Study of inoculation and disease evaluation techniques for Sclerotinia stalk rot (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) of soybean

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Date
2007-11
Authors
Botha, Chrisna
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University of the Free State
Abstract
English: • Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary causes destructive diseases on numerous plant species worldwide. The pathogen has a host range of more than 400 plant species including agricultural crops such as sunflower, dry beans, soybeans, potatoes, carrots and groundnuts. It was first reported on soybean as causing Sclerotinia stem rot in South Africa in 1979 and is currently common throughout the local production areas. To date no reliable and economically feasible method of control has been developed and local cultivars lack significant levels of resistance. As a result, the disease causes extensive quantitative as well as qualitative losses. • The objectives of this study were to compare various inoculation techniques for S. sclerotiorum on soybeans in the greenhouse; determine the optimum conditions for infection, evaluate commercial cultivars for resistance to Sclerotinia stem rot in greenhouse; to determine an economically feasible and effective control method (chemical and biological) for Sclerotinia stem rot and to determine the genetic relationship and isolate variation of various S. sclerotiorum isolates collected from local production fields. • Greenhouse evaluations of six different inoculation techniques on four soybean cultivars were conducted. Leaf damage and wilting incidence were evaluated using a 0–5 disease rating scale. Infection levels induced by various inoculation techniques differed and a spray mycelium method proved to be the most consistent and effective. An inoculation technique x cultivar interaction was recorded, especially when wounding of plants was included. • Temperature and leaf wetness duration studies were conducted in the greenhouse. Optimum temperatures for disease development were determined at 20.90-22.75°C. Results indicated that high humidity or free moisture are critical for disease development and disease incidence and severity increased with increasing RH. Field evaluations indicated that the optimum temperature and humidity were 22.75°C and 95.37% respectively. Multiple regression analyses indicated that these were the only variables significantly related to disease potential. • Various chemical and biological control agents are commercially available but these fail to control the disease effectively. Laboratory results revealed that chemicals applied at the regulatory rate failed to control mycelium growth effectively as opposed to the double rates which were effective throughout the evaluations. Biological control has the potential to act as a mycoparasite and suppress S. sclerotiorum. However further research is needed to optimize effectiveness. Benomyl and procymidone proved to be the most effective treatments in the laboratory and greenhouse. Application time relative to inoculation had a small but significant effect, indicating the need for correct application time. • Growth studies, oxalic acid analysis, AFLP analysis and pathogenicity studies indicated genetic variation among the 18 isolates used in the current study. Isolates reacted differently to the various temperatures during growth studies and optimum growth was observed at 20°C. Some isolates were able to grow more readily at higher temperature than others. Isolates varied significantly in oxalic acid production but no correlation was recorded with the AFLP results which indicated small variation within isolates. Oxalic acid production by isolates could also not be correlated with pathogenicity although isolates varied in their ability to cause wilting and leaf damage.
Afrikaans: • Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib) de Bary is ‘n vernietigende patogeen op verskeie plante wêreldwyd. Die patogeen het ‘n gasheer reeks van meer as 400 plant spesies en kom veral voor op agronomiese belangrike gewasse soos sonneblom, droë bone, sojabone, aartappels, wortels and grondbone. Dit is die eerste keer op sojabone in Suid-Afrika geraporteer in 1979 en kom tans algemeen voor in die plaaslike produksiegebiede. ‘n Betroubare en ekonomies bekostigbare metode van beheer is tans nie beskikbaar nie en betekenisvolle weerstand in die plaaslike sojaboon kultivars teen Sclerotinia stamvrot ontbreek wat ernstige oesverliese tot gevolg het. • Die doel van die studie was om verskeie inokulasie metodes te evalueer in die glashuis; om optimale omstandighede vir infeksie vas te stel; om huidige kommersiële kultivars vir weerstand teen sclerotinia stamvrot te evalueer in die glashuis; om ‘n ekonomies bekostigbare en effektiewe beheer metode te ontwikkel (biologies en chemies) en om die isolaat variasie en patogenisiteit van verskeie S. sclerotiorum isolate vanaf plaaslike produksiegebiede vas te stel. • Glashuisevaluasies van ses verskillende inokulasie metodes op vier sojaboon kultivars is gedoen. Die blaarskade en voorkoms van verwelking is vasgestel op ‘n 0-5 siekte skaal. Siektevoorkoms het getoon dat die verkeie metodes van mekaar verskil en dat die ‘n spuit muselium metode die mees effektiefste was. Duidelike verkille tussen kultivars is gevind. Daar is gevind dat kultivars verskillend reageer teenoor die verskillende inokulasiemetodes wat gebruik is, veral waar besering van die plant weefsel teenwoordig is. • Temperatuur en blaaroppervlak-vog studies is in die glashuis gedoen. Die optimale temperatuur vir die ontwikkeling van Sclerotinia stamvrot is vasgestel as 20.90°C en 22.75°C. Hoë humiditeit of vog is noodsaaklik vir siekte ontwikkeling en die siekte het toegeneem in beide die glashuis en die veld soos die RH verhoog het. Veld-evaluasie het getoon dat die optimum temperatuur en RH bereken was by 22.75°C en 95.37% onderskeidelik. Veelvoudige regressie analises het getoon dat hierdie die enigste veranderlikes was wat met siekte ontwikkeling gepaard gegaan het. • Verskeie chemiese en biologiese beheer-metodes is kommersiëel beskikbaar, maar beheer van Sclerotinia stamvrot deur die agente ontbreek steeds. Laboratorium resultate het getoon dat die chemiese middels toegedien teen die gespesifiseerde dosis nie die fungus effektief kon beheer nie teenoor die dubbel-dosis wat regdeur die evaluasie effektief was. Biologiese beheer-agente het die vermoë en potensiaal om S. sclerotiorum te beheer maar verdere navorsing is nodig om die effektiwiteit te verhoog. Benomyl en Sumisclex was die mees effektiefste agente gedurende die studie in die laboratorium en die glashuis. Siekte onderdrukking het verskil tussen behandelings. Toedienings-tyd het slegs ‘n klein invloed gehad wat die tekort vir die korrekte toedienings tyd uitwys. • Isolaatvariasie en patogenisiteitverskille is gevind tussen die verskillende isolate. Isolate het verskillend gereageer op die temperature gedurende die groeistudie evaluasie en die optimale swamgroei was gevind by 20°C. Isolate het merkbaar verskil in die vermoë om oksaalsuur te produseer. Geen korrelasie is egter gevind tussen laasgenoemde resultate en die AFLP resultate wat getoon het dat daar slegs ‘n klein variasie tussen die isolate is nie. Patogenisiteit evaluasie in die glashuis het getoon dat isolate verskil in die vermoë on blaarskade en verwelking by kultivars te veroorsaak.
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Soybean -- Disease and pest resistance -- Genetic aspects, Legumes -- Inoculation, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Dissertation (M.Sc.Agric. (Plant Sciences: Plant Pathology))--University of the Free State, 2007
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