基质中添加西兰花残体对大丽轮枝菌GFP标记菌株在棉花体内扩展的影响

 由大丽轮枝菌引起的棉花黄萎病是一种难以防治的土传病害,西兰花残体还对其有一定的防治作用,防效为62.82%。为解析西兰花残体对棉花黄萎病的防治机制,本研究通过土壤杆菌转化的方法构建了大丽轮枝菌的绿色荧光标记菌株,采用共聚焦显微镜观察标记菌株在添加西兰花残体营养基质中和空白对照营养基质种植的棉花体内的侵染和扩展情况。结果表明构建的标记菌株gfp-wx-1与野生菌株wx-1的生物学特性无显著性差异。同时发现大丽轮枝菌在添加西兰花残体营养基质中棉花体内扩展较慢,具体表现为:在空白营养基质种植的棉花体内,大丽轮枝菌在接种第2 d时就可侵染根尖表层及根内部,第3 d到达茎部维管束,第5 d叶片可观察到少量病原菌,第7 d第一片子叶呈现大量病原菌,后期迅速扩展,叶片出现黄萎病斑;而在营养基质中添加西兰花残体种植的棉花体内,大丽轮枝菌在接种第2 d时就可侵染根尖表层,第3 d侵染根尖内部,第5 d侵染茎部维管束,直到第7 d第一片子叶才出现少量病原菌,后期扩展慢,叶片病斑较少。本研究通过荧光定量PCR方法检测了大丽轮枝菌在两个处理棉花根部定殖情况,结果表明西兰花残体能够显著降低大丽轮枝菌在棉花根部定殖的量。该研究初步明确了西兰花残体对棉花黄萎病的防治机制,为棉花黄萎病的绿色防治提供了一条新的途径。     

基质中添加西兰花残体对大丽轮枝菌GFP标记菌株在棉花体内扩展的影响

 由大丽轮枝菌引起的棉花黄萎病是一种难以防治的土传病害,西兰花残体还对其有一定的防治作用,防效为62.82%。为解析西兰花残体对棉花黄萎病的防治机制,本研究通过土壤杆菌转化的方法构建了大丽轮枝菌的绿色荧光标记菌株,采用共聚焦显微镜观察标记菌株在添加西兰花残体营养基质中和空白对照营养基质种植的棉花体内的侵染和扩展情况。结果表明构建的标记菌株gfp-wx-1与野生菌株wx-1的生物学特性无显著性差异。同时发现大丽轮枝菌在添加西兰花残体营养基质中棉花体内扩展较慢,具体表现为:在空白营养基质种植的棉花体内,大丽轮枝菌在接种第2 d时就可侵染根尖表层及根内部,第3 d到达茎部维管束,第5 d叶片可观察到少量病原菌,第7 d第一片子叶呈现大量病原菌,后期迅速扩展,叶片出现黄萎病斑;而在营养基质中添加西兰花残体种植的棉花体内,大丽轮枝菌在接种第2 d时就可侵染根尖表层,第3 d侵染根尖内部,第5 d侵染茎部维管束,直到第7 d第一片子叶才出现少量病原菌,后期扩展慢,叶片病斑较少。本研究通过荧光定量PCR方法检测了大丽轮枝菌在两个处理棉花根部定殖情况,结果表明西兰花残体能够显著降低大丽轮枝菌在棉花根部定殖的量。该研究初步明确了西兰花残体对棉花黄萎病的防治机制,为棉花黄萎病的绿色防治提供了一条新的途径。     

