Effects of silicon dioxide, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide nanoparticles on Meloidogyne incognita, Alternaria dauci and Rhizoctonia solani disease complex of carrot.

Foliar spray of silicon dioxide (SiO2 NPs), zinc oxide (ZnO NPs) and titanium dioxide (TiO2 NPs) nanoparticles were used for the management of Meloidogyne incognita, Alternaria dauci and Rhizoctonia solani disease complex of carrot. Foliar spray of SiO2 NPs/ZnO NPs or TiO2 NPs increased plant growth attributes, chlorophyll and carotenoid of carrot. Foliar spray of 0.10 mg ml-1 SiO2 NPs caused the highest increase in plant growth, chlorophyll and carotenoid content of leaves followed by spray of 0.10 mg ml-1 ZnO NPs, 0.05 mg ml-1 SiO2 NPs, 0.05 mg ml-1 ZnO NPs, 0.10 mg ml-1 TiO2 NPs and 0.05 mg ml-1 TiO2 NPs. Use of SiO2 NPs caused a higher reduction in root galling, nematode multiplication and disease indices followed by ZnO NPs and TiO2 NPs. Two principal components analysis showed a total of 97.84% overall data variance in plants inoculated with single pathogen and 97.20% in plants inoculated with two or more pathogens. Therefore, foliar spray of SiO2 NPs appears interesting for the management of disease complex of carrot.

Identification of a wild carrot as carrot psylla (Bactericera trigonica) attractant and host plant chemistry.

Carrot psylla is one of the devastating pests of carrot throughout northern Europe and the Mediterranean basin. Here we characterized the behavioral response of psylla females towards different carrot germplasm and identified the chemical cues involved in the host selection of psylla females by oviposition choice experiments and metabolic profiling of leaf volatiles. In choice assays, carrot psylla displayed differential responses to tested 14 germplasm. Among germplasm, wild accessions 21793 and 20465 were highly preferred by carrot psylla, while wild accessions 20465 and the orange cultivar Nairobi were less. In non-choice experiments conducted only with this four-germplasm revealed that the carrot psylla females gave higher preference to the Nairobi and wild accession 20465, indicating the vicinity to other host plants in the same area might affect female preference. Moreover, the nymph development and survival experiments showed the lowest nymphs survival rate on the wild accessions 21793 and 20497. Furthermore, the volatile emissions among different carrot cultivars infested with psylla showed qualitative and quantitative differences versus intact plants. Among these volatiles, apiol, ß-asarone, myristicin, and sabinene showed a relationship with psyllas growth and survival. We also showed that myristicin and sabinene exogenous applications caused a dramatic reduction in the number of eggs laid by psylla and subsequent nymph survival. This is an initial study of the volatiles that mediate attraction and oviposition preference of carrot psylla in response to its host plant. The results from this study provide baseline information for the development of new control strategies against carrot psylla.

Multi-Year Field Evaluation of Fluorinated Nematicides Against Meloidogyne incognita in Carrots.

California grows approximately 80% of the U.S. carrot production. The primary production challenges derive from root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.). Between 2013 and 2016, we evaluated three novel fluorinated nonfumigant nematicides in five field trials. Fluensulfone, fluopyram, and fluazaindolizine were applied as product-ready formulations at various rates, dates, and formulations. They were rated for their efficacy against the Southern root-knot nematode (M. incognita), their ability to mitigate nematode-caused crop damage, and potential to produce marketable carrot yield under high disease pressure. All trials were conducted in randomized complete block designs in M. incognita-infested, sandy-loam fields. Soil population of M. incognita at seeding and harvest, midseason plant vigor and fibrous root galling, harvest taproot galling, and marketable carrot yield were analyzed by ANOVA. Midseason gall ratings were indicative of disease ratings at harvest. All fluazaindolizine and fluensulfone treatments reduced at-harvest galling compared with the untreated controls. Fluopyram resulted in less galling but did not sufficiently protect the lower part of the taproot. Overall, fluazaindolizine at 2.24 kg/ha resulted in the most consistent and highest marketable carrot yield, followed by fluensulfone at 2.95 kg/ha. Both fluazaindolizine and fluensulfone will likely provide effective and target-selective crop protection against root-knot nematodes in fresh carrot production.

Microsatellite markers reveal two genetic groups in European populations of the carrot cyst nematode Heterodera carotae.

