Control of Fusarium wilt in carnation grown on rockwool by Pseudomonas sp. strain WCS417r and by Fe-EDDHA

In carnations grown on rockwool disease incidence of fusarium wilt caused byFusarium oxysporum f.sp.dianthi (Fod) was reduced when Fe-EDDHA instead of Fe-DTPA was used as iron source in the nutrient solution. Addition ofPseudomonas sp. strain WSC417r intensified this reduction in the cultivar Pallas, moderately resistant to Fusarium, but not in the susceptible cultivar Lena. Treatment of plants with Fe-EDDHA instead of Fe-DTPA as iron source resulted in higher numbers and percentages on the roots, ofin vitro antagonistic fluorescent pseudomonads. However, differences were only significant at 56 days after planting for cv. Lena and at 14 and 28 days after planting for cv. Palas. Both chelators, at different concentrations, had no effect on root colonization by eitherPseudomonas sp. strain WCS417r orFod strain WCS816. However, when coinoculated, reduced numbers of propagules ofFusarium were found at concentrations of Fe-EDDHA lower than 10^–5 M.Higher concentrations of the siderophore fusarine produced byFod strain WCS816 were demonstrated when Fe-EDDHA instead of Fe-DTPA was used as iron source in culture media. At equal concentrations, no such differences were found in the amount of siderophore produced by WCS417r. Germ tube length ofFod was less with Fe-EDDHA than with Fe-DTPA. The reduction of germ tube length was stronger when the purified siderophore of WCS417r was added in excess to the culture media with Fe-EDDHA than those with Fe-DTPA. Therefore, the observed reduction of germ tube growth can not completely be explained by iron deprivation. It appeared that EDDHA exhibited a toxic effect for conidia ofFod strain WCS816 as well.we conclude that the observed disease reduction by Fe-EDDHA is a consequence of a limitation of iron availability forFod. This limitation is possibly intensified by the increase in number or percentage of antagonistic fluorescent pseudomonads that strongly compete for iron. The additional effect after bacterization withPseudomonas strain WCS417r in Fe-EDDHA treated carnations of cv. Pallas is likely to be due, at least partly, to a direct competition for iron between the siderophores ofFod strain WCS816 and ofPesudomonas sp. strain WCS417r.Samenvatting Verwelkingsziekte in anjers op steenwol, veroorzaakt doorFusarium oxysporum f. sp.dianthi (Fod), werd gereduceerd indien het ijzer-chelaat Fe-EDDHA in plaats van Fe-DTPA werd toegevoegd aan de nutriëntenvloeistof. Bacterisatie metPseudomonas sp. stam WCS417r had een additioneel effect bij de matig resistence cultivar Pallas maar niet bij de vatbare cultivar Lena. Toevoeging van Fe-EDDHA in plaats van Fe-DTPA aan planten als ijzerbron resulteerde op de wortels in hogere aantallen en percentages fluorescerende pseudomonaden, diein vitro antagonistisch waren ten opzichte vanFod. De verschillen waren echter alleen significant 56 dagen na planten voor de cultivar Lena en 14 en 28 dagen na planten voor de cultivar Pallas. Beide chelaten vertoonden bij verschillende concentraties geen effect op de kolonisatie van de wortel door beide microorganismen. Echter, wanneer beide micro-organismen gezamelijk werden toegevoegd nam de wortelkolonisatie doorFod stam WCS816 af bij concentraties lager dan 10^–5 M Fe-EDDHA. Er werd meer van het siderofoor fusarine doorFod stam WCS816 geproduceerd bij concentraties lager dan 10^–4 M Fe indien Fe-EDDHA in plaats van Fe-DTPA als ijzerbron aan het cultuurmedium was toegevoegd. Er werd geen effect van beide chelaten gevonden op de siderofoorproduktie door WCS417r. Indien een overmaat van het gezuiverde siderofoor van WCS417r werd toegevoegd aan Fe-EDDHA werden een sterkere afname van de kiembuislengte gevonden dan toevoeging aan Fe-DTPA. De reductie van de kiembuislengte bleek niet volledig verklaard te kunnen worden door een afname van de ijzerbeschikbaarheid. Het chelaat EDDHA heeft ook een toxisch effect op conidiën van fusarium.Wij concluderen, dat de waargenomen reductie van de verwelkingziekte door Fe-EDDHA een gevolg is van de afname van de ijzerbeschikbaarheid voorFod. Dit wordt waarschijnlijk versterkt door de ontwikkeling van een antagonistische, fluorescerendePseudomonas-populatie die sterk concurreren om ijzer. Het additioneel effect dat door bacterisatie metPseudomonas sp. WCS417r van de met Fe-EDDHA behandelde matig resistante anjers (Pallas) werd verkregen is voor een deel het gevolg van een directe concurrentie om ijzer tussen de sideroforen vanFod stam WCS816 en vanPseudomonas sp. stam WCS417r.     

