No abstract

The development of Sclerotinia blight, caused by Sclerotinia minor Jagger under various environmental conditions, was studied in field plots of peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.). The peanut plant canopy was modified to produce desired environmental parameters. The m&cations included the thinning of canopy foliage to allow air circulation that would decrease canopy humidity and the addition of water-filled troughs under an unthinned canopy &at would increase humidity. Canopy relative humidity and soil moisture under the canopy was decreased by canopy thinning. Following infection by S, minor, the number of infection foci and disease development was reduced in the thinned canopy; however, thinning also reduced pod yield. Disease development was not increased, nor was yield affected by the addition of the water-filled troughs which increased humidity levels in the canopy. Soil moisture and canopy light interception were important variables in multiple linear regression models for the disease severity index and longest lesion length in the thinned and unthinned-trough plots.

No abstract

Pythium aphanidermatum, with an optimum temperature for growth at 35C, grew welland was readily isolated from soil on pimaricin-vancomycin medium (MPVM) when incubated for 24h at 38-40C. The pH of the medium affected recovery; maximum numbers developed above pH 6.0. Other Pythium spp. were recovered on MPVM at 20-25C, but were excluded by incubation at 38-40C. These Pythium spp. included P. ultimun, P. paroecandrum, P. irregular, P. mamillatum, and an unidentified Pythium sp. These species grew well and were readily siolated from soil on gallic acid medium (GAM) when incubated for 24-8h at 20 C.P. aphanidermatum and P. myriotylum grew from mycelium on GAM, but their oospores did not germinate nor could they be isolated from soilon this medium. P. myriotylum grew well on MPVM, but was only rarely isolated, evenfrom soils with known high potential for disease caused by P. myriotylum. Propagules of Pythium were enumerated by a plate-dilution frequency method or by a smearplateethod is valuable for studies on the ecology, survival, and inoculum potential in soils with mixed populations of P. aphanidermatum and other Pythium spp.

Clusters of abundant appressoria formed from branching hyphae of mycelial inoculum of Pythium myriotylum on the surface of bean hypocotyls and roots. Pythium aphanidermatum usually produced single appressoria, but sometimes small clusters of appressoria. Pythium ultimum produced only single appressoria. Early pathogenesis of all species was characterized by rapid radial growth of hyphae in the epidermal cells, which was more rapid than in the cortex. These hyphae were constricted at the host cell walls. Invaded tissue and adjacent cells stained differently from healthy cells with all isolates. Aerial hyphae were produced from vesicles below the cuticle or within epidermal cells soon after infection was established. Safranin-staining materials were observed in the xylem, phloem, and tannin sacs. Zoospores of P. myriotylum and P. aphanidermatum germinated and produced long prepenetration hyphae, which branched and formed single appressoria. Oospores of P. myriotylum, P. aphanidermatum, and P. ultimum, after germination, produced branched hyphae and single appressoria. Penetration, rapid advance through epidermal cells, and ramification of cortical and vascular tissue were identical with those of mycelial inoculum. Sporangia of all three species formed intercellularly and intracellulary within 48 h and predominantly in the epidermis and upper cortex. Oogonia were produced intercellularly and intracellularly in 4 day s throughout the tissue, but mainly in the inner two thirds of the cortex. Sporangia of P. myriotylum and P. aphanidermatum in infected bean hypocotyls germinated within 3 h when flooded with tap water and produced zoospores within 6 h. When similar tissue was air-dried for 3 days or rapidly dried for 3 h. there was neither germination nor zoospore production.