Field evaluation and components of peanut rust resistance of newly developed breeding lines

ABSTRACT Field, greenhouse, and growth chamber experiments were conducted to determine the level of resistance to Puccinia arachidis Speg. in newly developed breeding lines of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.). These lines were developed in the UF150 project of the Peanut Collaborative Research and Support Program (Peanut CRSP) as part of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Field experiments were carried out in Citra, FL and Tifton, GA from 2010 to 2013. Five genotypes Tifrust-10 and Tifrust-13, and CRSP breeding lines PTBOL3-3, 97x36-HO2-1-B2G-3-1-2-2, and BOL3-7 had the lowest standardized area under the disease progress curve and final disease severity score for rust. The CRSP breeding lines 97x36-HO2-1-B2G-3-1-2-2 and BOL3-7 also appeared to be highly resistant to late leaf spot, caused by Cercosporidium personatum (Berk & M. A. Curtis Deighton). In growth chamber studies, genotypes with longer latent periods generally had lower infection frequencies at 7, 11, and 16 d after inoculation, and smaller percent diseased areas. Latent period and percent diseased area were significantly correlated with stAUDPC. CRSP breeding lines 97x36-HO2-1-B2G-3-1-2-2 and BOL3-7, and plant introductions PI562530, PI568164, and PI298115, were among the genotypes with the lower scores for these components. Several genotypes with multiple disease resistance in different environments and under high disease pressure were identified in these studies. These results indicate sources of rust resistance in the CRSP breeding lines, including several genotypes that could be used as parents in peanut germplasm enhancement programs, and indicate that latent period, percent diseased area, and lesion diameter may be used as indicators for rust resistance in growth chamber studies.

Inoculation Method, Temperature, and Relative Humidity Affect Leaf and Neck Anthracnose, a New Onion Disease in Michigan

Leaf and neck anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum coccodes is a new disease of onion in Michigan. To test the effect of inoculation method, Prince onion seedlings were grown in the greenhouse and inoculated with either a conidial suspension of C. coccodes (alone or with an abrasive agent) or infested millet seed (dry or wet, 2 or 5 g). Foliar disease severity was greater when a conidial suspension (>39%) was used compared with infested millet seed (≤24.3%). Growth chamber studies were conducted using Infinity onion seedlings that were inoculated with a conidial suspension spray to determine the effects of temperature (15, 20, 25, or 30°C) and duration (0, 12, 24, 48, or 72 h) of high (95 ± 5%) relative humidity (RH) on disease severity (percentage of leaf area with C. coccodes lesions). Significant differences and interactions among temperature and RH were observed. The combination of high temperature (≥25°C) and extended (≥24 h) high RH resulted in >20% disease severity 28 days postinoculation. Results suggest that onion leaf and neck anthracnose symptoms are likely to be more severe when the environmental conditions are ≥25°C with ≥24 h of high RH.

Polyamine Application Effects on Gibberellic Acid Content in Creeping Bentgrass during Drought Stress

Polyamines (PAs), spermine (Spm), and spermidine (Spd) may enhance the abiotic stress tolerance and growth of creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera). Growth chamber studies were conducted to investigate the effect of PA application on the physiological response and hormone content in creeping bentgrass ‘Penn-G2’ under drought. Spm (1 mm) and Spd (5 mm) were applied exogenously under drought or well-watered conditions. PA-treated plants maintained significantly higher turf quality (TQ), relative water content (RWC), photochemical efficiency, and membrane health while maintaining lower canopy temperature. Spm at the 1-mm rate had a 2.46-fold higher osmotic adjustment (OA) at 10 d compared with control plants. A greater content of gibberellic acid (GA) isoforms (GA1, GA4, and GA20) were observed compared with controls during both studies for PA-treated plants under drought. After 7 days of drought stress in Expt.1, GA1 levels were 3.26 higher for Spm 1-mm-treated plants compared with drought controls. GA4 contents were 69% and 65% higher compared with drought-stressed-untreated plants for Spd 5-mm application after 9 and 11 days. Higher levels of GA20 were observed at 10 days (Spd 5 mm, 108.9% higher) due to PA treatment compared with drought controls. In addition to differential regulation of GA isoforms, we observed enhanced abscisic acid (ABA) due to PA application; however, not on a consistent basis. This study showed that PA application may play a role in GA1, GA4, and ABA accumulation in creeping bentgrass ‘Penn G-2’ under drought stress.

Grain sorghum transpiration efficiency at different growth stages

Transpiration efficiency (TE) is an important physiological trait associated with drought tolerance of plants. Currently, little is known about the grain sorghum TE and its dynamics with the age of plants. To compare the sorghum TE at different growth stages, four studies (two in the greenhouse and two in the growth chamber) were conducted under controlled environmental conditions. Plants were grown in lid-covered boxes and harvested at six-leaf, flag leaf, grain filling and maturity stages. The mean shoot TE values were 4.47 and 4.10 kg/m³ for two greenhouse studies, and 4.85 and 4.30 kg/m³ for two growth chamber studies, respectively. The shoot TE was not different among four growth stages within each study, suggesting that sorghum plants used the same amount of water per unit of biomass production for different growing periods. Because crops grown under dryland environments often run out of water during reproductive periods, result supports the ideas that soil water availability at later growth stages is crucial to achieve the yield potential of dryland sorghum.

