Thesis (doctoral)--Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 2001. / Appendix reprints five papers and manuscripts, four co-authored with others. Includes bibliographical references. Also partially issued electronically via World Wide Web in PDF format; online version lacks appendix.

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Sporisorium reilianum is a basidiomycetous fungus that causes head smut in sorghum and maize. Infection requires the formation of a dikaryon between spores of compatible mating type and leads to a change from yeast-like to hyphal growth within the host plant. This switch is controlled through mating type loci. Among forty four different sorghum isolates of S. reilianum (SRS), including five different pathotypes, only three compatible pairs were detected, leading to the establishment of haploid cultures with three different “a locus” mating types, as verified by mRNA expression. Amino acid sequence comparison showed that the pheromone gene components of the a mating type loci of sorghum isolates (SRS) are highly similar to those of maize isolates (SRZ). Genetic diversity was measured using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) to compare isolates collected from the same and different hosts. AFLP analysis showed polymorphism both within and between SRS and SRZ isolates, with isolates from each host tending to show greater similarity. However, the study did not reveal patterns that could be associated with pathotype of sorghum isolates. A recent outbreak of sorghum downy mildew in Texas has led to the discovery of both metalaxyl fungicide resistance and a new pathotype, P6, in the causal organism, Peronosclerospora sorghi. To identify sources of resistance against P6, a total of 336 sorghum lines (245 mini-core lines from ICRISAT, India, 67 elite accessions from KSU, Kansas and 24 accessions from Texas) were used in a greenhouse study. Fifty two mini-core and 20 accessions from Kansas and 13 from Texas were recorded with ≤10% infection and characterized as resistant for further confirmation. Out of the 52 resistant mini-core accessions, 20 were photo-insensitive and showed 0 % infection. Eleven out of 20 from Kansas showed 0% infection. To quantify the genetic diversity among resistant accessions a high throughput ABI Prism 3100 DNA sequencing system was used for DNA fingerprinting with 60 Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) markers representing all 10 sorghum linkage groups. Analysis of SSR patterns showed high diversity among the resistant sorghum accessions that were collected from different geographical regions and include the five defined races of Sorghum bicolor. Accessions that are not closely related were most likely to represent unique sources of genetic resistance to P. sorghi.

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, Dept. of Plant Pathology, 1966. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:33:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2011-02-21Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:45:40Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 castoldi_r_dr_jabo.pdf: 868883 bytes, checksum: 9fab3c7b39cbd568365fed7ff0addfc8 (MD5) / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / A alface é a hortaliça folhosa de maior consumo no Brasil, no entanto a dificuldade em produzi-la vem aumentando, principalmente pela infestação das áreas de produção por Bremia lactucae, sendo necessário o monitoramento anual para utilização ou desenvolvimento de cultivares resistentes. Diante do exposto, os objetivos do presente trabalho foram: identificação de raças de B. lactucae no Estado de São Paulo, durante os anos de 2008, 2009 e 2010 e obtenção de linhagens de alface crespa resistentes às raças SPBl:01, SPBl:02, SPBl:03, SPBl:04, SPBl:05, SPBl:06 e SPBl:07. Na primeira fase do estudo foram coletadas nos meses de agosto, setembro e outubro de 2008; agosto e setembro de 2009; e junho e julho de 2010 folhas de alface com esporângios de B. lactucae nos principais municípios produtores de alface do Estado de São Paulo. Após a multiplicação dos esporângios na cultivar suscetível Solaris, com posterior inoculação nas diferenciadoras, realizaram-se as avaliações, no mesmo dia do aparecimento da primeira esporulação na cultivar suscetível Cobham Green (DM 0). Na segunda fase do estudo realizou-se o cruzamento entre a cultivar Argeles e a linhagem JAB 4-13-7, bem como autofecundações, até a obtenção da geração F3, quando realizou-se o teste de resistência. Os dados permitiram concluir que: três novos códigos “Sextet” para Bremia lactucae ocorreram no Estado de São Paulo: 63/63/33/00, 63/63/02/00 e 63/31/03/00, denominados raças SPBl:05, SPBl:06 e SPBl:07, respectivamente; recomenda-se a utilização dos genes R-17, R-18 e R-38 como fontes de resistência ao míldio para o desenvolvimento de cultivares no Estado de São Paulo; e 19 progênies resistentes à B. lactucae, raças SPBl:01, SPBl:02, SPBl:03, SPBl:04, SPBl:05, SPBl:06 e SPBl:07, apresentaramse homozigotas, e podem ser avançadas e avaliadas no processo de seleção / Lettuce is the most consumed leafy vegetable in Brazil. Its production, nonetheless, is meeting with increasing difficulties mainly due to the infestation of producing areas with Bremia lactucae. Thus, the annual monitoring of B. lactucae races becomes of essential importance to use or development of resistant cultivars. The objectives of this work were identification of new races of B. lactucae occurring during the years of 2008, 2009 and 2010 in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, and development of resistant lettuce cultivars to races SPBl:01, SPBl:02, SPBl:03, SPBl:04, SPBl:05, SPBl:06 and SPBl:07. In the first phase of experiment in August, September, and October of 2008; August and September of 2009; and June and July of 2010 lettuce leaf samples containing B. lactucae sporangia were collected in some of the lettuce producing areas of the state of São Paulo. After a multiplication procedure in which the susceptible lettuce cultivar ‘Solaris’ was used, the B. lactucae sporangia were inoculated in differentiating lettuce cultivars. Evaluations of the plants response were performed on the same day when plants of the susceptible Cobham Green (DM 0) cultivar showed signs of the first sporulation. In the second phase of experiment made the crossing between Argeles cultivar and JAB 4-13-7 line, and self pollination, to obtain the F3 generation, when made the resistant test. The data have identified: three new codes “Sextet” in the state of São Paulo: 63/63/33/00, 63/63/02/00 e 63/31/03/00. SPBl:05, SPBl:06 and SPBl:07 were the denomination proposed to races, respectively. The genes R-17, R-18, and R-38 are suggested to be used as source of resistance in the lettuce cultivars to state of São Paulo; and 19 resistant progenies to B. lactuae, races SPBl:01, SPBl:02, SPBl:03, SPBl:04, SPBl:05, SPBl:06 and SPBl:07, shown homozygous, and they can be advanced and evaluated in the selection process

