Natural hybridization in wild soybean (Glycine max ssp. soja) by pollen flow from cultivated soybean (Glycine max ssp. max) in a designed population

The frequency of hybridization through pollen flow from the cultivated soybean to the wild soybean was evaluated for the purpose of assessment of the ecological risk of genetically modified crops. The flowering habits of three soybean cultivars and one wild soybean accession were monitored on an experimental farm. A cultivar and a wild accession, both of which flowered at a similar period, were then planted alternately in 5 12 arrays with 50 cm spacing on the farm. The seedlings of progeny seeds gathered from individual plants of the wild accession were used for an isozyme analysis to identify whether they were hybrid or not. In 23 plants of the wild accession, four plants produced hybrids (the incidence of hybridization = 17.4%). There was no directionality in hybridization. The hybridization rate per maternal plant varied from 0 to 5.89% with a mean of 0.73% for all maternal plants. The results indicate that natural hybrids are easily produced in a certain frequency by pollen flow from the cultivated soybean to the wild soybean under their simultaneous flowering with adequate pollinators.     

Field testing of honeybee-dispersed Trichoderma spp. to manage sunflower head rot (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum)

Efficacy of Trichoderma spp. to reduce sunflower head rot caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum was evaluated in the field. A mixture of six isolates, including Trichoderma koningii , T. aureoviride and T. longibrachiatum , was tested in five field trials at Balcarce, Argentina. Trichoderma formulation (TF) included Trichoderma conidia and viable hyphal fragments, industrial talc and milled corn kernels. Honeybees ( Apis mellifera ) were used to disperse TF for six weeks from the onset of flowering. Two days after the first TF delivery, sunflower heads were inoculated with S. sclerotiorum ascospores. When 100 g TF was taken by honeybees in a 10-h per day period, head rot incidence was significantly reduced. This approach was successful in reducing disease incidence until physiological maturity of the crop, in environments highly conducive to head-rot development.     

World-Wide Importance of Phoma Stem Canker (Leptosphaeria maculans and L. biglobosa) on Oilseed Rape (Brassica napus)

Phoma stem canker is an internationally important disease of oilseed rape (Brassica napus, canola, rapeseed), causing serious losses in Europe, Australia and North America. UK losses of €56M per season are estimated using national disease survey data and a yield loss formula. Phoma stem canker pathogen populations comprise two main species, Leptosphaeria maculans, associated with damaging stem base cankers, and Leptosphaeria biglobosa, often associated with less damaging upper stem lesions. Both major gene and quantitative trait loci mediated resistance to L. maculans have been identified in B. napus, but little is known about resistance to L. biglobosa. Leptosphaeria maculans, which has spread into areas in North America and eastern Europe where only L. biglobosa was previously identified, now poses a threat to large areas of oilseed rape production in Asia. Epidemics are initiated by air-borne ascospores; major gene resistance to initial infection by L. maculans operates in the leaf lamina of B. napus. It is not clear whether the quantitative trait loci involved in the resistance to the pathogen that can be assessed only at the end of the season operate in the leaf petioles or stems. In countries where serious phoma stem canker epidemics occur, a minimum standard for resistance to L. maculans is included in national systems for registration of cultivars. This review provides a background to a series of papers on improving strategies for managing B. napus resistance to L. maculans, which is a model system for studying genetic interactions between hemi-biotrophic pathogens and their hosts.     

核盘菌(Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary)侵染抑制黄瓜光合作用的机理

 以津春四号黄瓜(Cucumis sativus L. ‘Jinchun 4’)为实验材料,通过同时测定黄瓜叶片叶绿素荧光快速诱导动力学曲线和对820 nm光的吸收曲线,以及过氧化氢含量和过氧化氢酶(CAT)活性的变化,研究了核盘菌(Sclerotinia sclerotiorum(Lib.)de Bary)侵染黄瓜叶片后,对光系统Ⅰ(PSⅠ)和光系统Ⅱ(PSⅡ)功能的影响,并分析了核盘菌侵染后,两个光系统之间的相互影响。结果表明,核盘菌侵染叶片后,叶片过氧化氢(H₂O₂)含量升高,膜脂过氧化的程度加剧,叶片放氧能力下降,快速叶绿素荧光诱导动力学曲线发生变化。核盘菌侵染严重伤害了PSⅡ供体侧(放氧复合体)、受体侧以及反应中心的活性,并且降低PSⅠ最大氧化还原能力(△I/Io)。核盘菌侵染黄瓜后,抑制了CAT的活性,导致过量活性氧的积累,直接伤害了光合机构PSⅠ和PSⅡ的功能;对PSⅠ的伤害抑制了PSⅡ电子向PSⅠ的传递,进一步加剧了PSⅡ的伤害程度,导致更多过剩激发能产生,造成恶性循环,这是核盘菌抑制黄瓜光合作用的主要原因。     

