The Development of Desiccation-tolerance and Maximum Seed Quality During Seed Maturation in Six Grain Legumes

‘Physiological maturity’, i.e. the time when seedsreach their maximum dry weight during development, occurredwhen maturation drying on the parent plant in the field hadreduced seed moisture content to approximately 60 per cent infaba bean (Vicia faba L.), lentil (Lens culinaris Medic.), chickpea(Cicer arietinum L.), white lupin (Lupinus albus L.), soya bean(Glycine max [L.] Merr.) and pea (Pisum sativum L.) The onsetof desiccation-tolerance, i.e. the ability of seeds to germinatefollowing harvest and rapid artificial drying, coincided withphysiological maturity, except in pea where it occurred a littleearlier at about 70 per cent moisture content. Maximum seedquality as determined by maximum viability, minimum seedlingabnormalities and maximum seedling size occurred in pea, chickpeaand lupin when seeds were harvested for rapid drying at physiologicalmaturity; but for maximum seed quality in the other speciesmaturation drying had to proceed further - to about 45 per centmoisture content in soya bean and to about 30 per cent moisturecontent in lentil and faba bean seed crops. Much of this variationamongst the six species, however, was due to differences inthe variation in maturity within each seed crop. Results forindividual pods showed that peak maturity, i.e. maximum seedquality following harvest and rapid artificial drying, was achievedin all six species once maturation drying had reduced the moisturecontent of the seeds to 45–50 per cent. In pea, faba beanand soya bean there was a substantial decline in viability andan increase in seedling abnormalities when harvest was delayedbeyond the optimal moisture content for harvest.     

Control of thickness of collenchyma cell walls by pectins

Near-isotropic stresses were generated within collenchyma cell walls of celery (Apium graveolens L.) by exchanging K⁺ for Ca²⁺ ions, varying the ionic strength and de-esterifying the pectic carboxyl groups, treatments that changed the free-charge density of the pectic polysaccharides. The collenchyma strands swelled radially with increasing free-charge density but there was very little longitudinal swelling. Depolymerising the pectins by -elimination also induced much more radial than longitudinal swelling. Supported by earlier work on Nitella, these results indicate that pectins control the interlamellar spacing in cell walls and hold them together across their thickness, particularly against turgor stresses tending to delaminate the walls at the cell corners.The author thanks J.S.G. Reid (Department of Biological Sciences, University of Stirling, UK) and M. Demarty (SCUEOR, University of Rouen, France) for critical comments.     

Phosphorus benefits of different legume crops to subsequent wheat grown in different soils of Western Australia

Certain legume crops, including white lupin (Lupinus albus L.), mobilise soil-bound phosphorus (P) through root exudates. The changes in the rhizosphere enhance P availability to these crops, and possibly to subsequent crops growing in the same soil. We conducted a pot experiment to compare phosphorus acquisition of three legume species with that of wheat, and to determine whether the legume crops influence growth and P uptake of a subsequent wheat crop. Field pea (Pisum sativum L.), faba bean (Vicia faba L.), white lupin (Lupinus albus L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were grown in three different soils to which we added no or 20 mg P kg^–1 soil (P0, P20). Growth, P content and rhizosphere carboxylates varied significantly amongst crops, soils and P levels. Total P content of the plants was increased with applied phosphorus. Phosphorus content of faba bean was 3.9 and 8.8 mg/pot, at P0 and P20, respectively, which was about double that of all other species at the respective P levels. Field pea and white lupin had large amounts of rhizosphere carboxylates, whereas wheat and faba bean had negligible amounts in all three soils at both P levels. Wheat grew better after legumes than after wheat in all three soils. The effect of the previous plant species was greater when these previous species had received P fertiliser. All the legumes increased plant biomass of subsequent wheat significantly over the unplanted pots in all the soils. Faba bean was unparalleled in promoting subsequent wheat growth on all fertilised soils. This experiment clearly demonstrated a residual benefit of the legume crops on the growth of the subsequent wheat crop due to enhanced P uptake. Faba bean appeared to be a suitable P-mobilising legume crop plant for use in rotations with wheat.     

