Wheat-rhizoplane pseudomonads as antagonists of Gaeumannomyces graminis

The role of rhizoplane-inhabiting Pseudomonas spp as inhibitors of take-all on wheat was investigated. Apparent numbers of pseudomonads in wheat rhizoplanes and numbers that were antagonistic in vitro toward Gaeumannomyces graminis var, tritici did not differ when wheat was supplied with NH⁺₄-N or NO^?₃-N. More intense antagonism was expressed by colonies selected from soil treated with NH⁺₄-N than with NO^?₃-N, and from isolation media prepared at pH 5.5 rather than at 7.0. Antagonists were not recovered from methyl bromide-treated soil. Highly antagonistic pseudomonads were recovered from a wheat-monoculture soil which is considered suppressive toward the pathogen in the field, and were not recovered from a “nonsuppressive” soil. Pseudomonad antagonism ratings were inversely correlated with take-all severity in the suppressive soil, but not in the nonsuppressive soil. Pseudomonads were considered to be antagonists of G. graminis on rhizoplanes of wheat in a soil exhibiting the “take-all decline” phenomenon, but the significance of this interaction remains to be determined.     

Trichoderma communities in soils from organic, sustainable, and conventional farms, and their relation with Southern blight of tomato

The objectives of this research were to investigate the relationship between propagule numbers and genetic diversity of Trichoderma species and Southern blight of tomato caused by soilborne plant pathogen Sclerotium rolfsii in soils with long-term organic, sustainable, and conventional farms. Dilution plating was use to quantify the propagule numbers of Trichoderma, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and DNA sequence analysis were used to identify Trichoderma species, and greenhouse assay were conducted for soil suppressiveness to Southern blight. The propagule numbers of Trichoderma tend to be higher in soils from conventional farms. There was no clear separation for the propagule numbers of Trichoderma based on different management systems using canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). However, there was general separation for total microbial communities based on organic and conventional management systems using CCA. That suggests that the difference of soil suppressiveness to disease from organic, sustainable, and conventional farms is due to the difference of the total microbial diversity but not directly due to the Trichoderma populations in each farming system. The propagule numbers of soil Trichoderma did not significantly correlate with the diseases suppressiveness, although individual species of Trichoderma harzianum was shown to be related to disease suppressiveness. Moreover, several Trichoderma species were found in the soil tested based on DGGE and DNA sequence analysis. Trichoderma hamatum, T. harzianum, Trichoderma virens, and Trichoderma erinaecem were the most abundant species in tested soil.     

Bacterial antagonists to the take-all fungus and fluorescent pseudomonads in the rhizosphere of wheat

The numbers of antagonists to the take-all fungus, and of fluorescent pseudomonads were significantly different in the rhizosphere and “residue” of seminal and nodal wheat roots of similar age.The rhizosphere of 1 week-old and the residues of 3 and 5 week-old nodal roots harboured significantly more antagonists than seminal roots. The rhizosphere of 5 week-old seminal roots, however, supported more antagonists than that of nodal roots of similar age. Combined analysis of all sampling stages showed that the nodal roots exerted a significantly greater “rhizosphere effect” on antagonists than the seminals.Fluorescent pseudomonads in the rhizosphere of 1, 3 and 8 week-old seminal roots were present in significantly higher numbers than in nodal roots of similar age. The combined analysis of all stages showed that the rhizosphere of seminal roots supports a significantly larger population of fluorescent pseudomonads.The implication of these differences is discussed in relation to the ecology of the take-all fungus.     

