bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of Biological and Chemical Treatments for Control of Fusarium Root and Stem Rot on Greenhouse Cucumber
Authors: Rose S. , Parker M. , Punja Z. K.
Published: May 2007

Potential disease control methods were evaluated against root and stem rot of cucumber (Cucumis sativus) caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-cucumerinum. Crab/shrimp shell chitin; three composted media; the biological control agents Pseudomonas chlororaphis strain 63-28, Trichoderma harzianum (RootShield Drench), Streptomyces griseoviridis (Mycostop), Gliocladium catenulatum (Prestop WP, Prestop Mix), and Trichoderma (Gliocladium) virens (SoilGard); and the fungicides thiram or benomyl were added at seeding time followed by inoculation with the pathogen. The addition of chitin (4%, vol/vol) to a peat-based medium significantly (P ≤ 0.05) enhanced seedling growth, increased soil pH, and reduced F. oxysporum f. sp. radicis-cucumerinum populations, but the severity of disease was increased. The addition of composted media (greenhouse compost, windrow composted dairy solids, and vermi-composted dairy solids) to the seeding cavity in a rock wool block medium, followed 48 h later by inoculation with F. oxysporum f. sp. radicis-cucumerinum, reduced seedling mortality when measured after 37 days. Greenhouse compost was significantly (P ≤ 0.05) more suppressive than the other two composts, and the suppression was partially eliminated by sterilization of the compost. The biological control agent G. catenulatum (formulated as Prestop WP and Prestop Mix) significantly reduced seedling mortality when it was applied at seeding 24 h prior to inoculation with the pathogen in the rock wool block medium. None of the other biological control agents reduced disease incidence when compared with control plants under these experimental conditions. Pseudomonas chlororaphis and the fungicide thiram both significantly reduced plant mortality at 17 and 24°C when pathogen-infested seed was treated, or when bacteria-treated and fungicide-treated seed were planted into pathogen-infested peat medium at 24°C. Under semicommercial propagation conditions, treatments consisting of Prestop WP, RootShield Drench, My-costop, and windrow composted dairy solids reduced the severity of disease caused by F. oxysporum f. sp. radicis-cucumerinum in two out of three trials. The efficacy of the biological control agents was affected by seasonal differences in growing conditions, which affected the incidence and severity of the disease. The results from this study indicate that several different approaches can be used at seeding to control Fusarium root and stem rot on greenhouse cucumber.
Evaluation of Resistance Screening Methods for Sclerotinia Stem Rot of Soybean and Dry Bean
Authors: Kull Linda S. , Vuong Tri D. , Powers Kris S. , Eskridge Kent M. , Steadman James R. , Hartman Glen L.
Published: May 2007

Three methods to identify levels of resistance to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in soybean (Glycine max) and dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) were compared using multiple data analyses. The three methods were mycelial plug inoculations of cotyledons, cut stems, and detached leaves. Six S. sclerotiorum isolates of known relative aggressiveness were inoculated on each of three soybean and dry bean cultivars with varied response to S. sclerotiorum. For soybean, all three inoculation methods accurately identified isolate aggressiveness irrespective of cultivar, but identification of susceptible and partially resistant soybean cultivars was influenced by isolate. For dry bean, the cotyledon and cut stem methods accurately identified isolate aggressiveness, but identification of susceptible and partially resistant dry bean cultivars was influenced by isolate and inoculation method. The cut stem method had the smallest coefficient of variation and was more precise for detecting interactions. When considering root mean square residual error combined over species and experiments, coefficient of variation based on residual error, significance of isolate-by-cultivar interaction from ANOVA, rank correlation between pairs of methods, and sensitivity ratio for the three resistance screening methods under controlled environmental conditions, the cut stem method was statistically better than the cotyledon and detached leaf methods for evaluating resistance in soybean and dry bean cultivars.
Simultaneous Detection of the Defoliating and Nondefoliating Verticillium dahliae Pathotypes in Infected Olive Plants by Duplex, Nested Polymerase Chain Reaction
Authors: Mercado-Blanco J. , Rodríguez-Jurado D. , Parrilla-Araujo S. , Jiménez-Díaz R. M.
Published: May 2007

Pathogen-free certified planting material and accurate detection of Verticillium dahliae pathotypes infecting the plant are key components of successful management of Verticillium wilt of olive. Use of a nested-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) procedure developed in earlier studies for in planta detection of the defoliating (D) and nondefoliating (ND) V. dahliae pathotypes resulted in ambiguous detection of the pathogen in some cases, due to heterologous amplification of the D-associated marker in ND-infected olive plants. In the present study, an improved procedure was developed that eliminates ambiguity and reduces time and cost for detection of D and ND V. dahliae in olive. The improved procedure is based on the simultaneous amplification of both an ND- and a new D-specific marker by means of duplex, nested PCR. The procedure was effective in the rapid and unequivocal detection of the D and ND V. dahliae in both artificially inoculated, own-rooted olive plants and naturally infected adult olive trees of different cultivar, age, and growing conditions. Furthermore, the duplex, nested-PCR procedure detected simultaneously the D and ND pathotypes in adult olive trees naturally infected by both pathotypes and in young olive plants that were double-inoculated with D and ND isolates under controlled conditions.
Wet Seed Treatment with Peroxyacetic Acid for the Control of Bacterial Fruit Blotch and Other Seedborne Diseases of Watermelon
Authors: Hopkins D. L. , Thompson C. M. , Hilgren J. , Lovic B.
Published: May 2007

