The incidence and severity of Jatropha dieback disease in Zaria,Nigeria

A survey was conducted on Jatropha plantations within Zaria to assess disease incidence and severity on two fields along Shika road and near the dam (Irrigation site) of the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR) at Samaru and a plantation of the National Research Institute for Chemical Technology (NARICT) at Basawa. An assessment of incidence and severity of the disease was done on six accessions collected from four Local Government Areas (Giwa, B/Gwari, Soba, Lere) of Kaduna state and grown in one of the I.A.R fields along Bomo road at Samaru. The accessions were collected from Gangara, Maidaro, Farin Gida (Giwa LGA), Birnin Gwari (B/Gwari LGA), Kayarda (Lere LGA) and Soba (Soba LGA). The causal organism of dieback on Jaropha curcas L, was isolated and its pathogenicity determined. The isolated Fusarium sp. incited dieback/stem-rot disease when inoculated on healthy Jatropha seedlings. The disease incidence was significantly higher on NARICT plantation compared to the two IAR fields which were not significantly different from each other. The accessions from Gangara, Kayarda, Birnin Gwari and Soba did not significantly differ from each other but had significantly higher disease incidence than those from Maidaro and Farin Gida. Accession from Soba had significantly higher disease severity compared to the accessions from all the other LGAs, which did not differ statistically from each other.     

Analysis of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of Phytophthora tropicalis causing quick wilt disease of black pepper in Vietnam

Phytophthora quick wilt is a devastating disease of black peppers in Vietnam. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the ribosomal DNA of four Phytophthora samples isolated from the diseased vines in Daknong province of the central highland part of Vietnam was Polymerase chain reaction-amplified, cloned, sequenced and characterised. Database search have showed that they are most closely related to an isolate of Phytophthora tropicalis from Taiwan. Sequence comparisons and phylogenetic analyses based on the ITS region of the four Vietnamese and other GenBank isolates of P. tropicalis and a closely related species, P. capsici, provide strong evidences that the Vietnamese isolates are all different isolates of P. tropicalis.     

Integrated control of root rot and wilt disease of faba bean by soil amendment with suppressive compost in combination with seed coating with an antagonistic yeast

For this study, 21 isolates of fungi belonging to Rhizoctonia and Fusarium genera were isolated from the diseased faba bean plants, obtained from the different localities in Assiut governorate, showing root rot and wilt symptoms. The isolates proved to be pathogenic on Masr 1 faba bean cultivar under greenhouse conditions. F. oxysporum isolates caused wilt disease; however, the isolates of R. solani and other Fusarium species caused root rot. The virulence of isolates on the tested faba bean cultivar was different. The highly pathogenic isolates of these fungi were employed in this study. The effect of soil amendment with Planta Rich and Rich Composts (CMs) alone or in combination with seed coating by the antagonistic yeast Pichia guilliermondi before sowing on the severity of Rhizoctonia and Fusarium root rot and Fusarium wilt of faba bean was tested under greenhouse and field conditions. The tested isolates of yeast proved to be highly antagonistic to the pathogen in vitro. The test rates of CMs were equivalent to 2, 7, 10 and 14 ton/feddan in the greenhouse and 7 and 10 t/feddan in the field conditions. Uncomposted soil was used as a control. The results showed that the tested CMs have a suppressive effect on the severity of root rot and wilt diseases of faba bean under greenhouse and field conditions. The application of CMs (Planta Rich and Rich) alone at the rates equivalent to 2, 7, 10 and 14 t/feddan in greenhouse and 7 and 10 t/feddan in the field conditions to the soil infested with the tested pathogens reduced percentage of the tested diseases compared with uncomposted soil. Combined CMs treatments with yeast seed treatment increased the suppressive effect of CMs on the disease severity.     

Susceptibility assessment of bell pepper genotypes to crown and root rot disease

Bell Pepper (Capsicum annuum) is one of the important vegetable crops with valuable food sources, which is used almost around the world. Crown and root rot disease caused by Phytophthora capsici is one of the most important diseases of bell pepper in Iran. The present study was conducted to evaluate the susceptibility of different varieties of bell pepper to crown and root rot disease under glasshouse condition. Fourteen commonly planted genotypes of bell pepper in Iran were evaluated for their susceptibility to infection with the pathogen. For this purpose, disease severity of the chosen genotypes in different growth stages was evaluated. The results indicated that the bell pepper genotypes respond differently to pathogenicity tests. Based on cluster analyses confirmed by the results of SAS analyses, bell pepper cultivars were categorised in five distinct groups.     

