Roberto Montes-Belmont

Relationship between sorghum ergot, sowing dates, and climatic variables in Morelos, Mexico

Abstract The importance of sowing dates to the development of sorghum ergot (Claviceps africana) was determined at Tlayca, Morelos, Mexico during the rainy seasons of 1998–2000. Annual variation in ergot incidence occurred, with the highest levels in the year 2000. Sowing dates between June 15 and July 14 had the lowest levels of ergot incidence and severity. Temperatures below 15°C 3 weeks before flowering increased ergot incidence. The optimal weather factors for ergot development were a mean day temperature of 25°C, a maximum relative humidity of 96%, a maximum temperature of 28°C, and nighttime relative humidity of 86%.

Induction of resistance to Sclerotium rolfsii in different varieties of onion by inoculation with Trichoderma asperellum

We evaluated the ability of Trichoderma asperellum Samuels, Lieckfeldt & Nirenberg to induce resistance to the fungal plant pathogen, Sclerotium rolfsii Saccardo, in three onion (Allium cepa L.) varieties. Both the severity of disease and the activities of glucanase, chitinase and peroxidase (enzymes involved in plant resistance) were evaluated in onions inoculated with T. asperellum alone, S. rolfsii alone, or both T. asperellum and S. rolfsii (dual-inoculation) and compared to uninoculated (control) plants. In dual inoculations, the presence of T. asperellum reduced the severity of disease symptoms caused by S. rolfsii. Inoculation with T. asperellum alone increased glucanase, chitinase and peroxidase activity in bulbs, roots and leaves of all three onion varieties compared to uninoculated controls; bulbs of the variety Red Satan (RS) had the highest enzyme activity. In plants inoculated with S. rolfsii alone, enzyme activity was only increased in bulbs and roots compared to uninoculated controls. The highest levels of enzyme activity also occurred only in bulbs and roots of plants that had been dual-inoculated with T. asperellum and S. rolfsii. Plants of the RS variety showed the highest enzyme activities (both constitutive and induced) and showed the lowest severity of disease. Therefore, application of T. asperellum has potential as a biological control alternative to synthetic fungicides for protection of onion crops against infection by S. rolfsii. This protection depends on both constitutive and induced defence responses and varies amongst onion varieties.