Changes in susceptibility of bean leaves (Phaseolus vulgaris) to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Botrytis cinerea by pre-inoculative ozone exposures

The effects of ozone on the susceptibility of leaves ofPhaseolus vulgaris toSclerotinia sclerotiorum andBotrytis cinerea have been investigated. Seedlings of one ozone-sensitive (Pros) and five relatively ozone-insensitive cultivars (Gamin, Precores, Groffy, Narda, Berna) were exposed to different ozone concentrations (0, 120, 180 and 270 g m^–3) for 8 h. One day after the exposures, primary leaves were detached and immediately inoculated with spores of either pathogen suspended in water or in a 62.5 mM KH₂PO₄ (Pi) solution. Visible ozone injury differed between the cultivars and increased with increasing ozone concentration. On the leaves of non-exposed plants, spores of the pathogens suspended in water caused very few lesions, whereas fungal pathogenicity was stimulated by addition of Pi to the inoculum. Ozone-injured leaves of all cultivars exhibited lesions after inoculation of the leaves with the pathogens suspended in water, and the number of lesions was positively correlated with the level of ozone injury for either pathogen and cultivar. The increase in susceptibility of bean leaves in response to increasing ozone concentrations was greater forB. cinerea than forS. sclerotiorum when spores were suspended in water, but was similar when the spores were suspended in Pi.In general, the number of lesions following inoculation with spores in Pi increased with increasing ozone concentration. However, the number of lesions in the ozone-insensitive Groffy was reduced by an exposure to 120 g m^–3 but increased with higher concentrations. This pattern of susceptibility response to the pathogens was not found in the other ozone-insensitive cultivars and, thus, did not appear to be related to the inherent ozone-insensitivity in bean.     

Metabolism of [ring-2,6-14]parathion in plant cell suspension cultures of carrot (Daucus carota), purple foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), soybean,thorn apple (Datura stramonium) and wheat (Triticum aestivum)

By means of standardized procedures, the metabolism of [ring-2,6-¹⁴C]-parathion was investigated in carrot (Daucus carota L.), purple foxglove (Digitalis purpurea L.), soybean (Glycine max Merrill cv. ?Mandarin’?, and Glycine max Merrill cv. ?Harosoy 63’? cultivated on B5 and Miller media, respectively), thorn apple (Datura stramonium L.), and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cell suspension cultures. In the wheat and soybean (Mandarin) cells only 2.9 and 8.9%, respectively, of the applied parthion remained unmetabolized after 48 h of incubation, while 51.2, 57.9, 60.3, and 62.4% of the unchanged parent were detected in the D. purpurea, D. Stramonium, carrot and soybean (Harosoy) cultures, respectively. In all suspensions, paraoxon and 4-nitrophenol were found as phase I metabolites, thus demonstrating that plant tissues can catalyse oxidative desulfuration and dearylation of parathion. 4-Nitrophenol was also glycosylated with glucose and possibly galactose. Further, as yet unidentified, metabolites indicated that bio-transformations had also occurred at the aromatic moiety. Large amounts of non-extractable residues were detected in the wheat suspension (38.3%), while the other cultures showed a lower incorporation of ¹⁴C into insoluble cell material (0.9-9.4%). For a prospective ecotoxicological evaluation of the metabolic fate of pesticides and xenobiotics in plants in general, the differential metabolic capacity of plant cell cultures and plants should be taken into account.     

Relating plant and pathogen development to optimise fungicide control of phoma stem canker (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Leptosphaeria maculans</Emphasis>) on winter oilseed rape (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Brassica</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">napus</Emphasis>)

