White mold, caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, is a yield-limiting disease of soybean in Brazil. Uniform fungicide trials have been conducted annually since 2009. Data from 74 cooperative field trials conducted over a 10-year period were assembled. We selected five fungicides applied two times around flowering: dimoxystrobin plus boscalid (DIMO+BOSC), carbendazim plus procymidone (CARB+PROC), fluazinam (FLUZ), fluopyram (FLUO), and procymidone (PROC). For comparison, thiophanate-methyl (TMET) applied four times was also included as a low-cost treatment. Network models were fitted to the log of white mold incidence (percentages) and log of sclerotia mass data (grams/hectare) and to the nontransformed yield data (kilograms/hectare) for each treatment, including the untreated check. Back-transformation of the meta-analytic estimates indicated that the lowest and highest mean (95% confidence interval [CI]) percent reductions in incidence and sclerotia mass were 54.2 (49.3 to 58.7) and 51.6% (43.7 to 58.3) for TMET and 83.8 (79.1 to 87.5) and 87% (81.9 to 91.6) for CARB+PROC, respectively. The overall mean (95% CI) yield responses ranged from 323 kg/ha (247.4 to 400.3) for TMET to 626 kg/ha (521.7 to 731.7) for DIMO+BOSC, but the variance was significantly reduced by a binary variable (30% threshold) describing disease incidence in the untreated check. On average, an increment of 352 kg/ha was estimated for trials where the incidence was >30% compared with the low-disease scenario. Hence, the probability of breaking even on fungicide costs for the high-disease scenario was >65% for the more effective, but more expensive fungicide (FLUZ) than TMET. For the low-disease scenario, profitability was less likely and depended more on variations in fungicide cost and soybean price.

Resumo -Este trabalho teve por objetivos avaliar fungos em sementes de cedro e testar a patogenicidade de Fusarium sp. e Pestalotia sp. Para detecção de fungos, foram utilizados batata-dextrose-ágar e papel filtro. Para o teste de patogenicidade, utilizaram-se isolados de Fusarium sp. e de Pestalotia sp. Foi constatada a presença dos seguintes fungos nas sementes: Pestalotia sp., Fusarium sp., Phomopsis sp., Colletotrichum sp., Macrophomina sp. e Cladosporium sp. Os fungos de maior freqüência foram: Fusarium sp., Phomopsis sp. e Pestalotia sp. Observou-se decréscimo nos valores de emergência das plântulas oriundas das sementes inoculadas com Fusarium sp.Termos para indexação: Sementes florestais, Cedrella fissilis. Fungi Association with Cedar's Seeds and Fusarium sp. and Pestalotia sp. PathogenicitiesAbstract -This research had as main objectives the evaluation of cedar's seeds seed-borne fungi and the Fusarium sp. and Pestalotia sp. pathogenicities. For the fungi detection Potato Dextrose and Agar medium and Blotter test methods were used. For the pathogenicity tests, isolates of Fusarium sp. and Pestalotia sp. were used. The following fungi were observed: Pestalotia sp., Fusarium sp., Phomopsis sp., Colletotrichum sp., Macrophomina sp. and Cladosporium sp. The fungi observed in the highest frequencies were: Fusarium sp., Phomopsis sp. and Pestalotia sp. A reduction of the germination level was observed in seedlings from cedar's seed inoculated with Fusarium sp.

Biological control consists of using one organism to attack another that may cause economic damage to crops. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a very common strategy. The white mold produced by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) causes considerable damage to bean crops. This fungus is a soil inhabitant, the symptoms of which are characterized by water-soaked lesions covered by a white cottony fungal growth on the soil surface and/or the host plant. Possible biological control agents taken from plants are being investigated as phytopathogen inhibitors. These are endophytic microorganisms that inhabit the intercellular spaces of vegetal tissues and are often responsible for antimicrobial production. The objective of the present study was to select endophytic fungi isolated from comfrey (Symphytum officinale L.) leaves with in vitro antagonist potential against the phytopathogenic fungus S. sclerotiorum. Twelve isolates of endophytic fungi and a pathogenic strain of S. sclerotiorum were used in the challenge method. With the aid of this method, four endophytes with the best antagonistic activity against S. sclerotiorum were selected. Pathogen growth inhibition zones were considered indicative of antibiosis. The percentages of pathogenic mycelia growth were measured both with and without the antagonist, resulting in growth reductions of 46.7% to 50.0% for S. sclerotiorum. These analyses were performed by evaluating the endophytic/pathogenic mycelia growth in mm/day over an eight-day period of antagonistic tests.

