day, once every 10 days) and two types of soil (+fertilizer, +mycorrhizae) were applied in a total of sixteen treatments. Plants were assessed for fungal infection two months post-germination, when seedlings were ready to be transplanted.;Plants in the +mycorrhizae soil grew poorly under all irrigation methods and regimens. There was a correlation between infection rate and soil type (p < 0.05); Infection rates were significantly higher in +mycorrhizae soil. There was no correlation between infection rate and frequency or method of irrigation (p > 0.05). |
