Relationship between visual estimates of fusarium head blight intensity and deoxynivalenol accumulation in harvested wheat grain: a meta-analysis

ABSTRACT The association between Fusarium head blight (FHB) intensity and deoxynivalenol (DON) accumulation in harvested grain is not fully understood. A quantitative review of research findings was performed to determine if there was a consistent and significant relationship between measures of Fusarium head blight intensity and DON in harvested wheat grain. Results from published and unpublished studies reporting correlations between DON and Fusarium head blight "index" (IND; field or plot-level disease severity), incidence (INC), diseased-head severity (DHS), and Fusarium-damaged kernels (FDK) were analyzed using meta-analysis to determine the overall magnitude, significance, and precision of these associations. A total of 163 studies was analyzed, with estimated correlation coefficients (r) between -0.58 and 0.99. More than 65% of all r values were >0.50, whereas less that 7% were <0. The overall mean correlation coefficients for all relationships between DON and disease intensity were significantly different from zero (P < 0.001). Based on the analysis of Fisher-transformed r values ( z(r) values), FDK had the strongest relationship with DON, with a mean r of 0.73, followed by IND (r = 0.62), DHS (r = 0.53), and INC (r = 0.52). The mean difference between pairs of transformed z(r) values (z(d) ) was significantly different from zero for all pairwise comparisons, except the comparison between INC and DHS. Transformed correlations were significantly affected by wheat type (spring versus winter wheat), study type (fungicide versus genotype trials), and study location (U.S. spring- and winter-wheat-growing regions, and other wheat-growing regions). The strongest correlations were observed in studies with spring wheat cultivars, in fungicide trials, and in studies conducted in U.S. spring-wheat-growing regions. There were minor effects of magnitude of disease intensity (and indirectly, environment) on the transformed correlations.     

Incidence-severity relationships in non-treated and fungicide-treated wheat head blast epidemics in Brazil

European Journal of Plant Pathology - The relationship between wheat head blast incidence (I; proportion of diseased heads in a sample) and severity (S; the average diseased area in a sample of...     

A quantitative review of tebuconazole effect on fusarium head blight and deoxynivalenol content in wheat

ABSTRACT A meta-analysis of the effect of tebuconazole (e.g., Folicur 3.6F) on Fusarium head blight and deoxynivalenol (DON) content of wheat grain was performed using data collected from uniform fungicide trials (UFTs) conducted at multiple locations across U.S. wheat-growing regions. Response ratios (mean disease and DON levels from tebuconazole-treated plots, divided by mean disease and DON levels from untreated check plots) were calculated for each of 139 studies for tebuconazole effect on Fusarium head blight index (IND; field or plot-level disease severity, i.e., mean proportion of diseased spikelets per spike) and 101 studies for tebuconazole effect on DON contamination of harvested grain. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed on the log-transformed ratios, and the estimated mean log ratios were transformed to estimate the mean (expected) percent control for IND ( C(IND) ) and DON ( C(DON)). A mixed effects meta-analysis was then done to determine the effects of wheat type (spring versus winter wheat) and disease and DON levels in the controls on the log ratios. Tebuconazole was more effective at limiting IND than DON, with C(IND) and C(DON) values of 40.3 and 21.6%, respectively. The efficacy of tebuconazole as determined by the impact on both IND and DON was greater in spring wheat than in winter wheat (P < 0.01), with a 13.2% higher C(IND) and a 12.4% higher C(DON) in spring wheat than in winter wheat. In general, C(IND) and C(DON) were both at their lowest values (and not significantly different from 0) when mean IND and DON in the controls, respectively, were low (相似文献   

Characterizing heterogeneity of disease incidence in a spatial hierarchy: a case study from a decade of observations of fusarium head blight of wheat

