scholarly journals Comparative Studies on the Effect of Adjuvants with Urea to Reduce the Overwintering Inoculum of Venturia inaequalis

Plant Disease ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 103 (3) ◽  
pp. 531-537 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janna Beckerman ◽  
Chelsi Abbott

A 2-year study on the use of organic and conventional adjuvants alone, or mixed with urea, was conducted for management of overwintering inoculum of the apple scab pathogen, Venturia inaequalis. Select adjuvants (LI 700, Bond Max, Latron B-1956, and Organic Wet Betty [OWB]) have the potential to hasten urea-driven leaf litter decomposition and reduce V. inaequalis overwintering inoculum comparable to urea, and that one organic surfactant could perform the same level of leaf decomposition as urea. Combinations of adjuvants with urea significantly improved leaf litter degradation compared with urea alone, concomitant with reducing the number of pseudothecia present and pseudothecium fertility. We demonstrate that the combination of urea with Bond Max or OWB reduced pseudothecia fertility and ascospore production to less than 5% in the remaining pseudothecia, a significantly greater reduction than with urea alone. These results suggest that conventional growers combine urea with Bond Max or OWB to more effectively reduce overwintering inoculum, and that the adjuvant OWB can provide organic growers with comparable performance to urea used in conventional orchards for improved sanitation.

2004 ◽  
Vol 94 (12) ◽  
pp. 1305-1314 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. Carisse ◽  
D. Rolland

Field and in vitro trials were conducted to establish the influence of the biological control agent Microsphaeropsis ochracea on the ejection pattern of ascospores by Venturia inaequalis and on apple scab development, and to establish the best timing of application. The ejection pattern of ascospores was similar on leaves sprayed with M. ochracea and on untreated leaves. Fall application of M. ochracea combined with a delayed-fungicide program was evaluated in orchards with intermediate and high scab risk. For both orchards, it was possible to delay the first three and two infection periods in 1998 and 1999, respectively, without causing significant increase or unacceptable leaf and fruit scab incidence. To evaluate the best timing of application, sterile leaf disks were inoculated with V. inaequalis and then with M. ochracea 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 weeks later. After incubation under optimal conditions for pseudothecia development, the number of ascospores was counted. Similarly, M. ochracea was sprayed on scabbed leaves on seven occasions from August to November 1999 and 2000. Leaves were overwintered on the orchard floor and ascospore production was evaluated the following spring. Ascospore production was reduced by 97 to 100% on leaf disks inoculated with M. ochracea less than 6 weeks after inoculation with V. inaequalis, but ascospore production increased with increasing period of time when M. ochracea was applied 8 to 16 weeks after the inoculation with V. inaequalis. In the orchard, the greatest reduction in production of ascospores (94 to 96% in 2000 and 99% in 2001) occurred on leaves sprayed with M. ochracea in August. The production of ascospores was reduced by 61 to 84% in 2000 and 93% in 2001 on leaves sprayed with M. ochracea in September, reduced by 64 to 86% in 2000 and 74 to 89% in 2001 on leaves sprayed in October, and reduced by 54 and 67% in 2000 and 2001, respectively, on leaves sprayed in November. It was concluded that M. ochracea should be applied in August or September and that ascospore maturation models and delayed-fungicide program could be used in orchards treated with this biological control agent.


Plant Disease ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 101 (3) ◽  
pp. 414-420 ◽  
Author(s):  
Franziska M. Porsche ◽  
Barbara Pfeiffer ◽  
Andreas Kollar

Ascospores of Venturia inaequalis, released from pseudothecia in overwintered, infected apple leaves, serve as the primary inoculum for apple scab. In this study, we tested a new sanitation strategy to reduce ascospore inoculum under orchard conditions over three overwintering periods. After leaf fall, nutrient media containing different concentrations of degraded casein or a yeast extract from Saccharomyces cerivisiae were applied to leaf litter infected with apple scab. The application of 30 and 60% yeast extract showed the greatest efficacy, and significantly reduced ascospore discharge by 99% (P < 0.01) in 2013 and 2014. The efficacy of the treatments did not differ from treatment with 5% urea (P > 0.05). Leaf litter decay was accelerated in the plots treated with yeast extract compared with untreated control plots. Moreover, apple leaves treated with yeast extract had completely decayed due to earthworm activity before ascospore maturity. In comparison, up to 26% of the leaves in untreated control plots had not decayed. These results suggest that the treatment of leaf litter with yeast extract can almost completely eliminate apple scab inoculum in the course of the whole primary season. These sanitation practices may be beneficial for both organic and conventional cultivation. The reduced infection pressure may allow growers the usage of fungicides with lower efficacy or to reduce the number of applications needed to manage apple scab in spring.


