The Effect of Humic Substances and Phosphate Fertilizer on Growth and Nutrient Uptake of the Potato

ABSTRACT

The use of applied phosphorus (P) and the uptake of nutrients from the soil by plants can be improved when the fertilizer is combined with the application of humic substances (HS). However, these beneficial effects are inconsistent and can depend on the type of soil. This study was performed to evaluate the effects of the application of HS (0, 1.25, and 7.50 mL pot^–1), as Humic HF®, and fertilizer-P (10, 50, 100, and 200 mg P dm^–3), as triple superphosphate, on root morphological characteristics, dry matter accumulation, nutrient uptake, and tuber yield of potatoes grown in sandy and clayey soils. Only under low P supply in the sandy soil did the supply of HS, at the rate of 1.25 mL pot^–1, increase the plant growth, yield of tubers, and uptake of macronutrients by the plants, without affecting the efficiency of the P fertilization. In the clayey soil, which had a higher organic matter content, the application of HS did not affect plant growth, tuber yield or nutrient uptake. In both soils, P fertilization increased plant growth, tuber yield, and nutrient uptake. The combined application of HS and P increased the root length of potatoes in sandy soil.     

A comparison of progeny from diallel crosses of diploid potato with regard to the frequencies of 2n-pollen grains

Summary Selection of diploid potato genotypes that produce high frequencies of 2n-pollen grains in different environments is an important requirement for analytic breeding as well as for true potato seed production. In this context, quantitative estimates of 2n-pollen formation were made in two type of diploid potato populations. One population set consisted of the progeny from diallel crosses of five well-known diploid potato clones (A=US-W 5293.3, B=US-W 5295.7, C=US-W 5337.3, D=US-W 7589.2 and E=772102-37). Another population set was obtained by pollinating three genotypes of Solanum phureja, IvP35, IvP48 and IvP101 with clones A, C and E. It was observed that the behaviour of the parental clones with respect to 2n-pollen grains formation in different environments, such as in Europe and China, was stable. The correlation coefficient between means of 2n-pollen grains frequency of combinations and percentage of genotypes with more than 5% 2n-pollen grains in a given combination were estimated and that between mean and maximum frequency of 2n-pollen grains formation in each combination. The results showed that the former coefficients were significant wheareas the latter were not. The combining ability analysis revealed variation in 2n-pollen grains formation between families. Specific combining ability (SCA) effects contributed much more than general combining ability (GCA) to the variation in 2n-pollen grains formation. The broad-sense heritability of 2n-pollen grains formation was estimated to vary between 0.45 and 0.53 and the narrow-sense heritability was calculated to be 0.15 and 0.20 in the two types of populations. This means that additive variance was relatively low. Two to four genes were estimated to control the inheritance of 2n-pollen grains formation.     

Effects of wounding fungicide-treated potato seed tubers on silver scurf disease on daughter tubers at harvest

Summary Silver scurf on daughter tubers at harvest was decreased by treating seed tubers with imazalil or thiabendazole in March but significantly increased when the treated tubers were wounded the day before planting in May. The disease was also increased by wounding seed tubers not treated with fungicide. Black dot was decreased by seed treatment with imazalil but was not affected by wounding.     

Characterization of Pectobacterium brasiliense strains from potato and vegetables in Israel

Pectobacterium brasiliense (Pbr) infects a wide range of crops worldwide, causing potato blackleg and soft rot and vegetable soft rots. This study aimed to characterize the genetic diversity and virulence variability among 68 Pbr strains isolated from either symptomless potato progeny tubers, diseased potato plants, ware potatoes wash water, or vegetables grown in Israel, as well as strains isolated from symptomless seed tubers grown in Europe, or diseased potato plants grown in France. The collection was typed using PCR and TaqMan real-time PCR analyses, dnaX sequence analysis, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and pectolytic activity. dnaX phylogeny grouped almost all strains in a common genetic clade related to Pbr, which was distinct from the other Pectobacterium species. PFGE analysis identified two main clusters, including one major group of 47 strains with 95%–100% similarity. Maceration assays on two potato cultivars showed significant differences between strains but with no correlations with the source of the strains nor the status of the host (with/without symptoms). Molecular (dnaX sequences and PFGE profiles) and phenotypic analyses (tuber maceration tests) showed that the tested Pbr strains are not a homogeneous group. Analysis of the tested Pbr strains isolated from potato and vegetables grown in fields with a history of potato cultivation suggests that seed tubers imported from Europe may be the main source for Pbr in Israel. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that describes biodiversity and population structure of P. brasiliense isolated from potato and vegetables under hot climate conditions.     

