Effect of plant roots on the germination of microsclerotia ofVerticillium dahliae

Induction of germination of microsclerotia by exudates from plant roots may be important for the control ofV. dahliae. Laboratory experiments with root observation boxes were carried out to assess the influence of root tips of seven crop species and cultivars on the germination of microsclerotia ofVerticillium dahliae in soil under controlled conditions. The root density of crops was measured in a field experiment. The results of the laboratory experiments and the field experiment were combined to estimate the total effect of crops on the population of microsclerotia in the field. Germination of microsclerotia was stimulated by all crops compared to a control without a crop. Among crops, roots of potato cvs Element and Astarte had a larger stimulation effect on microsclerotia than that of potato Ostara, pea, flax, sugar beet or onion. The number of hyphae per microsclerotium decreased with distance from the root surface regardless of the crop species or cultivar. Differences in root densities, in the affected root zones and in the stimulation effect on germination of microsclerotia caused large differences among crops in the effect on the population of microsclerotia in the soil. However, growing a rop with the special purpose to reduce the level ofV. dahliae inoculum in the soil is an inefficient control measure, because only a small part of the total soil volume is affected by roots and the number of hyphae per microscleroium affected is too low.Abbreviations MS microsclerotia, microsclerotium     

Seasonal pattern of shoot emergence and its endogenous control in horsenettle (Solanum carolinense L.)

Controlling established horsenettle plants is achieved by suppressing shoot emergence from root systems. The seasonal pattern of shoot emergence and its possible endogenous control in horsenettle ( Solanum carolinense L.) were investigated. The shoot emergence period in an undisturbed population was limited to a seven-week period from mid-April, and a little longer in tilled conditions. Detached roots showed very high shoot-sprouting ability under 15–30°C throughout the year. In shoot clipping experiments, new shoots sprouted only from the stem and not from the root when attached to shoots, whether above-ground or underground. On the contrary, new shoots sprouted from the roots when all parts of the shoots were clipped off. From these results, the limited shoot emergence period in horsenettle is thought to be initiated by temperatures necessary for sprouting and is ended by a growth correlation effect between early emerged and matured shoots.     

Growth response of Ficus benjamina to limited soil volume and soil dilution in a skeletal soil container study

The interactive effects of rooting volume and nutrient availability in a skeletal soil medium designed to meet street tree and pavement needs were observed in a containerized experiment. Benjamin fig (Ficus benjamina L.) was grown in a stone-soil blended skeletal soil material (CU-Soil™) and compared to a loam soil. The same topsoil used as the soil component in the skeletal soil material was used as the sole component in the comparison soil-only treatment.Plants grown in the skeletal soil material had reduced leaf tissue N content and depressed growth compared with plants grown in non-diluted soil. No other mineral deficiencies were found. Leaf number, chlorophyll concentration, shoot weight, and root characteristics were all affected.Reduced growth from soil dilution could be offset by the provision of an enlarged rooting volume for root development. Large containers of skeletal soil were observed to have smaller root systems compared to equivalent net volumes of loam soil at the first two harvest dates of the study. By the end of the study, the large containers of skeletal soil were observed to have developed larger root systems compared to equivalent net volumes of loam soil; resulting in comparable leaf N levels and total plant dry matter. Plants in skeletal soil had lower shoot: root ratios at the end of the study. Investing resources to further root growth in times of nutrient shortages is a probable plant reaction as evidenced by differences in specific root length between treatments. The study allowed a method for directly partitioning the containerization effect by having equivalent amounts of soil over two volumes.     

土壤中氮营养斑研究进展

由于自然和人为因素,营养斑(nutrient patch)在土壤中是普遍存在的。从70年代以来,国外就通过各种模拟方式对土壤中营养斑进行了大量的研究,尤其以对氮营养斑研究居多。研究表明:氮营养斑对新生根系的繁殖影响较为明显,但不同植物反应不一样,影响机理还不很清楚。营养斑也是生物活性较强、种群数量较多区域,在养分循环体系中起着特殊作用。营养斑对土壤的理化性质和生物性质可能有很大的影响,但这方面的研究很欠缺。本文主要对土壤中氮营养班的研究进展做一综述。     

水稻旱作对其生长量和经济产量的影响

1998～1999年，研究了水稻旱作条件下，不同生育时期受水分胁迫后对作物生长量的影响。结果表明：不同指标对水分胁迫时期的敏感性不一，植株高度对抽穗期水分胁迫最敏感；单株绿叶面积和单株地上部干重对幼穗分化后期水分胁迫最敏感；根系干重和根冠比对幼穗分化前期水分胁迫最敏感；幼穗分化后期水分胁迫对经济产量影响程度最大，无效分蘖期水分胁迫对产量影响程度最小。     

作物害虫的猖獗与高毒农药的"倾泻"的治理对策

阐述了我国农作物害虫发生现状及化学农药防治的现状，分析了作物害虫猖獗与高毒农药“倾泻”的原因与发展，提出了防止作物害虫猖獗和高毒农药“倾泻”的5条对策，即做好高毒农药危害性的宣传工作，提高农民禁用、限用高毒农药的自觉性；调整农药产品结构，大力发展生物农药；生物农药与化学农药复配，促使高毒农药低毒化；推广转基因作物；推广使用高效、高选择性、低毒、低用量、安全农药。     

