Alternative hosts and plant tissues for the survival,sporulation and spread of the Ascochyta blight pathogen of chickpea

Various crop and weed species were infected naturally by Didymella rabiei (anamorph: Ascochyta rabiei) in blight-affected chickpea fields in the Palouse region of eastern Washington and northern Idaho, USA. The fungus was isolated from asymptomatic plants of 16 species commonly found in commercial crops in this region. Isolates of the pathogen from crop and weed species were pathogenic to chickpea and indistinguishable in cultural and morphological characteristics from isolates of D. rabiei from chickpea. Both mating types of D. rabiei were isolated from eight naturally infected plant species. Chickpeas were infected by D. rabiei when plants emerged through infested debris of seven crop and weed species. The teleomorph developed on overwintered tissues of seven plant species infected naturally by D. rabiei in a blight screening nursery and on debris of wheat, white sweet clover and pea inoculated with ascospores of D. rabiei or conidia of two compatible isolates of the pathogen. Didymella rabiei naturally infected 31 accessions of 12 Cicer spp. and the teleomorph developed on the overwintered debris of all accessions, including those of three highly resistant perennial species. The fungus developed on the stem and leaf pieces of ten plant species common to southern Spain inoculated with conidia of two compatible isolates of D. rabiei, and formed pseudothecia with asci and viable ascospores on six of ten species and pycnidia with conidia on all plant species.     

Fusarium species associated with stalk rot and head blight of grain sorghum in Queensland and New South Wales,Australia

Historical records report Fusarium moniliforme sensu lato as the pathogen responsible for Fusarium diseases of sorghum; however, recent phylogenetic analysis has separated this complex into more than 25 species. During this study, surveys were undertaken in three major sorghum‐producing regions in eastern Australia to assess the diversity and frequency of Fusarium species associated with stalk rot‐ and head blight‐infected plants. A total of 523 isolates were collected from northern New South Wales, southern Queensland and central Queensland. Nine Fusarium species were isolated from diseased plants. Pathogenicity tests confirmed F. andiyazi and F. thapsinum were the dominant stalk rot pathogens, whilst F. thapsinum and species within the F. incarnatum–F. equiseti species complex were most frequently associated with head blight.     

Molecular and physiological characterization of Arabidopsis–Colletotrichum gloeosporioides pathosystem

Anthracnose is a destructive disease that affects a wide range of crop plants especially in tropical and subtropical regions. Colletotrichum spp. are the major pathogens causing anthracnose. In this study, we collected and identified the pathogen from diseased samples of Stylosanthes, a major tropical forage crop. The ability of the pathogen to naturally infect Arabidopsis thaliana was examined. Sequence analysis of ITS, ACT, CHS, and GAPDH genes showed the pathogen to be Colletotrichum gloeosporioides sensu lato (s.l.), and this was supported further by morphological characterization of representative isolates. The disease symptoms and cellular infection process of aggressive isolates (DZ-19 and HK-04) and a weak isolate (CJ-04) were compared. DZ-19 and HK-04 caused more severe disease symptoms on both young seedlings and adult plants of Col-0 and Ws-2 ecotypes compared to CJ-04. Furthermore, the more aggressive isolates showed faster and earlier germination of conidia, formation of appressoria, and growth and development of hyphae during the infection. Genetic analysis of the defence response and expression profiling of defence marker genes demonstrated the involvement of MAP kinase, Ca²⁺-dependent protein kinase, salicylic acid, ethylene, and jasmonic acid pathways in the resistance against anthracnose. These results suggest that the Arabidopsis–Colletotrichum gloeosporioides pathosystem should provide a valuable tool for exploring the resistance mechanisms against this pathogen.     

