Symptom expression and seed transmission of alfalfa mosaic virus and potato yellowing virus (SB-22) inSolanum brevidens andS. etuberosum

Summary Solanum brevidens showed calico mosaic symptoms in all the leaves, butS. etuberosum yellowing and yellow mosaic only in the top leaves, following graft-inoculation with alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV). The South American potato virus SB-22 infected latentlyS. brevidens following graft-inoculation, whereasS. etuberosum was not infected. AMV was not transmitted to the ovules of AMV-infectedS. brevidens andS. etuberosum. However, AMV was transmitted to the seeds ofS. etuberosum through pollen, resulting in 0.9% infected seeds.S. brevidens infected by SB-22 produced up to 20.2% of virus-infected germinable seed, and in some of the seed lots of infectedS. brevidens the germination rate was as low as 1.0%.     

Naturally occurring viral infections inSolanum brevidens andS. fernandezianum

Summary Two species of wild potato,S. brevidens andS. fernandezianum, were surveyed for six potato-infecting viruses in their natural habitats in the Puerto Montt Region and Robinson Crusoe Island of Chile, respectively. Potato viruses S (PVS), M (PVM) and X (PVX) and potato yellowing virus (PYV) were found in some clones of the Chilean Potato Germplasm Collection, whereas only one population ofS. brevidens out of six was virus-infected, namely by PVS. The cultivated potatoes on Robinson Crusoe Island were infected by PVS, PVM and PVX and infested byAulacorthum solani andMyzus persicae, whereasS. fernandezianum was infected by PYV and infested byA. circumflexum, A. solani andAphis spp.     

Alternative hosts for potato mop-top virus, genus Pomovirus and its vectorSpongospora subterranea f.sp. subterranea

Summary Seventeen weed species common in the potato fields in Denmark were grown in a hydroponic system infested with viruliferous zoospores ofSpongospora subterranea f.sp.subterranea carrying potato mop-top virus (PMTV). The plants were examined for infection with PMTV andS.s.s. using DAS-ELISA and based on visible symptoms. Only two weed species were found to be infected with PMTV,Chenopodium album andSolanum nigrum, whereas 13 became infected withS.s.s. C. album was infected with PMTV by mechanical inoculation were the infection became systemically and the leaves showed necrotic spots.S. nigrum became local infected with PMTV by mechanical inoculation. By inoculation with viruliferousS.s.s. the roots ofS. nigrum became infected but in three weeks PMTV had not spread into the top of the plants.Nicotiana benthamiana was used as a control susceptible toS.s.s. and PMTV.     

Screening tuber-bearingSolanum species for resistance toHelminthosporium solani

Silver scurf, caused byHelminthosporium solani, is an important disease of table stock and processing potatoes, for which few management strategies exist. Two hundred-twelve accessions of tuber-bearingSolarium species were screened for their response toH. solani. Tubers were inoculated in the laboratory with a spore suspension, incubated for 1 mo, and evaluated for infection using the number of conidiophore groups per square millimeter of sporulating tuber surface. Tubers with relatively low sporulation in the laboratory were retested using natural inoculum present in potato storages and assessed for infection. There were significant differences (P < 0.05) between accessions with both methods of inoculation. Some accessions ofSolanum demissum, S. chacoense, S. acaule, S. stoloniferum, S. oxycarpum, andS. hondelmannii consistently demonstrated low sporulation in laboratory and storage, suggesting partial resistance. Both methods of inoculation, laboratory and storage, were found to be correlated (ranging from r = 0.582,P= 0.006; to r = 0.925,P < 0.003).     

Incidence, appearance and development of potato mop-top furovirus-induced spraing in potato cultivars and the influence on yield, distribution in Denmark and detection of the virus in tubers by ELISA

Summary 23 potato cultivars were grown in fields infested with potato mop-top virus and spraing was assessed on tubers at harvest and after storage. Large differences in spraing susceptibility were found between cultivars. Compared with other countries, spraing in Denmark is characterised by a high incidence at harvest, a low increase during storage and a very low proportion of superficial spraing. Decrease in spraing during storage was recorded in two cultivars. DASELISA tests for PMTV in tubers revealted a high reliability. Mapping of PMTV in important Danish potato growing areas showed that the virus is widespread. Occurrence of spraing did not influence total yield or dry matter content. Soil acidity did not influence incidence of spraing but it was more common on coarse-grained soil than on finer sandy soils. PMTV in viruliferous resting spores ofSpongospora subterranea was inactivated by heating to 90°C for 15 minutes.     