Current status of wilt/root rot diseases in major chickpea growing areas of Ethiopia

Wilt/root rot diseases are a major chickpea production constraint in Ethiopia causing yield losses by reducing the number of plants. To determine the current status of disease incidence and distribution, surveys were conducted in the 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 cropping seasons in major chickpea growing zones of Ethiopia. Despite recent efforts in dissemination of improved varieties, low to high incidence of 0.0–83.4, 0.0–27.6, 1.3–19.8 and 0.0–16.3% and 1.0–81.9, 0.0–25.5, 3.0–13.9 and 1.0–21.5% in East Gojjam, Southwest Shewa, North Shewa and West Shewa in 2013/2014 and 2014/2015, respectively. Therefore, integrated pest management strategies should be developed and availed to farmers.     

Characterization and pathogenicity of Fusarium proliferatum causing stem rot of Hylocereus polyrhizus in Malaysia

During a series of sampling in 2008 and 2009, stem rot disease was detected in Hylocereus polyrhizus plantations in Malaysia, with symptom appeared as circular, brown sunken lesion with orange sporodochia and white mycelium formation on the lesion surface. Eighty‐three isolates of Fusarium were isolated from 20 plantations and were morphologically identified as F. proliferatum based on the variability of colony appearance, pigmentation, growth rate, length of chains, production of bluish sclerotia, concentric ring aerial mycelium and sporodochia. Three species‐specific primers, namely ITS1/proITS‐R, PRO1/2 and Fp3‐F/4‐R successfully produced PCR products and confirmed that the isolates from stem rot of H. polyrhizus were F. proliferatum isolates. From BLAST search of translation elongation factor 1‐alpha (TEF1‐α) sequences, the isolates showed 99–100% similarity with F. proliferatum deposited in GenBank which further confirmed that the isolates were F. proliferatum. The results from amplification of MAT‐allele specific primers indicated that 14.5% of F. proliferatum isolates carried MAT‐1 allele and 85.5% carried MAT‐2. Crossing results showed that all 83 F. proliferatum isolates were male fertile showing positive crosses with the tester strains of MATD‐1 and MATD‐2. Perithecia oozing ascospore were produced. Forty isolates as representative were evaluated for pathogenicity test, produced rot symptoms similar to those observed in the fields which confirmed the isolates as the causal agent of stem rot of H. polyrhizus. To our knowledge, this is the first report of stem rot of H. polyrhizus caused by F. proliferatum in Malaysia.     

The role of root-knot nematode on the wilt disease of Telfairiaoccidentalis in northern Nigeria

Cultivation of Telfairia occidentalis, an important vegetable grown in central and southern Nigeria, has gradually diffused to northern Nigeria where it has gained an economic importance. Its cultivation is, however, threatened by wilt disease occurring in farmers’ fields. A preliminary survey of farmers’ fields indicated that the disease was severe in fields with high root-knot population compared to the fields with less root-knot. Using Koch's postulate, the wilt causative organism was identified as Fusarium spp. The objective of this study was to determine therole of Meloidogyne incognita and its interaction with Fusarium oxysporum onwilt development in T. occidentalis. Four-week-old seedlings, raised in heat sterilised soil, were inoculated with Fusarium spp. and M. incognita under screenhouse condition. Seedlings were either inoculated with M. incognita and/or F.oxysporum as sole infection and as combined infection in a complex. Combined infection with both pathogens produced wilt symptom on the plant and gave significantly lower vegetative yield (p = 0.05) than sole inoculation with either M.incognita or F. oxysporum, except where the seedlings were mechanically inoculated with F. oxysporum. Results from the screenhouse studies were consistent with the field observations.     

