Biological Control of Take-all by Phialophora radicicola Cain1

Biological control of take-all by Phialophora radicicola Cain and similar fungi is reviewed, and new evidence is presented on the possible role of hyper-parasites, like Pythium oligandrum Drechsler, to augment this. Phialophora radicicola var. graminicola Deacon is abundant in British grasslands. Its role in biological control of take-all has been demonstrated in the glasshouse with natural soils and natural population levels of this control agent. Also there is much circumstantial evidence for its beneficial role in agriculture, especially in cereal monoculture following grass crops, and in natural and amenity grasslands. Some other similar fungi control take-all in the glasshouse, but their roles in current agricultural practice are not known. The take-all fungus, itself, can reduce infection of roots by P. radicicola, so there is a dynamic interaction between these fungi. This is affected by host type, relative inoculum potentials of the fungi, and possibly by environmental conditions. By careful manipulation, therefore, it might be possible to control take-all under a wide range of field conditions. The chief role of P. radicicola and similar fungi is to delay establishment of severe take-all early in cereal monoculture, rather than to combat an existing high disease level. It may therefore be desirable to combine different biocontrols, and hyperparasites like Pythium oligandrum may be important in this respect. This fungus was tested against varieties of Gaeumannomyces graminis Arx & Olivier and Phialophora radicicola in the laboratory; the host responses differed greatly, from marked susceptibility (P. radicicola var. radicicola) to almost complete resistance (G. graminis var. graminis). Hence, P. oligandrum might be used to alter relative population levels of these fungi in the field, but first its behaviour in natural soils must be studied.     

Biology of the Gaeumannomyces graminis Arx & Olivier/Phialophora radicicola Cain Complex on Roots of the Gramineae

Biological characteristics of the varieties of Gaeumannomyces graminis Arx & Olivier and Phialophora radicicola Cain are reviewed. They include: 1) pathogenicity to roots of cereals; 2) growth on living stem tissues; 3) type of fungal growth-cessation structure formed on or in the host. Together, these provide a simple means of characterizing isolates and standard methods for assessing them are presented.
The role of pigmented cells and tissues (growth-cessation structures) in host penetration is questioned, since they are seldom associated with a progressive infection by G. graminis or P. radicicola . However, they are a taxonomic aid, especially as they are now known to form on cellophane overlying agar.
New evidence is presented on factors affecting conidiation by these fungi. Flooding colonies with distilled water induced formation of conidia by G. graminis var. tritici Walker, P. radicicola var. radicicola (British isolates but not the type) and P. radicicola var. graminicola Deacon, whereas none formed on corresponding unflooded agar plates. Conidia were usually much larger and germinated readily when they formed in response to flooding; many of these fungi therefore have 2 conidial types, distinct in both morphology and behaviour. Preliminary results suggest that biotin and the form of nitrogen also affect the type of conidium formed by P. radicicola var. radicicola .     

Frequency of transmission of artichoke Italian latent nepovirus by Longidorus fasciatus (Nematoda: Longidoridae) from artichoke fields in the Iria and Kandia areas of Argolis in northeast Peloponnesus, Greece

Artichoke Italian latent nepovirus (AILV) transmitted by Longidorus fasciatus is a causative agent of artichoke patchy chlorotic stunting (APCS) in northeast Peloponnesus in southern Greece. Populations of L. fasciatus collected from the Iria and Kandia areas of Argolis in northeast Peloponnesus were used in laboratory experiments to determine the frequency of transmission of the virus by its natural vector. One tenth to almost one half of the L. fasciatus specimens recovered from soil collected in two artichoke fields showing APCS transmitted AILV. Allowing nematodes access for 4 wk to Nicotiana clevelandii mechanically infected with AILV did not increase the number of individual specimens able to transmit virus. The total number of specimens transmitting virus in an experiment did not exceed fifty percent of the individuals tested. Virus-like particles were only observed adsorbed to the inner surface of the odontostyle and it is suggested that the high frequency of transmission of AILV by L. fasciatus is a result of efficient dissociation of virus particles from the specific sites of retention in the vector.     

The effect of solar heating of soil on natural and inoculated agrobacteria

Solarization trials were carried out over 3 years and in two countries to control crown gall disease on fruit trees and eliminate Agrobacterium . In 1992, agrobacteria in naturally infested soils of two Italian nurseries were monitored before and after solarization. Agrobacteria populations decreased by 99% and 92% after the treatment; however, crown gall incidence did not decrease. In 1993 and 1994 solarization was tested in Oregon in fields artificially infested with two marked strains of A. tumefaciens . In sandy loam soil, the target bacteria were eliminated in 4 weeks, while in silty clay soil the populations were markedly reduced after 2 months of treatment. Crown gall incidence on cherry rootstocks transplanted to the field at the end of 1993 was 3.7% in the sandy loam soil control plots, while no tumours were observed on plants from solarized plots. The use of solarization in combination with reduced doses of metham-sodium was also evaluated.     