Antagonistic potential of certain legumes to Meloidgyne incognita on sugar beet

Under greenhouse conditions, a pot experiment was conducted to clarify the potential of using some legumes as intercropped plants for reducing the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita infecting sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) cv. DS-9004 compared to non-legume plant, garlic and non-intercropped plants. The obtained results revealed that all legumes including chickpea, Egyptian clover, faba bean, fenugreek, lentil and lupin significantly (p ≤ 0.05) reduced nematode criteria on the roots of sugar beet at different degrees. Chickpea and Egyptian clover reduced the number of galls on the roots of sugar beet as the percentage of reductions were 54 and 50%, respectively, followed by lupin and fenugreek, while garlic achieved 72% reduction compared to non-intercropped plants. Lupin reduced the number of egg masses by 59% followed by Egyptian clover and fenugreek (32%), three months after the treatment. On the other hand, six months after the treatment, chickpea reduced the number of galls by 55.7% followed by lupin (53.4%) and Egyptian clover (52.3%) and the percentage of reduction of egg masses behaved the same trend. Also, the treatments improved plant growth criteria of sugar beet, weight of roots (tubers) and the percentage of total soluble solids (TSS).     

Phloem translocation of gibberellins in three species of higher plants

Phloem sap was collected from white lupin (Lupinus albus L.), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) and castor bean (Ricinus communis L.) and analysed for gibberellins (GAs) using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A large number of GAs were found in the phloem exudate of all three species, particularly where the sap was collected from pods (white lupin and cowpea) and in these legumes GAs representing both the early C-13-hydroxylation and non-hydroxylation pathways of biosynthesis were identified. In the sap collected from the vegetative tissues of castor bean the number of GAs identified was fewer than that in the other species, representing mainly the non-hydroxylation pathway. Data from sap collected from the pedicel and stylar ends of pods and by making feeds of radiolabelled GAs to seeds in situ in white lupin indicate that the GAs present in the phloem are derived mainly from the vegetative tissues of the plant. No evidence for metabolism of GAs in the phloem could be found.     

Susceptibility to Enzymatic Degradation of Cell Walls From Bean Plants Resistant and Susceptible to Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn

Enzymes in culture filtrates of Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn grown using 4-day old or 20-day old bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) hypocotyl cell walls as a carbon source degraded xylan, galactan, galactomannan, araban, polygalacturonic acid, and carboxymethylcellulose. Extracts of lesions from R. solani infected plants, but not healthy plants, contained similar enzymatic activities. These enzyme sources readily solubilized cell wall constituents containing arabinose, galactose, and glucose from 4-day old, but not from 20-day old, bean cell walls. Analysis of cell walls prepared from infected plants revealed that the alterations in cell wall composition in the diseased host were limited largely to the immediate lesion areas and occurred during the early phases of pathogenesis. The cell walls of young susceptible bean seedlings could be degraded by R. solani enzymes, but the cell walls of older plants which are resistant to this pathogen were not susceptible to enzymatic destruction by the same enzyme preparation.     

Estimation of Polymer Rigidity in Cell Walls of Growing and Nongrowing Celery Collenchyma by Solid-State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance in Vivo

When the growth of a plant cell ceases, its walls become more rigid and lose the capacity to extend. Nuclear magnetic resonance relaxation methods were used to determine the molecular mobility of cell wall polymers in growing and nongrowing live celery (Apium graveolens L.) collenchyma. To our knowledge, this is the first time this approach has been used in vivo. Decreased polymer mobility in nongrowing cell walls was detected through the 13C-nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum by decreases in the proton spin-spin relaxation time constant and in the intensity of a sub-spectrum corresponding to highly mobile pectins, which was obtained by a spectral editing technique based on cross-polarization rates. Flexible, highly methyl-esterified pectins decreased in relative quantity when growth ceased. A parallel increase in the net longitudinal orientation of cellulose microfibrils was detected in isolated cell walls by polarized Fourier-transformed infrared spectrometry.     

