In the recent years earlier appearance of late blight on potato crops and the increase of infection pressure of Phytophthora infestans has been observed due to the changes in its population. The occurrence of P. infestans on potato plants at early plant growth stages points to the possibility of existence of other infection sources such as infected seed tubers or volunteer plants and their increasing role in the disease epidemiology. These changes have led to late blight epidemics developing earlier and more severely than previously and changes in the occurrence and development of first symptoms of P. infestans infection on potato plants. In the years 1997–2006, field studies were conducted at the Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute of Bonin with the emphasis on comparison of time of the occurrence and incidence level of late blight of potato. The criteria for pathogen infection pressure assessment were assumed to be the percentage of haulm destruction at the end of growing season and area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC), the late blight development rate defining the increase of destruction of above ground plant parts in unit time and also tuber yield and its healthiness. The observations carried out at Bonin revealed that both time of occurrence and severity of late blight differed and were dependent upon meteorological conditions and upon the year. Late blight occurred the earliest at Bonin in 2001 (42 days after planting). The time of occurrence of late blight depends upon rainfall in May and June. A very high infection rate of the pathogen was observed, particularly in 2006 (0.517) and in 2004 (0.400) despite late time of late blight appearance in the season. In these years AUDPC on the unprotected cultivar was 0.071 and 0.508, respectively. The 10 years of observations conducted at Bonin revealed that the yield and occurrence of tuber late blight depended mostly upon meteorological conditions in particular years.
Ability of five strains of Trichoderma pseudokoningii (antagonists) to suppress radial growth of Fusarium verticillioides (Sacc.) Nirenberg (= Fusarium moniliforme Sheldon) was examined in vitro These were T. pseudokoningii strai n1 (IMI 380933), strain 2 (IMI 380937), strain 3 (IMI 3809 39), strain 4 (IMI 380940) a nd strain 5 (IMI 380941). Each strain was paired with pathogen by inoculating at opposite ends of 9 cm petri plates using three pairing methods. Gradings were assigned to varied growth inhibition of pathogen by antagonists and analysed using GLM procedure (SAS). Growth suppression of F. verticillioides by all strains of T. pseudokoningii was significantly different (R2 = 0.98, p = 0.05) from control in all pairing methods. It differed significantly (p > 0.0003) among the strains in all pairing methods. Growth suppression also differed significantly among (p>0.0001) and within (p > 0.018) pairing methods. Growth suppression was best when antagonists were inoculated before pathogen. Suppression mechanisms include mycoparasitism and competition for space and nutrients. T. pseudokoningii strains 3 and 4 had the best (p = 0.05) growth suppression of F. verticillioides and could be used as biocontrol agents for endophytic F. verticillioides in maize plant. This experiment was conducted in the search for resedent microorganisms that might be capable of checking F. verticillioides within maize plant by competitive exclusion in subsequent experiment.
Three plant extracts viz. bulbs of Allium sativum L. (Liliaceae), seeds of Annona squamosa L. (Annonaceae) and leaves of Vitex negundo L. (Verbenaceae) were evaluated against cowpea wilt pathogen, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceris by mycelial dry weight method under laboratory condtions. The mean mycelium dry weights of F. oxysporum of methanol and benzene extracts of A. sativum obtained from 125 g of crused dry plant material (bulbs) were 0.0113 and 0.0174 mg, respectively. This was followed by methanol and petroleum ether extracts of A. squamosa (0.2396 and 0.2381 mg). They effectively controlled mycelial growth of cowpea wilt pathogen, however V. negundo extracts did not cause any significant mycelium growth inhibition when compared to other plant extracts tested. Among the three plant extracts, methanol extracts of A. sativum bulbs could possibly be used for controlling F. oxysporum.
The article presents the research into hygienizing process of chicken manure using calcium peroxide (CaO2) as an environmentally friendly biological deactivation agent. The influence of the addition of CaO2 to chicken manure on the bioavailability of phosphorus was also analyzed. The process of biological deactivation using CaO2, CaO and Ca(OH)2 agents was analyzed applying the disk diffusion method. To optimize the effect of the hygienizing parameters, (CaO2 concentration, pH, temperature and time) on the reduction of Enterobacteriaceae count the Taguchi method was applied. The content of bioavailable phosphorus was measured with the Egner-Riehm method and determined with spectrophotometry. The reduction in bacterial count followed an increase in the concentration of CaO2 in a sample. The optimal experimental conditions (CaO2=10.5 wt.%, pH=9.5, T=40°C, t=180 h) enabled a significant decrease in the Enterobacteriaceae count, from 107 cfu/g to 102 cfu/g. Analysis of the samples with Egner-Riehm method showed that the phosphorus content decreased with the addition of biocide CaO2: from 26.6 mg/l (for 3.5 wt.%) to 3.5 mg/l (for 10.5 wt.%). These values were slightly higher than the content of phosphorus deactivated with Ca(OH)2 i.e., from 11.25 mg/l (for 3.5 wt.%) to 4.49 mg/l (for 10.5 wt.%). The application of CaO2 for hygienizing chicken manure enables effective reduction of Enterobacteriaceae count to an acceptable level (below 1000 cfu/g). In comparison with the traditional techniques of hygienization, the application of CaO2 has a positive effect on the recovery of bioavailable phosphorus.
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The aim of this study was to assess the effect of lactation number, lactation stage and somatic cell count (SCC) on the presence of pathogenic or opportunistic pathogens in cow milk. A total of 1712 milk samples were collected from the udder quarters of 428 lactating Holstein breed cows for bacteriological examination. Somatic cell count was taken from the controlled bovine records. The cows were divided into four groups according to the lactation number (viz. lactation numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 and above) and into three groups according to the lactation month (viz. 1-4, 5-8, 9 months and above). The statistical analysis was performed by SPSS 27.0 software (SPSS Inc., Chicago, Illinois, USA). Frequencies of microorganisms were calculated by determi-ning their confidence intervals (Wilson Confidence Interval 95%, CI). Various farm pathogens were identified: CNS (Coagulase negative staphylococci), S. aureus, Enterococcus spp., Str. agalactiae, E. coli. It was found that CNS and S. agalactiae increased with somatic cell count, lactation number and lactation stage. E. coli increased at the end of the lactation stage (p≤0.05). Enterococcus spp., count in milk differed significantly between cows in lactations 1 and 4 and older (p≤0.05). Pathogen number also increased with milk fat, but decreased with increased protein content (p≤0.01).
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Root rot of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.), caused by Rhizoctonia solani anastomosis group AG 2-2 IIIB is responsible for significant crop losses in North Dakota and Minnesota, USA. Understanding the association between plant age and inoculum density with disease severity of sugar beet cultivars is a prerequisite to properly screen for varietal resistance. Therefore, investigations were conducted to determine the responses of 4-, 6-, and 8-week-old plants in seven commercial sugar beet cultivars to inoculum densities of one, two, and three grains of R. solani-colonized barley in a greenhouse and with three corresponding levels of colonized barley, mycelial plugs, and sclerotia in field experiments. Under greenhouse conditions, disease severity was greatest before plants reached six weeks of age (p = 0.05). There was a positive linear relationship between the density of the inoculum and disease severity. All seven cultivars were equally susceptible (p > 0.05) to R. solani. Interactions between cultivars and plant age and between plant age and intensity of inoculum were not significant (p > 0.05). Field experiments showed that the density of inoculums was significant (p < 0.001), and the disease severity was highest in plants inoculated with three colonized barley seeds per plant compared to doses of other inoculum types.