The cyst nematode Heterodera carotae, which parasitizes carrot roots, has been recorded in many countries in Europe (Italy, The Netherlands, Switzerland, France, Denmark, …), in South Africa and in North America (Canada, USA). To date, there is a lack of knowledge about the genetic structure of the populations of this economically important nematode. The aim of this work was to study the structuration of the genetic diversity of the carrot cyst nematode at the European scale. We have developed a set of thirteen polymorphic microsatellite markers and used it to genotype seventeen European populations of H. carotae coming from France, Switzerland, Italy, Denmark and one non-European population from Canada. As previously showed for other cyst nematode species, the H. carotae populations were characterised by a strong heterozygote deficit. A Bayesian clustering analysis revealed two distinct genetic clusters, with one group located in the north of Europe and a second one located in the south of Europe. Moreover, our results highlighted rather limited gene flow at small spatial scale and some events of long distance migration. This first investigation of the genetic diversity of H. carotae populations would be useful to develop sustainable control strategies.

Evaluation of Clonostachys rosea for Control of Plant-Parasitic Nematodes in Soil and in Roots of Carrot and Wheat.

Biological control is a promising approach to reduce plant diseases caused by nematodes. We tested the effect of the fungus Clonostachys rosea strain IK726 inoculation on nematode community composition in a naturally nematode infested soil in a pot experiment, and the effect of C. rosea on plant health. The numbers of plant-parasitic nematode genera extracted from soil and plant roots decreased by 40 to 73% when C. rosea was applied, while genera of nonparasitic nematodes were not affected. Soil inoculation of C. rosea increased fresh shoot weight and shoot length of wheat plants by 20 and 24%, respectively, while only shoot dry weight increased by 48% in carrots. Light microscopy of in vitro C. rosea-nematode interactions did not reveal evidence of direct parasitism. However, culture filtrates of C. rosea growing in potato dextrose broth, malt extract broth and synthetic nutrient broth exhibited toxicity toward nematodes and immobilized 57, 62, and 100% of the nematodes, respectively, within 48 h. This study demonstrates that C. rosea can control plant-parasitic nematodes and thereby improve plant growth. The most likely mechanism responsible for the antagonism is antibiosis through production of nematicidal compounds, rather than direct parasitism.

Genomic sequence of 'Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum' haplotype C and its comparison with haplotype A and B genomes.

Haplotypes A and B of 'Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum' (CLso) are associated with diseases of solanaceous plants, especially Zebra chip disease of potato, and haplotypes C, D and E are associated with symptoms on apiaceous plants. To date, one complete genome of haplotype B and two high quality draft genomes of haplotype A have been obtained for these unculturable bacteria using metagenomics from the psyllid vector Bactericera cockerelli. Here, we present the first genomic sequences obtained for the carrot-associated CLso. These two genomic sequences of haplotype C, FIN114 (1.24 Mbp) and FIN111 (1.20 Mbp), were obtained from carrot psyllids (Trioza apicalis) harboring CLso. Genomic comparisons between the haplotypes A, B and C revealed that the genome organization differs between these haplotypes, due to large inversions and other recombinations. Comparison of protein-coding genes indicated that the core genome of CLso consists of 885 ortholog groups, with the pan-genome consisting of 1327 ortholog groups. Twenty-seven ortholog groups are unique to CLso haplotype C, whilst 11 ortholog groups shared by the haplotypes A and B, are not found in the haplotype C. Some of these ortholog groups that are not part of the core genome may encode functions related to interactions with the different host plant and psyllid species.

Inheritance and mapping of Mj-2, a new source of root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne javanica) resistance in carrot.

Root-knot nematodes limit carrot production around the world by inducing taproot forking and galling deformities that render carrots unmarketable. In warmer climates, Meloidogyne javanica and Meloidogyne incognita are most prevalent. In F2 and F3 progeny from the cross between an Asian carrot resistant to M. javanica, PI 652188, and a susceptible carrot, resistance response was incompletely dominant with a relatively high heritability (H (2) = 0.78) and provided evidence for a single gene, designated Mj-2, contributing to resistance. Molecular markers linked to the previously described root-knot nematode resistance gene, Mj-1 on chromosome 8 derived from "Brasilia," demonstrated that Mj-2 does not map to that same locus but is on the same chromosome.

Influence of field attack by carrot psyllid (Trioza apicalis Förster) on sensory quality, antioxidant capacity and content of terpenes, falcarindiol and 6-methoxymellein of carrots (Daucus carota L.).

