Effects of inoculum density and cultivar resistance on common scab of potato and population dynamics ofStreptomyces scabies

The interaction ofStreptomyces scabies, causal agent of common scab, and its potato host was examined under scab-conducive conditions in the greenhouse. Three potato cultivars with different levels of resistance to common scab were inoculated with four levels of two rifampin-resistant strains ofS. scabies. In general, scab severity increased linearly with an increase in log₁₀ of the inoculum, but both cultivar resistance and strain ofS. scabies affected the slope of the regression line. Rhizosphere and rhizoplane populations ofS. scabies also increased with increasing soil population. One strain ofS. scabies consistently had higher rhizosphere and rhizoplane populations than the other strain. However, rhizosphere population was not consistently related to scab severity, scab incidence, cultivar resistance, or strain virulence.     

Correlation of phytotoxin production with pathogenicity ofStreptomyces scabies isolates from scab infected potato tubers

A total of 23 isolates obtained from scab infected potato tubers representative of six sampling areas in Eastern and Central Canada and five ATCCStreptomyces strains were screened for pathogenicity on the basis of their ability to initiate scab development on aseptically cultured minitubers and plant generated tubers. The results were then correlated with any associated generation of the scab inducing phytotoxin, Thaxtomin A. In all cases a positive correlation was demonstrated between the pathogenicity of variousStreptomyces scabies isolates and their ability to produce the phytotoxin.     

Fungi associated with Collembola and mites isolated from scabby potatoes

Collembola and mites from the lesions of tubers infected with the acid scab organism were tested for the presence of fungal potato pathogens.Streptomyces spp. were found on and in the bodies of these arthropods.Verticillium albo-atrum was present on the external surface and in the body of the Collembola. Various other soil-inhabiting fungi which are not known to be potato pathogens and which were found on and in the bodies of these arthropods are noted.     

Redsen: A new bright red-skinned potato cultivar

Redsen is a smooth, round, bright red-skinned potato cultivar with medium to high yield potential. It has resistance to race 0 of late blight (Phytophthora infestons) and is moderately resistant to some strains of silver scurf (Helminthosporium solanum) and common scab (Streptomyces scabies). The red color resists fading during storage and Redsen retains excellent marketability during storage.     

The effect of netted scab (Streptomyces spp.) andVerticillium dahliae on growth and yield of potato

Summary The effect ofStreptomyces spp. (netted scab) on the growth of potato was investigated in three pot experiments, in two of which the effect ofVerticillium dahliae was also assessed. The netted scab organisms attacked all underground plant parts of susceptible potato cultivars early in the growing season; the roots were especially seriously attacked, markedly reducing tuber yield and number but prolonging the duration of the growing season. The nematicide oxamyl had little effect on the incidence of netted scab. Repeated growing of the susceptible cv. Bintje greatly increased soil contamination with the netted scab pathogens. V. dahliae reduced haulm growth before wilt symptoms were evident and it reduced tuber yield but not number. Oxamyl delayed infection byV. dahliae by controlling parasiticPratylenchus nematodes (mainlyP. thornei).     

Prestile: A new round white potato variety

Prestile is a late maturing potato variety with attractive, round to oblong, white-skinned, white-fleshed tubers with shallow eyes. Its major use is expected to be for tablestock in areas where Katahdin and Ontario are now grown. Prestile tubers are slow to sprout in storage and do not show the net necrosis caused by potato leafroll virus, but are quite susceptible to heat necrosis. This variety is immune to potato virus X, and is moderately resistant to common scab (Streptomyces scabies), verticillium wilt (Verticillium albo-atrum), and early blight (Alternaria solani). Prestile is susceptible to skinning and shatter bruise, and is difficult to kill, particularly when heavily fertilized.     

Improved diagnosis of powdery scab (Spongospora subterranea f.sp.subterranea) symptoms on potato tubers (Solanum tuberosum L.)

Summary Based on visual inspection, discrimination between common scab (Streptomyces spp.) and powdery scab (Spongospora subterranea) can be difficult. Inspections are performed on unwashed samples, incidentally supported by microscopic examination. During 1994–1996 surveys were performed in The Netherlands on tubers with symptoms resembling common scab. Under microscopic assessment nearly all samples showed the presence of structures resembling cystosori (sporeballs) ofS. subterranea. At that time confirmation using alternative techniques was not possible. In 2003 research was undertaken to clarify the situation with respect to scab on potato tubers in The Netherlands. One hundred and eighteen scab samples were extensively tested forS. subterranea. All samples were digitally photographed, microscopically examinated and tested with real-time PCR and DAS-ELISA. Use of these modern methods resulted in a clear picture of symptoms that can be attributed toS. subterranea. A lot of scab samples with structures resembling cystosori could not be confirmed as contaminated withS. subterranea.     

