Suppression of Rust and Brown Eye Spot Diseases on Coffee by Phosphites and By‐products of Coffee and Citrus Industries

The rust and brown eye spot, caused by Hemileia vastatrix and Cercospora coffeicola, respectively, are the most important fungal diseases on coffee in South America. Their management is mainly by chemical treatment, and there is no genetic resistance to brown eye spot known so far. Considering the need for developing alternative products for their control, the goal of this work was to evaluate the effects of phosphites and by‐products of coffee and citrus industries on rust and brown eye spot. Formulations of coffee and citrus industry by‐products, phosphites and their combination with fungicide were evaluated in field experiments, and their effect on fungal urediniospores and conidia was evaluated in vitro. In the field, treatments were applied individually or in combination and the in vitro assays were performed with manganese phosphite (Reforce Mn), potassium phosphite and citrus industry by‐product (Fortaleza), copper phosphite and coffee industry by‐product (Fitoforce Full), and fungicide. The severity and incidence of rust and brown eye spot on coffee leaves, yield, and leaf retention were evaluated in the field. Percentage of spore germination was evaluated in vitro for both fungi, whereas mycelial growth was evaluated for C. coffeicola only. The treatments Fortaleza, Reforce Mn and Fitoforce Full suppressed both diseases with a reduction in defoliation. In the year 2012, the plants treated with Reforce Mn and Reforce Mn + Fortaleza showed a yield increase of 72 and 88%, respectively, which was similar to the results shown by the fungicide treatment. In vitro inhibition of germination of H. vastatrix urediniospores and of C. coffeicola conidia was observed and suggests that the products exert some toxic effects to both fungi. Finally, the results observed indicate that the combined use of by‐products of plant‐processing industries and phosphites is an alternative and can be added efficiently to the management of coffee diseases.     

Caught in the act: pollination of sexually deceptive trap-flowers by fungus gnats in Pterostylis (Orchidaceae)

Background and Aims Pterostylis

is an Australasian terrestrial orchid genus of more than 400 species, most of which use a motile, touch-sensitive labellum to trap dipteran pollinators. Despite studies dating back to 1872, the mechanism of pollinator attraction has remained elusive. This study tested whether the fungus gnat-pollinated Pterostylis sanguinea secures pollination by sexual deception.

Methods

The literature was used to establish criteria for confirming sexual deception as a pollination strategy. Observations and video recordings allowed quantification of each step of the pollination process. Each floral visitor was sexed and DNA barcoding was used to evaluate the degree of pollinator specificity. Following observations that attraction to the flowers is by chemical cues, experimental dissection of flowers was used to determine the source of the sexual attractant and the effect of labellum orientation on sexual attraction. Fruit set was quantified for 19 populations to test for a relationship with plant density and population size.

Key Results

A single species of male gnat (Mycetophilidae) visited and pollinated the rewardless flowers. The gnats often showed probing copulatory behaviour on the labellum, leading to its triggering and the temporary entrapment of the gnat in the flower. Pollen deposition and removal occurred as the gnat escaped from the flower via the reproductive structures. The labellum was the sole source of the chemical attractant. Gnats always alighted on the labellum facing upwards, but when it was rotated 180 ° they attempted copulation less frequently. Pollination rate showed no relationship with orchid population size or plant density.

Conclusions

This study confirms for the first time that highly specific pollination by fungus gnats is achieved by sexual deception in Pterostylis. It is predicted that sexual deception will be widespread in the genus, although the diversity of floral forms suggests that other mechanisms may also operate.     

人工合成小麦CI184条锈病成株抗性基因的鉴定及分子标记定位

以硬粒小麦-粗山羊草人工合成小麦CI184、感病品种‘铭贤169’及其杂交组合的正反交F1以及CI184/‘铭贤169’F2、F2:3家系为材料,鉴定其条锈病抗性,对CI184条锈病抗性进行遗传分析;采用SSR分子标记技术和集群分离分析法进行多态性筛选,以F3抗病鉴定数据为依据,对CI184中条锈病抗性基因进行分子标记定位。结果显示:(1)CI184在苗期抗性鉴定中,对30种小麦条锈菌生理小种表现抗性,但对中国四川新出现的条锈菌生理小种V26表现苗期感病;在田间成株抗性接种鉴定中,CI184对中国流行的小麦条锈菌生理小种条中32、条中33、水源4、水源5、水源7和V26等表现出成株抗性。(2)CI184中条锈病抗性由隐性基因位点控制。(3)仅检测到一个控制条锈病抗性的QTL位点,位于1B染色体上Xgwm18和Xwmc626之间,暂时命名为Qyr.zz_1B,在四川和北京2个环境中可分别解释CI184中13.36%和18.07%的成株抗性贡献率。(4)Qyr.zz_1B位点的3个SSR标记和Yr15的1个SSR标记可以区分该位点与1B染色体上的其他抗条锈病基因,如Yr15、Yr24和Yr26/YrCH42。表明Qyr.zz_1B位点在小麦条锈病的抗病育种中具有潜在的应用价值。     

