bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
First Report of Groundnut bud necrosis virus in Iran
Authors: Golnaraghi A. R. , Pourrahim R. , Shahraeen N. , Farzadfar Sh.
Published: May 2007

During the summer of 2001, mosaic, mottle, ring mosaic, stunting, and bud necrosis were observed in peanut fields (Arachis hypogaea cv. Gilan) in the Golestan Province of Iran. Mechanical inoculation of these samples caused necrotic local lesions on Vigna unguiculata cv. Mashad, necrosis on Nicotiana benthamiana and N. rustica, and mosaic followed by bud necrosis on Arachis hypogaea cv. NC2. Using triple-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (TAS-ELISA) and polyclonal (As) combined with monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) produced by DSMZ (Braunschweig, Germany), the samples were tested for presence of impatiens necrotic spot virus (INSV) (As-0115, MAb-0117-5E4), tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) (As-0105, MAb-0116-2B6, MAb-0106-4F2), and groundnut bud necrosis virus (GBNV) (As-0118, MAb-0226-1B4). The samples also were checked by TSWV polyclonal antibody (As-0526, As-0580, DSMZ). ELISA results showed leaf samples and inoculated indicator plants reacted positively to GBNV antibodies. Also a weak reaction was observed with TSWV-polyclonal antibody. However no reaction was detected using the INSV and TSWV-MAbs. GBNV is a member of the Tospovirus genus and has serological relationship with TSWV (1). To our knowledge, this is the first report of GBNV occurrence in Iran.

Reference: (1) C. Heinze et al. Phytopathology 85:683-690, 1995.
Pseudomonas corrugata Causing Pith Necrosis on Tomato Plants in Baja California Sur, México
Authors: Rodríguez-Alvarado G. , Holguín-Peña J. , Ochoa-Álvarez N. , Fernández-Pavía S. P. , Geraldo-Verdugo J. A.
Published: May 2007

Fresh market tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) cultivars are grown in field and greenhouse areas in Baja California Sur from October to June for international markets. During March and April 2001, field-grown tomato plants showing external necrotic stem lesions and hollowed necrotic pith were observed in a 50-ha field 30 km south of La Paz. The average disease incidence in the field was 3%. Most infected plants presented necrotic lesions in the main stem 20 to 30 cm above the soil line. A few plants also presented necrotic lesions in lateral branches. Transversally cut sections in the necrotic stem area showed rotting of the vascular system with hollow cavities, typical symptom of pith necrosis. To isolate the pathogen, 5-cm-long transverse portions of diseased stems were excised, washed with soap and brushed, and rinsed with tap water. The stem portions were soaked in 10% bleach for 2 min, blotted dry on sterile paper, and 1-cm2 sections were cut to include the margins of the necrotic pith. These sections were plated on nutrient agar and incubated at 28 to 30°C. Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacteria were consistently isolated from stems with pith necrosis. They were identified as Pseudomonas corrugata using Biolog analysis (carbon source utilization at 37°C), with a similarity index of 1.0. To confirm pathogenicity, experiments were conducted twice in a screenhouse on a total of 24 2-month-old tomato cv. Rutgers plants (50 to 60 cm tall). Bacteria were injected with a syringe into the stems above the point of lateral branching at two different sites, using 0.25 to 0.5 ml of a bacterial suspension (105 CFU/ml). Injection points were sealed after inoculation with a small amount of petroleum jelly. Necrotic lesions surrounding the point of injection were observed 10 days after inoculation. Four weeks after inoculation, plants showed necrotic pith symptoms similar to those observed on field-grown plants, and P. corrugata was recovered from the margins of areas with necrotic pith. Control plants, which were injected with water, remained healthy throughout the experiments. P. corrugata has been reported to cause pith necrosis in tomato plants in California (3), Florida (2), and the northern part of the Baja California peninsula (1). This report confirms the presence of P. corrugata in the Baja California peninsula, and to our knowledge, this is the first report of P. corrugata causing pith necrosis in tomato plants in the southern state of Baja California Sur, Mexico.

References: (1) N. B. Carroll et al. N.C. Agric. Res. Serv. Tech. Bull. No. 300, 1992. (2) J. B. Jones et al. Plant Dis. 67:425, 1983. (3) M. Lai et al. Plant Dis. 67:110, 1983.
Phytophthora Root Rot of Aleppo Pine Seedlings in a Forest Nursery in Spain
Authors: Sánchez M. E. , Andicoberry S. , Trapero A.
Published: May 2007

Since 1993, more than 120,000 ha of former agricultural lands has been forested in southern Spain. However, there is a lack of information about the etiology of the diseases affecting nursery seedlings in the region. During 1998 and 1999, death of Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis) seedlings was associated with episodes of excess water. The plants were grown in containers in fertilized peat under shade cloth and remained waterlogged for long periods. A few weeks before their scheduled planting in the field, the plants exhibited needle wilting, extensive root necrosis, and root death. Phytophthora species were suspected as the cause of the mortality, and several species of the genus Phytophthora have been reported to cause damping-off of seedlings of Pinus spp. Only P. citrophthora, however, has been associated with Aleppo pine (1). In a nursery in southern Spain, P. drechsleri mating type A2 was isolated consistently from rotted roots of Pinus halepensis seedlings. Fungal identification was based on temperature-growth relationships and sporangial and gametangial characteristics (1). The optimum growth temperature was 24°C, with a rapid decline in growth rate above 30°C. Sporangia were persistent, terminal, nonpapillate, ovoid, and averaged 41 ± 4 × 29 ± 3 μm. The isolates were self-sterile, and antheridia and oogonia were only observed in pairings with A1 testers of P. drechsleri. Oogonia appeared smooth, spherical, and 33 ± 2 μm in diameter, with amphigynous antheridia that were 14 ± 1 μm long. Pathogenicity tests were conducted on 1-year-old seedlings of Pinus halepensis inoculated with two isolates of P. drechsleri collected from Aleppo pine and Quercus ilex seedlings, respectively, and two isolates of P. cinnamomi from Q. ilex. Inoculated and noninoculated control plants were waterlogged 2 days per week. After 18 weeks, both species of Phytophthora produced extensive root necrosis that resulted in needle wilting. Control plants did not develop needle symptoms and only had a low level of root necrosis. No difference in pathogenicity was observed between the isolates of either species. However, disease severity was less with isolates of P. drechsleri from Q. ilex than with those from Aleppo pine. To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. drechsleri causing root rot of Aleppo pine seedlings in forest tree nurseries in Spain and also demonstrates the potential for P. cinnamomi to cause damping-off on this pine species.