Evidence for a relationship between certain soil arthropods and acid scab development

Springtails and mites have been found consistently in acid scab lesions and studies have shown that these arthropods carryStreptomyces spp. both on and in their bodies. Tests with several soil-applied, systemic insecticides have shown significant control of acid scab despite having little effect on the acid scab pathogen in culture. Diazinon, a long residual insecticide, gave acid scab control as good as the best fungicides thus far tested as seed or soil treatments. This insecticide also was found to be almost nontoxic to the acid scab pathogen. We suggest that soil arthropods appear to be a factor in acid scab development and present circumstantial evidence suggestive of their involvement in all potato scab development.     

Occurrence of Skin Blemish Diseases (Scab and Scurf) in Norwegian Potato Production

A survey of the prevalence of skin blemish diseases in potatoes after the growing seasons of 2008 and 2009 was carried out on 247 potato lots representing different cultivars and production regions in Norway. The results showed the presence of silver scurf (Helminthosporium solani) in all lots. Skin spot (Polyscytalum pustulans) and black scurf (Rhizoctonia solani) were found in 80% of the lots, and black dot (Colletotrichum coccodes) and common scab caused by Streptomyces spp. were present in 50–70%. Also, powdery scab (Spongospora subterranea) occurred in 65–80% of the lots, and root-lesion nematodes (Pratylenchus spp.) were detected in 60% of the sub-samples that exhibited symptoms of common scab.     

Potato Common Scab: a Review of the Causal Pathogens,Management Practices,Varietal Resistance Screening Methods,and Host Resistance

Potato common scab is a widespread disease in which scab-like lesions develop on tubers. The disease is caused by pathogenic Streptomyces species, which synthesize the phytotoxin thaxtomin. The txtAB operon, responsible for thaxtomin production, can be used as a marker to identify pathogenic strains of the bacterium. Screening methods to assess scab susceptibility in breeding programs are time-consuming and can produce variable results. Management practices to control the disease vary and include crop rotation, tolerant varieties, monitoring soil pH, avoiding low soil moisture at tuber initiation, and application of soil- and/or seed-applied pesticides. There is a wide range in levels of tolerance among potato varieties. Many public research programs are committed to breeding for scab-tolerant varieties and evaluating management methods. Topics reviewed target readers focused on breeding and disease management objectives to reduce the incidence and severity of potato common scab.     

Assessing fungicide resistance in populations of Alternaria in Idaho potato fields

Early blight, caused by the fungus Alternaria solani and brown leaf spot, caused by Alternaria alternata, are important diseases of potato crops in Idaho. In recent years growers have reported a reduction in efficacy of fungicides traditionally used in the past decade to control early blight. In 2009, a collection of A. solani 39 isolates were screened for resistance to azoxystrobin, pyraclostrobin, boscalid and famoxadone. Fungicide sensitivity testing was done using spiral plate dilution gradients. Results showed that of 39 isolates screened, all were resistant to azoxystrobin and three were resistant to boscalid. None were resistant to pyraclostrobin or famoxadone. In summer 2010, more isolates were collected (9 A. alternata and 26 A. solani) and the survey was expanded to include more fungicides with four different modes of action that targeted succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), methionine biosynthesis, mitochondrial respiration and multi-site contact activity. New isolates of A. solani and A. alternata were also collected from two additional sites. The results showed that 57% of the isolates were resistant to boscalid as well as an average of 63% of the isolates being resistant to the strobilurin fungicides. Seven and 15% of isolates were resistant to penthiopyrad (an SDH inhibitor), and pyrimethanil (a methionine biosynthesis inhibitor), respectively. However, none of the isolates were resistant to fluopyram (an SDH inhibitor) or a mixture of fluopyram and pyrimethanil. Although there appears to be cross resistance developing in Alternaria spp. to some of the new SDH inhibitors like penthiopyrad, others such as fluopyram are still showing limited to no resistance development in Alternaria spp. in Idaho.     

Fungal diseases of spring wheat in central Saudi Arabia

Fungal diseases of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in Central Saudi Arabia (AlGassim region) were surveyed in 1984 and 1985. Over 95% of the wheat fields were planted to the Yecora Rojo cultivar. Root and crown rots (Fusarium spp. and Helminthosporium spp.); brown root rot (Pythium spp.); leaf and head blotches (Helminthosporium spp.) and take-all (Gaeumannomyces sp.) were the most serious fungal diseases observed in the fields. Several H. sativum isolates were pathogenic to seedling leaves of most or all local and imported wheat cultivars (22 cultivars). Numerous soil-borne fungi were isolated from wheat roots and tested for pathogenicity to Yecora Rojo seedlings in the greenhouse. Alternaria sp., Helminthosporium spp. (two isolates), Fusarium spp. (three isolates), Pythium spp., Stemphylium spp. (two isolates) and Gaeumannomyces sp. were pathogenic to the inoculated wheat plants in the greenhouse.     

