Anthracnose, caused by Colletotrichum sublineolum Henn. ex Sacc. & Trotter, is one of the most important sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] diseases in Brazil. This fungus exhibits conidial dimorphism, producing either falcate or oval conidia on solid and liquid media, respectively. We compared patterns of the initial infection events by these two types of conidia on sorghum leaves using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The infection events during the first 24 h were similar for both oval and falcate conidia. Globose and melanized apressoria were formed at 24 h after inoculation (hai) regardless of the conidia type. Dense mycelium and oval conidia developed from germinated falcate conidia at 32 hai. Hyphal mass displaying acervuli filled with falcate conidia and surrounded by setae, developed from germinated oval conidia at 48 hai. Oval conidia were as capable as falcate conidia of infecting sorghum leaves. The inherent ability to grow faster and the easeness with which oval conidia can be produced in vitro as compared to falcate, make the former a preferred choice for studies on the C. sublineolum-sorghum interaction. It would be instructive to further investigate the potential role of the oval conidia in epidemics.

A podridão abacaxi da cana-de-açúcar, causada pelo fungo Thielaviopsis paradoxa, pode causar quedas de até 50% na brotação e de 42% na produtividade de colmos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o controle da doença por meio da pulverização de fungicidas em rebolos no sulco de plantio. Para isso, foram instalados dois experimentos em casa de vegetação e um no campo. O substrato e o solo foram infestados com o patógeno antes do plantio da cana-de-açúcar e os fungicidas foram aplicados nos rebolos imediatamente após o plantio, com um pulverizador costal pressurizado com CO2. A pulverização dos rebolos no sulco de plantio mostrou-se eficaz no controle da podridão abacaxi com determinados fungicidas, trazendo incrementos na brotação e proporcionando recuperação de até 12% na produtividade. Dentre os tratamentos testados, os fungicidas piraclostrobina + epoxiconazol; piraclostrobina e propiconazol mostraram bom potencial no controle da doença.

Sugarcane pineapple disease, caused by the fungus Thielaviopsis paradoxa, can cause germination and yield decreases of up to 50% and 42%, respectively. The aim of this research was to assess the control of this disease through in-furrow fungicide application on seedpieces. Two experiments were installed in greenhouse and one under field conditions with this purpose. The substrate and the soil were infested with the pathogen before the sugarcane planting and the fungicides were sprayed on seedpieces immediately after the planting with a CO2 backpack sprayer. Seedpieces in-furrow spraying was effective in controlling the pineapple disease with certain fungicides, providing up to 12% yield recovery. Among the tested treatments, the fungicides pyraclostrobin + epoxiconazole; pyraclostrobin and propiconazole showed good potential for pineapple disease control.

A sazonalidade na manifestação da ferrugem da cana dificulta a obtenção de esporos em quantidades adequadas para inoculações em qualquer época do ano, restringindo os trabalhos envolvendo o patógeno aos meses nos quais a doença esta presente no campo. O trabalho visou desenvolver uma metodologia para preservar os esporos por períodos prolongados, mantendo sua viabilidade e infectividade. Esporos foram coletados a partir de folhas naturalmente infectadas, com bomba de vácuo. Parte dos esporos foi desidratada por liofilização ou em sílica gel e outra parte não passou por desidratação. Armazenaram-se estes esporos em diferentes temperaturas (temp. ambiente, 5ºC, -20 ºC, -80ºC). Periodicamente, a viabilidade dos esporos foi avaliada por meio de plaqueamento em ágar-água. Após o quarto mês, foi também avaliada a infectividade dos esporos armazenados por meio de inoculações na variedade suscetível SP70-1143, seguida da avaliação da área foliar atacada. Os esporos armazenados à temperatura ambiente e a 5ºC, independentemente da desidratação, permaneceram viáveis por períodos máximos de 1 mês e 2 meses, respectivamente. Os melhores tratamentos consistiram na desidratação em sílica gel, seguida pelo armazenamento à -20ºC e -80ºC. Mesmo após um ano de armazenamento nestas condições, os esporos provocaram ferrugem nas plantas inoculadas, em níveis de severidade adequados para um teste de discriminação de reações à ferrugem.

The seasonality in the appearance of sugarcane rust makes it difficult to obtain in any season of year, adequate quantities uredospores for artificial inoculations in a breeding program. This research aimed to develop a long-term storage methodology to preserve uredospores of Puccicinia melanocephala to keep their viability and infectivity. Uredospores were collect using a vacuum pump from naturally rusted leaves. Part of these uredospores was dehydrated in silica gel or lyophilized and the other part was not dehydrated. Then they were all stored at different temperatures (room temperature, 5ºC, -20ºC and -80ºC). Subsequently, uredospores viability was periodically evaluated using the water-agar method. After the fourth month, the infectivity was also evaluated through inoculations in leaves of the sugarcane susceptible variety SP70-1143 following disease evaluation. Regardless of the dehydration treatment used, uredospores stored at room temperature and at 5ºC were viable for the maximum periods of 1 and 2 months, respectively. The best results were obtained with the silica gel dehydration treatment followed by storage at -20ºC or -80ºC. Even after one year of storage, these uredospores were able to cause rust in inoculated plants at levels of severity which are adequate to start screening tests for sugarcane resistance to rust.