Cultivar resistance, infection sources, and effective fungicides identified to control Chrysanthemum cutting rot caused by Plectosporium tabacinum

Cutting rot in Chrysanthemum is caused by the fungus Plectosporium tabacinum and was found on cuttings of ‘Jimba-No.2’ in 2008. The results of inoculation tests indicated that P. tabacinum infects major Chrysanthemum cultivars in Japan and that cuttings can serve as carriers and propagules of the pathogen already in the soil can serve as inoculum. Other P. tabacinum isolates may also infect Chrysanthemum, and P. tabacinum can be present as an endosymbiont in the plant. In tests of various fungicides, captan, 2,4,5,6-tetrachloroisophthalonitrile, and thiophanate-methyl effectively controlled cutting rot in Chrysanthemum.     

Botrytis blight of Taiwanese toad lily caused by Botrytis elliptica (Berkeley) Cooke

In June 1998, leaf spots caused by Botrytis elliptica (Berkeley) Cooke were found on Taiwanese toad lily (Tricyrtis formosana Bak.) in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. This is the first report on Botrytis blight of T. formosana caused by B. elliptica.     

裸仁美洲南瓜叶枯病病原菌鉴定及其寄主范围和侵染条件

近年来,在甘肃省武威地区裸仁美洲南瓜发生了一种叶枯病,采用常规组织分离法对罹病组织进行了病原菌分离培养,以及病原菌的形态、分离培养性状观察和致病性测定.结果表明,引起裸仁美洲南瓜叶枯病的致病菌为瓜链格孢Alternaria cucumerina(E11.et Ev.)E11iott.寄主范围测定表明,该病原菌可侵染所有供试葫芦科植物,其中南瓜、西葫芦和甜瓜发病最严重;丝瓜和苦瓜发病较轻;该病原菌还可引起白菜和菜豆发病.温度和保湿时间对病原菌的侵染影响较大,25～30℃温度范围内最易侵染,病害潜育期仅为2～3天;当保湿时间60h时,病叶率达到88%,而保湿时间为6h时,病叶率仅为8%.南瓜不同品种对叶枯病的抗性差异较大,其中二星、天然、光板1号、无壳(李建民)和金无壳为高抗品种;四星、粒赛金、金大地、郑峰光板、日本南瓜为高感品种.     

Anthracnose of centipede grass caused by Colletotrichum caudatum

Anthracnose disease was found on centipede grass [Eremochloa ophiuroides (Munro) Hack.] planted as a ground cover on paddy field levees in Shiga Prefecture in 2004. The symptoms were ear blight, stalk blight, and leaf spots. The causal fungus was morphologically identified as Colletotrichum caudatum (Sacc.) Peck. This is the first report of centipede grass anthracnose caused by C. caudatum.     

A new leaf blight disease of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Trifolium dasyurum</Emphasis> caused by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Botrytis fabae</Emphasis>

A new disease was observed on Trifolium dasyurum, with symptoms beginning as a halo spot and developing into a leaf blight. The causal organism was identified by microscopy and DNA sequence studies as Botrytis fabae. This strain of B. fabae was also demonstrated to cause disease on foliage of a range of pulse crops, including Vicia faba, Pisum sativum, and Lens culinaris. This study demonstrates the potential of this strain of B. fabae to not only pose a significant threat to T. dasyurum but also to pulses grown in rotation with T. dasyurum that are susceptible to this strain of B. fabae.     

Plectosporium blight of monkshood caused by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Plectosporium tabacinum</Emphasis>

Severe blight of potted seedlings of monkshood caused by Plectosporium tabacinum was found in glasshouses in Kagawa Prefecture in southwest Japan in May 2001. Root rot and browning of stem bases were followed by wilting and yellowing of leaves, then blighting of leaves, flower buds and stems. A fungus was isolated from diseased plants and confirmed to cause the disease. The new disease was named “Plectosporium blight of monkshood”.     

First report of leaf blight disease of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gloriosa superba</Emphasis> L. caused by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Alternaria alternata</Emphasis> (Fr.) Keissler in India

Leaf blight disease was found on Gloriosa superba L. (Liliaceae), an endangered, herbaceous, perennial, climbing lily that produces colchicine, in West Bengal, India in 2004. Small brownish spots on leaves developed into concentric rings, which eventually darkened and coalesced to blight the entire leaf. The causal fungus was morphologically identified as Alternaria alternata (Fr.) Keissler. This is the first record of A. alternata on G. superba.     

