Epitrix pubescens can cause damage to potato (Solanum tuberosum)

Potato (Solanum tuberosum) has not been recorded as a host of Epitrix pubescens (Koch, 1803), a species of flea beetle present in Europe. However, anecdotal evidence was received of damage to potato leaves caused by flea beetles observed during inspections of potato crops and also on potato plants within a garden in France. Although potato may not act as a host for all life stages of this beetle, adults may feed on foliage and cause foliar symptoms similar to those caused by non‐native Epitrix species.     

Approaches for developing molecular markers associated with virus resistances in potato (Solanum tuberosum)

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - Potato, (Solanum tuberosum), is one of the most common and important food sources for humans. It is not only essential as a food source but also has many...     

半干旱风沙区几种化学节水制剂马铃薯产量效应试验

在半干旱风沙区的山西省天镇县台地比较研究田间试验条件下保水剂、保水肥剂、济农、复绿灵等化学抗旱节水制剂对马铃薯作物的增产效应。结果表明在马铃薯开花期施用各种抗旱节水制剂,能不同程度地增加马铃薯产量,其中喷施济农和复绿灵效果最明显,值得推广。保水剂和保水肥效果不甚明显,原因是施用时间偏晚。     

The effect of the presence of R-genes for resistance to late blight (Phytophthora infestans) of potato (Solanum tuberosum) on the underlying level of field resistance

The differential genotypes R₁, R₁₀ and R₁₁, as originally defined by Black, were crossed with R-gene-free cultivars and the progenies divided into two subpopulations comprising those which had inherited the R-gene and those which had not. The underlying level of field resistance of the two groups was compared in a field trial in which they were inoculated with an isolate that could overcome the relevant R-genes. The R-gene-bearing group was significantly ( P  < 0·001) more resistant than the R-gene-free group, with mean scores over four dates in 2000 of 4·86 and 4·09, respectively, on a 1–9 scale of increasing resistance, and of 4·10 and 2·35 on one date in 2001. However, the magnitude of the effect depended on the R-gene and the year of the trial. Data from a progeny of cv. Stirling (with an R-gene and a high level of field resistance) were examined and the same effect of an R-gene found. Fewer of the R-gene-bearing group of clones were highly susceptible, and more were resistant. The most resistant clones always bore the R-gene. It is concluded that increased resistance is conferred by the defeated R-gene or linked genes for field resistance.     

The yam nematode (Scutellonema bradys), a potential threat to potato (Solanum tuberosum) production in West Africa

Potato (Solanum tuberosum) production in Africa is rapidly expanding and becoming increasingly important. As its geographical production range broadens, so does its potential to host new pests and diseases. Following the discovery that potato can be affected by Scutellonema bradys, further studies were undertaken to assess its potential pathogenicity on potato under screenhouse and field conditions, and on marketed tubers. Potato plants inoculated with S. bradys produced tubers with substantial cracking and evident tuber rot, compared with tubers from uninoculated plants. Symptoms of nematode infection on tubers included a scaly appearance, surface cracking as well as deeper tissue cracks, distortions, and darkened surface patches. In most cases these patches were related to sub‐surface rot. Nematodes were recovered from the soil, roots and tubers of inoculated plants. Eight weeks after inoculation, the reproduction factor of the nematode was greatest (2·0) at the lowest inoculation rate assessed (1000 nematodes per 2·5‐L pot) and least (0·4) at the highest inoculation rate (5000 nematodes per pot). In the screenhouse, potato tuber weights were low and mostly unaffected by nematode inoculation rate, except at 5000 nematodes per pot. In the field, non‐inoculated plants yielded over nine times more tubers than plants inoculated with 2000 S. bradys. Low densities of S. bradys were also recovered from 10 of 15 (67%) samples collected from market stalls, indicating field infection. This study confirms that potato can host and be damaged by S. bradys, raising its prospect as a likely significant biotic constraint to the crop.     