Effects of straw and silicon soil amendments on some foliar and stem-base diseases in pot-grown winter wheat

Four foliar and two stem-base pathogens were inoculated onto wheat plants grown in different substrates in pot experiments. Soils from four different UK locations were each treated in three ways: (i) straw incorporated in the field at 10 t ha⁻¹ several months previously; (ii) silicon fertilization at 100 mg L⁻¹ during the experiment; and (iii) no amendments. A sand and vermiculite mix was used with and without silicon amendment. The silicon treatment increased plant silica concentrations in all experiments, but incorporating straw was not associated with raised plant silica concentrations. Blumeria graminis and Puccinia recondita were inoculated by shaking infected plants over the test plants, followed by suitable humid periods. The silicon treatment reduced powdery mildew ( B. graminis ) substantially in sand and vermiculite and in two of the soils, but there were no effects on the slight infection by brown rust ( P. recondita ). Phaeosphaeria nodorum and Mycosphaerella graminicola were inoculated as conidial suspensions. Leaf spot caused by P. nodorum was reduced in silicon-amended sand and vermiculite; soil was not tested. Symptoms of septoria leaf blotch caused by M. graminicola were reduced by silicon amendment in a severely infected sand and vermiculite experiment but not in soil or a slightly infected sand and vermiculite experiment. Oculimacula yallundae (eyespot) and Fusarium culmorum (brown foot rot) were inoculated as agar plugs on the stem base. Severity of O. yallundae was reduced by silicon amendment of two of the soils but not sand and vermiculite; brown foot rot symptoms caused by F. culmorum were unaffected by silicon amendment. The straw treatment reduced severity of powdery mildew but did not detectably affect the other pathogens. Both straw and silicon treatments appeared to increase plant resistance to all diseases only under high disease pressure.     

Footsteps from Insect Larvae Damage Leaf Surfaces and Initiate Rapid Responses

Plant resistance to insect herbivory involves gene expression in response to wounding and the detection of insect elicitors in oral secretions (Kessler and Baldwin, 2002, Ann. Rev. Plant/ Biol. 53: 299–328). However, crawling insect larvae stimulate the synthesis of 4-aminobutyrate within minutes and imprints of larval footsteps can be visualized within seconds through superoxide production or transient increases in chlorophyll fluorescence (Bown et al., 2002, Plant Physiol. 129: 1430–1434). Here cryo-scanning electron microscopy was used to demonstrate that larval feet, which are equipped with a perimeter row of hook-like crochets, damage leaf tissue and result in larval footprints. Staining for cell death shows that areas of wounding correspond to footsteps detected through increased chlorophyll fluorescence. Superoxide production in response to footsteps was inhibited by diphenyleneiodonium, an inhibitor of the plasma membrane NADPH oxidase enzyme. Inhibition of superoxide production, however, did not eliminate the detection of cell death. The results demonstrate that larval footsteps damage leaf tissue, and initiate rapid local responses which are not dependent on herbivory or oral secretions. It is proposed that superoxide production at the wound site prevents opportunistic pathogen infection.     

不同声音对草鱼幼鱼负趋音性行为反应影响研究

声驱鱼技术作为辅助过鱼措施之一,承担着保证鱼类洄游顺利通过过鱼设施,继而保护鱼类资源和恢复河流连通性的重要作用。本研究采用交替播音的形式,以草鱼(Ctenopharyngodon idellus)幼鱼为研究对象进行负趋音性实验,旨在探究草鱼幼鱼面对不同声音的行为反应。实验水槽(3.6 m×1.1 m×1.0 m)布置于下牢溪周围水域,平均水深为0.5 m,平均流速为0.06 m/s。实验使用1种单频音(1 000 Hz)和5种复杂音(鱼游动声、引擎声、短吻鳄叫声、打桩声和游艇声),声压级(sound pressure level)为(117.69±2.77) dB re 1 μPa,对照组为未播放声音时草鱼的行为反应数据。结果显示,播放复杂音时,草鱼的反应次数、趋音速度、运动时间比均显著高于单频音和对照组(P<0.001),草鱼的初次反应时间、平均反应时间均显著低于单频音和对照组(P<0.001);复杂音中,受到游艇声刺激的草鱼反应次数和趋音速度最大,受到鱼游动声刺激的草鱼反应次数、趋音速度最小;复杂音中,受到游艇声刺激的草鱼初次反应时间最短,为(23.40±5.13) s;受到引擎声刺激的草鱼初次反应时间最长,为(146.00±7.82) s,显著低于其他复杂音(P<0.05);受到游艇声和打桩声刺激的草鱼平均反应时间最短,分别为(26.52±3.01) s和(28.76±4.07) s;受到鱼游动声刺激的草鱼平均反应时间最长,为(64.76±17.82) s;复杂音中,受到鱼游动声刺激的草鱼运动时间比最高,为(98.47±0.48)%;受到引擎声刺激的草鱼运动时间比最低,为(94.58±0.54)%;播放单频音时,草鱼的反应次数、初次反应时间、平均反应时间、运动时间比均与对照组无显著差异(P>0.05)。本研究表明,5种复杂音(鱼游动声、引擎声、短吻鳄叫声、打桩声和游艇声)对草鱼幼鱼具有驱赶效果。本研究在丰富鱼类负趋音性研究的同时,为实际工程中声驱鱼辅助过鱼设施的设计和优化提供了科学依据。