In this project, plant-pathogen-, plant-salt-, pathogen-salt-, plant-pathogen-salt interactions were studied. The interactions between tomato and lucerne and isolates of the vascular wilt fungus <i>Verticillium albo-atrum</i> were investigated under non-saline and saline conditions. Pathogenicity trials indicated that isolates of V1 and V2 were pathogenic to tomato, however, the degree of pathogenicity of the isolates were affected by the particular cultivar, plant age, method of inoculation and temperature. The pathogenic effects of <i>Verticillium </i> on tomato did not increase with increasing spore concentration or when isolates were co-inoculated. NaC1 both delayed and reduced the germination rate of seeds and caused severe symptoms on plants. The effect of NaC1 was also detrimental on the germination and the growth rate of the fungus. Progress of the disease was markedly accelerated by salt stress. Various growth parameters were lower in the group of plants both inoculated with <i>V. albo-atrum </i>& treated with NaC1 than they were for plants inoculated only with <i>V. albo-atrum</i> or only treated with NaC1. As a defence response, an increase in PAL activity occurred when lucerne cells were treated with an elicitor from <i>V. albo-atrum; </i>a further increase was evident when cells were exposed to both elicitor and NaC1. However, the increase in PAL activity was minimised both at high concentrations of elicitor and NaC1. Disease-resistant and salt-tolerant plants showed resistance to V1 under non-saline and saline conditions; however, disease-susceptible and salt-tolerant plants did not show resistance to V1 under those conditions. Development of salt tolerant crops should therefore, involve selection of strains that maintain or improve its resistance to pathogens.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:636446 |
| Date | January 2003 |
| Creators | Dikilitas, Murat |
| Publisher | Swansea University |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa43187 |
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