Physiological Races and Vegetative Compatibility Groups of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lactucae Isolated from Crisphead Lettuce in Japan

One hundred and sixteen isolates of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lactucae obtained from 85 fields in three crisphead lettuce-producing areas in Nagano Prefecture, Japan were typed for races using differential cultivars Patriot, Banchu Red Fire and Costa Rica No. 4. They were also grouped into vegetative compatibility groups (VCGs) using complementation tests with nitrate non-utilizing (nit) mutants. Two California strains reported as F. oxysporum f. sp. lactucum, a type culture of F. oxysporum f. sp. lactucae, and 28 avirulent isolates of F. oxysporum obtained from crisphead lettuce were included for comparison. Among Nagano isolates, 66 isolates were identified as race 1, and 50 as race 2. Race 1 strains derived from Shiojiri and Komoro cities and race 2 from Kawakami village and Komoro city. All isolates of race 2 were biotin auxotrophs, and the race could be distinguished based on its requirement for biotin on minimal nitrate agar medium (MM). Pathogenic isolates were classified into two VCGs and three heterokaryon self-incompatible isolates. Strong correlations were found between race and VCG. All the race 1 strains were assigned to VCG 1 except self-incompatible isolates, and all the race 2 strains to VCG 2. The 28 avirulent isolates of F. oxysporum were incompatible with VCG 1 and VCG 2. California strains was vegetatively compatible with VCG 1, and they were assigned to race 1. Based on vegetative compatibility, these two races of F. oxysporum f. sp. lactucae may be genetically distinct, and F. oxysporum f. sp. lactucae race 1 is identical to F. oxysporum f. sp. lactucum. Received 7 May 2002/ Accepted in revised form 6 September 2002     

Suppression of Verticillium Wilt in Eggplant by Some Fungal Root Endophytes

One hundred and twenty-three fungal isolates were obtained from 225 root segments of eggplants, melon, tomato, strawberry and Chinese cabbage, grown as bait plants in a mixed soil made up of samples from different fields in Shizuoka, Japan. Isolates belonging to Mycelium radicis atrovirens (MRA), including Phialocephala fortinii, were the most prevalent in all the five bait plants. Eleven of the 123 isolates, after being inoculated onto axenically reared eggplant seedlings, almost completely suppressed the pathogenic effects of a post-inoculated, virulent strain of Verticillium dahliae. Seven of these 11 isolates had come from the roots of eggplant and included Heteroconium chaetospira, P. fortinii, and unidentified species of Fusarium, Penicillium, Trichoderma and MRA. P. fortinii, H. chaetospira, a non-sporulating isolate with white mycelium (SWM) and MRA were easily reisolated from root segments. Hyphae of H. chaetospira, P. fortinii and SWM colonized the root tissues of eggplant without causing apparent pathogenic symptoms. The mechanisms by which these endophytes confer resistance to infection by V. dahliae are unknown but the effectiveness of these fungi in a laboratory setting indicates that they have potential as biocontrol agents and merit further investigation.     

甘薯根腐病抗性在不同环境条件下的表现及遗传趋势

结果表明,甘薯根腐病发病轻重与环境条件有很大关系,表现为干旱少雨的年份发病较重,降雨量较多的年份发病较轻;土壤瘠薄的发病较重,肥力条件较好的则发病较轻;通常情况下,年份间品种的抗性表现较为一致,但遇特殊气候则年份间品种的抗性有一定的差异。对1150份甘薯品种资源及育种材料的根腐病抗性鉴定结果表明,高抗型材料占14.6％,抗病型占15.7％,感病型占26.0％,高感型占43.7％。对754份材料及亲本的抗性分析表明,不同的抗性组合后代中均可分离出高抗至高感类型的材料,杂交后代的抗性强弱随双亲抗性水平的提高而提高。中国自1970年以来采用品种间杂交和种间杂交育种技术,先后育成了一批高产、优质的高抗型优良品种。     

Effect of take-all root infections on nitrate uptake in winter wheat

The effect of take-all root lesions on nitrate uptake of wheat was investigated in two experiments under controlled conditions. Plants were supplied with a nutrient solution labelled with ¹⁵N during stem elongation and flowering to assess the distribution of the isotopic tracer in the different plant organs, and particularly in root segments located on both sides of take-all lesions. The ¹⁵N atom percentage excess measured in root segments located below lesions longer than 1 cm was reduced on average by half compared with that in healthy roots and root segments above lesions, reflecting a reduction in nitrogen uptake by these root segments. This reduction probably resulted from the invasion and breakdown of phloem vessels by the fungus hyphae, interrupting energy supply and thus the uptake process. Severely infected plants showed an increase in the uptake rate per unit of efficient root, which appeared to be a compensatory response to reduction of efficient root biomass in order to satisfy shoot nitrogen demand. However, this compensatory response was insufficient to ensure nitrogen accumulation equivalent to that of healthy plants, as reductions in nitrogen accumulated in roots and aerial parts at flowering were up to 56 and 49%, respectively, for plants with more than 50% of the root system below lesions longer than 1 cm.