Reference: (1) D. C. Erwin and O. K. Ribeiro. Phytophthora Diseases Worldwide. The American Phytopathological Society, St. Paul, MN, 1996.
First Report of Puccinia xanthii on Sunflower in North America
Authors: Gulya T. J. , Charlet L. D.
Published: May 2007

Puccinia xanthii Schwein., commonly known as cocklebur rust, is circumglobal on species of Xanthium and Ambrosia. This microcyclic rust has only been observed on oilseed sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) in Australia (1) and on ornamental sunflowers in South Africa (4). In September 1999, large (4 to 10 mm), raised, chlorotic pustules were observed on the adaxial leaf surface of oilseed sunflower plants (Dekalb 3790) near Hettinger, ND. Telia were associated with the pustules on the abaxial leaf surface. No cocklebur (X. strumarium L.) plants were found in the field, but rust-infected cocklebur plants were collected several kilometers away. Approximately 10% of sunflower plants in the field were affected, and generally only one or two pustules were observed on one or two leaves per plant. In contrast, numerous leaves of cockleur plants were infected with 12 or more pustules. Teliospores from sunflower were brown, two-celled, and averaged 49 × 17 μm, with a distinctly thicker wall at the spore apex and a persistent pedicel averaging 40 μm long. Teliospores from cocklebur were morphologically similar to those from sunflower and averaged 46 × 16 μm. Size and morphology of teliospores from both hosts fit the description of P. xanthii (2). P. xanthii can be distinguished easily from the ubiquitous P. helianthi Schwein. because the latter has smaller telia (1 to 2 mm diameter) and produces wider teliospores (21 to 30 μm diameter). P. xanthii was not found in surveys of 20 other sunflower fields in southwestern North Dakota nor in 45 fields in eastern ND in 1999, nor was P. xanthii found in this or any other sunflower field in 2000 or 2001. To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. xanthii on cultivated or wild sunflower in North America. The relatively few pustules observed on oilseed sunflower agree with the observation that oilseed sunflowers are much less susceptible to P. xanthii (3) than Xanthium spp.

References: (1) J. L. Alcorn and J. K. Kochman. Austral. Plant Pathol. Soc. Newsl. 5:33, 1976. (2) G. B. Cummins. Rust Fungi on Legumes and Composites in North America. University of Arizona Press, Tucson, 1978. (3) J. B. Morin et al. Can. J. Bot. 71:959, 1993. (4) Z. A. Pretorius et al. Plant Dis. 84:924, 2000.
Occurrence of Coffee ringspot virus, a Brevipalpus Miteborne Virus in Coffee in Costa Rica
Authors: Rodrigues J. C. V. , Rodriguez C. M. , Moreira L. , Villalobos W. , Rivera C. , Childers C. C.
Published: May 2007

Coffee ringspot virus (CoRSV) (family Rhabdoviridae) is transmitted by Brevipalpus phoenicis (Geijskes) (Acari: Tenuipalpidae). Coffee ringspot disease was first reported in coffee plants from Brazil in 1939 (1). In August 2000, severe symptoms of concentric ringspots and “oak leaf” patterns on coffee leaves (Coffea arabica L. cv. Catuai) were observed during field inspections conducted in two areas of San Gabriel de Desamparados, Costa Rica. The disease caused premature fruit and leaf drop in the affected plants. Some areas within the ringspot lesions remained green on senescent leaves. Because CoRSV particles remain restricted to lesion areas (1), this virus has not been purified, and antiserum for virus detection is not available. Therefore, leaves with symptoms were collected and examined by transmission electron microscopy. In ultrathin sections of symptomatic leaves, arrays of rhabdovirus-like particles were associated with the nucleus as described for CoRSV (2). Healthy tissues did not contain similar arrays of bacilliform and bullet-shaped particles. Twenty mites collected from the infected plants at the same locations and time were slide-mounted and identified as B. phoenicis. High populations of this mite were also observed infesting plants of Cajanus cajan L. that were intercropped with coffee at the same location. Sweet orange trees growing in the same fields as shade for the coffee did not show symptoms of citrus leprosis, a disease caused by another Brevipalpus-transmitted virus that was recently reported in Panama (3). To our knowledge, this is the first report of a virus similar to CoRSV in Costa Rica. The spread of this virus, presumably CoRSV, could seriously affect the coffee industry throughout Central America by increasing production costs. It may be necessary to apply one or more foliar acaricides to effectively control the mite vector.

