Effect of wind on the dispersal of oospores of Peronosclerospora sorghi from sorghum

The effect of wind on the dispersal of oospores of Peronosclerospora sorghi , cause of sorghum downy mildew (SDM) is described. The oospores are produced within the leaves of aging, systemically infected sorghum plants. These leaves typically undergo shredding, releasing oospores into the air. Oospores are produced in large numbers (6.1 × 10³ cm⁻² of systemically infected leaf) and an estimate of the settling velocity of single oospores (0.0437 m s⁻¹) of P. sorghi indicated their suitability for wind dispersal. In wind tunnel studies wind speeds as low as 2 m s⁻¹ dispersed up to 665 oospores per m³ air from a group of leaves previously exposed to wind and displaying symptoms of leaf shredding. The number of oospores dispersed increased exponentially with increasing wind speed. At 6 m s⁻¹, up to 12 890 oospores per m³ air were dispersed. Gusts increased oospore dispersal. A constant wind speed of 3 m s⁻¹ dispersed a mean of 416 oospores per m³. When gusts were applied the mean was 15 592 oospores per m³. In field experiments in Zimbabwe, oospores were sampled downwind from infected plants in the field and at a height of 3.8 m above ground level immediately downwind of an infected crop. These data indicate that wind could play a major role in the dispersal of oospores from infected plants in areas where SDM infects sorghum, perhaps dispersing oospores over long distances.     

Reaction of maize,sorghum and Johnson grass to Peronosclerospora sorghi

Development of sorghum downy mildew, incited by Peronoscleospora sorghi (Weston and Uppal) C.G. Shaw, on maize, sorghum and Johnson grass was investigated at two locations in Uganda during three seasons (1994 and 1995). More sorghum downy mildew developed on the Johnson grass and sorghum than on the maize at all locations and in all seasons. No significant differences were observed in sporulation of P. soghi on the three hosts. Leaf shredding occurred on the three hosts but was the least on maize. Cross-inoculation with both conidia and oospores was achieved on the three hosts. Since the fungal population formed oospores and sporulated readily on the three hosts, which is typical of the sorghum strain, the disease in Uganda is attributed to the sorghum strain.     

Assessment of loss in yield due to sorghum downy mildew (Peronosclerospora sorghi) of maize in Nigerian guinea savanna

Abstract

The losses in yield due to sorghum downy mildew of maize induced by Peronoscleospora sorghi were assessed from 1982 to 1984 in the epidemic‐prone area of Nigeria. Plots of maize with different downy mildew incidences were obtained by planting seedlots containing different percentages of metalaxyl‐treated seeds. The losses in yield were directly proportional to the incidence of the disease. There was highly significant negative correlation between the incidence of downy mildew and grain yield.     

Incidence and geographical distribution of downy mildew on maize caused by Peronosclerospora sorghi in Nigeria

Abstract

Incidence and geographical distribution of downy mildew (Peronosclerospora sorghi) on maize (Zea mays) were determined in a systematic survey of 181 maize fields in the major maize‐growing regions and ecological zones of Nigeria. Downy mildew was observed in the forest and Guinea savanna ecologies, but no disease was detected in other ecologies. Highest levels of disease incidence (63%) were observed in the forest zone, and progressively less disease incidence was found at the southern and northern Guinea savanna zones. Spatial pattern analysis indicated an aggregation and randomness of infected plants in the northern Guinea savanna and the forest zone, respectively. Disease incidence was positively correlated with the presence of downy mildew infected sorghum plants and relative amount of sporulation on infected sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) but negatively correlated with plant age and cropping pattern. Relative sporulation on maize plants was negatively correlated with age of maize plants. Higher levels of disease incidence were observed when the previous crop was either maize or sorghum than when previous crops were cassava, okra, tomatoes, or rice.     

