Derek Settle

Bio: Derek Settle is an academic researcher from Kansas State University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Brown patch & Dollar spot. The author has an hindex of 5, co-authored 7 publications receiving 94 citations.

Dollar spot and brown patch fungicide management strategies in four creeping bentgrass cultivars

Abstract: New creeping bentgrass (Agrostis palustris Huds.) cultivars should be thoroughly evaluated for disease resistance and fungicide application strategies for inclusion in integrated pest management plans. Our objectives were to evaluate dollar spot (Sclerotinia homoeocarpa F.T. Bennett) and brown patch (Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn) severity, and turf quality of L-93', Penncross', Providence', and Crenshaw' creep-ing bentgrass managed using preventive, curative, and weather model-based fungicide application strategies. This field study was conducted on a sand-based putting green in Manhattan, KS, from 1997 through 1999. Nonfungicide-treated L-93 exhibited greatest resistance to dollar spot; Penncross and Providence were intermediate; and Crenshaw was most susceptible. Crenshaw exhibited greater brown patch susceptibility than other cultivars in 1998, but was similar to L-93 in 1999. Greater flexibility in imposing a disease control strategy was afforded by using a disease-resistant (i.e., L-93), rather than a disease-susceptible (i.e., Crenshaw) cultivar. Dollar spot was controlled in L-93 using preventive fungicide applications on 14- or 28-d intervals, preventive low-rate applications of chlorothalonil (tetrachloroisophthalonitrile, 3.5 kg a.i. ha -1 ) every 7 d, or a curative fungicide application when an increase in the disease was observed. In Crenshaw, only the 14-d preventive fungicide regime effectively controlled dollar spot. Considering all cultivars across the 3-yr period, fewer fungicide applications were made using a curative (n = 11-17) than a preventive (n = 30) strategy. The curative strategy was effective when dollar spot, but not when brown patch was the primary disease.

Moss Control on Creeping Bentgrass Greens with Standard and Alternative Approaches

Abstract: Moss is common on creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) putting greens, and more control options are needed. Spot treatment of sodium bicarbonate (44.2 gL -1 ) was compared with broadcast sprays of carfentrazone-ethyl (50.5 or 101 g a.i./ha), chlorothalonil (8.2 or 12.8 kg a.i./ha) and a tank mixture of chlorothalonil, mancozeb, and thiram (8.2, 9.8, and 11.5 kg a.i./ha) in 2006 in Lemont, IL. Sodium bicarbonate suppressed moss growth equally as the conventional products. These results led to further experiments in 2008 in which moss suppression was evaluated within standard and alternative putting green management regimes in Manhattan, KS, and Lemont, IL. The standard approach included spring and fall applications of carfentrazone-ethyl (101 g a.i./ha) for moss control, biweekly applications of urea (46N-0P-0K) at 15 kg N/ha, and applications of chlorothalonil (8.2 kg a.i./ha) on a 14-day interval. Conversely, the alternative approach included spring and fall spot treatments of sodium bicarbonate (44.2 gL -1 ) for moss control, biweekly applications of a natural organic fertilizer (8N- 1P-3K) to provide nitrogen at 15 kg N/ha, and applications of chlorothalonil (8.2 kg a.i./ ha) only when dollar spot reached a predetermined threshold level. Standard and alternative regimes were compared at both 3.2- and 4.0-mm mowing heights; synthetic and organic fertilizers applied alone without pest control approaches were included as controls. In Kansas and Illinois, moss coverage using the alternative management regime was not significantly different from that on greens managed using the standard regime. In Kansas, moss severity at a 3.2 mm was 1.6-fold higher than at the 4.0-mm height. In Illinois, sodium bicarbonate suppressed moss equivalently to the carfentrazone-ethyl treatment, and in the fertilizer-only controls, mowing at 3.2 versus 4.0 mm led to more moss coverage. These studies demonstrate that moss can be effectively suppressed on greens using spot applications of sodium bicarbonate and reduced moss encroachment is possible with higher mowing heights.

