Phytophthora palmivora causando podridão de frutos de mamoeiro no Pará

Phytophthora palmivora was isolated from papaya (Carica papaya) fruit rots, from commercial growth in Capanema County, Pará. The fungus was pathogenic to healthy inoculated fruits and reisolated, fullfiling the Koch postulates. This is the first report of this pathogen on papaya in Pará, Brazil.

Natural colonization of leaves of 'Pêra' sweet orange and related varieties by Guignardia citricarpa

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the differences in the colonization and production of structures in the leaves of 'Pêra' sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) clones and related varieties by Guignardia citricarpa. The natural colonization and the production of reproductive structures in the leaves and in vitro of ten 'Pêra' sweet orange was quantified in the following clones: Bianchi, Dibbern C.V., EEL, IAC 2000, Olímpia 15161, Premunizada 1212, Premunizada 1743/82, R. Gullo 1569/244, R. Gullo 1570/246 and Vimusa; and in five related varieties: Redonda C.N, Ovale 968, Ovale San Lio 969, Lamb Summer and Corsa Tardia. The quantification of the colonization density of G. citricarpa in the leaves was obtained through isolation. Incidence and colonization density (cm²) were calculated for each clone. The production of reproductive structures was accomplished through the moistening and drying process of the leaves. The incidence (percentage of affected leaves) and the leaf surface percentage occupied by the reproductive fungus structures were quantified. The in vitro production of reproductive structures was accomplished in water-agar medium. The number of immature and total reproductive fungus structures (cm²), and the percentage of picnidia with liberation of spores were quantified. Significant differences were not observed among clones related to the colonization of the leaves. But there were differences in the induction experiments, i.e., in the leaf surface percentage occupied by the reproductive fungus structures and the in vitro production of reprodutive fungus structures.

Podridão de frutos de melancia causada por Sclerotium rolfsii no estado de Alagoas

A new fruit rot disease caused by Sclerotium rolfsii on watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) was observed in the State of Alagoas. The pathogenicity of the fungus was confirmed by artificial inoculations.This is the first report of S. rolfsii causing fruit rot in watermelon in Northeast of Brazil.

Podridão basal pós-colheita do coco verde no estado do Ceará

A new post-harvest disease of coconut (Cocos nucifera) was recently detected in fruits exported to European countries. The main symptoms are the blacking and cracking of basal parts of the fruits. Water oozing may occurs as the infection progresses. The fungus Lasiodiplodia theobromae has been frequently isolated from the lesions. Inoculation tests proved that this pathogen is the causal agent of the coconut fruit basal rot. This is the first occurrence of this post-harvest disease in Brazil.

Production of caffeine alkaloid by Claviceps sorghi

The ergot disease of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), caused by the fungus Claviceps sorghi, restricted to the Indian sub-continent, is a disease in which the pathogen infects the florets, colonizing the unfertilized ovaries. Losses are higher in hybrid seed production fields due to a higher susceptibility of male sterile lines. The sclerotia of C. sorghi have never been found to contain alkaloids with a tetracyclic ergoline ring system, which is normal in most ergot pathogens. In this work, we show that sclerotia of C. sorghi contain caffeine alkaloid and the ability to produce it in vitro.

Molecular characterization of Brazilian Dicyma pulvinata isolates

Forty-nine Brazilian Dicyma pulvinata isolates were examined by morphological traits and RFLP, RAPD and AFLP analyses. This fungus is a mycoparasite of Microcyclus ulei, the causal agent of the most devastating rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) disease, known as "South American Leaf Blight" (SALB). These isolates were compared with an Indian isolate from Cercosporidium sp., and a French isolate from Cladosporium fulvum. They were also compared with Dicyma ampullifera from Papua New Guinea. The morphological parameters analyzed confirmed the identification of the Brazilian isolates. The graphic representations of the distance matrices of each molecular marker showed similar results. Dicyma pulvinata isolates from M. ulei were closely related, whereas the reference isolates examined were dispersed. Among the D. pulvinata isolates obtained from M. ulei, a significant pairwise distance was obtained, for all the molecular markers, between the isolates from the areas favorable to the occurrence of SALB (North and Northeast of Brazil) and the region of escape for the disease (Mato Grosso State).

