Future scenarios for Fusarium wilt disease and mortality of oil palm in Nigeria,Ghana and Cameroon,extrapolated to Malaysia and Indonesia

European Journal of Plant Pathology - The significance of palm oil is high in Africa and South East Asia. Malaysia and Indonesia are the largest producers. Increased mortality and diseases of oil...     

A rapid technique for screening banana cultivars for resistance to Xanthomonas wilt

The banana Xanthomonas wilt disease (BXW) has threatened the livelihood of millions of farmers in East Africa. Use of resistant varieties is the most cost-effective method of managing this bacterial disease. A reliable and rapid screening method is needed to select resistant banana varieties. An in vitro screening method was developed for early evaluation of Xanthomonas wilt resistance using small tissue culture-grown plantlets. Eight cultivars of banana were screened with sixteen isolates of Xanthomonas campestris pv. musacearum using this method. There were significant differences (P < 0.0001) in susceptibility among the various banana cultivars tested, whereas no significant difference (P = 0.92) in pathogenicity was observed between the pathogen isolates. The cv. Pisang Awak (Kayinja) was found to be highly susceptible and Musa balbisiana resistant. Nakitembe was found to be moderately resistant while cvs Mpologoma, Mbwazirume, Sukali Ndiizi, FHIA-17 and FHIA-25 were susceptible. The susceptibility of these cultivars was further tested in vivo by artificial inoculation of potted plants with similar results. This study shows that an in vitro screening test can serve as a convenient, cheap and rapid screening technique to discriminate BXW-resistant from BXW-susceptible banana cultivars.     

Fusarium wilt of basil in Greece: Foliar infection and cultivar evaluation for resistance

Fusarium wilt of basil (Ocimum basilicum), caused byFusarium oxysporum f.sp.basilici, is reported for the first time in Greece. Foliage inoculation of young plants resulted in a downward movement of the pathogen to the crown and roots and 20–30% plant mortality. Of 14 commercial basil cultivars evaluated for possible disease resistance using young plants, six out of eight large-leaved cultivars were found resistant, while all six small-leaved ones were susceptible. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting Feb. 23, 2004.     

Epidemiology of Fusarium wilt in cyclamen in an ebb and flow system

Introduction ofFusarium oxysporum f. sp.cyclaminis either into the nutrient solution or into the potting soil, did not result in noticeable spread of disease in a cyclamen crop grown in pots on tables of an ebb and flow system. Immediately after its introduction, only a small amount of the inoculum was detected in the soil in the pots and in the nutrient solution flowing onto the tables.Study of the epidemiology of the disease, after introduction of the pathogen into the system, revealed a mechanical process. Within 24 hours the amount of cfu found in the out-flowing nutrient solution and halfway down the container was sharply reduced. After 5–7 days few cfu could be detected. On the contrary on the bottom of the containers the fungus was observed in increasing amounts. In the system used the spores of the fungus settled down and were not transported during floods.Samenvatting Bij cyclamenteelt op een eb-vloed-systeem werd, na introductie vanF. oxysporum f.sp.cyclaminis via de voedingsoplossing of via de grond in de potten, vrijwel geen verspreiding van het pathogeen gevonden. In vrij korte tijd na de introductie werd in de uitstromende voedingsoplossing en in de potgrond slechts een zeer gering gedeelte van de oorspronkelijk geïntroduceerde hoeveelheidFusarium teruggevonden.Bij onderzoek omtrent de epidemiologie van de ziekte na introductie in het syssteem waren op verschillende plaatsen na 24 uren slechts zeer geringe hoeveelheden en na 5–7 dagen vrijwel geenFusarium aantoonbaar. Daarentegen werden op de bodem van de voorraadtanks in toenemende mate grote hoeveelhedenFusarium aangetroffen. In het gebruikte systeem bezonken de sporen en werden niet meegevoerd tijdens de vloed.Seconded to the Research Station for Floriculture (PBN), Linnaeuslaan 2A, 1431 JV Aalsmeer, the Netherlands.     