Development of brown patch and Pythium blight in tall fescue as affected by irrigation frequency, clipping removal, and fungicide application

Abstract: Settle, D. M., Fry, J. D., and Tisserat, N. A. 2001. Development of brown patch and Pythium blight in tall fescue as affected by irrigation frequency, clipping removal, and fungicide application. Plant Dis. 85:543-546. We studied the effects of irrigation frequency, clipping removal, and fungicide application on the development of Rhizoctonia brown patch (Rhizoctonia solani) and Pythium blight (Pythium aphanidermatum) in tall fescue. Brown patch severity was not significantly different between plots irrigated daily and those irrigated on alternate days. Similarly, no differences in brown patch were observed in plots where grass clippings were returned to the sward with a mulching mower compared with plots where clippings were removed. Preventive applications of azoxystrobin at 35-day intervals or postinfection applications of chlorothalonil reduced brown patch severity, but only the azoxystrobin treatment provided aesthetically acceptable (<10%) levels of brown patch control. However, azoxystrobin applications also increased Pythium blight compared with untreated or chlorothalonil-treated tall fescue, especially in plots that received daily irrigation.

Quantifying the Effects of Lance Nematode Parasitism in Creeping Bentgrass

Abstract: We compared photosynthesis and multispectral radiometry (MSR) measurements with visual quality ratings for assessment of feeding injury to creeping bentgrass caused by the lance nematode (Hoplolaimus galeatus) using artificially infested microplots and a naturally infested putting green. Nematode feeding resulted in negative visual and MSR effects on creeping bentgrass in microplots. Visual quality ratings were correlated more consistently with nematode densities than either individual MSR variables or factor models of MSR variables. Threshold estimates for H. galeatus population densities associated with unacceptable bentgrass quality in microplots varied widely by month and year. Similarly, the relationship between H. galeatus population density and turf health indicators (including MSR measurements, visual ratings, and net photosynthetic rate) varied with cultivar and management practice (irrigation frequency and mowing height) in the naturally infested putting green. Notably, negative effects of nematode feeding were not consistently associated with more stressful management practices, suggesting that stress avoidance is not a reliable deterrent to H. galeatus damage in creeping bentgrass. Damage thresholds for this nematode-host association are dynamic and should be used with caution.

The superfamily of thaumatin-like proteins: its origin, evolution, and expression towards biological function

Abstract: Thaumatin-like proteins (TLPs) are the products of a large, highly complex gene family involved in host defence and a wide range of developmental processes in fungi, plants, and animals. Despite their dramatic diversification in organisms, TLPs appear to have originated in early eukaryotes and share a well-defined TLP domain. Nonetheless, determination of the roles of individual members of the TLP superfamily remains largely undone. This review summarizes recent advances made in elucidating the varied TLP activities related to host resistance to pathogens and other physiological processes. Also discussed is the current state of knowledge on the origins and types of TLPs, regulation of gene expression, and potential biotechnological applications for TLPs.

Invited Review: RECENT ADVANCES IN GENETIC TRANSFORMATION OF FORAGE AND TURF GRASSES

Abstract: Forage and turf grasses are critical to sustainable agriculture and contribute extensively to the world economy. Tremendous progress has been made in genetic transformation of forage and turf grasses in the past decade. The rapid advancement of cellular and molecular biology and transgenic technology provides novel methods to accelerate and complement conventional breeding efforts. This review summarizes the latest developments in genetic transformation methods and the applications of molecular techniques for the improvement of forage and turf grasses.