Epidemiologia comparativa da pinta-preta do tomateiro sob quatro regimes de pulverização

Objetivando estudar o desenvolvimento da pinta-preta (Alternaria solani) do tomateiro (Lycopersicon esculentum) sob diferentes regimes de pulverização com calda Viçosa, um ensaio foi conduzido, utilizando os seguintes tratamentos: 1) aplicação semanal; 2) aplicação com base nos sistemas de previsão TOMCAST (VSD20); 3) CUFAST; e 4) FAST. As aplicações semanais foram iniciadas na segunda semana após o transplantio enquanto as outras foram feitas com base nos respectivos modelos de previsão. As avaliações da severidade foram feitas semanalmente com o auxílio de uma escala diagramática e os dados foram submetidos ao ajustamento dos modelos de Gompertz, logístico e monomolecular, por meio de análise de regressão linear. O modelo logístico se ajustou melhor aos dados e foi utilizado para determinar as taxas de progresso da doença (r) que, juntamente com a AACPD, foram utilizadas para comparar os tratamentos. O tratamento semanal proporcionou menor taxa de progresso de doença e AACPD, sem, no entanto, diferir significativamente dos efeitos dos tratamentos baseados nos modelos TOMCAST e FAST. Comparados com o regime de pulverização semanal, os regimes baseados nestes dois modelos permitiram uma redução da severidade da pinta-preta com 40 a 60% de redução no número de aplicações de fungicida.

Soybean pod blight and root rot caused by lineages of the Fusarium graminearum and the production of mycotoxins

Surveys of soybean (Glycine max) seed grown in South Brazil revealed infection with Fusarium graminearum. To determine if members of this complex were pathogenic to soybean, six strains derived from soybean were added to soil at a rate of 10³ macroconidia/ ml or individual pods were inoculated with 10(4) macroconidia/ml. Seedlings grown in infested soil developed small necrotic lesions in the crown and upper roots. Pods inoculated with conidia developed large (>1 cm), dark brown, necrotic lesions. Younger pods inoculated with the fungus blighted and dropped from the plant. Strains of the F. graminearum complex recovered from lesions on the crown, roots and pods of soybean plants were identified as lineage 1, 2 or 8 by obtaining the DNA sequence from the EF1-alpha gene and comparing it to strains of the known lineage. Two strains of F. graminearum lineage 7 from the U.S. caused similar symptoms of the disease on soybean. Mycotoxin tests on soybean and wheat (Triticum aestivum) indicate that most Brazilian strains produce nivalenol as the major trichothecene mycotoxin rather than deoxynivalenol. In addition, strains from lineages 2 and 8 produce the novel trichothecene, 3-acetylnivalenol.

Métodos de isolamento de bactérias do filoplano de tomateiro visando populações específicas e implicações como agentes de biocontrole

Em um processo de seleção de bactérias do filoplano de tomateiro (Lycopersicon esculentum) com potencial para o controle de doenças da parte aérea da cultura, diferentes métodos de isolamento foram utilizados visando obter isolados da população total, da população da superfície foliar e isolados que habitam locais protegidos do filoplano e/ou que toleram fatores de estresse. Foi testada a capacidade de 300 isolados em controlar in vivo, as doenças causadas por Alternaria solani, Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato e Phytophthora infestans. Os testes foram repetidos para cada um dos antagonistas selecionados, estudando-se, também, a capacidade de controlar a mancha-bacteriana, causada por Xanthomonas vesicatoria. Os resultados demonstraram haver predomínio de antagonistas provenientes de folíolos do terço superior da planta de população total ou da superfície. Entretanto, o único antagonista selecionado, isolado de folíolos do terço inferior, foi obtido de locais protegidos do filoplano e/ou capaz de tolerar fatores de estresse.

Ocorrência de Bipolaris maydis causando mancha foliar em Paspalum atratum cv. Pojuca no Brasil

Bipolaris maydis was consistently isolated from infected Paspalum atratum cv. Pojuca plants showing leaf spot symptoms in the Cerrado of Brazil, in 2002. Pathogenicity tests under greenhouse conditions and subsequent reisolations of B. maydis from artificially inoculated Pojuca seedlings confirmed the hypothesis that this fungus was the causal agent of the disease. Symptoms of leaf spot appeared four days after inoculation in 100% of the inoculated Pojuca plants. All seven species of grasses evaluated were susceptible to B. maydis. The occurrence of leaf spot of Pojuca caused by B. maydis is reported for the first time in Brazil.

Bellulicauda dialii on Dialium guianense (Leguminosae) in Brazil

This is the first report of Bellulicauda dialii on Dialium guianense leaves, and the second record of this fungus, previously known only from Africa (Sierra Leone).

Variability of the wheat powdery mildew pathogen Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici in the 2003 crop season

Wheat (Triticum aestivum) powdery mildew, caused by the biotrophic fungus Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici, is one of the most severe foliar diseases attacking this crop, reducing grain yields by 10% to 62% in Brazil. The disease can be controlled by genetic resistance of the host, but the pathogen has physiological specialization, which enables it to infect wheat cultivars that have remained resistant for years. The objective of this work was to evaluate the variability of pathogenic strains of B. graminis f. sp. tritici collected in Brazil and the effectiveness of wheat resistance genes to powdery mildew in the 2003 crop season. Plants of a differential series were inoculated with each monopustular isolate. Thirty-one combinations of effective and ineffective resistance genes were identified. Only the gene Pm4a+... remained totally effective to all isolates, and gene Pm6 was highly effective (below 10% of susceptibility), whereas genes Pm3a and Pm8 were totally ineffective (susceptible to all isolates). Genes Pm3c, D1, and D2 showed low effectiveness (above 50% of susceptibility), and genes Pm1, 2, 4a, 1+?, and 2+Mld had mean effective results to most strains (susceptibility between 10% and 49%). The virulence formula Pm1, 3c, 4a, 6, 1+?, 2+Mld, 4a+..., D2 (effective genes) / 2, 3a, 8, D1 (ineffective genes) was most frequently found, accounting for 15% of the occurrences. The most frequent number of ineffective genes was seven, ranging from three to ten.

