Development of Management Tools for Sunflower Downy Mildew
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DEVELOPMENT OF MANAGEMENT TOOLS FOR SUNFLOWER DOWNY MILDEW (PLASMOPARA HALSTEDII) AND RUST (PUCCINIA HELIANTHI) A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Science By Ryan Michael Humann In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Major Department: Plant Pathology March 2016 Fargo, North Dakota North Dakota State University Graduate School Title Development of Management Tools for Sunflower Downy Mildew (Plasmopara halstedii) and Rust (Puccinia helianthi) By Ryan Michael Humann The Supervisory Committee certifies that this disquisition complies with North Dakota State University’s regulations and meets the accepted standards for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE: Dr. Samuel Markell Co-Chair Dr. Thomas Gulya Co-Chair Dr. Maricelis Acevedo Keith D. Johnson Dr. Hans Kandel Approved: March 29, 2016 Dr. Jack Rasmussen Date Department Chair ABSTRACT Downy mildew (Plasmopara halstedii) and rust (Puccinia helianthi) are two economically important diseases of sunflower (Helianthus annuus) in North Dakota. Both diseases are capable of causing significant reductions in yield and quality. Effective disease management tools for both diseases are limited. Genetic resistance to both pathogens is frequently overcome by new pathogen races and only one efficacious fungicide is currently available to manage downy mildew. In order to identify additional management tools for downy mildew and rust, three research studies were done. The objective of the first study was to evaluate the efficacy of a novel fungicide, oxathiapiprolin, for the management of sunflower downy mildew. Seventeen inoculated field trials were conducted from 2011-2015 to test the efficacy of oxathiapiprolin. Results indicate that oxathiapiprolin significantly and consistently reduced downy mildew incidence and determined the optimal effective rate, which ranged from 9.37 – 18.75 µg active ingredient per seed. The second and third objectives focused on identifying accessions with novel sources of genetic resistance to P. halstedii and P. helianthi isolates collected in North Dakota. In the past, a disproportionate amount of resistance genes have been identified in wild Helianthus germplasm originating from Texas. For both studies, 182 wild H. annuus and 33 wild H. argophyllus accessions originating from Texas were obtained from the USDA North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station and screened to both pathogens in a greenhouse environment. Results from these individual studies identified numerous accessions with high levels of resistance to P. halstedii and P. helianthi, some accessions had high levels of resistance to both. Overall, results from these three studies will provide information and tools that will be useful for the long-term management of both diseases. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to say a special thanks to all those who have helped me in countless ways over the last four years. First, I would like to thank my major advisor, Dr. Sam Markell, for his endless support, guidance, and trust. Simply believing in me made all the difference; the confidence you have instilled in me has allowed me to reach potentials that I never thought were possible. I hope to pay it forward someday. I would also like to extend a sincere thanks to the rest of my graduate committee members: Dr. Tom Gulya, Dr. Maricelis Acevedo, Keith Johnson, and Dr. Hans Kandel. Your valuable expertise and input have helped me grow in my professional and personal life. Also, thanks to the National Sunflower Association, DuPont Crop Protection, the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station, and the North Dakota Extension Service for providing financial support for my research projects. Additionally, I would like to extend a thanks To Dr. Andrew Friskop: for introducing me to the wonderful world of plant pathology and always making time for me; who would’ve thought it would’ve turned into this. To Elizabeth Crane: for always giving me that extra push when I needed it; I’ll miss all of the miles spent traveling together and countless thought-provoking conversations. To Jessica Halvorson: for all of your clever suggestions and willingness to help; so many great memories working together. To Jim Jordahl and Scott Meyer: for showing me the ropes of plant pathology and always keeping me on my toes. iv To Austin Streifel, Christian Steffen, Brandt Berghuis, Sam Haugen, Casey Schuh, Kelby Opsahl, Michelle Gilley, and Dr. Febina Mathew: for all of your assistance in the field, greenhouse, and lab which collectively helped make this all possible. To the NDSU Plant Pathology department: for making my graduate school experience better than I ever thought possible, especially Dr. Jack Rasmussen, Darla Bakko, Aimee Thapa, and Barbara Nilles. Last and most importantly, I would like to thank all of my loving and supportive family; for without them, none of this would have been possible. Thanks To my Dad: for the countless hours spent together on the farm, from which I developed my passion for agriculture and learned that good things come to those who work hard. To my Mom: for the endless love and encouragement that always helped me weather the storms. Thanks Dad and Mom, for always loving and believing in me in ways that only a parent can. To my brother, Derick and sister-in-law, Kendra: for all the laughs and advice; I look up to you in more ways than you’ll ever know. To my sister, Megan: for your kindness and willingness to listen; your smile and loving support lit fires that always kept me going. To my grandparents: for all of the phone calls and cards. Thanks for all the wonderful memories. This dissertation would have meant nothing if I didn’t have you all to share it with. v TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................... iv LIST OF TABLES .......................................................................................................................... x LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................................... xii LIST OF APPENDIX TABLES .................................................................................................. xiii LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................................... 1 Sunflower ............................................................................................................................ 1 History..................................................................................................................... 1 Sunflower production in the United States. ............................................................ 3 Sunflower uses. ....................................................................................................... 3 Sunflower taxonomy and genetics. ......................................................................... 4 Physical appearance and growth stages. ................................................................. 5 Plasmopara halstedii (downy mildew) ............................................................................... 6 Taxonomy and host range. ...................................................................................... 6 Biology and life cycle. ............................................................................................ 6 Sunflower downy mildew. ...................................................................................... 7 Symptoms and signs. .............................................................................................. 7 Epidemiology. ......................................................................................................... 8 Disease management. .............................................................................................. 9 Puccinia helianthi (rust) ................................................................................................... 10 Taxonomy and host range. .................................................................................... 10 Biology and life cycle. .......................................................................................... 11 Sunflower rust. ...................................................................................................... 11 Symptoms and signs. ............................................................................................ 12 vi Epidemiology. ....................................................................................................... 12 Disease management. ............................................................................................ 13 Literature cited .................................................................................................................. 15 CHAPTER 1. EVALUATION OF OXATHIAPIPROLIN FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF SUNFLOWER DOWNY MILDEW ...................................................................................... 18 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 18 Materials and Methods .....................................................................................................