Mechanisms of resistance in<Emphasis Type="Italic">Lycopersicon</Emphasis> germplasm to the whitefly<Emphasis Type="Italic">Bemisia argentifolii</Emphasis>

The silverleaf whiteflyBemisia argentifolii Bellows & Perring (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) [also known as strain B of the sweetpotato whiteflyB. tabaci (Gennadius)] is a major pest of tomatoes due to both feeding damage and transmission of plant viruses. Certain wild species ofLycopersicon have demonstrated high levels of resistance to the pest. Greenhouse studies were undertaken to quantify the effects on whitefly behavior and mortality of individual, resistant plants selected from three accessions ofL. pennellii (Corr.) D’Arcy (LA 1340, LA 1674 and LA 2560), five accessions ofL. hirsutum f.typicum Humb. & Bonpl. (LA 386, LA 1353, LA 1777, PI 127826 and PI 127827) and one accession ofL. hirsutum f.glabratum C.H. Mull. (PI 126449). In no-choice experiments, fewer adults settled on leaflets of the wild species and deposited 75–100% fewer eggs compared to the cultivated tomato,L. esculentum Mill. Adult mortality ranged from 77–100% on wild accessions but was only 1% onL. esculentum. Most dead adults were trapped in glandular trichome exudates. The effects of these resistant accessions onB. argentifolii were mechanically transferable by appressing the trichome exudates onto the leaves of the susceptible tomato, indicating an association between the factors mediating the resistance and the glandular trichomes. Laboratory studies evaluated the repellent, fumigant and residual toxic effects of representative constituents of trichome exudates onB. argentifolii adults by using selected concentrations and probit analyses. RC₅₀ values (estimated concentration to repel 50% of the adults) and LC₅₀ values for fumigant and residual toxicity indicated that 2-tridecanone had low levels of repellent and residual toxicity activity; that 2-undecanone had high levels of repellent and fumigant activity; and that ginger oil (composed, in part, of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons) had high levels of repellent and residual toxicity activity. These studies suggest that multi-factor resistance exists in wild tomato germplasm. By combining genetically the observed chemical constituents of resistance into a single germplasm, the resulting resistance may be more difficult forB. argentifolii to overcome. http://www.phytoparasitica.org     

Biotype Q of<Emphasis Type="Italic">Bemisia tabaci</Emphasis> identified in Israel

The biotype status of samples of the whiteflyBemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) collected from several field and greenhouse sites in Israel during 1999–2000 was determined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) for general esterases, and by RAPD-PCR using primers of arbitrary sequence. Results of this survey provide the first published evidence for the occurrence of theB. tabaci Q biotype, alongside the more widely distributed B biotype. Based on the collected samples, it appears that both the B and Q biotypes are present in Israel, and that field populations consist of a mixture of the two biotypes. A possible link betweenB. tabaci biotypes and insecticide resistance is discussed. Contribution no. 508/02 from the Inst. of Plant Protection, ARO, The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan, Israel. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting Dec. 5, 2002.     

Pymetrozine interferes with transmission of<Emphasis Type="Italic">Tomato yellow leaf curl virus</Emphasis> by the whitefly<Emphasis Type="Italic">Bemisia tabaci</Emphasis>

Pymetrozine, a novel compound belonging to the class pyridine-azomethines, is a feeding inhibitor labeled for use against plant pests in the order Hemiptera. Pymetrozine was evaluated for its ability to interfere with whitefly transmission of the begomovirusTomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV). Pymetrozine was applied as Fulfill ^TM 50 WG at two rates (0.291 and 0.582 g formulationl ⁻¹) to tomato seedlings with four to six true leaves. Viruliferous whiteflies (three to five per plant) were added 1, 4, 7 and 11 d after a single application of pymetrozine, and transmission rates were determined 4 wk after the addition of whiteflies. Pymetrozine provided protection against transmission of TYLCV by viruliferous whiteflies for up to 1 wk after a single apliation. No phytotoxicity was observed on tomato transplants. These results indicate that pymetrozine could be an effective tool for tomato transplant producers to protect susceptible transplants from infection by begomoviruses, such as TYLCV. Pymetrozine might also work well as part of an integrated approach to begomovirus management in greenhouse tomato fruit production. http://www.phytoparasitica.org positing Oct. 20, 2003.     