Prevention of seed transmission of Acidovorax avenae subsp. citrulli into the transplant house or field is the most effective control of bacterial fruit blotch of watermelon currently available. Peroxyacetic acid was evaluated as a disinfectant that might efficaciously eradicate A. avenae subsp. citrulli from contaminated seed and also be efficacious against other seed-transmitted diseases of watermelon. Peroxyacetic acid at low concentrations eliminated A. avenae subsp. citrulli, Fusarium oxysporum, and Didymella bryoniae from microbial suspensions. Treatments of seed contaminated with A. avenae subsp. citrulli and D. bryoniae with peroxyacetic acid at 1,600 μg/ml and higher for 30 min were effective in preventing seed transmission of bacterial fruit blotch and gummy stem blight. Hydrochloric acid treatments at 10,000 μg/ml, while effective in eliminating seed transmission to watermelon seedlings, can adversely affect seed germination, especially with triploid seed. Efficacious dosages of peroxyacetic acid can be applied safely to freshly harvested triploid watermelon seed without concerns for reduction in seed quality. A most effective wet seed treatment protocol involved a 30-min treatment with peroxyacetic acid at 1,600 μg/ml followed by seed drying at low humidity in a 40°C drying oven for 48 h.
Prediction of Long-Term Canker Disease Damage from the Responses of Juvenile Poplar Clones to Inoculation with Septoria musiva
Authors: Weiland Jerry E. , Stanosz JoAnne C. , Stanosz Glen R.
Published: May 2007

Stem cankers caused by Septoria musiva severely limit production of susceptible hybrid poplars in eastern North America. A field experiment was conducted to determine whether short-term responses of poplar stems to inoculation with S. musiva were predictive of long-term canker disease damage. Stems of 27 poplar clones were inoculated during their first season of growth by removing the fourth or fifth fully expanded leaf and placing an agar plug colonized by an aggressive isolate of S. musiva over the resulting wound. Four months after inoculation, incidence of cankers, canker length, and percent of stem circumference affected (girdle) were recorded. Clones varied greatly in canker incidence (12 to 98%), mean canker length (10 to 53 mm), and mean girdle (14 to 94%). Logistic regression analysis was used to compare these inoculation responses with canker disease damage categories assigned on the basis of information from longer-term field studies. Incidence, canker length, and girdle data were all informative, but girdle data from this field experiment correctly predicted assigned canker disease damage categories most frequently (24 of 27 clones). Responses of 15 of these clones also were evaluated in a similar greenhouse experiment. Although responses usually were predictive of long-term damage categories, the probability of correct prediction was lower than that obtained in the field experiment for most clones. These results demonstrate the feasibility and potential benefit of screening juvenile poplar clones for responses to inoculation with S. musiva before undertaking field trials for productivity and subsequent release to growers.
First Report of Calibrachoa mottle virus Infecting Petunia
Authors: Liu H.-Y. , Sears J. L. , Bandla M. , Harness A. M. , Kulemeka B.
Published: May 2007

Calibrachoa mottle virus (CbMV), a tentative carmovirus, was first isolated and reported by Liu et al. (1) from infected Calibrachoa plants. During the spring of 2003, petunia samples from Florida and California sent to testing services at Agdia, Inc (Elkhart IN) tested positive for CbMV by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and lateral flow immunoassay (ImmunoStrips). These samples also tested positive by carmovirus group-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers and by immunocapture PCR (2). RNA extracted from these samples with the RNeasy Plant Kit (Qiagen Inc., Valencia, CA) hybridized with a digoxigenin labeled probe derived from purified CbMV viral RNA. All plant samples that tested positive for CbMV were symptomless except one symptomatic sample that also tested positive for Tobacco mosaic virus. From samples that tested positive for CbMV only, mechanical inoculations were made to Chenopodium quinoa at a USDA-ARS greenhouse in Salinas, CA. Representative single, local lesions were used to inoculate additional C. quinoa plants. The resulting local lesions from these inoculations were freeze-dried and further used as virus inoculum (CbMV petunia). Similar inoculum was made with CbMV isolated from Calibrachoa plants (CbMV calibrachoa). Virus-free Petunia hybrida cultivars Surfinia ‘Baby Pink’ and Surfinia ‘Violet’ (Jackson and Perkins Inc., Somis, CA) were mechanically inoculated with CbMV petunia and CbMV calibrachoa. Four weeks postinoculation, all plants were tested using ELISA for the presence of CbMV. In greenhouse conditions, 14.3% of ‘Baby Pink’ plants were positive for CbMV petunia, whereas none were positive for CbMV calibrachoa. ‘Violet’ plants were 64.3 and 33.3% positive for CbMV petunia and CbMV calibrachoa, respectively. None of the positive plants expressed virus-like symptoms. Virus particles resembling those of CbMV were observed from infected petunia plants with transmission electron microscopy in leaf-dip preparations. To our knowledge, this is the first report of CbMV infecting petunia. Commercial reproduction of petunia plants and maintenance of genetic mother stock are usually by vegetative propagation. CbMV can be transmitted mechanically and is readily propagated along with its host. To produce healthy petunia plants, virus-free mother stock should be used, which requires regular screening of mother stock for CbMV.

