Assessment of the effect of surface drip irrigation on Verticillium dahliae propagules differing in persistence in soil and on verticillium wilt of olive

For efficient integrated management of verticillium wilt in olive (VWO), it is important to establish whether irrigation treatments (with Verticillium dahliae‐free water) that mitigate the disease in V. dahliae‐infested soil, also reduce the levels of more and less persistent propagules of the pathogen in the soil. Effects of irrigation on VWO and V. dahliae propagules were evaluated under natural environmental conditions. Potted plants were irrigated (pathogen‐free water) to two ranges of soil water content (RWC; high and low) at three surface drip‐irrigation frequencies (daily, weekly, and daily during some periods and otherwise weekly). VWO and total inoculum density (ID), density of less persistent micropropagules (MpD) and more persistent sclerotia in wet soil (S_wD), and sclerotia density for air‐dried soil (S_dD) were monitored. A logistic model (multiple sigmoid) of disease incidence revealed the lowest parameter values in treatments irrigated daily. Daily frequency of irrigation showed significantly lower disease incidence (39.2%) and disease intensity index (43.9%) and MpD (88.0%) values as areas compared with other frequencies, regardless of the RWC. High RWC significantly reduced (70.8–84.9%) ID, S_wD and S_dD as areas, but significantly increased (18.0%) the incidence of infected plants (IIP), regardless of the irrigation frequency. The disease incidence was not correlated with temperature. Daily irrigation to low RWC mitigated the VWO and the IIP, kept soil to the lowest MpD and resulted in the lowest S_dD level at the end of the trial. Results suggested that less persistent propagules could have played a part in the disease development.     

Application to soil of disinfectants through irrigation reduces Verticillium dahliae in the soil and verticillium wilt of olive

The application of disinfectants through drip irrigation could be a feasible practice against verticillium wilt (Verticillium dahliae) of olive. OX-VIRIN (activated peroxide) and OX-AGUA AL25 (quaternary ammonium compounds) are two disinfectants that have shown efficacy against V. dahliae in irrigation water and potential for reducing the disease in young olive plants. In this work, various post-planting application strategies incorporating OX-VIRIN (once a month, or twice a month on alternate or successive weeks) or OX-AGUA AL25 (once a month, or twice a month on alternate weeks) were assessed for their effect on V. dahliae in soil, disease in olive trees, and olive yield, in a 2-year pot-experiment under natural environmental conditions. The disinfectants were injected via metering pumps into a drip irrigation system that irrigated olive trees planted in V. dahliae-inoculated soil. All the application strategies significantly reduced the total inoculum density in soil compared to controls with no disinfectants and noninoculated soil. The microsclerotia density was also significantly reduced in disinfested soils by 73.6–86.8%, depending on the strategy. The symptoms and infection incidence were always lower in treatments subjected to disinfestation. The treatment with OX-AGUA AL25 applied twice a month on alternate weeks most reduced the symptoms (by 53.0%) and colonization index (by 70.8%) with respect to untreated water control. This soil disinfestation also significantly strengthened the symptom remission. Tree growth and production were negatively affected by soil inoculation (reduced by 45.6% and 88.7%, respectively), but not so by disinfectants, which even relieved the reduction in inoculated soils, especially when OX-AGUA AL25 was applied.     

Evaluation of organic amendments from agro‐industry waste for the control of verticillium wilt of olive

