scholarly journals Hypovirulence and Double-Stranded RNA in Sclerotinia homoeocarpa

1997 ◽  
Vol 87 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ting Zhou ◽  
Greg J. Boland

One hundred and thirty-two isolates of Sclerotinia homoeocarpa, the causal agent of dollar spot of turfgrass, were evaluated for virulence on swards and detached leaves of creeping bentgrass and for the presence of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). In at least four isolates, the hypovirulent phenotype was associated with the presence of specific segments of dsRNA. In addition, these hypovirulent isolates often grew slowly on potato dextrose agar (PDA), formed thin colonies with atypical colony margins, and failed to produce typical black stroma. The hypovirulent phenotype and dsRNA were transmitted from hypovirulent isolate Sh12B to virulent isolate Sh48B, and the converted isolate was hypovirulent and contained dsRNA. The hypovirulent phenotype and dsRNA also were transmitted to at least four other isolates of the pathogen, including the fungicide-resistant, dsRNA¯ isolate KY-7. Converted isolates of KY-7 developed the hypovirulent phenotype, grew on fungicide-amended medium, and contained dsRNA. Subcultures of hypovirulent isolate Sh12B that did not contain dsRNA were obtained through curative treatment using cycloheximide-containing medium and heat. Cured subcultures grew faster on PDA, had more typical colony morphologies, were more virulent on bentgrass leaves, and did not contain dsRNA. No cured subcultures were obtained from hypovirulent isolate Sh09B. Isolates regenerated from protoplasts of hypovirulent isolate Sh12B were not cured, remained hypovirulent, and contained dsRNA. Transmission of hypovirulence and dsRNA in S. homoeocarpa has potential as a novel approach to the management of dollar spot of turfgrass.

1998 ◽  
Vol 88 (8) ◽  
pp. 788-794 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ting Zhou ◽  
Greg J. Boland

Selected hypovirulent isolates of Sclerotinia homoeocarpa were evaluated for efficacy in suppressing dollar spot of turfgrass under growth room and field conditions. Under growth room conditions, hypovirulent isolates Sh12B, Sh09B, or Sh08D of S. homoeocarpa caused 3.4 to 30.4% diseased turf in comparison to virulent isolates Sh48B and Sh14D, which caused 80.2 to 90.2% disease. In treatments that received both virulent and hypovirulent isolates, only hypovirulent isolate Sh12B significantly reduced disease as compared with the control with virulent isolates alone. In a field experiment in 1993 on swards of creeping bentgrass artificially inoculated with a virulent isolate of the pathogen, all treatments containing hypovirulent isolate Sh12B applied as a mycelial suspension, granular mix, or alginate pellets developed significantly less disease (6.3 to 20.8% diseased turf) compared with their respective formulation controls (23.8 to 31.2%). Suppression of dollar spot by treatment with mycelial suspensions of isolate Sh12B was evident up to 45 days postinoculation, and disease suppression was still significant 1 year after application when compared with the water control. Applications of hypovirulent isolate Sh09B did not reduce dollar spot in any treatments. Significant suppression of dollar spot by isolate Sh12B was also observed in the experiment conducted in 1994. In addition, suppression of dollar spot by hypovirulent isolate Sh12B was evaluated on swards with naturally occurring inoculum during 1994. Treatments with a mycelial suspension and alginate pellets of hypovirulent isolate Sh12B significantly reduced dollar spot compared with their respective formulation controls. With few exceptions, there was no statistical difference between treatments with hypovirulent isolate Sh12B and the fungicide chlorothalonil (Daconil 2787). Multiple applications of the hypovirulent isolate did not result in greater suppression of dollar spot as compared with a single application. The results indicate that hypovirulence has potential as an effective strategy for the management of dollar spot.


Planta Medica ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 74 (09) ◽  
Author(s):  
HMT Herath ◽  
WHMW Herath ◽  
SO Duke ◽  
M Tomaso-Peterson ◽  
NPD Nanayakkara

Plant Disease ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 90 (5) ◽  
pp. 571-575 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Latin

The duration of effective concentrations of fungicides for control of dollar spot on creeping bentgrass fairways was investigated using a bioassay technique. In each of three runs of the experiment, fungicide treatments were applied once to turf in replicated field plots; then, the plots were sampled periodically over 3 weeks by removing turf plugs from the field. The sampled plugs were placed in incubation containers and inoculated with sections from a 4-day-old colony of Sclerotinia homoeocarpa growing on potato dextrose agar. After a 96-h incubation period, the extent of pathogen growth on the turf plugs was measured. Results described a precipitous decline in effective concentration for all fungicide treatments beginning 7 to 10 days after application. The fungicides were only marginally effective at 14 days after application, and none provided any disease suppression at 21 days after application. The efficacy half-life (EHL) associated with four of the fungicides (chlorothalonil, iprodione, propiconazole, and thiophanate methyl) was estimated with two models. EHL estimates ranged from 6.1 to 15.2 days depending on the fungicide and the model. This research contributes to our knowledge of the duration of effective fungicide concentrations on creeping bentgrass and can provide insight for scheduling fungicide sprays for golf course fairways.