Effect of Fusarium graminearum and infection index on germination and vigor of maize seeds

Pathogens in maize (Zea mays) seeds cause serious problems, such as the loss of their capacity to germinative. The objectives of this study were to identify the optimal period for infection of maize seeds on agar colonized by Fusarium graminearum, when incubated for 4, 8, 16 and 32 h, and to evaluate the effect of the fungus on the germination and vigor of seeds with different infection levels. After the respective incubation periods, the seeds were removed from the culture medium and submitted to the blotter test for 3 min with and without superficial disinfection with 1% solution of sodium hypochlorite. Once the optimal period for seed incubation was identified, seeds from the same sample were again placed on the colonized agar for infection. Germination and vigor tests (accelerated aging and cold test) were performed with a mixture of healthy seeds (placed on PDA medium) and inoculated seeds, resulting in seeds with 0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100% rates of infection. The results showed that a period of 32 h was long enough to obtain seeds infected by the pathogen. There were no significant effects of fungal infection on seed germination at any of the infection levels, probably due to the high vigor of the maize seed lot tested. Regarding vigor tests, infection levels differed significantly from the control (0% infection), but there were no significant differences among the infection levels.

Produção de soros policlonais com alta afinidade contra o biotipo 'C' e o biotipo 'S' de Crinipellis perniciosa

A obtenção de soros policlonais contra fitopatógenos tem por finalidade a elaboração de imunoensaios que permitam identificar e caracterizar os mesmos com rapidez e a custos baixos. Soros policlonais foram produzidos contra extratos das hifas de isolados de Crinipellis perniciosa, agente causal da vassoura-de-bruxa, coletados de cacaueiro (Theobroma cacao) nos estados do Pará e Bahia para identificação e caracterização de isolados de diversas regiões e hospedeiros. O soro denominado de 1 foi produzido a partir do isolado ESJOH-1 (originário do Pará), e o soro 2 foi produzido com o isolado CP-85 (originário da Bahia). Não houve reação cruzada dos soros contra extratos protéicos das espécies Alternaria solani, Marasmius sp., Oudemansiella canarii e Verticillium fungicola. Os soros apresentaram reação cruzada de alta afinidade com extratos de Moniliophthora roreri e de baixa a média afinidade com Marasmius cladophyllus. A caracterização dos isolados foi feita com amostras do biotipo-C coletados no Amazonas, Bahia, Mato Grosso, Rondônia e Pará. As reações sorológicas dos dois soros não permitiram diferenciar os isolados do Pará e da Bahia, contra os quais foram produzidos, e também não reagiram diferencialmente com isolados de outros estados. O reconhecimento dos antígenos entre os soros foi variável, pois o soro 1 e soro 2 apresentaram reação sorológica diferenciada para alguns isolados. Os soros produzidos apresentaram alta afinidade contra isolados dos biotipos-C e S, independente de sua origem geográfica, podendo ser usados para identificação.

Survival of Botrytis cinerea as mycelium in rose crop debris and as sclerotia in soil

Botrytis blight caused by Botrytis cinerea is an important disease of rose (Rosa hybrida) grown in greenhouses in Brazil. As little is known regarding the disease epidemiology under greenhouse conditions, pathogen survival in crop debris and as sclerotia was evaluated. Polyethylene bags with petals, leaves, or stem sections artificially infected with B. cinerea were mixed with crop debris in rose beds, in a commercial plastic greenhouse. High percentage of plant parts with sporulation was detected until 60 days, then sporulation decreased on petals after 120 days, and sharply decreased on stems or leaves after 90 days. Sporulation on petals continued for 360 days, but was not observed on stems after 150 days or leaves after 240 days. Although the fungus survived longer on petals, stems and leaves are also important inoculum sources because high amounts of both are deposited on beds during cultivation. Survival of sclerotia produced on PDA was also quantified. Sclerotia germination was greater than 75% in the initial 210 days and 50% until 360 days. Sclerotia weight gradually declined but they remained viable for 360 days. Sclerotia were produced on the buried petals, mainly after 90 days of burial, but not on leaves or stems. Germination of these sclerotia gradually decreased after 120 days, but lasted until 360 days. Higher weight loss and lower viability were observed on sclerotia produced on petals than on sclerotia produced in vitro