Extracts of killedPenicillium chrysogenum Induce resistance against Fusarium wilt of melon

Dry fungal biomass ofPenicillium chrysogenum (dry mycelium), a waste product of the pharmaceutical industry, was extracted with water and applied to the roots of melon plants before or after inoculation withFusarium oxysporum f.sp.melonis (Font). Seedlings (4–6 days after emergence) treated with either acidic dry mycelium extract (DME) or neutralized dry mycelium extract (NDME) were protected against challenge infection withFom. A single drench with 2–5% DME applied 12–72 h before inoculation provided significant control of the disease compared with water-drenched, challenged seedlings. No protection was seen in plants treated 0–6 h before inoculation or 0–48 h after inoculation. Neither DME nor NDME (0.5–5%) had any effect on fungal growthin vitro, which implied that disease controlin vivo was mediated by induced resistance. The resistance induced by DME protected melon plants not only against race 1,2, but also against the three other races of the pathogen, indicating a race-non-specific resistance againstFom. Both DME and NDME significantly increased peroxidase activity and free L-proline content in seedlings 12 h and 48 h after soil drench, respectively. Resistance to Fusarium wilt was significantly associated with elevated levels of peroxidase activity but not with free L-proline content. Thus, peroxidase might be involved in the defense mechanisms activated by DME or NDME. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting Aug. 31, 2001.     

Regeneration of vascular tissues in relation to Fusarium wilt resistance of carnation

Fusarium wilt-resistant Novada carnations responded both to stem inoculation with a conidial suspension ofFusarium oxysporum f. sp.dianthi orF. oxysporum f. sp.lycopersici and to root inoculation by planting in soil infected withF. oxysporum f.sp.dianthi by means of a localization mechanism comprising gel formation in the xylem vessels and hyperplasia of adjacent parenchyma cells. Dye translocation experiments showed that xylem transport was limited by the presence of vascular gels, although wilting did not occur. Overcapacity of the vascular system apparently allowed for sufficient water transport to compensate for local vascular dysfunction. Also, vascular regeneration in the hyperplastic tissue next to occluded xylem vessels created new pathways for water transport to compensate for those lost by occlusion. Regeneration of xylem vessels was eventually followed by regeneration of xylem fibers, xylem parenchyma, cambium, and phloem cells.Early Sam carnations, susceptible to Fusarium wilt, responded to stem inoculation withF. oxysporum f. sp.lycopersici by similar localization of infection and vascular regeneration. Stem inoculation withF. oxysporum f. sp.dianthi, however, resulted in colonization of the xylem vessels followed by lysis of the vascular tissues. Vascular gelation, hyperplasia of parenchyma cells, and vascular regeneration did generally not occur. However, if some hyperplasia occurred in attempted defence, some differentiation of hyperplastic cells into single xylem vessel elements was observed which only rarely resulted in complete vascular regeneration next to colonized xylem. In the absence of hyperplasia, differentiation of medulla parenchyma cells bordering destroyed vascular tissue into xylem vessel elements was even more exceptional. Apparently, vascular regeneration in carnation is a normal defence reaction to fungal invasion.Samenvatting Novada anjers, resistent tegen Fusarium-verwelkingsziekte, reageerden op stengelinoculatie met een conidiënsuspensie vanFusarium oxysporum f.sp.dianthi of vanF. oxysporum f.sp.lycopersici en op wortelinoculatie door te planten in metF. oxysporumf.sp.dianthi besmette grond met een lokalisatiemechanisme dat onder meer bestond uit vorming van gommen in de houtvaten en hyperplasie van naburige parenchymcellen. Uit proeven over kleurstoftransport bleek dat de sapstroom door de gomvorming beperkt werd, hoewel dit geen verwelkingssymptomen veroorzaakte. Overcapaciteit van het vaatstelsel zorgde kennelijk voor voldoende compensatie aan watertransport om plaatselijke verstoring van de sapstroom op te vangen. Daarnaast werd het verlies aan functionele houtvaten ook opgevangen door vaatweefselregeneratie in het hyperplastische weefsel grenzend aan door gommen verstopte houtvaten. Na verloop van tijd werden behalve houtvaten ook houtvezels, houtparenchymcellen, cambium- en floeemcellen geregenereerd.Early Sam anjers, vatbaar voor Fusarium-verwelkingsziekte, reageerden op stengelinoculatie metF. oxysporum f. sp.lycopersici met eenzelfde lokalisatiemechanisme en ook met vaatweefselregeneratie. Stengelinoculatie metF. oxysporum f.sp.dianthi echter had kolonisatie en vervolgens lysis van het vaatweefsel tot gevolg. Meestal trad er geen gomvorming, hyperplasie van parenchymcellen of vaatweefselregeneratie op. Als echter bij pogingen tot afweer toch enige hyperplasie optrad, bleken sommige hyperplastische cellen wel tot houtvatelementen te differentieren. Dit leidde echter maar zelden tot totale vaatweefselregeneratie parallel aan het gekoloniseerde vaatweefsel. In afwezigheid van hyperplasie differentieerden mergparenchymcellen vlak naast lyserend vaatweefsel slechts bij hoge uitzondering tot houtvatelementen. Vaatweefselregeneratie bij anjer is kennelijk een gewone afweerreactie op besmetting met pathogene schimmels.     

