Witches' broom disease on cocoa in Rondonia, Brazil: basidiocarp production on detached brooms in the field

Fruiting of Crinipellis perniciosa was assessed in relation to various climatic factors using dead witches' brooms detached from cocoa, either suspended in the canopy or laid on leaf litter under cocoa. Induction of basidiocarp production occurred over approximately 60 days with rain. Basidiocarps were finally observed on about 85% of brooms in all samples examined and induction of fruiting required at least 17 rainy days, although brooms with a minimum age of 2 years produced basidiocarps about 25 days before brooms with a minimum age of 1 year. Groups of brooms showed distinct cycles of basidiocarp production, and up to 50% of fruiting occurred on dead, attached leaves, Fruiting was reduced on brooms on leaf litter and basidiocarps survived for less time than when brooms were suspended in canopy. Brooms were most productive with moderate amounts of wetness per day, and less than 4 h or more than 20h was inhibitory. No fruiting occurred at mean air temperatures higher than 30°C or lower than 20°C. The microclimate of the litter layer is discussed in relation to reduction of fruiting caused by pruning of brooms.     

Effects of humidity and air speed on sporulation of Phytophthora infestans on potato leaves

An apparatus is described for the control of humidity, air speed and temperature around detached potato leaflets and whole plants. Leaflets and plants inoculated with Phytophthora infestans were incubated in air at 15°C. Abundant sporangia were formed in an air speed of 0.3 × 10⁻³ m/s when the ambient humidity was 90–100% RH, but not at 85 or 80% RH. At air speeds of 5.5 × 10⁻³ and 13.7 × 10⁻³ m/s there were numerous sporangia at 100% RH, but not at 95–80% RH. The number of sporangia formed on leaflets kept in air flowing at 5.5 × 10⁻³ m/s with alternating humidities of 80 and 100% RH each for 12 h per day was intermediate between numbers formed on leaflets incubated at each humidity continuously, and higher than numbers formed at a constant 90% RH. Removing leaflets from plants before inoculation did not affect the number of sporangia produced.     

A simplified slice method for assessing tuber susceptibility of potato cultivars to Erwinia carotovora subsp atroseptica

The susceptibility of 24 potato cultivars to soft rot caused by Erwinia carotovora subsp. atroseptica was assessed in a simplified form of a tuber slice test described previously. Freshly made wounds on tuber slices were inoculated with drops (0–02 ml) containing 10⁸, 10⁷ or 10⁶ cells/ml and incubated aerobically for 3 days at 15° or 20°C. At 20°C differences between cultivars were clear at all concentrations but at 15°C less so at the lowest concentration unless incubation time was extended. The rank order of cultivar susceptibility was similar to that found in previous seasons.     

The effect of temperature and light intensity on growth and sporulation of Puccinia striiformis on wheat

Urediniospore production by Puccinia striiformis on wheat per unit leaf area infected was much lower at low light intensities than at high light intensities. The number of pustules per unit area of infected leaf and the daily sporulation rate per pustule increased linearly with increasing light over the range 10–50 W/m². Increasing temperature between 7 and 20°C shortened latent period and reduced the longevity of sporulating leaves. Colonization rate and the frequency of pustules per unit area of infected leaf increased between 7 and 15°C but declined markedly at 20°C. Spore production reached its peak earlier and declined more rapidly with increasing temperature between 7 and 15°C. this decline being less marked in the highly susceptible cultivar Maris Beacon than in the more resistant Maris Nimrod and Maris Huntsman.     

Effect of temperature of production of Botrytis allii conidia on their pathogenicity to harvested white onion bulbs

Botrytis allii colonies incubated at low temperatures have been reported to produce larger conidia that germinate faster and give rise to longer germ-tubes than those grown at room temperature. The present study compared the effect of conidia produced at 20°C and at 0 and –2°C on their pathogenicity to artificially inoculated white onion bulbs, and the effect of conidial concentration (5×10³ and 5×10⁴ conidia/mL) on disease incidence, lesion area, incubation and latent period during storage at 20, 5 and 0°C. At all storage temperatures and periods tested conidia produced at −2°C caused a higher disease incidence and larger areas of rot than those produced at higher temperatures. When the conidial production temperature was raised to 20°C, the duration of incubation on the bulbs inoculated with 5×10⁴ conidia/mL was more than doubled during storage at 0°C, tripled at 5°C, and took 50% longer at 20°C. The incubation period was not significantly affected by conidial concentration at 20°C, and only slightly at 5 and 0°C, but at low temperatures the latent period was longer because of the delay induced in sporulation. These data are consistent with the packers' opinion that cross-infection of spring onions by long-term refrigerated onions in grading lines caused earlier and heavier rotting.     

