Using chemical and biological treatments to reduce the potential of potato leak caused byPythium aphanidermatum in Tunisia

Summary The effect of fungicides and the antagonistic fungusTrichoderma harzianum (Th) on the potato leak pathogenPythium aphanidermatum (Pa) was investigated in vitro. Rot was reduced by 73% to 89% when tubers inoculated withPa were treated by immersion in solutions (0.5% w/v) of the fungicides Ridomil MZ58. Dithane M45. Manebe 80 and Tachigaren 360. Complete protection was achieved by dusting inoculated tubers with Ridomil MZ58 diluted in kaolin at a final concentration of 0.1% (w/w). The biological treatments of dipping inoculated tubers in a conidial water suspension ofTh at 10⁸ conidia/ml or of dusting with a mixture of a barley culture ofTh and kaolin to a final concentration of 2×10⁹ conidia/g were as effective as the chemical treatments. Control was still effective when inoculated tubers were treated with Ridomil MZ58. Tachigaren 360 or the conidial suspension ofTh after 24h incubation at 25°C.     

Influence of seed tuber infestation,chemical seed treatment,and pre-harvest climate on incidence of gangrene and dry rot of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.)

Summary In each of the five years 1978 to 1982, seed lots of cv. Bintje, variously infested byPhoma foveata Foister andFusarium solani var.coeruleum (Sacc.) Booth, as found by wound and cut tests, respectively, were planted in a series of field experiments at six sites in Sweden. A statistically significant relationship between seed and progeny infestation was found forP. foveata each year, and in three years forF. solani. Benomyl and thiabendazole mist treatments of seed tubers at grading in spring controlled the development of gangrene and dry rot in treated seed tubers, but did not consistently reduce the levels ofP. foveata andF. solani infestation in progeny from treated seed tubers. The site of cultivation markedly influenced mean levels ofP. foveata infestation, which were found to be related to temperature and rainfall during a 40 day pre-harvest period at the trail sites; however, mean levels ofF. solani infestation were not so related.     

Testing the resistance to silver scurf in commercial potato cultivars under controlled environmental conditions

Summary Optimum storage conditions to identify resistance to silver scurf among commercially grown potato cultivars were determined in a series of experiments. Inoculation of field-grown tubers with a conidial suspension ofH. solani (concentration 10⁴ conidia per ml of water) and incubation at 15°C with 95% RH for 1 month followed by 2 months at 85% RH produced the greatest differences in disease severity between potato cultivars. Results with glasshouse-grown tubers were comparable with those from field-grown tubers, indicating that the test could be used to identify resistance in wild species of potato and to understand the inheritance of this resistance.     

Effect of wet incubation time and temperature on infection, and of storage time and temperature on soft rot lesion expansion in potatoes inoculated withErwinia carotovora ssp.Carotovora

Summary Infection and lesion expansion studies were carrried out on potato tubers. In the infection study, the tubers were inoculated withErwinia carotovora ssp.carotovora (Ecc) and exposed to incubation temperatures of 10–25 °C for 3–48 h of wetness. In the lesion expansion study, the tubers were exposed to 12 h of wetness at 20 °C to establish infection, and then·stored at temperatures of 4–16 °C for 15–90 d, at 95% RH. The volume of diseased tissue was determined and the data were transformed to proportion of maximum volume diseased (PVD). Infection was close to zero for 3 and 6 h wet incubation time, regardless of incubation temperature, and reached the maximum in 12 h of wetness at 20 °C. Significant lesion expansion occurred at a storage temperature of 16 °C after about 60 d of storage time. Cubic models of infection and lesion expansion potentials explained 95 and 96% of the variations in infection and lesion expansion, respectively.     

Relationships between disease levels on seed tubers,on crops during growth and in stored potatoes. 3. Silver scurf

Summary Incidence of silver scurf (Helminthosporium solani) was assessed macroscopically (silver scurf lesions) or microscopically (H. solani infection of tuber eyes) on seed tubers, on progeny tubers during growth or at harvest, and on stored tubers, from up to 26 commercial crops·cv. King Edward in each of 5 years, and up to 13 crops grown from ‘healthier’ seed in 4 years. Infection of eyes was frequent on seed in all years, scace on progeny tubers during growth, but had increased by harvest. Silver scurf was prevalent in stored tubers, except in 1975, and more developed at 10°C than at 3 °C. Infection of tubers during growth, at harvest, or after storage, was not related to incidence of eye infection on seed. In 3 years, infection at harvest was significantly related to infection during growth, but only in 1975 was infection at harvest related to silver scurf in store. In 2 years amounts of silver scurf on crops grown from seed derived from stem cuttings (‘healthier’ seed) were positively correlated with disease incidence in commercial crops grown on the same fields.