References: (1) A. Bitancourt. O. Biol. 5:33, 1939. (2) C. M. Chagas et al. Phytopathol. Z. 102:100, 1981. (3) F. S. Dominguez et al. Plant Dis. 85:228, 2001.
Irrigation Increases Verticillium Wilt Incidence in a Susceptible Alfalfa Cultivar
Authors: Jefferson Paul G. , Gossen Bruce D.
Published: May 2007

Verticillium wilt (VW) caused by Verticillium albo-atrum occurs in many irrigated alfalfa (Medicago sativa) fields in southwestern Saskatchewan, Canada, but is very rare in dryland stands. A trial was established in 1994 to determine if incidence of VW is affected by the amount of irrigation water applied. A line-source irrigation system was used to produce an irrigation water gradient on two adapted alfalfa cultivars, Beaver (VW-susceptible) and Barrier (VW-resistant). The irrigation gradient was subdivided into six irrigation level treatments within each cultivar plot. Irrigation plus precipitation from April to August averaged 265, 291, 309, 330, 351, and 353 mm for irrigation levels one to six, respectively, over 3 years. A 1-m-wide strip through the center of each subplot was inoculated with a spore suspension of V. alboatrum before the first harvest in 1995. Plant density (ground cover) and incidence of VW-diseased plants per subplot were recorded and forage yield was assessed twice per year. Beaver had more VW-infected plants in 1995 and 1996 than Barrier, and the number of diseased plants of Beaver increased with irrigation level. Ground cover of Beaver declined in 1997 and this response was correlated to VW-diseased plant counts from 1995 and 1996. There was no significant correlation between VW-diseased plant counts and ground cover for Barrier. Forage yield increased linearly with irrigation level for both cultivars in two harvests during 1995. However, yield of Beaver did not respond to irrigation during cut 2 in 1996. Beaver forage yield declined with irrigation level at cut 1 in 1997 because ground cover had declined by 40% at irrigation level six compared with 22% at irrigation level one. The ground cover of Beaver at irrigation level one was similar to that of Barrier at all irrigation levels. We conclude that VW will affect susceptible alfalfa cultivars on irrigated stands in proportion to the amount of irrigation water applied. Irrigated alfalfa producers should adopt VW-resistant cultivars even when irrigation is limited.
Pepper mottle virus Causing Disease in Chile Peppers in Southern New Mexico
Authors: Rodríguez-Alvarado G. , Fernandez-Pavia S. , Creamer R. , Liddell C.
Published: May 2007

The primary pepper producing areas of southern New Mexico were surveyed to identify the viruses causing severe disease in chile peppers over a 2-year period. The survey included weeds commonly found in and around pepper fields. Using indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Pepper mottle virus (PepMoV) was associated with plants showing mosaic and distortion of foliage and fruit deformation. PepMoV and Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) were determined based on ELISA to be infecting chile peppers and weeds singly or in combination. Four perennial plant species were infected with PepMoV and CMV, including Solanum elaeagnifolium (silverleaf nightshade), Convolvulus arvensis (field bindweed), and Chamysuraces sp. (small groundcherry), which had not previously been identified as hosts for PepMoV. Some peppers and weeds surveyed were also infected at a lower level by several other plant viruses.
Using Weather Variables Pre- and Post-heading to Predict Deoxynivalenol Content in Winter Wheat
Authors: Hooker D. C. , Schaafsma A. W. , Tamburic-Ilincic L.
Published: May 2007

Substantial economic losses have occurred because of unacceptable concentrations of deoxynivalenol (DON) in wheat. Accurate predictions of DON in mature grain at wheat heading are needed to make decisions on whether a control strategy is needed. Our objective was to identify important weather variables, and their timing, for predicting concentrations of DON in mature grain at wheat heading. We measured the concentration of DON in 399 farm fields in southern Ontario, Canada, from 1996 to 2000. DON varied in field samples from undetectable to over 29 μg g-1. Weather variables, such as daily rainfall, daily minimum and maximum air temperatures, and hourly relative humidity, were estimated for each field from nearby weather stations and were normalized to the date of 50% head emergence. Stepwise multiple regression procedures determined the most important weather variables and their timing around heading. DON was responsive to weather in three critical periods around heading. In the first period, 4 to 7 days before heading, DON generally increased with the number of days with >5 mm of rain and decreased with the number of days of <10°C. In the second period, 3 to 6 days after heading, DON increased with the number of days of rain >3 mm and decreased with days exceeding 32°C. In the third period, 7 to 10 days after heading, DON increased with number of days with >3 mm of rain. A relationship between relative humidity and DON was not detected. Overall, 73% of the variation in the concentration of DON was explained by using weather from all three critical periods. Concentrations of DON <2.0 μg g-1 were predicted best; in fact, concentrations of DON of <1.0 μg g-1 were predicted correctly on over 89% of the fields used to train the model.
Frequency, Virulence, and Metalaxyl Sensitivity of Pythium spp. Isolated from Apple Roots Under Conventional and Organic Production Systems
Authors: Mazzola Mark , Andrews Preston K. , Reganold John P. , Lévesque C. André
Published: May 2007

Studies were conducted to characterize the community of Pythium spp. associated with apple in Washington state. Seventeen different species were identified among the isolates of Pythium recovered from apple roots at six orchard sites. Commonly isolated species included P. intermedium, P. irregulare, P. heterothallicum, P. sylvaticum, and Pythium MM1 (aff. macrosporum), a previously undescribed species. The population of Pythium spp. at any given site typically was dominated by a single pathogenic species. Species composition of Pythium populations in adjacent conventional and organic blocks in two orchards did not differ; however, the relative recovery of Pythium spp. from apple roots was consistently lower in the organically managed systems. In greenhouse studies, the associations formed between apple seedlings and Pythium spp. ranged from pathogenic to growth-promoting. Precolonization of apple seedling roots with any one of three nonpathogenic isolates tested-isolate 584 of Pythium MM1, isolate 1–12 of Pythium MM3 (aff. oedochilum), and isolate 1–19 of Pythium MM5 (aff. vexans)—was found to provide biological control of root rot caused by P. sylvaticum and P. ultimum. Metalaxyl sensitivity varied among species of Pythium, with several nonpathogenic species exhibiting the highest levels of insensitivity to this fungicide.
Mefenoxam-Resistant Isolates of Pythium irregulare in an Ornamental Greenhouse in California
Authors: Aegerter B. J. , Greathead A. S. , Pierce L. E. , Davis R. M.
Published: May 2007