Botrytis cinerea in greenhouse vegetables: chemical,cultural, physiological and biological controls and their integration

Botrytis cinerea is an ubiquitous pathogen which causes severe losses in many fruit, vegetable and ornamental crops. The pathogen infects leaves, stems, flowers and fruits. The complexity of diseases caused by B. cinerea in greenhouses makes this pathogen one of the most important diseases of vegetable crops in greenhouse in many countries. In general, epidemics occur in cool and humid conditions, which favour infection and may also predispose the host to become susceptible. High relative humidity in the greenhouse and free moisture on plant surfaces are considered the most important environmental factors which influence infection by B. cinerea. In this review we specify the factors affecting the development of diseases incited by B. cinerea and discuss different approaches for its suppression. Chemical and non-chemical controls are outlined and their integration is discussed. Finally, achievements, gaps in knowledge, and future needs are indicated. The most common means for disease management is by application of chemical fungicides. Both spraying of fungicides and application of fungicides directly to sporulating wounds is practiced. However, high activity of several fungicides is being lost, at least in part, due to the development of resistance. As fungicides still remain an important tool for control of epidemics caused by B. cinerea, it is important to monitor populations of the pathogen for their resistance towards potential fungicides. Cultural measures can be a powerful means to suppress plant diseases in greenhouses where the value of crops is high and the farmers make considerable efforts during long cropping seasons. Such measures are usually aimed at altering the microclimate in the canopy and around susceptible plant organs, prevention of inoculum entrance into the greenhouse and its build up, and, rendering the host plants less susceptible to diseases. Calcium loading of plant tissues and alteration of nitrogen fertilization reduce susceptibility to Botrytis. Cultivars resistant to B. cinerea are not available. Another alternative methods to control B. cinerea is by means of biological control agents. At least one preparation is already available in the market and in many cases it was as effective as the conventional fungicides. A decision support system was recently developed for integration of chemical and biological controls. Adaquate suppression of B. cinerea diseases in greenhouse crops is an attainable goal. In our opinion this goal can be reached by considering the ecology of the pathosystem in its broader sense and by integration of all possible control measures. This implies optimization of plant nutrition, microlimate and control (cultural, biological, physiological and, if necessary, chemical) measures. Moreover, Botrytis management must be incorporated in a more holistic system that is compatible with insect control, crop production systems and profitability of the crop.     

To what extent are soil amendments useful to control Verticillium wilt?

The genus Verticillium includes several species that attack economically important crops throughout the world. The control of Verticillium spp. becomes especially difficult when they form microsclerotia that can survive in the field soil for several years. It has been common practice to fumigate soil with chemicals such as methyl bromide and/or chloropicrin to control soil‐borne fungal pathogens. Other chemicals that are used against Verticillium spp. are the antifungal antibiotic aureofungin, the fungicides benomyl, captan, carbendazim, thiram, azoxystrobin and trifloxystrobin and the plant defence activator acibenzolar‐S‐methyl. However, the potential risks involved in applying phytochemicals to crop plants for both the environment and human health, together with their limited efficacy for controlling Verticillium‐induced diseases, support the need to find alternatives to replace their use or improve their efficacy. Soil amendment with animal or plant organic debris is a cultural practice that has long been used to control Verticillium spp. However, today the organic farming industry is becoming a significant player in the global agricultural production scene. In this review, some of the main results concerning the efficacy of several soil amendments as plant protectors against Verticillium spp. are covered, and the limitations and future perspectives of such products are discussed in terms of the control of plant diseases. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Investigations into Encephalartos insect pests and diseases in South Africa and identification of Phytophthora cinnamomi as a pathogen of the Modjadji cycad

South Africa holds the greatest diversity of Encephalartos species globally. In recent years several reports have been received of Encephalartos species in the country dying of unknown causes. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of, and identify the causal agents of, diseases of Encephalartos species in the Gauteng and Limpopo Provinces of South Africa. Plant material with symptoms and insects were collected from diseased plants in private gardens, commercial nurseries and conservation areas in these regions. Insects collected were identified based on morphology, and microbial isolates based on morphology and DNA sequence data. Insect species identified infesting cultivated cycads included the beetle Amorphocerus talpa, and the scale insects Aonidiella aurantii, Aspidiotus capensis, Chrysomphalus aonidum, Lindingaspis rossi, Pseudaulacaspis cockerelli, Pseudaulacaspis pentagona and Pseudococcus longispinus. Fungal species isolated from diseased plants included species of Diaporthe, Epicoccum, Fusarium, Lasiodiplodia, Neofusicoccum, Peyronellaea, Phoma, Pseudocercospora and Toxicocladosporium. The plant pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi was identified from E. transvenosus plants in the Modjadji Nature Reserve. Artificial inoculation studies fulfilled Koch's postulates, strongly suggesting that P. cinnamomi is responsible for the deaths of these plants under field conditions.     