Factors affecting the severity of bacterial canker of pear caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae

Several factors affecting the severity of bacterial canker of pear were studied. In the orchard, infection of shoots by Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae occurred only when the inoculum dose exceeded 10⁶ colony-forming units/shoot. However, under favourable conditions in a growth chamber, cankers formed on detached shoots inoculated with 5 cfu/shoot. A second-order polynomial relationship was established between log₁₀ transformed canker length and log₁₀ transformed inoculum dose. In orchard and growth chamber experiments, shoots were susceptible from the time of bud swell until after fruit harvest. The severity of Pseudomonas canker of detached shoots increased if they were frozen at – 10°C for 24 h before inoculation. Shoots were most susceptible when inoculated immediately after wounding, and no cankers developed in the orchard when 3-day-old wounds were inoculated. Additionally, no cankers resulted from inoculation of leaf scars at leaf drop. Actively growing, current-season shoots were more susceptible than shoots that had set a terminal bud. The practical implications of these results are discussed as a basis for control of bacterial canker of pear.     

Sporulation of Pyrenopeziza brassicae (light leaf spot) on oilseed rape (Brassica napus) leaves inoculated with ascospores or conidia at different temperatures and wetness durations

In controlled environment experiments, sporulation of Pyrenopeziza brassicae was observed on leaves of oilseed rape inoculated with ascospores or conidia at temperatures from 8 to 20°C at all leaf wetness durations from 6 to 72 h, except after 6 h leaf wetness duration at 8°C. The shortest times from inoculation to first observed sporulation ( l ₀), for both ascospore and conidial inoculum, were 11–12 days at 16°C after 48 h wetness duration. For both ascospore and conidial inoculum (48 h wetness duration), the number of conidia produced per cm² leaf area with sporulation was seven to eight times less at 20°C than at 8, 12 or 16°C. Values of Gompertz parameters c (maximum percentage leaf area with sporulation), r (maximum rate of increase in percentage leaf area with sporulation) and l ₃₇ (days from inoculation to 37% of maximum sporulation), estimated by fitting the equation to the observed data, were linearly related to values predicted by inserting temperature and wetness duration treatment values into existing equations. The observed data were fitted better by logistic equations than by Gompertz equations (which overestimated at low temperatures). For both ascospore and conidial inoculum, the latent period derived from the logistic equation (days from inoculation to 50% of maximum sporulation, l ₅₀) of P. brassicae was generally shortest at 16°C, and increased as temperature increased to 20°C or decreased to 8°C. Minimum numbers of spores needed to produce sporulation on leaves were ≈25 ascospores per leaf and ≈700 conidia per leaf, at 16°C after 48 h leaf wetness duration.     

Effects of the sowing depth and temperature on the seedling emergence and early growth of wild barley (Hordeum spontaneum) and wheat

The experiment was conducted under a controlled environment to study the effects of different temperature regimes (15/10°C, 20/15°C, and 25/20°C day/night) and sowing depths (0, 2, 4, and 6 cm) on the seedling emergence and early growth (height gain) of wheat (cv. Marvdasht) and wild barley ( Hordeum spontaneum ). The cumulative emergence and plant height gain over time were modeled with the use of a logistic function. For a particular temperature regime, the maximum percentage emergence (E _max ) of wheat was higher than that of wild barley across all sowing depths. The maximum and minimum E _max values for both species occurred at 20/15°C and 25/20°C, respectively. The time taken to reach 50% of the E _max (i.e. E₅₀) increased with the sowing depth in both species under all temperature regimes. The E₅₀ of wild barley was greater than that of wheat for all temperature regimes, with maximum differences observed at 20/15°C. The greatest maximum plant height (H _max ) was observed at the surface planting for both plants. The H _max was reduced at temperatures either lower or higher than 20/15°C, with a more notable reduction in wild barley. At all temperature regimes, the time taken to reach 50% of the H _max (i.e. H₅₀) increased linearly with the sowing depth but, at higher temperatures, the accelerated growth rate reduced the H₅₀. The wild barley seedling emergence and height gain rate, as expressed relative to those of wheat, revealed the highest superiority of wheat over wild barley at 25/20°C and the sowing depth of 4 cm.     

