Alternative Route of Infection for Bacterial Seedling Blight of Rice Caused by Burkholderia plantarii

Burkholderia plantarii , the pathogen of bacterial seedling blight of rice, was detected in paddy water. Its concentration rose in July and August. The bacterial concentration in the paddy water was always higher along levees than at distances more than 5 m from levees. Confirmed to be released into water when graminaceous weeds were immersed, B. plantarii survived for at least 4 days at 30°C. B. plantarii was splashed at least 30 cm upward by rain splash in the field. Harvested seeds, which had been sprayed with B. plantarii released from graminaceous weeds at the flowering stage, retained the bacteria. Bacterial seedling blight occurred when the seeds were then sown in nursery boxes. These results indicated that graminaceous weeds growing on levees of paddy fields are a source of infection of the disease and that rice seeds are infected through the paddy water. Received 23 May 2002/ Accepted in revised form 1 September 2002     

Biological and Physical Constraints on Maize Production in the Humid Forest and Western Highlands of Cameroon

The aim was to identify biological and physical factors responsible for reducing maize yield in Cameroon. Two surveys were conducted in 137 fields in two agroecological zones in 1995–1997. In the Humid Forest (HF), Bipolaris maydis, Stenocarpella macrospora, Puccinia polysora, Rhizoctonia solani and soil fertility were factors that reduced maize production in 1995 and 1996. In the Western Highlands (WHL), Cercospora zeae-maydis, and the interaction between soil fertility and maize variety were the most important constraints to maize production in 1996. In 1997, C. zeae-maydis, S. macrospora, physiological spot and stem borer damage (Busseola fusca) were negatively related to ear weight. The combination of these biological factors (diseases and insects), and the physical parameter of soil fertility were responsible for reducing maize yield in these selected benchmarks of Cameroon. Maximum potential yield reductions were estimated at 68% due to B. maydis and 46% due to S. macrospora, respectively, in the HF in 1995. In 1996, maximum potential yield reductions in the HF were estimated at 34%, 41% and 30% due to S. macrospora, P. polysora and R. solani, respectively. In the WHL, C. zeae-maydis had the potential to cause a yield reduction of 79% in 1996. In the WHL in 1997, the interaction between C. zeae-maydis and B. fusca, stem diseases and the physiological spot caused potential reductions of 52%, 34% and 39%, respectively.     

Effects of winter wheat cultivars and seed rate on the biological characteristics of naturally occurring weed flora

Summary Differential competitive ability of six winter wheat cultivars and traits that confer such attributes were investigated for a range of seed rates in the presence or absence of weeds for a naturally occurring weed flora in two successive years in split-plot field experiments. Crop height and tillering capacity were considered suitable attributes for weed suppression, although competitiveness is a relative rather than an absolute characteristic. Maris Huntsman and Maris Widgeon were the most competitive cultivars whereas Fresco was the least competitive. Manipulation of seed rate was a more reliable factor than cultivar selection for enhancement of weed suppression, although competitiveness of cultivars Buster, Riband and Maris Widgeon was not enhanced by increased seed rate. Crop densities ranging between 125 and 270 plants m⁻² were found to offer adequate weed suppression. Linear relationships were observed between individual and total weed species dry weight and reproductive structures per unit area.     

Growth and development of Cuscuta chinensis Lam. and its impact on selected crops