First report of celery stunt anthracnose caused by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Colletotrichum simmondsii</Emphasis> in Japan

A new disease was found in Japan, on celery (Apium graveolens var. dulce) having severe chlorotic leaf spot, stunt, and dwarf with leaf curl. A spore suspension from the fungus isolated from affected plants induced identical symptoms 14 days after plants were sprayed. Identification and molecular characterization showed that the causal agent is Colletotrichum simmondsii. This report is the first of stunt anthracnose on celery caused by C. simmondsii. We propose the name “stunt anthracnose” for the new disease. Colletotrichum acutatum sensu lato, as reference pathogen of celery anthracnose, should be changed to C. fioriniae based on morphological and molecular characteristics.     

Rhizoctonia solani: taxonomy,population biology and management of rhizoctonia seedling disease of soybean

Rhizoctonia solani, the most important species within the genus Rhizoctonia, is a soilborne plant pathogen with considerable diversity in cultural morphology, host range and aggressiveness. Despite its history as a destructive pathogen of economically important crops worldwide, our understanding of its taxonomic relationship with other Rhizoctonia‐like fungi, incompatibility systems, and population biology is rather limited. Among the host of diseases it has been associated with, seedling diseases inflicted on soybean are of significant importance, especially in the soybean growing regions of North America. Due to the dearth of resistant soybean genotypes, as well as the paucity of information on the mechanisms of host–pathogen interactions and other molecular aspects of pathogenicity, effective management options have mostly relied upon a combination of cultural and chemical control options. The first section of this review summarizes what is currently known about the taxonomy and systematics, population biology and molecular genetics of R. solani. The second section provides an overview of the pathology and management of rhizoctonia root and hypocotyl rot of soybean, a seedling disease of importance in North America.     

Occurrence and molecular variability of Potato spindle tuber viroid and Tomato apical stunt viroid in ornamental plants in Croatia

Viroids of the genus Pospiviroid are able to induce diseases in a wide range of host plants including important crop species. Although occasional disease outbreaks of Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) and closely related pospiviroids have been reported in potato and tomato, recent studies found an increase in number of latent infections in ornamental solanaceous species. In order to verify the presence of PSTVd and other pospiviroids in Croatia, a survey was conducted between 2009 and 2012. A total of 182 samples belonging to five ornamental species and two solanaceous crops were analyzed. Eight plants belonging to two different species (Solanum jasminodes and Lycianthes rantonnetii) were found infected by PSTVd and, in addition, one S. jasminoides plant infected by Tomato apical stunt viroid (TASVd). Viroid infection was confirmed by mechanical inoculation on tomato plants to observe symptom expression. Molecular characterization of the isolates was done and complete viroid sequences were submitted to the GenBank. This is the first evidence of the presence of PSTVd and TASVd and their variability in Croatia.     

Molecular phylogenetics and microsatellite analysis reveal a new pathogenic Ceratocystis species in the Asian‐Australian clade

The ascomycete genus Ceratocystis has a broad geographic distribution and includes pathogens of a wide range of mostly woody hosts. Black rot of Colocasia esculenta (taro), a popular cultivated root crop in China, is caused by a species of Ceratocystis broadly treated as C. fimbriata sensu lato. Recently, isolates of Ceratocystis were obtained from black rot lesions on C. esculenta corms in two Chinese provinces. Sequence comparison of the ITS, partial β‐tubulin, TEF‐1α, MS204 and RPBII gene regions were used to identify these isolates and compare them to other Ceratocystis species. Furthermore, the diversity of Ceratocystis species in the Asian‐Australian clade (AAC) was investigated using 23 microsatellite markers. Results showed that the isolates from C. esculenta represent a novel species, which is morphologically and phylogenetically different to closely related species in the AAC, and is described here as Ceratocystis changhui sp. nov. In microsatellite analyses, this new species also emerged as distinct from others in the AAC. Inoculation tests showed that C. changhui sp. nov. is a virulent pathogen of C. esculenta corms, but produces only small lesions on Eucalyptus grandis and Eriobotrya japonica.     