Non-deep simple morphophysiological dormancy in seeds of the weedy facultative winter annual Papaver rhoeas

Embryos in freshly matured seeds of the facultative winter annual Papaver rhoeas are underdeveloped and physiologically dormant; thus, seeds have morphophysiological dormancy (MPD). Seeds lost physiological dormancy during 12 weeks of burial in moist soil at 12 h/12 h daily alternating temperature regimes of 15/5°C, 20/10 °C and 25/15 °C but not at 1 °C. Physiological dormancy was not broken in seeds stored dry at room temperature for 12 weeks. After physiological dormancy was broken, seeds required light for embryo growth (i.e. for loss of morphological dormancy) and consequently for germination. After a 12-week period of burial in soil at 25/15 °C, seeds that matured in 1997 germinated to 100% in light at 25/15 °C, demonstrating that cold stragification temperatures (≈ 0.5–10 °C) are not required for embryo growth. Thus, seeds have non-deep simple MPD. During exposure to low winter temperatures (5/1 °C, 1 °C), 52% of the seeds with physiologically non-dormant embryos entered conditional dormancy and thus lost the ability to germinate at 25/15 °C but not at 15/5 °C or 20/10 °C. The peak of germination for seeds sown in southern Sweden was in autumn, but some also germinated in spring. A higher percentage of seeds that matured in a relatively warm, dry year (1997) came out of MPD and germinated than did those that matured in a relatively cool, wet year (1998) at the same site.     

Factors affecting the incidence and severity of Spongospora subterranea infection and galling in potato roots

The incidence and severity of root infection and root galling caused by Spongospora subterranea were assessed in potato plants (cv. Estima) grown under controlled environmental conditions. The effects of temperature, soil type, soil moisture regime and soil inoculum level on infection and root gall development were determined by molecular and visual methods at two plant growth stages. Root gall severity was scored at harvest, after which DNA was extracted from the roots and quantified in a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay specific for S. subterranea . Root galling was severe at 17°C, with a disease score of 3·1 on a 0–4 scale, low (0·6) at 12°C, and did not occur at 9°C. The level of inoculum in soil, in the form of artificially added sporosori, had no effect on the incidence and severity of visual symptoms, with 21%, 41% and 33% incidence observed at 5, 15 and 50 sporosori g⁻¹ soil, respectively. Incidence of infection, as detected by the real-time PCR assay, was greater with increasing soil inoculum concentrations, ranging from 48% at 5 sporosori g⁻¹ to 59% (15 sporosori g⁻¹) and 73% (50 sporosori g⁻¹) of plants infected at maturity, but this effect was not statistically significant. No correlation was found between the occurrence of galls on roots and powdery scab on tubers of the same plants.     

Production of conidia by Peronosclerospora sorghi on sorghum crops in Zimbabwe

Factors affecting the production of conidia of Peronosclerospora sorghi , causing sorghum downy mildew (SDM), were investigated during 1993 and 1994 in Zimbabwe. In the field conidia were detected on nights when the minimum temperature was in the range 10–19°C. On 73% of nights when conidia were detected rain had fallen within the previous 72 h and on 64% of nights wind speed was < 2.0 m s⁻¹. The time period over which conidia were detected was 2–9 h. Using incubated leaf material, conidia were produced in the temperature range 10–26°C. Local lesions and systemically infected leaf material produced 2.4–5.7 × 10³ conidia per cm². Under controlled conditions conidia were released from conidiophores for 2.5 h after maturation and were shown to be well adapted to wind dispersal, having a settling velocity of 1.5 × 10⁻⁴ m s⁻¹. Conditions that are suitable for conidia production occur in Zimbabwe and other semi-arid regions of southern Africa during the cropping season.     

