Nitrogen accumulation in nodulated and non‐nodulated pea plants,grown in a sandy soil at different acidities

Abstract

The growth of nitrate‐supplied and dinitrogen‐fixing pea plants was studied in a pot experiment with a sandy soil in a pH‐H_?O range from 3.4 to 5.6. Optimum growth in both treatments occurred at pH 5.0. At low pH, N₂‐plants yielded significantly less than NO₃‐plants. Planting of nodulated seedlings did not enhance yield in comparison with sowing in inoculated soil, indicating that nodulation was not the most sensitive process in restricting yield. Comparison of the nitrogen contents of shoots of planted and sown N₂‐plants allowed the suggestion that the synthesis of nitrogenous compounds was also not limiting yield. At low pH, root growth was severely reduced in dinitrogen‐fixing plants in comparison with nitrate‐supplied plants. This difference could be explained by the influence of the form of nitrogen nutrition on the cation‐anion uptake pattern of the plant and the resulting pH‐shift in the rhizosphere. It is to be expected that in an acid soil under field conditions the indirect effect of nitrate on root growth and nodulation via increase of the pH is more extensive than its direct negative effect on nodulation.     

短小芽孢杆菌D82对小麦根腐病原菌拮抗的研究

平板培养结果表明，短小芽孢杆菌Ｄ８２对小麦根腐病有强抗生作用，共同培养至第４天，抑菌圈直径为４－５．５ｃｍ；发酵液稀释平板培养结果表明，稀释浓度１００倍以下的抑菌效果为１００％。１０００倍、２０００倍、４０００倍稀释液的抑菌效果分别为６４％、５４％和３４％。     

Endogenous Ethane and Ethylene Of Poa pratensis Leaf Blades and Leaf Chlorosis in Response to Biologically Active Products of Bipolaris sorokiniana

Infection of Poa pratensis leaf blades and callus tissue by Bipolaris sorokiniana increases the production of ethylene and ethane. The ethylene is responsible for most of the chlorosis that occurs during pathogenesis. The nonselective toxin(s) produced by B. sorokiniana is known to disrupt membranes and to damage chlorophyll, but it is not known whether it can induce an increase in ethylene or ethane. Research was initiated to determine the effect of a biologically-active extract of B. sorokiniana on the endogenous ethylene and ethane of intact P. pratensis leaf blades and on subsequent development of chlorosis. The extract did not increase endogenous ethylene of treated leaves, but it was associated with an increase in endogenous ethane between 24 and 96h after treatment. Chlorophyll loss occurred 96h after treatment and persisted for the duration of the study (168h). The chlorophyll content of treated leaf blades ranged from 72% to 80% of control leaf blades. The observations suggest that the extract of B. sorokiniana can induce chlorophyll loss from treated leaf blades independent of an increase in endogenous ethylene by directly damaging chloroplasts with a concurrent release of ethane. The ethane is believed to be a by-product of pathogenesis.     

A binding protein for fungal signal molecules in the cell wall of Pisum sativum

In the plant cell wall of Pisum sativum seedlings, we found an NTPase (E.C. 3.6.1.5.) with ATP-hydrolyzing activity that was regulated by an elicitor and suppressors of defense from pea pathogen Mycosphaerella pinodes. The ATPase-rich fraction was purified from pea cell walls by NaCl solubilization, ammonium sulfate precipitation, and chromatography with an ATP-conjugated agarose column and an anion-exchange column. The specific activity of the final ATPase-rich fraction increased 600-fold over that of the initial NaCl-solubilized fraction. The purified ATPase-rich fraction also had peroxidase activity and generated superoxide, both of which were regulated by the M. pinodes elicitor and suppressor (supprescins). Active staining and Western blot analysis also showed that the ATPase was copurified along with peroxidases. In this fraction, a biotinylated elicitor and the supprescins were bound primarily and specifically to ca. 55-kDa protein (CWP-55) with an N-terminal amino acid sequence of QEEISSYAVVFDA. The cDNA clone of CWP-55 contained five ACR domains, which are conserved in the apyrases (NTPases), and the protein is identical to a pea NTPase cDNA (GenBank accession AB071369). Based on these results, we discuss a role for the plant cell wall in recognizing exogenous signal molecules.     

Weed suppression in mixed cropped grain peas and false flax (Camelina sativa)

Mixed cropping peas with false flax, a brassica oil seed crop, in additive arrangements had a significant suppressive effect on weed coverage (63% in 2003 and 52% in 2004), compared with the monocropped pea plots. Weed suppression by false flax was apparently restricted to the establishment phase, because effects were significant against the key annuals Fallopia convolvulus, Sonchus oleraceus and Matricaria recutita, but ineffective towards the major perennials Cirsium arvense and Elytrigia repens. Relatively higher yields in mixed stands with calculated land equivalent ratios (LER) of 1.43 (2003) and 1.98 (2004) were the result of low monocrop yields mainly related to weed pressure not only in pea but also in false flax. Partial LERs were in favour of peas, demonstrating a balanced but asymmetric complementarity of the components, with peas as the main and false flax as the minor crop component. The role of false flax in row‐cropped peas can be characterized as both a smother crop and weed antagonist with no obvious indications for allelopathic traits. Weed suppression was probably achieved by a mutually enhanced competitiveness of both crop components, indicating a mechanism based on resource allocation, but further research is needed for a better understanding of weed‐suppressive traits in pea–false flax mixed cropping systems.     

