The association of Humicola fuscoatra with corky root symptoms in wilted glasshouse tomatoes

A wilt disease including severe root rot and corky rot was observed near the end of the growing season in glasshouse tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) plants, growing in soilless systems. Numerous aleuroconidia of the common soil-borne fungusHumicola fuscoatra var.fuscoatra were always present in the cells of affected roots. The pathogenicity ofH. fuscoatra was not established, but inoculation with previously used rockwool from a crop with corky root symptoms reproduced the disease. It is suggested that near the end of the growing season the artificial substrate offers favourable conditions for the development of a complex root disease in whichH. fuscoatra may play a role.     

Impact of soil chemistry,nutrient supplements,and fungicides on the health and yield of field-grown processing tomatoes

We report the results of a 3-year study in which we collected and analyzed soil and yield data from experimental plots in six commercial processing tomato fields in Yolo and Solano counties in California. Our objective was to assess the effect of soil chemistry and soil-delivered nutrients and fungicides on tomato plant health and fruit yield at harvest. Marketable yield, leaf necrosis, and fruit loss due to sunburn differed significantly between individual fields, with averages ranging from 81.2–138.5 Mg ha^?1, 32–72% leaf necrosis and 1.9 to 8.8% sunburnt fruit, respectively. Higher-yielding fields showed significantly lower levels of leaf necrosis and sunburn damage and a positive correlation with pre-plant soil parameters such as potassium concentration and cation exchange capacity (CEC). Interestingly, soil amendments of composted poultry manure or other nutrient supplements in low-CEC fields, but not high-CEC fields, resulted in higher fruit yield and less leaf necrosis. While all fields showed symptoms typical of Verticillium wilt and some fields showed symptoms of Fusarium wilt, Fusarium crown and root rot, corky root, and root knot nematode, none of our soil amendments, including chemical and biological fungicides, significantly or consistently reduced incidence or severity of these diseases. We discuss our findings in the context of premature vine decline of tomato, an emerging phenomenon in production fields in the Sacramento Valley, which is characterized by the loss of plant vigor and canopy cover at the onset of fruit ripening and for which causative agent(s) and management options in California remain elusive. (247 words).     

Root rot pathogens in field soil,roots and seeds in relation to common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), disease and seed production

The interrelationships among bean productivity, prevalence of pathogens in roots, seeds and soil, and root rot disease were described at the pod maturity stage in 13 commercial fields. The soil population and frequency of pathogens isolated from seeds varied by pathogen species and field location. Fusarium solani was the most prevalent fungus isolated from bean seeds and field soil compared to Rhizoctonia solani, Macrophomina phaseolina and F. oxysporum. Principal component analysis revealed that the first component explaining 32% of the total variance was correlated with the root rot index. PC1 was more strongly linked to root and seed infections in comparison with soil populations of pathogens. Based on a correlation between PC2 (accounting for 23% of the total variance) and the number of seeds per bean plant, charcoal, Fusarium and Rhizoctonia root rots were recognized as more important determinants of seed losses to root rot disease. There were correlations among the major pathogens infecting either roots or seeds of beans. These findings provide useful information for future experimental plans to optimize management strategies for bean root rots.     

Interaction ofpra tylenchus scribneri and helminthosporium pedicellatum in the etiology of corn root rot

In experiments with both sterile and non-sterile natural soil,Pratylenchus scribneri interacted, perhaps synergistically, withHelminthosporium pedicellatum Henry (Trichometasphaeria pedicellatum Nelson) to enhance the fungus’ invasion of corn roots, with a subsequent increase in severity of root rot disease and a decline in productivity. Water stress appeared to influence the response of the corn plant to the root rot disease rather than the disease development.     