Root rot, caused by Pythium species, is a common malady in ornamental greenhouses in Monterey County, CA. In 2001, a root rot of Gerbera daisy (Gerbera jamesonii) and lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflora) caused plant losses in excess of 15 and 75%, respectively, in one greenhouse. Some plantings were total losses. Although mefenoxam was used repeatedly, no disease control was reported. P. irregulare was identified based on morphological structures produced on grass blades in water (1) and on the sequence of the rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. Four isolates from each host were tested for sensitivity to mefenoxam in a laboratory bioassay. Using corn meal agar amended with mefenoxam at 0, 0.1, 1, 10, 50, or 100 μg a.i./ml, no inhibition of growth of any isolate occurred at concentrations of 10 μg/ml or less. At 50 and 100 μg/ml, radial growth of colonies was inhibited by approximately 20%. In contrast, 26 isolates of P. ultimum from various agricultural soils in California were completely inhibited by mefenoxam at 100 μg a.i./ml. At 0.1, 1, 10, and 50 μg/ml, growth of these isolates was inhibited by 33, 61, 78, and 96%, respectively. Each treatment was replicated three times, and the experiment was repeated with similar results. Mefenoxam was introduced in 1996 to replace metalaxyl. While metalaxyl contains a mixture of active and inactive enantiomers, mefenoxam contains only the active enantiomer. The intensive use of metalaxyl and mefenoxam in this greenhouse may have resulted in selection for resistant isolates. A resistant isolate (8-007 from Gerbera) has been submitted to the American Type Culture Collection: Manassas, VA.

Reference: (1) A. J. van der Plaats-Niterink. Monograph of the Genus Pythium. Stud. Mycol. No. 21. Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures, Baarn, the Netherlands, 1981.
Pathogens Associated with Necrosis of Cactus Pear Cladodes in South Africa
Authors: Swart W. J. , Kriel W.-M.
Published: May 2007

The commercial cultivation of spineless cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Miller) for its fruit is a relatively recent undertaking in South Africa but has been shown to possess huge export potential. To date, only one fungal pathogen, Didymosphaeria opulenta (De Not.) Sacc., has been officially reported on the genus Opuntia in South Africa, but the report is from O. stricta Haw. and not O. ficus-indica (1). The need for research on diseases of O. ficus-indica in South Africa has recently become important since local growers are increasingly reporting disease-related yield losses. Surveys conducted over a period of 3 years indicated that stems or cladodes are particularly prone to various forms of tissue necrosis, caused primarily by three fungi, which can ultimately lead to death of entire cladodes. Alternaria tenuissima was isolated from a dry superficial necrosis of the cuticle and underlying tissue as much as 3 mm deep. Symptoms include small chlorotic spots on the cuticle, which coalesce to form raised gray scabs. Fusarium sporotrichoides was isolated more commonly from dry necrotic lesions that were darker, larger, and less superficial, sometimes extending through the tissue to the opposite side of the cladode. Lasiodiplodia theobromae (teleomorph Botryosphaeria rhodina) was isolated from roundish black cankers (15 to 50 mm diameter) on cladodes and characterized by black gum exudation from the perimeter of the canker. Pycnidia were often evident on the surface of the canker. The fulfillment of Koch's postulates demonstrated that an isolate of each respective species was very aggressive in colonizing cladodes following artificial inoculations in the glasshouse. Mean lesion diameters measuring 15, 27, and 44 mm for A. tenuissima, F. sporotrichoides, and L. theobromae, respectively, were recorded 14 days after inserting wooden toothpick tips that had been colonized by the three pathogens into each of five cladodes of 18-month-old potted plants of O. ficus-indica (cv. Morado). Alternaria sp. and B. rhodina have been reported on Opuntia sp. in the United States (2), but no records of the above three fungi occurring on O. ficus-indica were found.

References: (1) P. W. Crous et al. Phytopathogenic Fungi from South Africa. University of Stellenbosch, Department of Plant Pathology Press, Stellenbosch, South Africa, 2000. (2) D. F. Farr et al. Fungi on Plants and Plant Products in the United States. The American Phytopathological Society, St. Paul, MN, 1989.
Report of Colletotrichum coccodes Associated with Mentha
Authors: Johnson D. A. , Douhan L. I. , Geary B.
Published: May 2007