Polyamine Content Changes in Creeping Bentgrass Exposed to Salt Stress

Salt stress is a major problem in turfgrass management. Investigation of metabolites, such as polyamines (PAs) that may improve salt tolerance of turfgrass species, is needed. Two independent growth chamber studies were conducted to evaluate physiological characteristics and changes in PAs, such as putrescine (Put), spermidine (Spd), and spermine (Spm), in response to salt stress in ‘Penncross’ and ‘PsgSLTZ’ creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera). The study also aimed to determine a method of PA extraction to improve PA yields from creeping bentgrass. Salt solutions were drench applied to plants growing in pure sand daily in a stepwise manner for ≈70 days in both studies. For both cultivars, salt stress caused an increase in leaf Na+ content, percent of electrolyte leakage (EL), and canopy temperature depression (CTD) while it caused a decrease in turf quality (TQ), osmotic potential (Ψs), and K+ and Ca2+ content compared with controls. In the early stages of salt stress, Put content increased in salt-stressed plants compared with controls. Spd content did not change significantly while a transient increase in Spm was observed in the later stage of salt stress. The PA quantification method used in this study included using formic acid during the extraction process, which exhibited enhanced quantification of PAs from creeping bentgrass compared with other methods previously published. Salinity stress upregulated the content of Put and Spm in leaf tissue, which may be involved in salinity tolerance in creeping bentgrass, while Spd accumulation may not be a major salt tolerance mechanism; supplementation with these biochemical compounds could be an alternative to improve creeping bentgrass salt tolerance.

Synthetic Auxin Herbicides Control Germinating Scotch Broom (Cytisus scoparius)

Scotch broom is a large, nonnative shrub that has invaded forests and grasslands in 27 U.S. states. Without treatment, Scotch broom's persistent seedbank ensures a continuing source of regeneration after soil disturbance. In growth chamber studies, five rates of three synthetic auxin herbicides, aminocyclopyrachlor (AC), aminopyralid (AP), and clopyralid (CP), were compared for PRE control of Scotch broom. Cumulative 90-d emergence, mortality, and biomass of seedlings did not vary among herbicides, averaging 42% of seeds sown, 75% of emerged seedlings, and 9 mg seedling−1 for treated containers, respectively, versus 46%, 17%, and 26 mg seedling−1 for nontreated containers. Low rates of each herbicide (< 50% of the maximum labeled rate [MLR]) provided 60 to 80% control, whereas 100% MLR provided 69 to 89% control. Although the herbicides differed in cost per unit seedling mortality (AP < CP < AC), each demonstrated strong potential as a viable treatment for PRE control of Scotch broom.

Growth, Reproductive Potential, and Control Strategies for Deeproot Sedge (Cyperus entrerianus)

Greenhouse, growth chamber, and field studies were conducted at Stoneville, MS, in 2000 to 2008, to determine the growth rate, reproductive and overwintering potential, and control of deeproot sedge. In growth chamber studies, deeproot sedge growth rate (ht) and plant dry wt were greatest at 25/35 C (night/day temperatures), when compared with regimes of 5/15, 15/25, and 20/30 C. Based on the average number of scales (fruiting sites per spikelet), spikelets per inflorescence, and culms per plant, deeproot sedge reproductive potential was 2.6-, 6.2-, and 17.4-fold greater than Surinam, green, and knob sedges, respectively. A single deeproot sedge plant produced an average of 85,500 achenes annually. Mowing at 15-cm ht weekly prevented achene production but did not kill deeproot sedge plants. The average number of inflorescences produced on mowed plants was 1.2 to 4 times greater in 2- and 1-yr-old deeproot sedge plants, respectively, when compared with unmowed plants. Mature deeproot sedge achenes were produced between monthly mowings. In a 3-yr field study, glyphosate, glufosinate, hexazinone, and MSMA provided more than 85% control of deeproot sedge, and above the soil, live deeproot sedge plant dry wt was reduced by 50, 64, 68, 72, 86, and 93% by dicamba, halosulfuron-methyl, MSMA, hexazinone, glufosinate, and glyphosate, respectively. All (100%) deeproot sedge plants 1 yr old or older overwintered at Stoneville, MS, at 33°N latitude.

Effect of Wetness Duration and Temperature on the Development of Anthracnose on Selected Almond Tissues and Comparison of Cultivar Susceptibility

Blossoms, leaves, fruit, and woody tissues of almond can be affected by anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum acutatum. Because the disease occurs throughout rainy spring seasons, the effect of temperature and wetness duration on disease development was evaluated in controlled studies. The lowest inoculum concentration where disease developed on leaves was 104 conidia/ml. Longer wetness durations were needed for leaves than for blossoms and disease increased linearly with increasing wetness durations. Inoculation temperature mainly affected final disease levels. Temperature during incubation affected the rate of disease development, while final disease levels were very similar at 10, 15, or 20°C. An analysis of covariance was performed to compare regressions of the effects of wetness and temperature on disease development for several almond cultivars. For blossom inoculations at 15°C in growth-chamber studies, a common slope model was statistically sufficient to describe all four cultivars. Cultivar Nonpareil (NP) had a significantly (P < 0.05) lower adjusted means at the midpoint than cultivars Carmel (CA), NePlus Ultra (NU), and Wood Colony (WC). For blossom inoculations at 20°C and for leaf inoculations at all temperatures evaluated, an unequal slope model was statistically justified for comparing regression lines. For blossoms, the slopes were significantly different (P < 0.05) for pair-wise comparisons of CA-NU, NU-WC, and NP-WC. For leaves, most of the cultivars responded differently to infection at different temperatures. Two of the pair-wise comparisons demonstrated unequal slopes at all three temperatures evaluated (i.e., NU-NP and NU-WC). Overall, for blossoms and leaves, NP was the least susceptible, NU was the most susceptible, and WC and CA showed an intermediate susceptibility. In field blossom and fruit studies, a common slope model was statistically sufficient to describe all four cultivars. NP had a significantly lower midpoint (i.e., was less susceptible) than CA or WC, whereas no significant difference (P > 0.1) occurred in comparisons between CA and WC.