ABSTRACT This study investigated the effect of different phosphites on the control of coffee leaf rust (CLR) caused by Hemileia vastatrix, considered the major disease affecting coffee yield worldwide. Three-month-old coffee plants were sprayed with two doses each of the phosphite solutions (standar., and double), as follows: K (40% P2O5; 1.., and 3 mL∙L-1), K (30% P2O5; ., and 6 mL∙L-1), Cu (2.., and 5 mL∙L-1), Mn+Zn (., and 6 mL∙L-1., and Na (., and 6 mL∙L-1) 24 h before being inoculated with H. vastatrix. Leaves were not washed or washed with deionized water after the foliar phosphites spray. Plants sprayed with water served as the control treatment. Inoculation was performed on the abaxial side of the first pair of expanded leaves using a camel hairbrush with a suspension of urediniospores (1 mg per leaf). All phosphites applied at the standard doses (from 1.5 to 3 mL∙L-1) reduced the total number of pustules (TNP) per leaf by 28-69% regardless of washing treatment. The biggest reductions were observed for Cu phosphite, which decreased the TNP per leaf by 6., and 69% withou., and with leaf washing, respectively. A similar trend was observed when the double doses of phosphites (from 3 to 6 mL∙L-1) were used, though Na phosphite without leaf washin., and Mn/Zn phosphite withou., and with leaf washing were not efficient to reduce the TNP per leaf. Without leaf washing, only C., and Na phosphites decreased CLR severity at the standard doses (53-61%), whereas all phosphites, except the Mn/Zn phosphite, reduced CLR severity at the double dose. The CLR severity was decreased using K 30%, K 40., and Cu phosphites when applied at the standard doses with leaf washing (41-59%). With double doses, only C., and Na phosphites decreased CLR severity by 55% for both treatments. In conclusion, the efficiency of the phosphites for CLR control varied according to the accompanying cation, dos., and washing conditions. The Cu phosphite resulted in the best CLR control regardless of the dose use., and the washing conditions.

ABSTRACT Asian soybean rust (ASR), triggered by Phakopsora pachyrhizi, can cause great yield losses on soybean and nickel (Ni) has potential to control this disease. This study evaluated the effect of using soybean seeds with different Ni contents on ASR control by performing two experiments. In experiment 1, seeds with different Ni contents were obtained by spraying plants three times with solutions containing either 60 or 100 gNi·ha-1. Plants sprayed with water served as the control treatment. In experiment 2, plants originated from seeds obtained in experiment 1 (T1 = 0.9 µgNi·seed-1, T2 = 1.2 µgNi·seed-1, and T3 = 1.6 µgNi·seed-1) were inoculated with P. pachyrhizi at the V4 growth stage. The ASR severity was evaluated 16 days after inoculation (DAI) and the chlorophyll (Chl) a fluorescence parameters at 8 and 16 DAI. The ASR severity decreased by 64 and 47% for treatments T2 and T3, respectively, in comparison to T1 treatment. The photosynthetic apparatus was negatively affected by ASR. The efficiency of the use of light by photosystem II decreased while the energy dissipated by nonregulated form increased in the infected leaflets. There was no significant difference for Chl a fluorescence parameters for T1, T2, and T3 treatments applied to inoculated plants probably due to the biotrophic lifestyle of P. pachyrhizi associated with lower ASR severity. In conclusion, the potential of using seeds with higher Ni content as a tool for ASR integrated management control is highlighted in this study.

ABSTRACT Nickel (Ni) was the latest element to have its nutritional essentiality recognized for plants (Brown et al. 1987). It is a component of various enzymes, including glyoxalases (family I), hydrogenases, superoxide dismutase and urease (Chen et al. 2009). Inadequate Ni supply promotes changes in the plant metabolism, including processes related to nitrogen metabolism, such as amino acids, urea and ureides metabolisms (Rodríguez-Jiménez et al. 2016; Bai et al. 2006). Legumes that are dependent on N2 fixation (e.g., soybean) have their process impaired by Ni deficiency, because this element is an essential catalytic cofactor of [NiFe]-hydrogenase, an enzyme found in some symbiotic bacteria that recycles the H2 produced by a side reaction of nitrogenase in root nodules formed by the plant-bacteria association (Cammack 1995; Bagyinka 2014). Moreover, Ni has shown the potential to control soybean diseases, such as powdery mildew (Barcelos et al. 2018) and Asian soybean rust (Einhardt et al. 2020a; 2020b).