利用GFP荧光标记比较大丽轮枝菌对抗/感马铃薯品种的侵染过程

为了对马铃薯黄萎病菌的系统侵染进行研究，本研究首先建立了用于观察大丽轮枝菌侵染马铃薯过程的培养皿滤纸体系，在此基础上利用带有GFP标记的大丽轮枝菌对不同抗性水平马铃薯根系侵染过程进行了比较研究，结果表明：马铃薯根系在浓度为10⁷个·mL^-1的大丽轮枝菌分生孢子液中浸泡处理2 h后，分生孢子可附着在抗/感马铃薯根系的根毛上，单个视野中感病品种根系上分生孢子附着平均数量为65个，显著高于抗病品种根系上附着的分生孢子数量(23个);接种12 hpi,根系上附着的分生孢子开始萌发，但抗/感品种根系表面孢子的萌发率无显著差异；接种3 dpi后，菌丝体能够突破根系表皮，进入细胞间隙，但感病品种根系中菌丝的扩展速度更快，并在7 d后到达根系的维管束内部；而抗病品种则在接种9 dpi,在维管束内才能够观察到绿色荧光信号；接种10 dpi,感病品种根系中可见新的分生孢子梗和分生孢子形成，而抗病品种中未见有分生孢子的形成。接种30 dpi,感病品种地上部茎杆中定殖的病原菌量是抗病品种的5倍以上；同时，感病品种叶柄中的病原菌数量也显著高于抗病品种。     

绿色荧光蛋白基因标记棉花黄萎病菌

以携带有潮霉素抗性筛选标记的pCTHyg载体为骨架,构建了含有增强型绿色荧光蛋白基因sGFP的载体pCH-sGFP,并通过农杆菌介导的遗传转化法导入引起棉花黄萎病的高致病力大丽轮枝菌Vd991,获得了sGFP整合到大丽轮枝菌基因组的转化株。通过转化子荧光信号、生长表型和致病力筛选鉴定,获得了1株与Vd991生长和致病力无显著差异且荧光信号强烈的转化株Vd gfp77。侵染棉花根部试验表明,Vd-gfp77侵染棉花后快速扩展繁殖,子代仍然能发出强烈的荧光信号。本试验绿色荧光蛋白标记大丽轮枝菌的成功构建,为后续大丽轮枝菌侵染棉花过程的组织学和致病机理研究提供了良好的研究材料。     

中国七省(自治区)马铃薯黄萎病病情及优势病原菌致病力分析

 2013-2016年,对我国内蒙古、河北、甘肃、黑龙江、山西、宁夏和云南7省(自治区)53县市245块马铃薯种植田黄萎病的发生、病样采集和病原分离开展了研究工作,通过分子生物学方法鉴定了病原菌分类地位,并通过温室试验研究了主要病原菌大丽轮枝菌的致病力分化情况。结果表明:(1)我国北方6省(自治区)内蒙古、河北、甘肃、黑龙江、山西和宁夏属于马铃薯黄萎病病区,云南省属于无病区;(2)引起我国马铃薯黄萎病的病原菌为大丽轮枝菌和黑白轮枝菌两种,占比分别为75.5%和24.5%,大丽轮枝菌为相对优势病原菌种类;(3)根据病原菌种类可将我国北方6省(自治区)病田划分为大丽轮枝菌病田、黑白轮枝菌病田及两菌混生病田。其中甘肃为大丽轮枝菌病田,宁夏为混生病田,山西为大丽轮枝菌病田和混生病田,内蒙古、河北和黑龙江3种病田均存在。两菌混生病田中各类病原菌属于单独侵染致病。(4)聚类分析表明来自甘肃、河北和内蒙古3省(自治区)马铃薯的82个大丽轮枝菌菌株在马铃薯上的致病力至少可以分为3个聚类组,相应菌株的病害发展曲线下面积(AUDPC)均值聚类组间存在显著差异,相应可分为强、中、弱3个致病力类型,并确定了相应95%置信区间,其中强致病力菌株在3省(自治区)供试病原菌中所占比例分别为3.33%、21.74%和10.34%。     

