Category Archives: plant protection

Current Status of Powdery Mildews Diseases on Cucurbits in The Northeast of Syria

Omran Youssef(1) Alan  Ramo*(1) and Sultan Shekhmus (1)

(1). Al Qamishly Agriculture Research Center. General Commission for Scientific Agriculture Research (GCSAR), Al Qamishly, Syria.

(*Corresponding author: Dr. Alan Ramo. E-Mail: alanremo123@hotmail.com).

Received: 06/06/ 2015                                     Accepted: 07/08/ 2015

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the spread of powdery mildews diseases on cucurbits in the northeast of Syria during 2011. This study included 36 fields of cucurbits. The percentage and severity of infection was recorded. The infected samples were transported and tested in the lab. The fungus species were identified. Results showed that the spread of these diseases was 48.2% of the planted fields. The infection percentage and its severity varied from one region to another. The highest infection percentage (91.7%) was recorded in Almalekya region in Zone1-A. The average highest infection percentage was (50%) and the severity (9), recorded in Cucumis sativus L. Next were Al Qamishly region fields in Zone1-B, where the percentage of infected fields was 41.7% with an average highest infection percentage of 15% and a severity of 3. However, the lowest infection percentage was 25% in Rasalayn regions in Zone2. Here, the average highest infection percentage was (10%) and the average highest severity was (4). The plants of cucurbits were found to be infected by two species of fungi: Erysiphe cichoracearum and Sphaerotheca fuliginea. E.cichoracearum was found to infect three plant species (Cucumis sativus L., Citrullus vulgaris L., and Cucumis melo L.) and E.cichoracearum and S. fuliginea were able to infect together  three plant species (Cucumis sativus L., Cucurbita pepo L. and Cucurbita maxima Duch.). Results also showed that the presence of the two fungus species on all their plant hosts was only in the conidial phase. The sexual phase was absent and the fruits of Cleistothecium were not found.

Key words: Cucurbitaceae, Powdery mildew, Erysiphe cichoracearum, Sphaerotheca fuliginea, Syria.

Full paper in Arabic: الحالة الراهنة لأمراض البياض الدقيقي على القرعيات في شمال شرقي سورية.

Preliminary Study of Parasitoid Bracon sp. (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) on The Leafminer Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) and Plodia interpunctella H. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Rafeek Ali Abboud(1) Magda Mofleh(1) Hanan Habak(1) and Mohamad Ahmad Ahmad(2)

(1). Lattakia Research Center, General Commission for Agricultural Scientific Research (GCSAR), Damascus, Syria.
(2). Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Tishreen University, Lattakia, Syria.

(*Corresponding author: Dr. Magda Mofleh, Lattakia Research Center, (GCSAR), Damascus, Syria. E-Mail: magda.mofleh @yahoo.com).

Received: 19/08/ 2014                                     Accepted: 19/05/ 2015

Abstract:

In this study, the reproductive performance of the parasitoid Bracon sp. (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) against the leafminer T. absoluta and Plodia interpunctella H. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) as alternate host was studied in the laboratory at Lattakia Agriculture Research Center, Lattakia, Syria, during  2011 and 2012 seasons. Parasitoid’s life tables were organized, and 5 full grown host larvae were presented to the parasitoid daily. Means development period (egg, larvae, and pupa) (X ± SD) for female parasitoids Bracon sp. were 7.86 ± 0.93 and 8.70 ± 0.73 days against P. interpunctella and T. absoluta, respectively. Values of intrinsic rate of increase (rm) were 0.132 and 0.186 on T. absoluta and P. interpunctella, respectively. Also the values of net reproductive rate (R0), Gross reproductive rate (GRR), and the finite rate of increase (λ) were higher on P. interpunctella than T. absoluta, but the generation period time (T) and the doubling time of population (DT) were shorter on P. interpunctella as compared with T. absoluta. This study clarified the capability of breeding the parasitoids Bracon sp.  at the lab against P. interpunctella to control T. absoluta in tomato fields.

Key words: Tuta absoluta, Plodia interpunctella, Bracon sp., Biological control.

Full paper in Arabic: دراسة أولية لحياتية الطفيل
Bracon sp. (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) على عثة أوراق البندورة الأمريكية وعثة الطحين الهندية 

Disease Distribution and Physiologic Races of Wheat Yellow Rust Caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici in North Eastern Syria.

 Alan A. Ramo*(1), Mohammad F. Azmeh(2)&Omran A. Youssef(1)

(1). Scientific Agriculture Research Center of Al Qamishly, Al Qamishly, Syria.
(2). Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Damascus University, Damascus, Syria.

(*Corresponding author: Eng. Alan REMO: Scientific Agricultural Research Centre of Lattakia, Lattakia, Syria. E-mail: alan-remo@hotmail.com).

Received: 10 / 09 / 2014                       Accepted: 30 / 11 / 2014

Abstract:

Yellow rust or stripe rust caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici is the most important fungal diseases on wheat. The disease spread in all wheat growing areas of Syria. To identify the distribution of the disease and its physiologic races, field survey have been conducted in 143 fields in 2013 and 109 fields in 2014 in different wheat growing areas in north eastern Syria. Diseased leaf samples were collected from farmers’ fields and uredeniospores were isolated from each field samples. Identification of physiologic races was performed by evaluating the reaction type of seedlings of the differential cultivars. Results of yellow rust survey showed that the distribution of disease was limited, with an infected fields’ ratio of 18.34% in 2014, while it was 40.55% in 2013. It was noticed that the infection did not appear on durum wheat during 2013 and 2014, while all infections were recorded on bread wheat. Results of race identification showed that a number of physiologic races were spread in wheat fields. Four races have been isolated and identified (6E16, 0E0, 82E16, 4E2), with race 6E16 being the most spread race during the study period, while the race 0E0 was the least spread.

Keywords: Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici,Survey, Syria, Wheat, Yellow rust.

Full paper in Arabic:

توزع مرض الصدأ الأصفر Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici على القمح وسلالاتها الفيزيولوجية في شمال شرق سورية.