1981 ◽  
Vol 59 (6) ◽  
pp. 965-968
Author(s):  
C. C. Heye ◽  
J. H. Andrews ◽  
E. V. Nordheim

The standard water bubbler and a modified tower aspirator for quantifying ascospore productivity were compared. Samples, each consisting of 50 discs, were cut randomly from scab-infected McIntosh apple leaf litter in the spring and 18 samples were processed by each method. The square roots of hemocytometer counts adjusted for unit area or gram dry weight of leaf samples were found to be normally distributed. More spores were harvested from the same amount of leaf material with the bubbler than with the tower. The coefficient of variation for spore yields expressed on a per area or a per gram dry weight basis was smaller for the tower method than for the bubbler, although the values were not significantly different. Where detection of low ascospore productivity is not essential, the tower method is preferable in terms of ease, speed of operation, and the potential for electronic enumeration of harvested ascospores.


1975 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 737-742 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. G. ROSS ◽  
R. J. NEWBERY

Seasonal sprays of the systemic fungicides benomyl, thiophanate-methyl, Bay Dam 18654 and Bavistin applied for the control of apple scab, Venturia inaequalis (Cke.) Wint., either completely or almost completely suppressed the production of ascospores in apple (Malus pumila Mill.) leaves overwintered in the orchard. In vitro production of perithecia on leaves sterilized with propylene oxide was also inhibited by these sprays, although some treatments suppressed ascospore discharge in overwintered leaves that failed to inhibit perithecium formation on the sterile leaves. Ascospore production was also reduced in leaves from spur clusters that had been sprayed with Dikar and metiram. In terminal shoot leaves from Dikar-sprayed trees, ascospore production was higher in leaves collected from near the tip than in leaves collected from near the base of the terminal growth.


2013 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 225-231
Author(s):  
Beata Meszka ◽  
Anna Bielenin

The effect of pre-leaf fall of 5% urea treatment on primary infection of apple by <i>Venturia inaequalis</i>, the cause of scab, was investigated in commercial apple orchards of McIntosh cv. in different regions of Poland, at Miłobądz, Sinołęka and Dąbrowice. Additionally, the development of pseudothecia and maturation of ascospores were evaluated in the spring on apple leaves of two cultivars (McIntosh and Gloster) treated with 5% solution of urea. Microscopic observations of leaves showed that urea treatment significantly reduced the number of pseudothecia (by ca. 90%) and ascospore production. Low number of ascospores after urea treatment has strongly affected primary infection of apple by the fungus in all tested orchards. Reduction of leaf infection on control trees was usually more than 30%. Also efficacy of chemical control of apple scab was significantly higher on plots treated with urea.


2002 ◽  
Vol 55 ◽  
pp. 121-124
Author(s):  
I.J. Horner ◽  
M.B. Horner

Ascospore production from pseudothecia in apple leaf litter in the spring is a critical step in the disease cycle of Venturia inaequalis Leaf litter management is potentially an important component of an integrated pest and disease management strategy An orchard study was carried out in Hawkes Bay to investigate the relationships between the incidence of black spot on leaves in autumn the density of apple leaf litter on the orchard floor in spring and the number of ascospores produced in spring A total of 22 blocks on eight orchards were surveyed for black spot incidence in autumn 2000 The following spring remaining leaf litter was measured and ascospore production was quantified using spore traps Autumn black spot levels and spring litter levels were accurate predictors of spring ascospore production Management strategies employed on different blocks influenced spring leaf litter and ascospore levels Blocks with high autumn black spot generally had high spring ascospore production Management practices that substantially reduced litter levels resulted in reduced V inaequalis inoculum


2008 ◽  
Vol 61 ◽  
pp. 54-58
Author(s):  
P.N. Wood ◽  
R.M. Beresford ◽  
T.J. Taylor

In autumn 2006 apple leaves with visible scab (black spot) symptoms were collected at the time of leaf fall and dipped in fungicides at concentrations equivalent to field application rates The leaves were overwintered on gravel and ascospore production measured on three dates during the following spring using suction spore traps Of ten fungicides tested myclobutanil trifloxystrobin captan dodine tolyfluanid and cyprodinil either reduced or delayed ascospore production by Venturia inaequalis during the following spring compared with a waterdipped control Metiram dithianon urea and copper hydroxide had a minimal effect on ascospore production Leaves from a separate orchard trial produced significantly fewer ascospores after myclobutanil treatment than after captan treatment Captan and tolyfluanid are recommended for autumn application to control scab because they significantly reduced or delayed ascospore production and have a low risk of selecting resistant strains of V inaequalis Although also effective myclobutanil trifloxystrobin dodine and cyprodinil should not be used for autumn application because of the risk of fungicide resistance


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