The contribution of ground-level inoculum of Fusarium culmorum to ear blight of winter wheat

In a series of field experiments in eastern England over 5 years, severe ear blight developed only in plots of winter wheat that were inoculated by spraying with conidial suspensions of Fusarium culmorum during anthesis, and in which infection was encouraged by rainfall or mist irrigation. In the absence of artificial inoculation of the ears, F. culmorum caused less extensive ear blight, and only where soil-surface inoculum was available after its application on infested plant material (colonized oat grains) up to 3–4 weeks before anthesis; it then developed most where significant rainfall occurred close to the time of anthesis. A warm, dry period following application of inoculum to the ground in late March contributed to increased infection of grain by F. culmorum , although ear blight was not increased. Ear infection therefore depended on adequate viable inoculum on infested plant debris within the crop, and conditions tending to favour brown foot rot development as well as, subsequently, rainfall and moist conditions during anthesis. These conditions did not occur together naturally during this period. Seedling infection by F. culmorum or Microdochium nivale made no significant contribution to ear blight. Inoculation of ears at anthesis with M. nivale or a locally obtained isolate of F. langsethiae did not produce ear blight symptoms. Possibilities for minimizing the availability of inoculum of F. culmorum and the implications for various options for ear-blight control are discussed.     

The effect of a mixture of seed-borne Microdochium nivale var. majus and Microdochium nivale var. nivale infection on Fusarium seedling blight severity and subsequent stem colonisation and growth of winter wheat in pot experiments

Greenhouse experiments were conducted in order to determine the impact of seed-borne Microdochium nivale var. nivale and var. majus inoculum, and seed treatment with a carboxin+thiram mixture, on the development of seedling blight, and on subsequent stem colonisation and growth of winter wheat (cv. Cadenza). Experiments were conducted at temperatures favourable (3°C) and unfavourable (22°C) to M. nivale. Seed-borne inoculum resulted in seedling blight symptom development when plants were grown at 3°C, but not when plants were grown at 22°C. For seedlings grown at 3°C, plants arising from heavily blighted seedlings developed more severe symptoms of stem colonisation, when compared with those arising from seedlings from carboxin+thiram treated seeds. In addition, the vigour of such plants (assessed by determining the number of tillers and ears per plant, stem length, green leaf area, dry weight and yield) was also significantly lower than for plants arising from carboxin+thiram treated seeds. Microdochium nivale var. majus and var. nivale appeared to have little effect on plant vigour from seedlings grown at 22°C. This is the first recorded incidence of seedling blight affecting subsequent plant growth. Microdochium nivale var. majus and var. nivale stem colonisation increased from growth stage (GS) 40–49 to harvest in plants raised from seedlings grown at both temperatures. Microdochium nivale var. majus and var. nivale were isolated from the second node at GS 40–49 and the third node at harvest of plants from seedlings grown at 3°C. For plants from seedlings raised at 22°C, M. nivale var. majus and var. nivale were isolated from the first node at GS 40–49 and the second node at harvest. Carboxin+thiram seed treatment decreased the extent and severity of stem colonisation on plants from seedlings grown at 22°C.     

Gummy stem blight of balsam pear caused by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Didymella bryoniae</Emphasis> and its anamorph <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phoma cucurbitacearum</Emphasis>

Gummy stem blight of balsam pear found in the Kanto district and in the Hokkaido Prefecture was demonstrated to be caused by Didymella bryoniae (Auerswald) Rehm based on inoculation experiments, molecular analysis, and morphological identification of the pathogenic fungus. This fungus was also pathogenic to related plants belonging to Cucurbitaceae. The imperfect stage of the fungus was identified as Phoma cucurbitacearum (Fr.: Fr.) Sacc. based on morphological similarities.     

The role of seedling infection in epiphytotics of ascochyta blight on chickpea

Didymella rabiei, the causal agent of ascochyta blight, survives on infected seeds and seedlings. Diseased seedlings originating from infected seeds occasionally serve as the source for primary infection in chickpea crops. Experiments carried out independently in Australia and in Israel provided quantitative information on the temporal and spatial distribution of ascochyta blight from initial infections and on the relationship between the amount of initial infection and the intensity of subsequent epiphytotics for cultivars differing in susceptibility to the pathogen. Disease spread over short distances (<10 m) from individual primary infections, was governed by rain and wind, and was up to five times greater down-wind than up-wind. Cultivar response to D. rabiei significantly affected the distance and area over which disease spread and the intensity of the disease on infected plants. At onset of the epiphytotic, the relationship between disease spread and time was exponential (P < 0.05; R ² > 0.95) and the area of the resulting foci was over 10 times greater in susceptible cultivars than in resistant cultivars. Regression equations showed the relationship between disease severity and the distance from the focus-plants was inverse-linear for all cultivars tested (P < 0.05). A simulation model based on the experimental data revealed that even if primary infection is infrequent (less than 1% of plants), the consequences are potentially devastating when susceptible cultivars are used. The epidemiological information and simulation model generated by this study provide an increased understanding of the development of an epiphytotic in which the primary foci of disease originate from infected chickpea seedlings.     

