The incubation period was significantly increased by 40% for the +Si treatment. The area under spot blotch progress curve, number of lesions per cm2 of leaf area, and real disease severity significantly decreased by 62, 36 and 43.5% in +Si treatment. There was no significant BGB324 cost effect of Si on lesion size. The role played by total soluble phenolics in the increased resistance to spot blotch of plants from both cultivars supplied with Si was not clear. Plants from cultivar BR-18 supplied with Si showed the highest values for concentration of lignin-thioglycolic acid derivatives during the most advanced stages

of fungus infection. Chitinase activity was high at the most advanced stages of fungus infection on leaves from both cultivars supplied with Si and may have had an effect on fungus growth based on the reduction of the components of resistance evaluated. Peroxidase activity was found to be high only at 96 h after inoculation of both cultivars supplied with Si. Polyphenoloxidase activity had no apparent effect on resistance regardless

of Si treatments. Results revealed that supplying Si to wheat plants can increase resistance against spot blotch. “
“Three hundred and forty-one isolates of Verticillium Dasatinib dahliae from upland cotton collected from 2007 to 2009 in central China (Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Anhui and Jiangsu provinces) were tested for vegetative compatibility selleck chemicals groups (VCGs) and PCR-based genotyping. Approximately 332 (97%) isolates belonged to VCG1A, whereas the remaining 9 (3%) isolates belonged to VCG2. PCR-based genotyping also divided the isolates into two groups, namely PCR patterns A and C. There is a complete correspondence

between the VCGs and genotypes (VCG1A to PCR pattern A and VCG2 to PCR pattern C). Representative isolates (10 VCG1A isolates, nine VCG2 isolates) were tested for virulence on seedlings of upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum cultivars E Mian 24 and Yin Rui 361). The VCG1A isolates caused cotton defoliation with the values of the disease severity index and the plant mortality being significantly (P < 0.05) higher than those caused by the VCG2 isolates, which did not cause any defoliation. Two isolates (one of each VCG) were also tested for virulence on 12 popular commercial upland cotton cultivars adapted in central China. Results showed that both isolates, particularly the defoliating pathotype (D pathotype) VCG1A isolate, were virulent on all the tested cotton cultivars. These results suggest that the D pathotype of V. dahliae is widely distributed and has become prevalent in central China. "
“Sheath blight disease of rice caused by Rhizoctonia solani is one of the most dreaded plant diseases faced by the rice farmers all over the world.