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Zusammenfassung Zwischen 1971 und 1975 wurde in bis zu 26 Proben von Marktware der Sorte King Edward das Auftreten von Silberschorf an gelagerten Kartoffelknollen untersucht sowie die Infektion mitHelminthosporium solani von Knollenaugen des Pflanzgutes, von Tochterknollen w?hrend des Wachstums und zur Ernte (Adams et al., 1980). Zwischen 1972 und 1975 wurden diese Erhebungen auch an Erntegut aus ‘gesünderem’ Pflanzgut (das von Stecklingen abstammte) das benachbart zur Marktware aufwuchs, gemacht. Das durchschnittliche Auftreten von Infektion oder Krankheitsbesatz auf Marktware (Tab. 1) zeigte, das in allen Jahren die Infektion der Knollenaugen des Pflanzgutes h?ufig war, seltener an den Tochterknollen w?hrend des Wachstums, aber vorallem 1971 zur Ernte wieder verst?rkt war. Ausser 1975 trat Silberschorf h?ufig auf gelagerten Knollen auf, und entwickelte sich bei 10°C mehr als bei 3°C. Eine Wundheilung von 2 Wochen bei 15°C hatte keinen Einfluss auf diese Krankheit. Bei ‘gesünderem’ Pflanzgut waren weniger Augen infiziert als im Durchschnitt der Marktware, aber w?hrend des Wachstums und zur Ernte war der Befall der Augen genau so gross oder gr?sser als von Marktware (Tab. 2). Die Signifikanz der Regressionen zwischen den Feststellungen des Krankheitsbesatzes oder der Infektion, die zu verschiedenen Zeiten gemacht wurden (Tab. 3) zeigte, dass die Bonitur der Infektion des Pflanzgutes im allgemeinen mit den folgenden Bonituren nicht in Beziehung stand. In drei Jahren war das Auftreten von Augeninfektionen zur Ernte mit dem w?hrend des Wachstums verbunden (Abb. 1). 1975 wurden Pflanzkartoffeln und geerntete Knollen unter feuchten Bedingungen inkubiert und die Sporulation vonH. solani nach dem Waschen und dem Zentrifugieren der Flüssigkeit untersucht. Die Sporulation war abh?ngig vom Auftreten von Augeninfektionen des Pflanzgutes (Abb. 2c). Untersuchungen des Inokulums vonH. solani bei denen Schalenstückchen, ausgenommen Augen, verwendet wurden, ergaben Beziehungen zum Ergebnis von Augenstückchen des Pflanzgutes (Abb. 2b) und zur Sporulation auf geerntetem Nachbau (Abb. 2d). Das Auftreten von Silberschorf nach der Lagerung war mit allen verschiedenen Messungen des Inokulums verbunden und am besten mit den Ergebnissen der Sporulation (Abb. 2e). Ein Vergleich der Ergebnisse ‘gesünderer’ Ernte mit den Ergebnissen benachbarter Marktware ergaben nur wenig signifikante Beziehungen. 1975 waren jedoch das Ausmass der Augeninfektion zur Ernte (Abb. 3a) und des Krankheitsbesatzes nach der Lagerung (Abb. 3b) verbunden, was auf eine allgemeine Quelle des Inokulums, eine Verbreitung zwischen benachbarten Ernten oder die Bedeutung der allgemeinen Bodenbedingungen hinweist

