The role ofPseudomonas spp. and competition for carbon,nitrogen and iron in the enhancement of appressorium formation byColletotrichum coccodes on velvetleaf

Colletotrichum coccodes is currently being investigated as a mycoherbicide against the weed velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti). Two isolates ofPseudomonas spp. (Ps2 and Ps5) reduced the percentage of germ tubes and increased appressorial formation ofC. coccodes on detached leaves of velvetleaf. A study was conducted to see whether this effect could be attributed to competition for nutrients or iron betweenC. coccodes andPseudomonas spp. Ps2 and Ps5 had no effect on early spore germination, but reduced the percentage of germ tubes at 24 and 30 h, compared to the nontreated control. This reduction was diminished by the addition of nutrients but not Fe³⁺. Ps2 and Ps5 stimulated the formation of dark-coloured appressoria without germ tubes (AWGT), but this stimulation was diminished by the addition of nutrients or Fe³⁺. Germ tube branching at 30 h was also inhibited by the bacteria, but was not diminished by the addition of nutrients or iron. EDTA stimulated conidial germination at 10 h, which was reduced by the addition of Fe³⁺. However, EDTA did not stimulate the formation of appressoria (AWGT). These results suggest that the reduction in the percentage of germ tubes and the increase in the percentage of appressoria induced by the bacteria may be due to the competition for carbon or nitrogen. Iron competition may also be involved in the stimulation of appressorial formation, but not in the reduction in germ tube percentage and branching. Phylloplane bacteria may compete for carbon, nitrogen and iron, limiting the saprophytic phase of the pathogen on the phylloplane and accelerating the development of the parasitic phase. This may enhance the field efficacy ofC. coccodes as a biocontrol agent against velvetleaf.     

Pathogenic specialization in Melampsora epitea var. epitea on Salix

Eighteen isolates of the rust fungus Melampsora from different locations in England were tested for pathogenicity to a large range of willow clones ( Salix spp.) in experiments involving inoculation of leaf discs. Seventeen of the isolates were of leaf-infecting M. epitea var. epitea , 16 of which represented forms which alternated on Larix and one of which alternated on Ribes . The remaining isolate was of uncertain identity. Two experiments were carried out. In the first experiment, 24 willow clones consisting of 20 Salix species and interspecific hybrids were inoculated with eight isolates from clones of S. viminalis . In the other experiment, 77 clones from 57 species or hybrids were inoculated with 10 isolates from several Salix spp. The M. epitea var. epitea isolates from S. viminalis clones were all similarly pathogenic, whilst most of the other isolates expressed distinct host specificity. Eight distinct pathotypes were recognized within M. epitea var. epitea . All except one of these alternated on Larix and could be assigned to three formae speciales which had been reported previously in Europe: four pathotypes to f.sp. larici-epitea typica , two to f.sp. larici-retusae , and one to f.sp. larici-daphnoides . The Ribes -alternating pathotype of M. epitea var. epitea infected only S. purpurea . Nine differential willow hosts are proposed as reference clones to distinguish between the larch-alternating pathotypes, the Ribes -alternating rust and the 'stem-infecting' form. The extent of pathogenic variation encountered amongst sexually reproducing rusts suggests that more pathotypes probably exist and will arise in future in response to selection given by long-term clonal willow plantings.     

The role of peroxidase in the resistance of sunflower against Orobanche cumana in Russia

We present the results of a histochemical study comparing seedlings of races C and D of Orobanche cumana Wallr. (syn. O. cernua Loefl.) attacking sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) in southern Russia. Three groups of O. cumana seedlings were distinguished according to the peroxidase content of the cells in the radicles: (1) those with neither extracellular nor intracellubr peroxidase and whose radicles have a smooth apex (these were classified as non-infective): (2) those with a high peroxidase content of the nuclei and the cytoplasm layer adjacent to the cell wall, as well as excretion of peroxidase from the apex of the radicles: (3) those with a similarly high peroxidase activity in the parasite cells, but without extracellular excretion. The apices of the radicles of the last two groups are swollen. It is suggested that these belong to O. cumana races C and D respectively. The extracellular peroxidase in O. cumana race C reacts with phenolic compounds, which are lignin precursors of the host, resulting in host resistance due to the formation of lignin layers in sunflowers possessing the Or3 gene for resistance. The absence of extracellular peroxidase in O. cumana race D prevents lignin formation and enables the parasite to attach to the host vascular system. Comparison of these data with the information on the earlier O. cumana races A and B, and older sunflower cultivars, points to a crucial role of peroxidase in the process of breeding new sunflower cultivars and the evolution of new O. cumana races.     

核盘菌在亚麻上侵染致病的微观过程

 第1次利用电子显微镜对核盘菌在亚麻叶片上侵染致病的微观过程进行深入细致的观察。结果表明,该菌在侵入叶表面之前可能产生某些酶类物质来软化溶解亚麻叶表面角质层,以帮助该菌对叶表面的侵入。本文还对菌丝和子囊孢子侵染过程的异同进行了比较。     

Soil solarization for the control of verticillium wilt of greenhouse tomato

Verticillium dahliae, the causal agent of Verticillium wilt of tomato, causes serious damage to crops grown in unheated greenhouses. To control this disease, growers are obliged to employ strong soil disinfestants. The possibility of controllingV. dahliae by using soil solarization during the months of June — August was examined. The soil was covered with transparent polyethylene sheets for 10 weeks. The pathogen could not be isolated from the solarized soil, whereas the inoculum level in the nonsolarized soil remained high (1379–1806 propagules/g soil). The yield from the solarized soil was increased by 112.4% in comparison with the control, and no infected plants were observed. The percentage of infected roots was very low (0.3–0.4%) in relation to the nonsolarized soil (66.7–67.1%). From these results it was concluded that solarization can effectively control Verticillium wilt of greenhouse-grown tomato under the summer conditions in Crete.     