蓝莓枝枯病拮抗细菌HMQAU140045的鉴定和抑真菌活性

以蓝莓毛色二胞枝枯病菌假可可毛色二胞Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae为靶标菌,通过稀释平板法从山东青岛的蓝莓种植园根际土壤中分离出20株细菌,采用对峙平板法和菌丝生长速率法筛选得到一株对靶标菌具有明显抑制效果的拮抗菌株HMQAU140045,采用凹玻片法和菌丝生长速率法测定该菌株发酵滤液对靶标菌孢子萌发和菌丝生长的影响。结果表明,稀释50倍的发酵滤液的抑制率可达100%。离体枝条试验结果表明,发酵液不同组分对蓝莓毛色二胞枝枯病的防治效果均可达90%以上。菌丝生长速率法测定结果表明,该菌株抑真菌谱广,对包括4种蓝莓枝枯病菌在内的15种植物病原真菌具有良好的拮抗作用。通过形态观察、生理生化特性以及gyrB的序列分析,确定该菌株为解淀粉芽孢杆菌Bacillus amyloliquefaciens。试验结果表明,解淀粉芽孢杆菌菌株HMQAU140045具有较好的抑真菌活性。     

落羽杉赤枯病病原菌的分离鉴定及生物学特性分析

为明确落羽杉属树木赤枯病的致病菌种类,对采自南京中山植物园及周边地区的病叶进行病原菌分离,结合形态学特征与分子生物学技术对其进行鉴定,并分析病原菌的生物学特性。结果表明,共获得9种菌种,分别标号为1~9,其中2号菌株检出率最高,占总数的36.40%,用该菌株侵染健康叶片后发病症状与自然发病症状一致,并可再次分离到2号菌株,符合柯赫氏法则;形态学鉴定结果显示,病原菌分生孢子为梭形、直或弯曲,5个细胞,顶胞和尾胞均为圆锥形,无色透明;r DNA-ITS序列分析结果表明,该菌株与斑污拟盘多毛孢Pestalotiopsis maculans同源性最高,为99.00%。结合形态特征与分子鉴定最终确定落羽杉赤枯病病原菌为斑污拟盘多毛孢。生物学特性分析结果表明,该病原菌在25℃、p H 6~7的PDA培养基上长势最好;在以淀粉为碳源、谷氨酸为氮源的培养基上生长最快。     

辣木枝枯病病原菌鉴定及其生物学特性

为明确海南省辣木枝枯病病原菌及其生物学特性,采用组织分离法获得菌株MO157,通过柯赫氏法则、形态学特征及分子生物学技术对该菌株进行鉴定,并测定了其菌丝生长的最佳条件。结果表明,菌株MO157回接10 d后,辣木茎干表面周围呈黄褐色,随后发病部位表现出水渍状病斑,与自然发病辣木的病状相符;菌落近圆形,菌丝初期呈白色绒毛状,后期呈浅黄色,分生孢子顶胞钩状,3~5个隔膜,厚垣孢子呈球形,在菌丝间串生;菌株MO157的ITS序列与Gen Bank中木贼镰刀菌Fusarium equiseti的相似性为100%,结合形态特征与分子鉴定最终将其确定为木贼镰刀菌(Gen Bank登陆号:KX197955)。该菌菌丝生长适宜温度25~30℃,最适温度28℃;pH 6~8时菌丝生长速率增快,pH 7时最适菌丝生长;PDA培养基和PSA培养基最适合该菌生长,以蔗糖为碳源时利用率最高;以牛肉浸膏为氮源时利用率最高;该菌致死温度为65℃,10 min;光照对菌丝生长影响较小,不同处理间菌落直径无显著差异。     

Distribution of streptomycin-resistant strainsof Erwinia amylovora in Israel and occurrence of blossom blight in the autumn

