The demography of Datura ferox (L.) in soybean crops

The emergence, survival, seed production and seed dispersal of Datura ferox was studied in soybean fields in 1982–1983 and 1984–1985. Most seedling emergence occurred within one month of crop sowing. Later germination, associated with inter-row cultivation, represented 4–26% of the total seedlings, and none survived to seed production. Only 5% of the first cohort in 1982–1983, and 7% in 1984–1985, survived to seed production; it was independent of initial density. Although weed density was greatly reduced by control measures, negative relationships were observed between peak seedling density and plant height, stem diameter, number of ramifications, number of reproductive structures and seed production per plant. Only a small proportion of seeds (about 1%) were shed prior to soybean harvest. Combine harvesters collected more than 90% of capsules, but between 7% and 40% of the seeds were returned to the field. Seed viability was unaffected by passing through the machine. The patterns of seed dispersal varied depending on the design of the combine harvester. Two models shed seeds between 0 m and 21 m from their source, but another shed seeds between 0 m and 98 m. Calculations, based in life history parameters, showed that weed seed production would increase more rapidly if the seeds were dispersed during crop harvesting than if they arc not, even when the return of seeds to the soil by the combine is not large.     

The impact of thiamethoxam on bumble bee broods (Bombus terrestris L.) following drip application in covered tomato crops

The side effects of the neonicotinyl compound thiamethoxam on the brood of bumble bees (Bombus terrestris L.) were investigated on tomatoes in plastic tunnels and glasshouses.Preceeding trials had revealed a strong contact and stomach activity of the compound by foliar application. A decisive improvement was obtained by replacing the foliar by drip irrigation of thiamethoxam at rates between 150 and 161g ai/ha. The mortality figures of all bumble bee stages dropped to the level in the untreated control. No dead bumble bees were found in the thiamethoxam treated tunnels/glasshouses on the ground.Thiamethoxam could be rated as being harmless to bumble bees with a single application through the irrigation system. No spilling of this compound during the application should occur to avoid intoxication of adult bumble bees by oral uptake or contact contamination during the cleaning process. If multiple applications via the irrigation system or under any hydroponic growing conditions is considered, further sequential testing of this mode of use is recommended.     

Genetic analysis of bacterial wilt resistance in eggplant (Solanum melongena L.)

European Journal of Plant Pathology - Bacterial wilt triggered by Ralstonia solanacearum is one of the major devastating diseases causing significant yield reduction in eggplant. F1 hybrids (18...     

Effects of acid extracts of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) and carrot (Daucus carota L.)wastes from the food industry on the growth of some crops and weeds

The effects of acid extracts of tomato ( Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) and carrot ( Daucus carota L.) juice wastes from the food industry on the growth of five species of crops and four weeds were examined. The acid extract of the tomato juice waste promoted the shoot and root growth of tomato, Chinese cabbage, corn, and radish, but not the growth of oat seedlings. The extract did not promote the shoot growth of weeds tested, and it inhibited the root growth of the weeds that included barnyardgrass ( Echinochloa oryzicola Ohwi), southern crabgrass ( Digitaria ciliaris Koel.) and Japanese barnyard millet ( Echinochloa utilis Ohwi). The carrot juice waste was also examined as another waste from the food industry. The effect of the acid extract of carrot juice waste showed significant promoting effects on the root growth of Chinese cabbage; however, the effects on other plants were lower than that of tomato juice waste. It also did not inhibit the growth of weeds. These results suggested that the acid extract from tomato juice waste is useful as plant-growth substances because they have a promoting effect on the shoot and root growth of crops, and an inhibitory effect on the root growth of some weeds.     

Herbicide-resistant crops: yield penalties and weed thresholds for oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.)

An expérimental procedure was designed to provide a simple model for types of analyses necessary to determine weed density thresholds for advantageous use of crop plants engineered for herbicide resistance. Oilseed rape (Brassica napus L., cv. Tower) biotypes resistant (RES) and susceptible (SUS) to atrazine were used as model crop plants, and wild oat (Avena fatua L.) was used as the model weed. Along a wild oat density gradient equivalent to 0–128 plants m^?2, RES plants consistently experienced biomass and yield reductions of approximately 10–20% compared to SUS plants. When atrazine was applied at 1.5 kg ha^?1 to control wild oats competing with RES plants, RES biomasses and yields were stabilized at the same level as that where 25–30 wild oats m^?2 reduce yields of SUS plants. This implies that with wild oat densities of 25–30 plants m^?2, it becomes agronomically advantageous to crop with RES plants plus atrazine rather than to crop with higher-yielding SUS plants.     