A multilevel analysis of heterogeneity of disease incidence was conducted based on observations of Fusarium head blight (caused by Fusarium graminearum) in Ohio during the 2002-11 growing seasons. Sampling consisted of counting the number of diseased and healthy wheat spikes per 0.3 m of row at 10 sites (about 30 m apart) in a total of 67 to 159 sampled fields in 12 to 32 sampled counties per year. Incidence was then determined as the proportion of diseased spikes at each site. Spatial heterogeneity of incidence among counties, fields within counties, and sites within fields and counties was characterized by fitting a generalized linear mixed model to the data, using a complementary log-log link function, with the assumption that the disease status of spikes was binomially distributed conditional on the effects of county, field, and site. Based on the estimated variance terms, there was highly significant spatial heterogeneity among counties and among fields within counties each year; magnitude of the estimated variances was similar for counties and fields. The lowest level of heterogeneity was among sites within fields, and the site variance was either 0 or not significantly greater than 0 in 3 of the 10 years. Based on the variances, the intracluster correlation of disease status of spikes within sites indicated that spikes from the same site were somewhat more likely to share the same disease status relative to spikes from other sites, fields, or counties. The estimated best linear unbiased predictor (EBLUP) for each county was determined, showing large differences across the state in disease incidence (as represented by the link function of the estimated probability that a spike was diseased) but no consistency between years for the different counties. The effects of geographical location, corn and wheat acreage per county, and environmental conditions on the EBLUP for each county were not significant in the majority of years.     

Reliability and accuracy of visual estimation of phomopsis leaf blight of strawberry

ABSTRACT Six different individuals (raters) assessed the severity of Phomopsis leaf blight on strawberry leaflets in five experimental repetitions over 2 years by making a direct visual estimation of the percentage of diseased area of each leaflet or by using the Horsfall-Barratt (H-B) disease scale. Intra-rater and inter-rater reliability and accuracy were determined, and then the relationship between visually estimated severity values and actual severity values was evaluated. Agreement in estimated disease severity values between assessment times by the same raters (i.e., intra-rater reliability), and agreement in disease severity values among raters at a single assessment time (i.e., inter-rater reliability), were both high, with most correlation coefficients being greater than 0.85. The intra-class correlation for overall agreement among raters ranged from 0.80 to 0.96 for the five repetitions. Based on the concordance coefficient calculated for each rater in each repetition, agreement between estimated and actual severity (i.e., accuracy) was somewhat lower than reliability. The relationship between estimated and actual severity was linear, and there was a slight trend to overestimate disease severity. The H-B scale was not more reliable or accurate than direct estimation of severity, and the linear relationship between estimated and actual severity did not support the principles underling the H-B scale. Both size of leaflets and number of lesions per leaflet slightly affected the error in estimate of disease severity.     

Head Blight Gradients Caused by Gibberella zeae from Area Sources of Inoculum in Wheat Field Plots

ABSTRACT The spread of Fusarium head blight of wheat from a small area inoculum source was examined in wheat plots (100, 625, or 2,500 m(2)) inoculated in the center with Gibberella zeae-colonized corn kernels or macro-conidia sprayed on heads at anthesis. With the first inoculation method, disease foci were produced from ascospores released from perithecia formed on inoculated kernels. With the second inoculation method, disease foci were produced by macroconidia directly applied to the heads. Some plots were misted during anthesis. Plots were divided into grids, and disease incidence on spikelets and seeds was assessed at the grid intersections. Isopath contour maps were constructed using an interpolation procedure based on a weighted least squares method. Disease gradients were constructed from the isopath contours in the direction parallel to average nightly wind vectors using an exponential model. This study was conducted over a 3-year period at two sites: one in Quebec and one in Ontario. Both inoculation methods resulted in a discrete, primary focus of head blight in each plot, with one or two smaller secondary foci in some plots. The highest incidence of disease on spikelets or seed was commonly displaced somewhat from the inoculum source, usually downwind. The gradient slopes of seed and spikelet infection ranged from -0.10 to -0.43 m(1) in plots with ascospore inoculum and from -0.48 to -0.79 m(1) in plots inoculated with macroconidia. Seed infection declined to 10% of the maximum within 5 to 22 m from the focal center in asco-spore-inoculated plots, and within 5 m in a macroconidia-inoculated plot. Gradients were usually steeper upwind compared with downwind of the inoculum source. In misted plots, incidence of disease was higher and more diffuse than in nonirrigated plots. Based on gradients and dispersal patterns, disease foci in plots inoculated with G. zeae-colonized corn kernels probably arose from airborne ascospores rather than from splash-borne macroconidia and were the result of infection events that occurred over a short period of time. Comparison of conidial- and ascospore-derived disease gradients indicated a lack of secondary infection, confirming that Fusarium head blight is primarily a monocyclic disease.     

