Observations of Phytophthora spp. in Water Recirculation Systems in Commercial Hardy Ornamental Nursery Stock

Samples of water and sediment were taken from drains, reservoirs and wells from four commercial hardy ornamental nurseries with water recirculation systems. The samples were taken on seven different dates throughout a single year from August 1994 to July 1995. The samples were screened for Phytophthora species using five different methods: direct plating, three bait tests (using lupin seedlings, apples and Rhododendron leaves) and a DAS-ELISA (double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent-assay) with two antisera. In the nurseries with old water recirculation systems, Phytophthora species were detected in the drains and in the reservoirs. In the nursery with a new recirculation system, the pathogens were only present in the drains. None of the water samples from wells in any of the nurseries were contaminated. Phytophthora species were present in the water as well as in the sediment samples from drains and reservoirs. They were detected in the water recirculation systems irrespective of the season. The number of isolates increased about sevenfold between late summer and spring. At least 12 different Phytophthora species were identified: some isolates were previously unrecorded species. The epidemiology of the pathogens in outdoor water recirculation systems as well as the importance of the results for commercial nurseries is discussed.     

Plant parasitic nematodes of Tylenchida (Nematoda) associated with groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) fields in the Mediterranean region of Turkey

In a nematode survey of Tylenchida carried out in groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) growing areas in the Mediterranean region of Turkey, 15 species were determined as belonging to ten genera of eight families within the superfamilies Tylenchoidea, Dolichodoroidea, Hoplolaimoidea and Anguinoidea. Each of them constitutes a new record on groundnut in Turkey, andScutylenchus tumensis Skwiercz andPratylenchus brachyurus (Godfrey) are reported for the first time in the nematofauna of Turkey.     

Indole-3-acetic acid biosynthesis in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aciculosporium take</Emphasis>, a causal agent of witches' broom of bamboo

 Aciculosporium take (Ascomycota; Clavicipitaceae) is a causal agent of witches' broom of bamboo plants. The symptoms of this disease are believed to be induced by plant hormones, particularly auxins. Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) was identified in cultures of this fungus in an l-tryptophan-supplemented liquid medium. IAA production was confirmed on 30 isolates of A. take from various hosts and locations at levels up to 1 mg/l. The biosynthetic pathway of IAA in A. take culture was examined by analyzing intermediate products and by feeding experiments. The results showed that the indole-3-pyruvic acid pathway (l-tryptophan → indole-3-pyruvic acid → indole acetaldehyde → IAA) was the dominant pathway in A. take. Received: June 3, 2002 / Accepted: July 25, 2002     

Inconspicuous restraint of rice seedling growth by root-infecting fungi in soil of a rice paddy field

 Rice seedling growth, estimated by plant height and root development and discoloration, was better in pasteurized soil than in unpasteurized soil obtained from a flooded rice field. Rice seedlings also grew better in sterilized soil modified by adding roots harvested from the pasteurized soil than in soil modified by adding roots harvested from the unpasteurized soil. The results demonstrate that seedling growth in the rice field soil was inhibited by soil microorganisms, even though no typical symptoms such as seedling blight or damping-off appeared. Pythium aristosporum is suggested to be involved in the inhibition. Thus, it appears that inconspicuous restraint of rice seedling growth could occur in soils of rice paddy fields. Received: May 20, 2002 / Accepted: October 16, 2002 Acknowledgments The authors thank Dr. T. Ichitani, former professor at Osaka Prefectural University, for providing an isolate of Pythium aristosporum for comparison, and Mr. Mitsuaki Sato of Akita Prefectural College of Agriculture for technical assistance.