ABSTRACT White mold, caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, is one the most devastating disease on soybean worldwide. Considering the potential of phosphites to protect plants against different diseases, this study investigated the possibility of using potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and zinc (Zn) phosphites for white mold control in soybean. The contact effect of the phosphites on fungal mycelial growth was evaluated in vitro. In the greenhouse study, plants were inoculated with S. sclerotiorum at 48 h after being sprayed with water (control), K, Ca, and Zn phosphites by using an agar plug (0.8 cm2) containing fungal mycelia. Lesion area of white mold and chlorophyll (Chl) a fluorescence parameters were evaluated on the leaflets of plants at 96 h after inoculation. The Chl a parameters were also evaluated in noninoculated leaflets at the same time. Fungal mycelial growth was abundant in the absence of phosphites, but inhibited in the presence of the three phosphites indicating their direct effect. The lesion area in the leaflets of plants sprayed with K, Ca, and Zn phosphites were 90, 98, and 68% lower, respectively, compared to plants sprayed with water. The functionality of the photosynthetic apparatus was more preserved on the leaflets of plants sprayed with phosphites due to the lower lesions size, especially for the Ca phosphite. In conclusion, the K, Ca, and Zn phosphites were effective in reducing white mold symptoms mainly through a contact effect on the fungal mycelial growth.

ABSTRACT Considering the importance of silicon (Si) to increase rice resistance to blast, this study investigated the nutritional status of rice plants supplied with this element in response to Pyricularia oryzae infection. Plants were grown in nutrient solutions containing 0 and 2 mmol·L-1 of Si (referred to -Si and +Si plants, respectively). The area under blast progress curve decreased for +Si plants due to a significant increase of 714% on the foliar Si concentration in contrast to -Si plants. For +Si plants, the foliar N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Cu, and B concentrations were significantly lower in comparison to -Si plants. On infected plants, the foliar N, K, and Cu concentrations were significantly lower in comparison to noninfected ones. The foliar Zn, Fe, and Mn concentrations were significantly lower for -Si inoculated plants in comparison to -Si noninoculated ones. The foliar Mn and S concentrations were significantly lower for +Si inoculated plants in comparison to +Si noninoculated ones. The foliar Fe concentration was significantly lower for +Si inoculated plants in comparison to +Si noninoculated ones. Foliar Zn and Mn concentrations were significantly lower for +Si plants in comparison to -Si plants regardless of their inoculation with P. oryzae. Foliar Fe and S concentrations were significantly lower for +Si plants in comparison to -Si plants, respectively, for noninoculated and inoculated plants. Taken together, Si stood for itself in reducing blast symptoms without the need of high foliar concentrations of either macro or micronutrients that could affect plantgrowth.