Mechanisms of resistance in cotton to whitefly (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Bemisia tabaci</Emphasis>): Tolerance

Screen house experiments were conducted under no choice conditions, to determine the tolerance, a mechanism of resistance, in cotton under a population pressure of 150 and 300 pairs of whiteflies Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae). Twelve cotton genotypes, viz., four resistant (NHH 44, Supriya, LD694 and PA 183), four susceptible (F 846, IS-376/4/1/20/72, LK 861 and RS 2013) and four with moderate reaction (T x Maroon 2-78, MRC 6304Bt, RS 2098 and CNH 911) to B. tabaci were assessed in terms of decrease in plant height, number of nodes and chlorophyll content (a, b and total) from control. The study revealed that all three characters are important to identify tolerance. A strong tolerance mechanism is operating in NHH 44. The genotypes LD 694 and PA 183 were rated as moderately tolerant, however, IS 376/4/1/20/72, Tx Maroon 2-78, MRC 6304Bt, F 846 and CNH 911 exhibited no tolerance mechanism and were categorized as the most susceptible genotypes.     

Effect of drip and furrow irrigation methods on<Emphasis Type="Italic">Bemisia tabaci</Emphasis> populations in cotton fields

Effects of drip and furrow irrigation and their application at three different levels, onBemisia tabaci populations, were studied during the 1999 and 2000 growing seasons in Aydın, Turkey, with the objective of attaining water rates of 100% (full), 66% (2/3) and 33% (1/3) during irrigation periods. All plots were irrigated during four different phenological periods,viz., blooming, boll setting, boll and 5–10% of boll open stage. The number of whitefly immatures was significantly greater in furrow-irrigated than in drip-irrigated plots in both 1999 and 2000 and there were significant differences found in the effect of the irrigation methods and their application levels as well. In all trials, the number of whitefly nymphs was the highest in the 33% (1/3) water supply with both drip and furrow methods. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting Feb. 3, 2003.     

Molecular phylogenetic analysis reveals at least five genetic races of<Emphasis Type="Italic">Bemisia tabaci</Emphasis> in China

Phylogenetic analysis using ITS1 and CO1 nucleotide sequences has revealed six major races ofBemisia tabaci in the world, including three major indigenous races in the Asia-Pacific region,viz., B. tabaci (Asia),B. tabaci (Bali) andB. tabaci (Australia), but the status of a large collection of genotypes in this region remains unresolved. The ITS1 sequences of representative whitefly samples collected from around China were determined in this study. These sequences and other homologous sequences retrieved from GenBank were then used to conduct a phylogenetic analysis. The results demonstrated that the whiteflies collected in China were split genetically into four groups, where at least five genetic races were revealed,i.e., B biotype (SDLe, XJEp, XJAt, HNNt, BJIb, GDEp, XJGh, GDHrs, XJSm and SHEp), Bali group (ZJGh), M biotype (Hainan1), G biotype (GXCm) and Asian H/K group (FJIb, GDCv), although the Asian H/K group with low bootstrap score remains unresolved. Of all genetic races, the B biotype is the most extensively distributed. In the dendogram, the J biotype, L biotype and Q biotype cluster together and form a sister clade to the B biotype. The data indicate that extensive migration ofB. tabaci has taken place in Asian countries. The populations ZJGh, FJIb, GDCv, GXCm and Hainanl collected in China might have originated there, but the possibility that they were introduced from elsewhere cannot be excluded at this point. Using PyR from Israel as a reference Q biotype, the random amplified polymorphic DNA banding patterns of SDLe, XJEp, XJAt and HNNt were shown to be consistent with that of the Q biotype, which indicated that the four local whitefly populations identified as the B biotype based on ITS1 sequences were closely related to the Q biotype. http//www.phytoparasitica.org posting Sept. 12, 2006.     