Seed transmission of maize downy mildew (Peronosclerospora sorghi) in Nigeria

In an area of Nigeria where downy mildew of maize is present, histological assessment of maize seed revealed the presence of mycelium and oospores of Peronosclerospora sorghi in the kernels. Seed transmission of downy mildew of maize was demonstrated when grain purchased at local markets gave mean seedling infection rates of 12·3% (untreated seeds) and 10·0% (in metalaxyl-treated seeds) within 7 days of emergence, after storage in a desiccator for 30 days. When untreated seeds taken from nubbin ears of systemically infected plants from four states in southern Nigeria were planted at 9 days (17–22% moisture content) and 27 days (9–22% moisture content) after harvest, 20·0% infected seedlings resulted in both trials. Seeds from Borno state in northern Nigeria had 26·6% systemic seedling infection after 9 months of storage at 11% moisture content. When seeds harvested from maize plants inoculated with P. sorghi through silks were examined histologically, hyphae of P. sorghi were observed mostly in the scutellum of the embryo. Transmission of disease to seedlings was observed when the silk-inoculated seeds (9% moisture content) were planted in pots in a greenhouse; however, no disease transmission was observed when such seeds were planted in the field. The epidemiological significance of seed transmission is discussed with particular reference to survival of inoculum and development of epidemics. Also noteworthy is the overall significance of seed transmission in Nigeria, where the major source of seed is that saved by farmers from their grain crop, occasionally supplemented by seed bought from the local market.     

Response of sorghum accessions from Chad and Uganda to natural infection by the downy mildew pathogen,Peronosclerospora sorghi in Mexico and the USA

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - In this study, 78 accessions from Chad, Central Africa and 20 photoperiod insensitive accessions from Uganda, East Africa were evaluated for downy mildew...     

Peronosclerospora maydis found on maize, sweetcorn and plume sorghum in Far North Queensland

Symptoms of a downy mildew disease were recognized on maize growing in the Atherton Tableland and Lakeland Downs areas of Far North Queensland in 1985. Quarantine measures were invoked to prevent the spread of this potentially serious disease to other parts of Australia.
The pathogen was identified as Peronosclerospora maydis in 1986 following examination of conidiophores with conidia and host range studies. An alternative host was strongly suspected and a survey near fields where the disease had been prevalent led to the identification of P. maydis on Sorghum plumosum, a grass indigenous to northern Australia. All downy mildew outbreaks on maize and sweetcorn in northern Australia since 1970 have been in areas where S. plumosum occurs. It seems likely that P. maydis has been present in Australia for many years.     

Systemic infection of sorghum and corn by conidia ofSclerospora Sorghi

Conidia ofSclerospora sorghi, obtained from either systemically-infected or local-lesion-infected leaves of sorghum (cv. Vidan), were capable of inducing typical downy mildew systemic infection, including oospore formation, in sorghum and corn hybrids. Very young inoculated seedlings displayed chlorotic systemic symptoms already on the first leaf, and often died at fourth-leaf stage. Systemic infection was induced by conidia on sorghum 1–14 days old at inoculation. Incidence of infection was much higher and symptoms less delayed when the shoot rather than coleorhizas of young sorghum and corn seedlings were inoculated; in two-week-old sorghum with three leaves, inoculation of the coleoptile or of the base of the second and third blades resulted in systemic infection; with coleoptile inoculation partial leaf chlorosis was delayed until the fourth-or fifth-leaf stage, showing that penetration without symptoms had occurred as far as the meristematic tissues of young leaves still within the leaf tube. Conidial inoculation of young sorghum tillers sprouting after cutting down healthy mother shoots resulted in systemic infection. Conidial inoculum is deemed to be the probable major means for systemic infection of corn and sorghum sown in fields in which oospores are not present; inoculation of new tillers of forage sorghum by conidia from infected plants in a neighboring field can explain the rise in numbers of plants systemically stricken. Two sweet corn hybrids — one considered resistant in the field, the other very susceptible — proved equally susceptible when inoculated with conidia at 5 days of age.     

