Daniel Augusto Schurt

Cytological aspects of the infection process of Pyricularia oryzae on leaves of wheat plants supplied with silicon

Blast, caused by Pyricularia oryzae, has become one of the most important diseases on wheat in Brazil. Knowing the beneficial effects of silicon (Si) in reducing rice blast severity, this study aimed to examine the cytological events occurring during the infectious process of P. oryzae on the leaves of wheat plants non-supplied (-Si) or supplied (+Si) with Si in an experiment arranged in a completely randomized design. The high foliar Si concentration for the +Si plants contributed to decrease the blast symptoms. Hyphae of P. oryzae grew successfully and formed an extensively branched mycelium in the first-invaded epidermal cell and invaded several neighboring cells on the -Si plants, while on the +Si plants fungal hyphae was restricted to the first-invaded epidermal cell. The number of brown adaxial epidermal cells and their intensity of browning were significantly lower for the +Si plants in comparison to the -Si plants. The frequency of appressorial sites showing type B reaction (infection hyphae within the epidermal cell and absence of cytoplasm granulation) was lower for the +Si plants than for the -Si plants from 72 to 96 hours after inoculation because the frequency of appressorial sites showing type A reaction (unsuccessful penetration) was kept higher in comparison to the -Si plants. This study provides novel cytological evidence of the negative effect of Si on the infection process of P. oryzae on leaves of wheat plants contributing, therefore, to reduce the blast symptoms.

Aplicação foliar de silicato de potássio, acibenzolar-S-metil e fungicidas na redução da mancha de Pestalotia em morango

Pestalotia leaf spot, caused by Pestalotia longisetula, has become an important disease on strawberry, and fungicide application is the main recommended control strategy. This study evaluated the effect of foliar application of potassium silicate (PS) at the concentrations of 8 and 30 g/L, acibenzolar-S-methyl (ASM), fungicides azoxystrobin (AZO), and mancozeb (MAN) on the reduction of disease severity. Plants were inoculated at 1, 6, and 12 days after application (d.a.a.) of the products. At the 1st d.a.a., there was no difference in disease severity between PS, at the two concentrations, ASM and the control. AZO and the MAN reduced disease severity by 56.3 and 43.8%, respectively, in comparison to the control. At the 6th d.a.a., there was no difference between PS (8 g/L) and the control. PS (30 g/L) reduced disease severity by 61% compared to the control. At the 12th d.a.a., there was no difference between the treatments PS, at the two concentrations, ASM, AZO, and MAN, but these treatments differed from the control. Disease severity was different for the three inoculation times for PS (8 g/L), with the lowest value occurring at the 12th d.a.a. For treatments PS (30 g/L), ASM, AZO, and MAN, disease severity was reduced from the 1st to the 6th d.a.a., but there was no difference between the 6th and the 12th d.a.a. There was no difference between the three inoculation times for the control. Foliar application of PS was as efficient as ASM in reducing the symptoms of Pestalotia leaf spot, especially if sprayed before pathogen inoculation.

Proteção local, não sistêmica, do silicato de potássio reduz os sintomas da ferrugem do cafeeiro

In the first experiment, coffee plants with three pairs of leaves were sprayed with potassium silicate (K2SiO3), epoxiconazole, acibenzolar-S-methyl (ASM), and distilled water in two different ways: spraying the 3rd pair of leaves from the apex and protecting the 2nd pair of leaves or spraying the two pair of leaves on the left side of the plant and protecting the pair of leaves on the right side. After 24 h, the abaxial surface of the protected pair of leaves was inoculated with Hemileia vastatrix. In the second experiment, the 3rd pair of leaves from the apex was sprayed with K2SiO3, ASM, and distilled water and the 2nd pair of leaves was protected. At 1, 5, 15, 25, and 35 days after products application, the abaxial surface of 2nd (systemic protection) and the 3rd pair of leaves (local protection) of eight plants per treatment were inoculated with H. vastatrix. The K2SiO3 spray on the 3rd pair of leaves or on the pair of leaves on the left side was ineffective in increasing silicon concentration and also decreasing the intensity of sporulation (IE), the total number of pustules (TNP) per leaf, and rust severity on the 2nd pair of leaves or in the pair of leaves on the right side, unlike the epoxiconazole and the ASM, which exhibited systemicity in the plant. The K2SiO3 sprayed in the 3rd pair of leaves also did not guarantee, due to its non-systemic action, reduction in the IE, TNP, and rust severity compared to its local protection. The findings of this study show the possibility of using potassium silicate spray to reduce the intensity of coffee leaf rust preventively.

