Mazen Salman | Palestine Technical University - Kadoorie (original) (raw)

Papers by Mazen Salman

مجلة جامعة فلسطين التقنية للأبحاث

The grapevine trunk disease (GTD) has been considered a real threat on grape production. This stu... more The grapevine trunk disease (GTD) has been considered a real threat on grape production. This study aimed to identify the GTD causing agents in Palestinian grapevine orchards and to evaluate the efficacy of bacteria to control the disease under in vitro conditions. Two fungal isolates; Fusarium solani isolate GR and Neofusicoccum parvum isolate GR3 were identified and diagnosed using PCR and BLASTn analysis. After that, five bacterial isolates were tested for their efficacy against the growth of the fungi. Pseudomonas fluorescence isolate ORS3 and Pseudomonas fluorescence isolate PFL showed very strong inhibition zones (> 10 mm, ++++) against both fungi under in vitro conditions. The other bacterial isolates were able to inhibit the fungi but the inhibition was less and varied among the bacteria. The effect of the bacteria on F. solani isolate GR was greater than that on N. parvum isolate GR3. Up to our knowledge, this study was the first of its kind in Palestine that identifi...

Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering

Archives of Phytopathology and Plant Protection, 2019

Abstract A new die back symptoms in many avocado orchards had been reported in Palestine. The dis... more Abstract A new die back symptoms in many avocado orchards had been reported in Palestine. The disease is associated with the Ambrosia beetle Euwallacea fornicatus. Stem samples from infected avocado trees with obvious symptoms were collected from different regions in Palestine. Stem cuttings and dissected adult and galleries of the insect were placed on potato dextrose agar media and incubated for 5–7 days at 25 °C. PCR amplification using EF1/2 specific primers was performed to identify the isolated fungus. The resulting PCR products were sequenced. BLASTn search showed 99% similarity with Fusarium euwallaceae (Accession Nos. JX891785.1, JQ723763.1, JQ723762.1 and JQ723761.1). The isolated fungus was identified as F. euwallaceae (Genbank accession no. MK054177).

Solar Energy, 2019

Abstract ZnO nanoparticles have been effectively used in water disinfection from two common types... more Abstract ZnO nanoparticles have been effectively used in water disinfection from two common types of gram-positive (Enterococcus faecium) and gram–negative (Proteus mirabilis) bacteria under simulated solar radiations by inactivation. Complete mineralization of organic contents that leach out of inactivated bacteria has also been achieved leaving no soluble organic matter in water. Bacterial inactivation and complete mineralization have been confirmed by plate counting, high performance liquid chromatography and total organic content measurement. Effects of different reaction parameters (pH, temperature, bacterial concentration, reaction time and ZnO catalyst loading) have all been studied. Control experiments with Cut-off filters confirm the role of the UV tail in solar simulated light in the photocatalytic process. The results highlight the feasibility of using ZnO photocatalyst in complete disinfection of water from both hazardous Enterococcus and Proteus mirabilis bacteria, leaving no organic matters after degradation.

Plant Omics, 2017

Laboratory and greenhouse pot experiments were conducted to assess the allelopathic effects of Ar... more Laboratory and greenhouse pot experiments were conducted to assess the allelopathic effects of Artemisia annua water extract on germination and growth of barley. Lower concentrations of A. annua water extract (0.5 and 1.0 %) did not affect the germination of barley seeds. However, higher concentrations (1.5-3.5 %) resulted in significant reductions in the germination percentage. Seedling growth of barley was also affected by A. annua water extract. Both shoot and root lengths were negatively affected by A. annua water extract and the degree of inhibition was concentration dependent. When barley seedlings were subjected to 0.5% extract concentration, shoot length was inhibited by 6% while root length showed 18.5% inhibition over control seedlings. The lowest shoot and root lengths were recorded at 3.0 and 3.5 % water extract. At 0.5 % extract concentration, shoot and root fresh and dry weights were significantly unaffected compared with the control. Shoot fresh weight was significantly unaltered when seedlings were treated with 1.0 % extract. However, at the same concentration root fresh weight, shoot dry weight, and root dry weight were inhibited by 44.7, 33.3, and 40 %, respectively. The present results confirmed that root growth (length and weight) was more sensitive to A. annua water extract than shoot growth. The present results also indicated the presence of water soluble allelochemicals in A. annua that are able to inhibit growth of barley.

Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering

Olive leaf spot or peacock eye disease caused by Spilocaea oleagina is one of the most common dis... more Olive leaf spot or peacock eye disease caused by Spilocaea oleagina is one of the most common diseases attacking olive trees all over the world. Control of the disease by application of copper fungicides is not always feasible and requires proper management practices. The use of plant extract is considered a safe alternative to the harmful effect of chemical fungicides. In this work, different concentrations (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 5.0 and 10% w/v) of Ambrosia artimisiifolia aqueous leaf extract were tested for their efficacy against OLS spore germination. All concentrations proved to have an inhibitory effect on conidial germination under in vitro conditions. The concentrations 2.5 and 5% were the most effective with germination rates of 8.3 and 2.8%, respectively. The results of this work provided new possibilities to control the disease using A. artimisiifolia leaf extract.

Water and Environment Journal

مجلة جامعة فلسطين التقنية للأبحاث

Since deuterium 2H (D) is an isotope of hydrogen 1H, the testing of the possibility of photochemi... more Since deuterium 2H (D) is an isotope of hydrogen 1H, the testing of the possibility of photochemical synthesis of marked chlorinated phenol, biphenyl and benzene using normal solvents was studied. The irradiation of full chlorinated compounds dissolved in normal solvents such as MeOH or n-hexane has led to a reaction substitution in which a chlorine atom was substituted by hydrogen atom forming less grade chlorinated chlorophenols, biphenyls and benzenes. The quantum yields of pentachlorophenol, decachlorobiphenyl and hexachlorobenzene under irradiation using polychromatic light were calculated and found to be 5.7 x 10-3, 1.6 x 10-2 and 1.2 x 10-2 Mol·Einstein-1, respectively. Depending on this study the production of marked chlorinated or non-chlorinated compounds using deuterated appropriate solvents such as MeOH d4 or n-hexane d14 is possible. However, more efforts should be made towards chromatographically separation of synthesized standards and byproducts in order to make the u...

Early detection of plant disease requires usually elaborating methods techniques and especially w... more Early detection of plant disease requires usually elaborating methods techniques and especially when symptoms are not visible. Olive Leaf Spot (OLS) infecting upper surface of olive leaves has a long latent infection period. In this work, VIS/NIR spectroscopy was used to determine the latent infection and severity of the pathogens. Two different classification methods were used, Partial Least Squared-Discrimination Analysis (PLS-DA) (linear method) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) (non-linear). SVM-classification was able to classify severity levels 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 with classification rates of 94, 90, 73, 79, 83 and 100%, respectively The overall classification rate was about 86%. PLS-DA was able to classify two different severity groups (first group with severity 0, 1, 2, 3, and second group with severity 4, 5), with a classification rate greater than 95%. The results promote further researches, and the possibility of evaluation OLS in-situ using portable VIS/NIR devices.

Olive Leaf Spot (OLS) or peacock disease is one of the most destructive diseases on olivetrees in... more Olive Leaf Spot (OLS) or peacock disease is one of the most destructive diseases on olivetrees in many parts of the world. The disease is caused by the fungus Spilocaea oleaginaand can reduce the growth and yield of olive trees (Olea eurapaea L.). Investigations werecarried out during October 2011 and October 2012, to determine the latent incidence andseverity of OLS infection in Palestine. Five growing regions (Tulkarm, Qalqilyah, Salfit,Nablus and Jenin) were visited routinely every two weeks to collect olive leaves from twogroves in each region. In each grove, 100 new and another 100 old leaves from 5 treeswere collected and transported to the laboratory. Disease incidence was determined byrecoding the percent of infected leaves per tree. OLS was found in all study areas withSalfit and Qalqilyah the most infected. The grade of latent severity in these regions (2.3and 2.1 in old and new leaves, respectively) was significantly higher than that in the otherregions. Interestingly, th...

Australasian Plant Disease Notes

Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. savastanoi causes olive knot disease that afflicts olive trees globall... more Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. savastanoi causes olive knot disease that afflicts olive trees globally. A sensitive and reproducible in vitro pathogenicity bioassay using detached leaf segments was developed after isolation of Psav on KB medium amended with vancomycin, cephalexin and cycloheximide. Symptoms were clear under 20X magnification after 10 days. This bioassay will facilitate rapid screening of olive germplasm collection for resistance to Psav.