Production of conidia by Peronospora farinosa f. sp. spinaciae

Conidium production byPeronospora farinosa f. sp.spinaciae (pathotype 3) was measured daily on colonies induced on leaves of spinach cvs Breedblad Scherpzaad (BS) and Huro. Distinction was made between colonies grown at temperatures of 10 and 15°C. Spore production was expressed as number of spores produced per stoma. There was a significant difference between total spore production on lesions on BS at 10 °C and that on lesions on the three other cultivartemperature combinations tested. Also a significant difference in the average sporulation period was observed between lesions produced at 10 and those at 15 °C. The same significant difference in response to temperature was found in the sporulation per stoma in the course of time.Samenvatting De conidiënproduktie vanPeronospora farinosa f. sp. spinaciae (fysio 3) werd dagelijks bepaald aan kolonies, welke op bladeren van de spinaziecultivars Breedblad Scherpzaad (BS) en Huro werden geïnduceerd. Daarbij werd onderscheid gemaakt tussen kolonies welke zich bij 10 en bij 15 °C hadden ontwikkeld. De sporenproduktie werd omgerekend naar het aantal sporen per huidmondje. Er was een significant verschil tussen de totale sporenproduktie op lesies op BS bij 10 °C en die op lesies op de drie andere getoetste cultivar-temperatuur combinaties. Er kon ook een significant verschil in de gemiddelde sporulatieperiode worden waargenomen tussen de lesies ontstaan bij 10 en bij 15 °C. Een dergelimk significant verschil in temperatuurreactie kon ook worden gevonden in het verloop van de soorulatie per huidmondje in de tijd.     

Windborne spread of ergot disease (Claviceps africana) in sorghum A-lines in Zimbabwe

Ergot disease spread rapidly in Zimbabwe amongst replicated plots of male-sterile sorghum A-lines, from a group of centrally situated and precociously inoculated plants. Prominent secondary conidiation by the pathogen, Claviceps africana , on the surface of exuded honeydew provided airborne spores which were trapped in a Burkard continuous spore trap and showed diurnal peaks of concentration in air close to the primary source of inoculum. The rate of disease spread ( r =0·2; range 0·14–0·58) closely matched that recorded for other plant pathogens such as Phytophthora infestans and Puccinia graminis tritici , and it is concluded that the characteristic secondary conidia of C. africana were the principal epidemiological agents within the experimental area. Ergot spread by windborne secondary conidia has significant epidemiological and economic implications for sorghum hybrid breeding in southern Africa.     

Patterns of release of the secondary conidia of Claviceps africana, the sorghum ergot pathogen in Australia

Trials were conducted in southern Queensland, Australia between March and May 2003, 2004 and 2005 to study patterns of hourly and daily release of the secondary conidia of Claviceps africana and their relationships with weather parameters. Conidia were trapped for at least one hour on most (> 90%) days in 2003 and 2004, but only on 55% of days in 2005. Both the highest daily concentration of conidia, and the highest number of hours per day when conidia were trapped, were recorded 1–3 days after rainfall events. Although the pattern of conidial release was different every day, the highest hourly conidial concentrations occurred between 10·00 hours and 17·00 hours on 73% of all days in the three trials. Hours when conidia were trapped were characterized by higher median values of temperature, windspeed and vapour pressure deficit, lower relative humidity, and leaf wetness values of 0%, than hours when no conidia were recorded. The results indicate that fungicides need to be applied to the highly ergot-susceptible male sterile (A-) lines of sorghum in hybrid seed production blocks and breeders' nurseries as soon as possible after rainfall events to minimize ergot severity.     

