Effects of elevated CO2 and cutting frequency on the productivity and herbage quality of a semi-natural grassland

Monoliths of a fertile, although N limited, C₃ grassland community were subjected (or not) to an atmospheric CO₂ enrichment (600 μmol mol⁻¹), owing to the Mini-FACE system from August 1998 to June 2001, at two contrasting cutting frequencies (3 and 6 cuts per year). The present study reports the effects of elevated CO₂ on the above-ground productivity and on the herbage quality. Elevated CO₂ did not affect the dry matter (DM) yield of the swards in 1999. In 2000, the second year, there was a positive CO₂ effect (+26%) both on the DM and on the nitrogen yields (+30%). With the frequently cut monoliths, the DM of the legume component of the sward was strongly increased by elevated CO₂. This effect became also significant in July 2000 for the low cutting frequency treatment. These results are in good agreement with the concept of an increased legume development and symbiotic N₂ fixation triggered by an increased ecosystem scale demand of N under elevated CO₂. At a low cutting frequency, the DM of the forbs was strongly increased in elevated compared with ambient CO₂. This increased development of the forbs apparently led to a competitive decline of the grasses. Therefore, the total DM yield response to CO₂ was smaller at a low (+15%) compared with a high (+36%) cutting frequency in 2000. An increase in the water soluble sugar content of the bulk forage under elevated CO₂ and a corresponding decline in cell wall contents (NDF) were observed. In June 1999, the decline in NDF was correlated with an increased in-vitro DM digestibility. The forage quality was also indirectly affected by elevated CO₂ through changes in leaf:stem ratio and in botanical composition. At a low cutting frequency, the increased forb content favoured the herbage quality because of a higher digestibility of the forb shoots and, indirectly, through the reduction in the mass of the grass stems. These results emphasise the role of species dynamics for elevated CO₂ impacts on semi-natural grassland productivity and herbage quality.     

Baseline sensitivity to proquinazid in Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici and Erysiphe necator and cross‐resistance with other fungicides

BACKGROUND: Proquinazid is a new quinazolinone fungicide from DuPont registered in most European countries for powdery mildew control in cereals and vines. The aim of this paper is to present baseline sensitivity data in populations of Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici EM Marchal and Erysiphe necator (Schw) Burr as well as results from cross‐resistance studies with other fungicides. RESULTS: Proquinazid exhibited a high intrinsic activity on B. graminis f. sp. tritici isolates at rates ranging from 0.000078 to 0.02 mg L^?1. Erysiphe necator isolates were comparatively less sensitive to proquinazid, with EC₅₀ values ranging from 0.001 to 0.3 mg L^?1. Proquinazid controlled equally well B. graminis f. sp. tritici isolates sensitive and resistant or less sensitive to tebuconazole, fenpropimorph, fenpropidin, cyprodinil and kresoxim‐methyl. A positive correlation (r = 0.617) between quinoxyfen and proquinazid sensitivities was found among 51 B. graminis f. sp. tritici isolates. Quinoxyfen‐resistant B. graminis f. sp. tritici isolates were slightly less sensitive to proquinazid than the quinoxyfen‐sensitive isolates; however, proquinazid remained much more active than quinoxyfen on these isolates. A stronger sensitivity relationship (r = 0.874) between proquinazid and quinoxyfen was found among 65 E. necator isolates tested in a leaf disc assay. The sensitivity values for proquinazid were significantly lower than those for quinoxyfen, confirming the higher intrinsic activity of proquinazid on both pathogens. CONCLUSION: Given the history of resistance development in powdery mildew and the observed sensitivity relationship with quinoxyfen, specifically in E. necator, we conclude that the risk of resistance developing to proquinazid might be influenced by the use of quinoxyfen. Based on these results, the authors recommend that proquinazid and quinoxyfen be managed together for resistance management. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Expressed sequence tags from the phytopathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea

A large set of genes was identified in the phytopathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea by using an expressed sequence tag approach. The fungus was grown in axenic culture and a cDNA library was produced. From this library, 6559 ESTs were obtained. The combined sequences represent 3026 unisequences that corresponds to approximately one-quarter of the estimated total number of genes in B. cinerea. Approximately 18% of the ESTs showed significant similarities with genes coding for proteins with known functions,~56% were similar to genes coding for proteins with unknown functions and ~26% were orphans. A substantial B. cinerea gene inventory including putative virulence factors was therefore obtained and is now available at the Génoplante-Info Database interface (http://urgi.infobiogen.fr///Projects/GPiDB/Interface/).     

Protective effects of a wheat cultivar mixture against splash‐dispersed septoria tritici blotch epidemics

The use of cultivar mixtures to control foliar fungal diseases is well documented for windborne diseases, but remains controversial for splash‐dispersed diseases. To try to improve this strategy, a cultivar mixture was designed consisting of two wheat cultivars with contrasted resistance to Mycosphaerella graminicola , responsible for the rainborne disease septoria tritici blotch (STB), in a 1:3 susceptible:resistant ratio rather than the 1:1 ratio commonly used in previous studies. The impact of natural STB epidemics in this cultivar mixture was studied in field experiments over 4 years. Weekly assessments of the number of sporulating lesions, pycnidial leaf area and green leaf area were carried out on the susceptible cultivar. In years with sufficient STB pressure, disease impacts on the susceptible cultivar in the mixture were always significantly lower than in the pure stand (e.g. 42% reduction of pycnidial leaf area for the three upper leaves in 2008 and 41% in 2009). In years with low STB pressure (2010 and 2011), a reduction of disease impacts was also shown but was not always significant. After major rainfall events, the number of sporulating lesions observed on the susceptible cultivar after one latent period was reduced on average by 45% in the mixture compared to the pure stand. All the measurements showed that a susceptible cultivar was consistently protected, at least moderately, in a mixture under low to moderate STB pressure. Therefore, the results prove that the design of an efficient cultivar mixture can include the control of STB, among other foliar diseases.