Is magnesium deficiency the major cause of needle chlorosis of Pinus taeda in Brazil?

Needle chlorosis(NC)in Pinus taeda L.systems in Brazil becomes more frequent after second and third harvest rotation cycles.In a study to identify factors contributing to yellowing needle chorosis(YNC),trees were grown in soils originating from contrasting parent materials,and soils and needles(whole,green and chlorotic portions)from 1-and 2-year-old branches and the first and second needle flush release at four sites with YNC on P.taeda were analyzed for various elements and properties.All soils had very low base levels(Ca^(2+),Mg^(2+)and K^(+))and P,suggesting a possible lack of multiple elements.YNC symptoms started at needle tips,then extended toward the needle base with time.First flush needles had longer portions with YNC than second flush needles did.Needles from the lower crown also had more symptoms along their length than those higher in the canopy.Symptoms were similar to those reported for Mg.In chlorotic portions,Mg and Ca concentrations were well below critical values;in particular,Mg levels were only one third of the critical value of 0.3 g kg^(-1).Collectively,results suggest that Mg deficiency is the primary reason for NC of P.taeda in various parent soils in Brazil.

Transmission characteristics of Tomato chlorosis virus (ToCV) by Bemisia tabaci MED and its effects on host preference of vector whitefly

The epidemiology of Tomato chlorosis virus(ToCV)in China is closely associated with its vector whitefly,Bemisia tabaci(Gennadius)MED.However,the transmission characteristics of ToCV by B.tabaci MED remain poorly understood.In this study,we analyzed:1)the horizontal and vertical transmission of ToCV by B.tabaci MED whiteflies;2)the acquisition of ToCV by male and female B.tabaci MED whiteflies after different feeding durations;3)the transmission efficacy of viruliferous male and female B.tabaci MED whiteflies after different inoculation access periods(IAPs);4)the retention of ToCV by viruliferous male and female B.tabaci MED whiteflies after a 48 h acquisition access period(AAP);and 5)the effects of ToCV on host choice of healthy or ToCV-infected tomato plant of viruliferous and non-viruliferous B.tabaci MED at different time points.Our results showed that:1)viruliferous males could not transfer ToCV to non-viruliferous females,and vice versa,viruliferous females could not pass on ToCV to non-viruliferous males.ToCV could not be detected in the F1 generation adults;2)ToCV could be detected within 4.0%of females or males after a 20 min AAP;3)ToCV could be detected in 33.3%of tomato plants inoculated by 10 viruliferous males or females with IAPs of 20 or 30 min;4)the maximum retention time in females was 7 and 5 days in males;and 5)non-viruliferous B.tabaci MED did not show a preference for ToCV-infected tomato plants or healthy tomato plants.However,viruliferous B.tabaci MED whiteflies did prefer to settle on healthy tomato plants over ToCV-infected tomato plants.These findings will be helpful to better understand the epidemiology of the recently emerged plant virus,ToCV,in tomato fields in China.

Effect of slow-release iron fertilizer on iron-deficiency chlorosis, yield and quality of Lilium davidii var.unicolor in a two-year field experiment

Iron deficiency chlorosis of Lilium davidii var. unicolor is often the case in practice in alkaline soils of northwest region of China. It is difficult to control iron chlorosis because of high cost and short effective work time of conventional iron fertilizers. In this study, a 2-year field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of two slow-release fertilizers on the suppression of iron deficiency chlorosis, soil chemical properties, and the yield and quality of L. davidii var. unicolor. Results show that both coated slow-release iron fertilizers and embedded slow-release iron fertilizer effectively controlled iron-deficiency chlorosis. The application of slow-release iron fertilizers significantly increased plant height and chlorophyll content of L. davidii var. unicolor at different growth stages. Furthermore, coated iron fertilizer application significantly increased starch, protein, soluble sugar and vitamin C content of L. davidii var. unicolor, and it also significantly improved total amino acid content, with increases in essential amino acids(Trp, Leu, Lys, Phe, Val, and Thr contents) and in nonessential amino acids(Asp, Glu, Cit, Ihs, Acc, Ala, Pro, and Cys contents). It was concluded that application of coated slow-release iron fertilizer could be a promising option for suppression of iron deficiency chlorosis and deserves further study.