Plant Disease ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 88 (11) ◽  
pp. 1269-1276 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Viji ◽  
W. Uddin ◽  
N. R. O'Neill ◽  
S. Mischke ◽  
J. A. Saunders

Sixty-seven isolates of Sclerotinia homoeocarpa, causing dollar spot disease in creeping bentgrass, annual bluegrass, Bermudagrass, and perennial ryegrass turf, collected from 23 golf courses in various geographical regions of the United States and Canada between 1972 and 2001, were characterized by vegetative compatibility, genetic diversity, and pathogenicity. Eleven vegetative compatibility groups (VCGs A to K) were identified among the isolates tested in this study, and five of them (VCGs G to K) were new. VCG B was the most predominant group, typifying 33 isolates (51%) tested. S. homoeocarpa isolates collected from golf courses in Pennsylvania belonged to seven VCGs (A, B, E, F, G, I, and K), whereas three groups were observed in those collected from New York (B, E, and G) and New Jersey (E, H, and I). Two isolates, one each from Pennsylvania and Canada, were incompatible when paired with the tester isolates in all possible combinations, and did not fall into any known VCG. An isolate collected from Canada was compatible with tester isolates from two VCGs (C and D). Genetic analyses using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) showed the presence of two genetically distinct groups, designated as major group and the minor group. The major group included 36 isolates collected from various golf courses in the United States and Canada. Two isolates collected from bermudagrass in Florida formed a separate cluster, the minor group. Isolates that belonged to the major group were further divided into two subgroups (1 and 2). Subgroup 1 consisted of all the isolates that belonged to VCGs A, E, G, H, and I. Three of the four isolates that belonged to VCG K also were clustered with isolates of subgroup 1. Subgroup 2 consisted of all the isolates from VCG B, and one each from VCGs F and K. Pathogenicity assays on Penncross creeping bentgrass showed significant differences (P = 0.05) in virulence among the isolates. Overall, a relationship between virulence and VCGs was observed, in which certain virulence groups corresponded to specific VCGs; however, such a relationship was not observed between virulence and AFLPs. Close similarity among isolates of S. homoeocarpa collected from different locations in the United States and Canada suggests that isolates of the same genotype could be involved in outbreaks of dollar spot epidemics at multiple locations.


Plant Disease ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 95 (11) ◽  
pp. 1433-1442 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander I. Putman ◽  
John E. Kaminski

Management of dollar spot (incited by Sclerotinia homoeocarpa) on golf course fairways is increasingly challenging. The objectives of this study were to determine the influence of mowing frequency and plant growth regulators (PGRs) on dollar spot severity and on the residual efficacy of fungicides for control of dollar spot. Two 4-month-long studies were conducted on ‘Putter’ creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) maintained as a fairway at the University of Connecticut. Treatments were arranged in a three-by-three-by-five factorial that assessed the influence of mowing frequency (2, 4, or 6 days week–1) and PGRs (paclobutrazol, trinexapac-ethyl, or none) on dollar spot control by five fungicide treatments (boscalid, chlorothalonil, iprodione, propiconazole, or none). Turf was mowed in the afternoon hours to minimize the confounding effect of mowing frequency on leaf wetness duration. Treatments were initiated in the late spring of 2007 and 2008, and each fungicide treatment was reapplied only when dollar spot exceeded a threshold of five infection centers plot–1. In the absence of fungicides, dollar spot severity was reduced by 63 to 90% in plots treated with paclobutrazol and by 13 to 55% in plots treated with trinexapac-ethyl. Dollar spot severity was 23 to 50% lower in plots mown 2 days week–1 compared with those mown 6 days week–1. In cases where a significant interaction was observed between mowing frequency and PGRs, dollar spot was reduced on most rating dates in plots treated with trinexapacethyl that were mown 2 days week–1 compared with those mown 6 days week–1. Survival analysis of days until threshold was met revealed that duration of control of fungicides in plots receiving paclobutrazol were 28 to 84% longer compared with plots not receiving PGR. Duration of control by fungicides was generally similar between plots treated with trinexapac-ethyl and no PGR. In general, mowing frequency did not influence duration of control. Results from this study indicate that paclobutrazol could be used to increase the treatment interval of fungicides and that mowing frequency in the absence of dew is likely to have little influence on fungicide residual efficacy. When used without fungicides, PGRs and less frequent mowing may reduce dollar spot in situations where fungicide use is limited.


