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Since 2012, growers of coriander, Coriandrum sativum L., in Israel have been suffering from summer wilting that can result in entire fields collapsing. The current study aimed to determine the cause of the phenomenon and find a genetic solution to the problem. The disease was reproduced in a growth chamber using naturally-infested soil from a commercial field. Wilt became apparent within two weeks, and after ten weeks, all plants died compared to plants in sterilized soil from the same source. Fusarium oxysporum was isolated from infected plants, and Koch's postulates were completed. Sequence analysis of the Elongation Factor (EF1α) encoding gene of the pathogen had a 99.54% match to F. oxysporum f. sp. coriandrii. Several coriander varieties were screened for resistance or tolerance to the disease. In four independent experiments, only the cultivar 'Smadi' showed high tolerance, while other genotypes were susceptible. In a trial in a naturally infested field, the cultivar 'Smadi' outperformed the commercial cultivar 'Blair'. 'Smadi' provides a cropping solution to many Israeli farmers, yet this winter cultivar bolts early in the summer. There is a further need to characterize the tolerance mechanism and inheritance for informed breeding of late-bolting Fusarium-resistant coriander. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the impact of wilted and unwilted silage on various parameters, such as nutrient content, fermentation quality, bacterial populations, and digestibility. Methods: Thirty-six studies from Scopus were included in the database and analyzed using a random effects model in OpenMEE software. The studies were grouped into two categories: wilting silage (experiment group) and non-wilting silage (control group). Publication bias was assessed using a fail-safe number. Results: The results showed that wilting before ensiling significantly increased the levels of dry matter, water-soluble carbohydrates, neutral detergent fiber, and acid detergent fiber, compared to non-wilting silage (p<0.05). However, wilting significantly decreased dry matter losses, lactic acid, acetic acid, butyric acid, and ammonia levels (p<0.05). The pH, crude protein, and ash contents remained unaffected by the wilting process. Additionally, the meta-analysis revealed no significant differences in bacterial populations, including lactic acid bacteria, yeast, and aerobic bacteria, or in vitro dry matter digestibility between the two groups (p>0.05). Conclusion: Wilting before ensiling significantly improved silage quality by increasing dry matter and water-soluble carbohydrates, as well as reducing dry matter losses, butyric acid, and ammonia. Importantly, wilting did not have a significant impact on pH, crude protein, or in vitro dry matter digestibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the impact of wilted and unwilted silage on various parameters, such as nutrient content, fermentation quality, bacterial populations, and digestibility. Methods Thirty-six studies from Scopus were included in the database and analyzed using a random effects model in OpenMEE software. The studies were grouped into two categories: wilting silage (experiment group) and non-wilting silage (control group). Publication bias was assessed using a fail-safe number. Results The results showed that wilting before ensiling significantly increased the levels of dry matter, water-soluble carbohydrates, neutral detergent fiber, and acid detergent fiber, compared to non-wilting silage (p0.05). Conclusion Wilting before ensiling significantly improved silage quality by increasing dry matter and water-soluble carbohydrates, as well as reducing dry matter losses, butyric acid, and ammonia. Importantly, wilting did not have a significant impact on pH, crude protein, or in vitro dry matter digestibility.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) should not only survive, but also perform under increased osmotic pressure in the process of ensiling, which results from the best practice of wilting forage. Simple laboratory protocols are needed to select suitable LAB strains as inoculants for high dry matter (DM) conditions. The aim of this study was to simulate conditions of high osmolality without inducing salt stress and to select a suitable indicator of LAB performance. For that, an MRS medium was enriched with increasing concentrations of glucose and fructose plus a maximum of 28 g KCl/L until achieving an osmolality of 2.4 osmol/kg. Both, growth in the inoculated medium and pH decline, were then compared to the LAB performance in the basic medium. The latter was clearly delayed in the new medium. Finally, the method was validated by comparing the pH of small-scale grass silages of 30–35 and 45–49% target DM after 3–5 days of ensiling to the pH values of the microbiological growth medium. The pH levels of treatments with the homofermentative LAB were clearly attributable to the dry matter or the sugar concentration, respectively. The developed liquid growth medium sufficiently approximates high DM conditions to select for the osmotolerant homofermentative LAB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer bush (Lessertia frutescens L.) is an important medicinal plant that is rich in health beneficial compounds. It is commonly used in traditional medicine and as an ornamental plant. Heat stress is the most threatening abiotic factor restricting plant growth, thus causing crop yield and economic losses worldwide. The application of plant-derived biostimulant is as an innovative and promising approach for improving plant growth and productivity. The study was aimed to investigate the effect of moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam.) seed extract (MSE; 5%) either alone or in combination with salicylic acid (SA; 40 mg/L) on the