Silicon potentiates the activities of defense enzymes in the leaf sheaths of rice plants infected by Rhizoctonia solani

This study aimed to assess the ability of silicon (Si) to potentiate defense enzyme activities in rice leaf sheaths and thus reduce sheath blight, caused by Rhizoctonia solani, development. Rice plants of BR-Irga 409 and Labelle cultivars were grown in a hydroponic solution containing 0 (-Si) or 2 mM (+Si) Si and inoculated with R. solani. Silicon concentration in the leaf sheaths was significantly higher in the +Si plants than the -Si plants by 727% for BR-Irga 409 and 714% for Labelle. The area under relative lesion expansion progress curve was significantly lower for +Si plants than -Si plants, by 34.2% for BR-Irga 409 and 30.59% for Labelle. Increases in the activities of phenylalanine ammonia-lyases, peroxidases, polyphenoloxidases and chitinases in the leaf sheaths of plants supplied with Si, especially of those from BR-Irga 409, led to reduced progress of sheath blight lesions.

Resistência física de bainhas de plantas de arroz supridas com silício e infectadas por Rhizoctonia solani

Physical resistance of leaf sheaths of rice plants supplied with silicon and infected by Rhizoctonia solani This study aimed to associate the silicon (Si) deposition on sheaths of rice plants with an increase in physical resistance against infection by Rhizoctonia solani. Plants from the susceptible cultivars BR-Irga 409 and Labelle were grown in nutrient solution containing (+Si) or not (-Si) Si. Si concentration on sheaths of plants supplied with Si and inoculated with R. solani significantly increased compared to plants non-supplied with Si, reducing the relative lesion length at 96 hours after inoculation (hai). There were significant differences between -Si and +Si treatments for the force required of a metal needle to pass through the sheaths at 48 and 72 hai. The greater physical resistance at 24 hai was due to the fact that R. solani was growing on sheath tissue without destroying it, which could be proved by the absence of symptoms. After this period, the resistance decreased due to the rapid R. solani growth. However, on sheaths of plants supplied with Si, the force required for the needle to penetrate was higher at 48 and 72 hai. The sheath resistance of plants supplied with Si to infection by R. solani can be explained partly by the greater physical resistance due to Si deposition.

Silício alterando compostos derivados da pirólise de bainhas foliares de plantas de arroz infectadas por Rhizoctonia solani

-1 ). Na presenca de Si, a area abaixo da curva do progresso da queima das bainhas foi significativamente re- duzida em 19 e 25%, respectivamente, para as plantas das cultivares BR-Irga-409 e Labelle em relacao a ausencia desse elemento na solucao nutritiva. Com base nos espectros de massas obtidos, foram identificados 33 compostos, dos quais 10 foram produtos da degradacao de carboidratos e 23 derivados da lignina. Dentre os derivados da lignina, oito compostos eram do tipo p-hidroxifenila, 11 compostos do tipo guaiacila e quatro compostos do tipo siringila. Nas bainhas das plantas das duas cultivares de arroz, supridas ou nao com Si, a concentracao de lignina (p-hidroxifenila, siringila (S) e guaiacila (G)) foi de, aproximadamente, 15%. Houve aumento na relacao S/G apenas nas bainhas das plantas da cultivar BR-Irga 409 supridas com Si e infectadas por R. solani. A maior concentracao de Si nas bainhas das plantas de arroz das duas cultivares, que por sua vez resultou em aumento na relacao S/G, contribuiu para reduzir os sintomas da queima das bainhas. Palavras-chave: queima das bainhas, lignina, metabolitos secundarios, resistencia. Silicon altering compounds derived from the pyrolyses of leaf sheaths of rice plants infected with Rhizoctonia solani Abstract This study elucidated, through analytical pyrolysis coupled to gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, changes in the chemical composition of lignin on leaf sheaths of rice plants of cultivars BR-Irga 409 and Labelle supplied or non-supplied with silicon (Si) and infected with Rhizoctonia solani. The Si concentration on leaf sheaths of plants supplied with this element was significatively higher (2.7 dag kg -1 ) as compared to non-supplied plants (0.45 dag kg -1 ). In the presence of Si, the area under leaf sheath blight progress curve was significantly reduced by 19 and 25% for plants from cultivars BR-Irga 409 and Labelle, respectively, in comparison to the absence of Si. Based on the mass spectra obtained, 33 compounds were identi- fied, 10 of which were products from the degradation of carbohydrates and 23 derivate from lignin. From lignin derivatives, eight compounds were p-hydroxiphenil type, eleven compounds were guaiacyl type and four compounds were syringyl type. On leaf sheaths of both cultivars, the concentration of lignin (p-hydroxiphenil, syringyl (S) and guaiacyl (G)) was around 15%, regardless of Si. There was no increase in the S/G ratio only for the leaf sheaths of BR-Irga 409 supplied with Si and infected with R. solani. High Si concentration on leaf sheaths of both cultivars, which in turn resulted in an increase in the S/G ratio, contributed to reduce leaf sheath blight symptoms.

