Development of a warning system for wheat blast caused by Pyricularia grisea

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) blast caused by Pyricularia grisea is a new disease in Brazil and no resistant cultivars are available. The interactions between temperature and wetness durations have been used in many early warning systems. Hence, growth chamber experiments to assess the effect of different temperatures (10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35ºC) and the duration of spike-wetness (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 hours) on the intensity of blast in cultivar BR23 were carried out. Each temperature formed an experiment and the duration of wetness the treatments. The highest blast intensity was observed at 30°C and increased as the duration of the wetting period increased while the lowest occurred at 25°C and 10 hours of spike wetness. Regardless of the temperature, no symptoms occurred when the wetting period was less than 10 hours but at 25°C and a 40 h wetting period blast intensity exceeded 85%. These variations in blast intensity as a function of temperature are explained by a generalized beta model and as a function of the duration of spike wetness by the Gompertz model. Disease intensity was modeled as a function of both temperature and the durations of spike wetness and the resulting equation provided a precise description of the response of P. grisea to temperatures and the durations of spike wetness. This model was used to construct tables that can be used to predict the intensity of P. grisea wheat blast based on the temperatures and the durations of wheat spike wetness obtained in the field.

Diagrammatic scale for the assessment of blast on wheat spikes

The correct quantification of blast caused by the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae on wheat (Triticum aestivum) spikes is an important component to understand the development of this disease aimed at its control. Visual quantification based on a diagrammatic scale can be a practical and efficient strategy that has already proven to be useful against several plant pathosystems, including diseases affecting wheat spikes like glume blotch and fusarium head blight. Spikes showing different disease severity values were collected from a wheat field with the aim of elaborating a diagrammatic scale to quantify blast severity on wheat spikes. The spikes were photographed and blast severity was determined by using resources of the software ImageJ. A diagrammatic scale was developed with the following disease severity values: 3.7, 7.5, 21.4, 30.5, 43.8, 57.3, 68.1, 86.0, and 100.0%. An asymptomatic spike was added to the scale. Scale validation was performed by eight people who estimated blast severity by using digitalized images of 40 wheat spikes. The precision and the accuracy of the evaluations varied according to the rater (0.82wheat spikes.

Influência de subdoses de herbicidas e de níveis de nitrogênio na nutrição nitrogenada e na produção de plantas de trigo (Triticum aestivum L. 'IAC 5')

Foi estudado o efeito estimulante de nitrogênio e de subdoses de herbicidas na nutrição nitrogenada e na produ ção de tr igo, cultivado no campo, em dois experimentos (1977 e 1978). 0 nitrogênio na forma de sulfato de amônio foi aplicado nas doses de 0, 30 e 60 kg N/ha, no Experimento I, e nas doses de 0, 50 e 100 kg N/ha, no Experimento II, sendo 1/3 na semeadura e o restante no início do florescimento. Neste mesmo estádio de desenvolvimento das plantas foi efetuada a pulverização com herbicidas nas seguintes subdoses: simazine-280 g/ha, metribuzin-75 e 90 g/ha, bromacil-140 g/ha, e o tratamento testemunha sem herbicida. Os efeitos desses tratamentos foram aval iados at ravé s de : produção de grãos; porcentagens de N total e de S nas sementes; teor de N total da folha bandeira, amostrada em duas épocas (52 e 72 dias da semeadura); número e peso de matéria seca dos grãos de 20 espigas. A produção não foi influenciada pela aplicação de N nos dois experimentos realizados. Excetuando-se o metribuzin-75 g/ha, os demais herbicidas reduziram a produção, nos dois experimentos. A adubação nitrogenada aumentou significativamente os teores de N total da folha bandeira e os teores de N total e de S dos grãos produzidos. Esses mesmos parâmetros não foram influenciados pela aplicação dos herbicidas, com exceção do simazine e do bromacil, que provocaram decréscimo no teor de N total dos grãos, no Experimento II. Nos dois experimentos realizados, o número e o peso de matéria seca dos grãos de 20 espigas não foram alterados pelos tratamentos com níveis de N ou de herbicidas, a não ser o bromacil, que no experimento II , provocou decréscimos nesses parâmetros.