A rapid laboratory method for assessing the biological control potential of Penicillium oxalicum against Fusarium wilt of tomato

A rapid, simple and reliable procedure was developed to evaluate biological control of Fusarium wilt of tomato by Penicillium oxalicum . The method consists in growing tomato plants in flasks with nutrient solution in a growth chamber. Plants were previously treated in the seedbed with a conidial suspension (10⁷ conidia mL⁻¹) of P. oxalicum 7 days before transplanting. Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici (race 2) was added to the Hoagland solution just before transplanting. Different concentrations and several isolates of F. oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici were tested. Using this method, plants showed typical symptoms of the disease and the effect of the biocontrol agent was clear. Consumption of nutrient solution was reduced in diseased plants, and this reduction was diminished by treatment with P.oxalicum . Consumption of nutrient solution was correlated with other disease-related parameters (AUDPC, weight of aerial parts, stunting) and was an easy and objective parameter to measure.     

Induced resistance in tomato plants against Fusarium wilt invoked by Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. dianthi

Tomato plants, susceptible toFusarium oxysporum f. sp.lycopersici, were inoculated by immersing the roots in a conidial suspension ofF. oxysporum f. sp.lycopersici race 1,F. oxysporum f. sp.dianthi race 2 or a mixture of both fungi. Plants inoculated withF. oxysporum f. sp.lycopersici showed disease symptoms after 2 weeks, whereas plants inoculated withF. oxysporum f. sp.dianthi or a mixture of both fungi remained symptomless for over 7 weeks, the duration of the experiment. In another experiment root systems of plants were split and each half was separately inoculated. One half was firstly inoculated withF. oxysporum f. sp.dianthi or treated with water, followed after a week by a second inoculation of the other half withF. oxysporum f. sp.lycopersici or by a water treatment. The disease symptoms in the half firstly inoculated withF. oxysporum f. sp.dianthi were significantly delayed, compared to plants of which that half had been treated with water. BecauseF. oxysporum f. sp.dianthi reduced disease symptoms caused byF. oxysporum f. sp.lycopersici without any direct interaction with this pathogen, it is concluded thatF. oxysporum f. sp.dianthi is able to induce resistance againstF. oxysporum f. sp.lycopersici in tomato plants.     

Rootstock resistance to Fusarium wilt and effect on watermelon fruit yield and quality

The potential of grafted watermelon for resistance toFusarium oxysporum f.sp.niveum on some Curcurbitaceae,Lagenaria, Luffa, Benincasa and commercial rootstocks was evaluated. Effects of grafting on yield and quality of diseased plants were evaluated. All grafted plants and rootstocks were resistant to the three known races (0, 1, and 2) ofF. oxysporum f.sp.niveum except watermelon cv. ‘Crimson Tide’, which was susceptible to race 2. Fruit yield was positively (21–112%) affected byLagenaria rootstocks but negatively affected (200–267%) byCucurbita rootstocks when compared with the control. While only minor differences in fruit quality were determined in control and grafted plants onLagenaria rootstocks, the quality parameters for watermelon grafted ontoCucurbita rootstocks were lower than in the control. The reasons for low yield and quality might be due to an incompatibility betweenCucurbita rootstocks and watermelon. These results showed that rootstock influence on disease resistance as well as yield and quality of scion fruit is important in determining the potential use of grafting applications in watermelon. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting Feb. 2, 2003.     

