Control of potato cyst nematodes and economic benefits of application of 1,3-dichloropropene and granular nematicides

The two species of the potato cyst nematodes (PCN) Globodera pallida and G rostochiensis are the most problematic pests of the potato crop in the UK. There are no commercially available cultivars with full resistance to G. pallida and both crop rotation and granular nematicides are less effective at controlling this species than G. rostochiensis. In situations of very high PCN levels it may be possible to reduce populations and yield losses by using an autumn application of the soil fumigant 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) followed by a spring application of a granular nematicide. Two field experiments were done to look at the integration of methods for the control of PCN. The Common Field experiment (G. rostochiensis infested) compared the use of 1,3-D with the granular nematicides aldicarb, oxamyl and fosthiazate when growing the susceptible cv. Estima. The Four Gates experiment (infested with both PCN species but mainly G rostochiensis) compared the performance of cv. Santé (partially resistant to G. pallida, fully resistant to G. rostochiensis) with that of the susceptible cv. Estima when treated with 1,3-D and oxamyl at full and half-rates. The results of the experiments show that an integrated approach to nematode control on heavily infested sites, including granular and fumigant nematicides and cultivar resistance, can lead to significant decreases in nematode population densities and reduce yield losses. An economic evaluation of the experiments modelled the gross margins from the different nematicide treatments. In Common Field, the highest gross margins were achieved with the combined use of fumigant and granular nematicides. In Four Gates, there was a clear economic benefit for both cultivars from the use of 1,3-D. In this experiment, oxamyl was of economic value to Estima but not to Sante and full-rate oxamyl was of more benefit than half-rate to Estima.     

Effects of Zygorrhynchus moelleri on the growth of potato and reproduction of potato cyst nematodes

Laboratory, pot and field experiments investigated the effects of the fungus Zygorrhynchus moelleri on the growth of potato and on the reproduction of the potato cyst nematodes (PCN), Globodera pallida and G rostochiensis. Preliminary laboratory tests showed that Z. moelleri growth was favoured by temperatures and pH ranges commonly present in field soils. The fungus colonised potato roots in vitro and in compost or field soil. It also stimulated in vitro root growth of three potato cultivars. In pot experiments Z. moelleri stimulated potato growth, particularly in the presence of PCN attack. In field plots infested with a mixture of G pallida and G. rostochiensis, tuber yields were not increased after application of the fungus but, in G pallida‐infested plots, yields were significantly increased after drills were inoculated with Z. moelleri. The application of Z. moelleri had no apparent effects on nematode reproduction. Factors influencing the interactions between Z. moelleri, potato and potato cyst nematodes are discussed and the potential role of the fungus as a plant growth promoter in organic potato production considered.     

The effect of granular nematicide incorporation depth and potato planting depth on potatoes grown in land infested with the potato cyst nematodes Globodera rostochiensis and G. pallida

Field experiments at Harper Adams, Shropshire and Wisbech, Cambridgeshire investigated the effect of nematicide incorporation and seed tuber planting depth on the yield of the potato (Solamum tuberosum L.) cultivars Estima and Maris Piper and the population control of the potato cyst nematodes Globodera rostochiensis Woll. (Skarbilovich) and G. pallida (Stone). The nematicide fosthiazate was applied at 3 kg^?1 ha and either not incorporated, or incorporated to 20 cm or 35 cm. Potatoes were mechanically planted to three depths; approximately 10 cm, 15 cm and 25 cm. Incorporation to 20 cm with tubers planted at a depth of 10 cm or 15 cm, reduced root invasion compared with the other treatments. Incorporating nematicide to 20 cm also gave consistently higher ware yields and better nematode control than the other incorporation methods, which were not significantly different to the control. However, ware yield and nematode multiplication rate were not significantly affected by planting depth.     