Bacterial diseases of potato: relevance to in vitro potato seed production

Summary The potato crop has several economically important bacterial pathogens including the soft rotErwinia spp., the brown rot pathogenRalstonia solanacearum, the ring rot pathogenClavibacter michiganensis subsp.sepedonicus and the scab formingStreptomyces spp. Their biology, control and diagnosis are discussed in relation to the micropropagation industry. Pathogen indexing of microplants and high grade seed potatoes e.g. mini-tubers, derived from them is likely to become increasingly important as a method of control of some if not all these pathogens.     

Role of seed tubers in the spread of plant pathogenicStreptomyces and initiating potato common scab disease

The influence of tuber-borne pathogenicStreptomyces on potato common scab incidence in daughter tubers was examined under micro-plot conditions. Visually healthy tubers, surface-disinfested healthy tubers, and tubers with 25% scab coverage were planted in pasteurized soil. At 30, 57, and 93 days after planting, soil and belowground plant parts were sampled from various zones around the mother tuber. The total population of actinomyctes was determined by plating on a semiselective medium, and colonies of pathogenicStreptomyces were identified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting thetxtA gene. At day 30, pathogenicStreptomyces populations were below detectable levels, whereas by day 93, measurable levels were present on the belowground plant parts and in soil adjacent to scabby mother tubers at 10⁴ to 10⁵ CFU g^?1 soil. Incidence of scab in the progeny tubers was 89% at harvest. Progeny tubers produced by visually healthy seed tubers had an incidence of 60% scab and substantial populations of pathogenicStreptomyces were present in the zone near the mother tuber (10⁴ CFU g^?1 soil). Plots planted with surface disinfested seed tubers had a very lowStreptomyces population in the tuber zone and yielded 100% marketable tubers. A perfect correlation (r = 1.00) was found between the population densities of pathogenicStreptomyces in the root zone and daughter tuber disease incidence indicating that measurement of such populations in the field can serve as an excellent predictor of scab disease. After harvest, populations of pathogenicStreptomyces (10⁶ to 10⁷ CFU g^?1 lesion tissue) remained high on the mother tubers.     

An agglutination test for the serodiagnosis ofCorynebacterium sepedonicum

Antisera specific forCorynebacterium sepedonicum were produced in three rabbits and in a goat. Bacterial cell agglutination titers of 640, 1280, and 1280 were recorded for the rabbit sera and 320 for the goat antiserum. All antisera reacted equally well with twelve isolates ofC. sepedonicum obtained from Canada, California, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin. No cross-reactivity was observed when the anti-C. sepedonicum sera were tested against five otherCorynebacterium spp.and seven other species of plant pathogenic bacteria. Using the antisera collected from rabbits, an effective and reliable agglutination test was developed for the detection ofC. sepedonicum in potato stem and tuber tissue. Extracts from tubers affected by other maladies incudingErwinia spp. (soft rot),Fusarium spp. (dry rot),Phytopthora erythroseptica (waterrot),and Pythium debaryanum (leak) or tubers otherwise free fromC. sepedonicum infection did not produce an agglutination reaction when tested with anti-C. sepedonicum serum.     

Phenolic constituents of glandular trichomes onSolanum berthaultii andS. polyadenium

Phenolic compounds in Type A glandular trichomes of two insectresistant potato species were separated and identified using a combination of high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC), UV-visible spectrometry, and¹H proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) procedures. Type A trichomes ofSolanum berthaultii andS. polyadenium contained a phenolic compound tentatively identified as the glucose ester of p-hydroxyphenylpropionic acid. Its presence in trichomes of both species suggests that this compound may play a major role in formation of the brownish, insect entrapping exudate characteristic of trichome-mediated insect resistance in these species. Chlorogenic acid, a major phenolic constituent of Type A trichomes ofSolanum polyadenium was not detected in trichomes of 5.berthaultii. The exclusive presence of chlorogenic acid in trichome exudates ofS. polyadenium may be responsible, at least in part, for the greater levels of insect entrapment by this species, compared with that ofS. berthaultii.     