Tumbleweeds in the Western Australian cropping system: seed dispersal characteristics of Salsola australis

Salsola australis, like other agricultural weed species of the Salsola genus, produces a mobile seedbank. Aspects of this mobile seedbank were investigated in three field trials, including total seed production, rate of seed shedding, rate at which seeds lose germinability and the distance and directionality of plant movement. Total seed production was highly variable (ranging from 138 to 7734 seeds per plant), but was directly related to aboveground plant biomass at maturity. Following senescence, mature plants broke free of their root system and the wind driven plants moved considerable distances (1.6–1247.2 m). Half of the mobile plants moved <100 m, as they became entangled with other S. australis plants within the stand. Seed shedding commenced before the plants became mobile and increased with movement, but was also related to the aging and weathering processes experienced by stationary or mobile plants. All plants retained a proportion of their seed in spite of movement, weathering and ageing of the plants, although germinability of retained seed dropped to <2% after 2 months. Salsola australis engages in broad scale seed dispersal similar to that observed in other species of the Salsola genus, allowing this species to maintain a high rate of invasion and range expansion.     

Testing and improving the effectiveness of trap crops for management of the diamondback moth Plutella xylostella (L.): a laboratory‐based study

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess white mustard (Sinapis alba L.) as a trap crop for diamondback moth [Plutella xylostella (L.)] on cauliflower [Brassica oleracea (L.) var. Lateman]. Moth behaviour on these plants and the importance of plant age and size in maintaining pest preference for trap crop plants were also investigated. RESULTS: Three times as many eggs were laid on cauliflower plants that were unprotected than on plants protected by a trap crop of white mustard. Moths remained longer on the mustard plants as a result of a doubling in the mean duration of information‐providing behaviours. Plant age had little effect on P. xylostella host preference. When plant age was constant, percentage oviposition on mustard was higher when these were larger (93%) than copresented cauliflower plants, compared with when they were smaller (68%). CONCLUSION: Trap cropping with white mustard may reduce the incidence of P. xylostella in cauliflower crops. The pest management benefits of trap crops may be maximised by using trap crop plants that are larger than the main crop plants, although relatively smaller trap crop plants may still be preferred as hosts for P. xylostella per se. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Characterization of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pepper yellow leaf curl virus,</Emphasis> a tentative new <Emphasis Type="Italic">Polerovirus</Emphasis> species causing a yellowing disease of pepper

Pepper (Capsicum annuum) is an important crop worldwide. In Israel, approximately 2,500 ha are grown all year round for the local and export markets. Herein, we report the identification of a viral pathogen causing a new devastating disease in pepper crops. The disease syndrome includes shortening of stem internodes, interveinal yellowing, and upward rolling of the leaf blade, accompanied by fruit discoloration and size reduction. Virus purification from infected plants yielded isometric particles, 25 nm in diameter. The causal agent of the disease was tentatively named Pepper yellow leaf curl virus (PYLCV). The virus cross-reacted in DAS ELISA with antisera against Cucurbit aphid-borne yellows virus and Potato leafroll virus, members of the Polerovirus genus. The partial nucleotide sequence obtained from the cloned viral coat protein and movement protein genes indicated 92% identity at the amino acid level with Tobacco vein distortion virus (TVDV), another member of the Polerovirus genus. However, the host range of PYLCV is significantly different from the host range described for TVDV. Based on our findings, the taxonomic status of PYLCV is discussed.     