MICROBIAL POPULATIONS AND NITROGEN IN SOIL GROWING CONSECUTIVE CEREAL CROPS INFECTED WITH TAKE-ALL

Annually, for the past 12 years, a consecutive cereal-cropping sequence was begun. During 1969–72 soil was collected from plots with similar fertilizer treatments, but with different sequences of crops. In 1971 and 1972 wheat seedling bioassays showed that take-all disease became miximal after two or three crops, decreased to the fifth or sixth crop and then remained fairly constant in the‘take-all decline’state. The sequence with maximum disease had most NH₄⁺ -N and least NO₃^- -N in the rhizosphere soil in spring 1972, but there were no similar relationships in bulk soil in either of 2 years. Soil and rhizoplane populations of ammonifying and denitrifying bacteria were notably smaller in autumn 1970 and 1971 in short cereal sequences (2-5 yr.) than in the longer sequences. After γ-irradiating or autoclaving irradiated soils, all sequences contained much NH₄⁺ -N and although disease developing from added inoculum differed among soils, it did not follow the take-all decline pattern. Diffusate from sterilized soil favoured growth of the pathogen (Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici) least when it originated from the sequence that supported maximum disease.     

Suppression of wheat take-all and ophiobolus patch by fluorescent pseudomonads from a fusarium-suppressive soil

Fluorescent pseudomonads isolated from a soil suppressing Fusarium wilt significantly reduced take-all (Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici) in wheat and Ophiobolus patch (G. graminis var. avenae) in Agrostis turfgrass. The bacteria were mixed into a conducive soil at a concentration of 10⁷ colony-forming units (cfu)g^?1 soil at sowing. There were significantly fewer (P ? 0.05) diseased wheat roots in the treatments with the bacteria and pathogen than in those with the pathogen alone. Dry weights of the tops of wheat and Agrostis turfgrass were significantly greater (P ? 0.01) in treatments inoculated with the bacteria in the presence of the pathogens compared to controls with the pathogens alone. Dry weights of the tops of plants from treatments inoculated with the bacteria alone were not significantly different to those of healthy wheat non-inoculated with the bacteria, showing that the fluorescent pseudomonads did not stimulate plant growth. At the end of the experiments, the bacterial isolates (genetically-marked with rifampicin resistance) were recovered from wheat roots and rhizosphere soil at concentrations of 10⁵–10⁷cfu g^?1 fresh weight of roots or oven-dried rhizosphere soil.Many of the fluorescent pseudomonads and some non-fluorescent pseudomonads showed in vitro antibiosis on quarter-strength potato dextrose agar (QPDA) against the pathogens. However, there was no correlation between in vitro antibiosis on agar plates and suppression of disease in pot experiments. Further, while some isolates of G. graminis var. tritici and var. avenae were inhibited by certain bacterial isolates, other isolates of the same fungus were not similarly inhibited by the same isolates of bacteria. Most of the fluorescent pseudomonads that produced inhibition zones (>5mm) against G. graminis var. tritici on QPDA did not do so on King's medium B, where fluorescent siderophores were formed. In vitro antibiosis is, therefore, a poor criterion for selecting effective bacterial antagonists of the wheat take-all fungus. All of the fluorescent pseudomonads tested produced siderophores in low-Fe media while a non-fluorescent pseudomonad and the fungal pathogens did not produce siderophores of comparable activity. The addition of 500 μg FeEDTA g^?1 with a lower stability constant did not. The evidence suggests that iron competition at the rhizoplane or in the rhizosphere is one mechanism of suppression.     

Factors impacting the activity of 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol-producing Pseudomonas fluorescens against take-all of wheat

