Aggressiveness was studied in seven Plasmopara halstedii (sunflower downy mildew) pathotypes: 100, 300, 304, 314, 704, 710 and 714. Aggressiveness criteria including percentage infection, latent period, sporulation density and reduction of hypocotyl length (dwarfing) were analysed in one sunflower inbred line showing a high level of quantitative resistance. Genetic relationships were detected between the seven pathotypes using 12 ESTderived markers. Pathotypes 100, 300, 304 and 314 were characterized with shorter latent period and higher sporulation density than pathotypes 710, 704 and 714. All pathotypes showed high percentage infection values and caused a large reduction in seedling size except for pathotype 314 involved in dwarfing. Pathotypes 714, 704 and 314 had an intermediary genetic position between the pathotypes 100 and 710. No correlation was detected between aggressiveness traits and EST genotypes.

Changes in virulence of Plasmopara halstedii populations under different major gene (Pl) management strategies were studied over 5 years continuous cropping of one sunflower hybrid under netting cages. Strategies were monoculture of forms of the hybrid with 1 gene or with combinations of 2 genes, alternation of different genes, and mixtures of several different forms of the hybrid. Monoculture with single resistance genes led to loss of efficient resistance after 3 years, with high levels of disease and increased variability of the pathogen, whatever the Pl gene used. Combinations of genes, alternation and mixtures gave longer term control of downy mildew. In particular, combinations of resistance genes coming from both female and male parents of the hybrid (such that even impurities had a resistance gene) gave the best control and least variation in pathogen virulence. Results are discussed with the object of durable control of downy mildew by all methods available.

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Summary The use of silicon (Si) in agriculture has attracted a great deal of interest from researchers because of the numerous benefits of this element to plants. The use of silicon has decreased the intensity of several diseases in crops of great economic importance. In this study, the relationship between silicon nutrition and fungal disease development in plants was reviewed. The current review underlines the agricultural importance of silicon in crops, the potential for controlling fungal plant pathogens by silicon treatment, the different mechanisms of silicon-enhanced resistance, and the inhibitory effects of silicon on plant pathogenic fungi in vitro. By combining the data presented in this paper, a better comprehension of the relationship between silicon treatments, increasing plant resistance, and decreasing severity of fungal diseases could be achieved.

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