مجلة جامعة فلسطين التقنية للأبحاث

The olive leaf spot disease caused by the fungus Spilocaea oleagina (Cast.) Hughes (syn. Cyclocon... more The olive leaf spot disease caused by the fungus Spilocaea oleagina (Cast.) Hughes (syn. Cycloconium oleagina) is one of the most destructive diseases on olive trees causing losses that may reach 20% of the yield. The disease is controlled by the application of chemical fungicides which is not always feasible in providing proper protection against the pathogen. In this work we report the efficacy of Pseudomonas fluorescenc isolate ORS3 and Bascillus atrophaeus isolate Bat in controlling the disease under field conditions. An Olive field in, Tulkarm governorate, Palestine was selected. The olive trees were 5-10 years old and were highly infected with the olive leaf spot. Trees were sprayed with bacteria formulated in oil. Control trees were sprayed with water. For evaluation of bacterial efficacy against the disease, olive leaves were collected before and after application of the bacteria. Germination of conidia latent infection and severity were determined. In addition to that, bact...

Journal of Plant Pathology

Plant Cell Tissue and Organ Culture, May 4, 2002

Callus and cell suspension cultures were initiated from leaf segments of G. paniculata. Fresh and... more Callus and cell suspension cultures were initiated from leaf segments of G. paniculata. Fresh and dry weights measurements of callus showed that callus growth was optimal on MS medium supplemented with 1.0 mg l −1 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 0.2 mg l −1 benzyladenin (BA). Calli cultured on this medium, showed a two-fold increase in fresh weight by the fourth week of incubation. The initiated hard green callus was repeatedly subcultured on MS medium containing increasing concentrations of 2,4-D in order to increase its friability. The friable callus was then used for establishment of a cell suspension culture. Maximum growth of the suspension culture was on medium supplemented with 1.0 mg l −1 2,4-D and 0.2 mg l −1 BA.

The overwintering modes of E. necator were studied on Palestinian vineyards, through observations... more The overwintering modes of E. necator were studied on Palestinian vineyards, through observations on the differentiation and maturation of cleistothecia and on the occurrence of flag-shoots (deriving from overwintering mycelium) in vineyards. Field surveys were carried out in 17 vineyards for the presence of Flag shoots and cleistothecia, both forms were not observed. Genetic structure and composition of E. necator populations were investigated by application of already available SCAR (Sequence Characterized Amplified Region) primers specific for the "flag-shoot" and "ascospore" biotypes. These primers were used to evaluate the dynamics of the spatial and temporal distribution of the two biotypes, into fungal populations present in 8 vineyards, with different cultivars and spray histories, in various Palestinian districts (Hebron, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Ramallah, Jericho, Nablus, Jenin, Tulkarm). 397 samples were analyzed by the uses of the primer pairs UnE-UnF in PCR reactions. All samples were found to be of the ascospore biotypes. This finding shows that the "flag shoot" biotype, appears soon after bud breaking and disappears later, while the "ascospore" biotype is more frequently associated to later infections and bunches damages. Such information would be helpful to understand the reasons underlying possible temporal evolution of the pathogen's populations in vineyards, and can have important implications for powdery mildew rationale control strategies.

Journal of Palestine Studies, Feb 10, 2014

Olive leaf spot (OLS) disease or peacock disease is caused by the fungus Spilocaea oleagina, it i... more Olive leaf spot (OLS) disease or peacock disease is caused by the fungus Spilocaea oleagina, it is the most destructive disease on olive trees in most regions of Palestine. The disease is controlled by application of copper containing fungicides. Currently, there are more than 20 different fungicides sold in the Palestinian market. The efficacy of these fungicides was not tested on OLS in Palestine. The aim of this work was to test the efficacy of three major fungicides used against the disease. Fungicide solutions containing Fungran, Copper Antracol, and Kocide ® 101 were prepared by dissolving 0.5 g of each in 200 ml distilled water (DW) according to manufacturer instruction. Five leaves infected with OLS were soaked in each solution for 30 min. Control leaves were placed in 200 ml DW. Leaves were then placed in 9 cm petri dishes containing 3 ml DW to provide high humidity (> 85%). Each day, one leaf was removed, washed in DW and cut into one-cm 2 pieces. Leaf pieces holding OLS conidia were printed on olive leaf extract agar media. Results showed that after 24h of fungicide treatment, Kocide ® 101 was the most effective fungicide followed by Copper Antracol and Fungran with percent conidial germination 2.08, 2.9 and 25.5%, respectively. Interestingly, Fungran efficacy after 48h (2.8% germination) was higher but not significantly different than Kocide ® 101 and Copper Antracol. This study showed that the efficacy of the three commonly used fungicides against OLS disease in Palestine diminished after four days of treatment. Further studies are needed to test the efficacy of these fungicides under field conditions for a better control planning of peacock disease in Palestine.