Role of seed infection by the Ascochyta blight pathogen of dried pea (Mycosphaerella pinodes) in seedling emergence, early disease development and transmission of the disease to aerial plant parts

The role of infected seed in the epidemiology of Ascochyta blight of pea, caused by Mycosphaerella pinodes, was studied both under growth chamber and field conditions, using healthy seeds, naturally infected seeds and artificially infected seeds. Results suggest that infected seeds caused serious losses, as a result of poor germination and high transmission of the disease, to parts of the plants under soil level. Foot rot symptoms often caused the death of young seedlings. Losses were increased by low temperatures during the early stage of crop development. M. pinodes progressed from seeds to aerial parts of the plants, but no Ascochyta blight symptoms occurred, the disease remaining near to the basal parts of the plants as a foot rot symptom. This suggests that seeds cannot be regarded as a source of contamination in the epidemiology of the disease.     

Factors affecting germination of oospores of Peronospora viciae f.sp. pisi in vitro

The effects of host plant exudates, light and temperature on germination of oospores of Peronospora viciae f.sp. pisi in vitro were investigated. Seed and root exudates did not increase percentage germination, whereas light inhibited germination. The first germ tubes appeared after 4, 7, and 14 days of incubation at 15, 10 and 5 °C, respectively. The eventual level of germination was highest and had similar values at 5 and 10 °C. At 20 °C germination was poor and at 25 °C no germination was observed. Oospores placed on membrane filters were incubated on soil. When oospores were retrieved from the membrane filters after six days and placed in water at 10 °C, they germinated within 2 days. On soil significantly less oospores germinated than in water. Germinability of oospores stored in the dark at 5 or 20 °C at 30 or 76% RH was studied over a two-year period. Germinability generally increased over time, but fluctuations were observed indicating the occurrence of secondary dormancy. Time courses of germinability were generally similar for oospores stored at several temperatures and humidities. No effect of light on time course of germinability was found when oospores were exposed to alternating light-dark periods or stored in continuous dark for 140 days. Percentage germination observed in a germination assay was correlated with percentage infection determined in a bioassay.     

Aphanomyces euteiches as a component of the complex of foot and root pathogens of peas in Dutch soils

The occurrence ofAphanomyces euteiches Drechs. in Dutch soils is reported for the first time. Isolates of the pathogen were obtained from peas (Pisum sativum L.). A bioassay was used that baited the pathogen from soil into the cortex of stem and root of seedlings of a highly susceptible pea cultivar. The pathogen could subsequently be isolated on a semi-selective medium. Screening of soil samples from 13 fields known to be infested with fungi causing foot and root rot demonstrated the presence ofA. euteiches in 10 cases. In a second screening on soil samples from 43 fields, the pathogen was present in 16 cases. A positive correlation was found between the disease severity caused byA. euteiches in the seedling bioassay and the disease severity caused by the complex of foot and root pathogens in the same soils as evidenced by a mature plant bioassay. It is considered probable thatA. euteiches has since long been a common component of the foot and root rot complex in Dutch soils but has not been detected previously due to inadequate sampling and isolation techniques.Samenvatting De aanwezigheid vanAphanomyces euteiches Drechs. in Nederlandse gronden is voor het eerst aangetoond. Isolaten van het pathogeen werden verkregen van erwten (Pisum sativum L.). De pathogene schimmel werd in petrischalen uit grond in het schorsweefsel van wortel en stengel van een zeer vatbaar erwteras gelokt. Met behulp van een semiselectief medium konden vervolgens isolaten van de schimmel worden verkregen. Toetsing van grondmonsters afkomstig van 13 percelen, waarvan bekend was dat ze besmet waren met schimmels die voetziekten in erwten veroorzaken, toonde de aanwezigheid vanA. euteiches aan in 10 gevallen. In een tweede biotoets op grondmonsters van 43 percelen bleken 16 monsters het pathogeen te herbergen. Er werd een positieve correlatie gevonden tussen de ernst van de aantasting doorA. euteiches van kiemplanten en de aantasting van volwassen planten in een biotoets in de kas. Het is waarschijnlijk dat de schimmel reeds lang in Nederlandse akkers voorkomt, maar door inadequate bemonsterings- en isolatietechnieken over het hoofd is gezien.     

Identification of genes expressed during spore germination of Mycosphaerella pinodes

Mycosphaerella blight, caused by Mycosphaerella pinodes, is one of the major diseases of cultivated pea (Pisum sativum L.). To isolate the genes that are up- and down-regulated during spore germination, suppression subtraction hybridization (SSH) was performed between ungerminated and germinated spores. The 232 and 128 clones from forward and reverse libraries, respectively, were collected, sequenced, and analyzed with a BLASTX homology search. About 95% of the 32 selected clones were expressed during spore germination on a paper sheet and during infection of pea leaves. We discuss the applicability of the SSH libraries for analyzing M. pinodes genes involved in the early stage of infection.     

Competitiveness against grass weeds in field pea genotypes

Summary Field pea is an important pulse crop in southern Australia, but its competitiveness against weeds is low. Two experiments were conducted in consecutive years to examine the ability of different genotypes to compete against grass weeds. Field pea was grown in the presence or absence of Lolium rigidum or wheat. In each experiment significant genotypic differences in field pea competitiveness occurred and some genotypes had consistently high or low levels of competitiveness in both years. Tall genotypes generally suppressed L. rigidum and wheat more effectively than short genotypes. Leaf type (conventional, semileafless or tare-leaf) only affected competitiveness before flowering and had no effect on yield loss from weed competition. Maturity had little effect on competitive ability. A genotype × environment analysis for competitive ability showed that there was considerable variation in the response to the level of competition (environment) as well as in mean competitiveness among field pea genotypes. Using wheat as a weed identified genotypic differences in field peas more effectively and more consistently than using L. rigidum . Visual assessment of wheat growth with field pea was strongly correlated with a specific genotype's competitiveness, which may form the basis of a simple field-based screening method for competitive ability.