Abstract BRS A502 is an upland rice cultivar with a medium cycle, high resistance to lodging, superior yield potential and grains of excellent industrial and cooking quality. The cultivar is indicated for crop rotation and succession in areas under intensive agriculture in the main field crop regions of Brazil.

Diversas gramíneas que ocorrem em lavouras de arroz apresentam sintomas do mal-do-pé, causado por Gaeumannomyces graminis var. graminis (Ggg), em condições naturais de infecção. Com o objetivo de obter informações sobre hospedeiros e resistência de genótipos de arroz ao mal-do-pé, foi estudada a patogenicidade do isolado Ggg-a 01, coletado de arroz, em sete espécies de capim e oito de cereais, em casa-de-vegetação. Os testes de inoculação mostraram que o isolado de arroz foi patogênico às plantas daninhas de capim arroz (Echinochloa crusgalli), avião (Pennisetum setosum), braquiária (Brachiaria sp.), digitária (Digitaria horizontalis), marmelada (Brachiaria plantaginea), pé-de-galinha (Eleusine indica) e timbete (Cenchrus echinatus) e que essas espécies constituem hospedeiros potenciais do patógeno. Cereais de inverno, como o trigo, aveia, centeio, cevada e triticale, bem como o sorgo, milho e milheto, apresentaram diferentes graus de suscetibilidade ao isolado Ggg-a 01. As diferenças foram significativas, quanto à altura da lesão e à produção de hifopódios e de peritécios nos colmos. Não foram observados peritécios em milheto, sorgo, timbete e milho. A resistência de 58 genótipos de arroz de terras altas ao isolado foi avaliada e os genótipos SCIA16 e SCIA08 apresentaram altura de lesão significativamente menor, sendo considerados resistentes, em relação ao genótipo CNAS10351, altamente suscetível.

Several gramineous plants occurring in rice fields show symptoms of crown sheath rot of rice, caused by Gaeumannomyces graminis var. graminis (Ggg), under natural conditions of infection. The pathogenicity of the Ggg-a 01 isolate, collected from rice, was tested on seven grass species and eight cereals, under greenhouse conditions, in order to get information on host-range and resistance of rice genotypes to crown sheath rot. The inoculation tests showed that the rice isolate was pathogenic to weeds such as Echinochloa crusgalli, Pennisetum setosum, Brachiaria sp., Digitaria horizontalis, Brachiaria plantaginea, Eleusine indica and Cenchrus echinatus, and that these species are potential hosts to the pathogen. Winter cereals such as wheat, oat, rye, barley and triticale, as well as sorghum, maize and millet, presented different degrees of susceptibility to the Ggg-a isolate. Significant differences were observed in relation to lesion height and production of hyphopodia and perithecia on culms. Perithecia were not observed on millet, sorghum, southern sandbur and maize. The resistance of 58 upland rice genotypes was tested, and the SCIA16 and SCIA08 genotypes presented lesion height significantly smaller, being considered resistant, when compared to the highly susceptible CNAS10351 genotype.

Crude extract of an isolate of the fungus Sarocladium oryzae (CNPAF So 20G), containing the antimicrobial cerulenin, was produced and its antagonistic potential on the rice blast pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae was asessed. Cerulenin was detected in crude extract of S. oryzae through thin layer chromatography showing a Rf value of 0.63. The quantity of cerulenin in the crude extract was 237 µg.mL-1. The in vitro inhibition of germination and appressorial formation of M. oryzae was assessed on an artificial hydrophobic surface, using eight different doses of cerulenin ranging from 0.05 to 30.0 µg.mL-1. The LD50 values calculated based on the Probit-log analysis for germination and appressorial formation were 1.298 ± 0.123 µg.mL-1 and 0.0705 ± 0.0062 µg.mL-1 of cerulenin, respectively. The 30.0 µg.mL-1 of cerulenin dose inhibited 98% and 99%, germination and appressorial formation, respectively. The mode of action of cerulenin was studied by staining conidia with Calcofluor White and fluorescent microscopy showing its effect on plasma membrane. Crude extract of S. oryzae suppressed 63% of rice blast disease in greenhouse conditions. The results indicate that a product based on cerulenin and/or S. oryzae has a great potential to be used in biological control of rice blast.

A collection of Gaeumannomyces graminis var. graminis isolates obtained from symptomatic rice and grass plants in central and northern Brazil were studied in regard to pathogenicity on rice and cultural characteristics. For all isolates, only one type of lobed hyphopodia was observed both in the field and artificially inoculated plants. Perithecia were formed on artificial media and inoculated leaf sheaths. Hyphopodia were formed from ascosporic germ tubes. The hyphae under moist stress conditions produced dark brown chlamydospores that were initially hyaline. Large variation in the number of chlamydospores produced and duration of perithecia formation was observed among the isolates. Pathogenicity assays showed that 60-day old rice plants were more susceptible than 35-day old plants. The isolates from rice and grasses varied significantly in regard to disease severity on both rice seedlings and adult rice plants. In general, the isolates from rice were more aggressive than the isolates from grasses. Spontaneous infection of rice plants by ascosporic inoculum from perithecia on rice stubbles was observed in the greenhouse, suggesting their role as a source of primary inoculum in the field, which deserves further investigation.