In winter oilseed rape experiments at Rothamsted in 2000/01 to 2002/03 growing seasons, the severity of phoma stem canker epidemics in summer depended on the timing of phoma leaf spot epidemics in the previous autumn, and hence on the timing of Leptosphaeria maculans ascospore release. The first major release of L. maculans ascospores was earlier in 2000 (26 September) and 2001 (18 September) than in 2002 (21 October). Consequently, the autumn phoma leaf spot epidemic was also earlier in 2000 and 2001 than in 2002. The resulting stem canker epidemics were severe by harvest (July) in 2001 and 2002 but not in 2003. No correlation was found between the severity or duration of phoma leaf spotting (lesion days or lesion °C-days) and the subsequent severity of phoma stem canker epidemics. Rates of leaf production and loss were similar in the three growing seasons. Out of ca. 25 leaves produced on plants during each season, leaf numbers 10–14 generally remained on plants for the longest. Treatment with flusilazole + carbendazim in autumn decreased the severity of phoma leaf spotting for several weeks after treatment, decreased the severity of stem canker the following summer and increased yield significantly in 2001 and 2002 but not in 2003. The most effective timings for flusilazole + carbendazim application were when leaves 7–11 were present on most plants and at least 10% of plants were affected by phoma leaf spot. Two half-dose applications of fungicide reduced phoma stem canker and increased yield more than a single full dose application when phoma leaf spot epidemics were early (<800 °C-days after sowing).     

Isolation of Mutants Exhibiting Altered Resistance to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum from Small M2 Populations of an Oilseed Rape (Brassica napus) Variety

Two small M₂ populations, consisting of 39 and 50 plants, respectively, obtained by EMS-mutagenesis of an inbred line derived from oilseed rape cv. Linetta, were screened for altered leaf response to artificial inoculation with Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. In both experiments, the M₂ population exhibited greater variation and a lower mean infection value than the parental population; individuals in the most resistant class were obtained only from the M₂ population. Parent–progeny analysis of disease response scores revealed significant regressions only for the mutagenised population, with narrow-sense heritabilities of 0.75–0.83, compared to 0.14–0.22 for the parental population. When larger populations (approximately 600 individuals per population) were screened, similar results were obtained. Mutants with significantly greater resistance than the most resistant Linetta line were obtained at frequencies of 1.7% (from an M₂ population size of 593) to 5.1% (n=39). The altered leaf response to Sclerotinia in selected mutant lines was positively correlated with stem response to artificial inoculation. Detailed analysis of one mutant (HH-1), with significantly higher Sclerotinia resistance than the parent, demonstrated that HH-1 was more resistant to artificial stem inoculation than four commercial varieties tested, including cv. Briol, which is reported to exhibit high levels of resistance in the field. Field trials in moderately- and heavily-infested soils showed that HH-1 exhibited significantly greater resistance to natural infection than Linetta, with percentage plant deaths of 5.3% (compared to 22.4% in the parental population) and 13.6% (47.3%) under moderate and high inoculum pressure, respectively. The seed yield of HH-1 was significantly higher than that of the parent population under a heavy Sclerotinia infestation; in the absence of Sclerotinia, the yield difference between the two populations was not significant. The implications of these results are discussed in respect of a re-evaluation of the efficacy of mutagenesis for the isolation of agronomically valuable micro-mutants.     

四川大白菜细菌性软腐病新病原菌Pectobacterium versatile的鉴定

为明确引起四川理县大白菜软腐病的病原菌种类, 从理县梭罗沟村田间采集具有典型软腐症状的大白菜病样, 采用组织分离、致病力测定、生理生化分析、形态学和分子生物学方法进行鉴定。结果表明, 分离获得的5株细菌在NA培养基上形成的菌落呈圆形、半透明、乳白色、中心突起、边缘平滑, 在半选择性培养基CVP上培养48 h后产生凹陷。5株菌均能使大白菜、胡萝卜、马铃薯和芹菜的离体组织腐烂, 接种于白菜苗后叶片呈湿腐萎蔫症状。通过大白菜叶柄接种部位形成的病斑长径来比较菌株致病力强弱, 各菌株的致病力有显著差异。基于看家基因pgi、rpoS、mdh、proA、mtlD 和icdA(NCBI登录号为OL963562~OL963571)的多基因联合系统发育树, 分离菌株与Pectobacterium versatile聚为一簇, dnaX-leuS-recA(NCBI登录号为OL963572~OL963576)的多位点序列分析(MLSA)进一步支持以上结果, 且准确性更高。分离菌株的生理生化特征与P.versatile模式菌株一致, 综上将其鉴定为P.versatile。这是我国首次报道P.versatile引起大白菜软腐病。     

Metabolism of the herbicide glufosinate‐ammonium in plant cell cultures of transgenic (rhizomania‐resistant) and non‐transgenic sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris), carrot (Daucus carota), purple foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) and thorn apple (Datura stramonium)