Take-all, caused by Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici, is an important soilborne disease of wheat worldwide. Pseudomonas fluorescens producing the antibiotic 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol (2,4-DAPG) are biocontrol agents of take-all and provide natural suppression of the disease during wheat monoculture known as take-all decline. To identify factors that could contribute to the effectiveness of 2,4-DAPG producers in take-all suppression, P. fluorescens strains Q8r1-96 (genotype D) and Q2-87V1 (genotype B; reduced antibiotic production) were tested against three pathogen isolates differing in sensitivity to 2,4-DAPG (LD5, ARS-A1 and R3-111a-1) and two wheat cultivars (Tara and Buchanan). The antibiotic sensitivity of the pathogen and cultivar significantly affected the level of take-all suppression by Q8r1-96 and Q2-87V1; suppression was greatest with LD5 and Tara. Q8r1-96 suppressed ARS-A1 and R3-111a-1 on Tara but not Buchanan, and Q2-87V1 failed to suppress either pathogen isolate on either cultivar. Q8r1-96 colonized the rhizosphere of Tara and Buchanan grown in soil similarly, but 2,4-DAPG accumulation was higher on the roots of Buchanan than Tara. 2,4-DAPG at 7.5 μg mL⁻¹ reduced the growth of roots of both cultivars, and 10 μg mL⁻¹ caused brown necrosis and tissue collapse of seedling roots and reduced root hair development. The half-life of 2,4-DAPG in the rhizosphere was estimated to be 0.25 days. These results suggest that several interconnected factors including sensitivity of G. graminis var. tritici to 2,4-DAPG, wheat cultivar, fluctuations in populations of 2,4-DAPG producers, and antibiotics accumulation in the rhizosphere will impact the robustness of take-all suppression by P. fluorescens in the field.     

Residue cover in wheat systems following dry pea and lentil in the Palouse region of Idaho

Crop management practices are needed that increase crop residue groundcover and reduce soil erosion after winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) planting in the Palouse region of northern Idaho and eastern Washington. Trials were conducted in 1997 and 1998 at the University of Idaho Kambitsch Research Farm near Genesee, Idaho, using farm scale equipment to evaluate dry pea (Pisum sativum L. subsp. sativum) and lentil (Lens culinaris Medik) residue production and groundcover across cultivars and tillage intensity. After harvest, legume plot areas were prepared for winter wheat seeding using four main plot tillage systems designed to give progressive levels of tillage intensity: no-till (NT), Ripper–Shooter™ (RS), RS plus one cultivation, and RS plus two cultivations. In 1997, the two dry pea cultivars produced significantly greater residue than the lentil cultivars. In 1998, ‘Pro 2100’ dry pea had significantly higher residue production than ‘Columbian’ pea and ‘Crimson’ lentil cultivars. In 1997, initial residue cover was highest with NT, averaging 74% groundcover across legume cultivars. After winter wheat seeding, residue cover declined for all tillage treatments, but was still highest at 40% residue cover under NT. In 1998, residue cover was lower for all tillage treatments across all cultivars than in 1997, but NT still had the highest initial residue cover. Wheat yield was not affected by tillage or previous crop treatments in either year. This study showed that NT and reduced tillage systems can maintain previous crop residue on the surface for soil conservation and subsequent crop yields.     

Effects of rotation, stubble retention and cultivation on take-all and eyespot of wheat in northeastern Victoria, Australia

The effects of different rotations and methods of seed-bed preparation on take-all (Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici) (Ggt) and eyespot (Tapesia yallundae; anomorph Pseudocercosporella herpotrichoides) of wheat (Triticum aestivum) were investigated in 1984–1986 in a long-term field experiment (established in 1981), on a fine sandy-clay loam in northeastern Victoria. One treatment, representing the conventional practice, involved burning stubble from the preceding crop followed by four passes with a scarifier in the autumn before sowing wheat each year. Other treatments were direct drilled each year (sown without prior cultivation) and included two stubble treatments (retained or burnt) in either continuously cropped wheat or in lupin (Lupinus angustifolius)-wheat rotations.

High levels of take-all and eyespot developed in the continuously cropped wheat (up to 79% and 66% plants affected, respectively). On the other hand, the incidence of plants with either disease was very low or negligible in wheat that was preceded by lupins. In continuous wheat the incidence of plants with Ggt lesions were up to two times higher in the conventionally cultivated treatment (14% 74% and 79% plants affected in 1984, 1985 and 1986, respectively) than in direct drilled treatment (5%, 36% and 39% plants affected, respectively). Generally, the incidence of plants with Ggt lesions and the severity of root symptoms in direct drilled wheat did not differ significantly between the two stubble treatments.