Reference: (1) H.-Y. Liu et al. Plant Dis. 87:167, 2003. (2) A. M. Harness et al. (Abstr.) Phytopathology 92:S34, 2002.
First Report of Solanum physalifolium as a Host Plant for Phytophthora infestans in Sweden
Authors: Andersson B. , Johansson M. , Jönsson B.
Published: May 2007

In the early summer of 2003, lesions resembling those caused by Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary on potato were observed on Solanum physalifolium Rusby var. nitidibaccatum (Bitter) Edmonds (2) that was growing as a weed in a parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) field in southern Sweden. When infected leaves of S. physalifolium were observed under the microscope (×200 magnification), sporangia with the same shape and size as those of P. infestans were observed. Pieces of infected leaves of S. physalifolium were put under tuber slices of S. tuberosum (cv. Bintje) in petri dishes and kept at 20°C. After 4 days, mycelium grew through the slices and sporulated profusely. The sporangia on the slices were of the same shape and size as those observed on the infected S. physalifolium leaves. In Sweden, the ratio of A1 and A2 mating types of P. infestans is 50:50, and oospores are commonly found in infected potato crops (1), so isolates from S. physalifolium were tested for mating type by growing them together with reference isolates of a known mating type on agar plates. Nine of the tested isolates were A1 mating type and six were A2 mating type. One self-fertile isolate was found. Naturally infected leaves of S. physalifolium were incubated at 20°C at 100% relative humidity so the lesions could coalesce and to facilitate oospore formation. After 5 days, oospores identical to those of P. infestans were observed under the microscope (×200 magnification). Sporangia produced by isolates originating from S. physalifolium and S. tuberosum were harvested, and a suspension containing 104 sporangia per ml from each isolate was prepared. Five leaves each of S. nigrum, S. physalifolium, and S. tuberosum (cv. Bintje), were inoculated with 10 μl of each sporangial suspension. Inoculated leaves were incubated in sealed petri dishes at 15°C. After 4 days, all S. tuberosum leaves were infected. After 7 days, two of five leaves of S. physalifolium inoculated with the S. tuberosum isolate and two of five S. physalifolium leaves inoculated with the isolate from S. physalifolium were infected. All lesions produced sporangia similar to those formed by P. infestans. S. nigrum was not infected by any of the isolates. The ability of S. physalifolium to act as a host plant for P. infestans producing sporangia during the growing season and oospores for survival between growing seasons may increase the problems of controlling late blight in potato in Sweden.

References: (1) J. Dahlberg et al. Field survey of oospore formation by Phytophthora infestans. (Poster Abstr.) Pages 134–135 In: Late Blight: Managing the Global Threat. Proc Global Late Blight Conf. Charlotte Lizarraga, ed. Centro Internacional De La Papa, On-line publication, ISBN 929060-215-5, 2002. (2) J. M. Edmonds. Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 92:1, 1986.
First Report of Sclerotium rolfsii on Island Ash Seedlings in Taiwan
Authors: Fu C. H. , Hsieh H. J. , Yao J. C.
Published: May 2007

Island ash (Fraxinus formosana Hay.) is a large, semideciduous tree in Taiwan. It is used for forestation, a shade tree, and producing wood for furniture. During the summer of 2001, a sudden wilt of 1-year-old plants was observed in a nursery in northern Taiwan. Initial symptoms included stem necrosis at the soil line and yellowing and tan discoloration of the leaves. As stem necrosis progressed, infected plants wilted and died. Necrotic tissues were covered with white mycelium that differentiated into reddish brown, spherical (1 to 2 mm in diameter) sclerotia. Sclerotium rolfsii was consistently recovered from the surface of symptomatic stem sections that were disinfected for 1 min in 0.5% NaOCl and then plated on potato dextrose agar (PDA) amended with 100 ppm of ampicillin. Pathogenicity of two S. rolfsii isolates was confirmed on 1-year-old island ash seedlings grown in 12.7 cm- (5-in) plastic pots in a sterilized mixture of peat moss and vermiculite (3:1). Seedlings were inoculated with mycelia and sclerotia of the pathogen grown on PDA. Three plants each were inoculated with four disks (5 mm) of agar with mycelium and three were inoculated with 10 sclerotia that were placed on the soil surface around the base of each plant. Noninoculated plants served as controls. All plants were kept in a growth chamber at 25 to 35°C and >95% relative humidity. The test was repeated once. All inoculated plants developed symptoms within 14 days, while control plants remained symptomless. Sclerotia developed on infected tissues, and S. rolfsii was reisolated from symptomatic tissues. This disease has been observed on many species of plants (1), but to our knowledge, this is the first report of Southern blight of Island ash seedlings caused by S. rolfsii in Taiwan.

Reference: (1) Y. P. Tsai ed. List of Plant Diseases in Taiwan. The Plant Protection Society of the Republic of China and The Phytopathological Society of the Republic of China, 1991.
Pathogenic Diversity of Phytophthora sojae in Ohio Soybean Fields
Authors: Dorrance A. E. , McClure S. A. , deSilva A.
Published: May 2007

Problems with early season soybean stand establishment, and an increase in incidence of Phytophthora root and stem rot caused by Phytophthora sojae, prompted a reassessment of the pathogen population in Ohio. Earlier studies had indicated a potential for pathogen adaptation to commonly deployed Rps genes in soybeans. Fifty-seven fields, part of an earlier study in 1990 and 1991, along with 29 additional fields were sampled in either 1997 or 1999. Two soybean cultivars, Sloan (rps) and Resnik (Rps1k), were used as bait in a seedling bioassay to isolate P. sojae from the soil samples. P. sojae was recovered from 82 of the 86 fields sampled. Of the 429 isolates recovered from these soils, 325 and 104 were baited with soybean cultivars Sloan and Resnik, respectively. The P. sojae population in Ohio increased in the number of pathotypes (races) as well as in complexity since the earlier surveys. There were 72 and 202 pathotypes identified on 8 and 13 Rps gene differentials, respectively, in the current study. When the data were compared by location, 96, 65, 73, 78, 51, and 52% of the locations had at least one isolate with virulences to Rps1a, Rps1b, Rps1c, Rps1k, Rps3a, and Rps6, respectively. The mean complexity, the number of susceptible interactions on 8 differentials, increased from 3.01 to 4.06 between 1991 and 1997/1999. In addition, the pathogenic diversity as measured by the Shannon index increased from 2.71 to 3.28 for isolates recovered from the 57 fields sampled in both surveys. Producers whose fields were sampled were surveyed to determine if changes in the P. sojae population could be linked with production practices. There was a significant association between (P ≤ 0.05) reduced tillage practices and the presence of isolates that had virulence to Rps1k; reduced tillage fields also had isolates with virulence to a greater number of differentials. Due to the percentage of isolates that have virulence to many of the Rps genes, it is questionable how long a single Rps gene or several stacked Rps genes will remain viable disease management tools for P. sojae, unless a novel Rps gene is identified.
Evaluation of Soybean Resistance to Sclerotinia Stem Rot Using Reciprocal Grafting
Authors: Vuong T. D. , Hartman G. L.
Published: May 2007