The metabolism of the herbicide glufosinate‐ammonium was investigated in heterotrophic cell suspension and callus cultures of transgenic (bar‐gene) and non‐transgenic sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris). Similar studies were performed with suspensions of carrot (Daucus carota), purple foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) and thorn apple (Datura stramonium). ¹⁴C‐labelled chemicals were the (racemic) glufosinate, L ‐glufosinate, and D ‐glufosinate, as well as the metabolites N‐acetyl L ‐glufosinate and 3‐(hydroxymethylphosphinyl)propionic acid (MPP). Cellular absorption was generally low, but depended noticeably on plant species, substance and enantiomer. Portions of non‐extractable residues ranged from 0.1% to 1.2% of applied ¹⁴C. Amounts of soluble metabolites resulting from glufosinate or L ‐glufosinate were between 0.0% and 26.7% of absorbed ¹⁴C in non‐transgenic cultures and 28.2% and 59.9% in transgenic sugarbeet. D ‐Glufosinate, MPP and N‐acetyl L ‐glufosinate proved to be stable. The main metabolite in transgenic sugarbeet was N‐acetyl L ‐glufosinate, besides traces of MPP and 4‐(hydroxymethylphosphinyl)butanoic acid (MPB). In non‐transgenic sugarbeet, glufosinate was transformed to a limited extent to MPP and trace amounts of MPB. In carrot, D stramonium and D purpurea, MPP was also the main product; MPB was identified as a further trace metabolite in D stramonium and D purpurea. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry     

Genome-wide analysis and identification of TIR-NBS-LRR genes in Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa ssp. pekinensis) reveal expression patterns to TuMV infection

TIR-NBS-LRR (TNL) genes greatly affect plant growth and development. Ninety TNL-type genes were identified and characterized in Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa ssp. pekinensis). Tissue-expression profiling revealed different expression levels in different tissues. qRT-PCR analysis revealed the expression patterns of 69 genes challenged by Turnip mosaic virus (TuMV): 42 genes were up-regulated, and 11 genes down-regulated; genes were grouped according to their different expression patterns. Sixteen candidate genes were identified as responding to TuMV infection. This study supplies information on resistance genes involved in Chinese cabbage's response against TuMV, and furthers the understanding of resistance mechanisms in B. rapa crops.     

Relative tolerances of wild and cultivated barley to infection by Blumeria graminis f.sp. hordei (Syn. Erysiphe graminis f.sp. hordei). II—the effects of infection on photosynthesis and respiration

The relative levels of tolerance of two wild barley lines (Hordeum spontaneum), B19909 and I-17-40, and one cultivated barley (Hordeum vulgare), cv. Prisma, to Blumeria graminis f.sp. hordei were determined by comparing the effects of different levels of infection on the photosynthesis and respiration rates of the third leaf. Infection caused the early onset of senescence in all three lines, and in particular in cv. Prisma, and was accompanied by decreases in gross and net photosynthesis rates, increases in respiration rates, and loss of chlorophyll. The onset of senescence occurred at approximately the same time in infected leaves of the two wild lines, but once triggered, photosynthesis rates and chlorophyll levels declined more rapidly in I-17-40 than in B19909. A burst of respiratory activity accompanied the onset of senescence, and this was greatest in cv. Prisma. Conidial production was higher in B19909, indicating a higher level of tolerance in this line.     

Resistance to root-lesion nematode Pratylenchus neglectus identified in a new collection of two wild chickpea species (Cicer reticulatum and C. echinospermum) from Turkey

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum) is a major legume crop, with Australia being the second largest producer worldwide. Pratylenchus neglectus is a root-lesion nematode that invades, feeds and reproduces in roots of pulse and cereal crops. In Australia, chickpea and wheat (Triticum aestivum) are commonly grown in rotation and annual damage by P. neglectus accounts for large economic losses to both crops. Cultivated chickpea has narrow genetic diversity that limits the potential for improvement in resistance breeding. New collections of wild chickpea species, C. reticulatum and C. echinospermum, have substantially increased the previously limited world collection of wild Cicer germplasm and offer potential to widen the genetic diversity of cultivated chickpea through the identification of accessions with good resistance. This research assessed 243 C. reticulatum and 86 C. echinospermum accessions for response to P. neglectus in replicated experiments under controlled glasshouse conditions from 2013 and 2014 collection missions that were received, tested and analysed in two experimental sets. Multi-experiment analyses showed lower P. neglectus population densities in both sets of wild Cicer accessions tested than Australia's elite breeding cultivar PBA HatTrick at the significance level p < 0.05. Provisional resistance ratings were given to all genotypes tested in both experimental sets, with C. reticulatum accessions CudiB_008B and Kayat_066 rated as resistant in both Set 1 and Set 2. New sources of resistance to P. neglectus observed in this study can be introgressed into commercial chickpea cultivars to improve their resistance to this nematode.