The incidence of eyespot in direct drilled wheat was exacerbated by the retention of wheat stubble on the uncultivated plots (3%, 46% and 66% plants affected in 1984, 1985, and 1986, respectively) but was reduced by burning the stubble (4%, 19% and 33% plants affected in 1984, 1985, 1986, respectively). However, cultivating soil after burning stubble resulted in more plants with eyespot (14%, 39% and 46% plants affected in 1984, 1985 and 1986, respectively) than did burning stubble alone, and in one year the incidence of affected plants in the cultivated treatment was as high as in wheat direct drilled into stubble. The incidence of eyespot was positively correlated (r=0.85, 0.84 and 0.61 in 1984, 1985 and 1986, respectively) with the incidence of lodged tillers. The incidence of lodging was, generally, highest each year in wheat sown directly into wheat stubble and was reduced by burning wheat stubble or by cropping wheat after lupins.

Wojnowicia graminis was frequently isolated, as was Tapesia yallundae, from eyespot lesions suggesting that perhaps not all symptoms of lodging in Victoria can be attributed to Tapesia yallundae.     

Changes in some soil properties in a Vertic Argiudoll under short-term conservation tillage

The purpose of this work was to determine whether some soil physical and chemical properties, and microbial activity were affected by two conservation tillage systems in a Chernozemic clay loam soil (Vertic Argiudoll), after 5 years of trial initiation. Two crop sequences, corn (Zea mays L.)–wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)/soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) and wheat/soybean, under chisel plowing (ChP) and no till (NT) were evaluated. Physical and chemical properties were also analyzed taking the same soil without disturbance as reference. The Hénin instability index (HI) was larger in ChP than in NT in both corn–wheat/soybean (C–W/S) and wheat/soybean (W/S) sequences (P≤0.05). The C–W/S sequence differed from W/S (P≤0.01) in total organic carbon (TOC). As regards organic carbon fractions, no differences were found in labile organic carbon (LOC), while W/S under ChP showed the lowest value (P≤0.01) of humified organic carbon (HOC). No differences were found in microbial respiration either in crop sequences or in tillage systems. Soil physical and chemical properties differentiated crop sequences and tillage treatments from the undisturbed soil when a Student’s t-test was performed. Five years elapsed since the beginning of this trial was time enough to detect changes in some of the soil properties as a consequence of management practices. An important reduction in the soil structural stability was observed as related to the undisturbed soil. However, the C–W/S sequence under NT resulted in lower soil degradation with respect to the other treatments.     

基于近地成像光谱的小麦全蚀病等级监测

小麦全蚀病是检疫性的土传病害,对小麦生产危害极大,对其发生的监测是治理的根本。遥感技术可实时、宏观监测病害发生发展,尤其是成像光谱技术的图谱合一,可精准对病害识别和分类。该文首先通过主成分分析提取不同小麦白穗率的冠层光谱特征;再通过灰色聚类分析方法,研究白穗率等级的可分性;最后利用基于径向基(RBF,radial basis function)核函数的支持向量机对全蚀病害的近地成像高光谱图像进行分类,从而验证近地成像光谱在全蚀病监测上的可行性。研究结果显示:该方法对5种程度的小麦全蚀病白穗率的分类精度均达94%以上,Kappa值大于0.8。研究表明利用该方法,通过近地成像光谱图像可以准确监测小麦全蚀病的病情,对小麦全蚀病的治理有指导意义。     

Population dynamics of amoebae in soils suppressive and non-suppressive to wheat take-all

Populations of soil amoebae were estimated throughout two wheat crops and a fallow from wheat rotations suppressive and non-suppressive to take-all. The suppressive pasture-pasture-wheat plot showed higher rhizosphere populations of mycophagous amoebae and higher associations of mycophagous and other amoebae with wheat roots throughout the crop period than the non-suppressive continuous-wheat plot. Populations of mycophagous amoebae were positively and significantly (P = 0.05) correlated with populations of the take-all fungus in both soils, and with soil moisture in the non-suppressive soil. The possible role of mycophagous amoebae in the wheat rhizosphere in suppressive soil is discussed.     