Nit突变体营养亲和性技术在棉花黄萎病菌生理型测定中的应用

 大丽轮枝菌(Verticullrum clahliue Kleb.)是世界性的土传病原菌,严重为害棉花等多种作物。姚耀文等(1982)根据我国棉花黄萎病菌在3大棉种上的致病性反应,将致病力最强的陕西泾阳菌系定为生理型I;致病力最弱的新疆和田菌系为生理型Ⅱ:致病力中等的河南安阳茵系为生理型Ⅲ。     

棉花黄萎病病原菌大丽轮枝菌的快速分子检测

大丽轮枝菌Verticillium dahliae是引起棉花黄萎病的土传病害病原真菌。快速及时地检测出大丽轮枝菌,对棉花黄萎病的早期预警及后期防治具有重要意义。采用聚合酶链式反应(polymerase chain reaction,PCR)检测技术对已报道大丽轮枝菌的检测引物进行验证、筛选和改进,获得1对改进的特异性PCR引物VDS-F/VDS-R。在优化的反应体系与扩增条件下,能特异性地从大丽轮枝菌基因组扩增出l条约520 bp的产物条带,检测灵敏度达到10~(-2)ng/μL;利用该引物可特异性地从含有大丽轮枝菌的土壤及棉花植株组织中检测出病原菌;采用巢氏PCR法对人工病土的检测灵敏度达到了10个孢子/g土。表明本引物的PCR检测体系可用于棉花黄萎病的早期快速检测。     

大丽轮枝菌果胶裂解酶PL1家族基因VdPL1-4的致病功能研究

大丽轮枝菌Verticillium dahliae引起的黄萎病是一种传播迅速且为害广泛的土传维管束真菌病害。大丽轮枝菌分泌的水解酶在侵染中发挥重要作用,尤其是纤维素酶和果胶酶。大丽轮枝菌果胶裂解酶包括PL1、PL3、PL4、PL9和PL11 5个家族,其中PL1家族成员数目最多,但对该家族的致病功能还未见系统研究。本研究明确大丽轮枝菌PL1家族共包含17个成员,且多数成员在侵染早期上调表达,其中VdPL1-4和VdPL1-8在侵染早期强烈诱导表达。挑选VdPL1-4构建缺失突变体,发现VdPL1-4缺失后菌株对棉花的致病力显著下降,对复杂碳源(果胶、羧甲基纤维素、淀粉)的利用能力受限,该基因回补后菌株的毒力和碳源利用能力均得以恢复。信号肽介导的分泌活性验证表明VdPL1-4为分泌蛋白。以上研究表明,VdPL1-4是重要毒力因子,研究结果为后续系统解析果胶裂解酶在病原致病过程中发挥的作用提供了理论依据。     

植物内生细菌在棉花体内的定殖动态及对棉花黄萎病的生物防治效果

为明确植物内生细菌在棉花体内的定殖规律及对棉花黄萎病防治效果的影响,采用对峙培养法筛选对大丽轮枝菌Verticillium dahliae Kleb.抑菌活性强的植物内生细菌,通过形态及生理生化特征并结合16S r DNA和gyr B基因分析鉴定菌株;利用抗生素标记法及盆栽试验研究其在棉花体内的定殖动态及对棉花黄萎病的防治效果。结果表明:共筛选到3株对大丽轮枝菌具有强抑菌活性的菌株SZ5、DP10和CCM9,其中SZ5为蜡样芽胞杆菌Bacillus cereus,定殖在棉花根部、茎部和叶部,DP10和CCM9为枯草芽胞杆菌B.subtilis,定殖在棉花根部和茎部,3株菌在棉花根部的定殖数量均在10~3CFU/g以上;棉花苗沾根分别接入3株内生细菌10 d后再接种大丽轮枝菌孢子悬浮液,对棉花黄萎病的防治效果达79.52%~89.79%,而3株内生细菌沾根接种后立即移栽到含有大丽轮枝菌的土壤中对棉花黄萎病的防治效果为23.77%~36.03%。表明不同内生细菌菌株在棉花体内的定殖规律不同;且在棉苗中定殖一定数量后,才能对棉花黄萎病产生较高的防治效果。     