Evaluation of screening protocols to determine genetic variability of grain sorghum germplasm to Sporisorium sorghi under field and greenhouse conditions

Covered kernel smut caused by Sporisorium sorghi is a serious problem in grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor)-growing areas in the world, particularly where seed dressings are unavailable or too expensive. In a screening protocol designed to eliminate the possibility of escapes, seed subjected to a teliospore suspension coupled with a partial vacuum, and seeds directly infested with dried teliospores, were equal in development of smutted sorghum panicles. Inoculation with sporidia from teliospores was ineffective when plants were inoculated at the boot stage of growth and was minimally effective when plants were inoculated at the 10-12 leaf stage of growth. Environmental conditions were more conducive to disease incidence when sorghum was grown under greenhouse conditions or planted late in the field. Sorghum planted in warm (>20C) soil had the greatest incidence of covered kernel smutted panicles.     

Occurrence of Puccinia sorghi on maize in Northern Ireland

Maize rust, Puccinia sorghi was reported from Ireland for the first time in 1998. It seems likely that the inoculum source was wind-borne spores, as there does not appear to be a common alternative host, and the disease did not recur in 1999.     

高粱花生间作对不同单行作物根系性状及土壤微生物的影响

以高粱品种辽粘3号和花生品种阜花18号为材料,设置高粱单作（S）、花生单作（P）和高粱花生间作（行比4∶4）3个处理,研究高粱花生间作模式土壤微生物群落组成及结构特征差异。间作处理取样位置为相邻行和间隔行,高粱和花生分别命名为S1、S2和P1、P2。结果表明：相同种植面积时,间作高粱产量显著高于单作,间作高粱产量增加36.14%,间作花生产量较单作下降12.86%,高粱花生间作土地当量比提高12.0%;与单作相比,间作高粱S1根长、根体积、根表面积和根系活跃吸收面积分别增加28.01%、12.86%、18.53%和18.42%,间作花生P2分别增加39.87%、66.67%、47.94%和21.43%;高粱根际土壤微生物共检测到种群2 825个,花生2 826个;丰富度指数中,高粱间作处理Chao1值显著高于单作,S1和S2分别增加8.10%和8.23%,花生P2和P1分别增加7.70%和4.23%,高粱花生间作处理微生物数目（Observed OTUs）均显著高于单作;多样性指数中,花生P2的Shannon指数增加了27.60%,间作高粱S1和S2的Simposon指数均显著高于高粱单作;各处理共有优势菌门为变形菌门（Proteobacteria）,同时优势菌门与根系性状间均存在显著正相关关系。主成分分析（PCA）和冗余分析（RDA）结果表明,土壤微生物群落结构受根长、根体积、根表面积影响,间作模式土壤微生物功能特征高于单作模式。高粱花生间作（行比4∶4）时高粱为优势作物,花生为弱势作物。间作体系显著改善高粱相邻行根系生长发育,同时提高土壤微生物群落功能特征。     

Virus transmission by aphids in potato crops

This paper reviews the contribution of vector activity and plant age to virus spread in potato crops. Determining which aphid species are vectors is particularly important for timing haulm destruction to minimize tuber infection by potato virus Y (PVY). Alate aphids of more than 30 species transmit PVY, and aphids such asRhopalosiphum padi, that migrate in large numbers before flights of the more efficient vector,Myzus persicae, appear to be important vectors. Differences in methodology, aphid biotypes and virus strains prevent direct comparisons between estimates of vector efficiencies obtained for aphids in different countries in north western Europe.M. persicae is also the most efficient vector of potato leafroll virus (PLRV), but some clones ofMacrosiphum euphorbiae transmit PLRV efficiently toNicotiana clevelandii and potato test plants. The removal of infected plants early in the season prevents the spread of PLRV in cool regions with limited vector activity. The proportion of aphids acquiring PLRV from infected potato plants decreases with plant age, and healthy potato plants are more resistant to infection later in the season. Severe symptoms of secondary leafroll developed on progeny plants of cv. Maris Piper derived from mother plants inoculated with PLRV in June or July of the previous year. Progeny plants derived from mother plants inoculated in August showed only mild symptoms, but the concentration of PLRV in these plants was as high as that in the plants with severe symptoms.     

