Effects of organomercury treatment of wheat seed on Fusarium seedling disease in inoculated soil

In growth room experiments, treatment of wheat seed with phenyl mercuric acetate significantly reduced seedling disease caused by soil-borne Fusarium culmorum, F. nivale and F. avenaceum in inoculated soil. Seed treatment improved the low germination caused by F. culmorum, but did not affect the reduced seedling vigour caused by F. nivale. Seed treatment was normally as effective in conditions favouring disease as it was in less favourable conditions. Conditions favouring disease in soil inoculated with F. culmorum were high inoculum level, deep sowing and dry soil.     

Pathogenicity of fungi associated with wheat and barley seedling emergence and fungicide efficacy of seed treatment

Presented study focused on the influence of Cochliobolus sativus isolates origin on pathogenicity towards wheat and barley seedlings in comparison with pathogenicity of certain Fusarium species and Microdochium nivale. The efficacy of fungicide seed treatment against C. sativus was estimated. The C. sativus isolates were collected from different locations and were isolated from wheat, barley and sunflower seeds. The pathogenicity of C. sativus, Fusarium species and M. nivale towards germinating seedlings were expressed as germination (GA) retardation and coleoptile growth rate retardation (CGR). Of wheat only, the CGR was significantly influenced by the isolate origin. The C. sativus isolates obtained from sunflower seeds were the most aggressive. Of the barley seeds, the barley isolates were the most aggressive. Barley was significantly more susceptible to damage by C. sativus isolates than wheat. The pathogenicity of tested fungal species declined in the order: F. culmorum, F. graminearum, C. sativus, F. avenaceum, M. nivale, F. poae for both barley and wheat. The results highlighted high pathogenicity potential of C. sativus equal to that of F. avenaceum and M. nivale. The symptoms of C. sativus on coleoptile and roots were very similar or the same as the symptoms caused by Fusarium species and M. nivale, except of white, pink or red colours. Of wheat sprouts, the fungicide efficacy (FE) against C. sativus declined in the order: tebuconazole + thiram, carboxin + thiram, quazatine, difenoconazole, iprodione + triticonazole (in term of GA) and carboxin + thiram, iprodione + triticonazole, tebuconazole + thiram, difenoconazole, quazatine (in term of CGR). In barley, the FE declined in the order: carboxin + thiram, iprodione + triticonazole, tebuconazole + thiram, difenoconazole, quazatine (in term of GA) and carboxin + thiram, tebuconazole + thiram, difenoconazole, iprodione + triticonazole, quazatine (in term of CGR).     

Occurrence and distribution of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Microdochium nivale</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fusarium</Emphasis> species isolated from barley,durum and soft wheat grains in France from 2000 to 2002

Fusarium Head Blight of small grain cereal is a disease of growing concern in Europe. Along with Microdochium nivale, several species of Fusarium may be associated with the disease, including species that are potentially toxigenic. This paper describes the results of a large scale survey of the variety and frequency of different Fusarium species and M. nivale in France. A total of 749 soft wheat, durum wheat and barley samples were collected and analyzed from 2000 to 2002. The most frequent species isolated were F.graminearum, F. avenaceum and F. poae. The frequency of F. poae seems to have increased while M.nivale and F. culmorum appear less frequent than previously described in France. Other Fusarium species detected in decreasing prevalence were F. tricinctum, F. equiseti, F. acuminatum, F. sambucinum, F.sporotrichioides, F. moniliforme, F. heterosporum, F. subglutinans and F. oxysporum. All the most frequent pathogenic species and also the less pathogenic ones were frequently associated with individual fields. The implications of these associations for the protection of cereals crops and for contamination by mycotoxins are discussed.     

Factors affecting the control of seed-borne Septoria nodorum by laboratory application of phenyl mercuric acetate to wheat seed

The effects of distribution of fungicide between seeds and of post-treatment storage on control of seed-borne Septoria nodorum by phenyl mercuric acetate (PMA) were investigated. Uneven distributions of fungicide were obtained by mixing treated with untreated seed. Redistribution of PMA occurred during initial mixing of the seed and during storage; this increased the effectiveness of fungicide in the mixed seed batch when the application rate was moderately high (0–5 jug Hg/seed). Redistribution apparently occurred over the seed surfaces and from seed to seed rather than by penetration into the seeds. Penetration into the seed by PMA was relatively unimportant in controlling S. nodorum.     