Biological control of plant diseases using soil amendments such as animal manure and composted materials can minimize organic waste and has been proposed as an effective strategy in crop protection. In this study, 35 organic amendments (OAs) and 16 compost mixtures were evaluated against Verticillium dahliae by assessing both the antagonistic effect on the mycelial growth of two representative isolates of V. dahliae and the effect on the reduction of microsclerotia viability of the pathogen in naturally infested soil. Eleven OAs and five compost mixtures showed a consistent inhibition effect in in vitro sensitivity tests, with solid olive‐oil waste compost one of the most effective. Therefore, a bioassay with olive plants was conducted to evaluate the suppressive effect against V. dahliae of these selected OAs and compost mixtures. Significant reduction in the severity of the symptoms of V. dahliae indicates the potential use of grape marc compost (100% disease severity reduction) and solid olive‐oil waste, combined with other OAs. Microorganism mixtures and dairy waste OAs had a potential suppressive effect when they were combined with compost, showing a 73% and 63% disease severity reduction, respectively. A mixture of agro‐industrial waste with other biological control agents is a promising strategy against verticillium wilt of olive. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report on the effectiveness of compost extracts (compost teas) on the inhibition of natural microsclerotia of V. dahliae, and also on verticillium wilt suppression in olive with solid olive‐oil waste.     

Sources of verticillium wilt resistance in wild olive germplasm from the Mediterranean region

Fifty-seven wild olive accessions collected from the Mediterranean basin were screened under greenhouse conditions for their resistance to verticillium wilt. Plants were root-dip inoculated. One defoliating and one non-defoliating isolate of Verticillium dahliae , both obtained from diseased plants in southern Italy, were used. Plants of the highly susceptible cv. Cima di Mola, frequently used as a rootstock in Apulia, were also included in this test. Disease reactions were evaluated on the basis of external symptoms, vascular browning and by calculating areas under disease progress curves ( audpc ). On the basis of audpc values and external symptom severity, accessions were grouped into four phenotypic groups: highly resistant, moderately resistant, susceptible and highly susceptible. Three accessions showed high resistance to both V. dahliae pathotypes. Forty resistant plants were selected from accessions that had shown the highest levels of resistance. Clones were obtained from each of these plants by in vitro micropropagation for further testing. Ten clones showed the resistance characteristics of their original mother plants, while others suffered greater levels of disease severity than their mother plants. Several new olive rootstocks were identified that were highly resistant to verticillium wilt and could be included in breeding programmes for resistance of olive to V. dahliae .     

Variability and selection of verticillium wilt resistant genotypes in cultivated olive and in the Olea genus

Developing verticillium wilt resistant genotypes is currently a major objective in olive breeding. In this study, 6017 genotypes derived from 48 crosses obtained by open pollination and crosses between olive cultivars, wild olive genotypes and other Olea species and Olea europaea subspecies were individually evaluated for verticillium wilt resistance. More than 800 genotypes were identified as resistant to the disease based on the absence of symptoms. High genetic variability and wide segregation in resistance were observed. The inheritance of resistance was studied, and the best parents and crosses to breed resistant genotypes were identified. According to the results, verticillium wilt resistance in olive appears to be a quantitative trait. The results obtained by comparing the level of resistance between different crosses as well as by estimating heritability suggest that it is possible to breed for verticillium wilt resistance in olive.     

Integrated control of verticillium wilt of olive with cryptonol in combination with a solar chamber and fertilizer

A study was conducted during 2 years to determine the effects of three different control measures on the development of Verticillium wilt on olive trees cv. ‘Nabali’ at Al-Hallabat, Jordan. The causal agent of the wilt wasVerticillium dahliae Kleb. Treating diseased trees with Cryptonol (8-hydroxyquinoline sulfate) in a soil drench, or covering trees with a solar chamber for 15 days, was effective in suppressing disease development. The fertilizer treatment (NPK, 15:15:30) decreased disease severity and percent infection. All decreases are in comparison with the untreated control, and as recorded during the active phase of the pathogen. The treatments did not differ significantly from each other, and disease incidence in treated trees remained lower than in the control throughout the examined period.     

Leaf morpho-physiology and phytochemistry of olive trees as affected by cultivar type and increasing aridity

The olive species(Olea europaea L.) is an ancient traditional crop grown under rainfed conditions in the Mediterranean Basin. In response to the growing national and international demand for olive oil,the olive cultivars are introduced into highly arid new bioclimatic areas. Subsequently, the morpho-physiology and phytochemistry of olive trees are potentially changing among cultivar types and geographical conditions. In the present work, we have undertaken an assessment on the impacts of geograp...     