Effects of potnetial trap crops and planting date on soil infestation with potato cyst nematodes and root-knot nematodes

In 1997 and 1998 the stimulation of hatch of potato cyst nematodes (PCN) by a trap crop was studied at various times during the growing season in a container and a field experiment. Solanum nigrum‘90‐4750‐188’was used as the trap crop in both experiments and was sown on 1 May, 16 June or 1 August in two successive years on different plots. Neither experiment revealed much seasonal variation in hatchability of PCN juveniles under a trap crop. In the container experiment, the hatch of the Globodera pallida Pa3 population was equally and strongly stimulated (89%) at all sowing dates in both years, except for the 1 August sowing in 1998 (when the hatch was 77% under extremely wet soil conditions). In the control treatment with non‐hosts (flax followed by barley) the total spontaneous hatch was 50% over 2 yr. In the field experiment, the hatch of PCN, averaged over the four populations, was also equally stimulated (71%) at all sowing dates in both years. In the control treatment with non‐hosts (flax‐barley) the total spontaneous hatch was 36% over 2 yr. Total hatch under the trap crop over 2 yr varied between the four PCN populations from 63% to 80%. In 1998 and 1999, control of potato cyst nematodes (PCN) by the potential trap crops Solanum sisymbriifolium and S. nigrum‘90‐4750‐188’was studied in the field. Potato was also included as a trap crop. In the 1998 experiment, potato, S. sisymbriifolium and S. nigrum strongly stimulated the hatch of PCN compared with the non‐host white mustard (Sinapis alba). Roots of potato and white mustard were mainly found in the top 10 cm of soil, whereas roots of S. sisymbriifolium and S. nigrum were also abundant at depths of 10–20 cm and 20–30 cm. In the 1999 experiment, soil infestation with PCN decreased markedly with potato and S. sisymbriifolium as trap crops. In plots moderately to severely infested with 2‐yr old cysts (2–29 juveniles ml^?1 air dried soil), potato reduced soil infestation by 87% and S. sisymbriifolium by 77%. In plots moderately to severely infested with 1‐yr old cysts the reductions were 74% and 60%, respectively. The reduction was least on plots very severely infested with PCN (110–242 juveniles ml^?1 soil): 69% and 52% for potato and S. sisymbriifolium, respectively. Soil infestations of plots that were initially slightly to severely infested with the root‐knot nematode Meloidogyne hapla were greatly reduced under fallow and S. sisymbriifolium but increased under potato. From these and previous experiments it was concluded that, for several reasons, S. sisymbriifolium is a promising trap crop.     

Biological Control of Rice Blast byPseudomonas fluorescensStrainPf7–14: Evaluation of a Marker Gene and Formulations

Pseudomonas fluorescensstrainPf7–14 was evaluated for biological control of rice blast in field experiments. StrainPf7–14 was formulated in methylcellulose:talc (1:4) and applied to IR50 rice (Oryza sativa) seeds as a seed treatment and as foliar sprays in seedbed and field experiments. When applied as a seed treatment followed by three foliar applications, the strain provided a 68.5% suppression of rice blast in the seedbed experiment and a 59.6% suppression in the field experiment. The persistence and migration ofPf7–14 on the rice plant was studied with the aid oflacZYgenes inserted into the bacterium. In greenhouse experiments,Pf7–14gal was detected on rice roots at 10⁶to 10⁵cfu/g of root tissue for 110 days, the duration of the rice crop. Migration of the strain from the seeds to the leaves occurred only until the seedlings were 16 days old. WhenPf7–14 was applied to the rice plants by foliar sprays, 10⁴cfu of the bacterium per gram of leaf tissue was detected for the next 40 days. The limited migration of the bacterial biocontrol agent emphasizes the need for multiple foliar applications of the bacterium to sustain the bacterial population for effective suppression of rice blast.     

Mustard biofumigation disrupts biological control by Steinernema spp. nematodes in the soil

Mustard green manures or seed meal high in glucosinolates, which produce a natural biofumigant upon incorporation into the soil, form an alternative to synthetic fumigants. However, the non-target impacts of these biofumigants in the field are unclear. We examined the effectiveness of soil incorporation of Brassica carinata seed meal both in controlling the plant-parasitic Columbia root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne chitwoodi), and on the biological control exerted by the entomopathogenic nematodes Steinernema feltiae and Steinernema riobrave on root-knot nematodes and the Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata). Singly, both the seed meal and Steinernema spp. reduced root-knot nematode damage to potato tubers and increased marketable tuber yields. However, there was a negative interaction between the two bioagents such that their combination did not further improve suppression of plant-parasitic nematodes. Thus, mustard seed meal applications harmful to the target root-knot nematode also disrupted the ability of Steinernema spp. to act as biocontrol agents. Further, we observed modest disruption of the biological control of potato beetles following biofumigation. But, the potato beetles were less likely to lay eggs on potato plants grown in mustard-amended soil, suggesting a counteracting benefit of mustard application. Multiple, complementary controls must be integrated to replace the very effective pest suppression typical of synthetic soil fumigants. Our study suggests significant interference between biofumigation and biocontrol agents in the soil, presenting challenges in combining these two environmentally friendly approaches to managing plant-parasitic nematodes and other pests.     