The effect of different degrees of attack by carrot psyllid (Trioza apicalis) on quality parameters of carrots was studied in field experiments for two years. Treatments were different degrees of physical insect protection by floating row cover. An increasing attack level of psyllids showed an enhancement effect on the antioxidant capacity (ORAC), content of falcarindiol, 6-methoxymellein, and terpenes, and scores for bitter taste, chemical flavor, terpene flavor, and toughness. Carrot psyllid attack decreased the yield, total sugar, fructose, glucose, and sensory attributes sweet taste, color hue, color strength, crispiness, and juiciness. Carrot plants at 8-10 weeks of age tolerated attack by psyllids at low levels (2% leaves with curling or discoloration).

Gene silencing in root lesion nematodes (Pratylenchus spp.) significantly reduces reproduction in a plant host.

Root lesion nematodes (RLNs, Pratylenchus species) are a group of economically important migratory endoparasitic plant pathogens that attack host roots of major crops such as wheat and sugarcane, and can reduce crop yields by 7-15%. Pratylenchus thornei and Pratylenchus zeae were treated with double stranded RNA (dsRNA) to study gene silencing, (RNA interference, RNAi), as a potential strategy for their control. Mixed stages of nematodes of both species ingested dsRNA when incubated in a basic soaking solution in the presence of the neurostimulant octopamine. Incubation for up to 16 h in soaking solutions containing 10-50 mM octopamine, 0.1-1.0 mg/mL FITC, and 0.5-6 mM spermidine did not affect vitality. Spermidine phosphate salt hexahydrate rather than spermidine or spermidine trihydrochloride increased uptake of FITC by nematodes, and this resulted in more effective gene silencing. Silencing pat-10 and unc-87 genes of P. thornei and P. zeae resulted in paralysis and uncoordinated movements in both species, although to a higher degree in P. thornei. There was also a greater reduction in transcript of both genes in P. thornei indicating that it may be more susceptible to RNAi. For P. thornei treated with dsRNA of pat-10 and unc-87 there was a significant reduction (77-81%) in nematode reproduction on carrot mini discs over a 5 week period. The results show that RLNs are clearly amenable to gene silencing, and that in planta delivery of dsRNA to target genes in these nematodes should confer host resistance. Moreover, for the two genes, dsRNA derived from either nematode species silenced the corresponding gene in both species. This implies cross-species control of nematodes via RNAi is possible.

Analysis of the transcriptome of the root lesion nematode Pratylenchus coffeae generated by 454 sequencing technology.

To study interactions between plants and plant-parasitic nematodes, several omics studies have nowadays become extremely useful. Since most data available so far is derived from sedentary nematodes, we decided to improve the knowledge on migratory nematodes by studying the transcriptome of the nematode Pratylenchus coffeae through generating expressed sequence tags (ESTs) on a 454 sequencing platform. In this manuscript we present the generation, assembly and annotation of over 325,000 reads from P. coffeae. After assembling these reads, 56,325 contigs and singletons with an average length of 353bp were selected for further analyses. Homology searches revealed that 25% of these sequences had significant matches to the Swiss-prot/trEMBL database and 29% had significant matches in nematode ESTs. Over 10,000 sequences were successfully annotated, corresponding to over 6000 unique Gene Ontology identifiers and 5000 KEGG orthologues. Different approaches led to the identification of different sequences putatively involved in the parasitism process. Several plant cell wall modifying enzymes were identified, including an arabinogalactan galactosidase, so far identified in cyst nematodes only. Additionally, some new putative cell wall modifying enzymes are present belonging to GHF5 and GHF16, although further functional studies are needed to determine the true role of these proteins. Furthermore, a homologue to a chorismate mutase was found, suggesting that this parasitism gene has a wider occurrence in plant-parasitic nematodes than previously assumed. Finally, the dataset was searched for orthologues against the Meloidogyne genomes and genes involved in the RNAi pathway. In conclusion, the generated transcriptome data of P. coffeae will be very useful in the future for several projects: (1) evolutionary studies of specific gene families, such as the plant cell wall modifying enzymes, (2) the identification and functional analysis of candidate effector genes, (3) the development of new control strategies, e.g. by finding new targets for RNAi and (4) the annotation of the upcoming genome sequence.

Association of "Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum" with the psyllid, Trioza apicalis (Hemiptera: Triozidae) in Europe.

