Survival and infectivity of oospores in soils naturally infested with P. infestans oospores were studied in central Mexico. Sporangia were selectively eliminated from soil samples to determine infectivity attributable to the presence of oospores. Selective elimination of sporangia was achieved by two cycles of wetting and drying the soil. Oospore concentration, viability, and infectivity varied among soils collected during the winter fallow in different locations of central Mexico. In some soils, oospores were infective regardless of the time at which they were collected during the winter fallow. However, oospore viability and infectivity decreased following 2 years of intercropping. The number of stem lesions and initial disease severity were significantly higher in soils with moderate (20 to 39 oospores g-1 soil) oospore infestation compared with soils with low (0 to 19 oospores g-1 soil) infestation. Our study confirms that oospores can survive winter fallow and serve as a source of primary inoculum in the central highlands of Mexico. Oospore survival appeared lower in the Toluca Valley soil, which may be an indication of soil suppressiveness.

Potato zebra chip disease (ZC), a threat to potato production in the USA, Mexico, New Zealand, and Central America, is associated with the bacterium BCandidatus Liberibacter solanacearum^(Cls) that is vectored by the potato psyllid (Bactericera cockerelli Sulc.). ZC control currently depends on insecticide applications, but sustainable control will require development of resistant and/or tolerant varieties. This study characterized four promising potato lines (246, 865, 510 and NAU) exposed to Cls-positive adult psyllids in choice and no-choice assays for ZC resistance. Psyllids preferred to settle on Atlantic over 246 and 865, and oviposit on Atlantic compared to 510. However, tolerance to ZC appeared more dependent on host responses to Cls infection. All four of these potato genotypes exhibited putative ZC tolerance in raw tubers compared to the susceptible commercial variety Atlantic. Expressed tolerance was associated with reduced concentrations of phenolic compounds in Cls-infected raw * S. M.

L?pez-Delgado, H., Mora-Herrera, M. E., Zavaleta-Mancera, H. A., Cadena-Hinojosa, M., Scott, I. M. (2004). Salicylic acid enhances heat tolerance and potato virus X (PVX) elimination during thermotherapy of potato microplants. American Journal of Potato Research, 81 (3), 171-176A modification of the standard thermotherapy used to eliminate virus from potato virus X (PVX)-infectedSolanum tuberosum microplants of the Mexican National Potato Program is described here. Microplants were cultured with or without 10-5 M salicylic acid (SA) for 4 wk, then subcultured without SA and exposed to 42 C for 30 days. Survival was more consistent in SA-treated microplants: among seven genotypes, 40% to 100% of SA-treated microplants and 0% to 96% of controls survived at the end of thermotherapy. SA also improved survival of the post-thermotherapy subculture. Among surviving microplants, SA increased the virus-free yield to 100% from 40% to 65% in the controls. In an additional 30 PVX(+) genotypes, 98% of surviving SA-treated microplants were virus-free after thermotherapy, compared to 75% of controls. SA-treated microplants had lower catalase activity and higher hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) levels.Peer reviewe

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