Detecting resistance to the root-knot nematodesMeloidogyne hapla andM. chitwoodi in potato and wildSolanum spp.

Summary Various methods of screening for resistance to root-knot nematodes were compared and evaluated. Seedling populations ofSolanum spp., grown in clay pots and plastic tubes with silver sand and inoculated with juveniles ofMeloidogyne chitwoodi andM. hapla, showed large differences in the number of egg masses on roots 7 weeks after inoculation. The differences were reproducible when re-testing was done with cuttings and plants from tubers. No resistance toMeloidogyne spp. was observed with ten potato cultivars when grown in clay pots, plastic tobes or closed containers. Plants from tubers in growth pouches developed a large two-dimensional root system, and after inoculation with juveniles the infection process could be observed over 8 weeks. A method of infecting potato tuber tissue withMeloidogyne is described, using tuber slices in Petri dishes as a potential screening test for tuber resistance.     

Resistance toErwinia carotovora subsp.atroseptica in second backcross populations of somatic hybrids betweenSolanum tuberosum andS. brevidens

Summary Eleven clones obtained from a cross between cv. Katahdin and fusion products betweenSolanum tuberosum and the non tuber-bearing speciesS. brevidens, were backcrossed again withS. tuberosum (clone AR80-127-5). Small tubers harvested from 583 seedlings of these second backcross (BC2) populations were screened for tuber tissue resistance toErwinia carotovora subsp.atroseptica under aerobic conditions. After multiplication in the field. BC2 clones again were screened for soft rot resistance under aerobic as well as anaerobic conditions. In general, the resistance of the BC2 populations was reduced in comparison with the BC1. Variation for resistance was found within the BC2 populations, but there was no correlation between the results of the three tests performed. Four BC2 populations were also screenned for resistance to blackleg in the field. Significant differences were found between populations for mean percentage of diseased plants, but these differences could not be explained by the resistance of the parental clones.     

Effect of a continuous hot water treatment of potato tubers on seed-borne fungal pathogens

Summary The viability of five pathogens was decreased by treatment with hot water when tested in vitro.Polyscytalum pustulans was most sensitive andRhizoctonia solani least sensitive. Potato tubers were exposed to 55°C for 5 min in a commercial continuous hot water treatment plant using naturally contaminated seed tubers and tubers which had been inoculated by dipping in comminuted cultures. The frequency of eyes colonised byP. pustulans, Helminthosporium solani, andR. solani was reduced to virtually zero and the effect persisted on tubers subsequently stored at 4°C and at 15°C for up to 16 wk. Results withColletotrichum coccodes were inconclusive. Treatment suppressedPenicillium spp. which, however, rapidly recolonised the eyes during storage, leading to higher contamination levels in the treated than in the untreated tubers. With tubers inoculated withPhoma foveata, good control was achieved when the incubation period before treatment was 10 d but not when the period was 42 d.     

The effect of seed-and soilborne inoculum ofColletotrichum coccodes on the incidence of black dot on potatoes

Summary Soil in a potato field naturally infested with black dot (Colletotrichum coccodes) was fumigated with methyl bromide at 126 g m⁻² or left unfumigated. Potato seed tubers (cv. BP1) uninfected, lightly infected (1–25% surface affected), severely infected (26–100% surface affected) and severely infected withC. coccodes but dusted with prochloraz manganese chloride as Octave 2.5% DP at 750 g per 100 kg seed were planted in fumigated and unfumigated soil. When harvested, the incidence of black dot on the progeny of infected seed planted in unfumigated soil was twice that of progeny in fumigated soil, with progeny of uninfected seed having a 68.5 times higher disease incidence in unfumigated soil. Black dot on progeny tubers was reduced by pre-treatment of seed with prochloraz in fumigated soil only. With black dot infested fields, planting disease-free seed or treating seed with fungicides would not decrease disease on progeny tubers.     

Resistance toErwinia spp. in diploid potato with a high starch content

Summary Tubers of diploid interspecific hybrids, hexaploid somatic hybrids ofSolanum tuberosum andSolanum brevidens, a fusion parental line (S. tuberosum) and several Polish and American commercial cultivars were screened for resistance toErwinia carotovora subsp.atroseptica andErwinia chrysanthemi, in laboratory tests. Both groups of hybrids showed a high level of resistance to soft rot and gave a similar type of resistant reaction, which distinguished them from the cultivars and fusion parent. Tubers of the diploid interspecific hybrids had a high starch content. Our results indicate the possibility of obtaining breeding material with a high starch content and resistance to bacterial soft rot.     