The Effect of Chitosan and Bion on Resistance to Pink Snow Mould in Perennial Ryegrass and Winter Wheat

The effects of chitosan on resistance to pink snow mould (Microdochium nivale) were studied in young winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) under controlled environmental conditions. In perennial ryegrass, the putative defence activator Bion was also tested. Resistance was measured as regrowth of plants after inoculation with M. nivale and incubation in darkness at 2°C. In winter wheat, pre‐treatment with chitosan at 1000 μg per plant increased resistance to subsequent infection by M. nivale, but this effect was less significant in a replicate experiment. Chitosan‐treated winter wheat plants expressed the gene for the pathogenesis‐related protein chitinase at higher levels than non‐treated plants. Chitinase gene expression was also stimulated by M. nivale infection in winter wheat. Perennial ryegrass pre‐treated with Bion or chitosan and inoculated with M. nivale did not display better regrowth after incubation than non‐treated, inoculated plants. Rather, regrowth was reduced in some of the Bion‐treated plants after incubation. We speculate that the cost or the mechanism of induced resistance makes Bion non‐effective in plants that are not actively growing. Bion at concentrations of 10, 100 and 1000 μg active ingredient per ml, and the highest concentration of chitosan used (2000 μg per ml) reduced in vitro growth of the pathogen, suggesting that both defence activators possess antifungal activity.     

The efficiency of two organomercury compounds in controllingg seed-borne Septoria nodorutn on winter wheat

The influence of various factors on the performance of organomercury seed treatments in controlling seed-borne Septoria nodorum was studied in laboratory experiments. Control was least effective on the most heavily infected seed samples. On heavily infected seed ethyl mercuric chloride was more effective than phenyl mercuric acetate, although 5 wk storage of the treated seed before sowing increased the effectiveness of the latter compound. Effectiveness was not generally influenced by differences in soil moisture. Seedling vigour was significantly improved by levels of mercury below those applied commercially. The significance of seed treatment in the epidemiology of Septoria disease is discussed.     

The effect of water potential on soil-borne diseases of wheat seedlings

Under glasshouse conditions, Fusarium culmorum caused more injury to wheat seedlings in soil at 33% saturation (approximately – 1 bar) than at 66% (–0·1 bar). The same effect occurred with inoculated seeds raised on soil moisture tension tables at –0·1 and –0·5 bar, at 20° and at 15°C. In controls, spontaneous infection by soil-borne F. culmorum was unaffected by soil water potential. Inoculated F. nivale, at 127deg; and at 15°C, showed a similar, but smaller, effect to that with inoculated F. culmorum. Water potential in this range did not affect disease incidence with inoculated Gaeumannomyces graminis, but disease was more severe in the drier soil. On tension tables, seedlings did not consistently develop faster under wetter conditions, and factors other than host growth rate probably played a part in limiting fungal attack.     

Extraction and genetic control of two new water-soluble proteins of mature barley seed

This paper describes the genetic control of two new water-soluble proteins in barley. Water-soluble proteins (WSPs) of mature barley seed form part of the albumin/globulin class of seed proteins. They can be extracted from hand-milled grain with water, though some WSPs are more efficiently extracted with a solution of 10 mM dithiothreitol. Polymorphisms for WSPs were detected in isoelectric focusing gels incorporating various ampholine combinations. Two new controlling genes (Wsp4 andWsp5) have been identified and located using wheat/barley chromosome addition lines and barley doubled haploids.Wsp4 is located on chromosome 2 (2H), andWsp5 was found to be tightly linked toWsp2 on the long arm of chromosome 7 (5HL). Segregation of a sixth gene (Wsp6) is also described, but this has not been mapped. The results are discussed with respect to other previously mappedWsp loci.This work was funed by the Scottish Office of Agriculture and Fisheries Department and the Agricultural and Food Research Council.     

Detection of loci controlling seed dormancy on group 4 chromosomes of wheat and comparative mapping with rice and barley genomes

Three quantitative trait loci (QTLs) controlling seed dormancy were detected on group 4 chromosomes of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) using 119 doubled haploid lines (DHLs) derived from a cross between AC Domain and Haruyutaka. A major QTL, designated QPhs.ocs-4A.1, was identified within the marker interval between Xcdo795 and Xpsr115 in the proximal region of the long arm of chromosome 4A. Two minor QTLs, QPhs.ocs-4B.2 on 4B and QPhs.ocs-4D.2 on 4D, were flanked by common markers, Xbcd1431.1 and Xbcd1431.2 in the terminal region of the long arms, suggesting a homoeologous relationship. These three QTLs explained more than 80% of the total phenotypic variance in seed dormancy of DHLs grown in the field and under glasshouse conditions. The AC Domain alleles at the three QTLs contributed to increasing seed dormancy. Comparative maps across wheat, barley and rice demonstrated the possibility of a homoeologous relationship between QPhs.ocs-4A.1 and the barley gene SD4, while no significant effects of the chromosome regions of wheat and barley orthologous to rice chromosome 3 region carrying a major seed dormancy QTL were detected. Received: 5 June 2000 / Accepted: 31 August 2000     