Evolutionary pathway of T-type Chloroplast DNA in potato

Potato was domesticated in the Andes of South America. However, the presently worldwide-grown potato (Solanum tuberosum L. ssp.tuberosum, 2n=4x=48) has characteristic T-type chloroplast DNA that was introduced after late blight epidemics in the mid-19th century from the Chilean potato (2n=4x=48) grown in the southern coastal regions in Chile. Among many wild potato species, the same chloroplast DNA was found only in some populations of a diploid speciesS. tarijense Hawkes (2n=2x=24), which ranges from central Bolivia to northwest Argentina. To elucidate an evolutionary pathway of T-type chloroplast DNA fromS. tarijense to Chilean potato, 215 accessions ofS. stenotomum Juz. et Buk., considered to be the most primitive, diploid cultivated potato species, from which all the Andean cultivated species evolved, and 286 accessions of the most widely grown, Andean tetraploid cultivated speciesS. tuberosum L. ssp.andigena Hawkes (2n=4x=48) were examined in this study. No accession ofS. stenotomum had T-type chloroplast DNA, while nine accessions, mostly from northwest Argentina, ofS. tuberosum ssp.andigena had T-type chloroplast DNA. Therefore, I conclude that some populations ofS. tarijense having T-type chloroplast DNA were naturally crossed as female withS. tuberosum ssp.andigena from which the Chilean potato was selected.     

Effects of gypsum,sulfur, terraclor and terraclor super-x for potato scab control

An investigation was made to determine possible effects of gypsum and sulfur for control of common scab of potato [Streptomyces scabies (Thaxt.) Waksman and Henrici] in a highly buffered calcareous soil. This investigation included a comparison of the effectiveness of gypsum and sulfur with Terraclor and Terraclor Super-X. Both gypsum and sulfur reduced potato scab and measurements indicate that change of soil pH was slight (0.1–0.4 pH reduction). Band applications of sulfur in the sulfate (gypsum) or elemental form were effective at 600 lbs/A (672.5 Kg/ha) but not at lower rates. The weight of tubers thrown out of grade with scab was reduced by 53% with the effective sulfur rate. Treatment effects of gypsum (600 lb S/A-672.5 Kg/ha) were not significantly different from sulfur dust (600 lb/A-672.5 Kg/ha), Terraclor or Terraclor Super-X (both at 25.0 lb PCNB/A-28.0 Kg/ha). Tissue analyses of tuber peelings showed a significant reduction in calcium from treatments involving sulfur and gypsum, indicating that calcium levels in tuber peelings were positively correlated with scab susceptibility.     

Aggressiveness of Phytophthora Infestans Genotypes on Potato Stems and Leaves at Three Temperatures

Epidemics of late blight on potato in the semiarid Pacific Northwest since 1991 have been characterized by a prevalence of stem lesions in relation to leaf lesions. This study was conducted in 1997 to test the hypothesis that isolates representing immigrant strains of Phytophthora infestans were more adapted at causing stem lesions and more aggressive at higher temperatures than isolates representing the relatively older US-1 strain. A total of 23 Phytophthora infestans isolates representing US-1, US-8, and a new A1 compatibility type strain were tested for aggressiveness on leaflets and stems of whole potato plants (cv. Russet Burbank) in 11 trials. Plants in one set of trials were incubated at constant temperatures of 18, 23, and 28 °C for six days with a 16 h photoperiod. Plants in the second set of trials were incubated at the same three day temperatures but the night temperature in all treatments was reduced to 16 °C. Lesion establishment was recorded, and daily severity readings were used to calculate the area under the lesion expansion curve (AULEC). Lesion area, sporulation frequency, sporulation time, and sporulation capacity were also measured. Lesion establishment was higher on stems than on leaves for isolates of all strains. Isolates representing US-8 and new A1 strains often had higher AULEC values but had similar lesion establishment, sporulation frequency, sporulation time, and sporulation capacity values as US-1 isolates. A reduction in components of aggressiveness for all strains was noted at 28 °C, with leaflets being more affected than stems. Sporulation rarely occurred at 28 °C. Few differences in components of aggressiveness were observed between 18 and 23 °C. These findings indicate that isolates from the relatively newer strains (US-8 and new A1) were not better adapted in causing lesions on potato stems than isolates from the old US-1 strain, nor were they better adapted to higher temperatures. The relatively newer strains, however, were generally more aggressive as indicated by higher AULEC on stems and leaflets over the range of temperatures used in this experiment.     

Pride—A new early potato variety with shallow eyes and some scab resistance

Pride is a new early white potato variety with smooth skin, shallow eyes, some scab resistance, and average specific gravity. Since it sets heavier than most varieties, it should be spaced farther apart in the row. Irrigation or adequate natural moisture are necessary for good size tubers and a satisfactory yield. It is best for early fresh market use.