Colletotrichum coccodes (Wallr.) Hughes is a pathogen of tomato and potato and occurs worldwide on plants primarily from the Solanaceae. It has not been previously reported for Mentha. C. coccodes was isolated from rhizomes and lower portions of above ground stems of symptomless Mentha × piperita L. (peppermint) plants collected from commercial fields in central Washington and Wisconsin (central sands). Three isolates from mint were evaluated for pathogenicity on mint and potato. Rooted cuttings of eight plants each of M. × piperita, M. spicata L. (native spearmint), and M. × gracilis Sole (Scotch spearmint) were dipped into a conidial suspension (1 × 106 conidia per ml) of each isolate of C. coccodes for 10 min. Plants were transplanted into a sterilized potting mix and moved to a greenhouse. After 50, 90, and 185 days, pieces of rhizomes and roots were thoroughly washed in running water, soaked in 1.5% NaOCl for 7 min, and plated on NPX agar medium (1). C. coccodes was reisolated from 25 of 36 plants at 50 days, 14 of 18 plants at 90 days, and 10 of 18 plants at 185 days. Disease symptoms were not observed on roots, rhizomes, or aboveground plant parts. C. coccodes was not isolated from rhizomes and roots of eight noninoculated plants of each mint species. In pathogenicity tests on potato, the isolates from mint produced cortical root rotting and sclerotia on cv. Russet Burbank and did not differ in their aggressiveness from three potato isolates. (Conidial suspensions at 106 were applied to soil surface of potted plants at 10 cm of shoot growth and assessed for disease severity at plant maturity.) All tests were repeated with similar results. Mint is often rotated with potato in central Washington and appears to be a bridging host for C. coccodes.

Reference: (1) E. J. Butterfield and J. E. DeVay. Phytopathology 67:1073, 1977.
First Report of Bacterial Deep Bark Canker of Walnut Caused by Brenneria (Erwinia) rubrifaciens in Europe
Authors: González R. , López-López M. J. , Biosca E. G. , López F. , Santiago R. , López M. M.
Published: May 2007

During the summer of 1995 and subsequent years, bark cankers were observed in walnut trees (cv. Hartley grafted on Juglans hindsii) imported from California in 1978 growing in Badajoz, Spain. Two foci were found in an orchard of 200 ha where 80 walnut trees were affected. Cankers were observed on trunks and branches, and dark exudates staining the bark appeared mainly in summer. Isolations were performed from affected tissue using King's B medium, and Brenneria (Erwinia)-like colonies (1) were purified and characterized. Gram reaction, Kovacs' oxidase, O/F metabolism, aesculin hydrolysis, urease activity, and levan production were assayed for five isolates (1). Biochemical characterization was performed by the miniaturized API 20E, API 20NE, and API 50CH systems (BioMérieux, Marcy-l'Etoile, France) as recommended, except for incubations that were made at 25°C for 48 h. Analyses of the cellular fatty acids of selected isolates were performed as described by Sasser (2). They were also tested in indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using antisera obtained against the reference strain CFBP 1284 and one Spanish isolate. When compared to the reference strain from California, isolates were identified as Brenneria rubrifaciens (1,3) on the basis of physiological and biochemical characteristics, fatty acid profiles, and ELISA. Pathogenicity of two selected Spanish isolates was confirmed using three 2-year-old walnut trees per bacterial isolate by inoculating 108 CFU of each isolate in deep wounds made in the trunk at 40 and 80 cm from the crown. The reference strain and water were also inoculated as controls. Two months later, removal of the outer bark of walnut revealed typical dark lesions in the inner bark at all the inoculation sites on trees inoculated with the Spanish and reference strains, but no external cankers were observed. Four years later, these plants showed internal lesions (20 to 80 cm), from which B. rubrifaciens was reisolated far away from the inoculation site. To our knowledge this is the first report of this bacterium in Europe.

References: (1) L. Hauben et al. Syst. Appl. Microbiol 21:384, 1998. (2) M. Sasser. Pages 199–204 in: Methods in Phytobacteriology. Budapest, Hungary, 1990. (3) E. Wilson et al. Phytopathology 57:618, 1966.
First Report of Bleeding Canker Caused by Phytophthora cactorum on Horse Chestnut in Turkey
Authors: Intini M. , Gurer M. , Ozturk S.
Published: May 2007

Bleeding canker on horse chestnut (Aesculus sp.), caused by Phytophthora cactorum (Lebert and Cohn) Schröeter previously has been reported from the United States and Europe (1). In August 2000, it was found for the first time in a park in Ankara Province, Turkey. Symptoms included sparse yellowish brown foliage with abnormally small leaves, and dark-stained spots or dark brown necrosis of the bark on the trunk and main branches, with or without a reddish black gummy exudate. P. cactorum was isolated from tissues taken from the margins of necrotic bark. Pure cultures were slightly radiate, fluffy but not dense, and had short aerial hyphae when grown on carrot agar, potato dextrose agar, or V8 agar. Sporangia were ovoid, strongly papillate, and averaged 35.6 μm in length and 26.8 μm in width (range: 24 to 55 μm × 19 to 40 μm). The isolates were homothallic with smooth-walled paragynous oogonia ranging from 23.5 to 34.5 μm in diameter. To satisfy Koch's postulates, mycelium of P. cactorum was placed under the bark of six branches of healthy horse chestnut. Noninoculated wounds served as controls. Four months later a reddish black gummy exudate was observed oozing from the inoculated wounds, and the bark tissue was necrotic for 3 to 4 cm around each infection. P. cactorum was successfully reisolated from the necrotic bark tissue. Control wounds remained healthy. To our knowledge, this is the first report of this disease on horse chestnut in Asia Minor.

