The current study, performed in Castilla-La Mancha (Spain) in 2003–04, reports the growth, nutrition, tolerance to transplanting stress, and resistance to Verticillium dahliae of olive plantlets (Olea europaea L.) inoculated with different arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi (Glomus mosseae, G. intraradices and G. claroideum). Inoculated plants tolerated the stress of transplanting better than non-inoculated plants. Compared with controls, plantlets inoculated with any of these three Glomus species grew taller, had more and longer shoots, and showed higher plant N, P and K concentrations. However, colonization seemed to have no influence on resistance to V. dahliae.

The causal agent of Fusarium wilt in melon (Cucumis melo) is the fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis. One of the main ways in which this fungus is transferred is the re-use of propagation trays in nursery greenhouses. This work shows that, during the commercial production of melon plantlets, subjecting these trays to microwave energy in a prototype oven can eradicate this fungus. The low energy performance of this oven would increase the price of seedlings by only 6.25 × 10 -3 Eurocents over the current market price of 19 Eurocents per plant. Since this method obviates the need for pesticides, it also affords environmental advantages. Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis / high frequency microwaves / artificial substrate / propagation trays / disinfestation