The psyllid Trioza apicalis Förster (Hemiptera: Triozidae) is a serious pest of carrots, Daucus carota L., in Europe. Carrots exhibiting symptoms of psyllid damage were observed in commercial fields in southern Finland in 2008. Symptoms in affected plants included leaf curling, yellow and purple discoloration of leaves, stunted growth of shoots and roots, and proliferation of secondary roots. Mechanisms by which T. apicalis induces symptoms in plants are not understood, and no plant pathogens have yet been associated with this insect. Given recent association of liberibacter with several crops affected by psyllids, an investigation on whether this bacterium is associated with T. apicalis was conducted. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primer pairs OA2/OI2c and LsoF/OI2c, specific for 16S rRNA gene from "Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum," generated amplicons of 1,168 bp and 1,173 bp, respectively, from DNA extracted from field-collected psyllids (61 and 36.6%, respectively), laboratory-reared psyllids (70 and 33.3%, respectively), field-collected petioles from symptomatic carrots (80 and 55%, respectively), and laboratory-grown carrots (100% for both primer pairs). In contrast, no PCR products were detected in DNA extracted from insect-free plants. The DNA sequences of amplicons of the genes encoding liberibacter 16S rRNA from psyllids and carrots were identical. DNA of the 16S rRNA gene sequences determined from carrots and psyllids were 99.9% identical to analogous sequences of "Ca. L. solanacearum" amplified from several solanaceous crops and the psyllid Bactericera cockerelli (Sulc), a vector of this bacterium. This is the first report of a plant pathogen associated with T. apicalis and the second known psyllid species associated with "Ca. L. solanacearum".

Avaliação da contaminação parasitológica de vegetais orgânicos da Região Metropolitana de Curitiba-PR, Brasil / Evaluation of parasitological contamination of organic vegetables in the Metropolitan Region of Curitiba-PR, Brazil

O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar a contaminação parasitológica em alface, cenoura e tomate orgânicos provenientes da Região Metropolitana de Curitiba, Paraná. Foram analisadas 31 amostras de verduras orgânicas pelo método de sedimentação espontânea. Das amostras analisadas 25, 6 por cento apresentavam contaminação por parasitas. Os principais parasitas identificados nas amostras de alface orgânico foram: ovos de ancilostomídeos (26,7 por cento), ovos de ácaro e ácaros (26,7 por cento), cistos de Entamoeba sp e insetos (20 por cento), ovos de nematóides (13, 3 por cento) e larvas de nematóides (6,7 por cento). Nas amostras de cenoura orgânica foram identificados Entamoeba sp (25 por cento), ovos de ancilostomídeos (12,5 por cento), cistos de Entamoeba sp (12,5 por cento) e ovos de Toxocara spp (12,5 por cento). Nenhuma estrutura parasitária foi identificada nas amostras de tomate orgânico. Os resultados obtidos, ainda que preliminares, demonstram que as verduras orgânicas apresentam boa qualidade sanitária, mas devido ao fato de terem sido identificadas formas parasitárias em 8 amostras sugerem-se ações da Vigilância Sanitária que propiciem uma melhoria na qualidade higiênico sanitária destes alimentos.

Management of root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita in carrot.

The root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognito, remains to be one of the most important constraints in agricultural production worldwide. However, reports showed that root-knot nematode (RKN) population can be suppressed by addition of organic amendments. A greenhouse microplot experiment was conducted to determine if locally available organic amendments would reduce RKN population and improve the growth and yield of more susceptible and less susceptible carrot cultivars in comparison with the farmers' practice. Residues of broccoli, chicken manure and Trichoderma inoculant were incorporated into the soil artificially infested with root-knot nematodes. Untreated microplots were provided as controls. Three months after transplanting, nematodes were recovered from the soil using the modified Baermann-tray technique and from the roots using staining technique. The number of root-knot nematodes was counted under the stereoscopic microscope. In the more susceptible cultivar New Kuroda, significantly lowest number of second stage juveniles (J2's) was recovered from the soil incorporated with broccoli left-over materials and Trichoderma inoculant while chicken manure-amended soil had the most number of J2's. Galls and egg masses in secondary roots were highest in unamended-inoculated soil which was significantly different from broccoli-amended soil with solarisation and Trichoderma inoculant. No significant differences were obtained among the treatments in the less susceptible cultivar Chunhong. The yield was significantly highest in broccoli-amended soil with solarisation and Trichoderma inoculant but no significant difference existed between the two cultivars tested. In general, the treatments with broccoli residues and Trichoderma inoculant were able to decrease root-knot nematode population and significantly increase the yield relative to untreated soil, however, differences between the two cultivars were not significant.

Functional characteristics of a tiny but specialized olfactory system: olfactory receptor neurons of carrot psyllids (Homoptera: Triozidae).