Identification of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ganoderma</Emphasis>, the causal agent of basal stem rot disease in oil palm using a molecular method

From comparison of the alignments of the internally transcribed spacers (ITS) of ribosomal DNA from Ganoderma associated with oil palm basal stem rot (BSR) and other Ganoderma species, two specific primer pairs were selected to provide a specific DNA amplification of pathogenic Ganoderma in oil palm. Each primer pair produced a single PCR product of about 450 bp (for primer pair IT1–IT2) and 334 bp (for primer pair IT1–IT3) when oil palm Ganoderma DNA was used. No PCR amplification product was observed when other Ganoderma species DNA was used in PCR amplification with these primer pairs. Three specific restriction enzyme sites were identified in the ITS and intergenic spacer (IGS1) regions. The restriction enzymes MluI, SacI and HinfI were used to digest the ITS-PCR product and restriction enzymes TfiI, ScaI and HincII were used to digest the IGS1-PCR product. Of the three restriction enzymes used in each rDNA region, MluI specifically digested the ITS regions, and TfiI specifically digested the IGS1 region of oil palm Ganoderma. Analysis of the published ITS nucleotide sequences of 31 Ganoderma species showed that the MluI restriction site was not present in other Ganoderma species. The use of both specific primers and restriction enzyme analysis can be applied as a standard protocol to identify pathogenic Ganoderma in oil palm. In this study, the use of specific primers and PCR-RFLP analyses of the rDNA gave consistent results for the characterisation of pathogenic Ganoderma, and indicated that Ganoderma strains associated with BSR disease in oil palms belong to a single species.     

中国松材线虫病空间分布格局

应用地统计学和克里格插值方法,分析了松材线虫病在中国的空间分布结构和空间相关性.研究表明,松材线虫病在中国呈聚集分布.在全国和江苏、安徽、广东、浙江5个不同空间尺度下,半变异函数均为球形,空间依赖性距离分别可达10 1888°、3.4464°、2.1581°、3.08°和2.4376°.松材线虫病在中国有着2个明显的聚集分布区域,一个位于(30.5～32.5°N,117.7～120.5°E),以南京为中心,包括江苏、安徽大部和浙江西北部,另一个位于(22.5～24°N,113～114.5°E ),在广东境内.松材线虫病在中国早期空间分布自然扩散模型为R = 5.4743e0.4139t(R2 = 0.9204).     

Screening of antagonistic bacteria for biological control of nursery wilt of black pepper (Piper nigrum)

Bacterial antagonists of Phytophthora capsici were isolated from underground shoot portions of rooted cuttings of black pepper. Initially isolates were screened by dual culture on potato dextrose agar and carrot agar. Further, a screening was done on black pepper shoots for supression of lesion caused by the pathogen. Most of the antagonists showed varying levels of antagonism in the dual culture and the shoot assay. Isolate PN-026, showing the highest suppression of lesion development in the shoot assay was found to be the most efficient antagonist in reducing Phytophthora capsici induced nursery wilt of black pepper. This screening involving the host, pathogen, and the antagonist, performed on black pepper shoot (the planting material for this vegetatively propagated crop), could be used as a rapid and reliable method for the isolation of efficient bacterial antagonists of P. capsici.     

Mango stem end rot pathogens - Fruit infection by endophytic colonisation of the inflorescence and pedicel

The stem end rot pathogens of mango (Mangifera indica), (Dothiorella dominicana, Dothiorella mangiferae, Lasiodiplodia theobromae (Syn. Diplodia natalensis Phomopsis mangiferae, Cytosphaera mangiferae, Pestalotiopsis sp. and Dothiorella‘long’), as well as other fungi (including Alternaria alternata), were found to occur endophytically in the stem tissue of mango trees prior to inflorescence emergence. On samples from trees with a record of low stem end rot levels, colonisation did not extend into the most recently produced flush of stem tissue. At a site with a history of high stem end rot levels, sequential monitoring of inflorescence tissue between flowering and harvest by plating out small (c. 8 mm³) tissue pieces revealed, that at least some of the pathogens - Dothiorella spp., P. mangiferae, Pestalotiopsis sp. and C. mangiferae gradually colonised the inflorescence, reaching the pedicel tissue of young fruit - 8 wk after flowering. Subsequently, detection frequency of the pathogens in inflorescence tissue declined, possibly because of interference from copper residues (from field sprays) accumulating on tissue samples. The detection frequency of A. alternata also increased as Dothiorella spp. declined, however these changes could not be attributed to antagonistic interactions between the two fungi. Using larger tissue pieces (1–2 mm thick transverse sections, or a square of tissue 25 mm²× 3 mm thick) in isolations, endophytic colonisation by Dothiorella spp. and P. mangiferae was detected in stem, inflorescence and pedicel tissues of mature-fruit-specimens from two different sites, one unsprayed, and the other regularly sprayed with copper. The fungi were detected more frequently in the samples from unsprayed trees. Fruit from the sprayed orchard subsequently developed a high level of stem end rot caused by D. dominicana, while a lower level of stem end rot developed in unsprayed fruit, possibly because the latter fruit were also extensively diseased by anthracnose (Colletotrichum gloeosporioides Penz.). Endophytic colonisation of inflorescence and pedicel tissue was found to be a primary route of infection for fruit which develop stem end rot during ripening.     