Identifying the characteristics of organic soil amendments that suppress soilborne plant diseases

Application of organic amendments has been proposed as a strategy for the management of diseases caused by soilborne pathogens. However, inconsistent results seriously hinder their practical use. In this work we use an extensive data set of 2423 studies derived from 252 papers to explore this strategy. First, we assess the capability of a specific organic amendment to control different diseases; second, we investigate the influence of organic matter (OM) decomposition on disease suppressiveness; and third, we search for physical, chemical and biological parameters able to identify suppressive OM. OM was found to be consistently suppressive to different pathogens in only a few studies where a limited number of pathogens were tested. In the majority of studies a material suppressive to a pathogen was ineffective or even conducive to other pathogens, suggesting that OM suppressiveness is often pathogen-specific. OM decomposition in many studies (73%, n = 426) emerged as a crucial process affecting suppressiveness. During decomposition, disease suppression either increased, decreased, was unchanged or showed more complex responses, such as ‘hump-shaped’ dynamics. Peat suppressiveness generally decreased during decomposition, while responses of composts and crop residues were more complex. However, due to the many interactions of contributing factors (OM quality, microbial community composition, pathosystem tested and decomposition time), it was difficult to identify specific predictors of disease suppression. Among the 81 parameters analysed, only some of the 643 correlations showed a consistent relationship with disease suppression. The response of pathogen populations to OM amendments was a reliable feature only for some organic matter types (e.g. crop residues and organic wastes with C-to-N ratio lower than ∼15) and for pathogens with a limited saprophytic ability (e.g., Thielaviopsis basicola and Verticillium dahliae). Instead, population responses of the pathogenic fungi Phytophthora spp., Rhizoctonia solani and Pythium spp. appeared unrelated to disease suppression. Overall, enzymatic and microbiological parameters, rather than chemical ones, were much more informative for predicting suppressiveness. The most useful features were FDA activity, substrate respiration, microbial biomass, total culturable bacteria, fluorescent pseudomonads and Trichoderma populations. We conclude that the integration of different parameters (e.g. FDA hydrolysis and chemical composition by ¹³C NMR) may be a promising approach for identification of suppressive amendments.     

Effect of successive cauliflower plantings and Rhizoctonia solani AG 2-1 inoculations on disease suppressiveness of a suppressive and a conducive soil

Disease suppressiveness against Rhizoctonia solani AG 2-1 in cauliflower was studied in two marine clay soils with a sandy loam texture. The soils had a different cropping history. One soil had a long-term (40 years) cauliflower history and was suppressive, the other soil was conducive and came from a pear orchard not having a cauliflower crop for at least 40 years. These two soils were subjected to five successive cropping cycles with cauliflower or remaining fallow in a greenhouse experiment. Soils were inoculated with R. solani AG 2-1 only once or before every crop. Disease decline occurred in all treatments cropped with cauliflower, either because of a decreased pathogen population or increased suppressiveness of the soil. Disease suppressiveness tests indicated that the conducive soil became suppressive after five subsequent cauliflower crops inoculated each cycle with R. solani AG 2-1. Suppressiveness of all treatments was measured in a seed germination test (pre-emergence damping-off) as well as by measuring the spread of R. solani symptoms in young plants (post-emergence damping-off). Results showed that suppressiveness was significantly stimulated by the successive R. solani inoculations; presence of the cauliflower crop had less effect. Suppressiveness was of biological origin, since it disappeared after sterilization of the soil. Moreover, suppressiveness could be translocated by adding 10% suppressive soil into sterilized soil. The suppressive soil contained higher numbers of culturable filamentous actinomycetes than the conducive soil, but treatments enhancing suppressiveness did not show an increased actinomycetes population. The suppressiveness of the soil samples did also not correlate with the number of pseudomonads. Moreover, no correlation was found with the presence of different mycoparasitic fungi, i.e. Volutella spp., Gliocladium roseum, Verticillium biguttatum and Trichoderma spp. The suppressive soil contained a high percentage of bacteria with a strong in vitro inhibition of R. solani. These bacteria were identified as Lysobacter (56%), Streptomyces (23%) and Pseudomonas (21%) spp. A potential role of Lysobacter in soil suppressiveness was confirmed by quantitative PCR detection (TaqMan), since a larger Lysobacter population was present in suppressive cauliflower soil than in conducive pear orchard soil. Our experiments showed that successive cauliflower plantings can cause a decline of the damage caused by R. solani AG 2-1, and that natural disease suppressiveness was most pronounced after subsequent inoculations with the pathogen. The mode of action of the decline is not yet understood, but antagonistic Lysobacter spp. are potential key organisms.     

