RESUMO
This study was carried out to investigate the roles of common weeds in the survival of Verticillium dahliae and the incidence of cotton wilt disease in Moghan and Neishabour area of Iran during 2003-2005 cropping seasons. The design of the experiment was Randomized Complete Blocks (RCB) with ten treatments (No. of weeds) and four replications (No. of cotton fields). Populations of V. dahliae in the roots of weeds and their surrounding soil was determined every year and were compared in different treatments. The cotton wilt disease index was also evaluated in different fields in each experimental site. Results indicated that the fungal population was variable depending on weed species, experimental site and the year of study. In general, Pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus), Nightshde (Solanum nigrum), Spiny cockleburr (Xanthium spinosum) and common purslane (Portulaca oleraceea) showed the highest fungal populations in their roots and surrounding soil. Disease index in Moghan cotton fields in different years varied and were higher than Neishabour fields.