Prediction of Eyespot Severity on Winter Wheat or Winter Barley Inoculated with W-type or R-type Isolates of Pseudocercosporella herpotrichoides

In crops of winter wheat (1986—88) or winter barley (1987—88) inoculated with W-type or R-type isolates of Pseudocercosporella herpotrichoides and sown on different dates (1986) or at different seed rates (1987,1988) eyespot epidemics developed in different ways. Methods of measuring eyespot incidence/severity during crop growth were compared for their ability to predict eyespot severity at grain filling. Regressions were calculated for eyespot severity score at GS 71 on earlier measurements, either at GS 30/31 (11 methods) or from GS 22 to GS 65 (3 methods). Based on measurements at GS 30/31, all the methods predicted eyespot severity at GS 71 well in plots of winter barley inoculated with W-type isolates (r, 0.83—0.97) but the accuracy of predictions in plots inoculated with R-type isolates was very variable (r, 0.09—0.71). Predictions for 1987 and 1988 were less accurate in wheat than in W-type plots of barley, but did not differ between W-type and R-type plots (r, 0.70—0.89). When the wheat data for 1986 were also included predictions were less accurate, especially in R-type plots (r, 0—0.59). Generally, it was easier to predict eyespot severity at GS 71 in W-type than in R-type plots, especially in barley and in wheat before GS 37/39. Predictions of eyespot severity at GS 71 based on measurements before GS 25 were inaccurate for both wheat and barley. After GS 25 the accuracy of the prediction was generally good in W-type plots and did not improve greatly except in wheat after GS 59. However, there was a steady improvement in the accuracy of the prediction in R-type plots of barley from GS 24 to GS 53. Assessments of eyespot incidence on stems predicted eyespot severity at GS 71 more accurately than assessments on leaf sheaths on wheat after GS 37/39, but were not as good on barley until GS 53.     

A comparative study of the infection of perennial ryegrass by Fusarium nivale and F. culmorum in sterilized soil

Fusarium nivale and F. culmorum were frequently found in association with damaged perennial ryegrass. In glasshouse experiments using sterilized soil the pathogenicity of F. nivale isolates varied greatly, but those which were pathogenic reduced seedling emergence and damaged established young plants. All the F. culmorum isolates tested significantly reduced the emergence of S321 perennial ryegrass seedlings, but none had any effect on the growth of established seedlings. Combined inoculations with both Fusarium species further reduced seedling emergence but resulted in less damage to established seedlings than was obtained with F. nivale alone.     

Influence of Seed‐borne Cochliobolus sativus (Anamorph Bipolaris sorokiniana) on Crown Rot and Root Rot of Barley and Wheat

The effect of seed‐borne pathogens of wheat and barley on crown and root rot diseases of seven barley cultivars (Jimah‐6, Jimah‐51, Jimah‐54, Jimah‐58, Omani, Beecher and Duraqi) and three wheat cultivars (Cooley, Maissani and Shawarir) was investigated. Bipolaris sorokiniana and Alternaria alternata were detected in seeds of at least eight cultivars, but Fusarium species in seeds of only two barley cultivars (Jimah‐54 and Jimah‐58). Crown rot and root rot symptoms developed on barley and wheat cultivars following germination of infected seeds in sterilized growing media. Bipolaris sorokiniana was the only pathogen consistently isolated from crowns and roots of the emerging seedlings. In addition, crown rot and root rot diseases of non‐inoculated barley cultivars correlated significantly with B. sorokiniana inoculum in seeds (P = 0.0019), but not with Fusarium or Alternaria (P > 0.05). These results indicate the role of seed‐borne inoculum of B. sorokiniana in development of crown rot and root rot diseases. Pathogenicity tests of B. sorokiniana isolates confirmed its role in inducing crown rot and root rot, with two wheat cultivars being more resistant to crown and root rots than most barley cultivars (P < 0.05). Barley cultivars also exhibited significant differences in resistance to crown rot (P < 0.05). In addition, black point disease symptoms were observed on seeds of three barley cultivars and were found to significantly affect seed germination and growth of some of these cultivars. This study confirms the role of seed‐borne inoculum of B. sorokiniana in crown and root rots of wheat and barley and is the first report in Oman of the association of B. sorokiniana with black point disease of barley.     

