Selection at the Ms locus in open pollinated onion (Allium cepa L.) populations possessing S-cytoplasm or mixtures of N- and S-cytoplasms

The bulb onion (Allium cepa L.) was historically seed propagated by open pollination (OP). Cytoplasmic-genic male sterility (CMS) and protandry encourage outcrossing among individual onion plants. The most common source of CMS in onion is conditioned by the interaction of sterile (S) cytoplasm with a single nuclear male-fertility restoration (Ms) locus. We previously reported that the majority of OP onion populations possess normal (N) male-fertile cytoplasm and varying frequencies of the dominant Ms allele. It was unclear why N-cytoplasmic onion populations often possess relatively high frequencies of the Ms allele, which has no obvious function. We used computer simulations to estimate changes in allelic frequencies at Ms for onion populations possessing S-cytoplasm or a mixture of N- and S-cytoplasms, and to determine if frequencies of the Ms allele stay constant or change due to failure of male gamete production from male-sterile (S msms) plants. The models revealed selection against the recessive ms allele over generations in onion populations possessing S-cytoplasm and varying amounts of self pollination and inbreeding depression. These models were consistent with field and molecular analyses documenting that N-cytoplasm and the dominant Ms allele predominate in OP onion populations.     

大蒜挥发油抗烟草花叶病毒机理

从新鲜大蒜中提取的挥发油与烟草花叶病毒(tobacco mosaic virus,TMV)混合后可使完整的病毒粒体断裂,且对病毒衣壳蛋白的体外聚合过程有明显的抑制作用,而对病毒的核酸侵染力无显著影响,喷施大蒜挥发油可显著提高烟草体内过氧化物酶和多酚氧化酶的活性。     

吉林、黑龙江毛葱病毒病调查

本研究为明确吉林和黑龙江省毛葱病毒病发生率,从两省5个地区共采集255份毛葱样品。根据毛葱4种主要病毒基因组序列设计特异性引物,对胡葱黄条病毒Shallot yellow stripe virus(SYSV)和青葱X病毒Shallot virus X (SVX)、洋葱黄矮病毒Onion yellow dwarf virus (OYDV)和葱潜隐病毒Shallot latent virus (SLV)进行双重RT-PCR检测。结果表明,229份样品检出病毒,带毒率为89.8%,SLV的检出率最高,达87.06%,OYDV次之,为36.86%,SYSV检出率偏低,为0.78%;同时存在病毒复合侵染,其中双病毒复合侵染为SLV和OYDV,检出率为33.3%;三病毒复合侵染为SYSV、OYDV和SLV,检出率为0.78%,未发现4种病毒复合侵染。本研究为吉林和黑龙江种植区毛葱病毒病防治提供了参考依据。     

Comparison of Physical, Chemical and Biological Methods of Controlling Garlic White Rot

Treatment of garlic cloves with tebuconazole (at 1ml of Folicur 25% l^–1) achieved a significant reduction in the rate of disease progress and the final incidence of plant death by Sclerotium cepivorum: garlic yields were improved. Although soil solarization provided the best control of garlic white rot, bringing soil populations of S. cepivorum to negligible levels, similar levels of disease control and garlic yields were achieved when tebuconazole was sprayed to stem bases of plants grown from cloves also treated with tebuconazole. This double treatment almost doubled the yield compared with untreated plants and significantly increased bulb quality under high disease pressure conditions. Soil solarization was also highly effective in a second consecutive crop of garlic, with significant improvements in yield and garlic quality. In contrast, lower levels of disease control were obtained when selected isolates of Trichoderma harzianum and Bacillus subtilis were applied to the soil and cloves respectively.     

Aetiology of leaf spot of garlic and onion caused by Stemphylium vesicarium in Spain

Surveys between 1989 and 1993 in the major garlic production areas of Spain identified a new leaf spot disease, characterized by white and purple lesions followed by extensive necrosis. Isolation and pathogenicity tests with fungal isolates taken from these spots indicated that Stemphylium vesicarium was the causal agent. Pseudothecia of the teleomorph stage, Pleospora sp., were found on leaf debris from affected plants. Inoculation of garlic and onion plants with residues carrying mature pseudothecia, or with ascospore suspensions obtained from the pseudothecia, resulted in the development of white and purple leaf spots. Wetness periods longer than 24 h were required for symptom development under controlled conditions. Isolates of S. vesicarium from garlic, onion and asparagus caused disease in all three hosts. In garlic, cv. Blanco de Vallelado was most susceptible, while lines B4P17 and B6P1, and cvs Iberose and Golourose were less susceptible to the disease.     

Seasonal dynamics of the pink root fungus (Setophoma terrestris) in rhizosphere soil: Effect of crop species and rotation

Setophoma terrestris, a ubiquitous inhabitant of soil, causes pink root rot in various crops. In the present study, the density of S. terrestris was estimated by quantitative real-time PCR in onion and non-onion fields of Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan. Three-year observations in monoculture and rotation fields demonstrated that the fungus grew significantly from the third year onwards, and declined in fields planted with poor hosts (e.g., sugar beet and soybean) that produced few or no chlamydospores of S. terrestris. Seasonal analysis revealed that the population of S. terrestris consistently increased when the tops of onions fell over in summer, which is when root activity declines. However, the soil inoculum potential estimated by a seedling bioassay showed distinct seasonal patterns, which rose from post-harvest in winter and remained high until the subsequent planting in spring. Detailed surveys on depth distribution in an onion field detected a high population of S. terrestris in the effective layer (10–30 cm deep) but not below the hardpan (40 cm), implying that the fungus is intimately associated with roots. These results indicate that the proliferation of the fungus is closely related to root senescence and that over-wintered propagules play an important role in primary infections, affecting disease severity. The present study shows that the temporal dynamics of S. terrestris depend exclusively on the activity of infecting roots and provides circumstantial evidence on the deleterious impact of monoculture on crop production.     