Journal of Plant Studies, 2017

مجلة جامعة فلسطين التقنية للأبحاث

The grapevine trunk disease (GTD) has been considered a real threat on grape production. This stu... more The grapevine trunk disease (GTD) has been considered a real threat on grape production. This study aimed to identify the GTD causing agents in Palestinian grapevine orchards and to evaluate the efficacy of bacteria to control the disease under in vitro conditions. Two fungal isolates; Fusarium solani isolate GR and Neofusicoccum parvum isolate GR3 were identified and diagnosed using PCR and BLASTn analysis. After that, five bacterial isolates were tested for their efficacy against the growth of the fungi. Pseudomonas fluorescence isolate ORS3 and Pseudomonas fluorescence isolate PFL showed very strong inhibition zones (> 10 mm, ++++) against both fungi under in vitro conditions. The other bacterial isolates were able to inhibit the fungi but the inhibition was less and varied among the bacteria. The effect of the bacteria on F. solani isolate GR was greater than that on N. parvum isolate GR3. Up to our knowledge, this study was the first of its kind in Palestine that identifi...

Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering

Archives of Phytopathology and Plant Protection, 2019

Abstract A new die back symptoms in many avocado orchards had been reported in Palestine. The dis... more Abstract A new die back symptoms in many avocado orchards had been reported in Palestine. The disease is associated with the Ambrosia beetle Euwallacea fornicatus. Stem samples from infected avocado trees with obvious symptoms were collected from different regions in Palestine. Stem cuttings and dissected adult and galleries of the insect were placed on potato dextrose agar media and incubated for 5–7 days at 25 °C. PCR amplification using EF1/2 specific primers was performed to identify the isolated fungus. The resulting PCR products were sequenced. BLASTn search showed 99% similarity with Fusarium euwallaceae (Accession Nos. JX891785.1, JQ723763.1, JQ723762.1 and JQ723761.1). The isolated fungus was identified as F. euwallaceae (Genbank accession no. MK054177).

Solar Energy, 2019

Abstract ZnO nanoparticles have been effectively used in water disinfection from two common types... more Abstract ZnO nanoparticles have been effectively used in water disinfection from two common types of gram-positive (Enterococcus faecium) and gram–negative (Proteus mirabilis) bacteria under simulated solar radiations by inactivation. Complete mineralization of organic contents that leach out of inactivated bacteria has also been achieved leaving no soluble organic matter in water. Bacterial inactivation and complete mineralization have been confirmed by plate counting, high performance liquid chromatography and total organic content measurement. Effects of different reaction parameters (pH, temperature, bacterial concentration, reaction time and ZnO catalyst loading) have all been studied. Control experiments with Cut-off filters confirm the role of the UV tail in solar simulated light in the photocatalytic process. The results highlight the feasibility of using ZnO photocatalyst in complete disinfection of water from both hazardous Enterococcus and Proteus mirabilis bacteria, leaving no organic matters after degradation.

Plant Omics, 2017

Laboratory and greenhouse pot experiments were conducted to assess the allelopathic effects of Ar... more Laboratory and greenhouse pot experiments were conducted to assess the allelopathic effects of Artemisia annua water extract on germination and growth of barley. Lower concentrations of A. annua water extract (0.5 and 1.0 %) did not affect the germination of barley seeds. However, higher concentrations (1.5-3.5 %) resulted in significant reductions in the germination percentage. Seedling growth of barley was also affected by A. annua water extract. Both shoot and root lengths were negatively affected by A. annua water extract and the degree of inhibition was concentration dependent. When barley seedlings were subjected to 0.5% extract concentration, shoot length was inhibited by 6% while root length showed 18.5% inhibition over control seedlings. The lowest shoot and root lengths were recorded at 3.0 and 3.5 % water extract. At 0.5 % extract concentration, shoot and root fresh and dry weights were significantly unaffected compared with the control. Shoot fresh weight was significantly unaltered when seedlings were treated with 1.0 % extract. However, at the same concentration root fresh weight, shoot dry weight, and root dry weight were inhibited by 44.7, 33.3, and 40 %, respectively. The present results confirmed that root growth (length and weight) was more sensitive to A. annua water extract than shoot growth. The present results also indicated the presence of water soluble allelochemicals in A. annua that are able to inhibit growth of barley.

Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering

Olive leaf spot or peacock eye disease caused by Spilocaea oleagina is one of the most common dis... more Olive leaf spot or peacock eye disease caused by Spilocaea oleagina is one of the most common diseases attacking olive trees all over the world. Control of the disease by application of copper fungicides is not always feasible and requires proper management practices. The use of plant extract is considered a safe alternative to the harmful effect of chemical fungicides. In this work, different concentrations (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 5.0 and 10% w/v) of Ambrosia artimisiifolia aqueous leaf extract were tested for their efficacy against OLS spore germination. All concentrations proved to have an inhibitory effect on conidial germination under in vitro conditions. The concentrations 2.5 and 5% were the most effective with germination rates of 8.3 and 2.8%, respectively. The results of this work provided new possibilities to control the disease using A. artimisiifolia leaf extract.

Water and Environment Journal

مجلة جامعة فلسطين التقنية للأبحاث

Since deuterium 2H (D) is an isotope of hydrogen 1H, the testing of the possibility of photochemi... more Since deuterium 2H (D) is an isotope of hydrogen 1H, the testing of the possibility of photochemical synthesis of marked chlorinated phenol, biphenyl and benzene using normal solvents was studied. The irradiation of full chlorinated compounds dissolved in normal solvents such as MeOH or n-hexane has led to a reaction substitution in which a chlorine atom was substituted by hydrogen atom forming less grade chlorinated chlorophenols, biphenyls and benzenes. The quantum yields of pentachlorophenol, decachlorobiphenyl and hexachlorobenzene under irradiation using polychromatic light were calculated and found to be 5.7 x 10-3, 1.6 x 10-2 and 1.2 x 10-2 Mol·Einstein-1, respectively. Depending on this study the production of marked chlorinated or non-chlorinated compounds using deuterated appropriate solvents such as MeOH d4 or n-hexane d14 is possible. However, more efforts should be made towards chromatographically separation of synthesized standards and byproducts in order to make the u...

Early detection of plant disease requires usually elaborating methods techniques and especially w... more Early detection of plant disease requires usually elaborating methods techniques and especially when symptoms are not visible. Olive Leaf Spot (OLS) infecting upper surface of olive leaves has a long latent infection period. In this work, VIS/NIR spectroscopy was used to determine the latent infection and severity of the pathogens. Two different classification methods were used, Partial Least Squared-Discrimination Analysis (PLS-DA) (linear method) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) (non-linear). SVM-classification was able to classify severity levels 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 with classification rates of 94, 90, 73, 79, 83 and 100%, respectively The overall classification rate was about 86%. PLS-DA was able to classify two different severity groups (first group with severity 0, 1, 2, 3, and second group with severity 4, 5), with a classification rate greater than 95%. The results promote further researches, and the possibility of evaluation OLS in-situ using portable VIS/NIR devices.

Olive Leaf Spot (OLS) or peacock disease is one of the most destructive diseases on olivetrees in... more Olive Leaf Spot (OLS) or peacock disease is one of the most destructive diseases on olivetrees in many parts of the world. The disease is caused by the fungus Spilocaea oleaginaand can reduce the growth and yield of olive trees (Olea eurapaea L.). Investigations werecarried out during October 2011 and October 2012, to determine the latent incidence andseverity of OLS infection in Palestine. Five growing regions (Tulkarm, Qalqilyah, Salfit,Nablus and Jenin) were visited routinely every two weeks to collect olive leaves from twogroves in each region. In each grove, 100 new and another 100 old leaves from 5 treeswere collected and transported to the laboratory. Disease incidence was determined byrecoding the percent of infected leaves per tree. OLS was found in all study areas withSalfit and Qalqilyah the most infected. The grade of latent severity in these regions (2.3and 2.1 in old and new leaves, respectively) was significantly higher than that in the otherregions. Interestingly, th...

Australasian Plant Disease Notes

Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. savastanoi causes olive knot disease that afflicts olive trees globall... more Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. savastanoi causes olive knot disease that afflicts olive trees globally. A sensitive and reproducible in vitro pathogenicity bioassay using detached leaf segments was developed after isolation of Psav on KB medium amended with vancomycin, cephalexin and cycloheximide. Symptoms were clear under 20X magnification after 10 days. This bioassay will facilitate rapid screening of olive germplasm collection for resistance to Psav.