Genomic diversity is shaped by the interplay between mutation, genetic drift, recombination, and natural selection. A major goal of evolutionary biology is to understand the relative contribution of these different microevolutionary forces to patterns of genetic variation both within and across species. The advent of massive parallel sequencing technologies opened new avenues to investigate the extent to which alternative evolutionary mechanisms impact the genome and the footprints they leave. We can leverage genomic information to, for example, trace back the demographic trajectory of populations and to identify genomic regions underlying adaptive traits. In this dissertation, I employ genomic data to explore the role of demography and natural selection in two New World bird systems distributed along steep environmental gradients: the Altamira Ori-ole (Icterus gularis), a Mesoamerican bird that exhibits large variation in body size across its range, and the Hairy and Downy woodpecker (Dryobates villosus and D. pubescens), two sympatric species whose phenotypes vary extensively in response to environments in North America. In Chapter 1, I combine ecological niche model, phenotypic and ddRAD sequencing data from several individuals of I. gularis to investigate which spatial processes best explain geographic variation in phenotypes and alleles: (i) isolation by distance, (ii) isolation by history or (iii) isolation by environment. I find that the pronounced genetic and phenotypic variation in I. gularis are only partially correlated and differ regarding spatial predictors. Whereas genomic variation is largely explained by historical barriers to gene flow (IBH), variation in body size can be best predicted by contemporary environmental heterogeneity (IBE), which is consistent with a pattern produced by either natural selection or environmental plasticity. In Chapter 2, I conduct whole genome resequencing on 140 individuals of Downy and Hairy Woodpecker from across North America to more explicitly elucidate the impact of demography and natural selection on the genome. I find that despite spatial congruence in allele frequencies, population structure in these two species has been produced at different temporal scales. Whereas Hairy Woodpeckers were isolated into two east-west glacial refugia, Downy woodpecker populations seem to have expanded from a single ancestral refugium. Demographic analyses suggest large variation in Ne over the past one million years in both Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers, with repeated episodes of bottleneck followed by population expansion, consistent with the onset of the climatic oscillations of the Pleistocene. Nucleotide diversity in both species was positively correlated with recombination rate and negatively correlated with gene density, suggesting the effect of linked selection. The magnitude of this effect, however, seems to have been modulated by the individual demographic trajectory of populations and species. Nevertheless, patterns of nucleotide diversity along the genome are highly correlated between Hairy and Downy Woodpecker, which may be attributed to pervasive selection acting on a conserved genomic landscape of recombination. Finally, in Chapter 3, I use a suite of statistical methods to scan the genome of Hairy and Downy Woodpecker for signatures of natural selection associated with population-specific environmental differences. I test whether climatic adaptation was achieved through selection on the same loci in both species, which would indicate parallel genetic mechanisms for adaptation. I find limited evidence of genomic parallelism at the SNP level, but large parallelism at the gene level. Candidate genes were involved in a broad range of biological processes, including immune response, nutritional metabolism, mitochondrial respiration, and embryonic development. Lastly, I identify potential candidates for key phenotypic traits in Downy and Hairy Woodpecker, such as genes in the IGF signaling pathway, putatively linked to differences in body size, and the melanoregulin gene (MREG), potentially involved in plumage variation. Together, these findings highlight the significant role of demography and natural selection in shaping genomic variation.