Connectivity and habitat type shape divergent dispersal behavior in a desert-dwelling fish

Context

Dispersal has important fitness consequences for individuals, populations, and species. Despite growing theoretical insights into the evolution of dispersal, its behavioral underpinnings remain empirically understudied, limiting our understanding of the extent and impact of responses to landscape-level heterogeneity of environments, and increasing the risk of inferring species-level responses from biased population sampling.

Objectives

We asked if predictable ecological variation among naturally fragmented arid waterbodies is correlated with disparate dispersal responses of populations of the desert goby Chlamydogobius eremius, which naturally inhabits two habitat “types” (permanent springs, ephemeral rivers), and different levels of hydrological connectivity (high and low) that potentially convey different costs and benefits of dispersal.

Methods

To test for possible behavioral divergence between such populations, we experimentally compared the movement behaviors (correlates of emigration and exploration) of wild-caught fish. We used two biologically relevant spatial scales to test movement relevant to different stages of the dispersal process.

Results

Behavior differed at both spatial scales, suggesting that alternative dispersal strategies enable desert gobies to exploit diverse habitat patches. However, while emigration was best predicted by the connectivity (flood risk) of fish habitats, exploration was linked to their habitat type (spring versus river).

Conclusions

Our findings demonstrate that despite a complex picture of ecological variation, key landscape factors have an overarching effect on among-population variation in dispersal traits. Implications include the maintenance of within-species variation, potentially divergent evolutionary trajectories of naturally or anthropogenically isolated populations, and the direction of future experimental studies on the ecology and evolution of dispersal behavior.

     

Electron microscopical studies of chlamydospores of Fusarium solani F. cucurbitae formed in natural soil

Macroconidia of Fusarium solani f. cucurbitae were placed into natural soil, incubated for various times, recovered and examined by light and transmission electron microscopy. Lysis of macroconidia and formation of chlamydospores were studied and the fine structure of these propagules and their associated microflora was investigated. The two most obvious features of chlamydospore morphology were the sloughing of outer wall layers and the accretion of micro-fibrillar elements adjacent to the plasmalemma. Chlamydospore formation was partially suppressed by addition of nitrogenous compounds to the soil.     

萤光假单胞细菌根部定殖对水培系统中香石竹镰刀菌枯萎病的作用

 本文报道萤光假单胞菌(fluorescent Pseudomas spp.) WCSX 13.WCS 417andWCS 358在水培系统中香石竹根部的定殖及其对香石竹镰刀菌枯萎病的抑制作用。细菌处理两周后,WCS 417在感病品种Lena和中抗品种Pallas根部的定殖分别为8.8×10²cfu/cm和9.8×10²cfu/cm,而WCS 358分别为0.9×10²cfu/cm和0.13×10²cfu/cm。在通气的三角瓶中水培的Pallas品种,人工接种病原菌香竹石尖镰孢Fusarium oxyspotum f.sp.dianthi (Prill.&Del.) Snyd.&Hans.(Fod)6周后,用WCSX·13和WCS 417根部处理的病指分别为0.19和0.31,未细菌处理的对照为0.58,细菌处理植株的根部及茎内组织的病原菌种群密度低于对照。营养膜技术(NFT)栽培的Lena品种,WCS 417细菌处理的发病率比对照减少13%。     

Potato plant response to seed tuber bacterization in the field in various rotations