棉花黄萎病拮抗细菌筛选与B-1O1菌株抗菌蛋白分离

棉花黄萎病（Cotton Verticillium wilt）是由大丽轮枝菌（Verticillium dahliae）侵染引起的真菌性维管束系统病害,因该菌菌丝体产生的大量微菌核在土壤中存活时间长,寄主广泛,传播途径多,使得化学防治非常困难,且化学防治方法易污染环境、破坏生态平衡;另外病菌变异快,很难培育高抗病品系,且抗病品种存在选育年限长、抗性单一、有时农艺性状不如感病品种等问题。因此,采用基因工程手段向优良作物品种导入外源抗性基因,为抗病育种开辟了新的途径,达到这一目标的关键是分离有效的目的基因。     

大丽轮枝菌蛋白激发子PevD1诱导棉花抗病性及作用机理

 PevD1是一种大丽轮枝菌(Verticillium dahliae)分泌蛋白,具有激发烟草过敏反应(HR)和系统获得性抗病(SAR)的功能。为明确蛋白PevD1诱导棉花抗病性及其作用机制,本文利用大肠杆菌表达、纯化的PevD1诱导棉苗植株,检测棉苗对大丽轮枝菌的抗性及免疫应答反应。结果表明,大肠杆菌表达的PevD1重组蛋白不是棉花品种“新陆早42号”的致萎因子,叶片注射8 μg/mL PevD1蛋白诱导3 d后根部接种大丽轮枝菌,15 d后PevD1处理组病害减轻率达35.04%。PevD1能诱导棉花叶片抗性早期信号分子H₂O₂产生和NO积累,维管束细胞壁加厚、木质素和酚类物质的积累。另外,PevD1处理能提高防御酶PAL、POD和PPO活性,提高棉花抗性基因和木质素合成相关基因PAL、C4H1、4CL的转录水平。说明PevD1通过激发棉花免疫系统而提高抗病性,该研究不仅为利用PevD1蛋白激发子控制棉花黄萎病提供了科学依据,同时也为阐明棉花与大丽轮枝菌互作机理提供了理论基础。     

Present status of verticillium wilt of olive in Andalucía (southern Spain)1

Verticillium wilt caused by Verticillium dahliae is a disease highly prevalent in newly established olive orchards in Andalucía, southern Spain. Two syndromes of the disease occur in Andalucia, namely apoplexy and slow decline. Apoplexy is characterized by quick dieback of twigs and branches while slow decline consists of rapid drying out of inflorescences together with leaf chlorosis and necrosis. Systematic disease observations carried out in two experimental orchards planted with susceptible cv. Picual indicated that natural recovery of diseased trees occurred over time. Infection and vascular colonization of olive plants by V. dahliae were studied in susceptible (Picual) and resistant (Oblonga) cultivars inoculated with a mildly virulent or a highly virulent cotton-defoliating isolate of V. dahliae. Disease symptoms developed 24–32 days after inoculation in cv. Picual, but at that time plants of cv. Oblonga remained free from symptoms. However anatomical observations and isolations indicated that systemic infections by the two isolates had occurred to a large extent in both cultivars.     

Novel methodologies in screening and selecting olive varieties and root-stocks for resistance to <Emphasis Type="Italic">Verticillium dahliae</Emphasis>