Bionomics of aphids reared on cereals and some Gramineae

In controlled temperature, light and relative humidity, Metopolophium dirhodum and Sitobion avenae multiplied more on young Proctor barley than on Blenda oats, and less on Cappelle wheat. Rhopalosiphum padi increased in number fastest on barley and slowest on oats. More survived, and generation lengths seemed shorter, on barley for M. dirhodum and S. avenae and on wheat for R. padi. Tests with young cereals outdoors generally agreed with those in controlled conditions. On mature plants, there were more M. dirhodum on barley, more R. padi on wheat and more S. avenae on oats than on the other cereals. Given a free choice in large cages outdoors, most aphids were found on barley. When allowed to choose between grasses, more M. dirhodum were on Dactylis glomerata, Poa pratensis and Festuca pratensis, more R. padi on Lolium perenne and F. pratensis, and more S. avenae on D. glomerata and L. perenne. Most aphids of all species combined were on F. pratensis, Lolium and Phleum, and fewest on Festuca rubra and Holcus mollis.     

Zearalenone-producing species of Fusarium on barley seed

Isolates of Fusarium were obtained from samples of barley grain at harvest in 1971, 1973 and 1974. The ability of these isolates to produce the myco-toxin zearalenone was examined, the grain also being tested for its presence in 1974. The most common isolate was F. culmorum, 60% of which in 1974 produced zearalenone. Other species isolated which produced this myco-toxin were F. monilijorme, F. graminearum, F. avenaceum, F. nivale and F. sambucinum var coeruleum, the last three species have not previously been recorded as producing zearalenone.     

Diversity of Physiological and Biochemical Characters of Microdochium Fungi

The biological characterization of Microdochium majus, M. nivale, and M. seminicola strains with wide geographical origins showed the diversity of their pathogenic properties and metabolite compounds, allowing them to exist in their habitats. Significant differences in the ability of Microdochium fungi to cause lesions on wheat and oat leaves were found. The intensity of symptoms depended on the species and substrate origin of the strains. On average M. seminicola strains were able to cause less leaf necrosis than M. majus and M. nivale. The volatile organic compound (VOC) profile of Microdochium fungi included 29 putative fungal metabolites. The spectrum of the identified VOCs in M. seminicola strains was much richer than that in M. majus and M. nivale strains. In addition, the strains of M. seminicola emitted at least six sesquiterpenes. Mycotoxin analysis by HPLC/MS/MS revealed that the analyzed Microdochium strains did not produce any toxic metabolites typically produced by filamentous fungi.     

Chemical control of stem nematode, Ditylenchus dipsaci, in field beans (Vicia faba)

‘Giant race’ stem nematode (Ditylenchus dipsaci) was well controlled in spring beans (Vicia faba) by up to 5 kg aldicarb or carbofuran ha^-1 applied to the seed furrows at sowing. Carbofuran was rather more effective in the clay loam soil used than was aldicarb. The best treatments almost eliminated injury to the stems and nematode infestation in the harvested seed. Similarly applied, oxamyl and fenamiphos were less effective and phorate, dimethoate and disulfoton were ineffective. Applying part of the dosage of an effective nematicide to the seed furrows and part along the plant rows mid-season was no more effective and was sometimes less effective than applying the whole dose to the seed furrows. Treating the plant rows mid-season with aldicarb or phoxim sometimes enhanced control but thiabendazole applied thus did not. Seed furrow applications of aldicarb or carbofuran were much less effective in controlling the nematodes in winter beans and seed dressings were less effective than seed furrow treatments. In one experiment, in plots in which aldicarb or oxamyl had been applied to the seed furrows, phoxim or thiabendazole applied over the rows of plants, enhanced nematode control. In two other experiments, thiabendazole was ineffective when applied in this way or when applied as a combined soil and plant treatment.     

Survival and duration of development of Oscinella spp. (Diptera: Chloropidae) on different Gramineae in the laboratory

The duration of development and survival of Oscinella frit, O. nitidissima and O. nigerrima at different growth stages of several plant species was investigated in the laboratory. The effect of the infestation on the growth of plants was also quantified. Survival of O. frit larvae was significantly lower (P < 0.01) on barley than on either oats or wheat, between which there was no significant difference. Survival was usually highest when plants were infested at the two-leaf stage and lowest when plants were infested at the five-leaf stage. The duration of development of both male and female O. frit was longer on barley than on either oats or wheat and generally increased when older plants were infested. The proportion of male flies was greatest when older plants were infested. Duration of development and survival of O. frit was similar on oats and Lolium multiflorum, but larvae did not survive on Dactylis glomerata. Of the other Oscinella species, O. nitidissima larvae did not survive on oats, wheat and barley and O. nigerrima larvae did not survive on either oats or barley. The main shoots of cereal plants infested at the two-, three- or four-leaf stages were rapidly killed by O. frit larvae whereas many of those infested at the five-leaf stage continued to grow slowly. In response to attack proportionately more tillers were produced by oat plants than by either wheat or barley plants. When cereals were infested with O. nigerrima larvae the central shoots were damaged, but most recovered and continued to grow. Damage symptoms were most obvious when cereals were infested at the two-leaf stage, oats being more severely affected than either wheat or barley.     

