RESUMEN
Plant pathogens have evolved many dispersal mechanisms, using biotic or abiotic vectors or a combination of the two. Rain splash dispersal is known from a variety of fungi, and can be an efficient driver of crop epidemics, with infectious strains propagating rapidly among often genetically homogenous neighboring plants. Splashing is nevertheless a local dispersal process and spores taking the droplet ride seldom move farther than a few decimeters. In this study, we assessed rain splash dispersal of conidia of the yam anthracnose agent, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, in an experimental setting using a rain simulator, with emphasis on the impact of soil contamination (i.e., effect of re-splashing events). Spores dispersed up to 50 cm from yam leaf inoculum sources, though with an exponential decrease with increasing distance. While few spores were dispersed via re-splash from spore-contaminated soil, the proportion deposited via this mechanism increased with increasing distance from the initial source. We found no soil contamination carryover from previous rains, suggesting that contamination via re-splashing from contaminated soils mainly occurred within single rains. We conclude that most dispersal occurs from direct splashing, with a weaker contribution of indirect dispersal via re-splash.
Asunto(s)
Colletotrichum/patogenicidad , Dioscorea/microbiología , Enfermedades de las Plantas/microbiología , Lluvia , Esporas Fúngicas/fisiología , Tiempo (Meteorología)RESUMEN
Phytoecdysteroids have been proposed as new tools for controlling crop pests because of their endocrine disruption and deterrent effects on insects and nematodes. There is increasing evidence of variability between taxa in sensitivity to phytoecdysteroids, but the genetic variability of this sensitivity within species is unknown. However, knowledge about this intraspecies variability is required for predicting evolution of the pest's response to new control methods. We assessed the variability of the response of the aphid Myzus persicae Sulzer, a major agricultural pest, to 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E). We determined the number of nymphs produced by six clones of M. persicae exposed to various concentrations of 20E and the capacity of these clones to detect 20E in choice experiments. High concentrations of 20E significantly decreased the number of nymphs produced for two clones and both increases and decreases in the number of offspring were detected at low concentrations. Two clones significantly avoided food with 20E, while one significantly preferred it, suggesting that 20E does not always act as a deterrent in this species. We conclude that genetic variability in the response to 20E exists in natural populations of M. persicae. The consequences of this finding on the sustainability of control methods using 20E are discussed.