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Résumé L'incidence de la gale argentée sur les tubercules en conservation et l'infection parHelminthosporium solani des yeux des tubercules de semence et des tubercules-fils durant la croissance et à la récolte, ont été notées, de 1971 à 1975, dans 26 cultures issues de lots de semence du commerce de la variété King Edward (Adams et al., 1980a). Entre 1972 et 1975, des évaluations ont également été faites sur des lots issus de semences ‘plus saines’ (dérivées de boutures) cultivées près de certains lots commerciaux. L'incidence moyenne de la contamination ou de la maladie sur les lots commerciaux (tableau 1) montre que la contamination des yeux a été fréquente sur les semences tous les ans, rare sur les tubercules-fils en végétation mais plus fréquente à la récolte, surtout en 1971. La gale argentée est apparue fréquemment en conservation, sauf en 1975, et s'est plus développée à 10 °C qu'à 3°C. La cicatrisation des blessures pendant deux semaines à 15°C n'a pas eu d'effet marqué sur l'incidence de la maladie. Les semences ‘plus saines’ avaient moins d'yeux atteints que la moyenne des semences des autres lots, mais la contamination des yeux en végétation et à la récolte atteignait ou dépassait celle des tubercules des autres lots (tableau 2). La signification des régressions entre les notations de maladie ou d'infection réalisées à différentes époques (tableau 3) a montré que les notations de contamination des tubercules de semence n'étaient pas généralement en relation avec les suivantes. Pour 3 années, l'incidence de l'infection des yeux à la récolte était en relation avec celle notée durant la croissance (Fig. 1). En 1975, on a aussi placé les tubercules de semence et la récolte en conditions humides et on a contr?lé la sporulation deH. solani après lavage et centrifugation du liquide. La sporulation était liée à l'incidence de l'infection des yeux des tubercules de semence (Fig. 2a) et celle des tubercules-fils récoltés. Des analyses d'inoculum deH. solani sur des fragments de peau sans yeux se sont montrés corrélées aux résultats obtenus sur les yeux des tubercules de semence (Fig. 2b) et à l'importance de la sporulation sur la récolte (Fig. 2d). L'incidence de la gale argentée en conservation s'est montrée liée à toutes les différentes mesures d'inoculum effectuées sur la récolte et en particulier aux mesures de sporulation (Fig. 2e). La comparaison entre les notations sur les cultures ‘plus saines’ et leurs homologues de la série commerciale n'a révélé que peu de relations significatives. Cependant, en 1975, il y avait relation entre la contamination des yeux à la récolte (Fig. 3a) et la maladie après conservation (Fig. 3b) sont liées, laissant supposer soit une source commune d'inoculum, soit une propagation d'une culture à l'autre, soit l'importance des conditions habituelles de sol.

     

The effect of condensation on sporulation ofHelminthosporium solani on potato tubers infected with silver scurf and held in simulated store conditions

Summary Chambers were designed to simulate environmental conditions present in commercial potato stores and were used to introduce condensation to tubers infected with silver scurf (Helminthosporium solani). The electrical resistance measured across the skin of tubers from the top of the chambers was consistently lower than that from the bottom of the chamber, and this was reflected in an increased number ofH. solani spores produced by the top tubers. An increase in the length of the condensation period resulted in the skin resistance remaining lower for a longer period and also resulted in higher number of spores. Tubers held at relatively high ambient temperatures (15 °C) required a shorter period of condensation to cause an increase in spore count. This investigation highlighted the need for close monitoring of store environments so that condensation events can be quickly identified and the tubers dried.     

Soil survival and thiabendazole sensitivity ofHelminthosporium solani isolates from Alberta,Canada

Summary Survival of the pathogen causing silver scurf of potato (Helminthosporium solani) in Alberta soils was studied by evaluatingH. solani infection in the progeny ofH. solani-free nuclear seed potato tubers planted in fields where potatoes had never been grown or were grown 1, 2, 3, or 4 years previously. Daughter tubers from all the fields developed silver scurf lesions, andH. solani was isolated from infected tubers. This is the first report of survival ofH. solani in Alberta soils. Soil-borne inoculum appears to have a role in the epidemiology of the disease and in the introduction of the pathogen into silver scurf-free potato seed stock. Of 31 plant species tested, only potato was found to be a host ofH. solani. Most of theH. solani isolates from north central Alberta were more sensitive to thiabendazole than those from southern Alberta, where thiabendazole is much more commonly used.     

The effect of temperature on the development of wilting and on progeny tuber infection of potatoes inoculated with South African strains of biovar 2 and 3 ofPseudomonas solanacearum

Summary Potato plants, after inoculation with a South African strain of biovar 2 or a strain of biovar 3 ofPseudomonas solanacearum were grown in growth chambers at temperatures ranging from 14/16°C (dark/light) up to 25/30°C. When grown at 14/16°C or higher, plants inoculated with the biovar 2 strain developed wilting symptoms and internal symptoms on progeny tubers and the disease was transmitted by the progeny tubers. When the plants were inoculated with the biovar 3 strain, wilting symptoms developed from 18/20°C, internal symptoms on progeny tubers from 20/22°C and the disease was transmitted by progeny tubers from plants grown at 16/18°C or higher.     

Comparative susceptibility of some potato cultivars to dry rot caused byFusarium sulphureum andF. solani var.coeruleum

Summary The susceptibility of 15 potato cultivars to dry rot caused byFusarium sulphureum andf. solani var.coeruleum was examined over 8 years. Tubers were wounded, inoculated, incubated at 10°C for 7–8 weeks and the size of the rot assessed.F. sulphureum was the more aggressive species. There was little correlation between the rank order of susceptibility of the cultivars to the two pathogens, but a higly significant correlation between years. Two years' tests are deemed sufficient to assess susceptibility to both species.     

