The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1915-10-01
COTTON ANTHRACNOSE.

Reports received thus far indicate
that cotton anthracnose, the fungus
boil rot of cotton, is even more wide
spread and more destructive this sea-
son than heretofore. During the past
five years the disease has caused an
annual loss of more than a million
dollars in South Carolina. The dis
ease seems to be becoming more de-
structive from year to year and this
in spite of the fact that the investiga-
tions conducted at the South Carolina
Experiment Station show that it can
be prevented.
We have found that the fungus
which causes anthracnose grows into
the inside of the diseased bolls, at
tacks the lint and seed, and grows
into the seed. The fungus remains
alive in such seed until they are
planted and germinate and start to
grow, then it attacks the seedlings.
The disease remains alive on these
stalks and attacks the bolls when
they appear. In this way it is car
ried in the seed and continues to
spread from year to year.
A study of the history of the out
breaks in South Carolina during the
past four years shows that in very
nearly every case the disease was
brought to the farm in the seed, and
usually in seed of some supposedly
highly improved variety which was
purchased at high price.
There is no way of curing a stalk
of cotton after it is once diseased
with anthracnose. The only thing that
you can do is to protect your cotton
next year. The first and most i'm
portant step in this is to secure seed
which are free from disease. 1t is
best to secure your seed for next
years planting from field where
there is no disease. If it is not possi-
BILE to do this, the next best thing
to do is TO pick your cotton for seed
from stalks which show no signs of
disease and which are not near dis
eased stalks. 1t is not safe to pick
| healthy looking bolls from stalks
which have rotten bolis on them.
We have been able to get entirely
rid of anthracnose in three badly
diseased varieties of cotton simply by
selecting our seed from healthy stalks
and then planting these seed the fol-
lowing season land on which the dis
ease had not occurred.
We find that the disease will remain
in the land or in the old diseased
stalks and bolls for as long as one
year, but not longer than this. So it
is necessary OF practice rotation which
will leave cotton off the land for one
year.
1t is advisable to rotate crops for
this and other reasons, but where it is
impossible to do this and your cotton
is diseased, the next best thing to do is
to plow under the diseased stalks as
soon as the cotton is picked in the
| fall Where we have followed this
practice and used seed the following
season which were free from disease
we have had very little anthracnose.
In conclusion then ] would say not
to buy cotton seed from any one un-
less they are willing to make affidavit
| that it is free from anthracnose. Sc
lect your own seed from fields where
there is no disease or from healthy
stalks in diseased field. Gin this cot
ton in gin that has been thoroughly
cleaned. Practice a rotation. Plow
the old diseased stalks and bolls under
as early in the fall as possible.
II. w. Barre,
Professor Botany Clemson College.