早期施氮对马铃薯苗期抗旱能力的影响

通过盆栽试验,研究早期施氮对马铃薯苗期生长、抗旱生理指标变化以及产量的影响.研究结果表明:1)高氮处理(1.68g/L)提高了干旱胁迫下马铃薯根与全株干重比及叶与全株干重比,缓解了干旱胁迫对株高的抑制;2)高氮使干旱胁迫下马铃薯叶片游离脯氨酸含量、SOD活性显著提高,抑制了干旱胁迫下丙二醛含量的升高,与低氮处理相比,高氮的重度和中度干旱胁迫处理MDA含量较正常水分增加幅度最小,分别增加了14.2％和9.9％.高氮还提高了干旱胁迫下马铃薯根系活力,较正常水分增幅最大,达到116.7％、60.8％;3)高氮的各干旱水平处理下马铃薯产量均显著高于其它氮处理.由此说明,早期增施氮肥可减轻干旱胁迫对马铃薯生长发育与生理特性的不良影响,从而提高马铃薯苗期的抗旱能力,为高产和稳产奠定基础.     

Genetic resistance derived from Solanum pimpinellifolium AAU2019 is monogenic recessive to tomato leaf curl virus

Tomato leaf curl disease is a severe threat to tomato production. Yield losses are generally high in the absence of effective management strategies. The disease is caused by tomato leaf curl virus (ToLCV) and is transmitted by a whitefly vector that is challenging to control. Resistance to ToLCV is absent from most cultivated tomato gene pools, although the use of resistant cultivars would provide a better control option than minimizing the vector population. Unfortunately, resistance sources based on field screening break down when virus pressure is severe. Our previous screening and virus testing of 40 tomato genotypes led to the identification of a highly resistant genotype, Solanum pimpinellifolium AAU2019, as a new source of resistance. In this study, we investigated the inheritance and genetics of resistance to ToLCV in the cross of Pusa Ruby × S. pimpinellifolium AAU2019 in F₂ and BC₁P_s populations, revealing a monogenic recessive gene (best-fit ratios of resistance: susceptible to be 1:3 and 0:1) responsible for ToLCV resistance in S. pimpinellifolium AAU2019. Hence, S. pimpinellifolium AAU2019 could be considered as a potential donor parent in breeding programmes to develop tomato cultivars with resistance to ToLCV.     

Characterization of Grapevine Algerian latent virus isolated from nipplefruit (Solanum mammosum) in Japan

Alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV), Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), Potato virus Y (PVY), Tomato bushy stunt virus nipplefruit strain (TBSV-Nf), and an unknown spherical virus were isolated from nipplefruit (Solanum mammosum) cultivated in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. The spherical virus was identified as Grapevine Algerian latent virus nipplefruit strain (GALV-Nf) from the genus Tombusvirus, based on its physical properties, serological relationships, and analysis of genomic RNA. The genomic RNA of GALV-Nf is 4731 nucleotides long and encodes five open reading frames as well as those of other tombusviruses. Nipplefruit infected with GALV-Nf had severe stunting, leaf deformation, and clear mosaic symptoms. This is the first report of an isolation of GALV in Japan. An erratum to this article is available at .     

Selection of virulence in Meloidogyne chitwoodi to resistance in the wild potato Solanum fendleri

The possibilities of selecting virulence from a virtually avirulent root-knot nematode population towards resistance in wild potato have been investigated. Single egg masses of Meloidogyne chitwoodi, which had occasionally been produced on roots of resistant Solanum fendleri gave rise to eight lines after one generation on tomato. Five lines were able to circumvent completely the resistance of S. fendleri 93-114-12 resulting in a susceptible response similar to that of the control potato cv Nicola. Subsequently, a resistance test with other resistant genotypes of S. fendleri, S. bulbocastanum, S. stoloniferum and S. hougasii revealed that the virulent lines were also able to break through the resistance in most other species, but clear differences were noticed between the virulent lines. The results suggest a simple inheritance of virulence in M. chitwoodi towards resistance in S. fendleri. However, more virulence factors are involved to explain the differences on the other Solanum species between the virulent lines. The implications of the ease to select virulence with respect to the practical use of resistance in potato breeding and growing are discussed.     

