Physiologic Specialization Within Sphacelotheca Reiliana (Kühn) Clint
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South Dakota State University Open PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access Institutional Repository and Information Exchange Electronic Theses and Dissertations 1960 Physiologic specialization within Sphacelotheca reiliana (Kühn) Clint. on Sorghum and the Biology of its Chlamydospores in the Soil Ibrahim Aziz Al-Sohaily Follow this and additional works at: https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/etd Recommended Citation Al-Sohaily, Ibrahim Aziz, "Physiologic specialization within Sphacelotheca reiliana (Kühn) Clint. on Sorghum and the Biology of its Chlamydospores in the Soil" (1960). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2704. https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/etd/2704 This Dissertation - Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by Open PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access Institutional Repository and Information Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Open PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access Institutional Repository and Information Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. '... PHYSIOLOGIC SPECIALIZATION WITHI.N SPHACELOTHECA REILIANA (KUHN) CLINT. ON SORGHUM AND THE BIOLOOY OF ITS CHLAMIDOSPORES I.N THE SOIL BY IBRAHIM AZIZ AL-SOHAILY A thesis suanitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Ibctor of Philosophy, Department of Plant Pathology, South Dakota State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts December, 1960 '....1 A S ATE COLLEGE LIB 7 , PHYSIOLOOIC SPECIALIZATION WITHIN SPHACELOTHECA REILIANA (Kum�) CLINT. ON SORGHUM AND THE BIOLOGY OF ITS CHLAl1YOOSPORES Ill THE SOIL Abstract IBRAIIDl AZIZ AL-SO'rIAILY Under the �ervision of Professor George Saneniuk Corresponding to the title, the present study was concerned with two aspects. In the first of these, two chlamydosporous sori from corn were collected from California and Washington and 18 chlamydosporous sori from sorghum were collected from California, New Mexico, Texas and India. Chlamydosporous cultures or paired monosporidial cultures from these were hypodennically injected as desired into seedlings of one or more of four sweet corn varieties and 57 sorghum varieties. Chlamydosporous cultures from the two corn sources yielded head smut on three sweet corn varieties and not on any of 14 sorghum varieties. Cultures from 14 of 18 sorghum sources yielded head smut on Sugar Drip sorghum and on North Star sweet corn, while cultures from the remaining four yielded head smut only on Sugar Drip sorghum. The 18 sorghum head smut cultures were differentiated on a set of five sorghum varieties, and comprised four races according to sources; (1) California, (2) �oona 1 and Coimbatore 2, (.3) Poona 2 and (4) Texas, New Hexico and Coimbatore 1. The difference between the sorghum and the corn head smut fungi accordingly was considered to be varietal, rather than racial as sup posed by Reed. The sorghum and the corn head smut fungi were readily hybridized. Thirteien monosporidial cultures from four chlamydospores of sorghum head smut and 17 similar cultures from five chlamydospores of corn head smut yielded 108 compatible Pairs, of which 105 were pathogenic on Sugar Drip sorghum and Golden Bantam sweet corn, while the other three were not pathog:enic. The hybrids were less virulent than were either of the parents on their respective hosts. F chlamydosporous cultures from 1 three hybrids on Sugar Drip sorghum and from two on Golden Bantam sweet corn were pathogenic to both of these crops while a third from another hybrid on Golden Bantam sweet corn was pathogenic only on Sugar Drip Intra-c chlamydospores repre sorghu:m. ompatible sporidia from three F1 senting two hybrids yielded head smut on both Sugar Drip sorghum and Golden Bantam sweet corn, while similar sporidia from a fourth F1 chlamydospore representing a third hybrid were non-pathogenic on either of the crops. In the second part of the study, chlamydospores genninated in soil by fonning long multicellular hyphae, the lower cells of ;ihich were empty while the apical cells were filled with vacuolated or nonvacuolated protoplasm. The absence of sporidial formation may account for the low number of races found in this pathoge!1 and for the apparent natural stabiljLty of the sorghum and corn head smut fungi as separate u,nits. Chlamydospore abund�ce in soil affected the per cent incidence of head-smutted sorghum plants. Within limits the per cent incidence of head-smutted sorghum plants was linearly related to the logarithm of the number of chlamydospores in soil. The threshold number of viable spores necessary for infection being estimated at about 800 per gram of soil. The abundance of infectious chlamydospores in soil declined rapidly after 7 days to sub-threshold levels at a