An innovative inoculation process, involving the drilling of a trunk hole in 3 year-old olive trees and injecting a dense conidial suspension of Verticillium dahliae, was developed to study differentiation in foliar symptom expression between olive cultivars tolerant or susceptible to the pathogen. It was demonstrated that V. dahliae conidia could be translocated and colonize the xylem at the same distance above and below the point of trunk injection in both cultivars. However, the pathogen could be subsequently isolated at statistically significant percentages in susceptible cv. Amphissis compared to the tolerant cv. Kalamon, indicating operation of resistance mechanisms in the vascular phase of the disease. Consequently symptom development in the susceptible cultivar was at least sixfold more intensive compared to the tolerant cultivar, 6–11 months after trunk inoculation. Perennial olive orchard experiments, aimed at selecting Verticillium-resistant root-stocks, were conducted by applying the novel method in 2–3 year-old root-stock suckers of Amphissis olive trees and in the tolerant cvs Lianolia of Corfu and Koroneiki. It was indicated that potentially resistant root-stocks could be obtained following the trunk drilling technique. Resistance differentiation between cvs Amphissis and Kalamon was further verified through root inoculation by various V. dahliae microsclerotial concentrations and demonstrated that the trunk drilling inoculation procedure is equally efficient in resistance evaluation of olives to Verticillium wilt. The trunk inoculation procedure could be useful in selecting and screening root-stocks for resistance to V. dahliae and other vascular pathogens and could elucidate resistance mechanisms in woody plants against vascular wilt diseases.     

新疆棉花黄萎病的发生现状及其病原菌的分子鉴定与ISSR分析

为掌握新疆主要植棉区棉花黄萎病的发生现状及其病原菌大丽轮枝菌Verticillium dahliae的落叶型菌系分布以及遗传变异情况,于2015年对26个新疆主要植棉区棉花黄萎病的发生情况进行了随机调查,统计新疆大丽轮枝菌的培养性状,利用大丽轮枝菌落叶型特异引物D1/D2、INTD2F/INTD2R与非落叶型特异性引物ND1/ND2、INTNDF/INTNDR对新疆大丽轮枝菌菌系进行互补鉴定,并对部分菌系的遗传变异进行简单序列重复区间(inter simple sequence repeat,ISSR)分析。结果表明:2015年新疆棉花黄萎病发病田比例为54.0%,其中病情指数在10.0以上的发病田与2013年持平,而病情指数在20.0以上的严重发病田比例为10.8%,比2013年增加3.8个百分点;新疆大丽轮枝菌的培养性状以菌核型为主,比例为70.1%,菌丝型与中间型比例分别为13.4%和16.5%;新疆大丽轮枝菌落叶型菌系比例为53.2%,26株菌株的来源地全部检出落叶型菌系;聚类分析结果显示,当遗传相似系数为0.66时,新疆大丽轮枝菌落叶型与非落叶型菌系聚为2个谱系,菌系地理来源、培养性状与大丽轮枝菌的遗传分化无明显相关性。     

Evaluation of Olive Cultivars for Resistance to Verticillium dahliae

Resistance of 23 important olive cultivars to Verticillium dahliae has been evaluated in four experiments under controlled conditions. Nine-month-old nursery olive plants were inoculated with a cotton non-defoliating (ND) (V4) or a cotton defoliating (D) (V117) isolate of V. dahliae. Resistance was evaluated by assessing symptom severity using a 0–4 rating scale and estimating the area under disease progress curves. The percentage of plants killed and of those which recovered from the disease were used as additional parameters for including a particular cultivar into a defined category. Most of the evaluated cultivars were susceptible, although at different levels, to both isolates of V. dahliae. All cultivars were more susceptible to the D pathotype than to the ND one. A group of 11 cultivars, including several important Spanish cultivars, were susceptible or extremely susceptible to both pathotypes of V. dahliae. A second group showed differences of resistance depending on the pathotype used. They were susceptible or extremely susceptible to the D pathotype but resistant or moderately susceptible to the ND one. Finally, 'Frantoio', 'Oblonga' and 'Empeltre' were moderately susceptible to the D isolate of V. dahliae and resistant to the ND one. The resistance of 'Empeltre' was evident by the plant ability to recover from infection with either isolates. 'Empeltre' is considered to be a valuable cultivar for inclusion in breeding programmes for resistance to Verticillium wilt.     