ICP-AES analysis in sesame on the root rot disease incidence

Five different sesame varieties namely CO-1, VRI-1, VRI-2, TMV-3 and TMV-4 are grown in different trial plots with three treatments viz., control (T₁), chemical fertiliser (T₂) and organic manure (T₃). Diseased and healthy roots are collected fieldwide using standard procedures. Roots are subjected to ICP-AES analysis and the elemental status of the diseased and healthy roots are estimated. A correlation between the elements (Ca, K, Na, Mg, Fe, Cu, Zn) of healthy and diseased plants with reference to manure treatment and different varieties has been attempted. It could be suggested that lowering the concentration of Ca, Na, Mg and Fe and increasing the concentration of K, Cu and Zn in the soil with T₃ treatment may very much reduce root rot disease occurrence.     

Fusarium fujikuroi associated with stem rot of red‐fleshed dragon fruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus) in Malaysia

Stem rot was recorded as one of serious diseases of red‐fleshed dragon fruit, (Hylocereus polyrhizus), in Malaysia. Fusarium fujikuroi was recovered from stem rot lesion of H. polyrhizus and the species was identified using TEF1‐α sequence and mating study. From maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree using combined TEF1‐α and β‐tubulin sequences, the F. fujikuroi isolates from stem rot were grouped according to three geographical locations, namely Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that F. fujikuroi isolates from stem rot of H. polyrhizus were clustered separately from F. fujikuroi isolates from rice because of intraspecific variation. From amplification of MAT allele‐specific primers, 20% of the isolates carried MAT‐1 allele while 80% carried MAT‐2 allele. From isolates that carried MAT‐1 allele, 65% crossed‐fertile with MP‐C (mating population of F. fujikuroi) tester strain while for MAT‐2 allele, 56% crossed‐fertile with MP‐C. None of the isolates were identified as MP‐D (mating population of F. proliferatum). Pathogenicity test conducted on 40 representative isolates showed that the stem rot symptoms were similar with the symptoms observed in the field, and can be categorized as low, moderate and high aggressiveness, which indicated variation in pathogenicity and virulence among the isolates. This study provides novel findings regarding Fusarium species associated with stem rot of H. polyrhizus and indicated that F. fujikuroi as a new causal pathogen of the disease.     

湖北宜昌松林景观格局对松材线虫流行及扩散的影响

景观格局对能量流、物质流和物种流等生态学过程影响显著。为了探究区域生境差异对病虫害发生及扩散的影响,以湖北省宜昌市夷陵区松材线虫病为对象,结合区域森林资源二类清查矢量数据和松材线虫病普查资料,运用景观生态学的原理和方法,探究景观格局对松材线虫病发生的影响。研究结果表明:1)松林景观类型百分比、平均斑块面积、自然连接度和聚合度与松材线虫病的发病率成正相关;2)松林斑块的粒级结构分析表明,中、小斑块能抑制松材线虫病的发生,巨斑块、超大斑块对松材线虫的发生有利;3)从景观干扰上分析显示人类活动强度与松材线虫病发病率成正相关;4)在景观尺度水平上,景观的破碎度大、多样性指数高、蔓延度指数小、斑块形状简单、受人类活动影响大的乡镇松材线虫病发病率高。通过斑块类型尺度和景观尺度两个水平上的分析可知,在夷陵区乡镇尺度上,由小斑块松林组成且斑块聚集度低、景观破碎化程度低的景观格局对松材线虫病有一定的抑制作用。研究结论对当地松材线虫病的防治就有较好的参考价值。     