Sclerotinia stem rot of soybean is one of the major soybean diseases in the north central region of the United States. One disease management option is to plant cultivars that have resistance. Some sources of partial resistance have been identified, but information pertaining to the nature of resistance is limited. The objective of this study was to determine if the expression of resistance is dictated by shoots of resistant plants and if this can be altered by using resistant and susceptible soybean genotypes grafted in different shoot and rootstock combinations of self-, single-, or double-shoot grafts. After successful grafts were made, several experiments were conducted using different inoculation techniques and soybean genotypes. In one experiment, cotyledons were inoculated with a plug of fungal mycelium, plants were incubated in a mist chamber for 23 h, and plant survival was recorded over time. Based on seven grafting combinations of cross- and self-grafted plants using two soybean cultivars, grafts with NKS19-90 (partially resistant) as shoots had greater (P ≤ 0.05) plant survival at 3, 4, and 5 days after inoculation than the other graft combinations. In another experiment, a total of 17 graft combinations were generated using resistant plant introductions and two susceptible cultivars. Resistant self-grafts of the plant introductions had greater (P ≤ 0.05) plant survival (mean = 75%) than self-grafts of the susceptible cultivars (mean = 15%) at 5 days after inoculation. Inter-genotypic grafts with resistant shoots had greater (P ≤ 0.05) plant survival (mean = 65%) than those in reciprocal combinations (mean = 8%) 5 days after inoculation. A cut stem inoculation method was used to test graft combinations of one resistant and two susceptible cultivars. Grafts with susceptible shoots of cvs. Williams 82 and Asgrow 2242 had greater (P < 0.05) lesion lengths (mean = 13.2 cm) than shoots of NKS19-90 (mean = 9.2 cm) regardless of the rootstock 15 days after inoculation. In a double-graft experiment, shoots of both NKS19-90 and Williams 82 were grafted to either NKS19-90 or Williams 82 rootstocks. Regardless of the rootstock, the shoots of Williams 82 died while shoots of NKS19-90 survived. For all the experiments, resistance was greater when the grafted shoot came from a resistant source on a susceptible rootstock compared with the reciprocal combination regardless of the type of grafting technique or inoculation method.
Isolation and Characterization of a Carmo-like Virus from Calibrachoa Plants
Authors: Liu H.-Y. , Sears J. L. , Morrison R. H.
Published: May 2007

Spherical virus particles approximately 29 to 31 nm in diameter were isolated from Calibrachoa plants showing leaf mottling and chlorotic blotch symptoms. The virus was mechanically transmitted to Chenopodium amaranticolor, C. capitatum, C. quinoa, Nicotiana benthamiana, and N. clevelandii plants, but was not transmitted by green peach aphid (Myzus persicae), sweet potato whitefly (Bemisia tabaci), silverleaf whitefly (B. argentifolii), greenhouse whitefly (Trialeurodes vaporarium), or banded-wing whitefly (T. abutilonea). Virions contained a single species of single-stranded RNA of approximately 4.0 kb and a single capsid protein of approximately 41 kDa. The double-stranded (ds)RNA pattern consistently revealed one major band of about 4.0 kbp, and three minor dsRNA of approximately 3.1, 1.6, and 1.3 kbp. The virus-infected plants reacted with a homologous polyclonal antiserum in indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The genome contained a sequence of a highly conserved motif of the RNA-dependent RNA-polymerase associated with the genus Carmovirus, and shared 94% identity with Carnation mottle virus (CarMV). However, the Calibrachoa virus and CarMV were distinct serologically and in host range. Based on the host ranges, particle morphology, dsRNA profile, properties of particles in sap, and features of the genome and protein, we concluded that the recently observed Calibrachoa disease is caused by a previously undescribed carmovirus on Calibrachoa plants. We propose to name this virus Calibrachoa mottle virus (CbMV).
First Report of Charcoal Rot (Macrophomina phaseolina) on Soybean in Minnesota
Authors: ElAraby M. E. , Kurle J. E. , Stetina S. R.
Published: May 2007

In August 1999, soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) plants exhibiting symptoms of charcoal rot were observed near Zumbrota, MN. Symptoms included shrunken, unfilled pods, and brown, wilted leaves attached to dead petioles and stems (1). When stems of symptomatic soybean plants were split, areas of gray-to-black discoloration where present in the stem cortex (1). Black, spherical microsclerotia 77 to 90 µm in diameter and elongated microsclerotia 77 to 120 µm long (1) were found in vascular tissue. Stem tissue placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) yielded fungal colonies identified as Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid. based on gray colony color, colony morphology, and the presence of microsclerotia 70 to 90 µm in diameter. In 2000, M. phaseolina was isolated from plant samples gathered from 11 of 90 fields sampled in a statewide soybean disease survey. More studies are needed to determine the distribution of charcoal rot in Minnesota; however, the occurrence of symptoms at one location and the presence of M. phaseolina in soybean-growing areas of Minnesota suggest that charcoal rot may occur in susceptible soybean cultivars under favorable environmental conditions.

