This item was digitized as part of the Million Books Project led by Carnegie Mellon University and supported by grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Cornell University coordinated the participation of land-grant and agricultural libraries in providing historical agricultural information for the digitization project; the University of Arizona Libraries, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and the Office of Arid Lands Studies collaborated in the selection and provision of material for the digitization project.

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In Quebec, bacterial leaf spot of lettuce was observed for the first time in 1994. Since this first mention, the disease has been observed each year and the severity varied with environmental conditions. Little information was available on this disease because until recently it was only sporadically observed around the world following the first mention in 1918. In this project, we found that two groups of Xanthomonas caused the bacterial leaf spot of lettuce according to the BIOLOG profiles. From the results of strain characterization, a semi-selective medium has been developed to detect and quantify X. campestris pv. vitians. This medium is made of maltose, tryptone, methyl green, phosphate salts, amoxicillin, cephalothin, cycloheximide and trace elements. It allowed us to carry out studies on the ecology of the pathogen and on the disease epidemiology. The effect of weather conditions on bacterial population size and the bacterial leaf spot development has been studied. Weather parameters influencing the bacterial population were the number of hours with temperature higher than 28°C, the number of hours with wind velocity lower than 1 km per hour, the number of hours with relative humidity lower than 45% and the minimum relative humidity. The weather parameters that significantly discriminated between disease increase categories were the mean solar radiation, the number of hours with relative humidity higher than 90%, the mean relative humidity and the maximum temperature. Looking at the relationship between X. campestris pv. vitians population size and host plant development, it was shown that both bacterial population size and disease severity increased with leaf age. Mathematical models were developed to show these relationships. This information will be useful in disease management to decide when to apply bactericides and when to harvest. Finally, an exploratory study was conducted looking at the effects of nutrients on the size of saprophytic bacterial

This research has focused on the determination of natural populations in the fields, the effect of different inoculum densities on lettuce growth and a study of the association of this fungus with two nematodes (Pratylenchus penetrans Cobb and Meliodogyne hapla Chitwood). Under conditions of artificial infestation of soil the results were satisfactory, but in trials with naturally infested soil the fungus could not be detected. The effect of different inoculum densities was measured at different stages of growth, and only in those plants inoculated 2 weeks after seeding were differences significant and consistent. Some evidence of the detrimental effect of wounding the root system prior to attack by the fungus led to studies of the relationship between this fungus with either P. penetrans or M. hapla. In the first case a negative interaction seemed to exist; no significant increase of the damage caused to the lettuce was observed. In contrast, when the root-knot nematodes and P. tracheiphilum were combined there was a marked reduction of lettuce growth. The interaction was found to be additive.

The effect of temperature and duration of leaf wetness (DLW) on sporulation of Bremia lactucae was determined for lettuce cv. Ithaca. A single spore isolate of B. lactucae was produced and was identified using lettuce differential lines each of which had known gene for resistance. Potted lettuce plants were inoculated with the isolate and incubated at 15 C, at 100% relative humidity for 24 h and then at a relative humidity lower than 70%. Seven days later, the plants were submitted to five different temperatures (5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 C) and six durations of leaf wetness (4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 14 h). The number of spores produced was determined at the end of each wet period. After 4 h of incubation no spores were observed at any of the temperatures. Highest number of spores was found at 10 and 15 C for more than 10 h of DLW. The rate of sporulation rapidly increased between 8 and 10 h for all the temperatures, including 25 C, where the amount of spores produced was very low. The observed number of spores was transformed into proportion of maximum sporulation (PMS) by providing each data by the maximum number of spores observed for each experiment. The Richards model was used to describe sporulation as a function of leaf wetness duration and the rate and maximum value expressed as a function of temperature. This approach resulted in a three-dimensional equation that explained 87% of the variation in the PMS. Spore viability was also estimated for each temperature and DLW. It was zero after 6 h of incubation and reached almost the maximum after 10 h for all the temperatures. The sporulation model was validated under field conditions and it predicted high, medium, low, or no sporulation in 8 out of 11 times.

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In the agricultural muck soil area of southwestern Quebec, two native parasitoids, Peristenus pallipes and P. pseudopallipes (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) were found to parasitize nymphs of the tarnished plant bug Lygus lineolaris (Hemiptera: Miridae), on various flowering plants and on cultivated lettuce. Parasitism levels (ranging from 1.3% to 92.3%) varied with host plant species sampled, and with methods used for the calculation of percentage parasitism. The percentage parasitism of tarnished plant bug populations was expressed as pooled values from all samples in the season (method 1), and by the Southwood and Jepson's graphical method (method 2). Phenology of parasitism, defined as the time during which female parasitoids are active in the field, was evaluated for both native parasitoid species. The cold-hardiness of P. digoneutis, a European nymph parasitoid introduced in northern United States, was evaluated in the laboratory by measuring the supercooling point and cumulative cold damage at sub-zero temperatures. When compared to the native P. pallipes and P. pseudopallipes the exotic parasitoid showed the same capacity to withstand cold temperatures. Prior to introduction, the evaluation of the impact of P. digoneutis on indigenous species will require a rapid identification to species level. The development of immature stages of P. digoneutis was studied to find taxonomic and developmental differences between the three species. At $21 pm1 sp circ$C, the egg matures in five days, and there are three larval instars, the first two molting inside the host while the third emerges from the host, three to four weeks after egg deposition. Adult characters of the pre-imaginal stage can be used to distinguish the exotic P. digoneutis from the two native species since mouth sclerites of the final instar larvae of P. digoneutis, P. pallipes and P. pseudopallipes do not possess reliable distinguishing characters. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

The challenges faced by the agricultural sector especially around improving production yields using environmentally friendly solutions have received market attention. Biological intervention can range from application of biological products to enhance the nutritional value of crops or to control plant pathogens. Biostart, a biological product that demonstrated growth enhancement when applied in lettuce crops is currently in the market. The product is comprised of a consortium of bacterial isolates (Bacillus licheniformis, Brevibacillus laterosporus and Bacillus laterosporus) but the contribution of the individual isolates to growth enhancement had not been elucidated. Green house experiments on lettuce seedlings with individual and mixed treatments were commissioned to determine such contribution. There was either no or marginal growth enhancement observed in the experiments. The results showed that the product was effective as a consortium and not as individual isolates. Further isolation and screening for potential Bacilli with antifungal properties was undertaken. An isolate identified as Bacillus subtilis that demonstrated inhibition against a wide spectrum of fungi, and especially the phytopathogenic Verticillium dahliae and Fusarium oxysporum, was successfully identified. The isolate was cryo-preserved and cultivated to significant levels at bench scale. A characterized comparison of different putative products with known systematic fungicide showed potential application even of heat treated products. The product showed control V. dahliae when tested in green houses with potatoes and tomatoes as test crops. This isolate has been targeted for further development as a biological control product.

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