Screening tuber-bearingSolanum spp. for resistance toGlobodera rostochiensis Ro1 Woll. andG. pallida Pa2/3 stone

Summary Accessions of tuber-bearingSolanum spp. related toS. tuberosum subsp.tuberosum were obtained from the German-Dutch collection (Braunschweig, Germany) and the Inter-regional potato collection (Sturgeon Bay, USA). They were screened for resistance toG. rostochiensis Rol andG. pallida Pa2/3. Among 1567 clones from 52 accessions, 135 clones (23 accessions) were resistant toG. rostochiensis. They mainly representedS. andigena, gourlayi, spegazzinii andvernei. Among 1689 clones (74 accessions), 105 clones (32 accessions) were resistant toG. pallida. They representedS. gourlayi, spegazzinii, sparsipilum andvernei. About 25 clones were resistant to both species.     

Effect of planting date and inoculum level on incidence and severity of powdery scab on potato

Summary Powdery scab incidence and severity was examined on six potato cultivars planted at two different dates in a naturally infested field. There were two sub-plots; one where seed was exposed prior to planting to spores ofSpongospora subterranea from scabby peels, which were then added to the furrow at planting, and another where seed was exposed only to natural inoculum within the field. The later planting data reduced incidence and severity, but there were no differences between sub-plots. All cultivars became infected, but ‘Rosa’ was the most susceptible and ‘Katahdin’ the most resistant. Contribution No. 1720, Department of Plant Pathology, The Pennsylvania Agricultural Experiment Station. Authorized for publication September 22, 1988 as Journal Series Paper No. 8007.     

Resistance to potato leaf roll virus inSolanum brevidens

Summary Plants ofSolanum brevidens graft-inoculated with potato leaf roll virus (PLRV) grew vigorously and had a normal healthy appearance. Although presence of the virus was confirmed in all inoculated plants by graft tests to potato and/orDatura stramonium, recovery of PLRV fromS. brevidens PI 218228 usingPhysalis floridana and the aphidMyzus persicae was erratic and only few test seedlings became infected. Ease of recovery of the virus using aphids was not influenced by presence of a continuous graft union with infected potato. Testing ofS. brevidens PI 245763 withM. persicae was not possible due to poor aphid survival on plants of this accession.     

The susceptibility of potato cultivars to gangrene in laboratory tests in relation to origin of tubers,damage, method of inoculation and test centre

Summary Undamaged and damaged tubers of 10 cultivars were inoculated withPhoma foveata by two methods at five test centres over three years. Damaging tubers before inoculation increased the discrimination between cultivars. While this increase was small with tubers rolled in cornmealsand cultures, it was often substantial with those dipped in a suspension of comminuted agar cultures. Correlations between centres for the four tests were significant (P<0.05) and were highest for tubers inoculated with cornmeal-sand with or without damage. The gangrene scores of the cultivars in the four tests were correlated (P<0.05) with their field susceptibility ratings but there was a strong interaction between cultivar reaction and year of test. When tubers grown in Cumbria and Midlothian were tested at one centre over two years, the gangrene scores were also correlated (P<0.05).     

Male sterility and 2n pollen in 4x progenies derived from 4x×2x and 4x×4x crosses in potatoes

Summary The objectives of these experiments were to evaluate male sterility (MS) and 2n pollen frequency in 77 4x×2x families and 26 4x×4x families. The 2x parents were haploid-species hybrids and the 4x parents mainly clones withS. tuberosum ssp.tuberosum (tbr) andS. tuberosum ssp.andigena (adg) in their genetic background. The female parents had different cytoplasms: adg, tbr,S. demissum (dms), andS. stoloniferum (sto). Families from female parents with adg or dms cytoplasm did not have MS plants. However, families derived from crosses of many tbr females with 2x hybrids and a 4x adg clone had a high percentage of MS plants; all the progenies from cv. Serrana (sto cytoplasm) possessed tetrad sterility. These results can be explained as due to an interaction between a dominant male sterility (Ms) gene with tbr and sto cytoplasms. Some MS 4x hybrids (tbr×adg) used as females had the Ms gene, but male fertility was restored in some plants of their progenies when they were crossed with 4x tbr clones. This indicates that some tbr clones have a fertility restorer gene (Rt). The results from both 4x×2x and 4x×4x families fit the expected ratios assuming chromatid segregation for both the Ms and Rt loci. The gene frequency of parallel spindles was estimated in the 4x population as 0.74.     