Reference: (1) G. S. Smith and T. D. Wyllie. Charcoal rot. Pages 29–30 in: Compendium of Soybean Diseases, 4th ed. G. L. Hartmann, J. B. Sinclair, and J. C. Rupe, eds. The American Phytopathological Society, St. Paul, MN, 1999.
First Report of a Leaf Spot Disease of Bells-of-Ireland (Moluccella laevis) Caused by Cercospora apii in California
Authors: Koike S. T. , Tjosvold S. A. , Groenewald J. Z. , Crous P. W.
Published: May 2007

Bells-of-Ireland (Moluccella laevis) (Lamiaceae) is an annual plant that is field planted in coastal California (Santa Cruz County) for commercial cutflower production. In 2001, a new leaf spot disease was found in these commercially grown cutflowers. The disease was most serious in the winter-grown crops in 2001 and 2002, with a few plantings having as much as 100% disease incidence. All other plantings that were surveyed during this time had at least 50% disease. Initial symptoms consisted of gray-green leaf spots. Spots were generally oval in shape, often delimited by the major leaf veins, and later turned tan. Lesions were apparent on both adaxial and abaxial sides of the leaves. A cercosporoid fungus having fasciculate conidiophores, which formed primarily on the abaxial leaf surface, was consistently associated with the spots. Based on morphology and its host, this fungus was initially considered to be Cercospora molucellae Bremer & Petr., which was previously reported on leaves of M. laevis in Turkey (1). However, sequence data obtained from the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS1, ITS2) and the 5.8S gene (STE-U 5110, 5111; GenBank Accession Nos. AY156918 and AY156919) indicated there were no base pair differences between the bells-of-Ireland isolates from California, our own reference isolates of C. apii, as well as GenBank sequences deposited as C. apii. Based on these data, the fungus was subsequently identified as C. apii sensu lato. Pathogenicity was confirmed by spraying a conidial suspension (1.0 × 105 conidia/ml) on leaves of potted bells-of-Ireland plants, incubating the plants in a dew chamber for 24 h, and maintaining them in a greenhouse (23 to 25°C). After 2 weeks, all inoculated plants developed leaf spots that were identical to those observed in the field. C. apii was again associated with all leaf spots. Control plants, which were treated with water, did not develop any symptoms. The test was repeated and the results were similar. To our knowledge this is the first report of C. apii as a pathogen of bells-of-Ireland in California.

Reference: (1) C. Chupp. A Monograph of the Fungus Genus Cercospora. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York, 1954.
First Report of Phytophthora ramorum on Viburnum bodnantense in Belgium
Authors: De Merlier D. , Chandelier A. , Cavelier M.
Published: May 2007

In the past decade, a new Phytophthora species inducing shoot canker on Rhododendron and dieback of Viburnum has been observed in Europe, mainly in Germany and the Netherlands, and California. This new pathogen has been named Phytophthora ramorum (3). In May 2002, a diseased Viburnum plant (Viburnum bodnantense) from the Plant Protection Service (Ministry of Agriculture, Belgium) was submitted to our laboratory for diagnosis. Symptoms included wilting, leaves turning from green to brown, discolored vascular tissues, and root necrosis. The plant came from a Belgian ornamental nursery that obtained supplies of stock plants from the Netherlands. Pieces of necrotic root tissue were excised, surface-disinfected, and transferred aseptically to a Phytophthora selective medium. P. ramorum was identified based on morphological characteristics, including the production of numerous, thin-walled chlamydospores (25 to 70 µm in diameter, average 43 µm) and deciduous, semi-papillate sporangia arranged in clusters. Radial growth after 6 days at 20°C on V8 juice agar was 2.8 mm per day. Random amplified microsatellite markers (RAMS) (2) from the total genomic DNA of the Belgian strain (CBS 110901) were similar to those of P. ramorum reference strains (CBS 101330, CBS 101332, and CBS 101554). Using PCR primers specific for P. ramorum, the identification was confirmed by W. A. Man in't Veld (Plantenziektenkundige Dienst, Wageningen, the Netherlands) (1). A pathogenicity test was carried out on three sterile cuttings of Rhododendron catawbiense (3). Brown lesions were observed on the inoculated cuttings after 6 to 7 days. None of the three uninoculated cuttings showed symptoms of infection. P. ramorum was reisolated from lesion margins on the inoculated cuttings. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the fungus from Belgium. Since our initial observation, we have found P. ramorum in other Belgian nurseries on R. yakusimanum.

References: (1) M. Garbelotto et al. US For. Ser. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GRT. 184:765, 2002. (2) J. Hantula et al. Mycol. Res. 101:565, 1997. (3) S. Werres et al. Mycol. Res. 105:1155, 2001.
Variants of East African cassava mosaic virus and Its Distribution in Double Infections with African cassava mosaic virus in Nigeria
Authors: Ogbe F. O. , Thottappilly G. , Dixon A. G. O. , Atiri G. I. , Mignouna H. D.
Published: May 2007