The corky root rot pathogen Pyrenochaeta lycopersici secretes a proteinaceous inducer of cell death affecting host plants differentially

Pathogenic isolates of Pyrenochaeta lycopersici, the causal agent of corky root rot of tomato, secrete cell death in tomato 1 (CDiT1), a homodimeric protein of 35 kDa inducing cell death after infiltration into the leaf apoplast of tomato. CDiT1 was purified by fast protein liquid chromatography, characterized by mass spectrometry and cDNA cloning. Its activity was confirmed after infiltration of an affinity-purified recombinant fusion of the protein with a C-terminal polyhistidine tag. CDiT1 is highly expressed during tomato root infection compared with axenic culture, and has a putative ortholog in other pathogenic Pleosporales species producing proteinaceous toxins that contribute to virulence. Infiltration of CDiT1 into leaves of other plants susceptible to P. lycopersici revealed that the protein affects them differentially. All varieties of cultivated tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) tested were more sensitive to CDiT1 than those of currant tomato (S. pimpinellifolium). Root infection assays showed that varieties of currant tomato are also significantly less prone to intracellular colonization of their root cells by hyphae of P. lycopersici than varieties of cultivated tomato. Therefore, secretion of this novel type of inducer of cell death during penetration of the fungus inside root cells might favor infection of host species that are highly sensitive to this molecule.     

黑龙江省大豆疫霉根腐病调查与病原分离

１９９６年对黑龙江省东部和中部大豆产区２３个市、县的大豆苗期疫霉根腐病进行了调查、研究,应用ＰＢＮＩＣ疫霉选择性培养基分离大豆疫霉根腐病病原菌,从牡丹江、穆棱、林口和佳木斯豆田具疫霉根腐症状的大豆植株上分离到大豆疫霉根腐病菌,并从根腐病株上单独或与大豆疫霉菌同时分离到终极腐霉菌,研究进一步证实我国黑龙江省有大豆疫霉根腐病。调查发现,大豆疫霉根腐病和终极腐霉根腐病主要发生在土质粘重、土壤含水量高或易积水的田块。     

Interactions between the biocontrol agent Pseudomonas fluorescens CHA0 and Thielaviopsis basicola in tobacco roots observed by immunofluorescence microscopy

Pseudomonas fluorescens CHA0 protects plants from damage caused by several soilborne fungi. In this work, immunofluorescence microscopy was used to investigate the colonization of tobacco roots by CHA0 and its physical relationship with the black root rot fungus Thielaviopsis basicola . The pseudomonad colonized the rhizoplane shortly after planting of tobacco seedlings in sterile soil microcosms, in which it had been introduced as soil inoculant. CHA0 was found between and inside cells in the epidermis and the cortex, as well as in the xylem vessels, within 4–7 days after planting of seedlings. The presence of CHA0 delayed the colonization of the interior of tobacco roots by T. basicola compared with the treatment in which only the fungus had been inoculated. Likewise, the pseudomonad reduced the extent of black root rot from 82% to 28%. However, CHA0 was seldom found in contact with the mycelium of T. basicola or in its vicinity, indicating that direct colonization of the mycelium of T. basicola by CHA0 was not required for protection of tobacco against black root rot. Overall, the results suggest that the interior of the root is a key site for implementation of the strain's biocontrol activity against soilborne plant-pathogenic fungi.     

Phytophthora species causing crown and root rot of tomato in southern Italy*

Phytophthora capsici, Phytophthora cryptogea and Phytophthora nicotianae were isolated from tomato plants with symptoms of crown and root rot in plastic‐house crops in Sicilia and Calabria (southern Italy). The species were identified primarily on the basis of morphological and cultural characteristics. The identification was confirmed using molecular methods, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) of mycelial proteins and polymorphism of DNA sequences amplified by polymerase chain reaction using random primers (RAPD‐PCR). P. capsici caused significant losses in tomato crops that had succeeded capsicum crops. P. cryptogea was found to be the most frequent species causing basal stem rot of tomato, a disease of increasing importance in commercial tomato crops in plastic houses in Sicilia. P. nicotianae was common in plastic houses where poor drainage resulted in standing water.     

The distribution of Calyptella root rot in commercial glasshouse tomato crops in England

The widespread distribution of Calyptella root rot in commercial tomato crops in England is confirmed. The disease is thought to be more prevalent than previously believed, having been isolated from over 50% of ostensibly Calyptella -free crops in Lancashire.     

