Co-effects of Fusarium Root Rot and Water Stress on Some of the Morphophysiological Features of Christ Thorn's Seedlings

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 M Sc. Graduate of Department of DesertRegion Management, Collage of Agriculture, ShirazUniversity, Shiraz, I.R. Iran

2 Associate Professor of Department of Plant Protection, Collage of Agriculture, ShirazUniversity, Shiraz, I.R. Iran

3 Assistant Professor of Department of Desert Region Management, Collage of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, I.R. Iran

4 Associate Professor of Department of Irrigation, Collage of Agriculture, ShirazUniversity, Shiraz, I.R. Iran

Abstract

Christ thorn (Ziziphus spina-christi)is a forest tree species that grows wild in the arid and semiarid
areas of Asia and Africa where rural populations intensively use its fruits, leaves, bark,
and wood. The death of a large number of seedlings with root rot symptoms has been observed
since 2008 in Kazerunand Lamer nurseries in Fars Provience of Iran. Necrosis of internal skin
and crown were also detected in the infected plants. Some isolates of Fusarium oxysporum
were recovered through plating the infected tissues on the PDA medium which were found
to be pathogenic on the Christ thorn seedlings through Kock’s postulate. Since Christ thornis
cultivated in the arid areas and damping-off of the seedlings is a common disease in these areas,
the present study was conducted to study the co-effects of water stress and the pathogen on the
plant seedlings. The effects of F. oxysporum infection and the levels of irrigation frequencies
(every 2, 3, 5 and 8 days) was studied through using a factorial experiment that was arranged
in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Some morpho-physiological
features of the seedlings such as height, leaf number, leaf height, and width were measured.
The results of this experiment indicated that the growth response of Christ thorn to drought
stress depends on the levels of irrigation applied. Compared to the unstressed control, the
interaction of F. oxysporum and water stress reduced the seedling height and leaf numbers up
to more than 50%.