In a survey for cassava mosaic begomoviruses conducted in 1997 and 1998 in Nigeria, East African cassava mosaic virus (EACMV) was detected by the polymerase chain reaction together with African cassava mosaic virus (ACMV) in 27 out of 290 cassava leaf samples of infected plants from 254 farmers' fields in five agroecological zones. One plant was infected with EACMV only. Five variant isolates of EACMV were observed based on their reactions to primers that could detect Cameroonian and East African strains of EACMV. Isolates of variants 1 and 3 occurred mostly in the derived or coastal and southern Guinea savannahs, while variants 4 and 5 predominated in the humid forest region. Isolates of variant 2 were widely distributed across the three agroecologies. EACMV was not detected in the northern Guinea savannah and arid and semiarid zones. Most doubly infected plants showed more severe symptoms than plants with single infection. Occurrence of EACMV variants together with ACMV detection and information about their distribution in Nigeria could be used for the selection of cassava clones in cassava mosaic disease resistance programs.
A New Member of the Clover Proliferation Phytoplasma Group (16SrVI) Associated with Elm Yellows in Illinois
Authors: Jacobs K. A. , Lee I.-M. , Griffiths H. M. , Miller F. D. , Bottner K. D.
Published: May 2007

A disease with symptoms similar to elm yellows (EY) was noticed in the early 1990s in suburban Chicago, IL. More than 1,000 mature American elms (Ulmus americana) have since died. Infected trees varied in the incidence and severity of canopy yellowing, leaf epinasty, butterscotch discoloration, and wintergreen odor of the phloem, but all developed a sparse and clumpy crown, uniformly necrotic phloem, and died within 2 years of showing canopy symptoms. Because symptoms were expressed irregularly and phytoplasma detection results by a commercial diagnostic company were inconsistent, a study was initiated to determine if EY phytoplasma was the causal agent. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) methods using universal or EY phytoplasma specific primers were employed to detect putative phytoplasma(s) associated with 10 trees of varied disease severity within the outbreak region and 10 asymptomatic trees from an uninfected area (controls). Nested PCR using universal primers revealed that 90% of trees from the outbreak region were positive for phytoplasma while asymptomatic elms from another location (controls) tested negative. Phytoplasma-positive trees ranged in disease severity from 1 (asymptomatic) to 5 (near death). Inner bark samples chiseled from the lower trunk had higher phytoplasma detection rates than foliage or drill shavings. RFLP analyses and DNA sequencing of 16S rDNA indicated that the phytoplasma recovered from dying elms in Arlington Heights is not related to the reference EY phytoplasma (group16SrV). It is most closely related to clover proliferation (CP) phy-toplasma (group 16SrVI), and we have designated it Illinois Elm Yellows (ILEY) phytoplasma, and assigned it to a new taxonomic subgroup (16SrVI-C). EY phytoplasma was not detected in any samples, but two ILEY phytoplasma positive trees also were positive for aster yellows (AY) phytoplasma. ILEY phytoplasma was not detected in local leafhopper populations trapped in elm trees between May and September 2000. This is the first report of a phytoplasma related to CP phytoplasma causing elm yellows disease symptoms.
Effects of Pecan Bacterial Leaf Scorch on Growth and Yield Components of Cultivar Cape Fear
Authors: Sanderlin R. S. , Heyderich-Alger K. I.
Published: May 2007

Pecan bacterial leaf scorch (PBLS) recently was recognized to be caused by the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa. The objective of this work was to compare certain tree growth and yield components of trees with and without PBLS. The evaluations were made for 3 years (1999 to 2001) on the disease-sensitive cv. Cape Fear. At nut maturity (October) each year, the number of leaves and leaflets and the leaflet weight were significantly smaller on terminals from trees with leaf scorch than on terminals from trees not infected with X. fastidiosa. Similar amounts of defoliation occurred on bearing and nonbearing terminals. The symptomatic terminals averaged 58% fewer leaflets at the end of the growing season. The weight of terminals from diseased trees was significantly lower in 2 of the 3 years for nonbearing terminals compared with similar terminals from uninfected trees. Terminals of infected trees generally were not significantly shorter than terminals of uninfected trees. The weight of the nuts from terminals with leaf scorch was lower than the weight from uninfected trees each year. The primary effect was on kernel development, which averaged 16% lower weight. Phosphorus concentration was slightly but significantly lower in infected leaflets during October in three of six comparisons. There were no other consistent differences in the concentration of nine other elements in leaflets between diseased and uninfected terminals. PBLS is capable of causing economically significant yield reductions. Because the disease is chronic, the potential yield reduction over the life of a tree is large on disease-sensitive trees.
Factors Influencing the Efficacy of Myclobutanil and Azoxystrobin for Control of Grape Black Rot
Authors: Hoffman Lisa Emele , Wilcox Wayne F.
Published: May 2007