ABSTRACT Considering the importance of blast, caused by Pyricularia oryzae, to impact wheat yield, this study investigated whether the foliar spray of potassium silicate (PS) could affect the photosynthesis of wheat plants and its potential to reduce disease symptoms. The Exp. 1 aimed to determine the effect of the foliar spray of PS on the photosynthetic performance of plants and was arranged in a completely randomized design with six treatments (plants sprayed with PS rates of 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, 10.0, and 12.5 g·L-1 at 35 days after emergence) and six replications. The leaf gas exchange (net CO2 assimilation rate (A), internal CO2 concentration (Ci), stomatal conductance to water vapor (gs), and transpiration rate (E)) as well as fluorescence of chlorophyll a (maximal photosystem II quantum yield (Fv/Fm), quantum yield of non-regulated energy dissipation [Y(NO)], photochemical yield [Y(II)], electron transport rate (ETR), and quenching non-photochemical [Y(NPQ)]) parameters were evaluated. The Exp. 2 was carried out to determine the effect of PS on blast control and also on the photosynthetic performance of plants. Plants at 35 days after emergence were sprayed with PS rate of 12.5 g·L-1, which did not affect photosynthesis on plants from Exp.1. This experiment was a 2 × 4 factorial and arranged in a completely randomized design with six replications. The factors studied were plants non-inoculated or inoculated plants and the spray of water, PS, fungicide (trifloxystrobin 10% + tebuconazole 20%; 0.75 L/ha), and fungicide + PS. There were no significant changes in the values of A, gs, E, Ci, Fv/Fm, Y(NO), Y(II), Y(NPQ), and ETR for plants sprayed three times (every 96 h interval) as the PS rates increased from 2.5 to 12.5 g·L-1. There was no significant relationship between the PS rates with either absorbance, reflectance or transmittance on the leaf blades. Linear regression model best described the foliar Si concentration-PS rates relationship. Foliar Si concentration significantly increased by 44 and 42%, respectively, for the PS and PS + fungicide treatments compared to water-sprayed plants. The area under disease progress curve was significantly lower by 64, 58, and 53%, respectively, for the fungicide, PS, and fungicide + PS treatments in comparison to water-sprayed plants. The photosynthetical process, primarily related to the Fv/Fm parameter, on wheat leaves was greatly impaired during the infection process of P. oryzae, but to a lesser extent on the leaves of PS-sprayed plants. In conclusion, the foliar spray of PS can be an environmentally friendly strategy to control wheat blast without causing perturbation to the photosynthetic machinery of wheat plants.

ABSTRACT Mango wilt, caused by the fungus Ceratocystis fimbriata, is an important disease affecting mango production. In view of the beneficial effects of potassium (K) in other profitable crops and the lack of information about the effect of macronutrients on mango wilt development, the present study aimed to evaluate how mango plants supplied with K respond physiologically when infected by C. fimbriata. Mango plants (» 3 years old) from cultivar Ubá were grown in plastic pots containing 58 mg of K·dm−3 (original K level based on the chemical analysis of the substrate) or in plastic pots with substrate amended with a solution of 0.5 M potassium chloride (KCl) to achieve the rate of 240 mg K·dm−3. Disease symptoms were more pronounced in inoculated plants grown at the lower K level. Substantial declines in stomatal conductance, in line with decreases in the internal-to-ambient CO2 concentration ratio and the absence of detectable changes in the chlorophyll a fluorescence parameters, suggest that the decrease in the net carbon assimilation rate is due, at least initially, to stomatal limitations. High concentrations of K and manganese were found in the stem tissues of inoculated plants and supplied with the highest K rate, most likely due to the involvement of these tissues in the local development of defense mechanisms. The results of this study suggest that the supply of K favored the physiological performance of mango plants and their resistance against C. fimbriata infection.

ABSTRACT Mango wilt, caused by Ceratocystis fimbriata, is one of the most important diseases affecting mango yield worldwide. Salt stress can affect host defense responses against pathogens infection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the development of mango wilt in 2 mango cultivars submitted to salt stress. Mango plants from cultivars Tommy Atkins and Ubá, considered to be moderately resistant and resistant to mango wilt, respectively, were grown in plastic pots which contained 20 kg of washed sand and daily irrigated with 3 L of a modified Hoagland solution during 40 days before being submitted to salinization. For this process of salinization, the plants received nutrient solution containing 0, 30, 60, and 90 mmol∙L–1 of sodium chloride (NaCl) during 50 days. At the 50th day, the plants were inoculated with C. fimbriata, and disease development was evaluated at 42 days after inoculation. During this period, the plants were also submitted to salinization. After disease evaluation, the stems of plants from each treatment were collected to determine the concentrations of chlorine (Cl) and sodium (Na). Plants from the 2 cultivars showed reduced mango wilt symptoms as the NaCl doses increased from 0 to 90 mmol∙L–1. Plants submitted to the highest NaCl doses showed greater Cl and Na concentrations on the stem. In conclusion, the resistance of plants against C. fimbriata infection can be potentiated when submitted to salt stress regardless of their basal level of resistance to mango wilt.