Tithonia diversifolia (Mexican sunflower) in south-western Nigeria: occurrence and growth habit

A reconnaissance survey of the occurrence of Tithonia diversifolia (Hemsl.) A, Gray in south western Nigeria was carried out along the major highways linking Ibadan to major towns be-tween April and August in 1991 and 1992. The survey revealed that T, diversifolia is prominent along the Ibadan—Oyo—Ogbomoshollorin, Iba-dan—Abeokuta and Oyo—lseyin—Saki roads, and common along the Ibadan—lwo—Osogbo—Offa, Ibadan—Ife—Akure, Ife—Ondo and Ibadan—Ijebu Ode roads It is rare along Ibadan—Ikeja, Akure-Ado Ekiti—Kabba, Ilorin—Jebba, and Ijebu Ode—Benin City—Asaba roads. T. diversifolia is a shallow-rooted annual/perennial broad-leaved plant that grows to a height of 5 m or more and varies from highly branched at low populations (< 5 plants m^-2) to practically unbranched at high populations (> 30 plants m^-2). Under natural conditions in the Ibadan area (7°25'N, 3°54'E), T. diversifolia is established from seed in March—April, flowers between September and November and produces mature seed by Decemher—January. Seed is disseminated between January and March by shedding. Under frequent slashing or in a valley bottom with a high water table, or on river banks T. diversifolia behaves as a perennial shrub and flowering under this condition occurs sporadically throughout the year.     

Germination, emergence, and dormancy of Mimosa pudica

Mimosa pudica (common sensitive plant) is a problematic weed in many crops in tropical countries. Eight experiments were conducted to determine the effects of light, seed scarification, temperature, salt and osmotic stress, pH, burial depth, and rice residue on the germination, seedling emergence, and dormancy of M. pudica seeds. Scarification released the seeds from dormancy and stimulated germination, though the germination of the scarified seeds was not influenced by light. The scarification results indicate that a hard seed coat is the primary mechanism that restricts germination. The germination increased markedly with the exposure to high temperature "pretreatment" (e.g. 150°C), which was achieved by placing non-scarified seeds in an oven for 5 min followed by incubation at 35/25°C day/night temperatures for 14 days. The germination of the scarified seeds was tolerant of salt and osmotic stress, as some seeds germinated even at 250 mmol L⁻¹ NaCl (23%) and at an osmotic potential of −0.8 MPa (5%). The germination of the scarified seeds was >74% over a pH range of 5–10. The seedling emergence of the scarified seeds was 73–88% at depths of 0–2 cm and it gradually decreased with an increasing depth, with no seedling emergence at the 8 cm depth. The rice residue applied to the soil surface at rates of ≤6 t ha⁻¹ did not influence the seedling emergence and dry weight. The information gained from this study identifies some of the factors that facilitate M. pudica becoming a widespread weed in the humid tropics and might help in developing components of integrated weed management practises to control this weed.     

Degradation of chlorsulfuron and triasulfuron in alkaline soils under laboratory conditions

The degradation of chlorsulfuron and triasulfuron was investigated in alkaline soils (pH 7.1–9.4) spiked at 40 μg a.i. kg^–1 under laboratory conditions at 25 °C and a moisture content corresponding to 70% field capacity (–33 kPa), using high-performance liquid chromatography. Degradation data for the two herbicides did not follow first-order kinetics, and observed DT₅₀ values in surface soils ranged from 19 to 42 days and from 3 to 24 days for chlorsulfuron and triasulfuron respectively. Disappearance of both chlorsulfuron and triasulfuron was faster in non-sterile than in sterile soil, demonstrating the importance of microbes in the breakdown process. The persistence of chlorsulfuron increased with increasing depth, which can be attributed to the decline in the microbial populations down the profile. The DT₅₀ value for chlorsulfuron at 30–40 cm depth was nearly four times higher than that in the top-soil. The results obtained show that persistence of these herbicides in alkaline surface soils at 25 °C and at a moisture content of 70% field capacity is similar to those reported in other European and North American soils. The study shows that if these herbicides are contained in surface soil layers, the risk of residue carry-over under southern Australian conditions is small. However, the rate of their degradation in alkaline subsoils is very slow, and under conditions conducive to leaching their prolonged persistence in the soil profile is possible.     

