Abstract
The occurrence of dead dormant flower buds is a common phenomenon of economic importance in the major pear production areas of Europe. Thus far, the cause of dead flower buds disease remained unknown. Several causes have been proposed, including insufficient tree chilling, unmet dormancy requirements, incompatibility between scion and cultivar, but also various biotic stress agents such as pathogens and pests. In this study, we tested the relationship between reduction of tree growth and dead flower bud incidences, but found no indication that growth regulation can prevent the occurrence of dead flower buds. It has been proposed that the bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. s yringae may be the causal agent of dead flower buds of pear. However, although we found the bacterium as epiphyte and even as endophyte on and in flower buds, our findings argue that P. syringae pv. syringae is not the causal agent of dead flower buds disease in the Netherlands. In our research, Alternaria spp. were consistently found in diseased flower buds, and strong correlations between dead dormant flower buds and infection rates of flower buds with Alternaria spp. were recorded. The isolated Alternaria species were identified as A. arborescens SC and A. alternata SC. Field experiments for disease control showed that the disease may be controlled by specific fungicide applications. Thus, we propose that dead flower buds of pear in the Netherlands should be regarded as a fungal disease caused by A. alternata SC and potentially also A. arborescens SC.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
Growth regulation did not indicate prevention of dead flower buds.
- Taxon
- pear
_Poirier_Fleurs_et_feuilles.jpg?width=60)
Pyrus communist0 - Treatment
- growth regulatione0
- Outcome
- dead flower budse0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
_Poirier_Fleurs_et_feuilles.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“found no indication that growth regulation can prevent the occurrence of dead flower buds”
t0“pear (Pyrus communis)”
Claim · model-written summary
Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae occurred on and in flower buds as an epiphyte and endophyte.
- Taxon
- pearPyrus communist0
- Interactor
- Pseudomonas syringae pv. s yringae
Pseudomonas syringaee1pathogen - Outcome
- epiphyte and even as endophyte on and in flower budse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“we found the bacterium as epiphyte and even as endophyte on and in flower buds”
t0“pear (Pyrus communis)”
e1“Pseudomonas syringae pv. s yringae”
Claim · model-written summary
The findings argued against P. syringae pv. syringae as the disease cause in the Netherlands.
- Taxon
- pearPyrus communist0
- Interactor
- P. syringae pv. syringaePseudomonas syringae pv. syringaee0pathogen
- Outcome
- not the causal agent of dead flower buds diseasee0
- Setting
- the Netherlandse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“P. syringae pv. syringae is not the causal agent of dead flower buds disease in the Netherlands”
t0“pear (Pyrus communis)”
Claim · model-written summary
Alternaria spp. were consistently found in diseased flower buds.
- Taxon
- pearPyrus communist0
- Interactor
- Alternaria spp.
Alternariae0pathogen - Outcome
- consistently found in diseased flower budse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Alternaria spp. were consistently found in diseased flower buds”
t0“pear (Pyrus communis)”
Claim · model-written summary
Alternaria infection rates correlated strongly with dead dormant flower buds.
- Taxon
- pearPyrus communist0
- Interactor
- Alternaria spp.Alternariae0pathogen
- Outcome
- dead dormant flower budse0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“strong correlations between dead dormant flower buds and infection rates of flower buds with Alternaria spp. were recorded”
t0“pear (Pyrus communis)”
Claim · model-written summary
The isolated Alternaria species were identified as A. arborescens SC.
- Taxon
- pearPyrus communist0
- Interactor
- A. arborescens SCAlternaria arborescense0pathogen
- Outcome
- A. arborescens SCe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The isolated Alternaria species were identified as A. arborescens SC and A. alternata SC”
t0“pear (Pyrus communis)”
Claim · model-written summary
The isolated Alternaria species were identified as A. alternata SC.
- Taxon
- pearPyrus communist0
- Interactor
- A. alternata SC
.jpg?width=60)
Alternaria alternatae0pathogen - Outcome
- A. alternata SCe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“The isolated Alternaria species were identified as A. arborescens SC and A. alternata SC”
t0“pear (Pyrus communis)”
Claim · model-written summary
Specific fungicide applications may control dead flower bud disease.
- Taxon
- pearPyrus communist0
- Treatment
- specific fungicide applicationse0
- Outcome
- the diseasee0
- Direction
- controllede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the disease may be controlled by specific fungicide applications”
t0“pear (Pyrus communis)”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors propose A. alternata SC, potentially with A. arborescens SC, as the cause of dead flower buds disease.
- Taxon
- pearPyrus communise0
- Interactor
- A. alternata SCAlternaria alternatae0pathogen
- Second interactor
- A. arborescens SCAlternaria arborescense0pathogen
- Outcome
- dead flower budse0
- Setting
- the Netherlandse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“dead flower buds of pear in the Netherlands should be regarded as a fungal disease caused by A. alternata SC and potentially also A. arborescens SC”
The same questions in other papers
fungicide · disease · Pyrus communis (pear)Positive and negative results
2 papers in the same direction as this paper · 1 reporting no difference from an alternative
- no effect
- positive
- positive
Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.