Characterization of resistance against the olive‐defoliating Verticillium dahliae pathotype in selected clones of wild olive

Verticillium wilt of olive is best managed by resistant cultivars, but those currently available show incomplete resistance to the defoliating (D) Verticillium dahliae pathotype. Moreover, these cultivars do not satisfy consumers' demand for high yields and oil quality. Highly resistant rootstocks would be of paramount importance for production of agronomically adapted and commercially desirable olive cultivars in D V. dahliae‐infested soils. In this work, resistance to D V. dahliae in wild olive clones Ac‐13, Ac‐18, OutVert and StopVert was assessed by quantifying the fungal DNA along the stem using a highly sensitive real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) protocol and a stem colonization index (SCI) based on isolation of V. dahliae following artificial inoculations under conditions highly conducive for verticillium wilt. Ac‐13, Ac‐18, OutVert and StopVert showed a symptomless reaction to D V. dahliae. The mean amount of D V. dahliaeDNA quantified in stems of the four clones ranged from 3.64 to 28.89 pg/100 ng olive DNA, which was 249 to 1537 times lower than that in susceptible Picual olive. The reduction in the quantitative stem colonization of wild olive clones by D V. dahliae was also indicated by a sharp decrease in the SCI. Overall, there was a pattern of decreasing SCI in acropetal progression along the plant axis, as well as correlation between positive reisolation and quantification of pathogen DNA. The results of this research show that wild olive clones Ac‐13, Ac‐18, OutVert and StopVert have a valuable potential as rootstocks for the management of verticillium wilt in olive.     

Symptom development, pathogen isolation and Real-Time QPCR quantification as factors for evaluating the resistance of olive cultivars to Verticillium pathotypes

Verticillium wilt is the most serious olive disease in the Mediterranean countries and worldwide. The most effective control strategy is the use of resistant cultivars. However, limited information is available about the level and source of resistance in most of the olive cultivars and there are no published data using microsclerotia, the resting structures of Verticillium dahliae, as the infective inoculum. In the present study, we correlated symptomatology and the presence of the fungus along with the DNA relative amount (molecules μl⁻¹) of a defoliating (D) and a non-defoliating (ND) V. dahliae strain in the susceptible cv. Amfissis and the tolerant cvs Kalamon and Koroneiki, as quantified by the Real-Time QPCR technology. The viability of the pathogen in the plant tissues was confirmed by isolating the fungus on PDA plates, while symptom assessment proved the correlation between the DNA relative amount of V. dahliae in plant tissues and cultivar susceptibility. It was further demonstrated that the D and ND strains were present at a significantly higher level in cv. Amfissis than in cvs Kalamon and Koroneiki. It was finally observed that the relative amount of the pathogen in roots was lower than in stems and shoots and declined in plant tissues over time. These data constitute a valuable contribution in evaluating resistance of olive cultivars or olive root-stocks to V. dahliae pathotypes.     

Solarization of soil in piles for the control of Meloidogyne incognita in olive nurseries in southern Spain

The potential of solarization to control Meloidogyne incognita in piles of soil used at olive nurseries in southern Spain was studied in 1999 and 2000. Kaolin and soil infested with free eggs and egg masses of the nematode in nylon bags were buried 20 and 40 cm deep inside conical piles of soil 80 cm high and with a base diameter of 1 m. Soil piles were solarized for 3 weeks in July and August. The effect of various periods of solarization was assessed by egg hatch bioassays in sterile water, and by infectivity to tomato plants. Maximum soil temperature at 20 cm depth in solarized piles was 47·4°C in 1999 and 48·2°C in 2000, compared with 32·9°C and 31·7°C in nonsolarized piles. Solarization reduced egg hatch by > 95% compared with nonsolarized samples, irrespective of type, burial depth and location of inocula in a soil pile. Egg hatch of egg mass-infested samples buried at 20 cm depth was higher than that of free eggs buried at the same depth. The differential effect associated with burial depth and type of inoculum was not found in solarized piles. In nonsolarized piles, hatch of free eggs from samples buried at 40 cm depth was higher than that from samples buried at 20 cm depth. Egg hatch in samples from solarized piles was lower than that from nonsolarized piles. A bioassay of tomato plants in 2000 confirmed the reduction in infectivity of free eggs buried in solarized soil piles. Under the conditions in southern Spain, solarization of 40 cm-high piles of soil for 3 weeks can therefore be used for the control of root-knot nematodes in potting soil for olive nursery production.     