Effects of temperature and wetness duration on conidial infection, latent period and asexual sporulation of Pyrenopeziza brassicae on leaves of oilseed rape

Experiments in controlled environments were carried out to determine the effects of temperature and leaf wetness duration on infection of oilseed rape leaves by conidia of the light leaf spot pathogen, Pyrenopeziza brassicae . Visible spore pustules developed on leaves of cv. Bristol inoculated with P. brassicae conidia at temperatures from 4 to 20°C, but not at 24°C; spore pustules developed when the leaf wetness duration after inoculation was longer than or equal to approximately 6 h at 12–20°C, 10 h at 8°C, 16 h at 6°C or 24 h at 4°C. On leaves of cvs. Capricorn or Cobra, light leaf spot symptoms developed at 8 and 16°C when the leaf wetness duration after inoculation was greater than 3 or 24 h, respectively. The latent period (the time period from inoculation to first spore pustules) of P. brassicae on cv. Bristol was, on average, approximately 10 days at 16°C when leaf wetness duration was 24 h, and increased to approximately 12 days as temperature increased to 20°C and to 26 days as temperature decreased to 4°C. At 8°C, an increase in leaf wetness duration from 10 to 72 h decreased the latent period from approximately 25 to 16 days; at 6°C, an increase in leaf wetness duration from 16 to 72 h decreased the latent period from approximately 23 to 17 days. The numbers of conidia produced were greatest at 12–16°C, and decreased as temperature decreased to 8°C or increased to 20°C. At temperatures from 8 to 20°C, an increase in leaf wetness duration from 6 to 24 h increased the production of conidia. There were linear relationships between the number of conidia produced on a leaf and the proportion of the leaf area covered by 'lesions' (both log₁₀-transformed) at different temperatures.     

Characteristics of alginate pellets formulated with Trichoderma and Gliocladium and their effect on the proliferation of the fungi in soil

Pelletized formulations of wheat bran or kaolin clay in an alginate gel containing conidia, chlamydospores, or fermentor biomass (FB) of several isolates of the biocontrol fungi Trichoderma spp. and Gliocladium virens were prepared. The ability of fungal propagules within the pellets to proliferate in soil was determined. Higher population densities were obtained when alginate pellets added to soil contained chlamydospores rather than condia, and bran rather than kaolin as the bulking agent. The active ingredient in pellets prepared from FB was approximately 5% biomass by weight and contained many chlamydospores. Colony-forming units (cfu) ranged from 10⁶'to 10¹⁰/g of soil after soil amendment with FB pellets of 12 Trichoderma and G. virens isolates. Population densities were high during the first 3 weeks of incubation and declined only gradually during 9 weeks. Propagules in FB pellets were more viable at 5° than at 25°C. Viability at 25°C remained high (> 70%) after 1 week, but declined to less than 10% after 24 weeks. Despite reduction in propagule viability in stored pellets, numbers of cfu formed after adding these pellets to soil were comparable with those formed from freshly prepared pellets.     

Temperature-mediated responses of flumetsulam and metosulam on Raphanus raphanistrum

The effect of temperature and light after spraying on the activity of flumetsulam and metosulam when applied to seedlings of Raphanus raphanistrum was evaluated under controlled environments. Flumetsulam and metosulam were applied at 0.01–3 times the recommended doses and the plants were subjected to a range of temperatures after spraying. Herbicide activity was estimated from dose–response curves of fresh weight. Varying the temperature after spraying from 1 to 20 °C increased the activity of flumetsulam and metosulam, as determined by comparison of ED₅₀, by a factor of 97 and 7 respectively. Large increases in herbicide activity occurred in the 1–5 °C range and smaller but significant increases at temperatures greater than 5 °C. No significant differences in the activity of the herbicides were found when the plants were subjected to light or dark conditions at 5 °C after spraying. The influence of temperature on activity may lead to opportunities for rate adjustment of flumetsulam and metosulam based on the temperature prevailing around the time of spraying.     