Fungi on roots and stem bases of asparagus in the Netherlands: species and pathogenicity

A survey was made to identify the most important soilborne fungal pathogens of asparagus crops in the Netherlands. Ten plants were selected from each of five fields with a young (1–4 y) first planting, five fields with an old (6–13 y) first planting and five fields with a young replanting. The analysis included fungi present in the stem base and the roots of plants with symptoms of foot and root rot or showing growth decline without specific disease symptoms. Isolates of each species were tested for pathogenicity to asparagus on aseptically grown plantlets on Knop's agar. Symptoms were caused byFusarium oxysporum, F. culmorum, Botrytis cinerea, Penicillium verrucosum var.cyclopium, Cylindrocarpon didymum, Phialophora malorum, Phoma terrestris andAcremonium strictum. F. oxysporum was by far the most common species and was isolated from 80% of the plants. Not all of its isolates were pathogenic to asparagus. Symptoms were caused by 67%, 78% and 93% of the isolates obtained from young first plantings, old first plantings and replantings, respectively.F. culmorum was isolated from 31% of the plants. Two other notorious pathogens of asparagus,F. moniliforme andF. proliferatum, did not occur in our samples.Species causing symptoms in the vitro test that were found on more than 5% of the plants were additionally tested for their pathogenicity in pot experiments.F. oxysporum f.sp.asparagi caused severe foot and root rot, significantly reduced root weights and killed most of the plants.F. culmorum caused lesions on the stem base often resulting in death of the plant.P. terrestris, a fungus only once reported as a pathogen of asparagus, caused an extensive root rot, mainly of secondary roots that became reddish. The fungus was isolated in only a few samples and is not to be regarded as an important pathogen in Dutch asparagus crops.P. malorum caused many small brown lesions on the stem base and incidentally also on the upper part of small main roots. This is the first report of its pathogenicity to asparagus. The fungus is one of the organisms inciting spear rust and it reduced crop quality rather than crop yield.P. verrucosum var.cyclopium andC. didymum did not cause symptoms in pot experiments.Because of its predominance on plants with foot and root rot and its high virulence,F. oxysporum f.sp.asparagi was considered to be the main soilborne pathogen of asparagus in the Netherlands.     

甘薯茎腐病症状及其病原鉴定

 甘薯茎腐病是危害甘薯的一种严重病害,甘薯茎、叶柄、叶片和块根均可被害。该病典型症状是茎基部发黑和变软腐烂,叶发黄,茎和块根维管束黑褐色,引起块根腐烂、有臭味。通过对甘薯茎腐病典型症状样本的采集、病原菌的分离和纯化以及致病性测定,明确该病害是一种细菌病害。通过对甘薯茎腐病菌的菌体形态和培养特性观察发现,病原菌是革兰氏阴性细菌,菌体短杆状,大小约为2.36 μm×0.4 μm, 周生鞭毛,可在烟草上激发过敏性反应(HR)。Biolog测定、脂肪酸分析、16S rDNA序列分析、MALDI-TOF质谱鉴定和8个看家基因(dnaX、rplB、fusA、gapA、gyrA、purA、recA和rpoS)的序列系统发育分析,发现该病原菌与达旦提狄克氏菌Dickeya dadantii高度一致。这些结果说明,浙江省发生的小番薯病害是甘薯茎腐病,病原为D. dadantii。     

人参锈腐病菌潜伏侵染及其防治研究

 试验表明,人参锈腐病菌[Cylindrocarpon destructans(Zinss) Scholten]具有潜伏侵染的特性。在1-5年生外观无病斑的参根内,是普遍带有潜伏的锈腐病菌,参根的带菌率和潜伏侵染点值,随根龄的增长而增高。3年生人参的根系中,主根对锈腐病菌的感染率最高。春季移栽3年生参根、盆栽鹿粪和50%禾穗胺600倍侵根,均对该病菌有一定的防治效果。     

河南省小麦根腐线虫病的发生危害及病原鉴定

为明确河南省小麦根腐线虫病的发生危害情况及其病原线虫种类,对14个县(市)45个采样点小麦根腐线虫进行了分离调查,分别通过人工接种测定其致病性和杀线剂处理研究其危害性,并采用形态学和分子生物学方法鉴定其病原。结果显示:小麦根腐线虫在河南省的分布具有一定的区域性,中北部的10个县(市)34个沙质土壤采样点均分离出小麦根腐线虫,而在南部土壤粘重地区的小麦根内和土壤中均没有分离出根腐线虫;15%涕灭威颗粒剂处理土壤后小麦的穗粒数、千粒重和单位面积产量较对照明显上升,产量增加13.6%;该线虫能够侵染小麦,并明显抑制小麦生长;河南省小麦根腐线虫以敏捷短体线虫Pratylenchus agilis为主。     