Reference: (1) D. C. Erwin and O. K. Ribeiro. Phytophthora Diseases Worldwide. The American Phytopathological Society, St. Paul, MN, 1996.
A Severe Outbreak of Ascochyta Blight of Chickpeas in Western Nebraska
Authors: Harveson R. M.
Published: May 2007

Interest in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) production as an alternative crop to sugar beets and dry beans has rapidly increased in the Nebraska Panhandle. Production (concentrated near Alliance in Box Butte County) has increased from 80 ha in 1999 and 800 ha in 2000, to almost 4,000 ha in 2001. In mid-July 2001, symptoms in fields consisted of circular, dark brown lesions (0.5 to 1.0 cm) on leaves and pods containing pycnidia (225 to 240 μm) arranged in concentric rings. Symptom appearance followed unusually high rainfall events (over 25 cm the previous week), and the epidemic affected virtually all chickpeas planted in the area. Infected leaves incubated in humidity chambers in the laboratory produced nonseptate, hyaline, oval to oblong conidia measuring 8.5 to 10.0 × 4.0 to 4.5 μm that oozed out of pycnidia in a mucilaginous mass. Based on symptoms and fungal morphology (1), the pathogen was identified as Ascochyta rabiei (Pass.) Labr. Because of the seedborne nature of the disease, pathogen identity was further verified by planting seeds from infected pods in the greenhouse. Emerging plants exhibited similar symptoms to those from field infections, and the pathogen was identified from newly developed lesions. A section 18 emergency exemption was obtained for the use of the fungicide Quadris (azoxystrobin) on 2,400 to 2,800 ha in Nebraska. This measure averted serious losses, but 15 to 20% reductions in yield and quality were still recorded from treated fields. Infected plants collected from untreated fields had almost 60% losses in both pod number and total seed weight compared with uninfected plants. Disease occurrence in the Western Hemisphere was first reported from Canada in 1974, followed by other chickpea-growing states in the United States, including California, Washington, Idaho, and North Dakota (2–4). To my knowledge, this is the first report of the disease in Nebraska, and its presence poses a significant threat to the developing chickpea industry in the state, as the planted area is expected to increase in the foreseeable future.

References: (1) D. J. Allen. The Pathology of Tropical Food Legumes. John Wiley and Sons, New York, 1983. (2) M. L. Derie et al. Plant Dis. 69:268, 1985. (3) P. Guzman et al. Plant Dis. 79:82, 1995. (4) W. J. Kaiser and F. J. Muelbauer. Phytopathology 74:1139, 1984.
Factors Associated with Populations of Plant-Parasitic Nematodes in Bentgrass Putting Greens in Oklahoma
Authors: Walker N. R. , Goad C. L. , Zhang H. , Martin D. L.
Published: May 2007

Numerous genera of plant-parasitic nematodes are frequently present at high populations in golf course putting greens. The objectives of this research were to identify and quantify plant-parasitic nematodes from Oklahoma bentgrass putting greens and to characterize specific soil physical and chemical features and management factors that may account for differences in or associated with the observed nematode populations. In the fall of 2000, nematodes were identified from 99 individual bentgrass putting greens sampled from 46 different locations in Oklahoma. In addition to green age and bentgrass cultivar; soil pH, nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N), plant-available phosphorus and potassium, organic matter (OM), bulk density, and particle size distribution were determined for each green. Expenditures on management activities, including fertilizer, herbicide, fungicide, and insecticide, were determined for 20 of the sampled courses and compared with nematode populations. Nematodes from seven genera were found in Oklahoma greens, with Criconemella spp. being the most common. Paratrichodorus spp., Tylenchorhynchus spp., and Helicotylenchus spp. also were common. The logarithmic populations of all nematodes combined increased with greater green age (r = 0.37). A negative relationship was observed between soil bulk density and all nematodes combined (r = -0.29). Soil NO3-N, plant-available K, and OM increased with combined logarithmic populations of all plant parasitic nematodes (r = 0.23, 0.28, and 0.37, respectively). A four-factor model accounted for 75% of the total variation in the data and permitted groupings of all variables into four uncorrelated factors. Total logarithmic nematode populations increased with fungicide and herbicide expenditures (r = 0.31). This study suggests that populations of plant-parasitic nematodes may be influenced by the putting green abiotic soil environment and possibly indirectly by management practices on putting greens.
Screening Oryza Species Plants for Rice Sheath Blight Resistance
Authors: Eizenga G. C. , Lee F. N. , Rutger J. N.
Published: May 2007

Rice wild relatives, Oryza species, are one possible source of sheath blight (Rhizoctonia solani) resistance genes. However, Oryza spp. cannot be screened in the field as is done for cultivated rice (O. sativa) because the plant canopy does not favor disease development and many plants drop mature seed. Thus, a growth chamber-greenhouse method of screening Oryza spp. and their early generation progeny is needed. Primary-secondary and ratoon tillers of rice cultivars-germplasm which ranged from moderately resistant to very susceptible were evaluated first for sheath blight susceptibility. Plants were inoculated by placing R. solani-colonized toothpicks at the leaf collar, then incubating plants in a growth chamber. After 7 days, plants were visually rated for sheath blight severity, and the lesion length of each leaf was measured. Ranking of cultivar-germplasm susceptibility by visual rating of primary-secondary tillers corresponded to the ranking from field ratings. Visual ratings correlated best with combined lesion length of the second and third leaves. For ratoon tillers, visual ratings correlated best with second-leaf lesion length. Next, this method was used with ratoon tillers to evaluate sheath blight susceptibility of 21 Oryza spp. accessions and F1 progeny from crosses between 17 accessions and cultivated rice. This method proved useful on a limited scale for screening germplasm that could not be evaluated under field conditions.
First Report of a Root Rot Caused by Rosellinia necatrix on Camellia in Spain
Authors: Mansilla J. P. , Aguín O. , Salinero M. C.
Published: May 2007