Resistance to <Emphasis Type="Italic">Penicillium</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">hirsutum</Emphasis> Dierckx in garlic accessions

Among the factors affecting the quality and yield of garlic production, blue mold caused by -- Penicillium spp. -- is responsible for economical losses in many countries. Allicin, present in garlic bulbs, has been suggested as having antifungal activity against some Penicillium species. This study was conducted to evaluate the response of garlic accessions against Penicillium hirsutum infection and to compare this response with bulb allicin content. Twelve garlic accessions were inoculated with P. hirsutum, and assayed in greenhouse and growth chamber experiments. Plant growth parameters and the fungal production of conidia were evaluated. Significant differences were found among the accessions. Accessions Castaño and Morado were most resistant whereas AR-I-125 and Fuego were always severely affected by the disease. A low correlation was found (r = 0.17) between allicin content and tolerance, indicating that allicin is not the main factor involved in the resistance against P. hirsutum.     

Reaction of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Leersia</Emphasis> grasses to <Emphasis Type="Italic">Xanthomonas oryzae</Emphasis> pv. <Emphasis Type="Italic">oryzae</Emphasis> collected from Japan and Asian countries

The present study was conducted to determine if there is specificity in the host-pathogen relationship between the isolates of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae, the causal bacterium for rice blight and Leersia grasses, the alternative weed hosts of the disease. Plants of three species of Leersia, namely, L. sayanuka, L. oryzoides and L. japonica, were collected from various parts of Japan and were inoculated with the X. oryzae pv. oryzae isolates obtained from various locations in Japan and from 11 Asian countries. Four L. sayanuka plants were found susceptible to all Race II isolates and some Race I isolates, but were resistant to all Race III isolates. Race III is known to have a wider range pathogenicity to rice cultivar groups compared with Race I and II. Although the reactions of two L. oryzoides plants to Race I and II isolates were similar to that of L. sayanuka, the L. oryzoides plant collected from Niigata Prefecture showed a susceptible reaction to some Race III isolates. On the other hand, L. japonica plants gave reactions different those of L. sayanuka and L. oryzoides, with two plants of L. japonica found to be resistant to all test isolates collected from Japan. The Asian isolates exhibited a wide host range against the international differential rice cultivars, but almost all of them were avirulent to Leersia plants. These results indicate that the relationship between the pathogenicity of the causal bacterium and the resistance of host plants is very complex, and suggest that pathogenic diversity of X. oryzae pv. oryzae might be related to the resistance of Leersia spp.     

Biomolecular relationships among isolates of<Emphasis Type="Italic">Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Tanzania Virus</Emphasis>

An investigation of the biological properties of the virus causing tomato yellow leaf curl disease in Tanzania was initiated to compare it with other known tomato yellow leaf curl viruses. Properties relating to acquisition and inoculation feeding time, persistence, mechanical inoculation, seed transmission and host range were studied. Results obtained indicate that the virus was transmitted persistently byBemisia tabaci Genn., but it was not mechanically, sap- or seed-transmissible. Minimum acquisition and inoculation feeding time was 30 min.Capsicum annuum, Datura stramonium, Nicotiana glutinosa, N. tabacum andLycopersicon esculentum were found to be hosts of the virus among the plant species tested, whereasPhaseolus vulgaris was not. It is concluded that the properties of the agent causing yellow leaf curl symptoms in tomato plants from different regions in Tanzania are similar to those ofTomato yellow leaf curl Sardinia virus species studied elsewhere. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting Feb. 20, 2003.     