We studied several factors influencing the efficacy of the demethylation inhibitor (DMI) fungicide myclobutanil and the strobilurin fungicide azoxystrobin for control of grape black rot, caused by the pathogen Guignardia bidwellii (anamorph Phyllosticta ampelicida). The distribution of sensitivities to myclobutanil among G. bidwellii isolates from an “organic” vineyard (no previous exposure to synthetic fungicides, n = 50) and from a commercial vineyard with a history of DMI applications (n = 60) was determined in vitro. There was little difference between the two populations, and the range of sensitivities was narrow; for the composite population of 110 isolates, the value of the mean effective dose for 50% inhibition (ED50) was 0.04 mg/liter, and the most- and least-sensitive isolates were separated by a factor of 16. When applied from 2 to 6 days after inoculating grape seedlings with a suspension containing either 2 × 104 or 1 × 106 conidia per ml, myclobutanil (60 mg/liter) provided complete control of lesion development. When applied beyond 6 days after inoculation but prior to lesion appearance (9 to 11 days after inoculation, depending on temperature), it provided complete control of pycnidium production in those lesions that developed subsequently. In contrast, when applied 2 to 10 days after inoculation with 2 × 104 conidia per ml, azoxystrobin (128 mg/liter) provided only 78 to 63% control of lesion formation and erratic control of pycnidium formation, although conidium production was reduced by 85 to 68% across this range of treatments. Relatively little control was provided by azoxystrobin treatments following inoculation with 1 × 106 conidia per ml. On leaf disks treated with azoxystrobin at 20 mg/liter prior to inoculation, 8 to 43% of conidia from five G. bidwellii isolates germinated, and 4 to 19% formed appressoria. However, these processes were completely to near-completely inhibited when salicylhydroxamic acid (SHAM), which inhibits an alternative respiration pathway utilized to circumvent the activity of strobilurin fungicides, was added to the inoculum at 100 mg/liter. Thus, alternative respiration apparently allowed the conidia to germinate and form appressoria on azoxystrobin-treated leaves. When grape seedlings were sprayed with commercially formulated azoxystrobin at 200 mg/liter and inoculated the next day with G. bidwellii conidia, little or no disease was evident 4 weeks later. However, G. bidwellii pycnidia formed on up to 50% of the leaves from such plants when they were killed with paraquat 1 to 7 days after inoculation. These results suggest that latent infections became established on azoxystrobin-treated leaves and became active after the plants were killed with paraquat.
Antagonism of Paenibacillus lentimorbus to Botryosphaeria dothidea and Biological Control of Panicle and Shoot Blight of Pistachio
Authors: Chen Wei-Qun , Morgan David P. , Felts Dan , Michailides Themis J.
Published: May 2007

A potential microbial fungicide, Paenibacillus lentimorbus isolate CBCA-2, against Botryosphaeria dothidea, the pistachio panicle and shoot blight fungus, was obtained from healthy pistachio leaves by both in vitro and in vivo screening techniques. CBCA-2 caused 100% inhibition of pycnidiospore germination after 24 h incubation at 25°C. Malformation of pycnidiospores and hyphae, and lysis and swollen pycnidiospores of B. dothidea occurred in the presence of cell suspensions of CBCA-2. Among the five media tested, nutrient yeast dextrose broth significantly increased the production of antifungal compounds. Application of culture filtrates of CBCA-2 suppressed disease on detached pistachio leaves, but washed bacterial cells did not inhibit lesion development. Development of lesions on excised dormant stems was inhibited only when the culture filtrate was applied before fungal inoculation. Survival of the CBCA-2 after treatment with azoxystrobin (Abound), benomyl (Benlate), tebuconazole (Elite), propiconazole (Break), or trifloxystrobin (Flint) at the highest recommended concentration was not affected, but survival was affected by iprodione (Rovral). Spraying a suspension of CBCA-2 on pruning wounds before inoculation with pycnidiospores of B. dothidea significantly reduced infection compared with the unsprayed, inoculated controls.
Evaluating Isolate Aggressiveness and Host Resistance from Peanut Leaflet Inoculations with Sclerotinia minor
Authors: Hollowell J. E. , Shew B. B. , Isleib T. G.
Published: May 2007

Sclerotinia minor is a major pathogen of peanut in North Carolina, Virginia, Oklahoma, and Texas. Partial resistance to S. minor has been reported based on field screening, but field performance is not always correlated with laboratory or greenhouse evaluations of resistance. More efficient screening methods and better understanding of the mechanisms contributing to Sclerotinia blight resistance are needed, and a detached leaf assay was developed and evaluated. Detached leaflets of 12 greenhouse-grown peanut lines were inoculated on the adaxial surface with a 4-mm-diameter mycelial plug of a single isolate of S. minor. Leaflets were incubated in the dark at 20°C in Nalgene utility boxes containing moistened sand. Lesion length 3 days after inoculation ranged from 11 to 24 mm, with a mean of 19 mm. Lengths differed significantly among the entries, with GP-NC WS 12, an advanced breeding line derived from a cross of NC 6 × (NC 3033 × GP-NC WS 1), being the most resistant. Forty-eight isolates of S. minor obtained from peanut were inoculated on leaflets of the susceptible cultivar NC 7 and aggressiveness was assessed by measuring lesion-length expansion. Three days after inoculation, lesion length differed among the isolates and ranged from 2 to 24 mm, with a mean of 15 mm. Finally, the potential for specific interactions between peanut lines and S. minor isolates was evaluated. A subset of S. minor isolates was selected to represent the observed range of aggressiveness and a subset of peanut entries was selected to represent the range of resistance or susceptibility. Nine-week-old greenhouse- or field-grown plants were compared for five peanut entries. Main effects of isolates and entries were highly significant, but isolate-entry interactions were not significant. The most resistant peanut entry (GP-NC WS 12) performed consistently with all isolates regardless of plant source.
Molecular Characterization of a New Begomovirus Associated with Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl and Eggplant Yellow Mosaic Diseases in Thailand
Authors: Green S. K. , Tsai W. S. , Shih S. L. , Rezaian M. A. , Duangsong U.
Published: May 2007

