RESUMEN
ABSTRACT Rhizoctonia solani anastomosis group (AG)-13 was collected from diseased roots of field grown cotton plants in Georgia in the United States. Isolates of AG-13 did not anastomose with tester isolates of AG-1 through AG-12. Mycelium of all isolates of AG-13 were light brown but darkened as cultures aged. All isolates produced aerial mycelium. Concentric rings were visible after 3 to 4 days of growth but disappeared as cultures aged and darkened. Individual sclerotia were up to 1.5 mm in diameter, similar in color to the mycelium, and generally embedded in the agar. Clumps of sclerotia up to 5 mm in diameter were produced on the agar surface. All attempts to induce basidiospore production were unsuccessful. The 5.8S region of the rDNA from isolates of AG-13 was identical in length and sequence to isolates of all other AGs of R. solani. Length and sequence of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of rDNA from isolates of AG-13 were unique among AGs of R. solani. Similarity between AG-13 and other AGs of R. solani ranged from 68 to 85% for ITS region 1 and 85 to 95% for ITS region 2. Selected isolates of AG-13 caused minor or no damage to barley, cauliflower, cotton, lettuce, potato, and radish in laboratory or greenhouse studies.
RESUMEN
ABSTRACT Hyphal anastomosis reactions, rDNA-internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences, and virulence of isolates representing Rhizoctonia solani AG-BI and six subsets of anastomosis group (AG)-2 (-2-1, -2-2 IIIB, -2-2 IV, -2-2 LP, -2-3, and -2-4) were compared. AG-2-4 is a subset described for the first time in this report. Anastomosis reactions within AG-BI and the listed subsets of AG-2 were generally strong but, between subsets, ranged from strong to a very weak "bridging" -type reaction. Anastomosis reaction alone generally did not provide adequate evidence for placement of an isolate into a subset of AG-2. Anastomosis reactions between AG-BI and the original subsets of AG-2 (-2-1 and -2-2) are very strong; for this reason, we propose that it be included as a subset of AG-2 (designation AG-2 BI). Subsets -2-3 and -2-4 show very weak bridging-type anastomosis reactions with all other subsets of AG-2 and thus may be candidates for independent AG status. Grouping within AG-2 based on rDNA-ITS sequences was consistent with the abovementioned subsets. However, grouping based on virulence as measured herein does not conform to established grouping patterns within AG-2 and does not seem useful as a group-defining criterion. A broad range of damage was observed among members of the most virulent subsets (-2-1, -2-2 IIIB, -2-2 IV, and -2-4), whereas other subsets (-2 BI, -2-2 LP, and -2-3) were similar to one another in causing a minimal level of damage. Group-specific primer pairs for each of the seven subsets of AG-2 were designed based on the abovementioned rDNA-ITS sequences. Primer pairs proved dependable and subset specific in polymerase chain reaction amplifications of purified genomic DNA from 109 isolates of R. solani and two isolates of binucleate Rhizoctonia. These primers will provide a simple and useful method for subset-specific characterization within AG-2 if further critical evaluations confirm their specificity.
RESUMEN
ABSTRACT Isolates of Rhizoctonia solani collected from mycorrhizal orchid (Pterostylis acuminata) plants and adjacent leaf litter were characterized. Of 23 selected isolates, 20 were members of a new anastomosis group (AG-12) and the rest were members of AG-6. There were no bridging anastomosis reactions observed between AG-12 and other AGs of R. solani. Among the 20 isolates of AG-12 evaluated, 18 vegetatively compatible populations were detected, indicating diversity within the AG. Mature cultures were dark brown, as were mature sclerotia. Some cultures produced alternating dark- and light-colored concentric rings, with sclerotia forming in the darker rings. Most cultures were appressed to the agar surface. In tests run to characterize pathogenic potential, selected mycorrhizal isolates of AG-12 and AG-6 did little damage to potato and barley seedlings, moderate damage to head lettuce seedlings, and more extensive damage to seedlings of cauliflower and radish. Isolates of AG-12 have not been observed to fruit in nature, and all attempts to induce formation of the teleomorph (Thanatephorus cucumeris) in the laboratory by selected isolates of AG-12 failed.
RESUMEN
Among isolates of Rhizoctonia solani Kühn collected as sclerotia from potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) tubers harvested from the Toluca Valley in 1995 was one isolate (MexND) of anastomosis group 7 (AG-7). Virulence of this and other isolates of R. solani representing AG-3 (four isolates) or AG-7 (four isolates), was determined on developing potato plants (cv. Russet Burbank) in growth chamber studies at 10 and 21°C by methods used previously (1). A control treatment was inoculated with sterile disks of potato dextrose agar (PDA). Seed tubers were placed on a layer of pasturized sand-soil mix near the bottom of 6- × 25-cm black plastic tubes, then covered with 2 to 3 cm of the sand-soil mix. Seed tubers used in virulence tests carried no R. solani as they had been surface disinfested by immersing for 2 min in a 1.85% solution of formaldehyde. Inoculum, in the form of one 7-mm agar disk cut from the growing edge of appropriate colonies growing on PDA, was placed 2 to 3 cm above the seed and covered with 7 to 10 cm of sand-soil mix (1). Each treatment had five replications. Plants were harvested after control plants had emerged, 29 days at 21°C and 36 days at 10°C, and damage to roots and shoots was assessed according to Carling and Leiner (1). All four isolates of AG-3, one from the U.S. and three from Mexico, caused major damage to roots and shoots at both temperatures. The two isolates of AG-7 from the U.S. caused superficial discoloration to shoots at both temperatures but the two isolates of AG-7 from Japan caused no damage to shoots. None of the four isolates of AG-7 damaged roots at either temperature. MexND caused no damage to roots or shoots at 21°C but produced lesions (< 1 mm in diameter) on roots and shoots at 10°C. Thus, MexND caused less damage to potato than AG-3, more damage than other isolates of AG-7, and appears more aggressive at lower temperatures. This is the first reported occurrence of R. solani AG-7 in Mexico and its first reported recovery from a potato tuber-borne sclerotium. Reference: (1) D. E. Carling and R. H. Leiner. Phytopathology 80:930, 1990.