Cultivation offers effective management of subterranean clover damping-off and root disease

2017 ◽  
Vol 72 (4) ◽  
pp. 785-793 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. P. You ◽  
K. Guo ◽  
D. Nicol ◽  
D. Kidd ◽  
M. H. Ryan ◽  
...  
1999 ◽  
Vol 50 (8) ◽  
pp. 1469 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Simpfendorfer ◽  
T. J. Harden ◽  
G. M. Murray

The interaction between 29 isolates of Rhizobium and the in vitro growth of 3 strains of Phytophthora clandestina was investigated to determine the potential of these bacteria as biological control agents against root rot of subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.). The biological control activity of Rhizobium on the severity of root disease in seedlings was also investigated under glasshouse conditions. Thirteen of the 29 Rhizobium isolates caused significant reductions in the hyphal growth of the 3 P. clandestina isolates examined. Inoculation of seedlings with Rhizobium trifolii reduced the severity of root disease by 14–58% with corresponding increases in dry matter production of 20–73%. These results indicate that Rhizobium species have potential as biological control agents against the root rot of T. subterraneum seedlings caused by P. clandestina.


2009 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiernan A. O'Rourke ◽  
Tim T. Scanlon ◽  
Megan H. Ryan ◽  
Len J. Wade ◽  
Alan C. McKay ◽  
...  

Pasture decline is considered to be a serious challenge to agricultural productivity of subterranean clover across southern Australia. Root disease is a significant contributing factor to pasture decline. However, root disease assessments are generally carried out in the early part of the growing season and in areas predominantly sown to permanent pastures. For this reason, in spring 2004, a survey was undertaken to determine the severity of root disease in mature subterranean clover plants in pastures located in the wheatbelt of Western Australia. DNA-based soil assays were used to estimate population density in the soil of a variety of soil-borne pathogens known to commonly occur in the Mediterranean-type environments of southern Australia. The relationships between severity of disease on tap and lateral roots and root diameter, root length, nodulation, and total rainfall were determined. The survey showed, for the first time, that severe root disease is widespread in spring across the wheatbelt of Western Australia. There was a positive correlation between rainfall and tap root disease, and between tap root disease and average root diameter of the entire root system. Despite the high levels of root disease present across the sites, the DNA of most root disease pathogens assayed was detected in trace concentrations. Only Pythium Clade F showed high DNA concentrations in the soil. DNA concentrations in the soil, in particular for Phytophthora clandestina and Rhizoctonia solani AG 2.1 and AG 2.2, were higher in the smaller autumn sampling in 2006. This study suggests that the productivity of subterranean clover-based pastures is severely compromised by root rot diseases throughout the growing season in the wheatbelt of Western Australia.


Plant Disease ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 83 (8) ◽  
pp. 714-721 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ravjit K. Khangura ◽  
Martin J. Barbetti ◽  
Mark W. Sweetingham

A total of 112 Rhizoctonia isolates were collected from various canola (Brassica napus) growing areas of Western Australia. Pectic enzyme electrophoresis differentiated these isolates into six distinct zymogram groups: R. solani, 54% ZG5 (AG2-1), 8% ZG6 (AG2-1), and 1% ZG9 (AG10); binucleate Rhizoctonia, 12% CZG1 (CAG1), 4% CZG4, and 6% CZG5 (AGK); and the remainder unidentified binucleate groups (15%). Binucleate groups were also confirmed by fluorescent nuclear staining and hyphal morphology. One or more isolates from each of the above zymogram groups (including four unidentified binucleate groups) and an isolate of ZG1-1 (AG8) that causes bare patch in cereals and legumes were tested for their pathogenicity on canola. Isolates of ZG5 and ZG1-1 were highly pathogenic on canola, delayed seedling emergence, and caused severe hypocotyl and root rot, respectively. ZG5 also induced postemergence damping-off. Increasing the depth of sowing from 1 to 3 cm significantly delayed seedling emergence and increased disease severity. Four unidentified binucleate isolates (WAC9316, WAC9297, WAC9307, and WAC9290) were moderately pathogenic to canola, while two isolates (WAC9307 and WAC9316) caused significant preemergence damping-off. Two CZG5 isolates were weakly pathogenic. Isolates of ZG5 and ZG1-1 were also tested for their pathogenicity on other rotational crops (narrow-leafed lupin, subterranean clover, wheat, oats, barley, and mustard) and two weed species (wild radish and annual ryegrass). ZG5 caused a severe hypocotyl rot on mustard and mild symptoms of hypocotyl rot on narrow-leafed lupin and clover, but failed to infect any of the cereal hosts, such as wheat, oats, barley, and ryegrass. In contrast, all crops tested were highly susceptible to ZG1-1 except mustard, which was only moderately susceptible. Results indicate that ZG5 is most pathogenic to crucifers and is a mildly virulent pathogen of the leguminous crops but not of cereal crops tested. ZG1-1, known to cause bare patch in legumes and cereals, also can cause severe root rot in canola. This is the first report of hypocotyl rot and pathogenicity of ZG5 on canola in Australia.