ABSTRACT Tropical rust caused by the biotrophic fungus Phakopsora gossypii is an emerging disease in cotton that has caused significant yield losses of crop/cotton cultivated in Brazil. Considering the current importance of tropical rust and the need to obtain additional basic information about its causal agent to better control this disease, the present study aimed to determine the infection process of P. gossypii in cotton leaves using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Thirty-day-old plants were inoculated with a suspension of P. gossypii uredospores, and leaf fragments were collected 42 h after inoculation (hai) as well as 20, 25 and 35 days after inoculation (dai) for SEM observations. By 42 hai, the uredospores of P. gossypii had germinated and produced a germ tube and an appressorium that may directly penetrate the leaf cuticle. At 20 dai, closed uredia containing uredospores were observed on the abaxial leaf surface. At 25 dai, the uredia started to open and became fully open by 35 dai and contained many uredospores. By 25 dai, fungal hyphae were growing abundantly in the mesophyll next to the uredia that formed in the leaf fragments with total or partial removal of the epidermis. The results of the present study provide novel information regarding the infection process of P. gossypii in cotton leaves, which might be useful for the development of new and more effective strategies for tropical rust control.

ABSTRACT Mango wilt, caused by Ceratocystis fimbriata, is one of the most important diseases affecting mango yields in Brazil. Information regarding the biochemical mechanisms involved in mango resistance against C. fimbriata is absent in the literature. Thus, the present study determined and quantified alkaloids and phenolics in the stem tissue of mango plants from Palmer (susceptible) and Ubá (resistant) cultivars. Furthermore, it was examined the effect of these secondary metabolites against C. fimbriata growth in vitro. The high-performance liquid chromatography revealed that the concentration of two alkaloids (theobromine and 7-methylxanthine) and six phenolic compounds (caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, catechin and epicatechin) in the inoculated plants from cv. Ubá was higher in comparison with inoculated plants from cv. Palmer. The concentration of the secondary metabolites was higher in the non-inoculated plants from cv. Palmer than in the inoculated ones, while the opposite was observed for plants of cv. Ubá. Peaks in the concentrations of secondary metabolites in the inoculated plants from both cultivars occurred at 7 and 14 days after inoculation. The different concentrations (10 to 30 mg∙mL−1) of secondary metabolites added to the Petri dishes greatly inhibited C. fimbriata growth over time. These results suggest that secondary metabolites played an important role in the resistance of mango plants against C. fimbriata infection.

ABSTRACT This study investigated the effects of silicon (Si), acibenzolar-S-methyl (ASM), and potassium phosphite (Phi) on the potentiation of rice resistance to infection by Bipolaris oryzae. The treatments included the soil amended with Si (1.25 g of calcium silicate per kg of soil), spraying of plants with ASM (500 mg∙L–1), Phi (5 mL∙L–1), and distilled water (control) 24 h before inoculation with B. oryzae. The treatments Si supply and the spraying of ASM and Phi were effective in reducing the area under brown spot progress curve and the number of lesions per cm2 of leaf. Polyphenoloxidases activity was higher for plants supplied with Si. On plants sprayed with ASM, the activities of polyphenoloxidases, phenylalanine ammonia-lyases, chitinases, and β-1,3-glucanases increased. The spraying of plants with Phi did not increase the activities of the studied defense enzymes. Taken together, the results of this study indicated that brown spot symptoms can be greatly reduced with the use of Si, ASM, and Phi.

ABSTRACT Caused by the vascular fungus Ceratocystis fimbriata, mango wilt is considered to be one of the most serious threats in mango-producing regions worldwide. However, changes in leaf gas exchange level and the mechanisms underlying host responses to this fungal infection remain poorly described. This study aimed to evaluate potential changes in the leaf gas exchange of different mango cultivars (Ubá, Espada, Haden and Tommy Atkins) in response to two Brazilian isolates of C. fimbriata (CEBS15 and MSAK16) to non-invasively assess cultivar variability in relation to the basal level of resistance to mango wilt. Both isolates, regardless of the cultivar, caused reductions in stomatal conductance and, thus, a reduction in CO2 assimilation via diffusive limitations. Taking into account the full length of the internal lesion and the radial colonization of the stem tissues, both isolates showed equivalent aggressiveness when inoculated into the Haden and Tommy Atkins cultivars. Conversely, when compared to the CEBS15 isolate of C. fimbriata, the MSAK16 isolate was more aggressive in cv. Espada and less aggressive in cv. Ubá.