Effectiveness and profitability of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mi</Emphasis>-resistant tomatoes to control root-knot nematodes

Experiments were conducted to determine the effectiveness and profitability of the Mi-resistance gene in tomato in suppressing populations of Meloidogyne javanica in a plastic-house with a natural infestation of the nematode. Experiments were also conducted to test for virulence and durability of the resistance. Monika (Mi-gene resistant) and Durinta (susceptible) tomato cultivars were cropped for three consecutive seasons in non-fumigated or in soil fumigated with methyl bromide at 75 g m^–2 and at a cost of 2.44 euros m^–2. Nematode densities were determined at the beginning and end of each crop. Yield was assessed in eight plants per plot weekly for 6 weeks. The P_f/P_i values were 0.28 and 21.6 after three crops of resistant or susceptible cultivars, respectively. Growth of resistant as opposed to susceptible tomato cultivars in non-fumigated soil increased profits by 30,000 euros ha^–1. The resistant Monika in non-fumigated soil yielded similarly (P > 0.05) to the susceptible Durinta in methyl bromide fumigated soil but the resistant tomato provided a benefit of 8800 euros ha^–1 over the susceptible one because of the cost of fumigation. Selection for virulence did not occur, although the nematode population subjected to the resistant cultivar for three consecutive seasons produced four times more eggs than the population on the susceptible one. Such a difference was also shown when the resistant cultivar was subjected to high continuous inoculum pressure for 14 weeks. The Mi-resistance gene can be an effective and economic alternative to methyl bromide in plastic-houses infested with root-knot nematodes, but should be used in an integrated management context to preserve its durability and prevent the selection of virulent populations due to variability in isolate reproduction and environmental conditions.     

Genetic variation among <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fusarium</Emphasis> isolates from onion,and resistance to <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fusarium</Emphasis> basal rot in related <Emphasis Type="Italic">Allium</Emphasis> species

The aim of this research was to study levels of resistance to Fusarium basal rot in onion cultivars and related Allium species, by using genetically different Fusarium isolates. In order to select genetically different isolates for disease testing, a collection of 61 Fusarium isolates, 43 of them from onion (Allium cepa), was analysed using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers. Onion isolates were collected in The Netherlands (15 isolates) and Uruguay (9 isolates), and received from other countries and fungal collections (19 isolates). From these isolates, 29 were identified as F. oxysporum, 10 as F. proliferatum, whereas the remaining four isolates belonged to F. avenaceum and F. culmorum. The taxonomic status of the species was confirmed by morphological examination, by DNA sequencing of the elongation factor 1-α gene, and by the use of species-specific primers for Fusarium oxysporum, F. proliferatum, and F. culmorum. Within F. oxysporum, isolates clustered in two clades suggesting different origins of F. oxysporum forms pathogenic to onion. These clades were present in each sampled region. Onion and six related Allium species were screened for resistance to Fusarium basal rot using one F. oxysporum isolate from each clade, and one F. proliferatum isolate. High levels of resistance to each isolate were found in Allium fistulosum and A. schoenoprasum accessions, whereas A. pskemense, A. roylei and A. galanthum showed intermediate levels of resistance. Among five A. cepa cultivars, ‘Rossa Savonese’ was also intermediately resistant. Regarding the current feasibility for introgression, A. fistulosum, A. roylei and A. galanthum were identified as potential sources for the transfer of resistance to Fusarium into onion.     

Structural conservation of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">hrp</Emphasis> gene cluster in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Xanthomons oryzae</Emphasis> pv. <Emphasis Type="Italic">oryzae</Emphasis>

The clustered hrp genes encoding the type III secretion system in the Japanese strains MAFF301237 and MAFF311018 of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae were sequenced and compared. The strains differ in their pathogenicity, location, and year of isolation. A 30-kbp sequence comprising 29 open reading frames (ORFs) was identical in its structural arrangement in both strains but differed from X. campestris pv. campestris, X. axonopodis pv. citri, and X. axonopodis pv. glycines in certain genes located between the hpaB-hrpF interspace region. The DNA sequence and the putative amino acid sequence in each ORF was also identical in both X. oryzae pv. oryzae strains as were the PIP boxes and the relative sequences. These facts clearly showed that the structure of the hrp gene cluster in X. oryzae pv. oryzae is unique.     