Weed hosts ofVerticillium dahliae in crete: Susceptibility, symptomatology and significance

A survey of common and uncommon weed species usually showing Verticillium wilt symptoms was carried out during 1992–2000 in Crete, Greece.Verticillium dahliae was isolated in 48 out of 182 sampled fields, in which several weed species were grown, from several locations in Oropedio, Lasithi. Altogether, 124 isolates ofV. dahliae were recovered from the vascular stem-tissue of 19 weed species, belonging to ten botanical families. Pathogenicity trials with 13 out of 19 weed species that have never been reported as hosts of the fungus, using for inoculation isolates which originated from the same weed species, resulted in infection of all of them, showing various disease symptoms. Seven weed species (Anthemis melanolepis, Cardaria draba, Convolvulus arvensis, Erodium sp.,Euphorbia helioscopia, Helminthotheca echioides andSinapis alba) are new hosts worldwide, and six additional species (Euphorbia sp.,Lactuca serriola, Raphanus raphanistrum, Sinapis arvensis, Sonchus oleraceus andTrifolium sp.) are new hosts for Greece. The most susceptible (isolation frequency: 27.9–52.8%, moderate disease severity) species were:Capsella bursa-pastoris, C. draba, Chenopodium album, Senecio vulgaris andSolanum nigrum. Less susceptible (isolation frequency: 4.8–17.8%, slight disease severity) were:Amaranthus sp.,A. melanolepis, C. arvensis, Erodium sp.,Euphorbia sp.,E. helioscopia, H. echioides, L. serriola, Malva sylvestris, R. raphanistrum, S. alba, S. arvensis, S. oleraceus andTrifolium sp. Some species —C. draba, C. album, L. serriola andS. nigrum L. — that usually showed external and vascular wilt symptoms, occasionally exhibited only reduced growth. Visible symptoms under natural field conditions in all 13 weed species that had never been reported as hosts ofV. dahliae were similar to those observed after their artificial inoculation. The fungus was not isolated fromFoeniculum vulgare ssp.piperitum, Oxalis corniculata andStellaria media, among other species. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting Sept. 18, 2002.     

Comparative effect of root-knot nematode on severity of verticillium and fusarium wilt in cotton

The effect of root-knot nematode (RKN) (Meloidogyne incognita) onVerticillium dahliae andFusarium oxysporum f.sp.vasinfectum in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) was investigated. Two different inoculation methods were used, one in which inoculum was added to the soil, so that nematode and fungal inoculum were in close proximity; the other, inoculation into the stem, whereby the two inocula were spatially separated. Invasion of the roots by RKN enhanced disease severity, as measured by the height of vascular browning in the stem, following inoculation with either wilt pathogen. The effect of RKN on Fusarium wilt was more pronounced than that on Verticillium wilt. Nematode-enhanced infection byF. oxysporum is a well known effect but there are few reports of enhanced infection byVerticillium due to RKN. Relative resistance of a number of cotton cultivars to both wilt diseases, as measured by height of vascular browning, was similar to the known field performance of the cultivars. The use of vascular browning as an estimate of disease severity was therefore validated. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting Feb. 3, 2003.     