韭菜挥发物对采后贮藏期苹果轮纹病的防控作用

为探索能高效、安全防控采后贮藏期苹果轮纹病的方法,采用室内生测法测定韭菜挥发物对苹果轮纹病菌Botryosphaeria dothidea菌丝生长的抑制作用及对采后苹果轮纹病的防控作用,并通过三重四极杆气质联用仪分析鉴定韭菜挥发物主要成分及其抑菌效应。结果表明,韭菜挥发物能显著抑制苹果轮纹病菌菌丝的生长,不同浓度挥发物的抑制率为85.57%～100.00%;韭菜挥发物能造成苹果轮纹病菌菌丝畸形。韭菜挥发物也能显著抑制采后苹果轮纹病的发生,其防控效果达53.42%～100.00%。韭菜挥发物的主要成分为有机硫化物,在离体情况下3种主要硫化物均能显著抑制苹果轮纹病菌菌丝的生长,500μL/L和250μL/L二甲基三硫醚、甲基烯丙基三硫醚、二烯丙基三硫醚在整个试验期间均能完全抑制苹果轮纹病菌菌丝的生长。其中二烯丙基三硫醚的抑制率最高,在62.5～500μL/L范围内其抑制率高达66.25%～100.00%。表明韭菜挥发物及其主要成分均能显著抑制苹果轮纹病菌的生长,这可能是韭菜防控苹果轮纹病发生的重要因素。     

Differences in resistance in onion cultivars to pink root rot disease in Iran

Forty-five onion (Allium cepa) cultivars were evaluated for disease resistance to the fungal pathogen Pyrenochaeta terrestris (pink root disease). Forty-three Iranian cultivars and two commercially exotic resistant cultivars (Texas Early Grano and Yellow Sweet Spanish) were grown in a glasshouse for two successive years (2003 and 2004) in Isfahan, Iran. Susceptibility of the cultivars was determined using a scale of 0–3. Six cultivars had significantly lower susceptibility of pink root compared to the exotic ones. High susceptibility tended to be associated with high mean scores (2–3), and the highly resistant cultivars had the lowest scores (0–1). In addition, the 45 examined cultivars were ranked from 1 to 45 according to their markedly differing reactions to P. terrestris, which differed markedly. Of 32 cultivars that were less resistant, 30 with an intermediate status or tolerance (1–2) differed considerably in their rank order. No pink root symptoms were seen in the early stages, but on blotter paper or wheat-straw agar some roots turned pink with no pycnidia formation, whereas on potato dextrose agar medium (PDA) with a few fresh healthy and sterile onion roots on the surface, mycelia and pycnidia were recovered. Variance and cluster analysis showed similar results among the cultivars with various levels of resistance, tolerance and susceptibility as determined by scoring scales.     

根结线虫在中国的一新纪录种——拟禾本科根结线虫Meloidogyne graminicol

本文描述了采自海南省三亚市葱 ( Allium tistulosum)上的拟禾本科根结线虫 Meloidogynegraminicola。该种雌虫的会阴花纹多为上下长的卵圆形 ;线纹细弱 ,通常平滑连续 ,但在局部区域骤然出现将线纹截断的短线纹 ;侧区不明显 ;侧尾腺口小 ,相隔很近。雄虫的头冠与头区等宽 ,头区很低、光滑或有 2条不明显的环纹。二龄幼虫的尾相当长 ,尾透明末端的界限通常明显 ,尾端细长 ,末端呈细棍棒状。拟禾本科根结线虫在中国属首次报道 ,其寄主葱及其所属的百合科为拟禾本科根结线虫寄主植物的新纪录种和新纪录科     

Integrated management of Thrips tabaci (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) on onion in north‐western Italy: basic approaches for supervised control

BACKGROUND: Thrips tabaci Lindeman (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) is a major pest on onion, Allium cepa L., worldwide. In 2010, research was conducted in a commercial onion field in north‐western Italy in order (i) to evaluate the efficacy of different insecticides and of the SAR activator acibenzolar‐S‐methyl, (ii) to correlate thrips infestation levels with bulb size and weight at harvest and (iii) to implement a reliable thrips sampling method. Efficacy of the three active ingredients spinosad, lambda‐cyhalothrin and acibenzolar‐S‐methyl on local thrips populations were also evaluated in laboratory bioassays. RESULTS: During field surveys, the highest and the lowest thrips infestations were observed in plots treated with lambda‐cyhalothrin and with spinosad and acibenzolar‐S‐methyl respectively. The effectiveness of spinosad was also confirmed in laboratory bioassays. At harvest, bulb size and weight did not significantly differ between treatments. A high correlation with visual inspection made plant beating a suitable sampling method for routine practice, enabling a good estimate of thrips infestation. CONCLUSION: Damage caused by thrips is often not severe enough to warrant the frequent pesticide applications the crops receive in north‐western Italy. The use of spinosad and acibenzolar‐S‐methyl is suggested as an alternative to conventional insecticides for the preservation of natural enemies. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry