The vegetative compatibility of 123 isolates of Colletotrichum coccodes from North America (Unite... more The vegetative compatibility of 123 isolates of Colletotrichum coccodes from North America (United States and Canada) originating from potato, tomato, pepper, and mint was tested using nitrate-nonutilizing (nit) mutants. The North American isolates did not anastomose with previously selected European/Israeli vegetative compatibility group (VCG) testers; therefore, eight isolates were selected as VCG testers for the North American population. The 123 isolates distributed to seven VCGs at 1.6, 1.6, 4.0, 8.1, 13.8, 19.5, and 36.6%, with 14.6% of the isolates not assigned to any of the seven VCGs. Among the North American (NA)-VCGs, the average frequency of the nit1/nit3 nit mutants was lower (P < 0.05) for isolates belonging to NA-VCG1 than for isolates belonging to the NA-VCGs 2, 3, and 5. In contrast, the frequency of NitM nit mutants did not vary (P > 0.05) among the NA-VCGs and was collectively 5.14%. The results also indicated significant (P < 0.05) differences among NA-V...
Verticillium wilt of the highly invasive tree-of-heaven [Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle], ca... more Verticillium wilt of the highly invasive tree-of-heaven [Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle], caused by Verticillium nonalfalfae Interbitzin et al. (1), formerly classified as V. albo-atrum Reinke and Berthold, has been reported in the United States from two states: Pennsylvania (2) and Virginia (3). Infected A. altissima in both states exhibited similar symptoms of wilt, premature defoliation, terminal dieback, yellow vascular discoloration, and mortality. In June 2012, the second author observed dead and dying A. altissima trees in southern Ohio (Pike County) that exhibited symptoms similar to those on diseased A. altissima trees in Pennsylvania and Virginia. Samples were collected from stems of three symptomatic A. altissima trees and sent to Penn State for morphological and molecular identification. Immediately upon arrival, samples were surface-disinfected and plated onto plum extract agar (PEA), a semi-selective medium for Verticillium spp., amended with neomycin and streptom...
The effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on olive (Olea europaea) growth and development ... more The effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on olive (Olea europaea) growth and development was studied during 4 years in a commercial orchard under arid conditions. The soil was naturally infested with Verticillium dahliae and irrigated with saline water (EC = 4.5 dS/m). The trial was conducted with varieties 'Picual' (Verticillium-susceptible) and 'Barnea' (relatively Verticillium-tolerant). AMF Glomus intraradices alone or in a mixture with G. mosseae were used to inoculate the plants in the nursery. AMF nursery treatment enhanced vegetative growth of the trees, expressed as height and trunk circumference, relatively to non-inoculated trees. AMF-treated trees had higher fruit and oil yields compared with non-mycorrhitic controls. AMF colonization did not appear to improve tolerance of either 'Picual' or 'Barnea' to V. dahliae, and both were more susceptible than the non-inoculated controls. Thus inoculation of olive plants with AMF improves tr...
The global avocado industry is growing, and farmers are seeking to expand their plantations. Howe... more The global avocado industry is growing, and farmers are seeking to expand their plantations. However, many lands suitable for avocado planting were previously cultivated with hosts of the soil-borne fungal pathogen Verticillium dahliae, which is the causal agent of Verticillium wilt (VW). VW can seriously impair avocado orchards, and therefore, planting on infested soil is not recommended. The use of different rootstock types allows avocado cultivation in various regions with diverse biotic and abiotic constraints. Hence, we tested whether genetic variance among rootstocks may also be used to manage avocado VW. Six hundred trees, mostly Hass and some Ettinger, grafted on 23 selected rootstocks were evaluated for five years in a highly V. dahliae-inoculated plot for VW symptoms, fungal infection, and productivity. The selected rootstocks displayed a significant variation related to VW tolerance, and productive avocado rootstocks with potential VW tolerance were identified. Moreover, ...
Fungi can modify the pH in and/or around the infected site via alkalinization or acidification an... more Fungi can modify the pH in and/or around the infected site via alkalinization or acidification and pH monitoring may provide valuable information on host-fungus interactions. The objective of the present study was to examine the ability of two fungi, Colletotrichum coccodes and Helminthosporium solani, to modify the pH of potato tuber during artificial inoculation in situ. Both fungi cause blemishes on potato tubers which downgrade tuber quality and yield. Direct visualization and estimation of pH change near the inoculation area were achieved using pH indicators and image analysis. The results showed that the pH of the area infected by either fungus increased from potato native pH ~6.0 to 7.4-8.0. By performing simple analysis of the images it was also possible to derive the growth curve of each fungus and estimate the lag phase of the radial growth: 10 days for C. coccodes and 17 days H. solani. In addition, a distinctive halo (an edge area with increased pH) was observed only during the lag phase of H. solani infection. pH modulation is a major factor in pathogen-host interaction and the proposed method offers a simple and rapid way to monitor these changes.
Dickeya species (formerly Erwinia chrysanthemi) cause diseases on numerous crop and ornamental pl... more Dickeya species (formerly Erwinia chrysanthemi) cause diseases on numerous crop and ornamental plants world-wide. Dickeya spp. (probably D. dianthicola) were first reported on potato in the Netherlands in the 1970s and have since been detected in many other European countries. However, since 2004–5 a new pathogen, with the proposed name ‘D. solani’, has been spreading across Europe via trade in seed tubers and is causing increasing economic losses. Although disease symptoms are often indistinguishable from those of the more established blackleg pathogen Pectobacterium spp., Dickeya spp. can initiate disease from lower inoculum levels, have a greater ability to spread through the plant’s vascular tissue, are considerably more aggressive, and have higher optimal temperatures for disease development (the latter potentially leading to increased disease problems as Europe’s climate warms). However, they also appear to be less hardy than Pectobacterium spp. in soil and other environments outside the plant. Scotland is currently the only country in Europe to enforce zero tolerance for Dickeya spp. in its potato crop in an attempt to keep its seed tuber industry free from disease. However, there are a number of other ways to control the disease, including seed tuber certification, on-farm methods and the use of diagnostics. For diagnostics, new genomics-based approaches are now being employed to develop D. dianthicola- and ‘D. solani’-specific PCR-based tests for rapid detection and identification. It is hoped that these diagnostics, together with other aspects of ongoing research, will provide invaluable tools and information for controlling this serious threat to potato production
... Levin, AG, Lavee, S. and Tsror (Lahkim), L. (2003), Epidemiology of Verticillium dahliae on o... more ... Levin, AG, Lavee, S. and Tsror (Lahkim), L. (2003), Epidemiology of Verticillium dahliae on olive (cv. ... and is now present in many Mediterranean countries and in California (Snyder et al., 1950; Zachos, 1963; Saydam & Copcu, 1972; Blanco-López et al., 1984; Al-Ahmad & Mosli ...
Fungi are considered as serious pathogens for many plants, potentially causing severe economic da... more Fungi are considered as serious pathogens for many plants, potentially causing severe economic damage. Early detection and identification of these pathogens is crucial for their timely control. The methods available for identification of fungi are time consuming and not always very specific. In this study, the potential of FTIR-ATR spectroscopy was examined together with advanced mathematical principle component analysis (PCA) and statistical linear discriminant analysis (LDA) to differentiate among 10 isolates of Fusarium oxysporum. The results are encouraging and indicate that FTIR-ATR can successfully detect different isolates of Fusarium oxysporum. Based on PCA and LDA calculations in the region 850–1775 cm-1with 16 PC's, the different strains from the same fungal genus could be classified with 75.3% and 69.5% success rates using the “leave one out” method and “20–80% algorithm” respectively.
The vegetative compatibility of 123 isolates of Colletotrichum coccodes from North America (Unite... more The vegetative compatibility of 123 isolates of Colletotrichum coccodes from North America (United States and Canada) originating from potato, tomato, pepper, and mint was tested using nitrate-nonutilizing (nit) mutants. The North American isolates did not anastomose with previously selected European/Israeli vegetative compatibility group (VCG) testers; therefore, eight isolates were selected as VCG testers for the North American population. The 123 isolates distributed to seven VCGs at 1.6, 1.6, 4.0, 8.1, 13.8, 19.5, and 36.6%, with 14.6% of the isolates not assigned to any of the seven VCGs. Among the North American (NA)-VCGs, the average frequency of the nit1/nit3 nit mutants was lower (P < 0.05) for isolates belonging to NA-VCG1 than for isolates belonging to the NA-VCGs 2, 3, and 5. In contrast, the frequency of NitM nit mutants did not vary (P > 0.05) among the NA-VCGs and was collectively 5.14%. The results also indicated significant (P < 0.05) differences among NA-V...
Verticillium wilt of the highly invasive tree-of-heaven [Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle], ca... more Verticillium wilt of the highly invasive tree-of-heaven [Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle], caused by Verticillium nonalfalfae Interbitzin et al. (1), formerly classified as V. albo-atrum Reinke and Berthold, has been reported in the United States from two states: Pennsylvania (2) and Virginia (3). Infected A. altissima in both states exhibited similar symptoms of wilt, premature defoliation, terminal dieback, yellow vascular discoloration, and mortality. In June 2012, the second author observed dead and dying A. altissima trees in southern Ohio (Pike County) that exhibited symptoms similar to those on diseased A. altissima trees in Pennsylvania and Virginia. Samples were collected from stems of three symptomatic A. altissima trees and sent to Penn State for morphological and molecular identification. Immediately upon arrival, samples were surface-disinfected and plated onto plum extract agar (PEA), a semi-selective medium for Verticillium spp., amended with neomycin and streptom...
The effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on olive (Olea europaea) growth and development ... more The effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on olive (Olea europaea) growth and development was studied during 4 years in a commercial orchard under arid conditions. The soil was naturally infested with Verticillium dahliae and irrigated with saline water (EC = 4.5 dS/m). The trial was conducted with varieties 'Picual' (Verticillium-susceptible) and 'Barnea' (relatively Verticillium-tolerant). AMF Glomus intraradices alone or in a mixture with G. mosseae were used to inoculate the plants in the nursery. AMF nursery treatment enhanced vegetative growth of the trees, expressed as height and trunk circumference, relatively to non-inoculated trees. AMF-treated trees had higher fruit and oil yields compared with non-mycorrhitic controls. AMF colonization did not appear to improve tolerance of either 'Picual' or 'Barnea' to V. dahliae, and both were more susceptible than the non-inoculated controls. Thus inoculation of olive plants with AMF improves tr...
The global avocado industry is growing, and farmers are seeking to expand their plantations. Howe... more The global avocado industry is growing, and farmers are seeking to expand their plantations. However, many lands suitable for avocado planting were previously cultivated with hosts of the soil-borne fungal pathogen Verticillium dahliae, which is the causal agent of Verticillium wilt (VW). VW can seriously impair avocado orchards, and therefore, planting on infested soil is not recommended. The use of different rootstock types allows avocado cultivation in various regions with diverse biotic and abiotic constraints. Hence, we tested whether genetic variance among rootstocks may also be used to manage avocado VW. Six hundred trees, mostly Hass and some Ettinger, grafted on 23 selected rootstocks were evaluated for five years in a highly V. dahliae-inoculated plot for VW symptoms, fungal infection, and productivity. The selected rootstocks displayed a significant variation related to VW tolerance, and productive avocado rootstocks with potential VW tolerance were identified. Moreover, ...
Fungi can modify the pH in and/or around the infected site via alkalinization or acidification an... more Fungi can modify the pH in and/or around the infected site via alkalinization or acidification and pH monitoring may provide valuable information on host-fungus interactions. The objective of the present study was to examine the ability of two fungi, Colletotrichum coccodes and Helminthosporium solani, to modify the pH of potato tuber during artificial inoculation in situ. Both fungi cause blemishes on potato tubers which downgrade tuber quality and yield. Direct visualization and estimation of pH change near the inoculation area were achieved using pH indicators and image analysis. The results showed that the pH of the area infected by either fungus increased from potato native pH ~6.0 to 7.4-8.0. By performing simple analysis of the images it was also possible to derive the growth curve of each fungus and estimate the lag phase of the radial growth: 10 days for C. coccodes and 17 days H. solani. In addition, a distinctive halo (an edge area with increased pH) was observed only during the lag phase of H. solani infection. pH modulation is a major factor in pathogen-host interaction and the proposed method offers a simple and rapid way to monitor these changes.
Dickeya species (formerly Erwinia chrysanthemi) cause diseases on numerous crop and ornamental pl... more Dickeya species (formerly Erwinia chrysanthemi) cause diseases on numerous crop and ornamental plants world-wide. Dickeya spp. (probably D. dianthicola) were first reported on potato in the Netherlands in the 1970s and have since been detected in many other European countries. However, since 2004–5 a new pathogen, with the proposed name ‘D. solani’, has been spreading across Europe via trade in seed tubers and is causing increasing economic losses. Although disease symptoms are often indistinguishable from those of the more established blackleg pathogen Pectobacterium spp., Dickeya spp. can initiate disease from lower inoculum levels, have a greater ability to spread through the plant’s vascular tissue, are considerably more aggressive, and have higher optimal temperatures for disease development (the latter potentially leading to increased disease problems as Europe’s climate warms). However, they also appear to be less hardy than Pectobacterium spp. in soil and other environments outside the plant. Scotland is currently the only country in Europe to enforce zero tolerance for Dickeya spp. in its potato crop in an attempt to keep its seed tuber industry free from disease. However, there are a number of other ways to control the disease, including seed tuber certification, on-farm methods and the use of diagnostics. For diagnostics, new genomics-based approaches are now being employed to develop D. dianthicola- and ‘D. solani’-specific PCR-based tests for rapid detection and identification. It is hoped that these diagnostics, together with other aspects of ongoing research, will provide invaluable tools and information for controlling this serious threat to potato production
... Levin, AG, Lavee, S. and Tsror (Lahkim), L. (2003), Epidemiology of Verticillium dahliae on o... more ... Levin, AG, Lavee, S. and Tsror (Lahkim), L. (2003), Epidemiology of Verticillium dahliae on olive (cv. ... and is now present in many Mediterranean countries and in California (Snyder et al., 1950; Zachos, 1963; Saydam & Copcu, 1972; Blanco-López et al., 1984; Al-Ahmad & Mosli ...
Fungi are considered as serious pathogens for many plants, potentially causing severe economic da... more Fungi are considered as serious pathogens for many plants, potentially causing severe economic damage. Early detection and identification of these pathogens is crucial for their timely control. The methods available for identification of fungi are time consuming and not always very specific. In this study, the potential of FTIR-ATR spectroscopy was examined together with advanced mathematical principle component analysis (PCA) and statistical linear discriminant analysis (LDA) to differentiate among 10 isolates of Fusarium oxysporum. The results are encouraging and indicate that FTIR-ATR can successfully detect different isolates of Fusarium oxysporum. Based on PCA and LDA calculations in the region 850–1775 cm-1with 16 PC's, the different strains from the same fungal genus could be classified with 75.3% and 69.5% success rates using the “leave one out” method and “20–80% algorithm” respectively.
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