大型海藻内共生真菌次生代谢产物中抑制水华蓝藻物质的分离与活性

为获得能明显抑制水华蓝藻的化感物质,本研究从28株大型海藻内共生真菌中筛选出了4株菌株,其粗提物能显著抑制水华鱼腥藻（Anabaenaflos-aquae）和铜绿微囊藻（Microcystis aeruginosa）的生长。对这4株真菌扩大培养后,检测了从其次生代谢产物中分离出的32种单体化合物的抑藻活性。 其中, 化合物sterigmatocystin、（2’E,4’E,6’E）-6-（1’-carboxyocta-2’,4’,6’-triene）-11,12-epoxy-9,11-dihydroxydrim-7-ene、 6,8-di-O-methylnidurufin和aversin对水华鱼腥藻的抑制率显著大于50%（P 〈 0.05）, 24 h半数有效浓度（EC50,24h）分别为6.865、4.302、1.824、2.319 μg/mL;sterigmatocystin、indol-3-carboxaldehyde和（2’E,4’E,6’E）-6-（1’-carboxyocta-2’,4’,6’-triene）-11,12-epoxy-9,11-dihydroxydrim-7-ene对铜绿微囊藻的抑制率显著大于50%（P 〈 0.05）, EC50,24h 分别为4.167、5.374、8.386 μg/mL。     

粗放经营茶园土壤昆虫病原真菌种群多样性及时间生态位

本文系统调查了粗放经营状态下黄山毛峰茶园根际土壤昆虫病原真菌的种群多样性及其时间生态位水平.于2012年8月至2013年6月,在安徽省黄山市汤口镇选择粗放经营茶园采集土壤样品140份,经稀释平板法分离共获得昆虫病原真菌1041株.结果表明： 昆虫病原真菌种群多样性较为丰富,经鉴定分为6属13种.其中,淡紫紫孢菌、球孢白僵菌和金龟子绿僵菌为优势种群,其菌株数分别为309、255和101株,占总数的29.7%、24.5%和9.7%.茶园土壤中淡紫紫孢菌的时间生态位宽度最大,球孢白僵菌最小.昆虫病原真菌之间以球孢白僵菌和布氏白僵菌的时间生态位重叠值最大,为1.965;而爪哇棒束孢和球孢白僵菌的时间生态位重叠值最小,仅为0.374.     

高产紫杉醇内生真菌J11的鉴定

从南方红豆杉(Taxus chinensis var.mairei)的幼茎中分离出一株产紫杉醇内生真菌J11.菌株J11的发酵提取物经高分辨质谱分析,证实J11菌株可产紫杉醇.提取该菌株的基因组DNA,扩增核糖体internal transcribed spacer(ITS)和28S核糖体large subunit rRNA gene(LSU)序列,经测序获得该菌的ITS序列和LSU序列.序列比对和检索结果表明,J11菌株为葡萄座腔菌(Botryosphaeria ssp.)属中的一个新菌株.形态学鉴定符合葡萄座腔菌属特征,高效液相色谱分析表明,J11菌株的紫杉醇含量约为615.1μg/L.本研究首次证实葡萄座腔菌J11是一株高产紫杉醇野生型菌株,具有潜在的应用前景.     