Effect of potato used as a trap crop on potato cyst nematodes and other soil pathogens and on the growth of a subsequent main potato crop

A field experiment in which main‐crop potatoes were grown every other year was conducted on a sandy soil from 1994 to 1999. The aim of the experiment was to control soil‐borne pathogens of potato with ecologically sound methods. Potato grown as a trap crop from the end of April to the end of June (8 wk) was used to control potato cyst nematodes (PCN) (Globodera pallida), and its effects on other important soil pathogens and on the growth of a subsequent potato crop were also assessed. Additional experimental treatments were a potato crop from which the haulm was removed and a green manure crop. Three potato cultivars with different degrees of resistance to PCN were grown as the main crop. Duplicate sets of the experiment were run concurrently. The PCN were effectively controlled by the potato trap crop. When a highly resistant potato cultivar was grown as a main crop after the trap crop, the post‐harvest soil infestation was very low. When a moderately resistant cultivar was grown after the trap crop the soil infestation also remained low. When the trap crop was alternated with a susceptible potato cultivar as a main crop, soil infestation increased slightly, but the degree of control when compared with no trap crop averaged 96%. Soil infestation with root‐knot nematodes (mainly Meloidogyne hapla) increased when potato was grown as a trap crop, but soil infestation with the root‐lesion nematode Pratylenchus crenatus was not affected. Stem canker caused by Rhizoctonia solani was not affected by the trap crop but black scurf (sclerotia of R. solani) on tubers was reduced. Soil infestation with Verticillium dahliae declined in one of the duplicate sets of the experiment but not in the other. However, stem infections by V. dahliae were significantly decreased in both sets, although the effect depended on the PCN‐resistance level of the potato cultivar. When a highly resistant potato cultivar was grown Verticillium stem infections were not significantly affected, they were decreased with a moderately resistant cultivar but the decrease was most pronounced with a PCN‐susceptible cultivar. Senescence of a following potato crop was not influenced by the trap crop when a highly PCN‐resistant cultivar was grown, but it was delayed in the case of a moderately resistant or a susceptible cultivar, resulting in higher tuber yields for those cultivars. The experiment proved that a trap crop can be an alternative to chemical soil disinfection but, for several reasons, the potato itself is not an ideal crop for this purpose; a trap crop other than potato must be developed.     

Mode of action of fosthiazate used for the control of the potato cyst nematode Globodera pallida

Fosthiazate (Nemathorin 10G Ishihara Sangyo Kaisha Ltd, Japan) is a new nematicide approved for use on potatoes Solanum tuberosum L. in die UK for die control of die potato cyst nematodes Globodera rostochiensis (Woll). Skarbilovich and G. pallida (Stone). Fosdiiazate delayed and suppressed hatch of die potato cyst nematode Globodera pallida in bom in vitro laboratory tests and a glasshouse pot experiment. In vitro hatch was temporarily inhibited by fosdiiazate concentrations above 0.09 μg ml^-1 and increasing me fosdiiazate concentration further prolonged the duration of hatch inhibition. Analysis of fosthiazate soil concentrations, using high-pressure liquid chromatography, during me glasshouse experiment showed mat hatch was suppressed in the soil at concentrations above 0.5 mg kg^-1. Other factors such as the paralysis of hatched nematodes in the soil solution are also involved.     

The management of potato cyst nematodes using resistant Solanaceae potato clones as trap crops

The concept of using a range of Solanaceae potato clones as trap crops for potato cyst nematode (PCN) management was investigated. A series of field trials were undertaken from 1999 to 2002 that evaluated 10 clones of either wild Solanum potato species, breeder’s hybrid lines or commercial cultivars. All had high resistance to all known PCN pathotypes (both Globodera rostochiensis and Globodera pallida) and the ability to stimulate high levels of PCN hatch. Investigations showed potential for the development of some clones as a means of reducing high PCN field population levels and for use by organic potato producers.     