temperature of near-freezing, 0 regardless of soil moisture. The decline at 10° , 20 ° and Jo c. and at soil moistures near the wilting point, 20%, 40% and 100% of field capacity was less rapid and in most instances did not reach the threshold limit within JO days. In supplementary studies sorghum seeds carrying 52,631 or 404,578 chlamydospores per seed failed to yield smutted plants. A dominant form of resistance to head smut was contributed by FC 811 Feterita to a sorghum hybrid. PHYSIOLOGIC SPECIALIZATION WITHIN SPHACELOTHECA REILIANA (KUHN) CLINI'. ON SORGHUM AND THE BIOLOGY OF ITS CHLAMYDOSPORES IN THE SOIL This thesis is approved as a creditable, independent investigation by a candidate for the degree, Doctor of Philosophy, and acceptable as meeting the thesis requirements for this degree; but without implying that t:he conclusions reached by the candidate are necessarily the conclusions of the major department. · Thesis Adviser Head of the Major Depat.ltment- Repres:entative, Graduate Fac6lty ii ACKNOWLEOOMENTS The author wishes to express his sincere appreciation to Dr. C. J. Mankin for suggesting the problem and to him and Dr. G. Semeniuk for their assistance, guidance and encouragement during the course of this investigation and for theiT constructive criticism of the manuscript. He is also indebted to Dr. C. M. Nagel and Dr. H. G. Pulsifer who kindly read the manuscript and made helpful suggestions. IAA iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION • • • • . • • • . REVI:&W OF LI TERA'IURE • . • • . • • • • • . 2 SCOPE OF PRESENT STUDY • • · • . • • . • • 6 MATERIALS AND MEI'HODS . 7 Sources of' Head Smut Chlamydospores • . • • 7 Source 0£ Sorghum and Corn Seeds • • • • • • • • • • • • • 7 Soil. Used . • • • • • . • • • • . 10 Greenhouse Conditions . • • • • • • • • •• . • • 10 Field Plantings ••• • • . � . • • • • • • • • • • • • 10 Monocblamydosporous Cultures • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 10 Monosporidial Cultures ••• . .. 11 Bauch Test for Compatability Between Monosporidial Cultures . • • . • . • . • • • • • • • • • . • • • 12 Inoculation Method • • • • • • • • • . • • • • . 12 SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF SORGHUM HEAD SMUT . 14 EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • 31 Part 1 • Physiologic Specialization in Sphacel.otheca reil.iana with Special Ref'erence to that on Sorghum . • • 31 Specialization of Sphacel.otheca reiliana to Sorghum and Co:rn • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • 32 Races of the Sorghum Head Smut Pathogen . • • 39 Hybridization o:f Sorghum and Com Head Smut Fungi • 53 A Genetical Interpretation of the Pathogenic Properties of Hybrid Chlamydospores Having the · Capacity of Producing Head Smut on Sorghum and Corn. .58 iv Page Part 2. Biology of Sorghum Head Smut Chlamydospores in Soil . 66 Method of Chlamydospore Gennination in the Soil 66 Survival of Sorghum Head Smut Chlamydospores in Soil . • . • • . • . • • . 70 Percent of Sorghum Plants Sustaining Head Smut as Related to the Abundance of Sorghum Head Smut Chlamydospores in the Soil ••••••• 75 Chlamydospores on Seeds as a Source of Inoculum for Head Smut .Appearance in S(?rghum •••••• 78 Head Smut Resistance of an Fi Hybrid Between an Immune and a Susceptible Variety of Sorghum • • . 79 DISCUSSION • . 81 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS . 85 LITERATURE CITED • • • • . 89 V LIST OF TABLES Table Page I. SOURCF.S OF HEAD SMUT CHLAMYOOSPORE COLLlOC:TIONS USED IN THE PRESENT STUDY • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • 8 II. HEAD SMUT DEVELOPMENT IN SWEET CORN AND GRAIN SORGHUM INOCULATED WITH CUL';['URES Dlm:VED FRCT-1 CORN AND SUDANGRASS HE.AD SlroT • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • 33 III. HEAD SMUT DEVELOPMENT IN MORTH STAR SWEET CORN AND SUGAR DRIP SORGHUM INOCULATED WITH 18 CULTURES OF THE SORGHUM HEAD SMUT FUNGUS DERIVED FROM VARIOUS SOURCES •••35 IV. SUSCEPTIBILITY OF FOURTEEN SORGHUl1 VARIETIES TO CULTURE.$ OF SORGHUM AND CORN HEAD SMUT FUNGI • • • • • • • • • • • • .36 V. PER CENT OF PLANTS AND HEADS SMUTTED IN 57 VARIETIES OF SORGHUM INOCULATED WITH SEVEN SORGHUM HEAD SMUT COLL:roTIONS. 41 VI. PER CENT HEAD SMUTTED PLANTS IN FIVE DIFFERENTIAL SORGHUMS INOCULATED WITH CULTURES FROM SEVEN SORGHUM HEAD SMUT COLLEX::TIONS •••••••••••••••••••47 VII. PER CENT HEAD SMUTTID PLANTS IN FIVE DIFFERENTIAL SORGHUNS INOCULATED IN THE GREENHOUSE WITH CULTURES FROM 18 SORGHUM HEAD SMUT COLL:EJ:TIONS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 48 VIII. PER CENT HEAD SMUTTED PLANTS IN FIVE DIFFERENTIAL SORGHUMS INOCULATED IN THE FIELD WITH CULTURES FROM 18 SORGHUM HEAD SHUT COLL.ElJTIONS • • • • • • • • • • • • 51 IX. RESULTS FROM ALL POSSIBLE PAIRINGS BETWEEN 17 l�10NOSP0RIDIAL CULTURES OF THE CORN HEAD SMUT FUNGUS .AJID 13 MONOSPORIDIAL CULTURES OF THE SORGHUM HEAD :SMUT FUNGUS • • • • • • • • • ; • • • • • • . • • • • . • 55 X. lPATHOGENICITY