مجلة جامعة فلسطين التقنية للأبحاث

The olive leaf spot disease caused by the fungus Spilocaea oleagina (Cast.) Hughes (syn. Cyclocon... more The olive leaf spot disease caused by the fungus Spilocaea oleagina (Cast.) Hughes (syn. Cycloconium oleagina) is one of the most destructive diseases on olive trees causing losses that may reach 20% of the yield. The disease is controlled by the application of chemical fungicides which is not always feasible in providing proper protection against the pathogen. In this work we report the efficacy of Pseudomonas fluorescenc isolate ORS3 and Bascillus atrophaeus isolate Bat in controlling the disease under field conditions. An Olive field in, Tulkarm governorate, Palestine was selected. The olive trees were 5-10 years old and were highly infected with the olive leaf spot. Trees were sprayed with bacteria formulated in oil. Control trees were sprayed with water. For evaluation of bacterial efficacy against the disease, olive leaves were collected before and after application of the bacteria. Germination of conidia latent infection and severity were determined. In addition to that, bact...

Journal of Plant Pathology

Plant Cell Tissue and Organ Culture, May 4, 2002

Callus and cell suspension cultures were initiated from leaf segments of G. paniculata. Fresh and... more Callus and cell suspension cultures were initiated from leaf segments of G. paniculata. Fresh and dry weights measurements of callus showed that callus growth was optimal on MS medium supplemented with 1.0 mg l −1 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 0.2 mg l −1 benzyladenin (BA). Calli cultured on this medium, showed a two-fold increase in fresh weight by the fourth week of incubation. The initiated hard green callus was repeatedly subcultured on MS medium containing increasing concentrations of 2,4-D in order to increase its friability. The friable callus was then used for establishment of a cell suspension culture. Maximum growth of the suspension culture was on medium supplemented with 1.0 mg l −1 2,4-D and 0.2 mg l −1 BA.

The overwintering modes of E. necator were studied on Palestinian vineyards, through observations... more The overwintering modes of E. necator were studied on Palestinian vineyards, through observations on the differentiation and maturation of cleistothecia and on the occurrence of flag-shoots (deriving from overwintering mycelium) in vineyards. Field surveys were carried out in 17 vineyards for the presence of Flag shoots and cleistothecia, both forms were not observed. Genetic structure and composition of E. necator populations were investigated by application of already available SCAR (Sequence Characterized Amplified Region) primers specific for the "flag-shoot" and "ascospore" biotypes. These primers were used to evaluate the dynamics of the spatial and temporal distribution of the two biotypes, into fungal populations present in 8 vineyards, with different cultivars and spray histories, in various Palestinian districts (Hebron, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Ramallah, Jericho, Nablus, Jenin, Tulkarm). 397 samples were analyzed by the uses of the primer pairs UnE-UnF in PCR reactions. All samples were found to be of the ascospore biotypes. This finding shows that the "flag shoot" biotype, appears soon after bud breaking and disappears later, while the "ascospore" biotype is more frequently associated to later infections and bunches damages. Such information would be helpful to understand the reasons underlying possible temporal evolution of the pathogen's populations in vineyards, and can have important implications for powdery mildew rationale control strategies.

Journal of Palestine Studies, Feb 10, 2014

Olive leaf spot (OLS) disease or peacock disease is caused by the fungus Spilocaea oleagina, it i... more Olive leaf spot (OLS) disease or peacock disease is caused by the fungus Spilocaea oleagina, it is the most destructive disease on olive trees in most regions of Palestine. The disease is controlled by application of copper containing fungicides. Currently, there are more than 20 different fungicides sold in the Palestinian market. The efficacy of these fungicides was not tested on OLS in Palestine. The aim of this work was to test the efficacy of three major fungicides used against the disease. Fungicide solutions containing Fungran, Copper Antracol, and Kocide ® 101 were prepared by dissolving 0.5 g of each in 200 ml distilled water (DW) according to manufacturer instruction. Five leaves infected with OLS were soaked in each solution for 30 min. Control leaves were placed in 200 ml DW. Leaves were then placed in 9 cm petri dishes containing 3 ml DW to provide high humidity (> 85%). Each day, one leaf was removed, washed in DW and cut into one-cm 2 pieces. Leaf pieces holding OLS conidia were printed on olive leaf extract agar media. Results showed that after 24h of fungicide treatment, Kocide ® 101 was the most effective fungicide followed by Copper Antracol and Fungran with percent conidial germination 2.08, 2.9 and 25.5%, respectively. Interestingly, Fungran efficacy after 48h (2.8% germination) was higher but not significantly different than Kocide ® 101 and Copper Antracol. This study showed that the efficacy of the three commonly used fungicides against OLS disease in Palestine diminished after four days of treatment. Further studies are needed to test the efficacy of these fungicides under field conditions for a better control planning of peacock disease in Palestine.

Journal of Plant Studies, 2017