稻曲病菌分生孢子的生物学研究

 本文对稻曲病菌分生孢子的一些生物学特性进行了研究,结果表明,基质养分对分生孢子萌发影响较大,纯水不利于孢子萌发,PSA最适于孢子萌发,葡萄糖则强烈抑制孢子萌发,马铃薯煮汁既可抵消葡萄糖的抑制作用,又可刺激孢子萌发。分生孢子在琼脂面上比在液滴中萌发率高。分生孢子萌发的适宜温度为22~31℃,以28℃最好。分生孢子萌发对pH值敏感,以pH 6~7最适宜。用振荡培养法获取分生孢子,培养10 d后,孢子的萌发力开始下降。分生孢子的存活对水的依赖性强,在水中保存8 d萌发力不变,在100% RH中8 d萌发力略有降低,而在25% RH中5 h萌发力即迅速下降。根据这些特性,作者对分生孢子在田间的动态作了一些推测。     

Virus transmission by aphids in potato crops

This paper reviews the contribution of vector activity and plant age to virus spread in potato crops. Determining which aphid species are vectors is particularly important for timing haulm destruction to minimize tuber infection by potato virus Y (PVY). Alate aphids of more than 30 species transmit PVY, and aphids such asRhopalosiphum padi, that migrate in large numbers before flights of the more efficient vector,Myzus persicae, appear to be important vectors. Differences in methodology, aphid biotypes and virus strains prevent direct comparisons between estimates of vector efficiencies obtained for aphids in different countries in north western Europe. M. persicae is also the most efficient vector of potato leafroll virus (PLRV), but some clones ofMacrosiphum euphorbiae transmit PLRV efficiently toNicotiana clevelandii and potato test plants. The removal of infected plants early in the season prevents the spread of PLRV in cool regions with limited vector activity. The proportion of aphids acquiring PLRV from infected potato plants decreases with plant age, and healthy potato plants are more resistant to infection later in the season. Severe symptoms of secondary leafroll developed on progeny plants of cv. Maris Piper derived from mother plants inoculated with PLRV in June or July of the previous year. Progeny plants derived from mother plants inoculated in August showed only mild symptoms, but the concentration of PLRV in these plants was as high as that in the plants with severe symptoms.     

Germination of powdery mildew conidia in vitro on cellulose membranes

Conidia of several powdery mildews were found to germinate to a high and reproducible percentage on 25 m thick cellulose membranes, laid on modified Czapek Dox agar in Petri dishes. Germination on 45 m thick, uncoated cellulose, coated cellulose, cellulose acetate and collodion membranes always was lower and more irregular than on 25 m thick cellulose. Probably, the water permeability of the membranes is of importance in causing a humidity gradient favourable for germination of powdery mildew conidia.Samenvatting Bij incubatie van conidiën van echte meeldauwschimmels op 25 m dikke cellulosemembranen, gelegd op agar in Petri-schalen werden hoge kiemingspercentages verkregen. Kieming op 45 m dikke, ongecoate cellulose, gecoate cellulose, cellulose-acetaat- en collodionmembranen was altijd slechter en onregelmatiger dan op 25 m dikke cellulosemembranen. Waarschijnlijk is de waterdoorlaatbaarheid van de membranen van belang voor de kieming door de vorming van een vochtigheidsgradient.     

Adsorption of14C-labelled exudates by conidia of Botrytis fabae on Vicia faba leaves

Samenvatting TuinboonplantenVicia faba werden na een 24-urig verblif, in een¹⁴CO₂-milieu geïnoculeerd met conidiën vanBotrytis fabae. Zes uur na de inoculatie werden de conidiën verzameld. De adsorptie van met¹⁴C gemerkte bladexudaten door de conidiën kon microautoradiografisch worden vastgesteld.