growth, bioactive, and phytohormone attributes of cancer plants subjected to heat stress (38 °C for 2 hours for 5 days). Plants that were not treated were used as control. Plant pots were arranged in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) for treatments (MSE, SA, and MSE + SA) at 7-day intervals during the experiment. Both MSE and MSE + SA foliar application effectively increased plant growth characteristics and total carotenoids contents, and reduced electrolyte leakage and had no symptoms of wilting compared with SA and control. Plants treated with MSE showed higher number of branches and concentrations of abscisic acid (ABA), jasmonic acid (JA), and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), and lower superoxide and hydrogen peroxide compared with other treatments and control. Also, plants treated with MSE + SA showed higher total chlorophylls and glutathione concentrations compared with other treatments and control. Overall, the application of MSE either alone or in combination with SA enhanced plant growth and productivity of heat-stressed cancer bush plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought is a significant abiotic stress that limits crop production. Soybeans [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] are regarded as drought-sensitive. In the present study, the drought responses of wild soybean accessions were evaluated at different growth stages. Based on the leaf wilting index of 411 accessions at the vegetative stage, seven highly tolerant (HT) and 24 tolerant (T) accessions were identified, although most wild soybeans were classified as moderate (M), sensitive (S), and highly sensitive (HS) genotypes. In addition, with selected wild soybeans, stomatal density decreased in HT accessions but increased in HS accessions under drought conditions at the vegetative stage. However, for cultivated soybeans, the stomatal density of the drought-tolerant and drought-sensitive were not significantly different between the two conditions. The expression levels of drought-related transcriptional factors indicated that the HT genotype showed a higher expression level of drought-related genes than that of the HS genotype at the vegetative stage. At the reproductive stages, 12 wild soybeans randomly selected from HT, T, S, and HS based on assessment at the vegetative stage showed consistent drought responses with seed yield, root development, and water status. However, the extent of the detrimental effect of drought on the germination rates and root length of 165 wild soybeans at the germination stage varied depending on the genotype, indicating that there may not be a robust correlation between phenotypic measurements at the germination stage and drought-related assessments at the two growth stages. The information from this study can provide useful breeding materials for the development of drought-tolerant cultivars from wild soybeans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Root and crown rot is a common tomato disease in the major production areas of Hormozgan province. The present study was conducted to isolate, identify, and determine the frequency of fungal agents associated with tomato root and crown rot in Hormozgan province. In total, 984 fungal isolates were obtained from tomato plants with yellowing, wilting, and root and crown rot symptoms. Identification of the isolates was done based on the morphological characteristics and the comparison of the obtained sequences of the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region (ITS-rDNA) and parts of the translation elongation factor-1 alpha (tef1-α) gene with relevant sequences available in GenBank. According to the results, the highest frequency belonged to Fusarium oxysporum isolates (73%), and afterward to Rhizoctonia solani and F. acutatum species with eight and one percent frequencies, respectively. The results of the pathogenicity tests of the fungal species on tomato seedlings hybrid Sunseed 6189 at the stage of four true-leaves revealed that all three species were pathogenic on tomato seedlings and caused root and crown rot, yellowing, and death of the plant aerial tissues. Pathogenic isolates of F. oxysporum were identified as F. oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici using sprl-specific primers. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of F. oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici on tomato in Hormozgan province, and the first report of F. acutatum as tomato root and crown rot agent in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2012, growers of coriander, Coriandrum sativum L., in Israel have been suffering from summer wilting that can result in entire fields collapsing. The current study aimed to determine the cause of the phenomenon and find a genetic solution to the problem. The disease was reproduced in a growth chamber using naturally-infested soil from a commercial field. Wilt became apparent within two weeks, and after ten weeks, all plants died compared to plants in sterilized soil from the same source. Fusarium oxysporum was isolated from infected plants, and Koch’s postulates were completed. Sequence analysis of the Elongation Factor (EF1α) encoding gene of the pathogen had a 99.54% match to F. oxysporum f. sp. coriandrii. Several coriander varieties were screened for resistance or tolerance to the disease. In four independent experiments, only the cultivar ‘Smadi’ showed high tolerance, while other genotypes were susceptible. In a trial in a naturally infested field, the cultivar ‘Smadi’ outperformed the commercial cultivar ‘Blair’. ‘Smadi’ provides a cropping solution to many Israeli farmers, yet this winter cultivar bolts early in the summer. There is a further need to characterize the tolerance mechanism and inheritance for informed breeding of late-bolting Fusarium-resistant coriander.

