Factors affecting the germination of Septoria nodorum pycnidiospores

Most pycnidiospores of Septoria nodorum were released from pycnidia into water in 30 min, more than 50% being released in 10 min. The viability of pycnidiospores in aqueous suspension, assessed by germination on a selective agar medium, decreased more rapidly in daylight than in darkness but no spores germinated after 50 h. The presence of cirrhus extract stimulated germination of pycnidiospores in suspension.Peer reviewe

Vertical dispersal of plant pathogens by splashing. Part II : experimental study of the relationship between raindrop size and the maximum splash height

This paper describes a simple experimental test of the theoretical relationship between raindrop diameter and maximum splash height proposed by Walklate (1989). This relationship contains two empirical parameters to model the characteristics of a splash target that limits upward movement of splash droplets. These parameters are estimated by fitting the proposed relationship to measurements of the maximum height of splashing from a variety of targets including leaves, straw and water films on horizontal plane surfaces. The experimental technique provides a simple and meaningful way to characterize the behaviour of splashing from plant material. This information can be applied to describe the upward movement of inoculum in crop canopies during rainfall.Peer reviewe

Modelling the spread in space and time of an airborne plant disease

A spatiotemporal model is developed to analyse epidemics of airborne plant diseases which are spread by spores. The observations consist of measurements of the severity of disease at different times, different locations in the horizontal plane and different heights in the vegetal cover. The model describes the joint distribution of the occurrence and the severity of the disease. The three-dimensional dispersal of spores is modelled by combining a horizontal and a vertical dispersal function. Maximum likelihood combined with a parametric bootstrap is suggested to estimate the model parameters and the uncertainty that is attached to them. The spatiotemporal model is used to analyse a yellow rust epidemic in a wheatfield. In the analysis we pay particular attention to the selection and the estimation of the dispersal functions. Copyright (c) 2008 Royal Statistical Society.