Pythium SPP in roots of wheat and rye-grass in Western Australia and their effect on root rot caused by Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici

Pythium acanthophoron, P. echinulatum, P. irregulare, P. vanterpoolii, P. vexans, P. violae and a Pythium sp. (unidentified) were isolated from wheat and rye-grass roots. Pythium spp were isolated at a higher frequency at seedling and tillering stages than at other stages of sampling. A greater proportion of these were obtained on potato dextrose agar than on the same medium with lactic acid or streptomycin.

P. irregulare, P. violae and P. vanterpoolii were pathogenic to wheat and rye-grass in sterilized and non-sterilized soil, and with the exception of P. vanterpoolii on rye-grass, reduced their fresh shoot and root weights. P. acanthophoron, P. echinulatum, P. vexans and the Pythium sp. were non-pathogenic to wheat and rye-grass. P. vexans and Pythium sp., however, increased the fresh shoot and root weights of wheat and rye-grass in sterilized and non-sterilized soil.

P. irregulare, P. violae and P. vanterpoolii increased the percentage mortality of wheat and rye-grass resulting from infection by Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici in sterilized and non-sterilized soil, with the exception of P. vanterpoolii on rye-grass. P. vexans, the Pythium sp. and P. echinulatum reduced the percentage mortality of wheat and rye-grass resulting from take-all in both soil treatments.     

Convenient synthesis of 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol, a natural antibiotic involved in the control of take-all disease of wheat

2,4-Diacetylphloroglucinol (DAPG) is an antibiotic with broad-spectrum antibacterial and antifungal activities. It is a major determinant in the biological control of several plant diseases. DAPG is produced by Pseudomonas fluorescens both in vitro and in the rhizosphere of wheat. It is involved in the natural suppression of take-all disease known as take-all decline, which develops in soils following extended monoculture of wheat or barley. A one-step synthesis of DAPG from the commercially available 2-acetylphloroglucinol is described. This reaction involves the direct alkylation of 2-acetylphloroglucinol using acetic anhydride as the acetylation reagent, with boron trifluoride-etherate as the catalyst. This synthesis is simple and produces higher yields of DAPG (90%) as compared with previously described procedures. As ecological concerns are gaining equal status with agricultural concerns, the demand for natural biocontrol measures is increasing. There is tremendous pressure from society on agriculture to reduce the use of pesticides. A discussion is given on the agricultural and ecological importance of this natural antibiotic and its application as an alternative to reduce the use of synthetic pesticides.     