Immunodetection and immunolocalization of tryptophanins in oat (Avena sativa L.) seeds

Tryptophanins (TRPs) are low molecular weight, tryptophan-rich, basic proteins found in oat (Avena sativa L.) seeds. Like their counterpart puroindolines (PINs) from wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), TRPs are thought to be involved in flour softness as well as disease resistance against phytopathogenic fungi. PINs are known to be the major components of ‘friabilin’ associated with the surface of water washed starch grains and possess lipid binding properties. Two polyclonal antisera against puroindoline-a (PIN-a), and puroindoline-b (PIN-b) respectively; and a monoclonal antiserum raised against ‘friabilin’ were used as primary antibodies in immunoblotting experiments. All antisera detected immunoreactive polypeptides, with approximate relative masses of 15–16 kDa, in oat, wheat, and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) seed extracts but not in rice (Oryza sativa L.), maize (Zea mays L.), bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), pea (Pisum sativum L.) and lentil (Lens culinaris Medic.) seed extracts. Immunoreactive polypeptides were detected in aqueous ethanol [52% (v/v) ethanol] seed extracts. Both anti-‘friabilin’ monoclonal and anti-PIN-b polyclonal antisera recognized 15 as well as 16 kDa tryptophanins in oat seeds from different cultivars. On the other hand, anti-PIN-a polyclonal antiserum strongly cross-reacted with 16 kDa TRP and weakly with 15 kDa TRP. Tryptophanins were found to be associated with the surface of starch grains in oat endosperm tissue using both fluorescence and confocal laser scanning microscopies with anti-‘friabilin’ monoclonal antiserum. SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting assays revealed a gradual synthesis of TRPs as early as milk stage in developing oat seeds. On the other hand, TRPs tend to undergo degradation during seed germination.     

Localization of the Fe(III)-Zn(II) Purple Acid Phosphatase in Dry Kidney Beans Using Immunofluorescence and Immunogold Electron Microscopy

Localization of purple acid phosphatase (PAP) from the seedsof kidney beans,Phaseolus vulgaris(L.), was performed usinglight and transmission electron microscopy. After rehydrationand aqueous fixation, cryo-sections of bean cotyledon tissueshowed a bright immunofluorescent signal in the cytoplasm ofcells whereas cell walls and reserve materials (starch, proteinbodies) remained unstained. In ultrathin sections of dry cotyledontissue anhydrously fixed in acrolein vapour and embedded inLowicryl resin, PAP mapped exclusively to ribosome-rich areasof the cytoplasm. In view of these results, we propose thatkidney bean PAP might possibly be engaged in mechanisms involvedin the triggering of seed dormancy.Copyright 1998 Annals ofBotany Company Phaseolus vulgaris(L.), kidney bean, purple acid phosphatase, immunofluorescence microscopy, immunogold electron microscopy, anhydrous vapour fixation, acrolein.     

Mung bean (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Vigna radiata</Emphasis>) cultivars mediated oviposition preference and development of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Callosobruchus chinensis</Emphasis> (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae)

The Azuki bean weevil, Callosobruchus chinensis (L.), is a destructive pest of stored mung bean [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek] as well as other leguminous seeds. The development of resistant seeds to manage this pest is of current great interest to plant breeders. In this study, we investigated the oviposition preference and development of C. chinensis on two susceptible mung bean cultivars (Seonhwa and Gyeongseon) and one previously reported resistant cultivar (Jangan), compared to the susceptible cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.), cultivar (Yeonbun) using both multiple-choice and no-choice tests. In addition, the development of C. chinensis was also examined at four constant temperatures (20, 25, 30, and 35 °C). Both tests found cowpea to be the most suitable seed for oviposition. Total developmental time from oviposition to adult emergence ranged from 27.01 to 38.2 days, being shortest on cowpea and longest on the mung bean, cv. Jangan. However, no successful development of C. chinensis larvae on mung bean, cv. Jangan, occurred at any temperature. The highest rate of adult emergence and the longest adult longevity both occurred on cowpea and certain mung bean cultivars (Seonhwa and Gyeongseon), with the dramatic exception of cv. Jangan. These results suggest that the higher preference and performance of C. chinensis on cowpea (3.3 egg/seed) and least on mung bean, cv. Jangan (0.4 egg/seed). This information may facilitate the exploration of resistant genetic materials and chemicals associated with seeds for successful breeding. Further studies should examine the chemicals associated with mung bean cultivars and its resistant mechanism to develop a control method against bruchines.     