Characterization of a Pathogen Induced Thaumatin-Like Protein Gene AdTLP from Arachis diogoi, a Wild Peanut

Abstract: Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L) is one of the widely cultivated and leading oilseed crops of the world and its yields are greatly affected by various biotic and abiotic stresses. Arachis diogoi, a wild relative of peanut, is an important source of genes for resistance against various stresses that affect peanut. In our previous study a thaumatin-like protein gene was found to be upregulated in a differential expression reverse transcription PCR (DDRT-PCR) study using the conidial spray of the late leaf spot pathogen, Phaeoisariopsis personata. In the present study, the corresponding full length cDNA was cloned using RACE-PCR and has been designated as AdTLP. It carried an open reading frame of 726 bp potentially capable of encoding a polypeptide of 241 amino acids with 16 conserved cysteine residues. The semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed that the transcript level of AdTLP increased upon treatment with the late leaf spot pathogen of peanut, P. personata and various hormone treatments indicating its involvement in both, biotic and abiotic stresses. The antifungal activity of the purified recombinant protein was checked against different fungal pathogens, which showed enhanced anti-fungal activity compared to many other reported TLP proteins. The recombinant AdTLP-GFP fusion protein was found to be predominantly localized to extracellular spaces. Transgenic tobacco plants ectopically expressing AdTLP showed enhanced resistance to fungal pathogen, Rhizoctonia solani. The seedling assays showed enhanced tolerance of AdTLP transgenic plants against salt and oxidative stress. The transcript analysis of various defense related genes highlighted constitutively higher level expression of PR1a, PI-I and PI-II genes in transgenic plants. These results suggest that the AdTLP is a good candidate gene for enhancing stress resistance in crop plants.

Functional analysis of a pathogenesis-related thaumatin-like protein gene TaLr35PR5 from wheat induced by leaf rust fungus.

Abstract: Plants have evolved multifaceted defence mechanisms to resist pathogen infection. Production of the pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins in response to pathogen attack has been implicated in plant disease resistance specialized in systemic-acquired resistance (SAR). Our earlier studies have reported that a full length TaLr35PR5 gene, encoding a protein exhibiting amino acid and structural similarity to a sweet protein thaumatin, was isolated from wheat near-isogenic line TcLr35. The present study aims to understand the function of TaLr35PR5 gene in Lr35-mediated adult resistance to Puccinia triticina. We determined that the TaLr35PR5 protein contained a functional secretion peptide by utilizing the yeast signal sequence trap system. Using a heterologous expression assay on onion epidermal cells we found that TaLr35PR5 protein was secreted into the apoplast of onion cell. Expression of TaLr35PR5 was significantly reduced in BSMV-induced gene silenced wheat plants, and pathology test on these silenced plants revealed that Lr35-mediated resistance phenotype was obviously altered, indicating that Lr35-mediated resistance was compromised. All these findings strongly suggest that TaLr35PR5 is involved in Lr35-mediated adult wheat defense in response to leaf rust attack.

Prunus domestica Pathogenesis-Related Protein-5 Activates the Defense Response Pathway and Enhances the Resistance to Fungal Infection

Abstract: Pathogenesis-related protein-5 (PR-5) has been implicated in plant disease resistance and its antifungal activity has been demonstrated in some fruit species. However, their roles, especially their interactions with the other defense responses in plant cells, are still not fully understood. In this study, we have cloned and characterized a new PR-5 cDNA named PdPR5-1 from the European plum (Prunus domestica). Expression of PdPR5-1 was studied in different cultivars varying in resistance to the brown rot disease caused by the necrotrophic fungus Monilinia fructicola. In addition transgenic Arabidopsis, ectopically expressing PdPR5-1 was used to study its role in other plant defense responses after fungal infection. We show that the resistant cultivars exhibited much higher levels of transcripts than the susceptible cultivars during fruit ripening. However, significant rise in the transcript levels after infection with M. fructicola was observed in the susceptible cultivars too. Transgenic Arabidopsis plants exhibited more resistance to Alternaria brassicicola. Further, there was a significant increase in the transcripts of genes involved in the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway such as phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and phytoalexin (camalexin) pathway leading to an increase in camalexin content after fungal infection. Our results show that PdPR5-1 gene, in addition to its anti-fungal properties, has a possible role in activating other defense pathways, including phytoalexin production.