Dealing with the variability in biofumigation efficacy through an epidemiological framework

Biofumigation, as originally defined, is the use, in agriculture, of the toxicity of Brassica crop residues to control soilborne plant pathogens. This toxicity is specifically attributed to the release of toxic isothiocyanates, through the hydrolysis of glucosinolates present in the crop residues. This technique is considered a possible alternative to the use of pesticides, but field studies have generated conflicting data concerning the efficacy of biofumigation at field scale, limiting the use of this technique. Analytical studies based on a systematic approach involving evaluation of the potential effects of isothiocyanates can be used to address this problem in a rigorous manner. However, many recent studies have indicated that the mechanisms underlying biofumigation are much more complex than a simple toxic effect of residues. In this review, we dissect and discuss the problems encountered when trying to understand the variability in biofumigation efficacy and propose an integrative epidemiological approach to overcome these problems. This approach involves separating the effects of the different parameters of the system, such as the effects of different management phases of the biofumigant crop (i.e. the period of biofumigant crop growth and the phase during which crop residues are pulverised and incorporated into the soil) on the epidemiological mechanisms driving the development of an epidemic (density of primary inoculum and dynamics of disease progression). Finally, we propose new avenues of research into biofumigation in which the use of epidemiological tools and methods may improve our understanding of the factors underlying variation in the efficacy of biofumigant crops.     

Non-pathogenic Fusarium strains protect the seedlings of Lepidium sativum from Pythium ultimum

Two root-colonizing Fusarium strains, Ls-F-in-4-1 and Rs-F-in-11, isolated from roots of Brassicaceae plants, induced the resistance in Lepidium sativum seedlings against Pythium ultimum. These strains caused an increase in the content of benzyl isothiocyanate, and of its precursor glucotropaeolin, in the roots of the host plants. The increased isothiocyanate content is one of the factors contributing to the resistance of L. sativum against P. ultimum. To be transformed into the fungitoxic compound benzyl isothiocyanate, glucotropaeolin has to be hydrolyzed by myrosinase, which can be produced either by plants or microorganisms. The Fusarium strain Ls-F-in-4-1 has a myrosinase activity but the strain Rs-F-in-11 has not. These results suggest that both strains are able to trigger the metabolic pathway leading to benzyl isothiocyanate production in the plant. In the case of the myrosinase-negative strain Rs-F-in-11, hydrolyzation into isothiocyanate is only due to the myrosinase activity of the plant, and in the other case, the myrosinase produced by the strain Ls-F-in-11 also would contribute to the production of isothiocyanate. This paper reports a new mode of action of non-pathogenic Fusarium strains in controlling P. ultimum.     

Nematode suppression with brassicaceous amendments: application based upon glucosinolate profiles

Glucosinolate profiles differ among plant species and their isothiocyanate (ITC) derivatives differ in toxicity to nematodes. Successful management of plant-parasitic nematodes by ITCs requires the incorporation of appropriate amounts of glucosinolate-containing biomass. Plant materials, containing glucosinolate-precursors of the ITCs most toxic to nematodes, were selected and applied to soil based upon ITC lethal concentration (LC) values. This provided a reliable and repeatable basis for application rates for suppression of Meloidogyne javanica and Tylenchulus semipenetrans by Brassica hirta and M. javanica by B. juncea. Sufficient biomass of B. hirta to potentially yield 0.03-0.12 μmol ml⁻¹ of glucotropeolin reduced nematode survival compared to similar amounts of broccoli (Brassica oleraceae var. botrytis). At biomass levels providing >0.37 μmol ml⁻¹ of glucotropeolin, mortality of M. javanica was 100% with B. hirta. Biomass of B. juncea potentially yielding 2.82 μmol ml⁻¹ of sinigrin reduced M. javanica survival 65% below that obtained by a similar amount of broccoli. Rates of B. juncea to yield lethal levels of allyl ITC to reduce T. semipenetrans survival underestimated the glucosinolate application rates for this amendment. Application of plant biomass to soil >2.9% w/w reduced M. javanica survival regardless of the glucosinolate concentration of the amendment material. Application of brassicaceous amendments to soil initiates complex and dynamic biological and chemical processes. Despite the inherent complexity, we find that brassicaceous amendments can be applied to achieve consistent and repeatable nematode suppression when based upon the chemistry of the incorporated material.     