几种杀菌剂防控小麦赤霉病穗腐及籽粒脱氧雪腐镰刀菌烯醇(DON)毒素的评价

小麦赤霉病是小麦穗期的主要病害之一。化学防控一直是小麦主产区防控赤霉病的主要措施。为明确几种新型杀菌剂对小麦赤霉病的防效和对小麦籽粒DON毒素含量的影响,于2018年进行了氰基丙烯酸酯类和三唑类杀菌剂单剂及其复配剂对赤霉病的防效试验。结果表明:30%戊唑·多菌灵悬浮剂(SC)1500 mL/hm^2处理对赤霉病病穗防效达92.40%,病指防效达93.20%,小麦籽粒DON毒素检出量较不用药对照降低80.38%;25%氰烯菌酯SC 2000 mL/hm^2处理对赤霉病的病穗防效达86.80%,病指防效达88.78%,小麦籽粒DON毒素检出量较不用药对照降低88.19%;48%氰烯·戊唑醇SC 900 mL/hm^2和40%丙硫·戊唑醇SC 600 mL/hm^2对小麦赤霉病的病穗防效分别为77.20%、78.00%,病指防效分别为80.27%和79.59%,对籽粒DON毒素检出量较不用药对照分别降低73.87%和81.42%。在小麦赤霉病较重发生的情况下,上述4种杀菌剂单剂或复配剂1次用药既能高效控制病情,又能有效控制小麦籽粒DON毒素不超标。本试验研究进一步阐明,氰烯菌酯、戊唑醇、丙硫菌唑等杀菌剂及其复配剂均能有效控制小麦赤霉病的危害,并能有效降低小麦籽粒DON毒素含量;吡唑醚菌酯单剂及其复配剂虽然对小麦赤霉病的病穗和病指防效也较高,但控制小麦籽粒DON毒素含量效果相对较差。研究结果为小麦穗期赤霉病化学防控提供了科学参考。     

Analysis of the association between the incidence of two spatially aggregated foliar diseases of strawberry

ABSTRACT Association of the incidence of leaf blight (caused by Phomopsis obscurans) and leaf spot of strawberry (caused by Mycosphaerella fragariae) was assessed at multiple scales in perennial plantings at several commercial farms over 3 years (1996 to 1998). For each field, the presence or absence of each disease was recorded from n = 15 leaflets in each of N approximately 70 evenly spaced sampling units, and the proportion of leaflets with blight, spot, and total disease (blight or spot) was determined. Individual diseases and total disease incidence were all well described by the beta-binomial distribution but not by the binomial distribution, indicating overdispersion of disease. The Jaccard similarity index was used to measure disease co-occurrence at the leaflet, sampling-unit, and field scales. Standard errors of this index for the lower two scales were obtained using the jackknife (resampling) procedure, and data randomizations were used to determine the expected Jaccard index for an independent arrangement of the two diseases, conditioned on the incidence and spatial heterogeneity of the observed disease data. Results based on these statistics showed that only 4 of 52 data sets at the leaflet level and no data sets at the sampling-unit level had Jaccard index values significantly different from that expected under an independent rearrangement of the two diseases. Rank correlation and cross-correlation statistics were calculated to determine the degree of covariation in incidence between the two diseases. Additionally, covariation between diseases was tested using a new procedure in the Spatial Analysis by Distance IndicEs (SADIE) class of tests. Covariation was detected in 21% of the data sets using rank correlation methods and in 15% of the data sets using the SADIE-based approach. The discrepancy between these two methods may be due to the rank correlation procedure not taking into account the effects of spatial pattern of disease incidence. There was no relationship between mean disease incidence per field of spot and blight or between degree of heterogeneity of the two diseases (as measured by theta of the beta-binomial distribution), demonstrating lack of covariation at the field scale. Incidence of leaflets with either disease (total disease incidence) could be well predicted using a linear combination of the estimated probabilities of leaf blight and leaf spot incidence based on independence of the two diseases. Heterogeneity of total disease incidence, measured with the estimated theta parameter of the beta-binomial distribution, could also be well predicted using a linear combination of the weighted theta values for leaf blight and leaf spot, with weights proportional to incidence of the individual diseases.     