Characterisation of a 34 kD protein from potato cyst nematodes, using monoclonal antibodies with potential for species diagnosis

Two monoclonal antibodies, which differentially recognise the two species of potato cyst nematodes (PCN), Globodera pallida and G. rostochiensis, are described. They have been shown to have potential for quantification of these two species, recognising proteins of the same molecular weight (34 kD) in both species. Further investigation showed these proteins to have isoelectric points at pH values of 5.7 in G. pallida and 5.9 in G. rostochiensis, in common with the proteins used by Fleming & Marks (1983) to differentiate the species of PCN. They are likely to be structurally very similar, with the same physiological function (and therefore similar concentrations) in the two species. In cross-reactivity tests with a wide range of soil nematode species, the antibodies reacted strongly only with species of the genus Globodera, and thereby confirmed their potential as the basis of a quantitative immunoassay likely to be useful in management of PCN populations.     

Synergies between biological and neonicotinoid insecticides for the curative control of the white grubs Amphimallon majale and Popillia japonica

Synergistic combinations of biological and chemical insecticides might yield promising alternatives for soil insect pest management. In turfgrass of the Northeast U.S., control of root-feeding scarab larvae is highly dependent on conventional insecticides. Studies on interactions between entomopathogenic nematodes and neonicotinoid insecticides, however, demonstrate the feasibility of synergies as an approach for reduced-risk curative control. To understand the breadth of potential synergies, we screened numerous combinations of biological control agents with sublethal doses of neonicotinoids against third instars. Interactions were characterized as synergistic, additive or antagonistic. The most promising combinations identified in laboratory bioassays were advanced to greenhouse pot studies and then to field trials featuring microplots with artificially infested populations. To reveal variation across scarab species, trials were conducted on Amphimallon majale and Popillia japonica. Synergies were consistent across trials and specific to white grub species. For A. majale, synergistic combinations of Heterorhabditis bacteriophora with imidacloprid and clothianidin were discernible in laboratory, greenhouse and field trials. For P. japonica, synergistic combinations of Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae with both neonicotinoids were discernible in the laboratory and greenhouse, but not in the field. For both species, antagonistic interactions were discernible between Bt-products and both neonicotinoids. While nematode-neonicotinoid synergies among scarab larvae have been examined before, fungi-neonicotinoid synergies are unreported. In the context of previous studies, however, no patterns emerge to explain variation across target species or control agent. Further study of non-additive interactions will guide how biological and chemical products could be combined to enhance soil insect pest management.     

Relationship between saprotrophic growth in soil of different biotypes of Pochonia chlamydosporia and the infection of nematode eggs

The ecology of Pochonia chlamydosporia in soil and its interaction with both plant and nematode hosts are important for the successful exploitation of the fungus as a biological control agent. Differences in saprotrophism and parasitism were assessed for biotypes of P. chlamydosporia, which had originated from the eggs of cyst or root‐knot nematodes. Colonisation in soils of different textures (compost, sandy loam and loamy sand) measured by the numbers of colony‐forming units, differed greatly. Most biotypes were more abundant in sterilised soil of the different textures compared with non‐sterilised soils. The proportion of nematode eggs parasitised in a baiting technique demonstrated that biotypes had host preferences. Those biotypes that originated from root‐knot nematodes (RKN‐biotypes) infected significantly more Meloidogyne hapla eggs than Globodera pallida eggs, whereas biotypes from cyst nematodes (CN‐biotypes) parasitised more G. pallida eggs than M. hapla eggs. Differences in virulence between biotypes in an in vitro assay in which the fungi were placed directly onto the egg masses of M. hapla and those differences observed in the baiting technique showed similar trends. There was a negative linear correlation between the growth of the eight biotypes in soil and the proportion of eggs they infected in compatible interactions (i.e. fungal biotype originated from the same nematode genus as the target eggs). Those biotypes that infected most nematode eggs colonised soil the least extensively, suggesting that virulence may have a fitness cost. However, the relationship between saprotrophic growth and virulence is complex. The relative abundance of the different biotypes in soil in Petri dish assays was similar to that under glasshouse conditions using potato but not tomato as the plant host. Chlamydospores of some biotypes applied to soil significantly reduced (>50%) the population densities of M. hapla on tomato and of G. pallida on potato plants. Some biotypes that were both effective and virulent are good candidates for biological control of specific nematode pests. Data presented here and elsewhere indicate that RKN‐biotypes have different host preferences to CN‐biotypes; the specific primers based on the vcp1 gene from P. chlamydosporia rapidly confirmed the host origin of seven of the eight biotypes.     