With only approximately 50 olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs), the carrot psyllid Trioza apicalis (Homoptera: Psylloidea) may have the smallest olfactory system described in adult Neopteran insects. Using single sensillum recordings (SSR) and gas chromatograph-linked SSR, we characterized 4 olfactory sensilla forming a distinct morphological type, which together house approximately 25% of all ORNs. We recorded responses to extracts and single constituents from Daucus carota ssp. sativus, from the conifers Picea abies, Pinus sylvestris, and Juniperus communis, as well as from male and female T. apicalis. Receptor neurons were highly selective; only 9 compounds in total elicited repeatable responses, and each neuron responded to at most 3 individual compounds. Chemical profiles of carrot and conifers showed significant overlap, with 4 out of 9 electrophysiologically active compounds occurring in more than one type of extract, but a carrot-specific compound elicited the most repeated responses. We identified 4 tentative neuron classes and found a rather high degree of neuronal redundancy, with 1 neuron class present in 3 and another present in all 4 of the sensilla, respectively.

Optimization of metam sodium application by rotary spading injection.

In The Netherlands the only chemical alternative for methyl bromide permitted is an application of metam-sodium (MS) with the active ingredient methyl isothiocyanate (MIT). After introduction of a new application method with 'rotary spading injection' legislation restricted the application of MS in 1993 to once in four years and since 2001 once in five years. Efficacy after injection of metam sodium at 10 cm depth and rotary spading a 25 cm soil layer was much better than with shank injection at 19 cm depth with a poor efficacy in the top soil layer. Legislation for arable crops allows a dosage of 300 l Monam (510 g MS/l) per ha. For vegetables, fruits, bulbs and weeds dosages permitted are 600 to 750 l Monam per ha. For an optimal disinfestation result the combination of required dosage and injection depth and rotovation depth had to be established. In a field experiment two dosages Monam were tested for efficacy against Meloidogyne fallax with rotary spading injection at varying injection depths. 300 l Monam per ha was compared with 600 l Monam per ha, both applied at 14 cm injection depth and distributed over a 28 cm soil layer. Another treatment was the application of 600 l Monam per ha, injected at 20 cm depth and rotovated through 40 cm of soil. A carrot crop was sown three weeks after disinfestation and quantity and quality of carrot yield was assessed. Three weeks after application Meloidogyne fallax population was reduced in the furrow with 99% and at 30-50 cm depth with 96% by both applications of 600 l Monam. Efficacy of 300 l Monam was significantly less than 600 l. Nematode population levels after carrot crop stayed lower in the furrow after 600 l in comparison with 300 l Monam. Gross carrot yield was significantly higher after 600 l than after 300 l Monam application at 14 cm depth. Although on this heavy infested field it was not possible to grow carrots without symptoms, after 600 l Monam the percentage of carrots without root-knot symptoms (net yield) was statistically higher than after 300 l Monam.

Influence of carrot psyllid (Trioza apicalis) feeding or exogenous limonene or methyl jasmonate treatment on composition of carrot (Daucus carota) leaf essential oil and headspace volatiles.

The effect of carrot psyllid (Trioza apicalis Förster) feeding and limonene and methyl jasmonate (MeJA) treatments on the essential oil composition and headspace volatiles of carrot (Daucus carota ssp. sativus), cvs. Parano and Splendid, leaves was studied. Carrot psyllid feeding significantly increased the concentrations of sabinene, beta-pinene, and limonene, whereas limonene treatment increased the concentration of (Z)-beta-ocimene in the leaves of both cultivars. The limonene treatment significantly increased the concentration of total phenolics in the leaves of both cultivars, and MeJA treatment increased phenolic concentration in the leaves of Parano. Exogenous limonene spray did not decrease the number of carrot psyllid eggs laid either 2 or 24 h after treatment. The results suggest that carrot psyllid feeding induces changes in the endogenous monoterpene pool in the carrot leaves. Limonene and MeJA treatments affect some induced defenses of the carrot, but the exogenous limonene spray is not an effective oviposition deterrent against carrot psyllid.

Selectivity lists of pesticides to beneficial arthropods for IPM programs in carrot--first results.