Population dynamics of Fusarium species on oil palm seeds following chemical and heat treatments

Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. elaeidis may be present naturally on or within oil palm seeds, thus there is a risk of introducing the disease into previously wilt-free regions. A low proportion of infested seed was shown to give rise to infected plants. Populations of Fusarium spp. on seeds significantly declined after routine processing to induce seed germination, but the pathogen was not eradicated. However, vacuum infiltration and soaking for 7 days with captafol effectively eradicated the pathogen. The significance of F. oxysporum on oil palm seed as a potential inoculum source is discussed.     

Two in vitro assays to evaluate resistance in Linum usitatissimum to Fusarium wilt disease

Two types of in vitro seedling tests were developed to evaluate resistance in flax (Linum usitatissimum) against Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lini. In the first test a solid medium was used. The second test was based on a liquid medium. Disease severity was assessed after three weeks, using the observed reduction of plant length as a scale. Both methods proved to be useful for screening for resistance, for evaluating race specificity of resistance and for studying symptomatology. The solid medium method proved to be the more accurate for the screening, but the liquid medium method was much less time- and labour-consuming. The results of the tests were significantly correlated with observations under field conditions.     

Production of cotton varieties with resistance to Fusarium wilt with special reference to Tanzania

Abstract

Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum (Atk.) Sny. & Hans. is an important disease of cotton in several developing countries where the use of resistant varieties continues to be the most practical method of control. The inheritance of resistance to wilt is complex, involving several major and minor genes. In order to identify resistant genotypes in segregating populations large numbers of plants must be screened using inoculation methods which minimise disease escape. Wilt incidence is increased when plants are attacked by the rootknot nematode (Meloidogyne acrita Chitwood, 1949) Esser et al. 1976. In areas where both organisms occur together, the wilt resistance‐potential of a variety cannot be realised unless it also has resistance to root‐knot. Problems of breeding for wilt resistance are discussed with reference to Tanzania, and methods are described for their application to a wilt‐resistance programme.     

Evaluation of world castor (Ricinus communis L.) germplasm for resistance to Fusarium wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ricini)

Castor (Ricinus communis L.) is an important industrial oilseed crop grown worldwide. Wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ricini is a devastating disease of this crop. The objective of this research was to identify stable sources of wilt resistance among the global castor germplasm collections available in India for use in cultivar improvement. The global collections comprising 1,779 Indian and 190 exotic accessions from 36 countries were screened against wilt in wilt sick plots at two sites in India in preliminary screening. None of the accessions showed high resistance to wilt, 133 accessions comprising 111 Indian and 22 exotic accessions representing 13 countries exhibited resistance. Thirteen of the 133 resistant accessions were tested further for multiple years in wilt sick plots and glasshouse under controlled artificial inoculation at two sites. All the 13 accessions consistently showed wilt resistance in both wilt sick plot and glasshouse at both sites in multiple years. Eleven of these 13 accessions were from India and two were from former USSR. Evaluation for agro-morphological traits identified high seed yielding and early maturing resistant accessions. Diversity analyses precisely revealed diversity among the resistant accessions. These 13 resistant accessions would be great value as donors of resistance.     

Control of Fusarium wilt in banana with Chinese leek

The inhibitory effects of Chinese leek (Allium tuberosum) on Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc) and on Fusarium wilt incidence were studied in order to identify a potential efficient way to control the disease. Adopting the rotation system of Chinese leek-banana reduced the Fusarium wilt incidence and disease severity index by 88?C97?% and 91?C96?%, respectively, and improved the crop value by 36?C86?%, in an area heavily infested by Foc between 2007 and 2009. As a result of inoculation in the greenhouse, Chinese leek treatment reduced disease incidence and the disease severity index by 58?% and 62?%, respectively in the variety Baxi (AAA) and by 79?% and 81?%, respectively in the variety Guangfen NO.1 (ABB). Crude extracts of Chinese leek completely inhibited the growth of Foc race 4 on Petri dishes, suppressed the proliferation of the spores by 91?% and caused 87?% spore mortality. The findings of this study suggest that Chinese leek has the potential to inhibit Foc growth and Fusarium wilt incidence. This potential may be developed into an environmentally friendly treatment to control Fusarium wilt of banana.     