Habilidade competitiva relativa do trigo (Triticum aestivum) em convivência com azevém (Lolium multiflorum) ou nabo (Raphanus raphanistrum)

Experimentos em série de substituição possibilitam o estudo da competição inter e intra-específica. A premissa desses experimentos é de que as produtividades das misturas podem ser determinadas pela comparação com a produtividade da monocultura. O objetivo deste trabalho foi investigar a habilidade competitiva relativa de cultivar de trigo com as espécies daninhas azevém ou nabo. Foram realizados três experimentos em casa de vegetação na UFPel, no ano de 2006. O delineamento utilizado foi o completamente casualizado, com quatro repetições, sendo os tratamentos arranjados em série de substituição. As proporções de plantas de trigo e dos competidores azevém ou nabo foram: 100/0, 75/25, 50/50, 25/75 e 0/100, com população total de 900 plantas m-2. A análise estatística da competitividade foi realizada através de diagramas aplicados aos experimentos substitutivos e interpretações dos índices de competitividade. As relações competitivas entre plantas de trigo e azevém ou entre trigo e nabo são alteradas pela proporção de plantas que compõem a associação; a cultura do trigo apresenta habilidade competitiva superior à do azevém, mas inferior à do nabo, quando as espécies ocorrem em proporções iguais de plantas nas associações, e essas espécies ocupam o mesmo nicho ecológico.

Tolerância de trigo (Triticum aestivum) e aveia (Avena sp.) a herbicidas inibidores da enzima acetolactato sintase (ALS)

A caracterização de cultivares quanto à tolerância aos herbicidas representa uma ferramenta adicional na identificação de genes de resistência no melhoramento genético de plantas. Os objetivos do presente trabalho foram determinar a variabilidade genética em genótipos de trigo, aveia-branca e aveia-preta para tolerância a quatro herbicidas inibidores da ALS; identificar herbicidas que não apresentam efeito fitotóxico nas espécies avaliadas; e indicar possíveis genótipos tolerantes para utilização em programas de melhoramento. Os resultados demonstraram a existência de variabilidade genética em trigo para tolerância aos herbicidas inibidores da ALS. O herbicida penoxsulam não apresentou efeito sobre a produção de matéria seca nos genótipos de trigo e aveia. Os genótipos de trigo ICA 7, BRS 208 e CD 111 e a aveia-branca (Albasul) evidenciaram tolerância aos herbicidas bispyribac-sodium e penoxsulam; a aveia-preta (Agozebu) também se mostrou tolerante ao metsulfuron-methyl.

Influence of wheat straw and rhizosphere on seed germination, early seedling growth and bio-chemical attributes of Trianthema portulacastrum

Decomposing wheat (Triticum aestivum) straw and rhizosphere-infested soil were evaluated for their suppressive activity against horse purslane (Trianthema portulacastrum), a noxious summer weed in Pakistan. Two separate pot studies were carried out. Wheat straw was incorporated at 4, 6 and 8 g kg-1 soil five days before the sowing of horse purslane. Pots without straw incorporation were maintained as control. In a second study, soil was taken from 15 and 30 cm depths from a previously cropped wheat field immediately after its harvest and was used as growing medium. Soil from an intentionally uncropped area of the same field was used as control. Suppressive activity was measured in terms of germination dynamics, seedling growth, and biochemical attributes such as chlorophyll contents, total soluble phenolics, soluble protein and antioxidant enzymes. Germination, seedling growth, chlorophyll contents and soluble protein of horse purslane were all negatively influenced. Higher phenolics and enhanced activities of antioxidant enzymes were noticed in response to wheat residues incorporation and its rhizosphere soil. Both studies established that the phytotoxic influence of wheat straw and wheat-infested rhizosphere soil on horse purslane can further be exploited for horse purslane management as a sustainable approach.

Toxic action of aqueous wheat straw extract on horse e purslane

The toxic action of aqueous wheat (Triticum aestivum) straw extracts was investigated on germination, early seedling growth, some biochemical attributes and the antioxidant enzymes of horse purslane (Trianthemaportulacastrum). Aqueous extracts of wheat straw were prepared by soaking the wheat straw in distilled water in 1:10 w/v ratio and diluted to obtain the concentrations of 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100%. These were used as pre and post emergence in laboratory and screen house trials. Wheat aqueous extracts exhibited phytotoxicity to horse purslane by inhibiting and delaying its germination and suppressing seedling growth. Wheat phytotoxins in its aqueous extracts suppressed the chlorophyll content and soluble protein, and enhanced soluble phenolics and the activity of antioxidant enzymes as catalase, peroxidase and superoxide dismutase in the seedlings of horse purslane compared with the control. Such inhibitory activity is believed to originate from exposure to wheat phytotoxins that are present in its aqueous straw extract. The suppressive effects of wheat straw need to be investigated further under field conditions.