The effects of a seed tuber treatment with antagonistic isolates of fluorescentPseudomonas spp. were investigated on potato plants from 1981 to 1984. The experimental plots were located in fields in short and long rotations of potato. The short rotations are characterized by serious yield reductions which are caused by unknown microbial factors. The reductions varied from 30% in 1982 to only 3% in 1983 in the 3-year rotations. A statistically significant increase in yield (four to five months after planting) of ware potatoes varying from 9 to 20% was obtained in these plots through tuber bacterization, but only in 1981. In 1982 and 1983 initially significant improvements in shoot or tuber weight of seed potatoes were no longer detectable at ware potato harvest at the end of the growing period. Seed tuber bacterization had no effect on tuber yield in long rotations. Initial colonization of basal root parts by 53×10⁴ colony forming units (cfu) of antibiotic-resistant mutants per gram of root (fresh) dropped significantly to 20×10⁴ cfu per gram after three months. The bacterization effect on tuber yield depended on the development of harmful microbial activity and of introduced antagonists during the growing period. Seed tuber bacterization is more promising for seed potatoes than for ware potatoes in short rotations, the latter being harvested two months later.Samenvatting De invloed van pootgoedbehandeling met antagonistische isolaten van fluorescerendePseudomonas-soorten op de aardappelteelt, werd onderzocht in de periode van 1981 tot en met 1984. De proefvelden maakten deel uit van zowel ruime als nauwe rotaties met aardappelen. Kenmerkend voor de nauwe rotatie is, dat de opbrengst aanzienllijk gereduceerd wordt als gevolg van de aanwezigheid van nog onbekende microbiële factoren. Deze opbrengstverlaging varieerde van 30% in 1982 tot slechts 3% in 1983 in de 3-jarige rotaties. Pootgoedbacterisatie had in deze proefvelden een significante toename van de eindopbrengst (vier tot vijf maanden na pootdatum) van consumptieaardappelen tot gevolg, die varieerde van 9 tot 20%, echter allen in 1981. In 1982 en 1983 werd het effect van bacterisatie ook in de loop van de groeiperiode onderzocht. Aanvankelijk significante toenames van zowel spruit-als knolgewicht waren aan het einde van het groeiseizoen niet meer aantoonbaar. Pootgoedbacteristie bleek geen effect te hebben op aardappel in ruimte rotaties. Aanvankelijk werden de basale wortelgedeelten gekoloniseerd door antibioticum-resistente mutanten met 53×10⁴ kolonievormende eenheden (kve) per gram wortel(vers); dit aantal liep (drie maanden na pootdatum) echter significant terug tot 20×10⁴ kve per gram. Het effect van bacterisatie op de eindopbrengst werd bepaald door de ontwikkeling van de schadelijke microbiële activiteit en de ontwikkeling van de geïntroduceerde antagonisten tijdens het groeiseizoen. Pootgoedbacterisatie in nauwe rotaties biedt meer mogelijkheden voor de teelt van pootaardappelen dan die van consumptieaardappelen, die geruime tijd later geoogst worden.     

Induced Disease Resistance in Plants by Chemicals

Plants can be induced locally and systemically to become more resistant to diseases through various biotic or abiotic stresses. The biological inducers include necrotizing pathogens, non- pathogens or root colonizing bacteria. Through at network of signal pathways they induce resistance spectra and marker proteins that are characteristic for the different plant species and activation systems. The best characterized signal pathway for systemically induced resistance is SAR (systemic acquired resistance) that is activated by localized infections with necrotizing pathogens. It is characterized by protection against a broad range of pathogens, by a set of induced proteins and by its dependence on salicylic acid (SA) Various chemicals have been discovered that seem to act at various points in these defense activating networks and mimic all or parts of the biological activation of resistance. Of these, only few have reached commercialization. The best- studied resistance activator is acibenzolar-5-methyl (BION). At low rates it activates resistance in many crops against a broad spectrum of diseases, including fungi, bacteria and viruses. In monocots, activated resistance by BION typically is very long lasting, while the lasting effect is less pronounced in dicots. BION is translocated systemically in plants and can take the place of SA in the natural SAR signal pathway, inducing the same spectrum of resistance and the same set of molecular markers. Probenazole (ORYZEMATE) is used mainly on rice against rice blast and bacterial leaf blight. Its mode of action is not well understood partly because biological systems of systemically induced resistance are not well defined in rice. Treated plants clearly respond faster and in a resistant manner to infections by the two pathogens. Other compounds like beta-aminobutyric acid as wdl as extracts from plants and microorganisms have also been described as resistance inducers. For most of these, neither the mode of action nor reliable pre-challenge markers are known and still other pathways for resistance activation are suspected. Resistance inducing chemicals that are able to induce broad disease resistance offer an additional option for the farmer to complement genetic disease resistance and the use of fungicides. If integrated properly in plant health management programs, they can prolong the useful life of both the resistance genes and the fungicides presently used.