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vi, 128 leaves : photos, tables ; 30 cm / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Plant Pathology, 1978

Thesis (MScAgric)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Leaf blackening, a postharvest disorder which is characterized by a dark brown to black discoloration, is found in most commercially important Protea cut flower species and cultivars. As this disorder is known to increase with storage time, it is a major concern to the South African industry as the use of sea freight is increasingly preferred due to lower transport costs and a more favourable carbon footprint. The cause of leaf blackening has been strongly linked to a carbohydrate stress exerted by the large inflorescence, thus requiring the utilization of sugar bound polyphenols in the foliage, which when removed, can oxidize enzymatically or non-enzymatically. A study where harvesting was done throughout the season as well as on selected days at 08:00, 12:00, 15:00 and 17:00, concluded that leaf blackening incidences in Protea cv. Sylvia stems varies significantly throughout the season, between years and even with the harvest time of day. Leaf blackening incidences increased from October onwards and remained high until February, before decreasing to acceptably lower levels towards March to May. Carbohydrate- and phenolic content together with water status of leaves at harvest was not able to accurately predict incidence of the associated leaf blackening. However, irrespective of the season of harvesting, leaf blackening was significantly lower when stems were harvested later in the day than compared to stems harvested in the morning. Low sucrose and high water content at these harvest times was positively correlated to high incidences of leaf blackening. In a next study where uptake dynamics of glucose pulsing was investigated, Protea cv. Sylvia was harvested at different times throughout the day, dehydrated to various levels and pulsed with an increasing range of glucose concentrations. Pulsing solution uptake per stem was found to be highly influenced by these factors, as dehydration of stems and a harvest time later during the day both decreased stem water potential, which then increased pulse-solution uptake within a certain time period. The daily harvest time influenced transpiration, whilst pulse-solution uptake decreased with an increase in glucose pulse concentration. When stems were pulsed pre-storage with an increasing range of glucose concentrations, not only did pulses of between 4.7 – 13.7% glucose significantly delayed the incidence of leaf blackening, but it also maintained a positive water balance longer in stems during vase life. Ethanol or acetaldehyde vapour did not provide a viable alternative for reducing leaf blackening incidence in Protea cv. Sylvia, although a synergistic effect was found when ethanol vapour or pulsing was used in combination with glucose. A commercial verification trial disclosed that Protea magnifica and Protea ‘Pink Ice’ reacted more beneficial to ethanol vapour than was observed in ‘Sylvia’. This study confirms that carbohydrate availability within the Protea cut stem remains a key factor in the control of leaf blackening. Factors which assist in maintaining high internal carbohydrate levels, such as enhanced glucose pulse uptake or effective vase solution utilization will contribute to providing an optimum control of leaf blackening during vase life following long-term cold storage. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Loofblaarverbruining is ‘n na-oes defek wat gekarakteriseer word deur ‘n donker bruin na swart verkleuring wat voorkom in meeste kommersieël belangrike Protea snyblom spesies en kultivars. Hierdie defek is bekend daarvoor dat dit toeneem met stoortyd, dus is dit ‘n groot kommer vir die Suid-Afrikaanse industrie, met toenemende gebruik van seevrag as vervoer keuse wat laer vervoer kostes en meer gunstige ‘koolstof voetspoor’ bevoordeel. Die oorsaak van loofblaarverbruining word sterk gekoppel aan ‘n koolhidraat stres wat uitgeoefen word deur die groot bloeiwyse op die loofblare, waar suiker-gebonde polifenoliese verbindings ensiematies of nieensiematies geoksideer word met die verwydering van die suiker verbinding. 'n Studie waar geoes was regdeur die seisoen, sowel as op geselekteerde dae om 08:00, 12:00, 15:00 en 17:00, het bevind dat die voorkoms van loofblaarverbruining in stele van Protea kv. Sylvia aansienlik geskil regdeur die seisoen, tussen jare en selfs met die oes tyd gedurende die dag. Die voorkoms van loofblaarverbruining het toegeneem vanaf Oktober en het hoog gebly tot en met Februarie, voordat dit gedaal het tot aanvaarbare laer vlakke teen Maart, tot en met Mei. Koolhidraat-en fenoliese inhoud sowel as die water status van die blare by oes was onsuksesvol om die voorkoms van die gepaardgaande loofblaarverbruining akkuraat te voorspel. Loofblaarverbruining was egter aansienlik laer as stele geoes later in die dag teenoor stele geoes in die oggend, ongeag die seisoen van oes. Lae sukrose en 'n hoë water inhoud geassosieer met hierdie oes-tye was positief gekorreleerd met ‘n hoë voorkoms van loofblaarverbruining. In 'n volgende studie waar die opname dinamika van glukose pulsing ondersoek was, is Protea kv. Sylvia stele geoes op verskillende tye dwarsdeur die dag, gedehidreer tot verskillende vlakke en met 'n toenemende reeks van glukose konsentrasies gepuls. Pulsoplossing opname per steel is sterk beïnvloed deur hierdie faktore, aangesien dehidrasie van die stele asook stele geoes later gedurende die dag die afname van steel waterpotensiaal veroorsaak het, terwyl die puls-oplossing opname versnel het binne ‘n bepaalde tyd. Die tyd van oes beïnvloed ook transpirasie, terwyl vaas oplossing opname afgeneem met 'n toename in glukose puls konsentrasie. Wanneer ‘Sylvia’ stele gepuls was voor stoor met 'n reeks van toenemende glukose konsentrasies, het nie net die puls van tussen 4.7 – 13.7% glukose aansienlik die voorkoms van loofblaarverbruining vertraag nie, maar dit het ook ‘n positiewe water balans langer in stele gedurende die vaas lewe behou. Nie etanol of asetaldehied dampe is bevind as geskikte alternatief vir glukose pulsing om die voorkoms van loofblaarverbruining in Protea kv. Sylvia te verlaag nie, alhoewel ‘n sinergistiese effek waargeneem was wanneer etanol in kombinasie met glukose gebruik was. ‘n Kommersieële bevestigingstoetsing het bevind dat Protea magnifica en ‘Pink Ice’ meer voordeel uit ‘n ethanoldamp behandeling kon trek teenoor ‘Sylvia’. Hierdie studie het bevestig die belangrikheid van koolhidraat beskikbaarheid in die Protea snyblom, vir beheer van loofblaarverbruining. Faktore wat die handhawing van hoë interne koolhidrate vlakke, soos bevorderde glukose puls opname of effektiewe vaas oplossing benutting sal bydra tot ‘n optimal beheer van loofblaarverbruining tydens vaas lewe na langtermyn koueopberging. / National Research Fund (NRF) for their financial support in 2009; Protea Producers of South Africa (PPSA) and Productschap Tuinbouw (PT) as well as the Frank Batchelor Will Trust Grant for the financial support.