The growth and development of Cuscuta chinensis Lam., and the effects of the holoparasite on the growth and yield of tomato ( Lycopersicon esculentum ), chilli ( Capsicum annuum ) and rice ( Oryza sativa ) were investigated in pot experiments under glasshouse conditions. 'Mature' and 'immature' seeds of C. chinensis showed 15 and 47% germination, respectively. The independent life duration of seedlings from 'immature' seeds was 6 days shorter than 'mature' seeds (19 days). Cuscuta chinensis formed haustoria on chilli and tomato, but not on rice seedlings. Infection with three C. chinensis seedlings per host plant reduced leaf area, dry weight, carbon and nitrogen content by 78–84% and 27–44% in tomato and chilli plants, respectively. Dry weight of C. chinensis was 0.63 g per pot in tomato, and 0.24 g per pot in chilli. Carbon and nitrogen content of C. chinensis was 0.189 and 0.028 g per pot, respectively, when grown with tomato. When it was grown with chilli, the carbon and nitrogen content of C. chinensis was 0.001 and 0.007 g per pot, respectively. Cuscuta chinensis reduced the fruit yield of tomato and chilli by 72 and 29%, respectively. The results indicated that tomato is a preferred host of C. chinensis compared with chilli, and rice is not preferred. In the host–parasite associations, C. chinensis suppressed growth and yield of chilli and tomato by diverting the elaborated products of metabolism of the hosts.     

应用生物源农药防治水稻病害

在稻瘟病始见期天始，喷施4％春雷霉素二次可以控制病害；用3％克菌康1：400倍液喷雾，可以有效控制水稻白叶枯病的危害，在孕穗期初现病时开始，喷链霉素1000万单位二次，也能防治白叶枯病；在纹枯病始现期喷40％纹霉星，病指防效可达67－81％。     

水稻不同品种或组合对甲磺隆耐药性差异的机制研究

以水稻乙酰乳酸合成酶(ALS)比活力为研究对象,通过在离体和活体条件下比较其对甲磺隆的敏感性水平,探讨了水稻不同品种或组合的耐药性差异机制。结果表明,离体条件下不同水稻品种或组合ALS对甲磺隆均较敏感,当甲磺隆浓度为100 μg/L时,对ALS比活力抑制率达60%以上,且活力百分比与甲磺隆浓度对数成直线负相关关系,相关程度显著或极显著;活体条件下ALS活力均受到甲磺隆不同程度的抑制,但同一品种ALS活力不随甲磺隆浓度的变化而呈现规律性变化。在甲磺隆浓度相同时,活体条件下所有供试水稻品种ALS活力均显著高于离体条件下的ALS活力,影响程度与植株耐药性差异基本一致,说明甲磺隆在水稻体内存在较强代谢失活作用,代谢失活差异是水稻不同品种或组合对甲磺隆的耐药性差异机制。     

山西菜田捕食性食蚜蝇优势种及其对菜蚜的控制效果

对山西菜田捕食性食蚜蝇优势种及对菜蚜的控制效果进行了研究，菜田常见捕食性食蚜蝇有黑带食蚜蝇，大灰食蚜蝇，斜斑鼓额食蚜蝇，野食蚜蝇，四条小食蚜蝇，短翅细腹食蚜蝇6种，以黑带食蚜蝇种群数量最大，平均占全年发生总量的36.3%，通过对食蚜蝇产卵量，卵化率，幼虫期捕食量和羽化率测试，筛选出的黑带食蚜蝇，大灰食蚜蝇，斜斑鼓额食蚜蝇幼虫对菜蚜均有较强的捕食能力，其中黑带食蚜蝇为山西菜田菜蚜捕食性食蚜蝇优势种，用黑带食蚜蝇三龄幼虫对菜蚜进行防治试验，结果以1：180防效最佳，72h后控制效果达93.5%。     

晚稻稻瘟病BP神经网络分区预报

应用相关分析方法分析了浙江省19个县1988～1999年晚稻稻瘟病发病与有关环境因子的关系,筛选了8个气象因子用于晚稻稻瘟病发生程度长期预报。根据各预报因子与稻瘟病发病程度相关性,采用邻接二维图论聚类分析法,将19个点(县)划分为4个生态区。每个生态区内运用BP神经网络技术建立模型,并进行拟合和试报。1997～1999年试报验证,在划分稻瘟病生态区的基础上,应用BP神经网络模型对稻瘟病进行长期预测预报是可行的,3年试报成功率分别是78.95％、84.21％和78.95％。文中还对该方法与过去常用的预报方法的试报结果作了比较。