304 THE PEANUT— THE UNPREDICTABLE LEGUME 



genicity of Fusaria isolated from diseased peanut roots and stems. Others 

 liave verbally reported similar results. Miller and Harvey (92), in 

 Georgia, in tests on a Fusarium sp. from peanuts obtained results only 

 with young plants and with abrasions on roots, and a filtrate of cultures 

 also induced wilting in young peanuts. 



The status of Fusarium wilt of peanuts is indefinite and its importance 

 questionable. Though reported frequently from southern United States it 

 has never again reached the proportionate importance attributed to it in 

 Georgia in 1932 (92). The wilt in Kenya has apparently been brought 

 under control by the use of selections (65). Further investigation, there- 

 fore, is needed to clarify the association of the Fusaria with peanut dis- 

 eases. At present only seed treatment and good cultural practices can be 

 recommended for control. 



SCLEROTINIA BlIGHTS 



Species of Sclerotinia have been reported as associated with stem, 

 root and pod rots of peanuts (35, 85, 146). These diseases appear to be 

 relatively unimportant and primarily of mycological interest. 



According to Chu (35) and Suematu (146) two "new species" of 

 Sclerotinia (S. miyabeana and 5". arachidis) were described from peanuts 

 in Japan by Hanzawa in 1911. Hanzawa's report was "privately printed" 

 and mycologists have regarded the publication of these species as invalid. 



According to Chu (35) the Sclerotinia blight of peanuts in Japan and 

 China is primarily a stem rot, but all parts of the plant are sometimes at- 

 tacked. Pods may be found containing sclerotia of the organism with 

 seeds thinly coated with mycelium. Infection from spores is apparently 

 through wounds except on flower petals, but hyphae from germinating 

 sclerotia may invade uninjured tissue. 



Lesions produced by Sclerotinia miyabeana are reported as purplish 

 brown, eventually "shade-brown" while those produced by S. arachidis 

 begin brown and blacken rapidly (35). Botrytis type conidia are fre- 

 quently associated with the fungus called S. arachidis but have never been 

 found associated with S. miyabeana (35). 



Chu (35) reported several other hosts for these Sclerotinias including 

 grasses, weeds and garden plants. 



A "wilt" of peanuts apparently caused by Sclerotinia trifoliorum 

 Eriks. was reported from Argentina in 1922 (85). 5. trifoliorum is an im- 

 portant stem-rotting organism of clovers, but this apparently is the only 

 report of it on peanuts. As control measures it was recommended that 

 affected plants be destroyed and crop rotation and cultivation to prevent 