Preliminary characterization of race-specific elicitors from<Emphasis Type="Italic">Peronospora parasitica</Emphasis> and their ability to elicit phenolic accumulation in<Emphasis Type="Italic">Arabidopsis</Emphasis>

Intercellular washing fluid (IWF) obtained from the susceptibleArabidopsis accession Ws-eds1 inoculated withPeronospora parasitica isolate Emoy-2, contained an elicitor of necrosis with ecotype specificity towardsArabidopsis accessions with particular resistance genes. This elicitor caused necrosis on the highly resistant accessions La-er, Nd-1 and partly on Col-5, but not on the susceptible accessions Ws-eds1 and Oy-0. In resistant plants, injection of IWF caused hypersensitive reaction (HR)-like cell collapse which was associated with the accumulation of phenolics and lignin-like material in walls of cells undergoing cell death. The elicitor is sensitive to proteinase K and pronase enzymes, heating and autoclaving but insensitive to periodate oxidation, freezing and thawing, and is not dialyzable. Results suggest that the elicitor is a protein. Fractionation experiments using size-exclusion membranes revealed that elicitor activity has a molecular weight in excess of 100 kDa. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting July 13, 2003.     

Note: Fluctuations in population of the first recorded predatory fly<Emphasis Type="Italic">Coenosia attenuata</Emphasis> in cotton fields in Turkey

The occurrence of the predatory flyCoenosia attenuata (Stein, 1903) is reported for the first time in Turkey. The population dynamics of the fly in irrigated cotton fields in the eastern Mediterranean region of Turkey is described, and the role ofC. attenuata as a biological control agent in the agroecosystem is discussed. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting Sept. 30, 2003.     

Seasonal abundance and spatial distribution of the predator<Emphasis Type="Italic">Macrolophus costalis</Emphasis> and its prey<Emphasis Type="Italic">Myzus persicae</Emphasis> on tobacco

Field studies were conducted to assess the population and the spatial dynamics of the predatory bugMacrolophus costalis Fieber (Hemiptera: Miridae) and of its prey, the aphidMyzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphidoidea), on tobacco. From an untreated tobacco field in Tithorea (central Greece), tobacco leaves were collected from the upper and the lower half of the plants from June until September, in 1999 and 2000. The numbers ofM. costalis andM. persicae individuals per leaf were counted. Most aphids were observed during July and August (early and mid season), with densities dropping markedly in September. In contrast,M. costalis population densities increased late in the season (September). Significantly higher numbers of aphids were found on the upper half of the plants than on the lower half. In contrast, significantly moreM. costalis individuals were observed on the lower half. Iwao’s Regression Analysis was used in order to characterize the spatial pattern of the two species. According to this model, in both sampling seasons, aphids andM. costalis nymphs displayed an aggregated spatial pattern, whileM. costalis adults were found to be randomly distributed among sampling units. Although moreM. costalis individuals were recorded on leaves with relatively high aphid densities, this species did not react numerically to changes in prey density. In addition, a significant number of bugs were found on leaves with low aphid densities or no aphids at all. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting Dec. 18, 2002.     

Anthracnose of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Enkianthus campanulatus</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhynchosia acuminatifolia</Emphasis> caused by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Colletotrichum gloeosporioides</Emphasis> (new occurrence)

In 2003–2004, anthracnoses of Enkianthus campanulatus and Rhynchosia acuminatifolia were found for the first time in Kanagawa Prefecture and Tokyo in Japan. These pathogens were identified as Colletotrichum gloeosporioides based on their pathogenicity, morphology and ribosomal DNA spacer sequences. Results were presented at the annual meeting of The Phytopathological Society of Japan in 2004.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">In vitro</Emphasis> Selection of Maize Rhizobacteria to Study Potential Biological Control of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aspergillus</Emphasis> Section <Emphasis Type="Italic">Flavi</Emphasis> and Aflatoxin Production

