Mating-type distribution and fertility status in Magnaporthe grisea populations from Argentina.

Isolates of Magnaporthe grisea causing gray leaf spot on rice were collected in Argentina and analyzed for mating distribution and fertility. One hundred and twenty-five isolates of M. grisea were collected from rice plants between 2000 and 2003. Each isolate was tested for mating type through a polymerase chain reaction based assay. All M. grisea isolates from Argentina belonged to a single mating type, MAT1.1. The fertility status of isolates was determined using controlled crosses in vitro, pairing each isolate with GUY11 and KA9 (MAT1.2 standard hermaphroditic testers). Production of perithecia was scarce among isolates of the blast pathogen since a low percentage of them (7.2%) developed perithecia with only one of the fertile tester (KA9); all crosses failed with the other tester strain. Asci and ascospores were not observed. The presence of only one mating type and the absence of female fertile isolates indicate that sexual reproduction is rare or absent in M. grisea populations associated with rice in Argentina.

Morphocultural variants of Septoria tritici isolates.

This is a morphocultural study under in vitro and in vivo condition on some Septoria tritici variants mainly originated from isolates collected from cultivars bearing Bobwhite 'S' and Kavkaz germplasm. The objective was to show the variability in cultural and morphobiometrical characters of atypical isolates (variants) derived from these germplasms and discuss the relationship with the pathogen's adaptative process. The isolates were grown on potato dextrosa agar and studies with the optical and scanning electron microscope were performed. The thallus behaviour and the vegetative structures were described. It was confirmed that these atypical structures belong the S. tritici thallus. Under in vivo condition the isolates developed typical leaf blotch lesions with normal pycnidia. These contained cylindrical cells or pycnidiospores smaller than spores of the "wild type". Possible reasons for the origin of these variants of S. tritici are considered.