Selection of insect parasitic nematodes for biological control of the garden chafer,Phyllopertha horticola

Larvae ofPhyllopertha horticola L. (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) cause increasing problems on sports fields and lawns in NW-Europe. A biological control programme using insect parasitic nematodes is being developed. This paper contains the results of bioassays with various species and isolates of the nematode generaHeterorhabditis andSteinernema. In bioassays in small pots with moist sand, most of the nematode isolates gave 30–60% mortality against each of the three larval stages. The susceptibility of the grubs for nematode infection generally increased with larval development.H. bacteriophora, H. heliothidis, H. megidis, a DutchHeterorhabditis isolate NLH-E87.3 andS. glaseri 326 showed the highest mortality rates, with nearly 100% mortality of third instar grubs. The DutchHeterorhabditis isolate NLH-E87.3 andS. glaseri 326 were selected as candidates for further studies on their potential as biological control agents forP. horticola grubs in the field.     

Mapping of resistance to the potato cyst nematode Globodera rostochiensis from the wild potato species Solanum vernei

A population of diploid potato (Solanum tuberosum) was used for the genetic analysis and mapping of a locus for resistance to the potato cyst nematode Globodera rostochiensis, introgressed from the wild potato species Solanum vernei. Resistance tests of 108 genotypes of a F₁ population revealed the presence of a single locus with a dominant allele for resistance to G. rostochiensis pathotype Ro1. This locus, designated GroV1, was located on chromosome 5 with RFLP markers. Fine-mapping was performed with RAPD and SCAR markers. The GroV1 locus was found in the same region of the potato genome as the S. tuberosum ssp. andigena H1 nematode resistance locus. Both resistance loci could not excluded to be allelic. The identification of markers flanking the GroV1 locus offers a valuable strategy for marker-assisted selection for introgression of this nematode resistance.Abbreviations BSA bulked segregant analysis - RAPD random-amplified polymorphic DNA - RFLP restriction fragment length polymorphism - SCAR sequence-characterized amplified region     

类芽孢杆菌QHZ11对马铃薯黑痣病的生防效果

[背景] 马铃薯黑痣病是由立枯丝核菌（Rhizoctonia solani）引起的一种典型土传病害,目前该病害生物防治的菌种资源比较有限,相应菌株生防机制的研究更是缺乏。[目的] 明确马铃薯黑痣病病原菌立枯丝核菌（R. solani） JT18的拮抗菌QHZ11对马铃薯黑痣病的生防效果,揭示QHZ11对黑痣病的部分防治机理。[方法] 在灭菌土壤中分别接种R. solani JT18（CK）,R. solani JT18和普通有机肥（Organic Fertilized,OF）,R.solaniJT18和氨基酸有机肥（AA+OF）及R. solani JT18和QHZ11生物有机肥（BOF11）,结合实时荧光定量PCR （Real-Time Fluorescence Quantitative PCR,RT-qPCR）等方法,研究马铃薯全生育期不同处理R.solaniJT18在马铃薯根际和植株不同部位的数量变化及拮抗菌QHZ11与R.solaniJT18的数量消长规律,同时比较不同处理黑痣病的病情指数及相应的防效。[结果] RT-qPCR结果表明,随马铃薯生育进程的推进,马铃薯根际、根系和匍匐茎R.solaniJT18的数量在各处理中均呈现先升高至块茎膨大期到达峰值后下降的趋势,而且各部位R.solaniJT18的数量为CK>OF>AA+OF>BOF11且根际>根系>匍匐茎;拮抗菌QHZ11的数量变化趋势与R.solaniJT18相同,但峰值在块茎形成期,并且同时期同一部位QHZ11的定殖数量均显著高于R.solaniJT18,甚至高出2个数量级,说明QHZ11占用了一定的营养资源和生态位点,严重抑制了R.solaniJT18的生长和繁殖。病情结果表明：CK病情指数最高,OF、AA+OF和BOF11处理均显著低于CK,其中BOF11处理发病最轻;生防结果则相反,为BOF11>AA+OF>OF处理,说明普通有机肥、氨基酸有机肥及生物有机肥均可不同程度地防治马铃薯黑痣病,其中以生物有机肥效果最显著。[结论] QHZ11以有机肥为载体施入土壤后,可以通过在马铃薯根际及植株不同部位竞争营养和生态位点,从而有效抑制黑痣病病原菌R.solaniJT18的生存和繁殖,起到显著的生防效果,这对QHZ11生物有机肥的应用和推广具有重要意义,并为进一步研究QHZ11的生防机制奠定了基础。     