Following failure in control of fire blight with streptomycin, the distribution of streptomycin-resistant strains ofErwinia amylovora in Israel was surveyed. During 1994–1997 109 pear, apple, loquat and quince orchards were monitored. Streptomycin-resistant strains ofE. amylovora were recovered from flowers and from infected branches collected at 18 locations in the Sharon, Galilee and Golan Heights regions. In the Sharon region all the isolated strains ofE. amylovora were streptomycin-resistant, whereas in the Galilee and Golan Heights, resistant as well as sensitiveE. amylovora strains were recovered at different locations. In the southern coastal plain no resistance could be detected. Streptomycin-resistant strains ofE. amylovora did not hybridize with the DNA probe SMP3, and resistance could not be transferred by mating to a sensitive strain, suggesting that streptomycin resistance in Israel is not plasmid-mediated. Fire blight symptoms were observed, for the first time, on pear blossoms during the autumn of 1994. A high population of 2x 10⁶-6x 10⁷ CFU/flower in the autumn of 1995 and of 1996 was correlated with the appearance of blossom blight symptoms.     

Fire blight of pears in Israel: infection, prevalence, intensity and efficacy of management actions

The pear production area in Israel is 1500 ha, most of which(ca 1200 ha) is located in the northern part of the country. Fire blight (caused by the bacteriumErwinia amylovora (Burrill) Winslowet al.) was first observed in Israel in that region (in 1985) and the disease has prevailed there since then. In a comprehensive survey conducted in Israel in 1996–1999, data were collected and observations were made yearly in one-third to one-half of the pear production area. The aim was to document the prevalence and intensity of fire blight in commercial orchards and to use the data to evaluate the efficacy of management measures employed for its suppression. Regionwise, a severe fire blight epidemic developed in 1996, moderate epidemics developed in 1998 and 1999, and a mild epidemic developed in 1997. The intensity of fire blight in the preceding season in a specific orchard was more influential on current season severity in a season with a mild epidemic than in a season with a moderate epidemic. Analysis of disease onset records and weather data revealed that only a few (1– 3) infection episodes occurred in individual orchards each year. Comparison of fire blight intensity in orchard-plots treated before green tip with copper hydroxide with nontreated plots revealed that the treatment had no effect on disease intensity during bloom. The efficacy of bactericide sprays applied during bloom was not related to the number of sprays applied but to the timing of spraying. Adequate control was achieved in orchard-plots sprayed soon before or after the occurrence of infection episodes. Contribution no. 508/00 from the Inst. of Plant Protection, ARO, Bet Dagan, Israel.     

Development and Evaluation of an in vitro Detached Leaf Assay forc Pre-Screening Resistance to Fusarium Head Blight in Wheat

An in vitro detached leaf assay, involving the inoculation of detached leaves with Microdochium nivale, was further developed and used to compare with whole plant resistance ratings to Fusarium head blight (FHB) of 22 commercial cultivars and published information on 21 wheat genotypes, identified as potential sources for FHB resistance. An incubation temperature of 10 °C and isolates of M. nivale var. majus of intermediate pathogenicity were found to be the most suitable for the differential expression of several components of partial disease resistance (PDR), namely incubation period, latent period and lesion length, in wheat genotypes used in the detached leaf assay. There were highly significant differences (P < 0.001) for each component of PDR within commercial cultivars and CIMMYT genotypes. Positive correlations were found between incubation period and latent period (r = 0.606; P < 0.001 and r = 0.498; P < 0.001, respectively, for commercial cultivars and CIMMYT genotypes), inverse correlations between incubation period and lesion length (r = -0.466; P < 0.01 and r = –0.685; P < 0.001, respectively) and latent period and lesion length (r = –0.825; P < 0.001 and r = –0.848; P < 0.001, respectively). Spearman rank correlations between individual PDR components and UK 2003 recommended list ratings were significant for incubation period (r_s = 0.53; P < 0.05) and latent period (r_s = 0.70; P < 0.01) but not for lesion length (r _s = –0.26). Commercial cultivars identified with high resistances across all three PDR components in the detached leaf assay also had high whole plant FHB resistance ratings, with the exception of cv. Tanker which is more susceptible than the results of the detached leaf assay suggested, indicating an additional susceptibility factor could be present. Agreement between resistances found in the detached leaf assay and resistance to FHB suggests resistances detected in detached leaves are under the same genetic control as much of the resistances expressed in the wheat head of the commercial cultivars evaluated. In contrast, high resistances in each of the PDR components were associated with higher susceptibility across 19 CIMMYT genotypes previously evaluated as potential breeding sources of FHB resistance (incubation period: r = 0.52; P < 0.01, latent period: r = 0.53; P < 0.01, lesion length: r = –0.49; P < 0.01). In particular, the CIMMYT genotypes E2 and E12 together with Summai #3, known to have high levels of whole plant FHB resistance, showed low levels of resistance in each PDR component in the detached leaf assay. Such whole plant resistances, which are highly effective and not detected by the detached leaf assay, do not appear to be present in Irish and UK commercial cultivars. The most resistant Irish and UK commercial cultivars were comparable to the genotype Frontana and the most resistant CIMMYT germplasm evaluated in the leaf assay.     