棉花内生真菌CEF-373菌株对棉花黄萎病的防效及其作用机理

为明确棉花内生真菌CEF-373菌株对棉花黄萎病的防效及其作用机理,利用圆盘滤膜法和平板对扣培养法测定菌株CEF-373对大丽轮枝菌Verticillium dahliae菌丝生长的抑制作用,测定其对棉花黄萎病的温室和田间防效,并通过活性氧含量及防御基因表达情况来分析其作用机理。结果表明,菌株CEF-373的挥发性代谢产物和非挥发性代谢产物对大丽轮枝菌菌丝的生长均有显著抑制作用,抑制率最高分别可达37.75%和100.00%。用1×107CFU/mL的菌株CEF-373分生孢子悬浮液灌根后,对棉花黄萎病的温室防效可达71.12%,用质量比为3%的菌株CEF-373固体菌剂拌土栽培后,对棉花黄萎病的温室防效可达62.74%,防治作用显著。菌株CEF-373的发酵液滴灌和微生物肥料处理40 d后,对棉花黄萎病的田间防效达到最大,分别为36.23%和27.71%,而在后期有所降低。菌株CEF-373可以诱导棉花叶片中细胞活性氧的爆发;且菌株CEF-373成功激活了苯丙氨酸解氨酶、过氧化物酶、多酚氧化酶、几丁质酶和病程相关蛋白基因PR10的表达,对大丽轮枝菌的侵染具有抵御作用。表明棉花内生真菌CEF-373菌株通过抑制大丽轮枝菌生长以及诱导寄主系统抗病性来有效防治棉花黄萎病,具有较好的生物防治应用前景。     

Vegetative compatibility of cotton-defoliating <Emphasis Type="Italic">Verticillium dahliae</Emphasis> in Israel and its pathogenicity to various crop plants

Verticillium dahliae isolates recovered from a new focus of severe Verticillium wilt of cotton in the northeast of Israel were tested for vegetative compatibility using nitrate non-utilizing (nit) mutants and identified as VCG1, which is a new record in Israel. Other cotton isolates of V. dahliae from the northern and southern parts of the country were assigned to VCG2B and VCG4B, respectively. VCG1 isolates induced severe leaf symptoms, stunting and defoliation of cotton cv. Acala SJ-2, and thus were characterized as the cotton-defoliating (D) pathotype, whereas isolates of VCG2B and VCG4B were confirmed as the earlier described defoliating-like (DL) and non-defoliating (ND) pathotypes, respectively. This is the first record of the D-pathotype in Israel. The host range of representative isolates of each VCG-associated pathotype was investigated using a number of cultivated plants. Overall, the D isolates were more virulent than DL isolates on all tested host plants, but the order of hosts (from highly susceptible to resistant) was the same: okra (Hibiscus esculentus local cultivar), cotton (Gossypium hirsutum cv. Acala SJ2), watermelon (Citrullus lanatus cv. Crimson Sweet), safflower (Carthamus tinctorius cv. PI 251264), sunflower (Helianthus annuum cv. 2053), eggplant (Solanum melongena cv. Black Beauty), and tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum cv. Rehovot 13). The pattern of virulence of ND isolates differed from that of D and DL isolates, so that the former were highly virulent on eggplant but mildly virulent on cotton. Tomato was resistant to all cotton V. dahliae isolates tested. RAPD and specific PCR assays confirmed that the D isolates from Israel were similar to those originating from other countries.     

Incidence of Verticillium wilt of artichoke in eastern Spain and role of inoculum sources on crop infection

Surveys of 94 artichoke fields throughout the artichoke production areas of Comunidad Valenciana (eastern Spain) were conducted from 1999 to 2002 to determine the incidence and distribution of Verticillium wilt.Verticillium dahliae was isolated from 80.9% of the sampled fields, and detected in all artichoke-growing areas, with a mean disease incidence of 53.8% infected plants. The disease was found to cause severe damage to cv. ‘Blanca de Tudela’, which is the most important artichoke cultivar grown in Spain, and was also observed on the seed-propagated cv. ‘Imperial Star’. In field trials to study the role of infected planting material and soil inoculum on infection of artichoke plants during the cropping season,V. dahliae was transmitted from infected stumps to the plants, confirming that the use of infected stumps could have greatly contributed to the dissemination of the pathogen. Inoculum density ofV. dahliae in soil had an effect on crop infection, in that a higher number of microsclerotia per gram of soil resulted in a higher percentage of infected plants. In addition, yield of cv. Blanca de Tudela was significantly affected byV. dahliae infection, showing that a higher percentage of infection corresponded with lower yield. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting July 21, 2005.