Plant Disease ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ming Pei You ◽  
Phillip Nichols ◽  
Roseline Katusiime ◽  
Martin John BARBETTI

Glasshouse and field investigations were undertaken into the phenotypic expressions of resistance of a 97-member World Core Collection of subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum), collected from its native Mediterranean habitat and representing around 80% of the total genetic diversity within the known 10,000 accessions of the species, against the most important damping-off and root rot (Phytophthora clandestina, and Pythium irregulare) and foliar (Kabatiella caulivora, Uromyces trifolii-repentis and Erysiphe trifoliorum)pathogens. An additional 28 diverse cultivars were also included. Associations were also examined for these genotypes between 18 disease parameters and 17 morphological traits and between these disease parameters and 24 climatic and eco-geographic variables from their collection sites. Many genotypes showed strong phenotypic expression of novel host disease resistance(s) against one or more pathogens, enabling their potential deployment as disease resistant parents into subterranean clover breeding programs. These new sources of resistance enable future ‘pyramiding’ of different resistance genes to improve resistance against these pathogens. Of particular value were genotypes with multiple disease resistances across soilborne and/or foliar diseases, as many of these pathogens co-occur. All diseases had some parameters significantly correlated with one or more morphological traits and with one or more site of origin variables. In particular, there were significant negative correlations between damping-off (i.e., germination) and eight of the 17 morphological characters. The outcome of these studies provides crucial information to subterranean clover breeding programs, enabling them to simultaneously select genotypes with multiple resistances to co-occurring soilborne and foliar diseases, in addition to desirable traits, to offer renewed hope for re-establishing a more productive subterranean clover livestock feedbase despite multiple diseases prevailing widely.


2010 ◽  
Vol 61 (9) ◽  
pp. 708 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiernan A. O'Rourke ◽  
Megan H. Ryan ◽  
Hua Li ◽  
Xuanli Ma ◽  
Krishnapillai Sivasithamparam ◽  
...  

Subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum) is grown extensively as a pasture legume in agronomic regions with Mediterranean-type climates in parts of Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America. Root diseases of subterranean clover, especially those caused by oomycete pathogens including Aphanomyces, Phytophthora and Pythium, greatly reduce productivity by significantly decreasing germination, seedling establishment, plant survival and seed set. For this reason, experiments were conducted to determine the species of Aphanomyces causing root disease on subterranean clover in the high-rainfall areas of south-west Western Australia. The effects of flooding, temperature and inoculum concentration on the development of root disease on subterranean clover caused by this Aphanomyces sp. were also investigated as was its host range. Morphological and molecular characteristics were used to identify the pathogen as a new species Aphanomyces trifolii sp. nov. (O’Rourke et al.), which forms a distinct clade with its nearest relative being A. cladogamus. A. trifolii caused significant lateral root pruning as well as hypocotyl collapse and tap root disease of subterranean clover. The level of disease was greater in treatments where soil was flooded for 24 h rather than for 6 h or in unflooded treatments. The pathogen caused more disease at 18/13oC than at lower (10/5oC) or higher (25/20oC) temperatures. The pathogen caused more disease at 1% inoculum than at 0.5 or 0.2% (% inoculum : dry weight of soil). In greenhouse trials, A. trifolii also caused root disease on annual medic (M. polymorpha and M. truncatula), dwarf beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) and tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum). However, the pathogen did not cause disease on peas (Pisum sativum), chickpea (Cicer arietinum), wheat (Triticum aestivum), annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidium) or capsicum (Capsicum annuum). A. trifolii is a serious pathogen in the high-rainfall areas of south-west Western Australia and is likely a significant cause of root disease and subsequent decline in subterranean clover pastures across southern Australia.