Colonization of lettuce cultivars and rotation crops by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lactucae,the cause of fusarium wilt of lettuce

The severity of fusarium wilt is affected by inoculum density in soil, which is expected to decline during intervals when a non‐susceptible crop is grown. However, the anticipated benefits of crop rotation may not be realized if the pathogen can colonize and produce inoculum on a resistant cultivar or rotation crop. The present study documented colonization of roots of broccoli, cauliflower and spinach by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lactucae, the cause of fusarium wilt of lettuce. The frequency of infection was significantly lower on all three rotation crops than on a susceptible lettuce cultivar, and the pathogen was restricted to the cortex of roots of broccoli. However, F. oxysporum f. sp. lactucae was isolated from the root vascular stele of 7·4% of cauliflower plants and 50% of spinach plants that were sampled, indicating a greater potential for colonization and production of inoculum on these crops. The pathogen was also recovered from the root vascular stele of five fusarium wilt‐resistant lettuce cultivars. Thus, disease‐resistant plants may support growth of the pathogen and thereby contribute to an increase in soil inoculum density. Cultivars that were indistinguishable based on above‐ground symptoms, differed significantly in the extent to which they were colonized by F. oxysporum f. sp. lactucae. Less extensively colonized cultivars may prove to be superior sources of resistance to fusarium wilt for use in breeding programmes.     

Root infection of potato by Spongospora subterranea: knowledge review and evidence for decreased plant productivity

Information is reviewed on root infection of potato by the plasmodiophorid Spongospora subterranea f. sp. subterranea. This pathogen has long been recognized as the cause of root galls (hyperplasia) and the economically important disease powdery scab on tubers (modified stolons). The significance for plant productivity of the zoosporangium stages of the pathogen in potato roots has only recently begun to be documented. Two experiments are described that assessed effects of S. subterranea root infection on potato plant root function and productivity. A greenhouse experiment measured root function and plant parameters for eight potato cultivars with markedly different susceptibilities to tuber powdery scab. Water uptake and plant growth were reduced by S. subterranea inoculation in all eight cultivars. The magnitudes of these negative effects, and intensities of root hyperplasia, differed among the cultivars, but were not related to respective susceptibilities to tuber powdery scab. A field trial assessed root function and plant productivity for a cultivar (Iwa) that is very susceptible to Spongospora tuber and root diseases. Soil water content beneath uninoculated plants was consistently less than for inoculated plants, indicating that inoculation reduced water uptake (root function). Inoculation reduced shoot and root dry weights, and reduced weight of tubers per plant by 42%. Spongospora subterranea causes three diseases of potato: root membrane dysfunction, root hyperplasia and tuber powdery scab. The root diseases caused by the pathogen are likely to be important both for powdery scab management and for deleterious effects on potato crop yields.     

Direct and host‐mediated interactions between Fusarium pathogens and herbivorous arthropods in cereals

Fusarium head blight and fusarium ear rot diseases of cereal crops are significant global problems, causing yield and grain quality losses and accumulation of harmful mycotoxins. Safety limits have been set by the European Commission for several Fusarium‐produced mycotoxins; mitigating the risk of breaching these limits is of great importance to crop producers as part of an integrated approach to disease management. This review examines current knowledge regarding the role of arthropods in disease epidemiology. In the field, diseased host plants are likely to interact with arthropods that may substantially impact the disease by influencing spread or condition of the shared host. For example, disease progress by Fusarium graminearum can be doubled if wheat plants are aphid‐infested. Arthropods have been implicated in disease epidemiology in several cases and the evidence ranges from observed correlations between arthropod infestation and increased disease severity and mycotoxin accumulation, to experimental evidence for arthropod infestation causing heightened pathogen prevalence in hosts. Fusarium pathogens differ in spore production and impact on host volatile chemistry, which influences their suitability for arthropod dispersal. Herbivores may allow secondary fungal infection after wounding a plant or they may alter host susceptibility by inducing changes in plant defence pathways. Post‐harvest, during storage, arthropods may also interact with Fusarium pathogens, with instances of fungivory and altered behaviour by arthropods towards volatile chemicals from infected grain. Host‐mediated indirect pathogen–arthropod interactions are discussed alongside a comprehensive review of evidence for direct interactions where arthropods act as vectors for inoculum.     