Interaction between entomopathogenic nematodes and entomopathogenic fungi applied to third instar southern masked chafer white grubs,Cyclocephala lurida (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), under laboratory and greenhouse conditions

Four entomopathogenic nematode (EPN) species (Heterorhabditis bacteriophora Poinar, Heterorhabditis megidis Poinar, Jackson & Klein, Steinernema feltiae Filipjev and Steinernema riobrave Cabanillas, Poinar & Raulston) were tested for virulence against 3^rd instar southern masked chafer white grubs, Cyclocephala lurida Bland. H. bacteriophora and H. megidis, being the most virulent, were selected to evaluate the interaction with an entomopathogenic fungus (EPF), Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin strain GHA or Metarhizium anisopliae (Metsch.) Sorokin strain F-52, under laboratory and greenhouse conditions. Nematodes and fungi were either applied alone or in combination, with nematodes added to fungi at different times. When applied alone, B. bassiana and M. anisopliae did not reduce grub numbers. Under laboratory conditions, additive interactions were found between H. megidis and B. bassiana, and between H. bacteriophora and B. bassiana or M. anisopliae in most combinations against chafer grubs; a few treatments showed synergism or antagonism. The combined effect did not differ significantly for nematode and fungal applications made simultaneously or at different times. Nematode infection and infective juveniles (IJs) production in grub carcasses were not significantly affected by the presence of a fungus. Efficacies of H. bacteriophora and M. anisopliae were affected by temperature, with grub mortality increasing at higher temperatures. Under greenhouse conditions, additive or synergistic interaction was found between H. bacteriophora and B. bassiana or M. anisopliae in different formulations in simultaneous applications or when the nematode was applied 4 weeks after the fungi, except between B. bassiana ES and H. bacteriophora. The impact of H. bacteriophora alone or in combination with M. anisopliae or B. bassiana on 3^rd instar C. lurida was comparable to that of an imidacloprid insecticide used as curative applications. More virulent fungal strains or species may be required to achieve a stronger interaction with nematodes in the management of C. lurida.     

The Megophthalmidia (Diptera,Mycetophilidae) of North America including eight new species

Megophthalmidia Dziedzicki is a small leiine genus (Mycetophilidae) with seven species described from the Neotropics and ten species from the Palearctic region. Two species of Megophthalmidia have been reported for North America. Recent collecting of Mycetophilidae in California and Arizona, however, shows current North American diversity of Megophthalmidia is at least on par to other regions of the world. Eight new species of Megophthalmidia are described here, increasing the number of Nearctic Megophthalmidia species to nine. Included is a particularly atypical member of the genus, M. saskia sp. n., which expands the genus concept of Megophthalmidia. Of the two species previously recorded for North America, only one actually belongs in the genus. Megophthalmidia occidentalis Johannsen, is fully described and illustrated. The other named species, M. marceda (Sherman) is illustrated and transferred to the genus Ectrepesthoneura Enderlein. A lectotype is designated for this species. A key to the species of Megophthalmidia of North America is provided. The biology of these flies is not yet known. Three of the new Megophthalmidia species – M. lenimenta, M. misericordia, and M. radiata – are only known to occur within small protected areas within the California State Park and UC Natural Reserve systems.     

Combined Application of Rice Straw and Fungus Penicillium Chrysogenum to Remediate Heavy-Metal-Contaminated Soil

The search for cheap and environmentally friendly materials is essential for remediation of heavy-metal-contaminated agricultural soils. A pot experiment was undertaken to evaluate the application of rice straw and filamentous fungus Penicillium chrysogenum (P. chrysogenum) on the fractionation of copper (Cu) and cadmium (Cd), soil microbial properties, and Cu and Cd uptake by romaine lettuce (Lactuca sativa) in a contaminated agricultural soil. Rice straw was applied at three rates (0, 7.8, and 11.7 g kg^?1 soil), and in combinations with P. chrysogenum (1.0 × 10⁶ spores g^?1 soil). It was found that the combined treatment of rice straw and P. chrysogenum significantly decreased the acid-extractable Cu and Cd by 15.4–25.1% and 20.2–27.3%, and increased the oxidizable Cu and Cd by 16.1–18.0% and 72.1–98.4%, respectively. Soil microbial biomass and fresh weight of lettuce were also remarkably enhanced after rice straw plus P. chrysogenum addition. Rice straw combined with P. chrysogenum was more effective in reducing Cu and Cd uptake by lettuce than rice straw alone. The joint application of rice straw and P. chrysogenum remarkably reduced Cu and Cd concentrations in lettuce shoots by 13.6–21.9% and 32.9–41.7%, respectively. These results indicate that the combined application of P. chrysogenum and rice straw is a promising method to alleviate the bioavailability of metals, and to improve soil microbial properties and plant yield in heavy-metal-polluted agricultural soils.