Keywords


[1]. Hoveizeh, H., Dinarvand, M., and Salehi, H. (2000). Priliminary study of medicinal plants in
Khuzestan. Pajuhesh and Sazandegi, 53: 12–19.
[2]. Hoveizeh, H. (1999). Collection and identification of medicinal plants in Khuzestan. Final
Report of Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands. Tehran, Iran.
[3]. Anonymous. (2009). Statistics of area under cultivation of Christ thorn. Department of Natural
Resources, Forest Section. Fars Province, Iran.
[4]. Nejat, N. (2011). A survaye on Christ-thorn (Ziziphus spina-christi L.) root rot in nurseries
of Fars province and the effects of water stress on disease development and some plant
morphophysiological characteristics. M Sc. Thesis. Shiraz University. 82 pp.
[5]. Agrios, G.N. (2005). Plant Pathology. 5th edition. Elsevier Academic Press. USA.
[6]. Nielson, D.C., and Nielson, N.O. (1998). Black bean sensitivity to water stress at various growth
stages. Crop Science, 38(2): 422–427.
[7]. Larkin, R.R., and Fravel D.R. (1998). Efficiency of various fungal and bacterial biocontrol
organisms for control of Fusarium wilt of tomato. Plant Diseases, 82: 1022–1028.
[8]. Kavianpey, A., Minasian, V., and Alizadeh Aliabadi, A. (2000). Isolation and identification of
fungal agents of root rot and damping-off from forest nursery seedlings in Khuzestan. Proceedings
of 14th Iranian Plant Protection Congress. Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan: 350. Iran.
[9]. Nelson, P.E., Toussoun T.A., and Marasas, W.F.O. (1983). Fusarium species, An Illustrated
Manual of Identification. The State University Press, Pennsylvania, USA 203 pp.
[10]. Marshall, J.D. (1986). Drought and shade interact to cause fine root mortality in Douglas-fir
seedlings. Plant and Soil, 91: 51–60.
[11]. Mohammadian, R., Khoyi, F.R., Rahimian, H., Moghadam, M., Ghassemi-Golezani, K., and
Sadeghian, S.Y. (2001). The effects of early season drought on stomatal conductance, leaf-air
temperature difference and proline accumulation in sugar beet genotypes. Journal of Agricultural
Science and Technology, 3: 181–192.
[12]. Hoogenboom, G., Huck, M.G., and Peterson, C.M. (1987). Root growth rate of soybean as
affected by drought stress. Agronomy Journal, 79(4): 607–614.
[13]. Takebe, M., Yoneyama, T., Inada, H., and Murakami, T. (1990). Spectral reflectance ratio of
rice canopy for estimating crop nitrogen status. Plant and Soil, 122: 295–297.
[14]. Taiz, L., and Zeiger, E. (1991). Plant Physiology. The Benjamin/ Cummings Publishing
Company, Inc. Menlo Park, California. USA 288 pp.
[15]. Liang, J., Zhag, J., and Wong, M.H. (1996). Stomatal conductance in relation to xylem sap
abscisic acid concentrations in two tropical trees, Acacia confusa and Litsea glutinosa. Plant, Cell
& Environment, 19(1) : 93–100.
[16]. Martin, M., Miceli, F., Morgan, J.A., Scalet, M., and Zerbi, G. (1993). Synthesis of osmotically
active substances in winter wheat leaves as related to drought resistance of different genotypes.
Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science, 171(3): 176–184.
[17]. Papendick, R.I., and Cook, R.J. (1973). Plant water stress and development of Fusarium foot
rot in wheat subjected to different cultural practices. Phytopathology, 64: 358–363.
[18]. Maria, L., Jorge-Silva, J.F.P., and Ricardo, C.P.P. (1989). Effect of water availability on growth
of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis and on host-parasite interactions. Mycological Research,
92(2): 157–161.
[19]. Jurado, M., Mari’n, P., and Magan, N. (2008). Relationship between solute and matric potential
stress, temperature, growth, and FUM1 gene expression in two Fusarium verticillioides strain.
Appllied and Environmental Microbiology, 74(7): 2032–2036 .
[20]. Burgess, L.W., Summerell, B.A., Bulldak, S., Gott, K.P., and Backhouse, D. (1994). Laboratory
Manual for Fusarium Research. 3rd edition. Fusarium Research Laboratory, University of Sydney
and Royal Botonic Gardens. Sydney. Australia. 134 pp.
[21]. Banihashemi, Z. (1986). Reaction of long melon and cantaloupe cultivars to race 1,2 of
Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis at various populations. Proceedings of 8th Iranina Plant
Protection Congress, Iran, Isfahan: 69.
[22]. Saied, A.S., Gebauer, J., and Buerkert, A. (2008). Effect of different scarification methods on
germination of Ziziphus spina-christi seeds. Seed Science and Technology, 36: 201–205.
[23]. SAS INSTITUTE. (1996). SAS User‘s Guide. 3rd edition. SAS Institute Inc Cary NC. USA.
[24]. Snyder, W.C., and Hansen, H.N. (1940). The species concept in Fusarium. American Journal
of Bottany, 27: 64–67.
[25]. Teetor-Barsch, G.H., and Roberts, D.W. (1983). Entomogenous Fusarium species.
Mycopathologia, 84: 3–16.
[26]. Akinsanmi, O.A., Mitter, V., Simpfendorfer, S., Backhouse, D., and Chakraborty, S. (2004).
Identity and pathogenicity of Fusarium spp. isolated from wheat fields in Queensland and northern
New South Wales. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research, 55: 97–107.
[27]. Burgess, L.W., Backhouse, D., and Summerell, B. (2001). Crown rot of wheat. In: B.A.
Summerell, I.F. Leslie, D. Backhouse, W.L. Bryden and L.W. Burgess, (Eds), Fusarium- Paul
E Nelson Memorial Symposium.The American Phytopathological Society Press, St. Paul, MN,
USA pp. 271–294.
[28]. Swan, L.J., Backhouse D., and Burgess, L.W. (2000). Surface soil moisture and stubble
management practice effects on the progress of infection of wheat by Fusarium pseudograminearum.
Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture, 40: 693–698.
[29]. Arshi, A., Abdin, M.Z., and Iqbal, M. (2002). Growth and metabolism of senna as affected by
salt stress. Biologia Plantarum, 45: 295–298.
[30]. Glenn, E.P., and Brown, J.J. (1998). Effects of soil salt levels on the growth and water use
efficiency of Atriplex canescens (Chenopodiaceae) varieties in drying soil. American Journal of
Botany, 85: 1–10.
[31]. Lin, C.C., and Kao, C.H. (1996). Levels of endogenous polyamines and NaCl-inhibited growth
of rice seedlings. Plant Science, 114: 121–128.
[32]. Premachandra, G.S., Saneoka, H., Fujita, K., and Ogata, S.J. (1992). Osmotic adjustment and
stomatal response to water deficits in maize. Journal of Experimental Botany, 43: 1451–1456.
[33]. Salehi, M. (2002). The effect of CO2 , salinity and water stress on some of the
morphophysiological features of spring wheat. M Sc Thesis. Ferdowsi University of Meshhad.
110 pp.
[34]. Marani, A., Baker, D.N., Reddy, V.R., and McKinion, J.M. (1985). The effect of water stress
on canopy senescence and apparent photosynthesis in cotton. Crop Science, 25: 798–802.
[35]. Abbasi, F. (2008). Interaction of salinity and drought on growth factors of Aeluropus logopoides
and Aeluropus litttorali. Basic Science (Azad University), 66: 121–138.
[36]. Xia, M.Z. (1994). Effects of soil drought during the generative development phase of faba
bean (Vicia faba) on photosynthetic characters and biomass production. Journal of Agricultural
Science, 122: 67–72.
[37]. Mohr, H., and Schopfer, P. (1995). Plant Physiology. Lawlor, G. L. and Lawlor, D. W. (Tranl.
Eds). Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, Germany.
[38]. Wang, D., Shannon, M.C., and Grieve, C.M. (2001). Salinity reduces radiation absorption and
use efficiency in soybean. Field Crops Research, 69: 267–277.
[39]. Gargouri, M., Hajlaoui, R., Guermech, A., and Marrakchi, M. (2001). Identification des
espèces fongiques associées à la pourriture du pied du blé et étude de leur répartition selon les
étages bioclimatiques en Tunisie. Bulletin OEPP/EPPO Bulletin, 31: 499–503.
[40]. Chekalia, S. Gargouib, S. Paulitzc, T. Nicol, J.M. Rezgui, M. and Nasraoui, B. (2011). Effect
of Fusarium culmorum and water stress on durum wheat in Tuisia. Crop Protection, 30: 718–725