Camellias are widely cultivated in gardens and grown in nurseries for plant and flower production in northwestern Spain. Camellia japonica L. is most frequently grown, but many other camellia species and hybrids are also produced. In spring 1998, plants of Camellia sp. from a garden were observed to be affected by a root fungal pathogen, that formed a white mycelium that covered most of the roots, while aboveground plant parts showed a general decline. Infected roots were macerated and discolored. Fragments of the infected roots were surface-sterilized and placed in petri dishes containing potato dextrose agar and incubated at 24°C in the dark. The fungus formed a white mycelium that turned black in 1 week, developing pyriform swellings characteristic of Rosellinia necatrix Prill (1). To confirm pathogenicity, inoculum of the isolate was produced on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seeds autoclaved in glass vessels for 30 min at 120°C. Wheat seed cultures were started from disks of R. necatrix mycelium and grown at 24°C in the dark for 30 days. Pathogenicity tests were conducted on 48 2-year-old plants of the hybrid Camellia × williamsii cv. Mary Phoebe Taylor, which had been grown in 1.5-liter pots (one plant per pot) filled with soil in a glasshouse. The R. necatrix isolate was inoculated by adding 30 g of infected wheat seeds to each pot. The inoculum was mixed thoroughly with the substrate before potting. Another set of pots was left uninoculated, and served as a control. All pots were randomly arranged in a growth chamber at 22 to 24°C with a 12-h photoperiod. Seventeen days after inoculation, aerial symptoms of chlorosis and leaf fall were observed, while control plants remained symptomless. Inoculated plants died 3 months after inoculation. R. necatrix was reisolated from roots of all infected plants. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a root rot of camellia caused by R. necatrix, a pathogen causing white root rot mainly in deciduous fruit crops.

Reference: (1) S. Freeman and A. Sztejnberg. Pages 71–73 in: Methods for Research on Soilborne Phytopathogenic Fungi. The American Phytopathological Society, St. Paul, MN, 1992.
First Report of Musk Thistle Rust (Puccinia carduorum) in California and Nevada
Authors: Woods D. M. , Pitcairn M. J. , Luster D. G. , Bruckart W. L.
Published: May 2007

Musk thistle, Carduus nutans L., is an introduced weed of pastures, rangelands, and natural areas in much of North America. Puccinia carduorum Jacky, an autoecious rust fungus from Turkey, has been evaluated for biological control of musk thistle since 1978, including a field study near Blacksburg, VA, from 1987 to 1990. After release of the fungus in Virginia, rusted musk thistle was found in eight eastern states by 1992, in Missouri by 1994 (1), and in Oklahoma by 1997 (2). A rust disease was discovered on musk thistle near Mt. Shasta, CA, on 22 September 1998, and near Mogul, NV, on 12 August 1999. The pathogen was identified as P. carduorum on the basis of pathogenicity on musk thistle and urediniospore morphology (ovate spores, 21 μm diameter, three germ pores equatorial in location, and echinulations over the upper two-thirds to three-quarters of urediniospores). Ribosomal RNA internal transcribed spacer DNA sequences (ITS1 and ITS2) were identical to those from the isolate obtained after the field release in Virginia, verifying that the California isolate is P. carduorum. The initial California infestation was observed on a few plants late in the season, and by September 2000, nearly 100% of plants were infected. The occurrence of P. carduorum in California is apparently the result of natural, unaided spread of the fungus on musk thistle from the East Coast of the United States.

References: (1) A. B. A. M. Baudoin and W. L. Bruckart. Plant Dis. 80:1193, 1996. (2) L. J. Littlefield et al. Plant Dis. 82:832, 1998.
European Pines May Be Simultaneously Infected by More Than One Species of Heterobasidion
Authors: Gonthier P. , Garbelotto M. , Nicolotti G.
Published: May 2007

Heterobasidion annosum (Fr.:Fr.) Bref. sensu lato, one of the most damaging root and butt rot agents on conifers, was recently segregated into three species in Europe based on morphology, intersterility grouping (ISGs), and host preferences (3). These species include: H. annosum (Fr.) Bref. sensu stricto (ISG P) on Pinus, other conifers and some hardwoods; H. parviporum Niemelä & Korhonen (ISG S), primarily on Picea; and H. abietinum Niemelä & Korhonen (ISG F) on Abies. In the summer of 1998, a Swiss stone pine (Pinus cembra L.), growing at 1,900 m in a mixed spruce (Picea) and larch (Larix) forest in the Aosta Valley (northwest Italian Alps), was found infected by H. parviporum and H. annosum sensu stricto. The pine (approximately 14 m tall and at least 75 years old) was without crown symptoms, but the stem, stump, and all the main roots showed internal decay. Disks, 3 to 4 cm thick, were cut consecutively from the roots, stump, and stem, incubated, and examined for conidiophore production. After 8 days, 63 isolates were obtained from all disks taken from the stump and roots, and from disks taken up to 4 m above the collar in the stem. Isolates were identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of mitochondrial and nuclear markers (2) and by sexual compatibility with testers of each European Heterobasidion spp. The stem and one root were colonized by H. parviporum while the other roots and most of the stump was colonized by H. annosum sensu stricto. Somatic incompatibility tests among conspecific isolates suggested that there was only one genet of each species. The coexistence of different Heterobasidion spp. (ISGs) in the same tree has been reported only in Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws. in California (1) and in Picea abies (L.) Karst. in Europe (4). To our knowledge, this is the first report of H. annosum sensu stricto on P. cembra and of a European pine to be simultaneously infected by more than one species of Heterobasidion.