M.Sc. (Zoology) / Paratrichodorus meyeri De Waele & Killian, 1992 is extremely sensitive to surface sterilization; therefore in vitro culture could not be utilized for the mass culture of this nematode and another method had to be developed. Hermetically sealed glass containers were employed successfully for the reproduction of Paratrichodorus meyeri. With this method an average 12 times increase was achieved on tomatoes over a period of 60 days. Certain crops were evaluated in the greenhouse to establish their status as hosts for Paratrichodorus meyeri. The aim of this experiment was to determine which plants could be used as hosts for the reproduction of the nematodes in the greenhouse. It was found that tomatoes (cultivar Roma VF) and wheat (cultivar Gamtoos) were excellent hosts, tobacco (cultivar K51E) and onions (cultivar Bon accord) good hosts, tobacco (cultivar TL 38) and lettuce (cultivar Great Lakes) average hosts and sweetcorn (cultivar Golden Bantam), beetroot (cultivar Formanova) and cabbage (cultivar Sugar Loaf) unsatisfactory hosts for this nematode species. The aim was also to determine the effect of this nematode species on tobacco and cotton. Various inoculation levels of Paratrichodorus meyeri were tested on tobacco cultivars K51E, TL33 and RK and the cotton cultivar Acala 1517170. It was established that an inoculation level as low as 50 - 100ft! Qsoil had a negative effect on cotton (cult. Acala 1517170). A damage threshold value of 100ft! Q soil on the tobacco . cultivar K51E was established. It is also possible for tobacco cultivar RK to support this nematode species without any adverse effects it can even be beneficial for this particular cultlvar. It was also determined that a negative correlation exits between the initial number of nematodes inoculated and the final population.