Epicoccum sp. showed in vitro antagonism to the rice pathogens Magnaporthe oryzae, Rhizoctonia solani, Sarocladium oryzae, Monographella albescens and Cochliobolus miyabeanus in dual culture. The colony growth of the rice blast fungus, M. oryzae, was reduced by 42.50%. The lethal doses (LD50) determined based on probit-log dosage response curves at 3 and 6 hours after germination were 393.0 and 326.6 ppm, respectively. The crude extract (600 ppm) reduced appressorial formation by 95.68%. A greenhouse experiment comparing the relative efficiency of conidial suspension and crude extract of Epicoccum sp. in the suppression of leaf blast showed no statistical difference between both application methods. However, the crude extract of Epicoccum sp. (4000 ppm) 48 hours before the application of M. oryzae induced resistance and suppressed leaf blast by 97.6%. Scanning electron microscopy of rice leaves inoculated with crude extract of Epicoccum sp. and challenged with M. oryzae showed appressorial deformation on penetration phase. Peroxidase and β-1,3-glucanase activities increased in plants sprayed with crude extract of Epicoccum sp., 24 hours after the application of the challenger. PAL as well as chitinase activities increased 72 hours after challenge inoculation. Epicoccum sp. was shown to be a potential antagonist and inducer of resistance against M. oryzae.

A brusone (Magnaporthe oryzae) é um dos principais fatores limitantes da produtividade do arroz de terras altas no Brasil. A época de plantio e o nível de adubação nitrogenada determinam o grau de severidade da brusone nas panículas. Foi realizado um experimento de campo com a cultivar BRS Bonança, visando determinar a relação entre o conteúdo de clorofila nas folhas superiores e a severidade de brusone nas panículas. O delineamento experimental foi blocos ao acaso em esquema de parcelas subdivididas com três repetições. Os tratamentos consistiram de 12 épocas de plantios em intervalos semanais e cinco níveis de nitrogênio (0, 30, 60, 120 e 240 kg ha-1 de N). As leituras do teor de clorofila foram feitas na folha bandeira com um clorofilômetro. A brusone nas panículas aumentou significativamente com o aumento dos níveis de N. Houve correlação significativa e positiva entre os níveis de N e o conteúdo de clorofila na folha bandeira (r=0,98; p < 0,01). A relação entre a severidade de brusone nas panículas e o teor de clorofila foi linear e positiva (r= 0,99; p < 0,01). Estes resultados mostram que o teor de clorofila pode ser incluído como variável independente no desenvolvimento de modelo matemático para a previsão de brusone nas panículas.

Rice blast (Magnaporthe oryzae) is the most important yield limiting factor of upland rice in Brazil. The nitrogen application rate and planting date determine the level of panicle blast severity. A field experiment was conducted with the cultivar BRS Bonança to establish the relationship between chlorophyll content in leaves and panicle blast severity. The layout was a randomized split plot design with three replications. The treatments included 12 planting dates at weekly intervals and five rates of nitrogen (0, 30, 60, 120 and 240 kg ha-1 of N). The chlorophyll content was measured on flag leaf with a chlorophyll meter. Panicle blast severity increased significantly with the increase in nitrogen fertilization. The correlation between nitrogen rate and chlorophyll content in flag leaf was positive and significant (r=0.98; p < 0.01). The relationship between panicle blast severity and chlorophyll content was linear and positive (r= 0.99; p < 0.01). The chlorophyll content in the flag leaf can be included as independent variable in the development of a mathematical model for panicle blast forecasting.

Foram realizados dois experimentos de campo, em 2004 e 2005 com o objetivo de avaliar a eficiência de fungicidas no tratamento de sementes no controle de brusone nas folhas. Os mesmos fungicidas foram avaliados em laboratório, analisando-se o perfil fisiológico e sanitário das sementes tratadas. A análise conjunta dos experimentos mostrou diferenças significativas quanto aos valores da área abaixo da curva de progresso da doença (AACPD). Os tratamentos com pyroquilon e azoxystrobin foram os que propiciaram menor severidade de brusone nas folhas, apresentando as menores AACPD, enquanto o tratamento com carboxim + thiram não diferiu da testemunha no controle da doença. No entanto, este tratamento aumentou significativamente a germinação das sementes em relação à testemunha (22%) e aos demais tratamentos. De maneira geral, todos os tratamentos foram eficientes em reduzir e/ou eliminar os fungos presentes nas sementes em laboratório, o carboxin + thiram e o tricyclazole foram os tratamentos que se destacaram.

A field experiment was carried out in two successive years (2004 and 2005) in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the fungicides in rice seed treatment to control leaf blast. Another experiment was carried out in the laboratory to analyze the physiological and sanitary profile of treated seeds. The statistical analysis showed significant differences for the area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC). The pyroquilon and azoxystrobin treatments showed the least severity of leaf blast with the lowest AUDPC. Carboxim + thiram did not differ from the test to control leaf blast in the field, but this treatment increased seed germination (22%) compared with the other treatments and with the untreated control. In general, all treatments were efficient in reducing and/or eliminating fungi in seeds, with best results from carboxin + thiram and tricyclazole.