2017 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
pp. 33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin Foster ◽  
Ming Pei You ◽  
Brett Nietschke ◽  
Nick Edwards ◽  
Martin J. Barbetti

Subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) is an important pasture legume in many regions of Australia, and elsewhere. A survey was undertaken in 2014 to define the levels of soilborne disease and associated pathogens in annual subterranean clover pastures across southern Australia. Most of the 202 samples processed had very severe levels of taproot rot disease (disease index 60–80%) and extremely severe lateral root rot disease (disease index 80–100%). A complex of soilborne root pathogens including Aphanomyces trifolii, Phytophthora clandestina, and one or more of Pythium, Rhizoctonia and Fusarium spp. was found responsible for severe pre- and post-emergence damping-off and root disease. This is the first study to highlight the high incidence of A. trifolii across southern Australian pastures and the first to highlight the existence of natural synergistic associations in the field between Rhizoctonia and Pythium spp., Pythium and Fusarium spp., Pythium spp. and A. trifolii, and P. clandestina and A. trifolii. Nodulation was generally poor, mainly only in the 20–40% nodulation index range. There was no relationship between rainfall zone and tap or lateral root disease level, with root disease equally severe in lower (330 mm) and higher (1000 mm) rainfall zones. This dispels the previous belief that severe root disease in subterranean clover is an issue only in higher rainfall zones. Although overall the relationship between tap and lateral root disease was relatively weak, these two root-disease components were strongly positively expressed within each pathogen’s presence grouping, providing explanation for variability in this relationship across different field situations where soilborne root disease is a major problem. Most producers underestimated the levels and effect of root disease in their pastures. This study established that tap and lateral root diseases are widespread and severe, having devastating impact on the feed gap during autumn–early winter across southern Australia. Severe root disease was independent of the highly variable complex of soilborne pathogens associated with diseased roots, geographic location and rainfall zone. It is evident that soilborne root diseases are the primary factor responsible for widespread decline in subterranean clover productivity of pastures across southern Australia. Implications for disease management and options for extension are discussed.


2002 ◽  
Vol 53 (11) ◽  
pp. 1271 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. H. Harris ◽  
G. J. Scammell ◽  
W. J. Müller ◽  
J. F. Angus

An experiment at Rutherglen in north-eastern Victoria compared 5 grass-removal methods in subterranean clover-based pastures that were grown before cropping sequences of canola–wheat–lupin–wheat or wheat–wheat–lupin–wheat. The cropping sequences were started in 3 successive years to provide replication in time. Grass removal from the pasture was more effective in winter than in spring and led to yield increases by the first and second crops. The largest increase (80%) was by the first canola crop after winter-cleaned pasture. The yield increase by the equivalent wheat crop was 42%. Since annual grasses and canola do not host the same root pathogens, we conclude that the yield responses were not due to root-disease control but probably to increased N supply. Assays of wheat roots confirmed that root disease was negligible throughout the experiment. Wheat growing in the year after canola yielded 11% more than wheat growing after wheat. The most surprising result was a 17% increase in the yield of wheat growing 3 years after canola compared with wheat growing 3 years after wheat, with wheat–lupin sequences in the intervening years for both systems. We suggest that canola and lupin, both of which are non-hosts of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, reduced mycorrhizal root colonisation in the fourth-year wheat crop, leading to less drain on assimilates.


1991 ◽  
Vol 42 (7) ◽  
pp. 1195 ◽  
Author(s):  
MJ Barbetti

In two field trials, complete removal of subterranean clover for one season, or in particular two seasons, significantly reduced tap and lateral root disease in the immediate following year in which subterranean clover was allowed to regenerate. By the second season of regeneration these effects were either small or absent. Subterranean clover removal had greater effect on reducing lateral root disease than tap root disease in regenerating pastures. There were often large increases in plant size in regenerating pastures following complete removal of subterranean clover for one season or, in particular, two consecutive seasons. This effect also persisted poorly beyond the first season of regeneration. The losses in terms of subterranean clover herbage and seed yield during the period of subterranean clover removal were not offset by subsequent benefits from root disease reductions, as there was no corresponding increase in total herbage production. Subterranean clover removal had a variable effect upon the per cent subterranean clover v. grass ratio in regenerating pastures. Removal of subterranean clover for short periods (1 or 2 years) as an agronomic practice does not appear to be useful in overcoming root rot problems associated with this species in the high (> 750 mm) rainfall zone, the zone where severe root rot most frequently occurs in Western Australia.


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