松树萎蔫的成因与控制策略

已报道的松树萎蔫枯死类型有多种,它们之间存在内在的联系,其发生及严重与否涉及多种生态因子,是立地环境、感病松树、媒介昆虫、病原线虫、病原微生物综合作用的结果,基于生态学的可持续有害生物管理应是防治松树萎蔫的有效途径。     

凤尾鸡冠茎腐病综合防治研究

本文根据凤尾鸡冠茎腐病的发生条件、规律和症状,进行该病的防治研究,得出一套从苗床土壤消毒、苗期和生长期到盛花期的定期预防、控制浇水时间和浇水量、合理施用氮、磷、钾肥等的有效防治措施,使该病发生率从15.4%降至1.3%,并使凤尾鸡冠的综合性状明显改善,有效地提高了产量和质量。     

Investigations on the causes of upper stem rot (USR) on standing mature oil palms

Three different trials to examine the cause of upper stem rot (USR) infection in oil palm failed to achieve any infection. In the first experiment, inoculum was applied as colonised rubber wood blocks or as spore suspensions. In the second experiment, particular attention was given to ensure that the Ganoderma spores were freshly collected to maintain viability but no infection was observed around the inoculation sites of any of the different oil palm tissues treated. Lastly in the third experiment, both monokaryotic and dikaryotic mycelial cultures were applied directly to cut fronds, which were protected with a moist covering, but no infection was detected after more than two years. Failure to achieve infection by direct inoculation would indicate that USR does not arise from direct infection of living tissues by Ganoderma spores or mycelium, this is probably because of insufficient inoculum potential to cause infection. It is suggested that USR infection is achieved only when a sufficiently large source of inoculum has built up in dead material, probably in frond axils, and this allows invasion of the living tissues.     

不同香蕉枯萎病区土壤细菌群落多样性

分别采集海南省临高县3个地区的香蕉枯萎病发病土壤与健康土壤样品共6份,采用常规方法测定土壤理化性质,以末端限制性片段多态性分析(T-RFLP)技术研究不同地区发病与健康土壤微生物的多样性,并分析土壤微生物群落结构与土壤因子的关系.结果表明:同一地区发病蕉园土壤的大部分理化性质指标低于健康蕉园,以pH、有效P含量的差异最显著;T-RFLP结果表明供试蕉园发病土壤的细菌多样性比健康土壤丰富;3个地区的优势种分别为片段长度为144、147与233 bp的T-RFs,通过系统发育分配工具比对,推断这3个地区的优势菌群可能属于枯草芽孢杆菌、葡萄球菌、反刍真杆菌;大部分T-RFs的分布与土壤碱解N、pH、速效K、有效P及含水量有关,且在发病土壤中的相对丰度大于健康土壤.     

Mycoflora and mycotoxins in Brazilian black pepper,white pepper and Brazil nuts

A wide range of field and storage fungi were isolated from black pepper, white pepper and Brazil nut kernels from Amazonia. A total of 42 species were isolated from both peppers. Aspergillus flavus and A. niger were isolated more frequently from black than from white pepper. Other potential mycotoxigenic species isolated included: A. ochraceus, A. tamarii, A. versicolor, Emericella nidulans and Chaetomium globosum, Penicillium brevicompactum, P. citrinum, P. islandicum and P. glabrum. Species isolated from pepper for the first time were Acrogenospora sphaerocephala, Cylindrocarpon lichenicola, Lacellinopsis sacchari, Microascus cinereus, Petriella setifera and Sporormiella minima. Seventeen species were isolated from Brazil nut kernels. A. flavus was the dominant species followed by A. niger. P. citrinum and P. glabrum were the only penicillia isolated. Species isolated for the first time included Acremonium curvulum, Cunninghamella elegans, Exophiala sp., Fusarium oxysporum, Pseudoallescheria boydii, Rhizopusoryzae, Scopulariopsis sp., Thielavia terricola and Trichoderma citrinoviride. Considerably more metabolites were detected from black than white pepper in qualitative analyses. Chaetocin, penitrem A, and xanthocillin were identified only from black pepper, and tenuazonic acid was identified from both black and white pepper. Aflatoxin G₂, chaetoglobosin C, and spinulosin were identified from poor quality brazil nuts. Aflatoxin B₁ and B₂ were also only detected in poor quality brazil nuts at concentrations of 27.1 g kg^–1 and 2.1 g kg^–1 respectively (total 29.2 g kg^–1).This revised version was published online in October 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.