[Investigations about cause of specific replant disease of fruit trees. VI. Proof of actinomycetes in feeder roots of apple seedlings in soils with different digrees of soil sickness (author's transl)].

Microscopic analysis of longitudinal sections of feeder roots of apple seedlings from soil with experimentally prepared different degrees of soil sickness led to the following results: 1. A colonization of root-barks by actinomycetes could be pointed out in injured and in macroscopic not visible injured feeder roots of apple seedlings from sick soil. 2. The frequency of the colonization of root-pieces of the two highest root classes was in the sick soil at 47.3% and in the two soils with a less degree of soil sickness at 32.4%. In the non-sick soil the root were at a frequency of 0.3% nearly free from actinomycetes. 3. Feeder roots colonizated by actinomycetes showed injuries in the cell-bandage. Increasing injuries of the roots were obtained with increasing intensity of colonization by actinomycetes. In heavy injured feeder roots the proof of actinomycetes was difficult or no more possible. As the share of heavy injured roots was increasing with increasing degree of soil sickness can be supposed that the real frequency of root colonization by actinomycetes is substantially higher than it was observed in roots seeming to be healthy macroscopically. 4. The results obtained support our hypothesis that soil sickness of apple trees is caused by actinomycetes. The injuries of the roots appearing as a consequence of the colonization may explain both, the soil sickness in the case of replanting and the development of soil sickness in growing apple plantations. 5. Since until now there is no proof that actinomycetes cause injuries in roots of fruit-trees further examinations have to be aspired to confirm our results.