Wound-induced suberization and periderm development in potato tubers as affected by temperature and gamma irradiation

Summary Histochemical evaluation of the wound-induced suberization and periderm formation, the processes of wound healing, in potato tubers (Solanum tuberosum L.) showed that both the processes occur most rapidly at 25°C. Wound-healing is delayed at 10 or 15°C while a temperature of 35°C prevented periderm formation and retarded suberization. Gamma irradiation up to 100 Gy, the optimal dose for sprout inhibition, did not affect suberization, which suggests that the DNA-replicating mechanism is more radiation-sensitive than suberin biosynthesis. A dose of 20 to 30 Gy, which had no effect on sprouting inhibited wound periderm formation indicating that meristems in resting buds are apparently less sensitive to irradiation than nuclei of the potential periderm cells. It seems probable that a major cause for the bacterial soft rot occurring in tubers when stored under high tropical ambient temperatures or when irradiated for sprout inhibition is due to an impairment of the wound periderm formation.

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Zusammenfassung Um die m?glichen Gründe für den gesteigerten mikrobiellen Abbau von Kartoffeln w?hrend der Lagerung unter tropischen Umweltbedingungen oder nach der Bestrahlung mit R?ntgenstrahlen zur Keimhemmung aufzukl?ren, wurde der Einfluss von Temperatur und Bestrahlung auf die durch Verletzung induzierte Suberin-und Peridermentwicklung untersucht. Es zeigte sich, dass sowohl die Suberinisierung als auch die Peridermentwicklung bei 25°C schneller verlaufen, w?hrend sie bei 10–15°C verlangsamt sind. Temperaturen über 35°C verhindern die Peridermbildung und verz?gern die Suberinisierung (Tabelle 1). Das Ausmass der Polyphenolbildung war im 1 mm unter der Verletzung bei 20, 25 und 28–30°C ?hnlich der bei 10°C und 15°C w?hrend es bei 35°C verringert war (Abb. 2). Histochemische Untersuchungen zeigten, dass die Suberinisierung in unbestrahlten Knollen und in Knollen, die bis zu 100 Gy erhalten hatten, der optimalen Dosis für die Keimhemmung, im gleichen Ausmass erfolgte (Tabelle 2). Aus diesen Ergebnissen wird geschlossen, dass der Verdopplungsmechanismus der DNS auf Bestrahlung empfindlicher reagiert als die Suberinsynthese. Der Gehalt an Polyphenolen in den suberinisierten Zellschichten war in bestrahlten Knollen vergleichsweise h?her (Tabelle 3). 20–30 Gy an R?ntgenstrahlen reichten aus, um die Wundperidermbildung zu unterbinden (Tabelle 2 und Abb. 1), w?hrend für die Keimhemmung eine Minimaldosis von 50 Gy ben?tigt wurde. Das bedeutet, dass die Meristeme in den ruhenden Knospen auf die Bestrahlung weniger empfindlich reagieren als die Kerne in den potentiellen Peridermzellen. Die suberinisierten Zellschichten k?nnen von der Wundoberfl?che unbestrahlter Knollenh?lften leicht abgeschoben werden, w?hrend das bei Knollen, die einer Bestrahlung von 20 Gy und mehr ausgesetzt waren, nicht m?glich ist. Dieser Unterschied k?nnte als Methode zur Identifizierung bestrahlter Knollen verwendet werden. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Sch?digung der Wundperidermentwicklung ein Hauptgrund für die gesteigerte mikrobielle F?ule von Kartoffelknollen w?hrend der Lagerung bei tropischen Temperaturen oder nach Bestrahlung zur Keimhemmung ist.

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Résumé L'influence de la température et de l'irradiation sur la subérisation d'une blessure occasionnée et sur le développement du périderme a été étudiée, dans le but d'expliquer les déchets de pourritures microbiennes sur des tubercules mis en conservation sous des conditions de climat tropical ou à la suite d'une exposition aux rayons gamma en vue de l'inhibition de la germination. Le développement du périderme et la subérisation se sont effectués rapidement à 25°C mais les réactions ont été retardées à 10 ou 15°C. Une température de 35°C a empêché la formation de périderme et retardé la subérisation (tableau 1). Le taux de polyphénol dans la 1ère couche d'1 mm sous la blessure était sensiblement le même à 10, 15, 20, 25 et 28–30°C mais il avait diminué à 35°C (figure 2). Les résultats de l'analyse hystochimique ont montré que la subérisation avait progressé à vitesse égale pour des tubercules non-irradiés et des tubercules irradiés à plus de 100 Gy, dose optimale correspondant à l'inhibition de la germination. Ces résultats suggèrent que le mécanisme de réplication de l'ADN est plus sensible à la radiation que la biosynthèse de la subérine. Le niveau de polyphénols dans les couches cellulaires en voie de subérisation était plus élevé dans les tubercules irradiés que dans les tubercules non irradiés (tableau 3). 20 à 30 Gy de rayons gamma ont suffi pour empêcher la formation du périderme de cicatrisation (tableau 2 et figure 1) tandis que la dose minimale nécessaire à l'inhibition de la germination était de 50 Gy. Les méristèmes de germes en dormance seraient donc moins sensibles à l'irradiation que les noyaux des cellules du périderme potentiel. Les couches cellulaires subérisées peuvent facilement se détacher de la surface endommagée lorsqu'il s'agit de tubercules non irradiés, tandis qu'elles sont difficilement séparables dans le cas de tubercules exposés à 20 Gy ou plus. Cette différence peut conduire à une méthode d'identification des tubercules irradiés. La recrudescence des pourritures microbiennes sur tubercules mis en conservation à des températures tropicales ou exposés aux rayons gamma en vue d'inhibition de la germination, semble liée principalement au ralentisement du développement d'un périderme de cicatrisation.