Manganese toxicity-induced chlorosis in sugarcane seedlings involves inhibition of chlorophyll biosynthesis

Manganese(Mn)toxicity-induced leaf chlorosis limits crop production in acidic soils,but its underlying mechanisms remain unknown.The effects of excessive Mn on chlorophyll(Chl)biosynthesis in sugarcane(Saccharum officinarum L.)leaves were investigated.Under Mn treatment,Chl concentration decreased with Mn accumulation and chlorosis appeared in expanding leaves.Before that,levels of the initial Chl precursor 5-aminolevulinic acid(ALA)and its downstream intermediates decreased,whereas magnesium-protoporphyrin IX monomethyl ester(MgPME)accumulated.Overaccumulation of Mn in leaves downregulated the ALA biosynthetic gene GluTR(encoding glutamyl-tRNA reductase)and MgPME conversion gene MgPMEC(encoding MgPME cyclase),upregulated the ALA biosynthesis inhibitor FLU(encoding FLUORESCENT),but had no significant effect on the expression of other Chl biosynthetic genes.The above Mn-induced changes of Chl precursors and expression of corresponding genes commenced before the Chl decline and leaf chlorosis,and were reversed by ALA supplementation.Thus,excessive Mn-induced chlorosis in sugarcane is mediated by a Chl-biosynthesis disorder resulting from the inhibition of ALA synthesis and MgPME conversion.

How Raised Beds and Fe-Chelate Affect Soybean Iron Deficiency Chlorosis and Yield

Water-logging and the inability to take up sufficient iron (Fe), causing iron deficiency chlorosis (IDC) in soybean (Glycine max, L. Merr.), can be major yield reducing factors in certain soils in the northern USA and Manitoba, Canada, soybean growing regions. The objective of this research was to evaluate soybean IDC, biomass production, and yield with seeding on raised beds and seed application of the Fe-chelate compound ortho-ortho-Fe-EDDHA. In six environments, soybean were seeded on raised beds and conventionally prepared seedbeds (flat) and with a factorial arrangement of five cultivars (within adapted maturity group 0.1 to 0.9 and variable IDC tolerance) and seed applied Fe-EDDHA using rates of 0 kg·ha−1 and 3.36 kg·ha−1. There were no significant interactions between the factors tested. The plant population was 27% higher on the raised beds compared with flat, and yield was 6.3% higher (2893 kg·ha−1 vs. 2722 kg·ha−1). Total dry plant biomass on raised beds was 9.8% greater compared with flat. The plant population with seed applied Fe-EDDHA was 10.6% lower compared with no application. However, the IDC score was significantly lower 2.2 vs 2.4 (1 = green, 5 = dead) for Fe-EDDHA seed application. Yield and plant biomass were not significantly different between Fe treatments. Raised beds offer an opportunity for soybean growers to reduce the negative influence of excessive water. Further research is needed to determine the long-term effect of raised beds on plant development, IDC expression, and yield. The application of Fe-EDDHA remains a partial solution and should therefore be combined with other methods to reduce IDC. Further research should study other Fe-EDDHA application rates and methods.

Response of Dicamba-Resistant Soybean to Glyphosate/Dicamba Application Rate and Timing

Three field experiments were conducted during 2016 and 2017 in southwestern Ontario, Canada to evaluate the effect of glyphosate/dicamba (2:1 ratio) applied at the V2/V3 or V4/V5 growth stage on dicamba-resistant (DR) soybean injury, growth response and yield. At 1 DAA, glyphosate/dicamba at 450, 900, 1350, 1800 and 3600 g·ae·ha-1 caused 0, 0.3, 1.8, 3.3 and 5.8% growth response (leaf droop) when applied at the V2/V3 growth stage and 0.3%, 1.3%, 1.5%, 2.3% and 4.5% growth response when applied at V4/V5 growth stage in DR soybean, respectively. The growth response was similar at 3 DAA. This response was transient with no growth response observed at 7 DAA, 2 WAB, 4 WAB, 8 WAB, and late Sept. (R8 growth stage). Glyphosate/dicamba at 450, 900, 1350, 1800 and 3600 g·ae·ha-1 caused 0.0, 1.4%, 3.6%, 5.7% and 10.7% injury (speckled chlorosis and necrosis and leaf distortion) when applied at the V2/V3 growth stage and 0.5%, 0.7%, 2.0%, 3.7% and 6.9% injury when applied at the V4/V5 growth stage in DR soybean, respectively. The injury observed was transient with no injury observed at 4 and 8 WAB and late Sept. (R8). There was no impact of glyphosate/dicamba at various rates evaluated on maturity and seed yield except at 1350 g·ae·ha-1 (V2/V3) and 3600 g·ae·ha-1 (V4/V5) which caused a 6% reduction in yield of DR soybean yield compared to the weed-free control. Based on these results, glyphosate/dicamba at the labelled rates can be safely applied at the V2/V3 and V4/V5 growth stage in DR soybean. However, care is needed to avoid spray overlaps as the 2× rate can result in significant crop injury and yield reduction in DR soybean.