Infection and colonization of jojoba byGanoderma lucidum

In arid conditions in India,Ganoderma lucidum (Leyss: Fr.) P. Karsten was found to cause root rot diseases in jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis (Link) Schneider) plants. In the rainy season, 10–15-year-old jojoba plants growing in the proximity of aGanoderma-infectedAcacia tortilis tree, developed disease symptoms. Twigs of affected plants started drying from the top of the branch; leaves turned yellowish brown and finally abscissed; plants dried up within 1 to 3 months. Basidiocarps developed from decaying roots near the collar region and produced colored stalks and fruiting caps. Pathogenicity of the fungus was established by keeping the infected root segments in direct contact with roots of healthy jojoba plants. Root rot symptoms were expressed within 5 months in inoculated plants subjected to moisture stress.     

Soil solarization as a substitute for methyl bromide fumigation in greenhouse tomato production in Cyprus

Preplant soil fumigation with methyl bromide (MB) is presently standard practice in greenhouse tomato production. Since this compound is scheduled to be phased out by 2005, the possibility of using solarization as an alternative soil disinfestation method was examined in four greenhouse tomato trials. Solarization was applied for 8 weeks in July-August, using transparent polyethylene sheets for soil mulching, and compared with MB fumigation applied in September, before planting, at 80 g/m². Solarization raised the maximum soil temperature by 9°C and reduced the population density ofFusarium spp. in soil by 91–98%. Similar reductions of soil inoculum (95–99%) were obtained with MB fumigation. Both methods provided effective control of Fusarium wilt, Verticillium wilt and corky root rot on tomato plants. MB fumigation was in addition highly effective against root-knot nematodes, whereas nematode control with solarization did not exceed 50%. Both treatments resulted in similar fruit yield increases, ranging within 90–140% compared with plants grown in untreated soil. During the second cropping season following soil treatment, solarization exhibited two times higher residual effectiveness against vascular wilt diseases compared with MB fumigation. The latter treatment, however, was superior to solarization in its residual effectiveness against root-knot nematodes and to a lesser extent against corky root rot. Fruit yields from solarized and MB-fumigated soil during the second cropping season were higher than those obtained from untreated soil by approximately 35% and 60%, respectively. In Cyprus, solarization appears to be an effective alternative to MB fumigation in greenhouse tomato production, especially if integrated with other approaches enabling more effective nematode control.     

Blue mold of tomato caused by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Penicillium oxalicum</Emphasis> in Japan

In 2006, stem rot and blue-green crusty lesions were found on the stems of tomato plants in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. Penicillium oxalicum was isolated repeatedly from the diseased plants. The causal fungus reproduced natural symptoms after artificial inoculation of tomato plants and was re-isolated from symptomatic plant tissue. P. oxalicum is a new pathogen that causes blue mold on tomato plants in Japan.     

Dispersal of Phytophthora capsici and P. parasitica in furrow-irrigated rows of bell pepper, tomato and squash

Dispersal of Phytophthora capsici and P. parasitica from point sources buried near the upper end of 74 m-long irrigation furrows was studied with three annual host crops. Furrows next to tomato were inoculated with either P. capsici or P. parasitica , while furrows next to pepper and squash were inoculated with P. capsici only. Irrigation was carried out on a 14-day cycle. Dispersal of each fungus in the water was monitored by transplants in the furrows and the incidence of infected tomato fruit along furrows. Disease gradients on roots and shoots of all hosts were also measured. Repeated irrigations dispersed P. capsici and P. parasitica up to 70 m from the source. Fruit infection increased with increasing distances downstream, suggesting an accumulation of secondary inoculum with the repeated flow of water. Conversely, gradients of disease severity on roots of tomato and pepper peaked at the source and rapidly decreased to low levels up to 32 m downstream. Fruit and root infection upstream from source was negligible. Root and crown rot in squash was highly variable, being confined to locations near the initial inoculum in some units while developing to severe levels several meters downstream in other units. Unlike the other hosts, squash petioles were in contact with the irrigation water and may have served as routes of invasion by P. capsici. Transport of inoculum from the furrow water to the roots was limited. P. capsici isolates were more virulent on tomato roots and caused a higher incidence of buckeye rot on tomato fruit than did isolates of P. parasitica.     