References: (1) M. Garbelotto et al. Phytopathology 86:543, 1996. (2) P. Gonthier et al. Can. J. Bot. 79:1057, 2001. (3) T. Niemelä and K. Korhonen. Taxonomy of the genus Heterobasidion. Pages 27–33 in Heterobasidion annosum, Biology, Ecology, Impact and Control. CAB International, Wallingford, UK, 1998. (4) R. Vasiliauskas and J. Stenlid. Can. J. Forest Res. 28:961, 1998.
First Report of Virulence in Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici to Wheat Stem Rust Resistance Genes Sr8b and Sr38 in South Africa
Authors: Boshoff W. H. P. , Pretorius Z. A. , van Niekerk B. D. , Komen J. S.
Published: May 2007

During the 2000 to 2001 season, 27 stem rust samples were collected from wheat (Triticum aestivum), barley (Hordeum vulgare), and triticale (× Triticosecale) cultivars and lines in the Western Cape, South Africa. Following inoculation and multiplication on McNair 701 seedlings, 40 single pustule isolates of P. graminis f. sp. tritici were established. Twenty-six isolates obtained from wheat, barley, or triticale that produced a similar reaction pattern on a set of differentiating host lines, were designated as pathotype Pgt-2SA55. Pgt-2SA55 is avirulent to Sr5, -6, -7b, -8b, -9b, -9e, -9g, -23, -24, -27, -30, -38, and -Gt, and virulent to Sr11, and -Agi. The remaining 14 isolates, all from wheat and designated as pathotype Pgt-2SA88, were avirulent to Sr24, -27, and -Agi, and virulent to Sr5, -6, -7b, -8b, -9b, -9e, -9g, -11, -23, -30, -38, and -Gt. On an expanded differential set, representative isolates of each pathotype were all avirulent to Sr13, -15, -21, -22, -25, -26, -29, -31, -32, -33, -35, -39, -43, and -Em, and virulent to Sr7a, -8a, -9a, -9d, -9f, -10, -12, -14, -16, -19, -20, -34, and Lc. Pgt-2SA55 was avirulent on cv. Renown (Sr2, -7b, -9d, and -17), whereas Pgt-2SA88 was virulent on this cultivar and Line R Sel carrying only Sr17. Both pathotypes differ from those identified previously in South Africa (1) and to our knowledge, Pgt-2SA88 is the first local isolate to have virulence towards Sr8b and the T. ventricosum-derived gene Sr38. Virulence to Sr38 has been reported in a P. graminis f. sp. tritici isolate collected in Uganda (2). Pathotype Pgt-2SA88 is virulent to seedlings of the previously resistant South African cvs. SST 57 (heterogeneous), Tugela, Tugela DN, and PAN 3377. Furthermore, 20% of the elite breeding lines in the spring and winter wheat breeding program of the Small Grain Institute expressed susceptible seedling reactions to Pgt-2SA88. Triticale cvs. Rex and Kiewiet were heterogeneous in their seedling reaction towards Pgt-2SA55. Seedling and field reactions recorded for the barley cvs. Sterling and SSG 532 and the experimental varieties Puma and Jaguar, showed an increase in stem rust susceptibility to Pgt-2SA55 when compared with existing South African pathotypes. The higher incidence of stem rust in commercial fields and experimental plots of wheat and barley in the Western Cape may be attributed to a recent increase in the cultivation of stem rust-susceptible cultivars in the region. The detection of two new pathotypes of P. graminis f. sp. tritici is of concern to the local small grain industry and requires continued resistance breeding.

References: (1) W. H. P. Boshoff et al. S. Afr. J Plant Soil 17:60, 2000. (2) Z. A. Pretorius et al. Plant Dis. 84:203, 2000.
First Report of Phytophthora capsici Infecting Lima Bean (Phaseolus lunatus) in the Mid-Atlantic Region
Authors: Davidson C. R. , Carroll R. B. , Evans T. A. , Mulrooney R. P. , Kim S. H.
Published: May 2007

Lima beans are an important crop in Delaware and the Mid-Atlantic Region. In the summer of 2000, five commercial cultivars (3–28, 184–85, C-elite Sel, Butter Bean, and Jackson Wonder) of lima bean in Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey were observed with white, appressed mycelia on infected pods that appeared distinctly different from signs of downy mildew infection caused by Phytophthora phaseoli. Isolations were made by placing diseased pods between layers of rye media (1). A fungus that produced white mycelia with sporangia was consistently isolated. All Phytophthora isolates from the infected pods were heterothallic, grew at 35°C, had as much as 100 μm long pedicles on varying shapes of caducous sporangia with tapering base and >2 papillae, and were identified as P. capsici (2). Initially, three surface-disinfected pods from cv. Early Thorogreen plants grown in the greenhouse were floated on 20 ml of sterile water in a petri dish, and each was inoculated with a disk of P. capsici. This was repeated for nine isolates obtained from lima bean. After incubation for 7 days at room temperature, all 27 pods were infected, and P. capsici was reisolated from all the pods. A pathogenicity test was performed on the same cultivars from which the original field isolates were collected. Three seedlings and two plants with mature pods were inoculated with a sporangial suspension of each of the nine isolates and placed in a dew chamber for 5 days at 20 to 25°C and 100% relative humidity. White mycelial growth was observed on seedlings and mature pods. One inoculated plant developed brown-to-black stem lesions with white mycelia. All pods on the mature plants showed appressed, white mycelia identical to that observed in the commercial lima bean fields. P. capsici was consistently reisolated from all inoculated plants. In 2000, most infected pods in infested fields were observed low in the plant canopy or touching the soil. However, in 2001, infected pods were mostly in the lower and mid-portion of the plants observed in baby lima bean fields in Kent County, DE.

References: (1) C. E. Caten and J. L. Jinks. Can. J. Bot. 46:329, 1967. (2) D. C. Erwin and O. K. Ribeiro. Phytophthora capsici. Page 264 in: Phytophthora Diseases Worldwide. The American Phytopathological Society, St Paul, MN, 1996.