Microrganismos associados a frutos de diferentes cultivares de noz Pecan

O conhecimento do comportamento natural da nogueira Pecan às principais doenças é de suma importância para o estabelecimento do planejamento da implantação da cultura. O controle fitossanitário e tratos culturais devem ser realizados de modo a não comprometerem a qualidade do produto final, as amêndoas. Foram avaliadas nozes produzidas na safra de 2005 e oriundas de Uraí-PR, pelas cultivares Burkett, Frotscher e Moneymaker, para identificar e quantificar os microrganismos associados à amêndoas e cascas dos frutos, bem como observar diferenças entre organismos colonizadores das cultivares. Os frutos foram avaliados na pós-colheita, aos trinta dias de armazenamento em ambiente, através da metodologia do papel de filtro, sendo submetidos ou não à assepsia superficial. O fungo Cladosporium caryigenum, promotor da rancificação das amêndoas foi observado, em amêndoas e cascas, nas cultivares Burkett, Frotscher e Moneymaker; Fusarium sp., foi encontrado em porcentuais elevados, tanto em amêndoas quanto em cascas das três cultivares estudadas; Cephalothecium roseum, causador do mofo róseo em amêndoas, na cultivar Frotscher. Aspergillus sp. e Penicillium sp., causadores de emboloramento e produtores de aflotoxinas foram observados em porcentuais representativos, em amêndoas da cultivar Frotscher e em amêndoas e cascas das cultivares Frotscher, Burkett e Moneymaker, respectivamente. Os maiores porcentuais de perda do rendimento foram observados na cultivar Burkett, por causa da incidência de Colletotrichum sp., causador da antracnose em amêndoas, que acarreta escurecimento e deterioração do produto final, levando-o ao descarte.

Pathogenic Variation of Cladosporium caryigenum Isolates and Corresponding Differential Resistance in Pecan

To facilitate the breeding of scab-resistant pecan [Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh.) C. Koch] cultivars, more information is needed about the pathogenic variation of the causal organism, Cladosporium caryigenum (Ell. et Lang.) Gottwald (1982). This study examined the virulence patterns resulting from the field inoculations of 19 pecan cultivars with 12 monoconidial isolates from 8 pecan cultivars at 7 locations. The virulence pattern was different for each of the fungal isolates. Each isolate was virulent on some cultivars and avirulent on others. Most isolates were most virulent on the cultivar of their origin and one or a few other cultivars. Several cultivars were resistant to most of the tested isolates. The results indicate a large pool of differential and ephemeral resistance to scab resides in the pecan germplasm. Microscopic examination of developing lesions suggests that resistance is mediated by the speed of plant cell wall modifications that limit the growth of subcuticular hyphae. This information will be useful in the selection of cultivars with functionally different resistance genes for use in designing cultivar mixtures or in breeding programs.

A Detached Leaf Technique for Studying Race-specific Resistance to Cladosporium caryigenum in Pecan

A detached leaf screening technique was developed for studying specific interactions between pecan [Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh.) C. Koch] cultivars and isolates of the pecan scab fungus, Cladosporium caryigenum. Monoconidial isolates were obtained from leaf scab lesions on `Wichita', `Desirable', `Cape Fear', and `Elliot'. Each isolate was then inoculated onto detached leaves of each of the four cultivars and fungal growth was observed under the microscope after eight days. `Wichita', `Desirable', and `Cape Fear' isolates produced subcuticular hyphae at a much higher frequency when inoculated back onto the cultivar from which they were isolated in comparison to the other cultivars. The `Elliot' isolate was able to produce a high frequency of subcuticular hyphae when inoculated onto `Elliot' and `Cape Fear', but not when inoculated onto `Desirable' and `Wichita'. Field inoculations conducted with the `Wichita' and `Desirable' isolates validated the detached leaf protocol. The results obtained indicate that pecan scab is composed of multiple races with a high degree of specificity for host cultivars. A rapid whole-leaf staining system is presented which appears to have wide applicability to assessing fungal growth in leaves.

Sensitivity of Cladosporium caryigenum to Propiconazole and Fenbuconazole

Monoconidial isolates of the pecan scab fungus, Cladosporium caryigenum, were obtained in 1993 and 1994 from one pecan orchard each in Jeff Davis and Troup counties in Georgia, counties with no previous history of exposure to demethylation-inhibiting (DMI) fungicides. Isolates were grown on potato dextrose agar (PDA) amended with propiconazole or fenbuconazole at 0,0.0001, 0.0005, 0.001, 0.005, 0.01, 0.05, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, or 5.0 µg ml-1. After 4 to 5 weeks at 25°C, the diameter of each colony was measured. Relative growth was expressed as the colony diameter for each fungicide concentration as a percentage of the diameter on unamended PDA. (ED)50 values for both fungicides in all years and locations were lognormally distributed. Mean (ED)50 values ranged from 0.19 to 0.30 µg ml-1 for fenbuconazole and 0.12 to 0.17 µg ml-1 for propiconazole. There were highly significant positive correlations between sensitivity to propiconazole and sensitivity to fenbuconazole at all locations and years, indicating significant potential for development of cross-resistance to these compounds. A discriminatory concentration of 0.2 µg ml-1 propiconazole was selected for further monitoring of DMI sensitivity. With this discriminatory concentration, a sample size of 50 isolates was estimated to be sufficient to detect a difference of 8.3% in mean relative growth between two populations.

Levels of a Hydrojuglone Glucoside in Developing Pecan Leaves in Relation to Scab Susceptibility

Polyphenols were analyzed in expanding buds and developing leaves of pecan [Carya illinoensis (Wangenh.) C. Koch] cultivars with varying responses to Cladosporium caryigenum (Ell. et Lang. Gottwald), the organism causing scab. Plant tissue extracts were examined by high-performance liquid chromatography using a water: methanol gradient to separate polyphenolic components on a C-18 reversed phase column. A diode-array detector was used to identify profile components by retention times and computer matching of ultraviolet spectra to standard compounds in a library. Concentrations of these polyphenols were compared throughout the growing season in leaves of pecan cultivars with low (`Elliott'), intermediate (`Stuart'), and high (`Wichita') susceptibility to scab; during susceptibility to infection by Cladosporium caryigenum from 16 cultivars; and in `Wichita' leaf discs with and without scab lesions. The major polyphenolic constituent of tissues for all cultivars was identified as hydrojuglone glucoside, which was detected in intact buds and leaves throughout the growing season. Hydrojuglone glucoside concentration increased concomitantly with leaf expansion and then declined slowly. Juglone was barely, if at all, detectable, regardless of leaf age. No correlation was found between cultivar susceptibility to pecan scab and the levels of either juglone or hydrojuglone glucoside in the healthy leaves of 16 cultivars. Leaf tissue with scab lesions had significantly higher juglone and hydrojuglone glucoside levels than leaf discs without scab lesions. Chemical names used: 4-8-dihydroxy-1-naphthyl b-d-glucopyranoside (hydrojuglone glucoside); 1,5-hydroxy-naphthoquinone (juglone).