Please read the abstract in the section, 00front of this document / Thesis (PhD (Entomology))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Zoology and Entomology / PhD / unrestricted

Fusarium subglutinans sensu lato is a complex of fungi, which are the causal agents of important diseases on a wide variety of plants. Two important diseases caused by F. subglutinans sensu lato are pitch canker and mango malformation. F. subglutinans sensu lato isolates causing pitch canker on pine trees have been described as a separate species, F. circinatum. whereas F. subglutinans sensu lato isolates associated with mango malformation have not been formally described. The objective of study was to clarify the taxonomy and population genetics of the pitch canker and mango malformation fungi residing in the Gibberellafujikuroi complex. The introductory chapter of this thesis provides a review of the taxonomic classifications used for Fusarium spp. in the G. fujikuroi complex. In addition, the current knowledge pertaining to the population structure of the pitch canker and mango malformation fungi is discussed. In the second chapter the occurrence of F. circinatum was investigated in Mexico. Fusarium isolates were collected from pine trees in Mexico and identified as F. circinatum. Morphology, sexual compatibility studies, pathogenicity tests and histone H3-RFLPs were used to identify and characterize this fungus. The pitch canker fungus, F. circinatum and its teleomorph, G. circinata has been recently described. However, the name G. circinata is invalid, because insufficient information was provided to characterize the type specimen in the description. Additional information and a selection of F. circinatum isolates were, therefore, obtained and studies were undertaken in order to validate the description of G. circinata. The teleomorph G. circinata was validated and morphological criteria were shown to clearly distinguish F. circinatum from other F. subglutinans sensu lato isolates. Chapter four presents a study aimed at better understanding relationships between populations of F. circinatum from different geographical areas. For this study co¬dominant molecular markers were developed. These were then used to determine the genetic diversity, genetic distance and migration between different F. circinatum populations. Analysis revealed a high diversity in the Florida population and a low diversity in the South African population. Genetic analysis also indicated that the South African F. circinatum population originated in Mexico. In chapter five, the influence of sexual reproduction on the F. circinatum populations sampled over ten years in South Africa were studied. Sexual compatibility, vegetative compatibility and allelic diversity that were determined using polymorphic markers, developed in chapter four, were used. These results suggested that sexual reproduction is occurring more frequently in the more recently collected populations than in the initial population. Mango malformation is an important disease in mango growing areas. The study presented in chapter six indicated that this disease is associated with two distinct Fusarium spp. in the section Liseola. The two new Fusarium spp. are thus described as F. mangiferae and F. sterilihyphosum using morphological criteria In chapter seven, the distribution and vegetative compatibility of both F. mangiferae and F. sterilihyphosum was determined for the South Africa populations. Results revealed that each of these species differ in their distribution in South Africa. Vegetative compatibility tests also suggest that both species represent single genets in South Africa. Fusarium subglutinans sensu lato isolates associated with pme and mango are economically important fungi. The focus of the studies presented in this thesis has been on the taxonomy and population genetics of these fungi, with special reference to their occurrence in South Africa. Each of the chapters will contributes towards a better understanding of the taxonomy, population genetics and biology of these fungi. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Microbiology and Plant Pathology / Unrestricted

Twenty sample plots located in Inonotus tomentosus (Fr.) Teng centers in mixed lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. var. latifolia Engelm.) and interior spruce (Picea glauca x engelmannii Engelm.) stands in central British Columbia were studied to investigate the behaviour of, and variation in host species attacked by the pathogen. The effect of infection on the radial increment of spruce and pine was studied by measuring increment bores. Characteristics of the fungus in culture were studied using isolates obtained from each of the study plots. In some cases, the fungus was found to behave differently on spruce and pine. In pine, advanced necrosis of the cambium and phloem of the roots caused crown thinning and eventual standing mortality. In spruce, decay of the heartwood and inner xylem of the roots caused windfall of the tree, often before expression of noticeable crown symptoms. In both host species studied, spread was commonly observed from infected to healthy, contacting roots. Possible cases of spore inoculation through root wounds were also found. In all plots, pine showed a higher infection level than spruce. Subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt.) and Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuqa menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) present within the plots were not found to be infected. Infection by I. tomentosus was not found to reduce significantly the basal area increment in pine or spruce. The fungus in culture demonstrated a large amount of variation in growth rate, mycelium color and mat color and texture. Such variation occurred both within and among isolates, and could not be related to the host species from which the isolate was obtained. / Forestry, Faculty of / Graduate

Please read the Summary in the section 03chapter3 of this document / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Plant Science / Unrestricted

Please read the abstract (Summary) in the section 00front of this document / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Microbiology and Plant Pathology / Unrestricted