辣椒褪绿病毒SYBR Green Ⅰ荧光定量PCR检测方法的建立

辣椒褪绿病毒(Capsicum chlorosis virus, CaCV)可引起辣椒(Capsicum annuum L.)、蝴蝶兰(Phalaenopsis sp.)等重要作物严重病害.根据CaCV核衣壳蛋白基因保守序列设计引物,建立了CaCV SYBR Green Ⅰ荧光定量PCR检测方法.结果表明,以含有CaCV目的基因片段的重组质粒为标准品构建的标准曲线,其循环阈值与模板浓度有良好的线性关系.所建立的SYBR Green Ⅰ荧光定量PCR方法具有特异性、重复性和灵敏性等优点,可用于田间样品中CaCV的定量检测.

Co-suppressed glutamine synthetase2 gene modifies nitrogen metabolism and plant growth in rice

A full-length cDNA that encodes the rice chloroplastic glutamine synthetase 2 gene was isolated from a Minghui 63-normalized cDNA library; and GS2 rice transformants were obtained by an Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation method. Transcripts of the GS2 gene were shown to accumulate at higher levels in the primary transgenic plants in the T0 generation; whereas plants in the T1 generation exhibited a co-suppressed chlorosis phenotype (yellow leaves) accompanied by decreased plant height, few tillers and decreased dry weight. The plants with yellow leaves also displayed a significant decline in GS2 messenger RNA (mRNA) transcriptional level and chlorophyll content; a decrease in total GS activities of ~50% was also found. Although there was no decrease in the concentration of total free amino acids, a change in the concentration of individual amino acids was observed. Our result also indicates a decreased metabolic level (soluble protein content and ammonium concentration) in GS2 co-suppressed plants. A correlation between chlorophyll content and GS2 mRNA expression level was also observed. The GS2 co-suppressed plants showed better performance when complemented with exogenous glutamine, indicating that the lack of an organic nitrogen pool inside the cell is the possible reason for the chlorosis phenotype of the transformants.

YR36/WKS1-Mediated Phosphorylation of PsbO,an Extrinsic Member of Photosystem Ⅱ,Inhibits Photosynthesis and Confers Stripe Rust Resistance in Wheat

Wheat stripe rust,due to infection by Puccinia striiformis f.sp.tritici(Pst),is a devastating disease that causes significant global grain yield losses.Yr36,which encodes Wheat Kinase START1(WKS1),is an effec-tive high-temperature adult-plant resistance gene and confers resistance to a broad spectrum of Pst races.We previously showed that WKS1 phosphorylates the thylakoid ascorbate peroxidase protein and reduces its ability to detoxify peroxides,which may contribute to the accumulation of reactive oxygen species(ROS).WKS1-mediated Pst resistance is accompanied by leaf chlorosis in Pst-infected regions,but the un-derlying mechanisms remain elusive.Here,we show that WKS1 interacts with and phosphorylates PsbO,an extrinsic member of photosystem Ⅱ(PS Ⅱ),to reduce photosynthesis,regulate leaf chlorosis,and confer Pst resistance.A point mutation in PsbO-A1 or reduction in its transcript levels by RNA interference resulted in chlorosis and reduced Pst sporulation.Biochemical analyses revealed that WKS1 phosphorylates PsbO at two conserved amino acids involved in physical interactions with PS Ⅱ and reduces the binding affinity of PsbO with PS Ⅱ.Presumably,phosphorylated PsbO proteins dissociate from the PS Ⅱ complex and then un-dergo rapid degradation by cysteine and aspartic proteases.Taken together,these results demonstrate that perturbations of wheat PsbO by point mutation or phosphorylation by WKS1 reduce the rate of photo-synthesis and delay the growth of Pst pathogen before the induction of ROS.