Lipopolysaccharides of plant-growth promoting Pseudomonas sp. strain WCS417r induce resistance in carnation to Fusarium wilt

The numbers of diseased plants could significantly be reduced when microconidia ofFusarium oxysporum f. sp.dianthi were inoculated into the stem and viable-, heat-killed cells or purified LPS of the bacteriumPseudomonas sp. strain WCS417r were applied to the roots. Because the competition betweenF. o. dianthi and the bacterium could be excluded, the disease suppression seems to be due to an induced resistance. Accumulation of phytoalexins was found in the stem segments. No accumulation of these compounds was found when the plants were bacterized but noninfected. It is concluded that cell surface components present in the lipopolysaccharides of the bacterium are the inducing factors.Increased peroxidase activity could be measured in root washes and root extracts after only bacterial preparations were added. No significant differences in peroxidase activity were found in stem extracts. The possible role of increased peroxidase activity in suppression of Fusarium wilt in carnation is discussed.     

Derivation and testing of a model to predict selection for fungicide resistance

A mathematical model was derived to predict selection for fungicide resistance in foliar pathogens of cereal crops. The model was tested against independent data from four field experiments quantifying selection for the G143A mutation conferring resistance to a quinone outside inhibitor (QoI) fungicide in powdery mildew (Blumeria graminis f.sp. hordei) on spring barley (Hordeum vulgare). Fungicide treatments with azoxystrobin differed in the total applied dose and spray number. For each treatment, we calculated the observed selection ratio as the ratio of the frequency of the resistant strain after the last and before the first spray. The model accurately predicted the variation in observed selection ratios with total applied fungicide dose and number of sprays for three of the four experiments. Underprediction of selection ratios in one experiment was attributed to the particularly late epidemic onset in that experiment. When the equation representing epidemic development was modified to account for the late epidemic, predicted and observed selection ratios at that site were in close agreement. On a scatter plot of observed selection ratios on predicted selection ratios, for all four experiments, the 1:1 line explained 89–92% of the variance in the mean of observed selection ratios. To our knowledge, this is the first fungicide resistance model for plant pathogens to be rigorously tested against field data. The model can be used with some degree of confidence, to identify anti‐resistance treatment strategies which are likely to be effective and would justify the resources required for experimental testing.     

Cyanobacteria mediated plant growth promotion and bioprotection against Fusarium wilt in tomato

Cyanobacteria - phytopathogenic fungi - tomato plant interactions were evaluated for developing suitable biological options for combating biotic stress (Fusarium wilt) and enhancing plant vigour. Preliminary evaluation was undertaken on the fungicidal and hydrolytic enzyme activity of the cyanobacterial strains (Anabaena variabilis RPAN59, A. laxa RPAN8) under optimized environmental/nutritional conditions, followed by amendment in compost-vermiculite. Such formulations were tested against Fusarium wilt challenged tomato plants, and the Anabaena spp. (RPAN59/8) amended composts significantly reduced mortality in fungi challenged treatments, besides fungal load in soil. Cyanobacteria amended composts also led to an enhancement in soil organic C, nitrogen fixation, besides significant improvement in growth, yield, fruit quality parameters, N, P and Zn content. The tripartite interactions also enhanced the activity of defence and pathogenesis related enzymes in tomato plants. A positive correlation (r?=?0.729 to 0.828) between P content and pathogenesis/defense enzyme activity revealed their role in enhancing the resistance of the plant through improved nutrient uptake. Light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed cyanobacterial colonization, which positively correlated with reduced fungal populations. The reduced disease severity coupled with improved plant growth/ yields, elicited by cyanobacterial treatments, illustrated the utility of such novel formulations in integrated pest and nutrient management strategies for Fusarium wilt challenged tomato crop.     

Soil disinfestation with dimethyl disulfide for management of Fusarium wilt on lettuce in Italy

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - The efficacy of dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) applied in pre-planting treatment by shank injection was investigated on the lettuce Fusarium oxysporum f.sp....