II. Cereal disease: the interplay between resistance and pathogenicity: Inheritance of pathogenicity in Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici

Variation in host response of isolates of the eyespot pathogen from different sources was examined over a number of years. Pathogen types were found in intensively-cropped couch-infested cereal sites that were almost as virulent on Agropyron repens (couch) as on wheat or barley. The commonly occurring wheat (W) type isolates from couch-free cereal crops were virulent on wheat and barley but avirulent on couch. Couch (C) types were isolated not only from couch but also from wheat, barley and oat crops with couch infestation. In pathogenicity tests on rye, C. types did not differ in virulence from the more commonly occurring W types. Aegilops ventricosa was equally resistant to both types. W type isolates from wheat and barley were examined to assess differential pathogenicity on wheat and barley. Sequential cropping with single cereal crops was used to separate out possible specific types. Isolates from fourth wheat and fourth barley crops were more pathogenic on the original than on the alternative host. When comparisons were made between isolates from third and fifth consecutive wheat and barley crops only those from barley showed a preference for the original host. An experiment comparing isolates from third and seventh consecutive wheat and barley crops showed a decline in virulence from the short to the longer sequences on the alternative but not on the original host.     

A transgenic approach to controlling wheat seed dormancy level by using Triticeae DOG1-like genes

Seed dormancy is an important agronomic trait: low levels can cause premature germination, while too much can inhibit uniform germination. As an approach to controlling the seed dormancy level in crops, we used Triticeae DOG1-like genes as transgenes. DOG1 is an Arabidopsis gene that underlies natural variation in seed dormancy. We previously showed that although their sequence similarities to DOG1 were low, some cereal DOG1-like genes enhanced seed dormancy in Arabidopsis. Here, we introduced two DOG1-like genes, TaDOG1L4 from wheat and HvDOG1L1 from barley, individually into the wheat cultivar Fielder. Their overexpression under the control of a maize ubiquitin promoter enhanced the seed dormancy level while leaving other traits unchanged. TaDOG1L4 was more effective than HvDOG1L1, which accords with the previously revealed difference in the effectiveness of these two genes in Arabidopsis seed dormancy. Knockdown of endogenous TaDOG1L4 in Fielder using double-strand RNA interference decreased the seed dormancy level by several tens of percent. This result indicates that some degree of seed dormancy inherent in wheat is imparted by DOG1-like genes.     

Oviposition behavior of orange wheat blossom midge on low- vs. high-ranked grass seed heads

The discovery of Sm1, a highly effective resistance (R) gene that targets the first instar of the orange wheat blossom midge, Sitodiplosis mosellana (Géhin) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), has created concerns about wheat midge adaptation. Strategies for delaying adaptation to Sm1 include the simultaneous deployment of a resistance trait targeting a different life stage, i.e., the ovipositing adult female. Previous studies have shown that adult females distinguish between wheat genotypes and seed head developmental stages and are attracted by volatiles from young wheat heads. We focused on what happens after the female lands on the seed head, comparing in three tests a seed head of the high‐ranked pre‐anthesis ‘Roblin’ wheat, Triticum aestivum L. (Poaceae), and a head of one of three lower‐ranked types: post‐anthesis ‘Roblin’, pre‐anthesis ‘Key’ wheat (T. aestivum), and pre‐anthesis ‘Robust’ barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Within each test, high‐ and low‐ranked heads were presented in choice and no‐choice assays, with the behavior of wheat midge females scored every 5 min from 20:30 to 23:00 hours, under mid‐summer natural light conditions and sunset occurring between 20:50 and 21:20 hours. Head type influenced both proportions of females observed on the head and proportions of females probing with the ovipositor. Head*assay interactions occurred only in the test comparing wheat to barley, with barley reducing females observed on the wheat head and wheat increasing females probing on barley. Results indicate that the wheat midge female detects plant cues while examining the seed head and that this detection contributes to differences in egg counts.