In vitro somatic growth and reproduction of phenylamide-resistant and -sensitive isolates of Phytophthora erythroseptica from infected potato tubers in Idaho

Pink rot of potato, most commonly caused by Phytophthora erythroseptica , is a major field and post-harvest problem in southern Idaho, USA, particularly since 1998 when isolates resistant to the phenylamide fungicide metalaxyl-M (mefenoxam) were detected. Isolates of P. erythroseptica were collected from infected tubers in 2001 and 2002 from six Idaho counties and tested for resistance to metalaxyl-M on amended agar. Metalaxyl-M resistant (MR) and metalaxyl-M-sensitive (MS) isolates were identified in six counties; 160 isolates were highly resistant, seven moderately resistant and 57 sensitive to metalaxyl-M with mean EC₅₀ values of 182, 23 and 0·5 mg L⁻¹ ai metalaxyl-M, respectively. Mycelial growth rates and oospore production in agar were assessed for 20 MS and 20 MR isolates at 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30°C. Growth rates of MR isolates were between 2·5 and 3·1 times greater ( P  < 0·05) than those of MS isolates at 10, 15, 20 and 25°C, and oospore production was between 6·8 and 20·5 times greater ( P  < 0·0001) for MR than for MS isolates at the same temperatures. Colony growth in V8 broth at 18°C was greater for MR than MS isolates ( P  < 0·0032). However, zoospore production at 18°C was greater for MS than for MR isolates ( P  < 0·0109), and zoospore production m m ⁻¹ of colony circumference was also greater for MS than for MR isolates, 14 191 and 9959, respectively ( P  = 0·0109). Sexual reproduction of MR isolates in nature may be greater than MS isolates, but MS isolates may be more asexually fit based on the fitness parameters studied.     

Weed seed germination after short–term light exposure: germination rate, photon fluence response and interaction with nitrate

Three laboratory experiments were carried out to answer certain important questions related to the use of'photo control'as a weed–control strategy. The first experiment documented that seeds of Rumex obtusifolius L. and Silene noctiflora L. germinated more slowly in total darkness than after a short exposure to light, whereas there were no significant differences for Cerastium fontanum Baumg. This suggests that seedling emergence in total darkness would not only result in fewer seedlings, but would also be slower; hence the crop might be given a competitive advantage. The second experiment demonstrated that germination of C. fontanum and S. noctiflora showed a linear response to the logarithm of photon fluence. with levels >1 μmOl m^-2 being stimulatory. This suggests that a near–complete elimination of light during dark harrowing would give the best result. R. obtusifolius , however, had a sigmoid dose–response curve with a lower threshold for germination at 500 μmOl m^-2. Hence, this species had a clear threshold under which unnecessary germination was prevented. The third experiment tested for interaction between light and nitrate in their stimulatory effect on germination percentages. For Descurainia sophia (L.) Webb ex Prantl, R. obtusifolius and Thlaspi arvense L., but not for C. fontanum . such interactions were significant. This stresses the fact that light response will vary substantially depending on the seed's environment.     

In vitro effects of temperature and wet periods on infection of oilseed rape by Alternaria brassicae

The influence of temperature and duration of wet periods on infection of oilseed rape by Alternaria brassicae was studied on detached leaves and pods, leaf disks and intact seedlings. Infections increased with age of leaf and the interaction between temperature and leaf age was highly significant. On older leaves infection was optimal at 25°C. There were many infections also at 15, 20 and 29 C but relatively few infections at 10°C. On pods most infections were observed at 20 C, the highest temperature studied. Infection at each temperature increased progressively with duration of surface wetness. The minimum wet periods for infection of leaves were 3 h at 20–25°C, 4 h at 15°C, 6–9 h at 10 C and 12–24 h at 5 C and for infection of pods, between 6 h and 9 h at 10°C and 6 h (or less) at 15°C and 20 C. On leaves, dry periods interrupting wet periods limited lesion development to that obtained with the initial wet period only; on pods some further infections developed when pods were re-wetted. Dry periods of 3 h and 6 h following the inoculation of pods reduced subsequent infection but there was no further reduction by longer periods of drying to 48 h.