Invasive weed species are a threat to the health and functionality of many rangeland systems. Downy brome (Bromus tectorum) is an invasive annual grass that affects the productivity of rangelands by decreasing the grazing capacity for livestock as well as altering the wildfire cycle and competing against more desirable vegetation for limited resources.In 2006, an Invasive Plant Management Plan and Environmental Assessment was approved for Dinosaur National Monument, calling for prioritization of invasive species management on high value wildlife habitat, vector areas, and for species with a high ecological impact. The Cub Creek Watershed was identified as a priority for immediate attention due to its high historical, recreational, and environmental significance.This research was another phase of an integrated effort to manage vegetation in the Cub Creek Watershed and surrounding rangelands. Field work at two locations within Dinosaur National Monument was coupled with greenhouse experiments to evaluate chemical and mechanical methods of downy brome seed reduction and control, and to evaluate the response of four weedy grasses to herbicides used in broadleaf weed management practices.

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1978 H63 / Master of Science

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Agronomy / J. Anita Dille / Integrated weed management (IWM) is an ecological approach to weed control that reduces dependence on herbicides through understanding of weed biology and involves using multiple weed control measures including cultural, chemical, mechanical and biological methods. The critical period of weed control is the duration of the crop life cycle in which it must be kept weed-free to prevent yield loss from weed interference. Eight experiments were conducted throughout Kansas between October 2010 and June 2012 to identify this period in winter wheat grown under dryland and irrigated conditions. Impact of henbit and downy brome density on winter wheat yields were evaluated on four farmer’s fields with natural populations and on a research station with overseeded populations. Henbit density up to 156 plants m-2 did not affect winter wheat yield, while downy brome at a density of 40 plants m-2 reduced yield by 33 and 13% in 2011 and 2012, respectively. In the presence of downy brome, winter wheat should be kept weed-free approximately 30 to 45 days after planting to prevent yield loss; otherwise, weeds need to be removed immediately following release from winter dormancy to prevent yield loss due to existing weed populations. Flumioxazin and pyroxasulfone are herbicides registered for use in winter wheat, soybean and corn for control of broadleaf and grass weeds. Flumioxazin and pyroxasulfone were evaluated for plant response to localized herbicide exposure to roots, shoots, or both roots and shoots utilizing a novel technique. Two weed species, ivyleaf morningglory and shattercane, as well as two crops, wheat and soybean, were evaluated for injury after localized exposures. The location and expression of symptoms from the flumioxazin and pyroxasulfone herbicides were determined to be the shoot of seedling plants. The utilization of preemergence herbicides in winter wheat is not a common practice, although application may protect winter wheat from early season yield losses as determined by the critical weed-free period. Kansas wheat growers should evaluate the presence and density of weed species to determine which weed management strategy is most advantageous to preserving winter wheat yield.