The blueberry industry is one of the successful and expanding agricultural cropping systems in South Africa. As a result of this growth, research into identifying plant disease agents has become increasingly important, yet there are relatively few scientific reports published on the subject in the country. The aim of this study was to identify the causal agents of stunting and leaf scorch on blueberry plants and evaluate their pathogenicity. Root samples were collected from a commercial southern highbush blueberry planting in North West, South Africa. The resulting isolates were identified based on sequence data from the rDNA‐ITS. Three Pythiaceae were identified including Globisporangium ultimum var. sporangiiferum, Globisporangium splendens and Pythium aphanidermatum. Results of pathogenicity trials showed that the isolated species were able to cause disease on 40% of the plants. This is the first official report for G. ultimum var. sporangiiferum in South Africa and the first report of G. ultimum var. sporangiiferum and P. aphanidermatum from blueberry plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we evaluated the biomass yield, physico-chemical characteristics, nutrient composition, and feeding value of oat (Avena sativa) grown without irrigation ensiled with or without supplemental inoculant following different wilting durations. Oat forage at early dough stage (79 days after sowing) were harvested to assess the biomass yield, nutrient contents, and mineral composition. Oats were ensiled with or without the addition of inoculant and different wilting durations (0, 24, and 48 h) in 3 × 2 factorial arrangement. After the ensiling (120 days), the oat silages were opened, quality was measured in terms of pH, ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N), smell, structure, color, and Flieg point. Nutritional composition and feeding values were analyzed in oat silages. Oat grown without irrigation yielded 32 ton/ha fresh matter. Mean dry matter (DM), organic matter, crude protein (CP), crude fiber, crude ash, ether extract, nitrogen free extract, acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent lignin, non-structural carbohydrates, hemicellulose, and in vitro dry matter digestibility of oat forage were 32.77%, 90.41%, 11.31%, 28.69%, 9.59%, 3.99%, 46.43%, 36.32%, 63.98%, 7.22%, 11.14%, 27.67%, and 74.81%, respectively. Addition of inoculant had no effect on the quality, nutritional composition, and feeding values of oat silages. Increasing wilting durations linearly increased the pH (P = 0.005) and decreased the smell score (P = 0.028) of ensiled oat. A linear increase was seen in the DM content of ensiled oat after increasing wilting durations (P = 0.001). Oat ensiled without wilting had greater CP content (P = 0.010 and linear P = 0.011) and lower ADF content than those ensiled after 24 or 48 h of wilting (P = 0.013 and linear P = 0.007). Silages subjected to 24 or 48 h of wilting had lower hemicellulose content (P = 0.019 and linear P = 0.012) and digestible DM (P = 0.013 and linear P = 0.007) than those without wilting. In conclusion, inoculant may not affect the quality, composition and feeding values of ensiled oat grown without irrigation whereas, wilting at different durations may negatively affect the pH, smell, CP, ADF, and feeding values of ensiled oats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer bush (Lessertia frutescens L.) is an important medicinal plant that is rich in health beneficial compounds. It is commonly used in traditional medicine and as an ornamental plant. Heat stress is the most threatening abiotic factor restricting plant growth, thus causing crop yield and economic losses worldwide. The application of plant-derived biostimulant is as an innovative and promising approach for improving plant growth and productivity. The study was aimed to investigate the effect of moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam.) seed extract (MSE; 5%) either alone or in combination with salicylic acid (SA; 40 mg/L) on the growth, bioactive, and phytohormone attributes of cancer plants subjected to heat stress (38 °C for 2 hours for 5 days). Plants that were not treated were used as control. Plant pots were arranged in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) for treatments (MSE, SA, and MSE + SA) at 7-day intervals during the experiment. Both MSE and MSE + SA foliar application effectively increased plant growth characteristics and total carotenoids contents, and reduced electrolyte leakage and had no symptoms of wilting compared with SA and control. Plants treated with MSE showed higher number of branches and concentrations of abscisic acid (ABA), jasmonic acid (JA), and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), and lower superoxide and hydrogen peroxide compared with other treatments and control. Also, plants treated with MSE + SA showed higher total chlorophylls and glutathione concentrations compared with other treatments and control. Overall, the application of MSE either alone or in combination with SA enhanced plant growth and productivity of heat-stressed cancer bush plants.