Enzymes of the glyoxylate cycle in rhizobia and nodules of legumes

The relatively high level of fatty acids in soybean nodules and rhizobia from soybean nodules suggested that the glyoxylate cycle might have a role in nodule metabolism. Several species of rhizobia in pure culture were found to have malate synthetase activity when grown on a number of different carbon sources. Significant isocitrate lyase activity was induced when oleate, which presumably may act as an acetyl CoA precursor, was utilized as the principle carbon source. Malate synthetase was active in extracts of rhizobia from nodules of bush bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), cowpea (Vigna sinensis L.), lupine (Lupinus angustifolius L.) and soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.). Activity of malate synthetase was, however, barely detectable in rhizobia from alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) and pea (Pisum sativum L.) nodules. Appreciable isocitrate lyase activity was not detected in rhizobia from nodules nor was it induced by depletion of endogenous substrates by incubation of excised bush bean nodules. Although rhizobia has the potential for the formation of the key enzymes of the glyoxylate cycle, the absence of isocitrate lyase activity in bacteria isolated from nodules indicated that the glyoxylate cycle does not operate in the symbiotic growth of rhizobia and that the observed high content of fatty acids in nodules and nodule bacteria probably is related to a structural role.     

Interplanting Annual Ryegrass,Wheat, Oat,and Corn to Mitigate Iron Deficiency in Dry Beans

This study evaluated whether grass intercropping can be used to alleviate Fe deficiency chlorosis in dry beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) grown in high pH, calcareous soils with low organic matter. Field studies were conducted at the University of Wyoming Sustainable Agriculture Research and Extension Center in 2009 and 2010. Black- and navy beans were grown alone or intercropped with annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.), oat (Avena sativa L.), corn (Zea mays L.), or spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in a two-factor factorial strip-plot randomized complete block design. All four grass species increased chlorophyll intensity in dry beans. However, grass species did not increase iron (Fe) concentration in dry bean tissues suggesting inefficient utilization of Fe present in the dry bean tissues. In 2009, nitrate-nitrogen (NO₃-N) and manganese (Mn) concentration in bean tissue were greater in bean monoculture than in grass intercropped beans. Bean monoculture also had greater soil NO₃-N concentrations than grass intercropped treatments. In 2009, grass intercrops reduced dry bean yield >25% compared to bean monoculture. Annual ryegrass was the least competitive of the four annual grass species. This suggests that competition from grasses for nutrients, water, or light may have outweighed benefits accruing from grass intercropping. Additional studies are required to determine the appropriate grass and dry bean densities, as well as the optimum time of grass removal.     

THE EFFECTS OF MECHANICAL STIMULATION AND ETIOLATION ON THE COLLENCHYMA OF DATURA STRAMONIUM

Walker , Waldo S. (Grinnell College, Grinnell, Iowa.) The effects of mechanical stimulation and etiolation on the collenchyma of Datura stramonium. Amer. Jour. Bot. 47(9) : 717–724. Illus. 1960.–In an effort to determine the effect of mechanical stimulation on collenchyma tissue, plants of Datura stramonium L. were placed on a mechanical agitator and subjected to intensive shaking for 9 hr. per day for 40 days. Measurements indicated that such stimulation greatly increased the amount of wall thickening per cell, as observed in transverse section. Measurements also indicated that such stimulation may inhibit collenchyma cell elongation. A second group of Datura stramonium plants was placed in total darkness to determine the effect of such treatment on the quantity of wall thickening in the collenchyma tissue. Measurements indicated that when plants were placed in the dark for extended periods a great reduction of wall thickening resulted. It is suggested that reduction of wall material was due to its utilization as substrate for respiratory processes which occur in the plant under such extreme conditions. The composition and structure of the collenchyma cell walls are discussed.     

