rapid virulence assay for the Dutch elm disease fungus Ophiostoma novo‐ulmi by inoculation of apple (Malus × domestica ‘Golden Delicious’) fruits

Large‐scale virulence tests using trees or saplings are expensive, time‐consuming and require a considerable amount of space. The suitability of using ‘Golden Delicious’ apples as a rapid screen for identifying Ophiostoma novo‐ulmi transformants with reduced virulence was thus evaluated. When a coll...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Plant pathology 2014-10, Vol.63 (5), p.1078-1085
Main Authors: Plourde, K. V, Bernier, L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
agar
Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions
apples
Biological and medical sciences
Ceratocystis ulmi
Dutch elm disease
fruits
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Fungal plant pathogens
fungi
Genetics and breeding of economic plants
insertional mutant
Malus
Malus domestica
mutants
mycelium
Ophiostoma
Ophiostoma novo-ulmi
Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection
saplings
Ulmus
Ulmus parvifolia
virulence
virulence assay
‘Golden Delicious’ apple
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Summary:Large‐scale virulence tests using trees or saplings are expensive, time‐consuming and require a considerable amount of space. The suitability of using ‘Golden Delicious’ apples as a rapid screen for identifying Ophiostoma novo‐ulmi transformants with reduced virulence was thus evaluated. When a collection of O. novo‐ulmi field isolates belonging to subspecies novo‐ulmi or americana was inoculated to apples, members of subsp. novo‐ulmi induced, on average, larger necrotic lesions than subsp. americana isolates. The size of the lesions on apples was not correlated with mycelial growth rate of isolates on nutrient agar. Insertional mutants from O. novo‐ulmi subsp. novo‐ulmi isolate H327 were inoculated to ‘Golden Delicious’ apples and Ulmus parvifolia × U. americana saplings in parallel experiments. Results clearly indicated that the O. novo‐ulmi transformants included several exhibiting significantly altered levels of virulence. Variability among replicates within a treatment was reduced in apple inoculation data compared to elm sapling data. Overall, the ‘Golden Delicious’ apple assay was found to be an excellent means for rapidly assessing the virulence level of O. novo‐ulmi isolates.
ISSN:0032-0862
1365-3059
DOI:10.1111/ppa.12177