Leak syndrome of potato in Tunisia caused byPythium aphanidermatum andPythium ultimum

Summary TwoPythium spp. were isolated from diseased tubers exhibiting rots at harvest, in summer stores and also in refrigerated storage. Symptoms shared features described for both pink rot caused byPhytophthora erythroseptica and leak caused byPythium spp. The causal agents were identified asPythium aphanidermatum andP. ultimum by morphological and physiological observations and by fingerprinting using oomycete specific primers to amplify the internal transcribed spacer (ITS1) within ribosomal DNAs. The optimum temperatures for infection were 30°C forP. aphanidermatum and 25°C forP. ultimum, corresponding to the optimum temperatures for growth in vitro. The optimum concentration for infection of tubers inoculated by dipping in a suspension of oospores or hyphal swellings after wounding was found to be 10³ reproductive organs/ml, whereas the infection threshold was 10 reproductive organs/ml.     

Effect ofUlocladium consortiale,a nonpathogen,on the severity of tuber blight caused byAlternar1a solani

Inoculation withAlternaria solani andUlocladium consortiale caused significantly more severe infection of tubers than inoculations ofA. solani alone.U. consortiale, when inoculated alone, caused no significant tuber infection. Infection resulting from a plug-type inoculation was significantly greater than that from a flap-type inoculation.     

The control of silver scurf and development of thiabendazole resistance inHelminthosporium solani as affected by the rate of fungicide applied to potato seed tubers

Summary Seed tubers were immersed in suspensions of thiabendazole (Storite) or thiabendazole plus imazalil (Extratect) at different concentrations and planted in a field experiment. During the following 2 years samples of the produce were planted after treatment with the same fungicide formulation used on the seed. Silver scurf on daughter tubers decreased as concentrations of fungicide increased and Extratect gave better disease control than Storite applied at the same thiabendazole concentration. Isolates ofH. solani resistant to thiabendazole were found on seed tubers 6 weeks after treatment with Storite, and also on daughter tubers after the first application of the higher rates of Storite; their incidence increased with further annual treatments. In 3 years no thiabendazole-resistant isolates were found after treatment with Extratect. Chlamydospores ofH. solani developed when sensitive isolates were subcultured onto agar containing thiabendazole. Isolates sensitive to thiabendazole were slightly more sensitive to imazalil than resistant ones.     

Detecting resistance to the root-knot nematodesMeloidogyne hapla andM. chitwoodi in potato and wildSolanum spp.

Summary Various methods of screening for resistance to root-knot nematodes were compared and evaluated. Seedling populations ofSolanum spp., grown in clay pots and plastic tubes with silver sand and inoculated with juveniles ofMeloidogyne chitwoodi andM. hapla, showed large differences in the number of egg masses on roots 7 weeks after inoculation. The differences were reproducible when re-testing was done with cuttings and plants from tubers. No resistance toMeloidogyne spp. was observed with ten potato cultivars when grown in clay pots, plastic tobes or closed containers. Plants from tubers in growth pouches developed a large two-dimensional root system, and after inoculation with juveniles the infection process could be observed over 8 weeks. A method of infecting potato tuber tissue withMeloidogyne is described, using tuber slices in Petri dishes as a potential screening test for tuber resistance.     

Causes of differences in growth pattern,yield and quality of potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) in short rotations on sandy soil as affected by crop rotation,cultivar and application of granular nematicides

Summary A crop rotation experiment was carried out on a light sandy soil in 1979–1986 to study the effects of the frequency of potato cropping on yield, quality and on the occurrence of soil-borne pathogens other than potato cyst nematodes. Tuber yield decreased markedly with increasing cropping frequency, but also depended on what crops were grown in rotation with potato. Growth during the early part of the season, as well as the length of the growing period, were reduced in short rotations. The fungiVerticillium dahliae andRhizoctonia solani, and root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) were the most important yield reducing pathogens. The effects of rotation depended on the cultivar used. The percentage of mis-shapen tubers increased with increasing cropping frequency and after application of granular nematicides, but the incidence of common scab (Streptomyces scabies) was not affected.     