稻秸杆覆盖对小麦根围拮抗细菌组成和小麦纹枯病发生的影响

To assess the effect of rice straw mulching on changes of antagonistic bacteria and the incidence of wheat sharp eyespot, a multi-year field study was performed to compare unmulched plots and the plots mulched with rice straw for two or three years. Bacterial and fungal populations were evaluated in the cultures prepared from the wheat rhizosphere and bulk soils. Rice straw mulching increased the number of pseudomonas colony forming units in wheat rhizosphere and bulk soils. The proportion of total bacteria that were fluorescent pseudomonads was higher in mulched than in unmulched soil. Bacterial isolates antagonistic to Rhizoctonia cerealis were identified using an inhibition zone test. A series of these isolates were typed by partial sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Pseudomonads had higher antagonistic activity against R. cerealis than other species, and more than 80% of rhizosphere fluorescent pseudomonads were antagonistic to R. cerealis. The disease indices were lower in the mulched plots than in the unmulched control. These results suggest that rice straw mulching in a rice-wheat rotation increases the number of fluorescent pseudomonads. Additionally, these fluorescent pseudomonads may contribute to the control of wheat sharp eyespot.     

Emergence force exerted by wheat seedlings

Emergence ability, an important aspect of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) establishment, was examined because low yields are often related to poor stands. The force exerted by the emerging wheat seedlings was estimated using two methods: (1) direct measurement; and (2) displacing obstacles of different sizes. The results showed that the maximum force exerted by the wheat coleoptile (cultivar ‘Nesma 149’) was about 30 g. Final emergence percentage was about 100% when the weight of the obstacles was less than 25 g and decreased linearly with increasing obstacle weight. From these results, it was determined that an ideal seedbed for wheat would have clods with a maximum size of 30 mm in diameter.     

Saprophytic survival of the take-all fungus and its antagonist, Gaeumannomyces graminis var. graminis under conventional and no-tillage

The saprophytic survival of the take-all fungus, Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici, and its antagonist, G. graminis var. graminis, was studied over 9-month periods in 1982 and 1983 under conventional and no-tillage cultivation. In 1982, when the rainfall for the 9-month period was 30.4% below the long-term average, the survival of the fungi was comparable under the two tillage systems. However, the survival of G. graminis var. graminis was significantly greater (P 0.05) than that of G. graminis var. tritici at each sampling time. In 1983, when the rainfall for the 9-month period was 25.1% above the long-term average, the survival of both fungi was significantly greater under no-tillage than under conventional tillage. The survival of the two isolates of G. graminis var. graminis after 3 months was significantly greater (P 0.05) than that of the two isolates of the pathogen. The implications for the greater survival of the fungal antagonist compared to the take-all fungus under no-tillage are discussed in relation to the biological control of take-all.     

Effects of wheatfield soil on inocula of gaeumannomyces graminis (Sacc.) Arx & Olivier var. tritici J. Walker in relation to take-all decline

Organic debris extracted from wheatfield soils was found to be significantly more infective following 2–3 yr continuous wheat than after the fifth successive crop. Plots with added nitrogen yielded more infective debris than those without. Short periods of contact with decline soil or its suspension, reduced infection of wheat roots by Gaeumannomyces when they were subsequently grown in non-decline soil. Hyphae emerging from previously infected root pieces or culture inocula showed a positive growth response to wheat roots or their exudates. This response was negatively correlated to the distance between root and inoculum. In the presence of decline soil, hyphal response was significantly reduced. This reduction can be related to the decreased infectivity of decline soil and may help to explain take-all decline.     

Cross-protection against the wheat and oat take-all fungi by Gaeumannomyces graminis var. graminis

Glasshouse experiments have shown that the prior colonisation of wheat roots by Gaeumannomyces graminis var. graminis, a fungus closely related to the wheat and oat take-all fungi but non-pathogenic to temperate cereals, reduced take-all infection along the roots. Cross-protected wheat plants produced grain yields significantly greater than those of unprotected plants but not significantly different to those of healthy wheat plants. A Phialophora-like fungus from grass roots did not confer the same degree of protection. There is some evidence that the cross-protection mechanism may be a specific host response nduced by var. graminis. The possible use of var. graminis in the biological control of take-all is discussed.