-Most soybean pathogens are seed transmitted, deserving emphasis the fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, which has been presenting worrying levels of field incidence in some soybean cropping areas in several Brazilian states. The objective of this study was to verify the efficiency of different methods for detecting S. sclerotiorum on soybean seeds artificially infected in the laboratory and from field production areas with a historical disease incidence. Seed samples of seven different cultivars collected from naturally infested fields, and one seed sample artificially inoculated in the laboratory were used. The following detection methods recommended in the literature were compared: Blotter test at 7 o C, 14 o C, and 21 o C; Rolled Paper; and Neon-S. Results demonstrated that these methods showed no repeatability and had a low sensitivity for detecting the pathogen in seeds from areas with disease incidence. They were effective, however, for its detection on artificially inoculated seeds. In the Blotter test method at 7 o C, there was a lower incidence of other fungi considered undesirable during seed analysis.Index terms: Glycine max, seed health, white mold, seed quality. Eficiência de métodos para detecção de

ABSTRACT:White mold caused by the fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is an important disease in relation to soybean. The use of less susceptible genotypes can be a productive strategy in the management of this disease, and the development of an appropriate methodology for soybean inoculation is useful for the differentiation of disease-resistant genotypes. The present study aimed to assess the susceptibility of 77 soybean genotypes based on their reaction to oxalic acid, as well as to determine correlations between three traditional disease assay methods (detached leaf, non-wounded stem and straw tests) and the results of the oxalic acid assay. Oxalic acid susceptibility was assessed by using a wilting score scale. For the other methods, the severity of disease symptoms was assessed. To compare methodologies, the values obtained for the genotypes using each method were categorized into classes, and a severity index was used to represent individuals within each class. All the methods used were efficient for the differentiation of soybean genotypes in terms of susceptibility to S. sclerotiorum; however, the behavior of the genotypes depended on the inoculation method adopted. Even though no significant relationship was identified between the severities of the damage resulting from the methodologies, the rankings acquired from the methods strongly agreed. The oxalic acid method was the most rapid, the least laborious, and was the cheapest compared with the other methods that were used.

Fusarium head blight (FHB) or scab is an important disease of wheat and triticale in Southern Brazil. The fungus Fusarium graminearum has been reported as the causal agent of this disease in Brazil even though other Fusarium species are also associated to FHB in other regions of the world. The aim of this study was to identify species of Fusarium associated with FHB on wheat and RESUMO A giberela ou fusariose da espiga é uma das principais doenças do trigo e triticale no sul do Brasil. A espécie de fungo Fusarium graminearum é citada como agente causal da doença, muito embora, em outros países, outras espécies de Fusarium também estejam associadas à doença. No País, não existem relatos de levantamentos de espécies associadas à doença. O objetivo deste trabalho foi identificar espécies de Fusarium associados à giberela do trigo e triticale procedentes do sul do Brasil, com base na morfologia e no emprego da reação da polimerase em cadeia (PCR) baseada em oligonucletídeos específicos para espécies de Fusarium. A patogenicidade dos isolados em trigo foi avaliada em espigas de plantas cultivadas em casa de vegetação. Os 20 isolados monospóricos analisados, obtidos de espigas doentes e sementes, foram identificados como F. graminearum. triticale in Southern Brazil. The identification was based on morphological features, and uppon polymerase chain reaction using species specific primers. The pathogenicity of the isolates in wheat was evaluated after inoculation of ears under greenhouse conditions. The twenty single spores isolates obtained from diseased ears and seeds were classified as F. graminearum.Additional keywords: scab, Triticum aestivum, Triticosecale, PCR.A giberela ou fusariose da espiga é uma das principais doenças fúngicas do trigo (Triticum aestivum L.) e triticale (Triticosecale sp.) em várias regiões do mundo, nas quais Fusarium graminearum Schwabe [teleomorfo: Gibberella zeae (Scw.) Petch] é descrito como o principal agente causal da doença. Entretanto, outras espécies de Fusarium também estão associadas à doença nos Estados Unidos da América, Canadá, regiões sul e leste da Europa (2, 4). No sul do Brasil apenas F. graminearum está relatada como o agente causal da giberela em cereais de inverno (8).

RESUMO -Objetivou-se, com o presente trabalho, avaliar a viabilidade do uso da restrição hídrica, em substituição ou alternativa ao uso da técnica de congelamento de sementes de trigo, no teste de incubação em substrato de papel, blotter test. O trabalho consistiu na comparação das duas técnicas por meio do exame de 60 amostras de sementes, coletadas em diferentes áreas do Estado de Minas Gerais e outras regiões do país, tendo como restritor hídrico o soluto manitol, no potencial de -1,10 MPa, valor este determinado preliminarmente com base na capacidade de redução da germinação das sementes de trigo em condições do teste de sanidade. A incidência média de Bipolaris sorokiniana não foi afetada por nenhuma das técnicas comparadas, havendo, por outro lado, um maior estímulo da restrição hídrica em relação à Pyricularia grisea, Aspergillus ochraceus, Cladosporium cladosporioides e Epicoccum purpuracens. Para Alternaria alternata, Drechslera tritici-repentis e Fusarium graminearum, os maiores valores de incidência ocorreram no método do congelamento.Termos para indexação: Triticum aestivum, patologia de sementes, blotter test. Potential of water restriction technique for wheat seed health testingABSTRACT -The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of the water restriction technique as an alternative to deep freezing for inhibiting wheat seed germination during blotter test incubation. The two techniques were compared using sixty seed samples collected in different areas of Minas Gerais state and other regions of Brazil. The water restriction established was determined by using manitol, at a potential of -1.10 MPa, based on the results of preliminary essays. The mean incidence of B. sorokiniana was not affected by any of the two techniques. Values for the incidence of Pyricularia grisea, Aspergillus ochraceus, Cladosporium cladosporioides and Epicoccum purpuracens were higher when water restriction was used. On the other hand, values for the incidence of Alternaria alternata, Drechslera triticirepentis and Fusarium graminearum were lower with water restriction. Elongation of the seed radicle can be tolerated to a certain degree during blotter test incubation and the water restriction technique is a potential alternative of the freezing technique for detecting most of the fungi associated with wheat seeds.

ABSTRACT:The objective of this study was to verify the efficiency of the control of white mold on soybean with the use of fungicides applied alone and in rotation, at different growth stages and in a mixture of two active ingredients at three locations: Arapoti, PR, Mauá-da-Serra, PR and Pinhão, PR, Brazil. The fungicides used were carbendazim (Ca), thiophanate methyl (Tm), procymidone (Pr) and fluazinam (Fl). The experiments consisted on 17 treatments and 4 replications in a randomized block design. The analyzed variables were severity, incidence, number of sclerotia and yield. Mauá-da-Serra and Pinhão presented the highest incidences (31% and 29.8% in the control, respectively). At these two locations most of treatments with fungicides decreased the incidence and production of sclerotia, when compared to control; however, no differences in terms of yield were observed. Arapoti presented the lowest incidence (15.8% in the control) where most of treatments with fungicides did not present differences for the variables incidence, production of sclerotia and yield, when compared to the control. No differences were also observed for severity in any of three locations. In conclusion, fungicides applied in soybean areas with historically white mold incidence up to 31% can reduce the disease incidence and sclerotia production levels.