     

Evaluation and analysis of reduction of late blight disease in a diploid potato progeny

The rate of late blight disease was analysed for individuals of a diploid Solanum phureja – Solanum tuberosum dihaploid hybrid population (PD), using three different assessment techniques, in the laboratory, screenhouse, and field. These hybrids expressed low disease rates in the field, comparable to resistance based on intact R genes. However, none of the parents of PD expressed any R genes and the pattern of segregation within the PD population was not indicative of R-gene inheritance. The foliage (or leaflet) area diseased had the largest broad-sense heritability of all criteria analysed, in all tests performed. In the field evaluations, the PD population showed intermediate levels of broad-sense heritability for foliage area diseased, relative to the much larger heritability detected for the group of controls possessing R genes. Resistance in the field of the PD hybrids had very little genotype-environment (G × E) interaction, indicating stability of its expression. All genotypes without R genes exhibited heritable, reduced rates of late blight disease in the field, but they were susceptible with low heritability in screenhouse and laboratory tests. This differential expression of disease indicates that the plants' indirect response to unknown environmental stress in the field may have been measured. The value of the PD hybrids for breeding of late blight resistant potato and the use of the disease rate data for detection of the underlying quantitative trait loci are discussed.     

Effect of haulm treatments on the formation of microsclerotia ofVerticillium dahliae Kleb. on potato

Summary In four pot experiments, potato plants of cv. Element were artificially infected withV. dahliae. At an early and a late harvest haulms were killed chemically, by burning or by various other treatments, including cutting them into pieces of different lengths and keeping the debris on the soil surface or covering with soil. After 4 weeks the plant material was air-dried and the number of microsclerotia per mg was determined. At the early harvest, in two experiments, the chemical treatment yielded more microsclerotia than the cutting treatments. Covering colonised haulm tissue with non-sterilised soil was effective in inhibiting microsclerotia formation. Shorter haulm pieces led to fewer microsclerotia at the later harvest if the material was kept on the soil surface. The variation in microsclerotial yield and in treatment effects among the different experiments was large.     

Early selection for extreme resistance to potato virus Y and tobacco etch virus in potato using a β-glucuronidase-tagged virus

The Ry_sto gene from Solanum stoloniferum introduced into potato cultivars (Solanum tuberosum L. ssp. tuberosum) confers resistance to potato virus A, potato virus V and potato virus Y (PVY). In addition to PVY, tobacco etch virus (TEV) and a TEV construct that encodes β‐glucuronidase (TEV‐GUS) were inoculated to determine the inheritance of resistance to these viruses in progenies obtained from potato cultivars containing the Ry_sto gene. While cultivars ‘Karlena’ and ‘Delikat’ were susceptible, ‘Bettina’ and clone 927eY were resistant to PVY, TEV and TEV‐GUS, as determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, biotest and GUS assay, respectively. The segregation ratios obtained from the progenies of ‘Bettina’בDelikat’ and 816eY בKarlena’ indicate that resistances to PVY and TEV are governed by one dominant gene or two genes tightly linked in coupling phase. Evidently, Ry_sto confers broad spectrum resistance to potyviruses. TEV resistance could be reliably detected 4 days after inoculation with the TEV‐GUS construct by GUS assay. Therefore, the GUS‐tagged TEV construct can be used for early selection for resistances based on the gene Ry_sto or closely linked genes.     

生长调节剂PCPA和2,4-D对番茄果实果糖激酶活性及基因表达的影响

研究了花期施用PCPA和2,4-D对发育过程中番茄果实糖含量、蔗糖代谢相关酶和果糖激酶活性及果糖激酶基因表达的影响。结果表明,随着番茄果实的发育,果糖激酶的活性及其基因表达均先上升后下降,成熟时达到最低,但FRK1基因表达量较高;果糖和葡萄糖含量呈递增的趋势,成熟时含量达到最高。PCPA和2,4-D处理后降低了成熟番茄...