Abstract
This paper reports some experiments on the nature of Phytoalexin (PA) produced as a result of the host-parasite interaction between pea, Pisum sativum L., and Ascochyta pisi Lib. Drops of spore suspension of A. pisi were placed on the seed rooms of pea pods and kept in moist chamber at 22°C. for 24 hours. These drops were then collected and centrifuged for 30 minutes at the rate of 3500 r.p.m. The supernatant, PA-solution, was subjected to treatments shown below, and then placed on the slide glass in moist chamber with the addition of the spore suspension of A. pisi for the purpose of the germination test. The procedures were carried out under aseptic condition, as possible.
The experiments and the results were as follows:
1) PA-solution was irradiated by ultraviolet-ray for various minutes at a distance of 45cm from the energy source. The source of ultraviolet-ray was a Tôshiba lamp for sterilization (model 1510 B, lamp GL-15×1). This lamp charged the rays between 1850 and 5780Å, but the greater parts were collected at 2537Å. The results showed that the activity of PA-solution was nearly lost by the exposure for 45-60 minutes (Table 1 and Fig. 1).
2) When PA-solution with active carbon was added at a rate of 10gr. per liter and shaken for 5 minutes, the activity of the solution was lost (Table 2).
3) When PA-solution was dried in the air for 24 hours at 22°C., the inactivation of the solution was resulted (Table 3).
4) Both pH and specific electric conductivity of PA-solution were measured, using the glass electrodes pH-meter and Wheatstone bridge respectively. The pH value was 5.7-5.8 and specific electric conductivity calculated from the electric resistance, was 164×10-6 mho. (Table 4).