Atualmente, a videira Niagara Rosada é a variedade de uva de mesa mais cultivada no Estado de São Paulo, Brasil. Contudo, sua produtividade e custo de produção têm sido afetados pela ocorrência de doenças fúngicas, principalmente o míldio, causado pelo fungo Plasmopara viticola. Para o controle dessa doença, têm sido feitas pulverizações com fungicidas, as quais muitas vezes em excesso. Dentre as variáveis meteorológicas que influenciam a ocorrência de doenças fúngicas nas plantas, a duração do período de molhamento (DPM) é uma das mais importantes. A presença de molhamento sobre a superfície das plantas provê a água requerida pelos patógenos para o processo de germinação e infecção do tecido foliar. Visando a subsidiar sistemas agrometeorológicos de alerta fitossanitário, cuja finalidade é possibilitar a racionalização do uso de fungicidas, os objetivos do presente estudo foram: determinar a posição da videira com a DPM mais longa e sua relação com a DPM medida na posição padrão, a 30 cm de altura sobre o gramado; avaliar a estimativa da DPM sobre o gramado por diferentes modelos a partir de dados meteorológicos obtidos em uma estação meteorológica padrão e verificar as relações entre a DPM estimada para o gramado e a DPM medida no vinhedo; e correlacionar a epidemiologia do míldio (P. viticola) durante o ciclo da videira Niagara Rosada, sem controle químico, com as variáveis DPM medida no vinhedo (posição da videira com a DPM mais longa), DPM estimada na posição padrão sobre o gramado pelo melhor modelo, assim como com outras variáveis meteorológicas. A DPM foi medida em posição padrão sobre o gramado e em quatro diferentes posições da videira: topo da planta com a face superior do sensor voltada para sudoeste e nordeste (Topo-SW e Topo-NE) e altura dos cachos de uva com a face superior do sensor voltada para sudoeste e nordeste (Dossel-SW e Dossel-NE). A epidemiologia do míldio foi avaliada sem controle químico, utilizando-se escala de notas de 0 a 4, com nove níveis de severidade, para as folhas e cachos da videira. No estudo da variabilidade espacial da DPM, não houve diferença significativa entre a parte mais alta (1,6 m) e a parte mais baixa (1,0 m) da videira, assim como entre as faces sudoeste e nordeste das plantas. Ao se analisar a relação entre a DPM sobre o gramado e a DPM nas diferentes posições da videira obtida por meio de regressão linear simples, observou-se uma boa correlação, com R2 = 0,88. Na avaliação dos modelos de estimativa da DPM, o modelo CART foi o que teve o melhor desempenho sobre o gramado, sendo que esta estimativa também apresentou uma boa correlação com a DPM medida no interior do vinhedo. Isso permitiu concluir que é possível estimar a DPM no vinhedo de Niagara Rosada a partir de medidas ou estimativas da DPM na estação meteorológica padrão. Na modelagem do desenvolvimento do míldio, a DPM esteve presente nas melhores correlações com a severidade do míldio na videira Niagara Rosada, mostrando a grande importância desta variável para a ocorrência de doenças fúngicas nos vinhedos. / Nowadays, the \'Niagara Rosada\' grapevine is the most cultivated table grape variety in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. However, yield and production cost of this grapevine have been affected by fungal diseases, mainly downy mildew, caused by Plasmopara viticola fungus. For controlling this disease, producers have been applied an excessive number of sprays with fungicides. Among the meteorological variables that influence the occurrence of fungal plant diseases, leaf wetness duration (LWD) is one of the most important. The wetness presence on plant surface provides the water required by the phatogens to germinate and to infect leaf tissues. Aiming to subsidize the plant disease warning systems, which has as purpose to rationalize the use of fungicides in the vineyards, the objectives of the present study were: to determine the canopy position of the Niagara Rosada table grape with longer LWD and its correlation with measured standard LWD over turfgrass; to estimate LWD over turfgrass considering different models with data from a standard weather station, and to evaluate the correlation between estimated LWD over turfgrass and LWD measured in the vineyard; and to correlate downy mildew occurrence in the vineyard, without chemical control, with measured LWD at the vineyard (canopy position with longer LWD), with estimated LWD in standard condition over turfgrass for the best model, and with other meteorological variables. LWD was measured in standard condition over turfgrass and in four different canopy positions of the vineyard: at the top of the plants, with sensors facing southwest and northeast (Top-SW and Top-NE), and at the grape bunches height, with sensors facing southwest and northeast (Bottom-SW and Bottom-NE). The downy mildew epidemiology during the grapevine cycle was evaluated without chemical control, using scores ranging from 0 to 4, with nine severity levels, for leaves and bunches of grapevine. When the spatial variability of LWD was studied, no significant difference was observed between the top (1.6 m) and the bottom (1.0 m) of the canopy and also between the southwest and northeast face of the plants. The analysis of the relationship between standard LWD over turfgrass and crop LWD in different positions of the grape canopy showed a define correlation (R2 = 0.88). Among the LWD estimative methods, CART was the one with the best performance to estimate LWD over turfgrass. The results from this model also presented a good correlation with measured LWD inside the vineyard, showing that LWD can be estimated for this crop with data from a nearby standard weather station. For the downy mildew modeling, LWD also present the best correlations with disease severity in the \'Niagara Rosada\' vineyard, showing the great importance of this variable for fungal diseases occurrence in this crop.