1984 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 167-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
ROBERT HALL

In 1981 and 1982 epidemics of dollar spot of creeping bentgrass, caused by Sclerotinia homoeocarpa, proceeded in a series of steps. Each step began at a point where a decline in the epidemic rate was followed by an increase in the epidemic rate and continued until a new step began. A step in the epidemic occurred after two consecutive wet days if the average temperature for the period was at or above 22 °C or after three or more consecutive wet days if the average temperature for the period was 15 °C or greater. These weather conditions were referred to as "infection periods." In 1982, an application of Tersan 1991 (benomyl) 1 and 2 days after two infection periods provided an acceptable level of disease control as effective as that obtained from a regular preventive schedule of seven sprays.Key words: Agrostis palustris, disease control, Sclerotinia homoeocarpa, weather-timed spray


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.A. Rioux ◽  
C.M. Stephens ◽  
J.P. Kerns

AbstractClarireediasp. (formerly calledSclerotinia homoeocarpa), the fungal pathogen that causes dollar spot of turfgrasses, produces oxalic acid but the role of this toxin inClarireediasp. pathogenesis is unknown. In the current study, whole plant inoculation assays were used to evaluate pathogenesis ofClarireediasp. in various model hosts and investigate the role of oxalic acid in dollar spot disease. These assays revealed that both host endogenous oxalate content and pathogen-produced oxalic acid influence the timing and magnitude of symptom development. In time-course expression analysis, oxalate oxidase and related defense-associated germin-like protein genes in creeping bentgrass showed strong up-regulation starting at 48-72 hpi, indicating that germin-like protein genes are most likely involved in defense following initial contact with the pathogen and demonstrating the importance of oxalic acid inClarireediasp. pathogenesis. Overall, the results of these studies suggest that oxalic acid and host endogenous oxalate content are important for pathogenesis byClarireediasp. and may be associated with the transition from biotrophy to necrotrophy during host infection.


HortScience ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 422-426 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher P. Ryan ◽  
Peter H. Dernoeden ◽  
Arvydas P. Grybauskas

This 3-year field study evaluated the incidence and severity of dollar spot (Sclerotinia homoeocarpa F.T. Bennett) in six creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) cultivars maintained as a golf course fairway. Comparison of area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) data clearly indicted two resistance groups among the six cultivars. ‘Crenshaw’ and ‘Backspin’ were classified as highly susceptible (HS) and the other four cultivars (i.e., ‘Penncross’, ‘Providence’, ‘L-93’, and ‘007’) were classified as moderately susceptible (MS) to dollar spot. In all three study years, there were three epidemics that began in May. Data could not be collected in HS cultivars after the first epidemic in each year as a result of severe damage. In MS cultivars, the first epidemic ended and a second began between early July and late August. The second epidemic ended approximately mid-October and a third epidemic appeared in MS cultivars between late October and early December. The second epidemic was longest and most severe, and the third fall epidemic was least severe and of shortest duration. The first epidemic in HS cultivars developed up to two weeks earlier and progressed more rapidly and severely than in MS cultivars. A growing degree-day (GDD) model, using a base air temperature of 15 °C and a start date of 1 Apr., was accurate in predicting the onset of the first epidemic in HS (60 to 70 GDD) and MS (105 to 115 GDD) cultivars during each of the three study years. Growing degree-day models are greatly influenced by the many microclimates found on golf courses and need to be evaluated for accuracy in diverse environments.


2007 ◽  
Vol 97 (12) ◽  
pp. 1590-1599 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. D. Wu ◽  
L. Zhang ◽  
G. Q. Li ◽  
D. H. Jiang ◽  
M. S. Hou ◽  
...  

Twenty-one strains of Botrytis cinerea isolated from 13 species of plants grown in China were compared for pathogenicity on Brassica napus, mycelial growth on potato dextrose agar, and presence of double-stranded (ds)RNA. The results showed that the strain CanBc-1 was severely debilitated in pathogenicity and mycelial growth, compared with the 20 virulent strains. A dsRNA of approximately 3.0 kb in length was detected in CanBc-1 and 4 hypovirulent single-conidium (SC) isolates of CanBc-1, but was not detected in the 20 virulent strains of B. cinerea and 4 virulent SC isolates of CanBc-1. Results of the horizontal transmission experiment showed that the hypovirulent trait of CanBc-1 was transmissible and the 3.0-kb dsRNA was involved in the transmission of hypovirulence. Analysis of a 920-bp cDNA sequence generated from the 3.0-kb dsRNA of CanBc-1 indicated that the dsRNA element was a mycovirus, designated as B. cinerea debilitation-related virus (BcDRV). Further analyses showed that BcDRV is closely related to Ophiostoma mitovirus 3b infecting O. novo-ulmi, the causal agent of Dutch elm disease. Mitochondria and cytoplasm in hyphal cells of CanBc-1 became degenerated, compared with the virulent isolate CanBc-1c-66 of B cinerea. This is the first report on the occurrence of Mitovirus-associated hypovirulence in B. cinerea.


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