In order to improve IPM programs in carrot, 7 fungicides, 12 herbicides and 9 insecticides commonly used in Belgium were tested for their toxicity towards five beneficial arthropods representative of most important natural enemies encountered in carrot: parasitic wasps - Aphidius rhopalosiphi (De Stefani-Perez) (Hym., Aphidiidae), ladybirds - Adalia bipunctata (L.) (Col., Coccinellidae), hoverfly - Episyrphus balteatus (Dipt.. Syrphidae), rove beetle - Aleochara bilineata (Col., Staphylinidae) and carabid beetle - Bembidion lampros (Col., Carabidae). Initialy, all plant protection products were tested on inert substrate glass plates or sand according to the insect. Products with a corrected mortality (CM) or a parasitism reduction (PR) lower than 30% were kept for the constitution of positive list (green list). The other compounds were further tested on plant for A. rhopalosiphi, A. bipunctata, E. balteatus and soil for B. lampros and A. bilineata. With these extended laboratory tests results, products were listed in toxicity class: green category [CM or PR < or = 30%], yellow category [30% < CM or PR < or = 60%] and orange category [60% < CM or PR < or = 80%]. Products with toxicity higher than 80% on plants or that reduce parasitism more than 80% on soil were put in red category and are not recommended to Integrated Pest Management programs in carrot. Results showed that all fungicides tested were harmless to beneficials except Tebuconazole, which was slightly harmful for A. bipunctata. Herbicides were also harmless for soil beneficials, except Chlorpropham. This product was very toxic on sand towards A. bilineata and must be tested on soil. All soil insecticides tested were very toxic for ground beneficials and considered as non-selective. Their use in IPM is subject to questioning in view of negative impacts on beneficials. Among foliar insecticides, Dimethoate and Deltamethrin are not recommended for IPM because their high toxicity for all beneficials. The other foliar insecticides were more selective; any of them were harmless for all species tested.

Use of root organ cultures to investigate the interaction between Glomus intraradices and Pratylenchus coffeae.

The interaction between Glomus intraradices and Pratylenchus coffeae on transformed carrot roots was studied in root organ culture. G. intraradices provided the roots with increased protection against P. coffeae by suppressing nematode reproduction in the roots. The internal and external mycorrhizal development was not influenced by the presence of the nematodes.

Impact of close habitat on the entomological diversity and abundance in carrot open fields.

Vegetable open fields areas have been increasing for the last decade in Wallonia (South part of Belgium), mainly in Hesbaye. To be in accordance with quality standards, especially in terms of agrochemical residues (R.M.L.), biological pest control was developed and reduces the insecticide use, leading to have safer fresh products. Carrot represents an important cultivated species in Wallonia. To asses the impact of close habitat on both pest (mainly aphids) and beneficial insects, carrot fields were investigated during all the production duration in 2000. Twelve fields between Waremme and Hannut were visited weekly from June to October. Insects were caught using yellow traps and determined to the family level. Approximately 90,000 insects belonging to 109 families were identified. Significant differences linked to field closed habitat were observed on 31 families. An increase of biodiversity in term of family number near set-asides and woody borders was observed. Evaluation of pest and beneficial diversity and density in vegetable crops was discussed to promote future IPM program.

Impact of egyptian broomrape (Orobanche aegyptiaca (Pers.) parasitism on amino acid composition of carrot (Daucus carota L.).

The relationship between the organic nitrogen status of Egyptian broomrape and one of its hosts, carrot, was studied by comparing amino acid profiles of leaf and root tissues of nonparasitized and broomrape-parasitized carrot plants and by analyzing amino acid profiles of broomrape at different growth stages. Total N concentrations, expressed as a percentage of the dry weight of the tissues, were similar in leaves of nonparasitized and parasitized carrot plants but were lower in parasitized roots than in nonparasitized roots. In both dry and germinated broomrape seeds, N concentrations were lower than or similar to those in broomrape tubercles, shoots, or callus. Individual amino acid concentrations in hydrolysates of leaves of parasitized carrot plants tended to be similar to or greater than those in hydrolysates of nonparasitized carrot plants. Roots of parasitized plants tended to have similar or lower amino acid concentrations than roots of nonparasitized plants. Dry and germinated broomrape seeds had similar amino acid profiles, but individual amino acid concentrations were lower than in the other broomrape tissues examined. The broomrape shoot tended to have lower amino acid concentrations than the tubercle and callus. Free amino acid profiles of leaves and roots of parasitized plants paralleled those of nonparasitized plants, respectively. Individual free amino acids tended to occur at similar or lower levels in dry and germinated broomrape seeds than in the tubercle, shoot, or callus. Free amino acid composition of the broomrape tubercle was similar to that of the parasitized root. Arginine and alanine concentrations in broomrape callus were dramatically higher than those of other amino acids in this or other tissues investigated. These results indicate that changes in the composition of both free and bound amino acids in carrot are associated with broomrape parasitism.