Fungal isolates of Fusarium were collected from symptomatic chickpea ( Cicer arietinum L.) plants growing in fields within the Souk Tlat commune in the Gharb region. Morphological and molecular characterizations were performed of the fungal isolate N3 obtained from a chickpea plant. PCR amplification and sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer using the primers ITS1 and ITS4 were applied to identify the fungal isolate N3. The maximum similarity index of the fungus was found to be 99.33% with Fusarium equiseti (accession no. MT111122). In the pathogenicity test, both chickpea seed dip inoculation and soil infestation by the spore suspension of Fusarium isolate were adopted. Four weeks after chickpea seed inoculation, few plants emerged, and those that emerged were stunted. A high percentage of inoculated seeds did not emerge and showed accentuated rot symptoms. Eight weeks after sowing seeds in infested soil, the obtained chickpea seedlings displayed root necrosis, browning at the crown, and wilting. In addition, these plants showed a foliar alteration index of 0.395. The re-isolation was positive for different parts of chickpea plants for both seed and soil inoculation. Fusarium equiseti isolate decreased the length of the root and aerial parts, and the number of leaves and branches of the inoculated chickpea plants either by seed inoculation or soil infestation with values of 0.91 cm and 19.73 cm, 1.29 cm, and 19.44 cm, 1.11 and 18.66, and 0.0 and 2.08 respectively, whereas the corresponding values for the control plants were 27.16 and 28.33 cm, 29.05 and 31.05 cm, 24.21 and 25.66, and 3.50 and 3.11, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of F. equiseti on chickpea ( Cicer arietinum L.) in Morocco.

Soybean (Glycine max) is one of the main crops cultivated worldwide and drought is the main abiotic stress affecting its production. However, breeding towards drought tolerance is often set aside due to the difficulties in phenotyping. The aim of this study was to design an effective and simple screening technique that allows to discriminate genotypes according to their drought response and to identify physiological traits responsible for a superior tolerance. This rapid screening evaluated morphological (shoot and root length and weight) and developmental traits (days to germination and plant establishment) of 604 genotypes under control and drought conditions. Two genotypes with contrasting responses (Sensitive Genotype and Tolerant Genotype, SG and TG, respectively) were selected according to their performance in the screening, and were subjected to further testing in order to physiologically characterize the drought response of the chosen cultivars. Wilting, normalized transpiration ratio, leaf gas exchange parameters, water use efficiency (WUE) and stomatal characterizations were performed. TG plants exhibited slow wilting and higher WUE when subjected to drought treatments, product of a reduced water loss due to an anticipated stomatal closure which allowed to preserve soil moisture. Besides, under control conditions, the TG genotype presented a higher stomatal aperture index and a bigger density of epidermal cells and stomata than the drought-sensitive genotypes analyzed. In summary, the analysis of easily quantifiable traits, as the growth of the plant aerial organs and root development, together with the plant development timing, allowed us to select two soybean cultivars with contrasting drought responses. In our opinion, this selection method might be efficiently applied for the selection of drought tolerant cultivars in plant species of agronomic interest.

Drought seriously impacts wheat production (Triticum aestivum L.), while the exploitation and utilization of genes for drought tolerance are insufficient. Leaf wilting is a direct reflection of drought tolerance in plants. Clade A PP2Cs are abscisic acid (ABA) co‐receptors playing vital roles in the ABA signaling pathway, regulating drought response. However, the roles of other clade PP2Cs in drought tolerance, especially in wheat, remain largely unknown. Here, we identified a gain‐of‐function drought‐induced wilting 1 (DIW1) gene from the wheat Aikang 58 mutant library by map‐based cloning, which encodes a clade I protein phosphatase 2C (TaPP2C158) with enhanced protein phosphatase activity. Phenotypic analysis of overexpression and CRISPR/Cas9 mutant lines demonstrated that DIW1/TaPP2C158 is a negative regulator responsible for drought resistance. We found that TaPP2C158 directly interacts with TaSnRK1.1 and de‐phosphorylates it, thus inactivating the TaSnRK1.1–TaAREB3 pathway. TaPP2C158 protein phosphatase activity is negatively correlated with ABA signaling. Association analysis suggested that C‐terminal variation of TaPP2C158 changing protein phosphatase activity is highly correlated with the canopy temperature, and seedling survival rate under drought stress. Our data suggest that the favorable allele with lower phosphatase activity of TaPP2C158 has been positively selected in Chinese breeding history. This work benefits us in understanding the molecular mechanism of wheat drought tolerance, and provides elite genetic resources and molecular markers for improving wheat drought tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two experiments evaluated how grass silage quality can be manipulated by various management options. In Experiment 1, silage characteristics were evaluated at two dry matter (DM) contents and treated with additives presenting different modes of action. Timothy grass was ensiled