Componentes epidemiológicos da ferrugem do cafeeiro afetados pela aplicação foliar de silicato de potássio

Epidemiological components of coffee rust affected by foliar application of potassium silicate Leaf rust, caused by Hemileia vastatrix, is the most important coffee disease. Alternative methods of management of this disease that are less damaging to the environment than fungicide applications are urgently needed. This study aimed at evaluating the effect of foliar applications of potassium silicate (PS) solutions at concentrations of 0, 8, 20, 40, and 60 g/L, at pHs 5.5 and 10.5, on sporulation intensity of H. vastatrix (SI), total number of pustules (TNP) per leaf, and on coffee leaf rust severity. The effect of the applications of PS at the selected rates, of copper oxychloride (7.5 g/L), and of sterile distilled water at pH 5.5, 7.5, and 10.5 on the inhibition of H. vastatrix uredospores germination was also tested and the foliar concentration of silicon (Si) and potassium (K) was determined. A quadratic regression model best described the effect of PS applications, at pH 5.5 or 10.5, on SI, TNP, and severity. The relationship between SI, TNP, or severity and PS applications, at pH 5.5 or 10.5, was linear and negative. Si concentration in leaves increased as the concentration of PS solutions utilized (at pH 5.5) increased from 0 to 60 g/L. There was no effect of PS applications, at pH 10.5, on Si concentration in leaves. K concentration did not change as the PS rates increased from 0 to 60 g/L, both at pHs 5.5 and 10.5. A linear regression model adequately described the relationship of inhibition of uredospores germination versus PS concentrations at the three pHs values. Copper oxychloride significantly reduced uredospore germination as compared with the PS applications. The results from this study highlight the possibility of using PS spray, in a more alkaline pH, as a treatment for reducing coffee leaf rust intensity.

Silicon, acibenzolar-S-methyl and potassium phosphite in the control of brown spot in rice

This study investigated the effects of silicon (Si), acibenzolar-S-methyl (ASM), and potassium phosphite (Phi) on the potentiation of rice resistance to infection by Bipolaris oryzae. The treatments included the soil amended with Si (1.25 g of calcium silicate per kg of soil), spraying of plants with ASM (500 mg∙L–1), Phi (5 mL∙L–1), and distilled water (control) 24 h before inoculation with B. oryzae. The treatments Si supply and the spraying of ASM and Phi were effective in reducing the area under brown spot progress curve and the number of lesions per cm2 of leaf. Polyphenoloxidases activity was higher for plants supplied with Si. On plants sprayed with ASM, the activities of polyphenoloxidases, phenylalanine ammonia-lyases, chitinases, and β-1,3-glucanases increased. The spraying of plants with Phi did not increase the activities of the studied defense enzymes. Taken together, the results of this study indicated that brown spot symptoms can be greatly reduced with the use of Si, ASM, and Phi.

Podridão-mole em pós-colheita de batata (Solanum tuberosum) incitada por Pseudomonas viridiflava

A soft rot inducing bacterium was isolated from decaying potato tubers and attempts were made to identify it at species level. Biochemical, biological and staining procedures allowed to identify it as belonging to the species Pseudomonas viridiflava. Additionally, the potential pathogenicity and host range of the identified isolate was checked by artificial inoculation of storage organs of different plants. This paper showed and confirmed that phytobacteria other than Pectobacterium spp are able to induce soft rot and that this fact deserves further investigation as far as crop losses due to prokaryotes are concerned.

Eficiência de diferentes moléculas na redução dos sintomas da queima das bainhas em arroz e no crescimento de Rhizoctonia solani in vitro

Efficiency of different molecules on the reduction of sheath blight symptoms in rice and on Rhizoctonia solani growth in vitro This study aimed to test the efficiency of different molecules on the reduction of the relative lesion extension (RLE) of sheath blight in rice. Plants of cultivars BR-Irga 409 and Labelle were grown in nutrient solution and inoculated with Rhizoctonia solani at the maximum tillering stage. At 24 hours before inoculation, sheaths of plants were sprayed with solutions of potassium silicate (PS), potassium silicate + phosphorus (PS+P), Acibenzolar-S-Methyl (ASM), Carbendazim fungicide, deacetylated chitosan (DC), ethylene (ET) and potassium phosphite (PP). Sheaths from plants sprayed with water served as the control treatment. The effect of these products on R. solani mycelia growth was also studied in vitro. For BR-Irga 409, the RLE was lower with the application of PP compared with the other treatments, except the Carbendazim. The application of Carbendazim reduced in 86.1% the RLE in comparison with the control. The RLE was lower for BR-Irga 409 than for Labell with the application of PP. Mycelia growth of R. solani was inhibited only by PP and Carbendazim in comparison with the other treatments. There was no significant difference among the treatments control, PS, and PS+P for silicon concentration on sheaths of plants of the two cultivars.