The Occurrence of Mycosphaerella graminicola and its Anamorph Septoria tritici in Winter Wheat during the Growing Season

The disease septoria tritici blotch of wheat is initiated by ascospores of the teleomorph Mycosphaerella graminicola or pycnidiospores of the anamorph Septoria tritici. We report for the first time the presence of the teleomorph, M. graminicola, in Denmark. With the objective of elucidating the importance of the teleomorph for the development of septoria tritici blotch, data on the occurrence of fruit bodies of the anamorph (pycnidia) and the teleomorph (pseudothecia) stages were collected over three growing seasons. Pseudothecia were present in the springs, however, high numbers of pseudothecia compared to pycnidia were not observed until July, too late to influence the epidemic. On an individual leaf layer, pycnidia were observed well before pseudothecia. As the leaves aged, progressively higher proportions of fruit bodies were observed to be pseudothecia. The period from the appearance of pycnidia to detection of pseudothecia was estimated as 29–53 days. At harvest, high proportions of sporulating fruit bodies in the crop were pseudothecia, suggesting that the primary source of inoculum for new emerging wheat crops in autumn is likely to be ascospores.     

Responses of cucumber cultivars to induction of systemic resistance against anthracnose by plant growth promoting fungi

Initial experiment on the reactions of five Japanese cultivars of cucumber toColletotrichum orbiculare infection in the greenhouse revealed that cv Suyo and Gibai were susceptible and moderately susceptible, respectively, while cv Shogoin fushinari and Sagami hanjiro were resistant to infection byC. orbiculare; cv Ochiai fushinari was moderately resistant. The ability of 16 plant growth promoting fungi (some isolates belonged to species ofPhoma and some non-sporulating isolates) isolated from zoysiagrass rhizospheres to induce systemic resistance in the above five cucumber cultivars was tested by growing plants in potting medium infested with barley grain inocula of PGPF in the greenhouse. The second true leaves of 21-day-old plants were challenge inoculated withC. orbiculare and disease assessed. Nine, out of 16 isolates, caused significant reduction of disease caused byC. orbiculare in at least two cultivars.Phoma isolates (GS8-1 and GS8-2) and non-sporulating isolates (GU21-2, GU23-3, and GU24-3) significantly reduced the disease in all the five cultivars. The disease suppression in cucumber was due to the induction of systemic resistance, since the inducer(s) and the pathogen were separated spatially and that the inducer did not colonize aerial portions. The resistance induced by certain isolates in a susceptible cultivar was less than that in a resistant cultivar. Disease suppression caused by isolate GU21-2 was similar to theC. orbiculare induced control in certain cultivars. The average rate of expansion of lesion diameter on leaves due toC. orbiculare was slower due to induction with the selected plant growth promoting fungi compared to the uninduced control plants. Roots of four cultivars were colonized by only three isolates, however, roots of one cultivar (Suyo) was colonized by five isolates suggesting the cultivar-specific root colonization ability.Abbreviations cv cultivar(s) - PGPF plant growth promoting fungal isolates - PGPR plant growth promoting rhizobacteria     

Comparison of the epidemiology of ascochyta blights on grain legumes

Asochyta blights of grain legumes are caused by fungal pathogens in the genus Ascochyta. Different species infect the different legume species, and in pea three species including Phoma medicaginis var. pinodella have been implicated in ascochyta blight. The impact of the diseases varies between crops, countries, seasons and cropping systems, and yield loss data collected under well-defined conditions is scarce. However, ascochyta blights are considered major diseases in many areas where legumes are grown. Symptoms appear on all aerial parts of the plant, and lesions are similar for most of the species, except for M. pinodes and P. medicaginis var. pinodella. Infected seed, stubble and/or air-borne ascospores are major sources of primary inoculum. Their importance varies between species and also between regions. All Ascochyta spp. produce rain-splashed conidia during the cropping season which are responsible for the spread of the disease within the crop canopy. Only in pea are ascospores involved in secondary disease spread. Limited data suggests that Ascochyta spp. may be hemibiotrophs; however, toxins characteristic for necrotrophs have been isolated from some of the species. Modelling of ascochyta blights is still in the developmental stage and implementation of such models for disease forecasting is the exception.