VIEW ARTICLE

Ecology and Epidemiology

Discriminating Synergism and Antagonism of Spores Within Species of Phytopathogenic Fungi. Ping Sun, Department of Plant Protection, Beijing Agricultural University, Beijing, 100094, People's Republic of China; Shimai Zeng, Department of Plant Protection, Beijing Agricultural University, Beijing, 100094, People's Republic of China. Phytopathology 83:1051-1054. Accepted for publication 19 May 1993. Copyright 1993 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-83-1051.

Synergism and antagonism of spores of phytopathogenic fungi can be detected by comparison of the changes in the infection probabilities at different inoculum densities. In this paper, we describe a model, developed from the formula of the multiple infection transformation and probability theory, that can be used to discriminate the synergism and antagonism of spores. A function was derived that allows the easy evaluation of synergism and antagonism. The model was used to analyze the experimental data of Puccinia striiformis spores and winter wheat. The definition of antagonism is broader than that used by Vanderplank.