Erwinia carotovora subsp.atroseptica infection promotes verticillium wilt development in potato in Israel

Summary The interaction betweenErwinia carotovora subsp.atroseptica (Eca) andVerticillium dahliae and its effect on symptom development in potato cultivars showing different degrees of resistance to them was examined over two seasons in irrigated fields in a hot, dry climate. Four cultivars were used: Cara, highly resistant to blackleg and tolerant to Verticillium wilt; Pentland Crown also resistant to blackleg but susceptible to Verticillium wilt; Désirée, moderately susceptible to blackleg but tolerant to Verticillium wilt; and Maris Bard, susceptible to both diseases. Seed tubers were inoculated with Eca immediately after harvest in Scotland, to simulate natural infection, and then planted in Israel in soil naturally infested byV. dahliae. In Verticillium tolerant cultivars, Eca infection increased the rate of colonization byV. dahliae and significantly enhanced symptom development, as assessed by suppression of plant height and wilt symptoms. This report is a portion of the Ph.D. thesis of the senior author in Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.     

Using chemical and biological treatments to reduce the potential of potato leak caused byPythium aphanidermatum in Tunisia

Summary The effect of fungicides and the antagonistic fungusTrichoderma harzianum (Th) on the potato leak pathogenPythium aphanidermatum (Pa) was investigated in vitro. Rot was reduced by 73% to 89% when tubers inoculated withPa were treated by immersion in solutions (0.5% w/v) of the fungicides Ridomil MZ58. Dithane M45. Manebe 80 and Tachigaren 360. Complete protection was achieved by dusting inoculated tubers with Ridomil MZ58 diluted in kaolin at a final concentration of 0.1% (w/w). The biological treatments of dipping inoculated tubers in a conidial water suspension ofTh at 10⁸ conidia/ml or of dusting with a mixture of a barley culture ofTh and kaolin to a final concentration of 2×10⁹ conidia/g were as effective as the chemical treatments. Control was still effective when inoculated tubers were treated with Ridomil MZ58. Tachigaren 360 or the conidial suspension ofTh after 24h incubation at 25°C.     

Decreased common scab incidence after foliar sprays of daminozide

Summary In four small trials in two fields infested withStreptomyces scabies, potato foliage (cv. Maris Piper) was sprayed with solutions of the growth retardant daminozide in May–June. The sprays roughly halved the amount of scab in one field but were less effective in the other. The decrease in scab was not influenced by changes in daminozide concentration (3–10 g litre), by varying the timing of single sprays (mainly in June) or by spraying more than once. Yields of tubers were unaffected.     

Soluble proteins and isoesterases as taxonomic markers tested on nine wildSolanum species and eight Slovakian potato varieties

Summary Attempts have been made to differentiate 9Solanum species and 8 Slovakian cultivars ofS. tuberosum using soluble proteins, isoesterases and antigenic properties of tuber proteins. Soluble proteins were shown to possess the highest diagnostic value in discriminating between individual species and varieties.S. brevidens of the subsectionEstolonifera deviated from the rest of the species belonging to the subsectionPotatoe. The electrophoretic profiles and immunological responses of individual species only partially correlated with their taxonomic positions. The highest similarity was observed between the pairs of speciesS. bulbocastanum, S. stenotomum, S. maglia-S. phurea andS. gourlayi-S. vernei. It was possible to differentiate also between individual potato cultivars or between their groups according to both soluble protein and isoesterase patterns.     

Differential resistance to tuber late blight in potato cultivars without R-genes

Summary In 1983 and 1984 there were reports in Norway of more severe late blight infection than usual on tubers of cv. Pimpernel, a cultivar without R-genes known to be somewhat resistant to both haulm and tuber infection. Results from routine tests confirmed earlier experience that cv. Pimpernel shows stable resistance to tuber late blight, although the ranking of cultivars may vary between years. In experiments during three harvest seasons tubers of different cultivars were inoculated with isolates ofP. infestans obtained from stocks of cv. Pimpernel with severe tuber late blight and with other isolates. In these experiments the isolates from cv. Pimpernel caused more rot on tubers of Pimpernel than did other isolates.