三种脱毒方法对菜籽饼（粕）脱毒效果的比较

采用饲料分析方法、银量法和紫外分光光度法测定高温高压、酸处理及土炕加热三种不同脱毒处理后菜籽饼（粕）中营养成份及异硫氰酸盐（ＩＴＣ）、口恶唑烷硫酮（ＯＺＴ）和硫代葡萄糖甙含量。结果：高温高压法营养成份损失少，酸处理无氮浸出物及灰分含量增加，高温高压法对ＩＴＣ的脱毒效果明显优于酸处理法（Ｐ＜０．０１），但对ＯＺＴ的效果不及酸处理法和土法（Ｐ＜０．０１）；三种方法对硫代葡萄糖甙的效果无明显差异（Ｐ＞０．０５）。     

芸薹属植物的生防作用

业已从十字花科芸薹属植物中鉴定出20多种硫代葡萄糖苷,多种硫代葡萄糖苷的降解产物对土传病原 真菌等具有抑制作用。硫代葡萄糖苷的组分、含量以及降解过程中的条件等因素影响到降解产物的结构和有效浓 度,从而决定了生防作用的效果。本文对芸薹属植物生防作用的机理、影响因素及其应用途径进行了综述。     

不同配比菜粕发酵的抗营养因子脱除效果比较

设置8个不同处理的菜粕固态发酵过程,经过72 h发酵,比较不同处理发酵产物的硫苷、异硫氰酸酯和噁唑烷硫酮等3种主要抗营养因子的含量,从而筛选一个最低抗营养因子含量和最高营养提升率的处理.结果表明,处理七(菜粕20 kg、菠萝汁7.5 kg、活化剂0.01 kg、菌种0.10 kg、水2.25 kg)的总脱除效果最好,硫苷、异硫氰酸酯和噁唑烷硫酮的脱除率分别为97.79％、100％和100％,而主要营养成分粗蛋白和小肽的含量相应提升了3.71％和195.16％.     

西兰花硫代葡萄糖苷及其降解产物与育种研究进展

综述了不同品种、生理阶段、组织部位以及栽培条件对西兰花硫代葡萄糖苷含量和成分的影响,以及西兰花的医用价值。还介绍了采摘后处理对西兰花硫代葡萄糖苷含量的影响,以及硫代葡萄糖苷的主要检测方法。     

Growing Brassica juncea as a cover crop, then incorporating its residues provide complementary control of Rhizoctonia root rot of sugar beet

Biofumigation is increasingly viewed as a potentially useful technique for controlling soil-borne crop pathogens, but its efficacy has not systematically been demonstrated at field scale. We investigated the differences in efficacy observed in the field, by analysing the mechanisms by which a Brassica cover crop can act as a biofumigant crop in the prevention of soil-borne disease development. We hypothesised that the biofumigant crop might have a negative effect on soil-borne pathogens whilst growing, and that the pulverisation of this crop and the incorporation of its residues into the soil may enhance this effect. We tested this hypothesis by carrying out three field experiments in 2006, 2007 and 2008 in which Brassica juncea (brown mustard) was managed in different ways within a sugar beet–winter wheat rotation and analysing effects on sugar beet root rot caused by Rhizoctonia solani. Three treatments were studied: mustard pulled out at flowering (MP), mustard crushed at flowering and incorporated into the soil (MC) and bare soil (BS) as a control. We assessed the effect of each treatment on root rot incidence and severity at harvest. Over the 3 years of the experiment, disease incidence was significantly higher on BS plots than on the other plots and was significantly higher on MP plots than on MC plots. MC treatment gave a significantly lower mean conditional severity (severity calculated for diseased beets only) than the BS and MP treatments. Mustard residue incorporation was consistently effective at decreasing disease incidence from year to year (43, 44 and 47% efficacy, as determined by comparison with the disease incidence on BS plots, in 2006, 2007 and 2008, respectively), but the efficacy of growing mustard was variable (36, 16 and 39% efficacy in 2006, 2007 and 2008, respectively). These findings provide insight into the mechanisms by which biofumigant crops may affect soil-borne diseases. These findings have implications for the possible use of biofumigant crops as a biological method for controlling soil-borne diseases at the field scale.