Cover crops and mulches influence weed management and weed flora composition in strip‐tilled tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)

This study was conducted in the Mediterranean environment of Central Italy from 2011 to 2013 with the aim of evaluating the effects of winter cover crops and their residues on weed composition in a cover crop‐tomato sequence. Treatments consisted of five soil managements (three cover crop species ‐ hairy vetch, phacelia, white mustard, winter fallow mulched with barley straw before tomato transplanting and conventionally tilled soil), two nitrogen fertilisation levels (0 and 100 kg N ha^?1) and two weed management levels (weed free and weedy) on tomato. Cover crop residues were arranged in strips on the soil surface and then used as beds for transplanting the tomato seedlings in paired rows. Rotary hoeing was performed in the bare strips between paired tomato rows. At tomato harvesting, the weed aboveground biomass and density was higher in nitrogen‐fertilised tomato than unfertilised tomato, except in hairy vetch and barley straw that showed similar values. Hairy vetch used as a cover crop and dead mulch was the most suppressive species with the highest production of residues, while phacelia and mustard were not suitable for controlling weeds. The tomato yield was high in nitrogen fertilised and weed‐free treatments, except in barley straw mulch, which showed similar values among the weed management treatments. The mulch strips caused variations in weed species composition that was mainly composed of perennial ruderal weeds, while in tilled soil, the weed flora was dominated by annual photoblastic weeds.     

Transport van X-virus in de aardappel (Solanum tuberosum L.) bij primaire infectie

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With a summary: Translocation of virus X in the potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) in primarily infected plants

     

Disease protection and growth promotion of potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) by Paenibacillus dendritiformis

One of the challenges in developing plant‐beneficial bacterial agents for agricultural application is ensuring that an effective selection and screening procedure is in place. The sporadic success of using bacterial agents in the field is usually due to the inability of added bacteria to compete with the local microorganisms. In the present study, the effectiveness of Paenibacillus dendritiformis, a unique pattern‐forming, Gram‐positive, soil bacterium, to reduce disease indices and increase yield in potato crops was examined. This bacterium was chosen as a potential agent based on genome analysis carried out in previous studies. In vitro laboratory experiments, as well as three greenhouse and one field experiment, were conducted. The results show that, in agreement with the hypothesis, P. dendritiformis significantly reduced the maceration area of tuber slices infected by Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum, significantly reduced disease indices in greenhouse experiments and significantly increased tuber yield of infected plants in the field. This work demonstrates the potential of preliminary screening based on genome analysis to identify effective biocontrol agents.     

不同贮藏条件下龙葵种子的季节性休眠特性

龙葵是农田恶性杂草?为明确龙葵种子休眠与季节温度的关系, 研究了室内和室外不同贮藏条件下其种子萌发对温度的响应规律?结果表明, 室外贮藏条件下的龙葵种子萌发呈季节性变化, 从10月到翌年5月, 龙葵种子萌发率均在95%以上, 随着夏季温度的升高, 萌发率从6月开始下降, 9月达到最低值(25.4%), 由此进行年际间休眠和非休眠周期的循环?夏季6月-9月的高温可诱导龙葵种子进入休眠状态, 而秋冬季的相对低温有利于解除种子休眠, 使种子恢复萌发状态?龙葵种子休眠和非休眠状态之间的切换受季节性温度变化的影响?室内贮藏的种子, 由于环境温度较为稳定, 其萌发率年际变化较小, 在20%~50%之间?本文明确了龙葵种子休眠的周期性变化规律, 有助于精准预测其出苗时间, 研究结果可为阐明龙葵种子休眠萌发机制和制订基于萌发调控的绿色防控策略提供依据?     

Most Colletotrichum species associated with tree tomato (Solanum betaceum) and mango (Mangifera indica) crops are not host‐specific

An important constraint for crop production in Colombia is the high incidence of anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum species. Although several studies have focused on these fungi, the relationship between the different fungal species within the genus and their hosts and whether they display any host preference or host specificity has yet to be examined. In Colombia, diseases caused by Colletotrichum species are particularly severe in mango (Mangifera indica) and tree tomato (Solanum betaceum) crops. In a previous investigation, the Colletotrichum phylogenetic species attacking these crops were identified. The present study aimed to determine whether isolates collected from tree tomato and mango showed host preference or host specificity by assessing aggressiveness, spore density, latent period, and fitness of each strain on the two hosts. In the departments of Cundinamarca and Tolima, Colombia, isolates were collected from plants that presented typical anthracnose symptoms and were identified as C. acutatum, C. asianum, C. boninense, C. gloeosporioides, C. tamarilloi and C. theobromicola. Inoculation of conidia of each isolate onto both hosts showed isolates had no host preference and only the C. gloeosporioides isolate showed host specificity. However, in general, isolates produced a higher spore density when inoculated on the alternate host, which may indicate a difference in the degree of adaptation to each host. Statistical analyses of the assessed parameter values revealed that isolates use different infection strategies when infecting each host. In light of these results, the implications of using quantitative estimations of fitness when studying fungal pathogens are discussed.     

