Induced Resistance as a Possible Means to Control Diseases of Strawberry Caused by Phytophthora spp.

Two putative elicitors of disease resistance (acibenzolar-S-methyl and chitosan) were tested for their effect on crown rot (Phytophthora cactorum) in strawberry. The effect of both compounds was enhanced when the time between treatment and inoculation was prolonged from 2 to 20 days. There were no significant differences between treatments when the concentration of acibenzolar-S-methyl was increased from 10 to 1,000 µg a.i./plant. The lowest tested concentrations of chitosan (10 and 50 µg a.i./plant) resulted in a lower disease score compared with the highest concentrations (250 or 1,000 µg a.i./plant). There were no differences in disease score between treatment with fosetyl-Al, acibenzolar-S-methyl, or chitosan when applied 5 or 15 days before inoculation. The effect of acibenzolar-S-methyl and chitosan also was tested against P. fragariae var. fragariae in alpine strawberry (Fragaria vesca var. alpina cv. Alexandria). Chitosan had no effect, whereas fosetyl-Al and all treatments with acibenzolar-S-methyl (50 or 250 µg a.i./plant; 5, 10, 20, or 40 days before inoculation) reduced the severity of the disease. There were no significant differences between acibenzolar-S-methyl and fosetyl-Al when applied at the same time. Acibenzolar-S-methyl and chitosan at concentrations of 0.5, 5, 50, and 500 µg a.i. ml-1 in V8 juice agar were tested for possible effects on P. cactorum and P. fragariae var. fragariae in vitro. Only chitosan at concentrations of 50 and 500 µg a.i. ml-1 had a growth-retarding effect on P. cactorum. Both acibenzolar-S-methyl and chitosan at a concentration of 500 µg a.i. ml-1 reduced the growth rate of P. fragariae var. fragariae.

Chilling resistances of isolates of Pythium ultimum var. ultimum from the Arctic and Temperate Zones.

Chilling resistances in moss pathogenic fungi, Pythium ultimum var. ultimum, from Longyearbyen, Svalbard (78 degree N, 15 degree E), located in the Arctic Zone and in the same isolates from Temperate Zone, were determined. Both strains had similar optimum growth temperatures. However, the strains from Svalbard could grow and survive at 0 - 5 degrees C. In addition, chilling treatment induced irregular mycelial morphology in the Arctic isolates. On the other hand, the isolates from Japan did not grow at temperatures below 5C and were destroyed after chilling stress (0 degree C for 3 days or at 4 degrees C for 1 week). The results suggested that isolates from Svalbard highly adapted to the severe spring condition in Polar environments.

Carbohydrate content and glycosidase activities following cold hardening in two grass species.

The freezing resistance of the grass species Phleum pratense L. (timothy) and Phalaris arundinaces L. increases significantly after cold hardening. The content and composition of soluble carbohydrates were determined in the plants after short day treatment, cold hardening and dehardening. The amounts of mono-, di- and trisaccharides were reduced during the short day treatment, increased during cold hardening and decreased again during dehardening. The total amounts of soluble carbohydrates (mono-, di-, tri- and polysaccharides) were the same in hardened and dehardened plants, indicating that during hardening soluble polysaccharides (fructose polymers, fructans) were converted to mono- and oligosaccharides. Sucrose increased most after hardening conditions and, in P. arundinacea, a significant increase in 1-F-fructosylsucrose (isokestose) was also observed. Invertase (ß-fructofuranosidase. EC 3.2.1.26) activity increased following cold hardening and decreased following dehardening, while the α-galactosidase (EC 3.2.1.22) activity seemed to increase after dehardening. The glycosidases are probably involved in the mobilisation of polysaccharides during cold hardening.