The aims of this study were to select bacterial isolates from the non-rhizophere of maize soil and to examine their antagonistic activity against Aspergillus section Flavi strains. The first selection was made through ecophysiological responses of bacterial isolates to water activity (a_w) and temperature stress. Subsequently, an Index of Dominance test (I_D), ecological similarity and inhibition of the lag phase prior to growth, growth rate and aflatoxin B₁ accumulation were used as criteria. From the first assay nine bacterial strains were selected. They grew well at 25 and 30 °C, with growth optima between 0.982 and 0.955 a_W using 48 h of incubation. There was ecological similarity between the bacterial strains Bacillus subtilis (RCB 3, RCB 6), Pseudomonas solanacearum RCB 5, Amphibacillus xylanus RCB 27 and aflatoxigenic Aspergillus section Flavi strains at 0.982 at 25 °C. The predominant interaction between all selected bacteria and fungi in dual culture was mutual intermingling at 0.982. Mutual inhibition on contact and mutual inhibition at a distance was observed at 0.955 a_w, between only four bacteria and some Aspergillus strains. Bacillus subtilis RCB 55 showed antifungal activity against Aspergillus section Flavi strains. Amphibacillus xylanus RCB 27, B.␣subtilis RCB 90 and Sporolactobacillus inulinus RCB 196 increased the lag phase prior to growth and decreased the growth rate of Aspergillus section Flavi strains. Bacillus subtilis strains (RCB 6, RCB 55, RCB 90) and P. solanacearum RCB 110 inhibited aflatoxin accumulation. Bacillus subtilis RCB 90 completely inhibited aflatoxin B₁ accumulation at 0.982 a_W. These results show that the bacterial strains selected have potential for controlling Aspergillus section Flavi over a wide range of relevant environmental conditions in the stored maize ecosystem.     

Fusarium rot of hyacinth caused by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gibberella zeae</Emphasis> (anamorph: <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fusarium</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic"> graminearum</Emphasis>)

Severe rot of leaves, peduncles and flowers caused by Gibberella zeae (anamorph: Fusarium graminearum) was found on potted plants of hyacinth (Hyacinthus orientalis), a liliaceous ornamental, in greenhouses in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan, in January 2001. This disease was named “Fusarium rot of hyacinth” as a new disease because only the anamorph, F. graminearum, was identified on the diseased host plant. The authors contributed equally to this work. The fungal isolate and its nucleotide sequence data obtained in this study were deposited in the Genebank, National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences and the DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank databases under the accession numbers MAFF239499 and AB366161, respectively.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Eremothecium coryli</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">E.</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">ashbyi</Emphasis> cause yeast spot of azuki bean

Yeast-like fungi were isolated from lesions on azuki bean (cv. Shin-Kyotodainagon) seeds that had been sucked by bean bugs in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. On the basis of morphological and physiological characteristics and sequence data of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions including the 5.8S rDNA, these yeasts were identified as Eremothecium coryli and E. ashbyi. Pathogenicity of those yeasts was confirmed by a reinoculation test. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the occurrence of yeast spot in azuki bean in Japan. The nucleotide sequence data reported are available in the GeneBank/EMBL/DDBJ database as accessions AB478291–AB478309 for E. coryli AZC1–19 and AB478310–AB478317 for E. ashbyi AZA1–8.     

Induced resistance against Fusarium diseases of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cymbidium</Emphasis> species by weakly virulent strain HPF-1 (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Fusarium</Emphasis> sp.)

The mechanism by which Fusarium diseases of cymbidium plants are suppressed by a weakly virulent strain HPF-1 of Fusarium sp. was studied. Strain HPF-1 produced microscopic, necrotic local lesions on cymbidium leaves, causing minor damage to palisade tissues at the infection sites. This weakly virulent strain remained near the site of infection and did not develop further. It systemically and nonselectively suppressed some diseases of cymbidium such as yellow spot of leaves caused by Fusarium proliferatum and F. fractiflexum, bulb and root rot caused by F. oxysporum, and dry rot of bulbs and roots caused by F. solani. Because endogenous salicylic acid levels increased in cymbidium leaves inoculated with strain HPF-1, the mechanism of disease suppression is thought to be systemic acquired resistance.