Evaluation of treatments with hot water,chemicals and ventilated containers to reduce microbial spoilage in irradiated potatoes

Summary Potatoes irradiated to control sprouting were dipped in: hot water (56°C, 5 min; 52°C, 10, 15 and 20 min); cold (25°C, 5 min) or hot (56°C, 5 min) salicylic acid (1000 and 2000 ppm); or sodium hypochlorite (0.1 and 0.2%, 5 min); or dusted with salicylic acid (1 and 2%), to try to reduce the incidence of bacterial soft rot (Erwinia sp.) during controlled temperature (10°C, 15°C) and ambient temperature (20–34°C) storage. All treatments, particularly hot water and hot salicylic acid dip, increased microbial spoilage, possibly as a result of handling damage during the treatments combined with the inhibition of wound periderm formation as a result of irradiation. Storing irradiated tubers in well ventilated containers reduced soft rot compared to storing them in sacks and after 6 months storage at 10, 15 and 20–34°C, 95, 90 and 77% respectively were healthy and marketable.     

Penetration of potato tuber lenticels by bacteria in relation to biological control of blackleg disease

Summary In a glasshouse experiment three potato cultivars were grown to maturity in wet or dry compost. The number of lenticels per tuber was greater with larger tubers but was unaffected by the cultivar or soil moisture regime. The frequency of lenticel penetration by a water soluble stain, safranin O, remained high as tubers developed to maturity in wet soil. In dry soil penetration declined markedly as the tubers matured. When tubers, harvested just before the onset of haulm senescence, were inoculated withErwinia carotovora ssp.atroseptica, the frequency of lenticel rotting was less than the rate of stain penetration, indicating that additional factors were involved in the bacterial infection process. Inoculating mature tubers with bacteria and incubating them in anaerobic conditions frequently resulted in rotting of the lenticels. Comparable tubers incubated in aerobic conditions showed no rotting or invasion by bacteria. The results are discussed in relation to the biological control of blackleg.     

Comparison of resistance toFusarium spp. of glasshouse-and field-grown tuber progenies of potato

Summary Field-grown tubers of 22 progenies ofSolanum tuberosum L. generated in a crossing programme involving seven parents differing in resistance toFusarium coeruleum Lib. ex Sacc. andF. sulphureum Schlect. (=F. sambucinum Fuckel, teleomorphGibberella pulicaris (Fr.) Sacc.) were wound-inoculated with a cornmeal + sand culture of each pathogen. Parental genotypes were also included. The mean lesion size of each progeny was compared in 2 years of tests, as well as with published data on glasshouse-grown tubers. ForF. coeruleum there was a high correlation between years as well as with the glasshouse data, but no such correlations were apparent withG. pulicaris. Furthermore, parental and GCA values, as well as progeny means and mid-parent scores, also correlated highly forF. coeruleum but not forG. pulicaris. Glasshouse-grown tubers of 11 wildSolanum spp. were also inoculated with both pathogens. Some resistance to one or other, or both, was apparent, particularly inS. chacoense.     

Amylolytic activity in stored potato tubers. 2. The effect of low-temperature storage on the activities of α-and β-amylase and α-glucosidase in potato tubers

Summary Tubers of the potato cultivars Record, Wilja, Pentland Dell and Brodick (formerly clone 137371) were sampled before and after storage at either 4°C or 10°C. Reducing sugar content stayed constant during storage at 10°C in all four cultivars but rose greatly during the first 6–12 weeks of storage at 4°C in Record, Wilja and Pentland Dell but not in Brodick. Amylolytic activity was determined after 5 weeks storage using blockedp-nitrophenyl maltoheptaoside as substrate for α-amylase,p-nitrophenyl maltopentaoside as substrate for β-amylase, andp-nitrophenylglucopyranoside as substrate for α-glucosidase. The values obtained from tubers stored at 4°C were higher than those from tubers stored at 10°C, the differences being much less in Brodick than in the other three cultivars.     

A glasshouse progeny test for resistance to gangrene (Phoma foveata)

Summary Tubers were obtained from 80 glasshouse-grown seedlings of each of twelve progenies, inoculated withPhoma foveata Foister, and the mean percentage of infected tubers recorded. There was a good correlation (r=0.798) between this assessment and that made previously on field-grown tubers of eleven of the progenies. A gangrene test on glasshouse-grown tubers is suggested as a more rapid means of identifying progenies with useful levels of resistance.     

Effects of soil disinfection and potato harvesting methods on stem infection byRhizoctonia solani Kühn in the following year

Summary A two year field experiment was conducted twice to assess effects of chemical soil disinfection at planting and methods of harvesting potatoes on stem infection withRhizoctonia solani in the subsequent year. In the first year of the experiments seven methods. including one with soil disinfection at planting, were applied in August. In the following year,R. solani stem and stolon infection (disease severity) on potato plants were assessed in June. Soil treatment at planting with pencycuron resulted in lowest disease severity in the following year. Compared with chemical haulm killing and haulm pulling. immature-crop-harvesting also resulted in a lower disease severity, but only when black scurf was scarce on tubers at harvest in the preceding year.