Effectiveness of Heterohabditis bacteriophora strain GPS11 applications targeted against different instars of the Japanese beetle Popillia japonica

Field and laboratory tests were conducted from 2001 through 2007 to assess the effectiveness of entomopathogenic nematode Heterorhabditis bacteriophora strain GPS11 applications targeted against different instars of the Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica. During summer flight, P. japonica adults were trapped and caged on turfgrass plots for oviposition. Larval development was monitored for the occurrence of each instar. Nematodes were applied in the field against each developing instar at 2.5 × 10⁹ infective juveniles/ha. In 2001, field data obtained in October resulted in 75%, 53%, and 33% control with the applications targeted against the first, second, and third instars, 69, 28, and 9 days after treatment (DAT), respectively. In 2002 field trial, data obtained in October indicated 97%, 88%, and 0% control when the applications were targeted against the first, second, and third instars at 66, 43, and 14 DAT, respectively. Additional plots established in 2002 to determine efficacy against each instar at 14 DAT showed control of the first, second, and third instars to be 55%, 53%, and 0%, respectively. In laboratory tests conducted in 2002, 2004, and 2007, P. japonica collected from the field at the occurrence of each instar were exposed to H. bacteriophora at concentrations of 0, 10, 33, 100, 330, or 1000 infective juveniles/grub. Probit analysis of the mortality from three of the four sets of tests conducted showed the first instar to be significantly more susceptible to H. bacteriophora than the third instar at the LC₅₀ level and all tests showed the first instar to be significantly more susceptible than the third instar at the LC₉₀ level. In addition to the observed decrease in the third instar susceptibility to H. bacteriophora, soil temperatures in the mid-western United States during late September and October rapidly decline often reaching below 15 °C by the beginning of October when grubs are in the third instar stage of development. Therefore, we conclude that the applications of the nematodes made in August or September will provide higher control than those made in October, due to the more appropriate temperature for nematode activity and the presence of more susceptible larval stages. Early nematode applications may also provide an opportunity for nematodes to recycle and cause secondary infections.     

Stage-specific mortality of Rhagoletis indifferens (Diptera: Tephritidae) exposed to three species of Steinernema nematodes

Mortality of larval, pupal, and adult western cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis indifferens (Tephritidae) exposed to the steinernematid nematodes Steinernema carpocapsae, Steinernema feltiae, and Steinernema intermedium, was determined in the laboratory and field. Larvae were the most susceptible stage, with mortality in the three nematode treatments ranging from 62 to 100%. S. carpocapsae and S. feltiae were equally effective against larvae at both 50 and 100 infective juveniles (IJs)/cm². S. intermedium was slightly less effective against larvae than the other two species. Mortalities of R. indifferens larvae at 0, 2, 4, and 6 days following their introduction into soil previously treated with S. carpocapsae and S. feltiae at 50 IJs/cm² were 78.6, 92.5, 95.0, and 77.5% and 87.5, 52.5, 92.5, and 70.0%, respectively, and at 100 IJs/cm² were 90.0, 92.0, 100.0, and 84.0% and 90.0, 50.0, 42.0, and 40.0%, respectively. There was no decline in mortality caused by S. carpocapsae as time progressed, whereas there was in one test with S. feltiae. Larval mortalities caused by the two species were the same in a 1:1:1 vermiculite:peat moss:sand soil mix and a more compact silt loam soil. In the field, S. carpocapsae and S. feltiae were equally effective against larvae. Pupae were not infected, but adult flies were infected by all three nematode species in the laboratory. S. carpocapsae was the most effective species at a concentration of 100 IJs/cm² and infected 11–53% of adults that emerged. The high pathogenicity of S. carpocapsae and S. feltiae against R. indifferens larvae and their persistence in soil as well as efficacy in different soil types indicate both nematodes hold promise as effective biological control agents of flies in isolated and abandoned lots or in yards of homeowners.     