ABSTRACT Blast, caused by the fungus Pyricularia oryzae, is an important disease affecting rice and wheat yield worldwide. This study investigated the cytological aspects of incompatible (non-host resistance) and compatible (host resistance) rice- (R_Po) and wheat- (W_Po) Pyricularia oryzae isolate interactions. Inoculations of rice and wheat with the R_Po and W_Po isolates of P. oryzae, respectively, were expected to be compatible interactions (host resistance), whereas inoculations of rice and wheat with the W_Po and R_Po isolates of P. oryzae, respectively, were considered to be incompatible interactions (non-host resistance). For the compatible interactions (rice-R_Po and wheat-W_Po), fungal hyphae penetrated and colonized the epidermal cells and also invaded many neighboring cells. By contrast, in the case of the incompatible interactions (rice-W_Po and wheat-R_Po), fungal hyphae were not able to penetrate nor colonize the epidermal cells, but when penetration did occur, the hyphae were restricted to the first-invaded epidermal cell. The frequency of appressorial sites exhibiting infection hyphae within the epidermal cell underlying an appressorium was greater in the case of the compatible interactions. By contrast, unsuccessful penetrations with cytoplasmic granulation occurred with high frequency in the incompatible wheat-R_Po and rice-W_Po interactions and the number of necrotic epidermal cells underlying the appressorium was low for the rice-W_Po interaction as well as for the wheat- R_Po interaction, where no symptoms of necrosis were exhibited. However, the opposite was observed for the compatible interactions. The present study presents cytological features associated with incompatible and compatible rice- and wheat-P. oryzae interactions that may be useful to studies involving variability, coevolution, diagnosis, and regulation of quarantine or even in a rice or wheat breeding program whose aim is to transfer genes involved in non-host resistance to host resistance due to similarities in downstream mechanisms.

AbstractTomato bacterial spot on tomato may be caused by four species of Xanthomonas and among them X. gardneri(Xg) is the most destructive one, especially in areas irrigated using a center pivot system in Minas Gerais state and the midwest region of Brazil. Due to the ineffectiveness of chemical control and the lack of cultivars with high levels of genetic resistance, this study investigated the potential of three antagonists (Streptomyces setonii (UFV618), Bacillus cereus (UFV592) and Serratia marcescens (UFV252)), and the hormone jasmonic acid (JA) as a positive control, to reduce bacterial spot symptoms and to potentiate defense enzymes in the leaves of tomato plants infected by Xg. Tomato seeds were microbiolized with each antagonist, and the soil was drenched with these bacteria. The plants were sprayed with JA 48 h before Xginoculation. The final average severity on the tomato plants was reduced by 29.44, 59.26 and 61.33% in the UFV592, UFV618 and JA treatments, respectively. The UFV618 antagonist was as effective as JA in reducing bacterial spot symptoms on tomatoes, which can be explained by the greater activities of defense enzymes that are commonly involved in host resistance against bacterial diseases. These results suggest that JA and the UFV618 antagonist can be used in the integrated management of bacterial spot on tomatoes.

Brown spot (BS), caused by the fungus Bipolaris oryzae, is one of the most important diseases contracted by rice. We investigated the effect of magnesium (Mg) on the development of BS, caused by Bipolaris oryzae, and the effects of disease development on the photosynthetic performance of rice (Oryza sativa L.) plants (cv. Metica-1) grown in nutrient solutions containing 0.25 or 4.0 mM of Mg. Assessments of BS severity, leaf Mg and pigment concentrations (total chlorophylls and carotenoids), were carried out at 120 h after inoculation, in addition to gas exchange parameters,. Higher leaf concentration of Mg was observed in plants supplied with 4.0 mM Mg than in those supplied with 0.25 mM. The increase in leaf Mg was accompanied by a decrease in BS severity, higher concentration of total chlorophyll and better photosynthetic performance. Plants supplied with 4.0 mM Mg had higher average values for carbon assimilation, stomatal conductance and internal leaf CO2 concentration when compared with plants supplied with 0.25 mM Mg. Conversely, the concentration of carotenoids was lower in plants supplied with the higher Mg rate. These results suggest that Mg suppresses disease severity and preserves photosynthetic performance by allowing for better stomatal conductance and, consequently, greater availability of CO2 at the carboxylation sites.