Diverse regulation by sucrose of enzymes involved in storage lipid breakdown in germinating lupin seeds

The regulatory function of sucrose in the activity of lipid-degrading enzymes was investigated in germinating seeds of yellow lupin (Lupinus luteus L.), white lupin (Lupinus albus L.) and Andean lupin (Lupinus mutabilis Sweet). The study was conducted on isolated embryo axes, excised cotyledons and seedlings cultured in vitro for 96 h on medium with 60 mM sucrose or without the sugar. The activity of lipase (lipolysis), acyl-CoA oxidase and catalase (fatty acid β-oxidation) was enhanced in all studied organs cultured on medium without sucrose. The activity of cytosolic aconitase (glyoxylate cycle) was stimulated by sucrose in seedling axes and isolated embryo axes, whereas in seedling cotyledons and excised cotyledons, it was inhibited. The regulatory function of sucrose in phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (gluconeogenesis) was observed only in isolated embryo axes and the activity was lower in carbohydrate deficiency conditions. The peculiar features of storage lipid breakdown in germinating lupin seeds and its regulation by sucrose are discussed.     

Seed growth rate in grain legumes I. Effect of photoassimilate availability on seed growth rate

The dry weight of harvested grain legume seeds is strongly related to their growth rate during the period of storage accumulation in the cotyledons, which begins approximately at the end of embryo cell division. Depodding, defoliation, shading or changes in air CO2 concentration were applied during seed filling (i.e. during the decrease in seed water concentration) to field and glasshouse-grown plants, in order to affect the source-sink ratio. The experiments involved three legume species, namely pea (Pisum sativum L.), soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) and white lupin (Lupinus albus L.). Some treatments affected the number of abortions of less developed seeds from younger pods, but they did not significantly affect the number or the growth rate of filling seeds, demonstrating the priority of carbohydrate partitioning to filling seeds. The maximum growth rate of seeds was achieved regardless of the intra-plant competition level, and the duration of seed growth was shortened if the photosynthetic activity was not sufficient to fulfil the assimilate demand of filling seeds.     

Physiological and genetic factors influencing fruit cracking

Discovering the complexity of seed structure and function along with a number of vital processes such as seed growth and development, germination are important factors in unlocking the secrets of consistent crop yield. Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.), a multi-purpose annual, dryland-adapted, forage, legume crop is cultivated in different parts of the world with great potential for introduction under suitable agro-climatic zones in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. Fenugreek seed is used extensively for its medicinal, pharmaceutical and nutraceutical properties. It is effective in the treatment of diabetes, hyperglycaemia (thyroxine-induced type) and hypercholesterolemia. This review discusses seed physiological processes and several important biochemical seed constituent, e.g., steroidal sapogenins (diosgenin), polysaccharide fiber (galactomannan), amino acid (4-hydroxyisoleucine), etc, with important medicinal and pharmacological characteristics impacting human and animal health. However, there are noticeable differences in the quality of several phytochemicals found in fenugreek seed possibly due to variations in plant genotypes and agro-climatic conditions under which the crop is grown. Hence, it is important to note that for consistent seed yield and quality of fenugreek cultivars there is an urgent need for continuing efforts in genetic improvements and in developing high yielding, disease and drought-resistant varieties suitable for different agro-climatic conditions. Therefore, in addition to the physico-biochemistry of fenugreek seed different approaches for genetic improvement have also been discussed.     

Differences between Adenosine Triphosphatases from Monocotylous and Dicotylous Plants

The mitochondrial membrane-bound ATPases of several plants were investigated. Two distinct types were encountered. The mitochondrial ATPases of castor bean (Ricinus communis var. Zanzibarensis, L.), cauliflower (Brassica oleracea, L.), and scarlet runner (Phaseolus coccineus, L.) were found to be inhibited by oligomycin, to have elevated molecular weights when separated from the organelles by ultrasonication and ammonium sulfate treatment and, subsequent to purification, to be cold-labile. On the other hand, mitochondria isolated from wheat (Triticum aestivum, L.), maize (Zea mays, L.), calla (Zantedeschia aethiopica, Spreng.), and onions (Allium cepa, L.) contain ATPases which, after ultrasonication of the organelles, were virtually insensitive to oligomycin and those molecular weights were as low as about 45,000; in the purified form they were resistant to storage in the cold. The plants whose mitochondria were of the first type, characterized by having ATPases similar to those of the mitochondria of animal tissues and bakers' yeast, belonged to the dicotyledons, whereas the mitochondria of the other type were found in monocotyledonous plants.     