Corynespora blight of sweet pepper (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Capsicum annuum</Emphasis>) caused by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Corynespora cassiicola</Emphasis> (Berk. &; Curt.) Wei

In 2004, Corynesopra cassiicola was isolated from dark brown spots on leaves and fruits and from black blights on stems of sweet pepper plants in Kochi Prefecture, Japan. The isolated fungus was then used to inoculate sweet pepper plants and subsequently reisolated from the plants with dark brown spots and black blights, showing that C. cassiicola is a new pathogen causing Corynespora blight on sweet pepper plants. The nucleotide sequence data reported are available in the DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank databases as accession numbers AB366649 (TS-C11), AB366650 (TS-C21), AB366651 (TI-C32) and AB366652 (TI-C51)     

Fusarium head blight and mycotoxin contamination of wheat,a review

Summary An infection of bread wheat by fusarium head blight contaminates the crop with mycotoxins, particularly deoxynivalenol (DON) and nivalenol (NIV). The toxicity and natural occurrence of these mycotoxins in wheat are reviewed. Based on 8 years data of fusarium head blight epidemics of wheat in the Netherlands, DON contamination of the grain was estimated. Fusarium head blight ratings averaged an infection of 1.7% of all spikelets; estimates for DON contamination averaged 0.9 mg kg^–1. Taking a guideline level for DON in uncleaned bread wheat of 2 mg kg^–1, in 1979 and 1982 a wheat crop was produced with estimated DON concentrations above the limit of tolerance. Human and animal exposure to mycotoxins in the Netherlands appears to be small but chronic. The information presented in this paper illustrates the need for an annual evaluation of the crop for fusarium head blight incidence and mycotoxin content, and the necessity of fusarium head blight resistant wheat cultivars.Samenvatting Aaraantasting van tarwe doorFusarium culmorum enFusarium graminearum leidt tot vorming van mycotoxinen in het graan, waarvan deoxynivalenol (DON) en nivalenol (NIV) de belangrijkste toxinen zijn. In dit artikel wordt een overzicht gegeven van de toxicologische aspecten, en het voorkomen van deze toxinen in tarwe. Informatie over DON en NIV in tarwe in West-Europa is schaars. Gebaseerd op gegevens vanFusarium epidemieën in de jaren 1979–1986 wordt een schatting gegeven van de concentratie DON in Nederlandse tarwe. Rekening houdend met de herkomst en verwerking van tarwe, blijken zowel in dierlijk als menselijk voedsel lage concentraties DON chronisch voor te komen. Op basis van een maximaal toelaatbare dagelijkse dosis DON van 3 g kg^–1 lichaamsgewicht is de schatting van de dagelijkse opname van DON in het jaar volgend op de oogst van 1982 net op de grens. Zowel een jaarlijkse inventarisatie vanFusarium aantasting en DON besmetting van het graan, als de ontwikkeling vanFusarium-resistente rassen zijn noodzakelijk.     

云南省荞麦叶枯病病原菌鉴定及其生物学特性

为明确云南省荞麦叶枯病病原菌种类,采用常规组织分离法获得病原菌菌株LW2015.3,通过形态学特征及分子生物学技术对菌株LW2015.3进行鉴定,并研究其生物学特性。结果表明,荞麦叶枯病病原菌的分生孢子呈倒棍棒状或倒梨状,褐色,具3～8个横隔膜,0～4个纵斜隔膜,大小为16.5～45.0μm×5.0～13.5μm,厚垣孢子呈球形,直径为6.0～12.0μm;该菌株ITS序列系统发育进化分析结果表明,菌株LW2015.3与链格孢Alternaria alternata(登录号:MG195995.1)的同源性为100%,结合形态学特征与分子鉴定结果确定云南省荞麦叶枯病病原菌为链格孢A. alternata(登录号:KT362732.1)。该病原菌菌丝生长适宜温度为20～30℃,25℃为最适温度;当p H为6～9时菌丝生长速率加快,pH 7最适菌丝生长;PDA培养基和PSA培养基最适菌丝生长;该病原菌对以麦芽糖为碳源和以硝酸钠为氮源时的利用率最高;菌丝的致死温度为50℃,10 min;不同光照条件对菌丝生长的影响有显著差异,连续光照最有利于菌丝生长。