Occurrence of insecticide resistant pollen beetles (Meligethes aeneus F.) in Danish oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) crops

The pollen beetle is the most important pest in Danish oilseed rape crops and it is essential that farmers are able to control this pest, especially in years when the economic damage threshold will be exceeded. About seven years ago, Danish oilseed rape growers began reporting that the pyrethroids seemed to be losing effectiveness towards pollen beetles. In 2001 18 populations collected from winter and spring oilseed rape fields were tested and very high level of insecticide resistance was found. In 2003 100 populations of pollen beetles were tested, using a FAO dip-test, for resistance to fenitrothion, lambda-cyhalothrin and tau-fluvalinate. It can be concluded that many Danish populations of pollen beetles are resistant to the pyrethroid lambda-cyhalothrin and to a lesser extent to the pyrethroid tau-fluvalinate. No resistance to the organophosphate fenitrothion was found.     

Thousand cankers disease in Europe: an overview

Walnut (Juglans regia L.) is traditionally present in most European countries as an ornamental tree, and in Southern Europe in particular it is grown for both fruit and wood. Since the 1980s, to supply the increasing demand for walnut timber, large areas of southern and central Europe, from France to Hungary, have been planted with black walnut (Juglans nigra L.) to provide wood for furniture production. The fungus Geosmithia morbida and its vector Pityophthorus juglandis, causing the thousand cankers disease of walnut in the USA in the last 2 decades, were recently reported in Europe (in Italy) on both walnut species. Thousand cankers disease can have a high negative impact on the landscape and economy of many agricultural and forest areas. Following a detailed pest risk analysis performed by EPPO in 2015, both organisms were included in the EPPO A2 List of pests recommended for regulation as quarantine pests. The main biological, epidemiological and monitoring aspects of thousand cankers disease and its status in Europe are reported.     

Seasonal pattern of shoot emergence and its endogenous control in horsenettle (Solanum carolinense L.)

Controlling established horsenettle plants is achieved by suppressing shoot emergence from root systems. The seasonal pattern of shoot emergence and its possible endogenous control in horsenettle ( Solanum carolinense L.) were investigated. The shoot emergence period in an undisturbed population was limited to a seven-week period from mid-April, and a little longer in tilled conditions. Detached roots showed very high shoot-sprouting ability under 15–30°C throughout the year. In shoot clipping experiments, new shoots sprouted only from the stem and not from the root when attached to shoots, whether above-ground or underground. On the contrary, new shoots sprouted from the roots when all parts of the shoots were clipped off. From these results, the limited shoot emergence period in horsenettle is thought to be initiated by temperatures necessary for sprouting and is ended by a growth correlation effect between early emerged and matured shoots.     

Development of resistance in tomato plants grafted onto Solanum torvum against bacterial wilt disease

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - The bacterial wilt disease caused by Ralstonia solanacearum is a major constraint in the cultivation of tomato in Saint Lucia. The limited options and...     

Correction to: Physiological and histopathological assessments of the susceptibility of different tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) cultivars to early blight disease

European Journal of Plant Pathology - A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-021-02275-y     

Effects of shading and soybean Glycine max (L.) interference on Solanum ptycanthum (Dun.) (eastern black nightshade) growth and development

Summary. Solanum ptycanthum (Dun.) vegetative and reproductive growth was evaluated under shade and in the field with soybean interference. In full sunlight without soybean interference, a S. ptycanthum plant produced 243 g shoots and 5957 berries in 20 weeks, but only 38 g and 576 berries in 11 weeks. Plants grown in 94% shade produced 3 g of shoots and 23 berries in 20 weeks, and 1 g and 1 berry in 11 weeks. S. ptycanthum plants that emerged with the soybeans and were positioned between 75-cm rows produced 43 g shoots and 264 berries, whereas plants positioned in 75-cm rows and emerging 6 weeks after the soybeans produced 1 g and 16 berries. When grown between 37·5-cm rows for the same period of time this weed produced 12 g and 2 berries plant⁻¹; plants positioned in 37·5-cm rows produced shoots less than 1 g in weight and one berry plant⁻¹. Shoot growth and berry production of S. ptycanthum increased from 80 to 200% in a 2-week period between the initiation of soybean leaf abscission and maturity. In a season about 50 000 seeds weed⁻¹ were produced in full sunlight; 20 000 or less were produced under soybean interference. When grown in irradiance levels from full sunlight to 94% shade, viable seeds were first detected 10 days after anthesis and essentially all seeds in the berry were viable 24 days after anthesis     

Physiological and histopathological assessments of the susceptibility of different tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) cultivars to early blight disease

European Journal of Plant Pathology - The current research aims to evaluate the susceptibility of the tomato of the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) cultivars 65,015 (CV1), Basma (CV2), Dalia (CV3),...     

Intercropping in field vegetable crops: Pest management by agrosystem diversification—an overview

Intercropping field vegetables with other species such as clovers shows insect pest suppression which may make chemical control unnecessary. Examples are given to illustrate these effects and the underlying mechanisms are discussed. Intercropping fits into environmentally acceptable and sustainable vegetable-producing practices. Both economic and ecological conditions must be fulfilled before intercropping-based commercial production methods can be developed.