CURRICULAM VITAE - Australasian Plant Pathology Society

(3): Seaweed extracts and their refined fraction improves barley’s germination, growth
and yield parameters
In the present study, different concentrations of seaweed extracts (SEs) A and B and
refined fractions (RFs), rich in bioactive molecules, were applied as seed treatment on barley to
improve the germination and promote plant growth. Results of this study showed significant
difference in seed germination and plant growth promotion in all the treatments. The highest seed
germination, shoot length, root length and total biomass were recorded in the treatments of 2.5%
RF III/kg of seed, 3.2% SE A/kg of seed, 2.5% RF I/kg of seed and 2.5% SE B/kg of seed. In field
experiment study, seven different treatments such as 2.5 and 5.0 L/ha of SE A and B, 2.5 L/ha of
RF III, farmer’s conventional practice and control were evaluated on growth and yield
improvements. Treatment with SE A @ 5 L/ha improved the maximum shoot length. SE B @ 2.5
L/ha significantly enhanced the plant biomass and total grain yield, respectively. Application of RF
III @ 2.5 L/ha improved the 1000 seed weight, grain yield, total grain yield, additional yield
(1887.1 kg/ha), additional income (311.4 €/ha) and benefit cost ratio (2.3). This study concluded
that the seaweed extracts A @ 5 L/ha and B @ 2.5 L/ha and refined fractions III @ 2.5 L/ha were
superior in seed germination, plant growth promotion and yield improvements.
Manuscript under review from current research work
1. Srinivasan, K., and O’Connell, S. 2012. Induction of systemic resistance against Fusarium
Wilt on tomato plants. Phytopathology.
2. Srinivasan, K., Peter, M., Antonie, F., O’Connell, S. and Spillane, C. 2012. Micro-array
analysis of seaweed extracts induced gene expression in Arabidopsis thaliana. Molecular
plant-microbes Interaction.
3. Srinivasan, K. and O’Connell, S. 2012. Commercial seaweeds accelerate the barley growth
and yield improvements in Ireland under natural field conditions. Crop Protection.
4. Srinivasan, K. and O’Connell, S. 2012. Tomato disease protection using Nocardia composta
SABC012. Phytopathology.
5. Antonie, F., Peter, M., Srinivasan, K., O’Connell, S. and Spillane, C. 2012. Study the gene
expression and regulation of Arabidopsis thaliana. Molecular plant-microbes Interaction.
In Italy:
Molecular characterization of formae speciales differentiation of pathogenic Fusarium
oxysporum on vegetable crops in Italy (January 2009 to September 2009)
Sixty-eight strains of Fusarium oxysporum isolated from wilted lamb’s lettuce and rocket
plants along with eight different ATCC reference strains were examined for differences in the
nucleotide sequences of the ribosomal DNA intergenic spacer (IGS) region, about 2.5 kb long in the
strains analyzed. A phylogenetic (neighbour-joining) analysis was performed on the strains and
permitted to identify six different phylogenetic groups, named I to VI. Most of the F. oxysporum
isolates collected from wilted plants cultivated in northern Italy clustered under group I and were
very similar to F. oxysporum f. sp. raphani. All the isolates, including 8 control strains, were
tested for pathogenicity on lamb’s lettuce and rocket cultivated in glasshouse. Most of the isolates
from northern Italy were pathogenic on lamb’s lettuce and rocket plants displayed varying degrees
of virulence, and their IGS sequence showed similarity to the forma specialis raphani. In
conclusion, the analysis of the IGS sequences revealed that the isolates studied had different
origins and that phylogeny and pathogenicity were related; non-pathogenic isolates differed
genetically from those poorly, moderately and highly virulent. This is the first report of
differentiation of formae speciales of F. oxysporum on lamb’s lettuce and rocket plants by IGS
sequence analysis.