Risk assessment models for wheat fusarium head blight epidemics based on within-season weather data

ABSTRACT Logistic regression models for wheat Fusarium head blight were developed using information collected at 50 location-years, including four states, representing three different U.S. wheat-production regions. Non-parametric correlation analysis and stepwise logistic regression analysis identified combinations of temperature, relative humidity, and rainfall or durations of specified weather conditions, for 7 days prior to anthesis, and 10 days beginning at crop anthesis, as potential predictor variables. Prediction accuracy of developed logistic regression models ranged from 62 to 85%. Models suitable for application as a disease warning system were identified based on model prediction accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and availability of weather variables at crop anthesis. Four of the identified models correctly classified 84% of the 50 location-years. A fifth model that used only pre-anthesis weather conditions correctly classified 70% of the location-years. The most useful predictor variables were the duration (h) of precipitation 7 days prior to anthesis, duration (h) that temperature was between 15 and 30 degrees C 7 days prior to anthesis, and the duration (h) that temperature was between 15 and 30 degrees C and relative humidity was greater than or equal to 90%. When model performance was evaluated with an independent validation set (n = 9), prediction accuracy was only 6% lower than the accuracy for the original data sets. These results indicate that narrow time periods around crop anthesis can be used to predict Fusarium head blight epidemics.     

Assessment of the impact of mid-season late blight infection on disease development and yield of potato variety Russet Norkotah in Maine

Development of late blight of potatoes caused by Phytophthora infestans (US 8 fungal genotype, A2 mating type) was monitored in two Russet Norkotah commercial fields at Fort Fairfield in 1996 and Duncan Farm in 1997. Experimental plots representing various disease treatments (low, moderate, high and random late blight severity levels) were established in two fields in 1996. In 1997, only low and high disease treatments were established. The application of fungicides for late blight control was conducted in both years. Late blight incidence and severity were assessed in each plot of each treatment. Components of late blight disease development, tuber blight incidence and tuber yields were determined from each plot. Progress of late blight disease was rapid in 1996 but not in 1997. During the 1996 cropping season, mean disease incidence and severity in the random disease treatment plots were 84 and 21% respectively within 10 days of disease detection. In 1997, low levels of late blight severity were detected in the field plots. Average numbers of late blight leaf and stem lesions on infected plant and fungal sporangia on the diseased leaf were not significantly affected by disease treatment. Late blight foliar severity significantly affected potato tuber yields. Lowest tuber yield was obtained in plots with high disease levels and highest yields were recorded in plots with low late blight severity in 1996. Late blight severity was significantly correlated with tuber yield but not with per cent tuber blight.     

The effect of cropping systems and irrigation management on development of potato early blight

Crop and soil management may modify canopy and belowground microclimate, but their effects on potential development and control of early blight are not well documented. Several management systems (Status Quo, Soil Conserving, Soil Improving (SI), Disease Suppressive, and Continuous Potato) were evaluated for their effects on early blight potential under irrigated and rainfed conditions. In 2006 and 2007, microclimatic data at the canopy level were recorded with a data logger. Early blight incidence and severity was determined by visually assessing symptoms. Disease incidence and lesion numbers varied among cropping systems and between years. Disease incidence ranged from 31 to 64% (2006) and 12 to 43% (2007), and was significantly higher with the Continuous Potato system than with Disease Suppressive, Status Quo, Soil Conserving, and SI systems. The relationships of incidence and disease severity with microclimate varied and were mostly non-significant, suggesting that the chosen variables were not reflective of pathogen development. Incidence was significantly associated with cropping systems. Disease prediction based on the Tom-Cast model was not correlated with observed disease levels. This research demonstrated that early blight disease is enhanced through continuous potato production.     