Mefenpyr-diethyl action on fenoxaprop-p-ethyl detoxification in wheat varieties

Safeners protect crops against herbicide injury. The aim of this study was to examine the differential susceptibility of five wheat (Triticum aestivum) varieties to the herbicide fenoxaprop-p-ethyl, as well as the performance of mefenpyr-diethyl on minimizing herbicide injury and on lipid contents. Varieties BRS 49, CD 104, CEP 24, IAPAR 78 and Rubi were sprayed with fenoxaprop-p-ethyl (69 g ha¹), fenoxaprop-p-ethyl + mefenpyr-diethyl (69 g + 18.75 g ha-1), or mefenpyr-diethyl (18.75 g ha-1). Plants were evaluated visually for injury at 7 and 14 days after treatment (DAT). Glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity was assayed in aerial parts at 7 DAT, and lipid content was measured at 14 DAT. Varieties CEP 24, IAPAR 78 and Rubi were more tolerant to fenoxaprop-p-ethyl than BRS 49, and CD 104 rapidly recovering from the slight phytotoxicity symptoms produced by the herbicide. Mefenpyr-diethyl prevented crop injury associated with the herbicide. GST activity did not correlate directly with fenoxaprop-p-ethyl detoxification. However, lipid content was related to the susceptibility of wheat to fenoxaprop-p-ethyl treatment.

Assessing the Potential of the Water Soluble Allelopaths of Marsilea minuta in Rice and Wheat

To investigate the allelopathic effect of Marsilea minuta against the germination and seedling growths of rice (Oryza sativa) and wheat (Triticum aestivum), germination bioassays were conducted in both Petri dish and soil cultures in laboratory conditions. Rice and wheat seeds were allowed to germinate in a 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5% (w/v) aqueous extract of whole plant and 2, 4, 6, and 8% (w/w) plant residue-incorporated soils of M. minuta. In Petri dish experiments, 5% (w/v) an aqueous extract of M. mimuta showed significantly lower germination percentages (18.8% and 56.3%), root lengths (0.9 and 4.5 cm), shoot lengths (3.3 and 12.4 cm), seedling lengths (4.1 and 25.0 cm), root dry weights (1.4 and 5.6 g), shoot dry weights (1.1 and 9.0 g), seedling biomasses (2.5 and 14.6 g), and seedling vigor indices (77.4 and 957.3) in rice and wheat, respectively. In pot experiments, the M. minuta residue infested soil, with 8% concentration, produced significantly lower germination percentages (25.3 and 37.5%), root lengths (2.7 and 6.1 cm), shoot lengths (6.2 and 16.5 cm), seedling lengths (8.9 and 22.6 cm), root dry weights (2.4 and 5.5 g), shoot dry weights (4.0 and 2.8 g), seedling biomasses (6.4 and 8.3 g), and seedling vigor indices (224.1 and 855.3) in rice and wheat, respectively. The highest phytotoxic action of 5% aqueous whole plant extract of M. minuta against test crops seem to be due to the presence of two potent phenolic compounds, namely p-coumaric acid (2.91 mg L-1) and m-coumaric acid (1.59 mg L-1) as determined by HPLC analysis.