Interference between triazine-resistant Brassica napus and Panicum miliaceum

Atrazine carryover often limits growers to production of atrazine-tolerant crops the year following application, and allows the increase of triazine-tolerant weed species such as Panicum miliaceum L. (wild proso millet). Tiriazine-resistant Brassica napus L. cv. ‘Triton’ (oilseed rape) was tested to characterize the nature of interspecific interference with P. miliaceum. In a greenhouse study, atrazine at 2.2 kg ha^?1 depressed oilseed rape fruit (siliqua) number and fruit dry weight, and delayed flowering, but did not significantly affect height or weight of shoots, Oilseed rape fruit weight was reduced at 200 P. miliaceum plants m^?2. fruit number and shoot weight were inhibited at 400 weeds m^?2. and height was reduced and flowering delayed at 600 weeds m^?2. Number and weight of fruits were reduced by one-third after 8 weeks of interference as compared to oilseed rape grown with the weed for 4 weeks. Oilseed rape height was reduced by 29% and shoot weight by 55% by 600 weeds m^?2 and 2–2 kg ha^?1 atrazine, while fruit number and weight were reduced by 72%. Oilseed rape shoot weight was reduced by 74% by 600 weeds m^?2 for 12 weeks of interference, while fruit number and weight were reduced by 85% and 82%. respectively. In a field study, fluazifop reduced early season P. miliaceum cover by 72%, but did not increase oilseed rape cover. Mid-season P. miliaceum shoot weight was decreased by 97% by fluazifop and oilseed rape shoot weight was increased by 34%. P. miliaceum control increased oilseed rape biomass by 38% at 89 days, but biomass of oilseed rape sown at 11.2 kg ha^?1 with 2.2 kg atrazine ha^?1 was not decreased by P. miliaceum interference at 89 days.     

Japanese pear black spot and apple alternaria blotch

The pathogenicity and taxonomy of 15 isolates of Alternaria spp. from pear and apple were compared. Only isolates from Asian pear ( Pyrus pyrifolia ) from Italy and Korea were virulent on leaves and young fruits of the susceptible Asian pear cv. Nijisseiki. Their conidial morphology was typical of A. gaisen (= A. kikuchiana ). Only isolates of A. mali from USA were virulent on susceptible American apple cvs Indo and Red Gold. No virulence was demonstrated in any isolate/host combination among isolates from stem infections of Asian and European pear ( Pyrus communis ), leaf spots of European apple, and ripe fruit rots of Chinese pear ( Pyrus ussuriensis ), European pear and apple. These non-virulent isolates could be readily distinguished from A. gaisen and A. mali by their pattern of branching of conidial chains, the branching associated with A. alternata sensu stricto being most common among non-virulent isolates. This limited survey implies that A. gaisen is only virulent to Asian pear and the toxigenic form of A. mali to certain American apple cultivars; also that A. gaisen is not established outside eastern Asia or the toxigenic form of A. mali outside eastern Asia and parts of USA.     

Components of resistance to late blight (Phytophthora infestans) in eight South AmericanSolanum species

Four components of partial resistance toPhytophthora infestans were measured after inoculation in the greenhouse and in the field ofSolanum arnezii x hondelmannii, S. berthaultii, S. circaeifolium, S. leptophyes, S. microdontum, S. sparsipilum, S. sucrense andS. vernei, and four hybrid progenies ofS. microdontum withS. tuberosum. The four components were infection efficiency, lesion growth rate, generation time and sporulation capacity. The results were compared with resistance ratings derived from field experiments, and with observations made on the potato cultivars Bintje, Bildstar, Libertas and Pimpernel. Genetic variation for all components was found, while the relative importance of the components of partial resistance appeared to vary between the species. InS. microdontum, generation time, infection efficiency and lesion growth rate, and inS. tuberosum infection efficiency, lesion growth rate and sporulation capacity appeared positively associated, but in other species no such association was found. A strong hypersensitive reaction, the expression of which appeared to depend on environmental conditions, was found inS. microdontum. ForS. berthaultii, infection efficiency appeared to be the main resistance component.Abbreviations ADPC area under the disease progress curve - IE infection efficiency - LGR lesion growth rate - GT generation time - SC sporulation capacity     

Nerve insensitivity resistance to cypermethrin in larvae of the tobacco budworm Heliothis virescens from USA cotton field populations

Spontaneous neuronal activity was recorded from the peripheral nerves of third-instar larvae of strains of Heliothis virescens (F.) obtained directly from cotton fields in the USA. Following a control period the preparations were exposed to increasing concentrations of cis-cypermethrin in a cumulative dose-response assay. A positive response was defined as an increase of at least five-fold in the rate of neuronal activity over that seen during the control period. Up to 35 individuals of each strain were assayed and the responses used to construct a phenotypic profile categorising the individuals from nerve-susceptible to highly nerve-insensitive. An EC₅₀ for the action of cis-cypermethrin was also obtained. There was a positive, significant correlation between non-synergisable resistance to cypermethrin and nerve insensitivity as defined in the neurophysiological assay. It was shown that nerve insensitivity to cypermethrin increased throughout the cotton-growing season.