Spatiotemporal Description of Epidemics Caused by Phoma ligulicola in Tasmanian Pyrethrum Fields

ABSTRACT Spatial and temporal patterns of foliar disease caused by Phoma ligulicola were quantified in naturally occurring epidemics in Tasmanian pyrethrum fields. Disease assessments (defoliation incidence, defoliation severity, incidence of stems with ray blight, and incidence of flowers with ray blight) were performed four times each year in 2002 and 2003. Spatial analyses based on distribution fitting, runs analysis, and spatial analysis by distance indices (SADIE) demonstrated aggregation in fields approaching their first harvest for all assessment times between September and December. In second-year harvest fields, however, the incidence of stems with ray blight was random for the first and last samplings, but aggregated between these times. Spatiotemporal analyses were conducted between the same disease intensity measures at subsequent assessment times with the association function of SADIE. In first-year harvest fields, the presence of steep spatial gradients was suggested, most likely from dispersal of conidia from foci within the field. The importance of exogenous inoculum sources, such as wind-dispersed ascospores, was suggested by the absence of significant association between defoliation intensity (incidence and severity) and incidence of stems with ray blight in second-year harvest fields. The logistic model provided the best temporal fit to the increase in defoliation severity in each of six first-year harvest fields in 2003. The logistic model also provided the best fit for the incidence of stems with ray blight and the incidence of flowers with ray blight in four of six and three of six fields, respectively, whereas the Gompertz model provided the best fit in the remaining fields. Fungicides applied prior to mid-October (early spring) significantly reduced the area under disease progress curve (P < 0.001) for defoliation severity, the incidence of stems with ray blight, and the incidence of flowers with ray blight for epidemics at all field locations. This study provides information concerning the epidemiology of foliar disease and ray blight epidemics in pyrethrum and offers insight on how to best manage these diseases.     

Meta-analysis of regression coefficients for the relationship between fusarium head blight and deoxynivalenol content of wheat

ABSTRACT A total of 126 field studies reporting deoxynivalenol (DON; ppm) content of harvested wheat grain and Fusarium head blight index (IND; field or plot-level disease severity) were analyzed to determine the overall mean regression slope and intercept for the relationship between DON and IND, and the influence of study-specific variables on the slope and intercept. A separate linear regression analysis was performed to determine the slope and intercept for each study followed by a meta-analysis of the regression coefficients from all studies. Between-study variances were significantly (P < 0.05) greater than 0, indicating substantial variation in the relationship between the variables. Regression slopes and intercepts were between -0.27 and 1.48 ppm per unit IND and -10.55 to 32.75 ppm, respectively. The overall mean regression slope and intercept, 0.22 ppm per unit IND and 2.94 ppm, respectively, were significantly different from zero (P < 0.001), and the width of the 95% confidence interval was 0.07 ppm per unit IND for slope and 1.44 ppm for intercept. Both slope and intercept were significantly affected by wheat type (P < 0.05); the overall mean intercept was significantly higher in studies conducted using winter wheat cultivars than in studies conducted using spring wheat cultivars, whereas the overall mean slope was significantly higher in studies conducted using spring wheat cultivars than in winter wheat cultivars. Study location had a significant effect on the intercept (P < 0.05), with studies from U.S. winter wheat-growing region having the highest overall mean intercept followed by studies from Canadian wheat-growing regions and U.S. spring wheat-growing regions. The study-wide magnitude of DON and IND had significant effects on one or both of the regression coefficients, resulting in considerable reduction in between-study variances. This indicates that, at least indirectly, environment affected the relationship between DON and IND.     

Use of bayesian methods to improve prediction of panicle and shoot blight severity of pistachio in california