Pathogenic and Nonpathogenic Lifestyles in Colletotrichum acutatum from Strawberry and Other Plants

ABSTRACT Anthracnose is one of the major fungal diseases of strawberry occurring worldwide. In Israel, the disease is caused primarily by the species Colletotrichum acutatum. The pathogen causes black spot on fruit, root necrosis, and crown rot resulting in mortality of transplants in the field. The host range and specificity of C. acutatum from strawberry was examined on pepper, eggplant, tomato, bean, and strawberry under greenhouse conditions. The fungus was recovered from all plant species over a 3-month period but caused disease symptoms only on strawberry. Epiphytic and endophytic (colonization) fungal growth in the different plant species was confirmed by reisolation from leaf tissues and by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-specific primer amplification. C. acutatum was also isolated from healthy looking, asymptomatic plants of the weed genera Vicia and Conyza. Isolates that were recovered from the weeds caused disease symptoms on strawberry and were positively identified as C. acutatum by PCR. The habitation of a large number of plant species, including weeds, by C. acutatum suggests that, although it causes disease only on strawberry and anemone in Israel, this fungus can persist on many other plant species. Therefore, plants that are not considered hosts of C. acutatum may serve as a potential inoculum source for strawberry infection and permit survival of the pathogen between seasons.     

Identification, occurrence and pathogenicity of Rhizopycnis vagum on muskmelon in Spain

Rhizopycnis vagum is a recently described coelomycetous fungus that contributes to vine decline of muskmelons in Honduras, Guatemala, Texas and California. This fungus has been associated with roots of muskmelon plants affected by vine decline in most Spanish muskmelon production areas. Isolates were collected from 1996 to 2000 and identified from their cultural and morphological characteristics and by sequencing the ITS region of the ribosomal coding nuclear DNA (rDNA) and phylogenetic analysis. A few isolates from muskmelon with growth characteristics similar to R. vagum were identified as Phoma terrestris . Watermelon, Cucurbita hybrids used as rootstocks for watermelon production, Amaranthus sp. and grapevine were also hosts for R. vagum . Based on disease reaction in muskmelon roots, the pathogenicity of 10 isolates of R. vagum from different hosts and geographical origins was verified. The fungus caused root discoloration, corky lesions, and eventually the presence of pink coloration on the roots. Rhizopycnis vagum appears to be a minor pathogen that contributes to muskmelon vine decline complex in Spain through infection of roots.     

Disease complex in coffee involving Meloidogyne arabicida and Fusarium oxysporum

Coffee corky-root disease, also called corchosis, was first detected in 1974 in a small area of Costa Rica where the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne arabicida is the dominant species. An epidemiological study revealed a constant association between Meloidogyne spp. and Fusarium sp. in cases of corky root. No corky root appears to have been reported in association with Meloidogyne exigua , which is the prevalent root-knot nematode on coffee in Costa Rica. Fusarium spp. are often cited as components of disease complexes in association with nematodes. Combined inoculations using M. arabicida or M. exigua with Fusarium oxysporum under controlled conditions showed that only the combination with M. arabicida produced corky-root symptoms on Coffea arabica cvs Caturra or Catuai. Fusarium oxysporum alone was nonpathogenic. Meloidogyne exigua or M. arabicida alone caused galls and reduction in shoot height, but no corky-root symptoms. When cultivars susceptible and resistant to M. arabicida were studied under field conditions for 5 years, all the susceptible cultivars exhibited corky-root symptoms on 40–80% of their root systems. Cultivars that were resistant to M. arabicida but not to M. exigua showed no corky root. These observations lead to the conclusion that corky-root disease has a complex etiology, and emphasize the dominant role of M. arabicida as a predisposing agent to subsequent invasion by F. oxysporum . Consequently, genetic resistance to M. arabicida appears to provide an effective strategy against the disease.