Transgenic potato plants expressing the potato virus X (PVX) coat protein gene developed resistance to the viral infection

The gene coding for potato virus X (PVX) coat protein (CP) was expressed in transgenic potato plants obtained byAgrobacterium tumefaciens transformation. One hundred independent clones were analyzed in challenge experiments for resistance to PVX infection under greenhouse conditions as a preliminary test. From this test, 16 clones with the best resistance results were selected for a small-scale field trial. Clones 54, 60, 73 and 91 demonstrated the best values of resistance to PVX in the field. Statistical analysis of the field trial showed significant differences between means of optical density obtained in ELISA from transgenic clones and non-transformed plants (P<0.05). There was correspondence between resistance to virus infection and expression of the CP gene of PVX virus in the analyzed clones. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting Jan. 21, 2002. Corresponding author [e-mail: vivian.doreste@cigb.edu.cu].     

刺萼龙葵种子休眠和萌发特性研究进展

刺萼龙葵是一种外来恶性杂草,在我国境内的传播对现有的生态系统构成严重威胁。刺萼龙葵对环境条件的广泛适应能力增强了其竞争优势,使其发展成为一种高度危险的外来入侵杂草,控制刺萼龙葵的危害和扩散蔓延已变得越来越重要。文章综述了刺萼龙葵种子的形态特征和休眠机制,总结了种子萌发特性和打破种子休眠的一些方法,为制订其综合防控策略提供科学依据。     

Relationships between stem canker, stolon canker, black scurf (Rhizoctonia solani) and yield of potato (Solanum tuberosum) under different agronomic conditions

Relationships between diseases caused by Rhizoctonia solani on different parts of potato plants ( Solanum tuberosum ) at different stages of crop growth were investigated under selected agronomic conditions. The effects of different densities of tuber-borne inoculum, date of planting, irrigation, size of seed tubers and their interactions on the incidence of stem and stolon canker during crop growth, the incidence and severity of black scurf and the yield of progeny tubers at harvest were quantified in a multifactorial experiment. Differences in the incidence of stem canker, stolon canker and black scurf were dominated by the effect of density of inoculum on seed tubers at planting. Highly positive correlations between the disease variables indicated a close relationship between the incidence of disease at each stage of crop growth although the degree of association between variables measured at an early growth stage and those measured at progressively later stages of crop growth weakened as the time interval increased. Total yield of progeny tubers was not affected by the density of tuber-borne inoculum although there was a shift in the size distribution, with a decrease in the yield of main-sized tubers and an increase in the yield of baker- and oversized tubers at the higher density of inoculum. Of the remaining factors, the effect of season tended to be more pronounced than any of the agronomic treatments although the use of irrigation and later dates of planting did influence the incidence of infection to a limited extent.     

Root system architecture and its relationship to the vegetative reproduction function in horsenettle (Solanum carolinense)

Horsenettle ( Solanum carolinense L.) is a weed species that can spread via the root system and root fragments. This study investigated the developmental pattern of the subterranean system of horsenettle in an experimental plot containing plastic plates that limited the radial growth of the individual plants in each section of the plot. The vertical architecture of the root system in the 10 month old and 16 month old plants was elucidated by excavating the plants from the experimental plot. The root system consisted of a reiterative arrangement of branching root units, which grew horizontally and then bent vertically. The relationship between the morphology of the branching roots and the vegetative reproduction in a 17 month old plant was investigated. Different sections of the rooting system had different functions: the bending part forms new shoots; the horizontal part extends into the surrounding area; and the vertical part is used for storage. Consequently, the subterranean system of horsenettle develops through a reiterative arrangement of the branching root unit, which has functionally differentiated parts.