ABSTRACT Panicle and shoot blight, caused by a Fusicoccum sp., is one of the major aboveground diseases of pistachio in California. The effects of temperature, number of continuous rainy days in April and May, irrigation system, and incidence of latent infection of the Fusicoccum sp. on severity of panicle and shoot blight of pistachio leaves and fruit have been quantified previously, using data collected from 1999 through 2001. A predictive model for leaves and another model for fruit with good explanatory power were generated. In 2003 and 2004, newly collected data were used to evaluate the two models with non-Bayesian and Bayesian methods. The 95% credible (i.e., confidence) intervals of initial (before modification with non-Bayesian and Bayesian methods) and updated parameter estimates were used to investigate their prognostic validity. In 2003, the non-Bayesian analysis resulted in all parameter estimates, with the exception of cumulative daily mean temperature from 1 June until harvest, having different 95% confidence intervals than the parameter estimates of the original models. In addition, the parameter estimates for drip irrigation for the leaf infection and the parameter estimates for drip irrigation and number of continuous rainy days in April and May for fruit infection were not statistically significant. With Bayesian methods, the reestimated model parameters had overlapping 95% credible intervals with the initial estimated parameters, except for the number of continuous rainy days in April and May. When the two sets of modified parameter estimates were used to predict disease severity, statistically significant (alpha = 0.05) differences between observed and predicted disease severities were found with non-Bayesian analysis for leaf infection in three locations and with Bayesian analysis for fruit infection in one orchard. The parameter estimates were modified again at the end of the 2004 season and were all statistically significant with both non-Bayesian and Bayesian methods. Both sets of parameter estimates gave predictions that were not significantly different from observed disease severity on leaves and fruit in all monitored orchards in 2004. In summary, Bayesian methods gave more consistent results when used to update parameter estimates with new information and yielded predictions not statistically different from observed disease severity in more cases than the non-Bayesian analysis.     

2013-2016年河南省小麦茎基腐病的发生危害情况及特点

2013-2016年连续4年对河南省不同类型麦田小麦茎基腐病发生和危害情况等进行了调查。结果表明,小麦茎基腐病在河南省已经广泛分布,每年均都有不同程度发生,其中2013年病田率为45.8%,病田白穗率为0.4%~11%;2014年病田率为12.6%,病田白穗率为0.1%~3.7%;2015年病田率为32.5%,病田白穗率为0.1%~16.1%;2016年发生最重,病田率为65.1%,病田白穗率为0.1%~31.5%。调查还发现,河南省小麦茎基腐病发生的特点是北部和西部发生较重;小麦-玉米连作田发生较重,而小麦-水稻连作田块发生较轻;干旱的田块发生危害重。病害产量损失的初步测定结果表明,感病最严重的分蘖病茎高度减少55.8%,且不能结实;能结实病茎较健茎高度减少14.0%~18.0%,穗粒数减少22.7%~54.5%,穗粒重减少33.3%~90.5%,千粒重减少3.2%~73.2%;当病田白穗率为22%时,有效穗数减少33.3%,产量损失达51.6%。本文还针对目前国内对小麦茎基腐病研究薄弱的问题,提出了今后需要加强的研究工作。     

Effects of Environmental Conditions on the Development of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fusarium</Emphasis> Ear Blight

Recent research on the epidemiology of Fusarium ear (or head) blight (FEB or FHB) of small-grain cereals is reviewed, focusing on inoculum, infection and disease forecasting. Both conidia and ascospores have been shown to be important for causing FEB. For Fusarium graminearum, propagules from crop debris are the main source of initial inoculum. Inoculum production is critically dependent on rainfall although the precise relationship is not clear. Recent work on understanding the effects of climatic variables on FEB development has been based on field observations. These field-based studies confirmed that warm and moist conditions during anthesis are the key factors for FEB development. Several empirical models were derived from the field data and proposed for use in disease forecasting. However, these models may not be applicable to a broader range of areas because of the limited nature of the field data. Several areas are proposed for future research, focusing on the development of more generally applicable forecasting models and on understanding the relationships between disease severity, fungal biomass and the production of associated mycotoxins.     

Investigation into components of partial disease resistance,determined <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vitro</Emphasis>, and the concept of types of resistance to <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fusarium</Emphasis> head blight (FHB) in wheat

This work presents an analysis of the relationship between components of partial disease resistance (PDR) detected using in vitro detached leaf and seed germination assays, inoculated with Microdochium majus, and Fusarium head blight (FHB) resistance to Fusarium graminearum assessed using point inoculation, termed Type II resistance. Relationships between in vitro-determined PDR components and FHB resistance using techniques which inoculate the wheat spike uniformly, termed Type I resistance (incidence and severity), have been reported previously. In this study shorter incubation periods, longer latent periods and shorter lesion lengths in the detached leaf assay and higher germination rates in the seed germination assay were related to greater FHB resistance measured by single point inoculation (Type II), collectively explaining 54% of the variation. Overall the relationships observed for Type II FHB resistance were similar to previous findings for Type I resistances. However, the relative magnitude of effects of the individual PDR components determined in vitro varied between FHB disease resistance parameters. Resistance in seed germination and latent period in the detached leaf assay were more strongly related to resistance assessed by point inoculation (Type II) and severity-Type I as opposed to incubation period which was most strongly related to disease incidence-Type I. The results provide evidence that individual components of partial disease resistance differentially affect aspects of FHB disease progression in the wheat spike. This work supports the view that the current model of types of resistance is an oversimplification of the interacting mechanisms underlying expression of FHB resistance.     