Tomato fruits as an alternative host for a laboratory strain of the olive fruit flyBactrocera oleae

In nature, oviposition and larval growth of the olive fruit flyBactrocera oleae (Rossi) (Diptera: Tephritidae) occur only in the mesocarp of fruits of the genusOlea, including the cultivated olive. Here we report on its growth in tomatoes, in the laboratory, as affected by a number of factors. Caged flies from a colony reared for more than 100 generations on an artificial diet, oviposited in intact fruits of four tomato cultivars in an unheated greenhouse and in the open. In choice tests, at 25°C, 16L:8D and 65% r.h., medium (5–6 cm diam) and large (>6 cm diam) fruits received more eggs than small (3–4 cm diam) fruits, but differences were not significant in all cases. In all cultivars, more eggs were laid in greenhouse than in open-air tomatoes of three different degrees of maturity, the differences being significant in most cases. The smaller the resistance of a cultivar’s epicarp to penetration by flat ended 0.2 and 1 mm square probes, the greater the number of eggs a cultivar received. Green (unripe) fruits proved unsuitable for larval growth. Half-ripe and fully ripe (red) fruits of cvs. ‘Isidro’, ‘204’, ‘Tobo’ and ‘Ace’ yielded pupae of acceptable weight (mean 5.6 to 6.7 mg) with a high percentage of adult emergence, yet the yield was considerably lower than that of olive fruit. Fully ripe greenhouse Isidro tomatoes yielded an average of 3.2 adults per fruit and 20.4% of the eggs laid developed into adults, whereas the other categories and cultivars yielded less. The mean percentages of pupae over eggs were higher in fully ripe Isidro and 204 fruits, than in half-ripe Tobo and Ace ones. The mean time from oviposition to pupation ranged from 16.2 to 25 days, depending on the cultivar and degree of fruit maturity. In fully ripe Isidro and 204 fruits, the fewer the eggs laid per fruit, the higher the percent yield in pupae and the longer the time from oviposition to pupation. Greenhouse fully ripe fruits of cv. 204 maintained under a low light intensity of 50 lux gave a much lower yield in pupae and slower larval growth than under 1600 lux. The usefulness of tomatoes as substitutes of artificial diets in rearing the fly is discussed. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting May 20, 2005.     

The potential use of allicin as a biopesticide for the control of the house fly,Musca domestica L.

The house fly, Musca domestica L., is a widespread pest of intensively reared livestock, where its presence negatively affects growth and productivity through the irritation their activity causes. Furthermore, adult flies mechanically vector a wide range of animal and human pathogens and, as such, pose a health risk to both livestock and people. The development of resistance in M. domestica populations to most of the insecticides used against them, coupled with diminishing product availability in many regions, means that new fly control methods and materials are constantly required. In the present study, a formulation of allicin, a compound derived from garlic cloves, was evaluated against the eggs, larvae and adults of Musca domestica L.. An in-diet LD₅₀ of 134 ppm against larvae was achieved, whilst marked ovicidal activity was also recorded. Adults were similarly affected when exposed directly and indirectly to surface residues of the compound. The results indicate that allicin exhibits potential to be used against filth flies through incorporation into their developmental substrates and, potentially, for the control of other economically important dipteran pests.