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Root-knot nematodes (RKN) cause considerable economic losses to kiwifruit production annually. Screening of resistant cultivars has been one of the long-standing methods to manage root-knot nematodes. Here, the reaction of the four most common commercial cultivars of kiwifruit, namely, Actinidia chinensis var. deliciosa cv. Hayward, A. chinensis var. deliciosa cv. Abbott, A. chinensis var. deliciosa cv. Bruno, and A. chinensis var. chinensis cv. Haegeum (commonly known as ‘Golden’ kiwifruit) to infection by the RKN, Meloidogyne incognita, was evaluated. Among examined cultivars ‘Golden’ was the most susceptible, having on average 52.8 galls, 56.1 egg masses per gram of root, and 642 J2 population per 200 gram of soil. ‘Bruno’ showed the highest resistance, with 3.3 galls, 4.1 egg masses per gram of root, and 79 J2 in 200 g of soil. Then, two potential biological control agents, namely Priestia megaterium 31.en and Agrobacterium tumefaciens 19.en were used on ‘Hayward’ seedlings against M. incognita and showed a significant reduction in the number of galls and egg masses on roots, juvenile population in the soil, and increased the growth parameters of the plants compared to non-treated seedlings. We demonstrated that integrated management using resistant cultivars and biological control can provide a safe and economic method to control RKN, and these resistant cultivars can be used in breeding programs.

Background: IL-4 is an important mediator of inflammatory cytokine derived from T helper cells and mast cells which triggers IgE synthesis. IL-4 plays an important role in allergic immune response for its ability to prevent apoptosis of T lymphocytes. IL-4 also plays a role in lymphocytes cell differentiation, cytokines and IgE production. This study aimed to evaluate the relation between the serum levels of IL-4 and IgE with disease severity in patients with allergic asthma. Materials and Methods: In this case-control study, 110 asthmatic patients referred to Asthma and Allergy Clinic in Kashan and 70 healthy controls were randomly selected. Blood sample (5 ml) was taken from all the patients and healthy subjects; the serum levels of IL-4 and IgE were measured using the standard laboratory kits and ELISA method, respectively. Results: The IL-4 and IgE mean levels were not significantly associated with age and sex. The mean IgE level increased from moderate to severe with increasing asthma severity (P=0.847). Moreover, the IL-4 level in patients with severe asthma was higher than the other patients (P=0.002). Conclusion: IL-4 level was increased with increasing asthma severity, but this was not the case for IgE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]