Spatial pattern analysis of strawberry leaf blight in perennial production systems

ABSTRACT Spatial pattern of the incidence of strawberry leaf blight, caused by Phomopsis obscurans, was quantified in commercial strawberry fields in Ohio using statistics for heterogeneity and spatial correlation. For each strawberry planting, two transects were randomly chosen and the proportion of leaflets (out of 15) and leaves (out of five) with leaf blight symptoms was determined from N = 49 to 106 (typically 75) evenly spaced sampling units, thus establishing a natural spatial hierarchy to compare patterns of disease. The beta-binomial distribution fitted the data better than the binomial in 92 and 26% of the 121 data sets over 2 years at the leaflet and leaf levels, respectively, based on a likelihood ratio test. Heterogeneity in individual data sets was measured with the index of dispersion (variance ratio), C(alpha) test, a standard normal-based test statistic, and estimated theta parameter of the beta-binomial. Using these indices, overdispersion was detected in approximately 94 and 36% of the data sets at the leaflet and leaf levels, respectively. Estimates of the slope from the binary power law were significantly (P < 0.01) greater than 1 and estimates of the intercept were significantly greater than 0 (P < 0.01) at both the leaflet and leaf levels for both years, indicating that degree of heterogeneity was a function of incidence. A covariance analysis indicated that cultivar, time, and commercial farm location of sampling had little influence on the degree of heterogeneity. The measures of heterogeneity indicated that there was a positive correlation of disease status of leaflets (or leaves) within sampling units. Measures of spatial association in disease incidence among sampling units were determined based on autocorrelation coefficients, runs analysis, and a new class of tests known as spatial analysis by distance indices (SADIE). In general, from 9 to 22% of the data sets had a significant nonrandom spatial arrangement of disease incidence among sampling units, depending on which test was used. When significant associations existed, the magnitude of the association was small but was about the same for leaflets and leaves. Comparing test results, SADIE analysis was found to be a viable alternative to spatial autocorrelation analysis and has the advantage of being an extension of heterogeneity analysis rather than a separate approach. Collectively, results showed that incidence of Phomopsis leaf blight was primarily characterized by small, loosely aggregated clusters of diseased leaflets, typically confined within the borders of the sampling units.     

Comparison of spray and point inoculation to assess resistance to fusarium head blight in a multienvironment wheat trial

ABSTRACT Fusarium head blight (FHB, scab), caused by Fusarium graminearum or F. culmorum, results in yield and quality reductions and accumulation of mycotoxins. Two inoculation methods are commonly used. Spraying a spore suspension on the head (spray inoculation) will detect resistance to initial infection (type I) and to disease spread within the spike (type II). Injecting a spore suspension into individual florets (point inoculation) will detect type II resistance only. To analyze the association of spray and point inoculation, 20 elite winter wheat cultivars from Romania, Germany, and Switzerland were inoculated in factorial field experiments in seven environments (location x year combinations) in Germany and Romania. Response to FHB was assessed by the percentage of visually infected spikelets and head weight relative to the noninoculated control. Point and spray inoculations resulted in a mean disease severity varying from 52 to 63%. Significant (P = 0.01) genotypic variation was found within and across the environments. Genotype-environment interaction was important also. Estimates of entry-mean heritability were higher for spray than for point inoculation as assessed by percent infected spikelets (0.81 versus 0.77) and relative head weight (0.77 versus 0.52). Significant (P = 0.01) interaction was found between inoculation methods. Consequently, coefficients of phenotypic correlation between both methods were low to medium for percent infected spikelets (0.40, P > 0.1) and relative head weight (0.52, P = 0.05). We conclude that the application of both inoculation methods should provide additional information for selection and scientific studies. Spray inoculation, however, is less laborious for large-scale routine screening of breeding materials.