WHEAT HERBAGE AMENDMENTS ALTER EMERGENCE DYNAMICS, SEEDLING GROWTH OF LAMBSQUARTER AND SOIL PROPERTIES

ABSTRACT Crop allelopathy is a potential tool for weed management but allelopathic potential often varies among cultivars and developmental stages of crop. Bioassays were conducted to appraise the allelopathic potential of herbage (incorporated at 8 g kg-1 soil) of different hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum) cultivars (Millat-2011, AARI-2011, Lasani-2008 and Faisalabad-2008) collected at different crop growth stages [tillering (Z-30), anthesis (Z-60) and maturity (Z-90)] against lambsquarter (Chenopodium album). Mean emergence time taken by lambsquarter was prolonged over control by anthesis and maturity stage herbage of all wheat cultivars. Final emergence percentage was dropped by 3-17% in response to different growth stages of herbage collection. Maximum suppression in shoot (45 and 78%) and root (60 and 90%) length, and seedling dry biomass (65 and 96%) of lambsquarter over control was recorded under the amendment of anthesis and maturity stages herbage of wheat cultivars. Total chlorophyll contents declined in response to herbage collected at anthesis and maturity stage of all wheat cultivars over control. Phenolic contents on the other hand were increased. Activities of enzymatic antioxidants also varied among all wheat cultivars, and declined by the incorporation of tillering, anthesis and maturity stage herbage. Wheat herbage induced lipid peroxidation in lambsquarter seedling and higher malondialdehyde content (0.56 and 0.77 nmol g-1 FW) was observed by the incorporation of wheat cultivars herbage collected at anthesis and maturity stage, respectively. Anthesis and maturity stage herbage of wheat cultivars Millat-2011, AARI-2011 and Lasani-2008 was more phytotoxic than Faisalabad-2008. Moreover, tillering stage herbage of all wheat cultivars had less inhibitory potential against emergence, seedling growth and biochemical attributes of lambsquarter. Wheat herbage amendment increased the soil pH, phenolic, organic carbon and nitrogen contents as compared to control.

Effects of genotype and environment on grain yield and quality traits in bread wheat (T. aestivum L.)

Genotype (G), environment (E) and their interaction (GEI) play an important role in the final expression of grain yield and quality attributes. A multi-environment trial in wheat was conducted to evaluate the magnitude of G, E and GEI effects on grain yield and quality of wheat genotypes under the three rainfed locations (hereafter environment) of Central Anatolian Plateau of Turkey, during the 2012-2013 cropping season. Grain yield (GY) and analyses of test weight (TW), protein content (PC), wet gluten content (WGC), grain hardness (GH), thousand kernel weight (TKW) and Zeleny sedimentation volume (ZSV) were determined. Allelic variations of high and low molecular weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GS and LMW-GS) and 1B/1R translocation were determined in all genotypes evaluated. Both HMW-Glu-1, 17+18, 5+10 and LMW-Glu-3 b, b, b corresponded to genotypes possessing medium to good quality attributes. Large variability was found among most of the quality attributes evaluated; wider ranges of quality traits were observed in the environments than among the genotypes. The importance of the growing environment effects on grain quality was proved, suggesting that breeders' quality objectives should be adapted to the targeted environments.

Composição química de sementes de trigo (Triticum aestivum L.) submetidas a estresse salino na germinação

O objetivo do experimento foi determinar algumas alterações bioquímicas de sementes de duas cultivares de trigo (BRS 177 e BRS 179) sob influência de diferentes níveis de sal (zero, 15, 30, 45 e 60mM NaCl) no processo de germinação. O ensaio foi realizado para avaliar alterações na atividade da a-amilase e nos teores de amido, açúcares redutores, carboidratos solúveis totais e proteínas causadas pelo estresse salino. A atividade da a-amilase e os teores carboidratos solúveis totais, açúcares redutores e proteínas são reduzidos, porém o conteúdo de amido aumenta com o incremento da salinidade, em ambas cultivares de trigo. Em todas as concentrações de NaCl, os componentes químicos nas sementes da cultivar BRS 179 são maiores do que os da cv. BRS 177, mostrando ser a BRS 179 mais tolerante à salinidade.

Respuesta del trigo (Triticum aestivum L.) a diferentes niveles de agua disponible en el suelo en dos etapas de crecimiento.

Tesis (Maestría en Ciencias Especialista en Producción Agrícola) UANL

Evaluación de la absorción de nitrogeno en diferentes etapas fenologicas del trigo (Triticum aestivum L.)

Tesis (Maestría en Ciencias Especialidad en Producción Agrícola) UANL

Somatic embryogenesis in Triticum aestivum L. Morphological observations on germination

Somatic embryos were induced from scutellar callus of immature zygotic embryos of T aestivum cv. Chinese Spring. Observations on precociously germinating somatic embryos revealed that: (i) In the initial stages the coleoptile is split, exposes the shoot apex and forms a green trichomatous leafy structure. In the germinating zygotic embryo, the coleoptile is tubular, (ii) Unlike what has been inferred earlier the leafy structure is the coleoptile and not the scutellum, (iii) Bipolarity of the embryoid is established later when root develops at the basal end.