In vitro soil receptivity assays to egg-parasitic nematophagous fungi

Soil application of nematophagous fungi for the biological control of plant-parasitic nematodes often fails, and in many cases it has been difficult to reisolate the agent delivered to the soil. A reason for these results could be the inability of the fungi to proliferate in soil. We used a soil–membrane technique to study the capacity of several isolates of the nematophagous fungi Pochonia chlamydosporia and Paecilomyces lilacinus to grow and establish in sterilized and nonsterilized sandy soils from SE Spain and Western Australia. Growth of all fungi tested was inhibited in nonsterilized soil, although there was intraspecific variability in sensitivity among isolates of the same species. With respect to hyphal density, P. chlamydosporia isolate 5 (from Italy) was the least inhibited in nonsterilized soil from both sites. Relative growth analyses confirmed this result for soil from SE Spain, while with this method, P. chlamydosporia isolate 4624 (from Australia) appeared to be least inhibited in the Australian soil. The results indicate that a soil can be more receptive to its indigenous isolates than to nonindigenous isolates. Apparently, soil microbiota can determine the ability of nematophagous fungi to proliferate in soil.     

马齿苋内生菌橘青霉和波兰青霉中抗青枯菌的活性物质

为了挖掘农作物病害生物防治新资源,以药用植物马齿苋(Portulaca oleracea)为材料,通过培养基种植法分离和纯化其根、茎、叶中的内生菌,以青枯菌(Ralstonia solanacearum)的抑菌试验评价其活性,采用菌落形态观察和ITS序列分析鉴定菌种。结果表明,从马齿苋筛选出2种具有抑制青枯菌的内生菌橘青霉(Penicillium citrinum)和波兰青霉(P. polonicum),采用液相与四极杆飞行时间串联质谱(UPLC-QTOF-MS)鉴定2种内生菌的主要活性物质为橘霉素,其对青枯菌的抑制效果比链霉素更好。因此,这为植物青枯病的生物防治提供科学依据。     

Dynamics and management of the white potato cyst nematode Globodera pallida in commercial potato crops

Eight trials were conducted in commercial potato fields infested with the white potato cyst nematode (wPCN, Globodera pallida) and one in a field infested with the yellow PCN (yPCN, Globodera rostochiensis). Our aims were to produce data to validate and refine a computer‐based program (The Model) for the long‐term management of PCN, to determine nematicide effectiveness and to assess rates of PCN population decline between potato crops. Prior to planting, each farmer applied an overall nematicide treatment to his field, except for ten untreated plots that were widely spaced to encompass a range of PCN population densities. Each untreated plot was paired with a similar plot in the adjacent treated area and all plots were intensively sampled for PCN population densities at planting (P_i) and again at harvest (P_f) when tuber yields were determined. Four trials were re‐sampled 2–4 years later to determine PCN population decline rates. Regressions that form the basis of ‘The Model’ and described the relationship between P_i and tuber yield and PCN population density at harvest were fitted to the results from both the untreated and nematicide treated plots. These regressions also enabled us to estimate the yield potential at each site in the absence of PCN and showed that nematicide treatment generally did not increase yield potential and that both tuber yield and PCN multiplication decreased with increasing P_i. However, there were major differences between sites and cultivars. When untreated, the yield of cv. Maris Piper was hardly affected in a highly organic soil with P_i > 200 eggs g^?1 whereas the yield of partially resistant cv. Santé was decreased from a potential of c. 60 t ha^?1 to c. 20 t ha^?1 in a light silt with P_i = 20 egg g^?1 soil. Similarly, untreated wPCN multiplication rates at a low P_i ranged from 46‐fold to >100‐fold. Nematicide effectiveness was estimated from the regressions and, at several sites, yield was decreased despite nematicide treatment. Control of wPCN multiplication was even poorer. In only two of seven trials planted with susceptible cultivars was more than 50% control achieved – maximum populations in treated plots usually exceeded 250 eggs g^?1. Partially resistant Santé decreased the multiplication rate of wPCN in the two trials where it was planted. An alternative analysis using Genstat indicated that The Model tended to underestimate the maximum multiplication rate and overestimate the maximum population density. When four sites were re‐sampled 2–4 years after harvest the populations of wPCN had declined by between 15% and 33.5% per annum with a mean of 26% per annum. Modelling indicated that rotations longer than 8 years were required to control wPCN unless other effective control measures, such as growing a partially resistant cultivar, were used.