The Influence of Genotype, Temperature and Moisture on Seed Longevity in Chickpea, Cowpea and Soya bean

Seed of three chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), three cowpea [Vignaunguiculata (L.) Walp.] and four soya bean [Glycine max (L.)Merr.] cultivars were hermetically stored for up to 2 yearsin various constant environments which included temperaturesfrom —20 to 70 °C and moisture contents (fresh weightbasis) from 5 to 25 per cent. In all cases the survival curvescould be described by negative cumulative normal distributions.The longevity of the various seed lots differed but the valueof the standard deviation (the reciprocal of which gives theslope of the survival curve when percentage germination is transformedto probit) was the same for all cultivars within a species whenstored under similar conditions. Within each species the relativeeffects of moisture and temperature on longevity did not differsignificantly between cultivars. In all three species therewas a negative logarithmic relationship between seed moisturecontent and longevity, but the relative effect of moisture contentdiffered between the species: differences in the longevity ofsoya bean seed as a function of moisture content were less thanfor either cowpea or chickpea. The relative effect of temperatureon seed longevity did not differ between the three species,and the seed of all three species showed increasing temperaturecoefficients for the change in rate of loss of viability withincrease in temperature. The complete pattern of loss in viabilityin all three species can be described by a single equation whichwas developed for barley and has also been shown to apply toonion seed. The constants applicable to the three grain legumeshave been calculated so that it is now possible to predict percentageviability of any seed lot of these species after any storageperiod under a very wide range of storage conditions. Cicer arietinum L., chickpea, Glycine max (L.) Merr., soya bean, Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp., cowpea, seed longevity, seed storage, moisture content, temperature     

Lipases in the storage tissues of peanut and other oil seeds during germination

The castor-bean endosperm-the best-studied material of reserve lipid hydrolysis in seed germination-was previously shown to have an acid lipase and an alkaline lipase having reciprocal patterns of development during germination. We studied oil seeds from 7 species, namely castor bean (Ricinus communis L.), peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.), sunflower (Helianthus annus L.), cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.), cotton (Gossypisum hirsutum L.), corn (Zea mays. L.) and tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.). The storage tissues of all these oil seeds except castor bean contained only alkaline lipase activity which increased drastically during germination. The pattern of acid and alkaline lipases in castor bean does not seem to be common in other oil seeds. The alkaline lipase of peanut cotyledons was chosen for further study. On sucrose gradient centrifugation of cotyledon homogenate from 3-d-old seedlings, about 60% of the activity of the enzyme was found to be associated with the glyoxysomes, 15% with the mitochondria, and 25% with a membrane fraction at a density of 1.12 g cm^-3. The glyoxysomal lipase was associated with the organelle membrane, and hydrolyzed only monoglyceride whereas the mitochondrial and membrane-fraction enzymes degraded mono-, di- and triglycerides equally well. Thus, although the lipase in the glyoxysomes had the highest activity, it had to cooperate with lipases in other cellular compartments for the complete hydrolysis of reserve triglycerides.     

Toxicity of Leaf and Stem Extracts to Tylenchorhynchus dubius

Plant extracts, made by grinding 2 g of fresh tissue in 5 ml of water, were toxic to Tylenchorhynchus dubius and Hoplolaimus spp. Such extracts from leaves and stems of bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and leaves of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) were most toxic; those from leaves of corn (Zea mays L.), tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) and rhododendron (Rhododendron catawbiense L.) were less toxic; and extracts of bean roots were nontoxic. Nematode movement slowed markedly within 1 hr in tobacco leaf extract, and within 4 hr in bean leaf extract; both extracts completely inactivated or killed 95% of the nematodes in 24 hr. Heating leaf extract 10 min at 80 C eliminated toxicity. Absorption of fusicoccin, a phytotoxin produced by Fusicoccum amygdali Del., increased the toxicity of tomato leaf extracts, whereas water extracts of acetone-extracted powder preparations of leaves were about 15-fold more toxic than water extracts of fresh tissue. Addition of homogenized leaves of bean, tobacco and tomato to soil significantly reduced nematode populations within 3 days.