Leaf curl and yellowing symptoms on tomato, and yellow mosaic symptoms on eggplant, are frequently observed in Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand. DNA was extracted from leaves of 13 symptomatic tomato and six symptomatic eggplant samples by the method of Gilbertson et al (1). Viral DNA was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using the begomovirus-specific degenerate primer pair PAL1v1978/PAR1c715 (3), which amplified a 1.4-kb fragment of DNA-A. All samples, except one eggplant sample, yielded the expected product. The 1.4-kb PCR products of one tomato and one eggplant sample were cloned and sequenced. Both begomoviruses from tomato and eggplant contained a DNA-B component, amplified using two degenerate primer pairs, DNABLC1/DNABLV2 and DNABLC2/DNABLV2 (2). Based on sequences of the DNA products amplified by the degenerate primer pairs, specific primers were designed to complete the DNA-A and DNA-B sequences. Computer-assisted sequence comparisons were performed with geminivirus sequences available in the laboratory at the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center, Taiwan and in the GenBank sequence database. Both tomato (GenBank Accession Nos. AF511529 and AF511528) and eggplant (GenBank Accession Nos. AF511530 and AF511527) virus isolates contain the conserved geminivirus sequence-TAATATTAC on the DNA-A and B. Based on the high sequence identities of 99% DNA-A and 98% DNA-B, these two virus isolates are considered to be the same species. Although the genome organization of these two isolates was the same as Tomato yellow leaf curl virus Thailand (TYLCTHV; GenBank Accession Nos. X63015 and X63016), including six open reading frames (ORFs) on the DNA-A (AV1, AV2, AC1, AC2, AC3, and AC4) and two ORFs on the DNA-B (BV1 and BC1), sequence comparisons showed highest DNA-A sequence identity (73%) with Ageratum yellow vein virus from Singapore (GenBank Accession No. X74516) and highest DNA-B identity (77%) with the TYLCTHV (X63016). To our knowledge, these tomato- and eggplant-infecting viruses from Thailand constitute a distinctly novel bipartite Begomovirus species.

References: (1) R. L. Gilbertson et al. J. Gen. Virol. 72:2843, 1991. (2) S. K. Green et al. Plant Dis. 85:1286, 2001. (3) M. R. Rojas et al. Plant Dis. 77:340, 1993.
First Report of Hypoxylon diatrypeoides Inducing Dieback and Black Trunk Rot on Mesquite (Prosopis laevigata) in Mexico
Authors: De La Torre-Almaráz Rodolfo , Cota-Trujillo Fabiola Maribel , Martín Felipe San
Published: May 2007

During 2001, branch dieback, black trunk rot, and resinosis were observed on mesquite in the biosphere reserve of Tehuacan, Mexico (18°15′N, 97°25′W) A light brown growth, which included Nodulosporium-like conidiosphores and hyaline conidia that were green in mass and ellipsoid with one end truncate developed on diseased branches. Below the conidiophores and conidia, glomerate to pulvinate stromata formed with conspicuous, black, perithecial mounds with globose perithecia. Ascospores were dark brown, unicellular, ellipsoid, nonequilateral, with narrowly rounded ends, a straight germ slit with a perispore that was dehiscent in 10% KOH, and a conspicuous coil-like, smooth epispore. Sexual reproduction was induced on sterile toothpicks in potato dextrose agar, malt extract agar, or V8 agar (with 10% calcium chloride). The fungus was identified as Hypoxylon diatrypeoides Rehm (1). Samples of mesquite branches with stromata of H. diatrypeoides were deposited in the J. H. Miller Herbarium of the University of Georgia (GAM16048). During the summer of 2002, three pathogenicity tests were performed under greenhouse conditions using three healthy young mesquite plants (25 cm high) per treatment per test. The treatments were: (i) inoculation of branches by wounding with a colonized toothpick from V8 agar, covered with mycelium and perithecia; (ii) spraying ascospores on branches previously wounded with a sterile toothpick; (iii) spraying ascospores on unwounded plants; (iv) plants wounded with sterile toothpicks; and (v) unwounded and uninoculated plants. Fifteen days after inoculation, branch dieback and black trunk rot symptoms were induced in 100% of mesquite plants inoculated with toothpicks and in 50% of wounded plants inoculated with ascospores. No symptoms were seen in the unwounded plants and control treatments. H. diatrypeoides was reisolated from the symptomatic branches. Previously, the fungus had been reported only from the Southern Hemisphere (Brazil and New Zealand), but to our knowledge, this is the first report from Mexico and the Northern Hemisphere. This is also the first evidence of its role as a plant pathogen.

Reference: (1) Y. M. Ju and J. D. Rogers. A revision of the genus Hypoxylon. Mycologia Memoir No 20. The American Phytopathological Society, St. Paul, MN, 1996.
Pitch Canker Caused by Fusarium circinatum Identified on Spruce Pine in Alabama
Authors: Enebak S. A. , Carey W. A.
Published: May 2007

A dieback associated with resinous branch and main stem cankers was observed on two spruce pine (Pinus glabra Walt.) trees in Lee County, Alabama in July 2002. Xylem tissues beneath the cankers were resinsoaked as is characteristic of pitch canker on other southern pine species. Surface-sterilized stem pieces from the canker margins were transferred to acidified potato dextrose agar and incubated at 22°C for 5 days. Mycelium from these plates was transferred to low nutrient agar where polyphialides and sterile, coiled hyphae characteristic of F. circinatum Nirenberg & O'Donnell (= F. subglutinans Wollenweb. & Reinking) developed (1). Ten 5-month-old loblolly (Pinus taeda L.) and spruce pine seedlings inoculated with a spruce pine isolate of F. circinatum (NRL 32523, deposited in the USDA, ARS Culture Collection in Peoria, IL) developed cankers and produced resin along seedling stems. Isolates recovered from the symptomatic seedlings were again identified as F. circinatum. Spruce pine, while seldom abundant, is found scattered among hardwoods along riparian zones through the southern Gulf States to South Carolina. Although pitch canker was first described on Virginia pine (P. virginiana Mill.) in 1946 and has since been reported in California, South Africa, Spain, and Chile on 25 other pine species (2), to our knowledge, this is the first report of F. circinatum causing pitch canker on spruce pine.

References: (1) H. I. Nirenberg and K. O'Donnell. Mycologia 90:434, 1998. (2) A. J. Storer et al. J. For. 95:21, 1997.