at low (224 g/kg) and high (534 g/kg) DM contents and five additives were applied: 1. control (C), 2. homofermentative lactic acid bacteria inoculant (HO), 3. heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria inoculant (HE), 4. salt-based additive (SA) and 5. Formic- and propionic-acid-based additive (FPA). A higher DM content and FPA restricted silage fermentation, and additive effects were generally greater in low rather than high DM silages. The chemical additives SA and FPA resulted in the highest aerobic stability, while the HE improved it at a high DM content. In Experiment 2, the low DM content grass was ensiled utilizing resin acids, as follows: 1. C, 2. FPA, 3. Resin acid oil (FOR) at 13 L/t, 4. FOR at 26 L/t, 5. Resin acid soluble in water (ROS) at 13 L/t and 6. ROS at 26 L/t. Wilting combined with additives improved the preservation characteristics of grass silages (Experiment 1), but resin acid products failed to modify silage fermentation compared to the control (Experiment 2). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rye (Secale cereale L.) is a valuable annual forage crop in Korea but there is limited information about the impact of chemical and biological additives on fermentation characteristics of the crop. This experiment was conducted to investigate fermentation dynamics of wilted forage rye treated with the following six additives; control (no additive), sodium diacetate applied at 3 g/kg wilted forage weight (SDA3), 6 g/kg wilted forage weight (SDA6), inoculations (106 CFU/g wilted forage) of Lactobacillus plantarum (LP), L. buchneri (LB), or LP+LB. The ensiled rye sampled at 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 20, 30, and 45 days indicated that the acidification occurred fast within five days of storage than the rest of the storage period. The microbial inoculants decline the pH of ensiled forage, more rapidly than the control or SDA treated, which accompanied by the decrease of water-soluble carbohydrates and increase of lactic acid. Compared with the control silage, all treatments suppressed ammonia-nitrogen formation below to 35 g/kg DM throughout the sampling period. Suppression of total microbial counting occurred in SDA6, LP, and LP + LB. The lactic acid production rates were generally higher in microbial inoculation treatments. Acetic acid concentration was lowest in the LP-treated silage and highest in the SDA- and LB-treated silages. The in vitro dry matter (DM) digestibility and total digestible nutrients were the highest in the silage treated with SDA (6 g/kg) at day 45 of ensiling. Based on lower ammonia-nitrogen concentrations and higher feed value, ensiling forage rye treated with SDA at 6 g/kg is promising through enhanced silage quality.

Drought is a significant abiotic stress that limits crop production. Soybeans [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] are regarded as drought-sensitive. In the present study, the drought responses of wild soybean accessions were evaluated at different growth stages. Based on the leaf wilting index of 411 accessions at the vegetative stage, seven highly tolerant (HT) and 24 tolerant (T) accessions were identified, although most wild soybeans were classified as moderate (M), sensitive (S), and highly sensitive (HS) genotypes. In addition, with selected wild soybeans, stomatal density decreased in HT accessions but increased in HS accessions under drought conditions at the vegetative stage. However, for cultivated soybeans, the stomatal density of the drought-tolerant and drought-sensitive were not significantly different between the two conditions. The expression levels of drought-related transcriptional factors indicated that the HT genotype showed a higher expression level of drought-related genes than that of the HS genotype at the vegetative stage. At the reproductive stages, 12 wild soybeans randomly selected from HT, T, S, and HS based on assessment at the vegetative stage showed consistent drought responses with seed yield, root development, and water status. However, the extent of the detrimental effect of drought on the germination rates and root length of 165 wild soybeans at the germination stage varied depending on the genotype, indicating that there may not be a robust correlation between phenotypic measurements at the germination stage and drought-related assessments at the two growth stages. The information from this study can provide useful breeding materials for the development of drought-tolerant cultivars from wild soybeans.

Objective The primary goal was to identify the effectiveness of chemical or biological additives in delaying the deterioration of early-harvested wilted rye silage after exposure to air. Methods Rye harvested as a whole plant at the early heading stage was wilted for 24 h. The wilted forage was divided into treatments including sodium diacetate (SDA) at 3 (SDA3) and 6 g/kg (SDA6), Lactobacillus plantarum (LP), L. buchneri (LB), or their equal mixture (LP+LB) at 1×106 colony-forming unit/g fresh matter. Results After 60 d of conservation in 20-L silos, lactic acid was greater in LP and LP+LB silages than other treatments (102 vs 90.2 g/kg dry matter [DM]). Acetic acid was greatest in SDA6 (32.0 g/kg DM) followed by LB (26.1 g/kg DM) and was lowest in LP treatment (4.73 g/kg DM). Silage pH was lower with microbial inoculation and the lowest and highest values were observed in LP and untreated silages, respectively. After 60 d, neutral detergent fiber concentration was lowest in SDA6 silages, resulting in the greatest in vitro DM digestibility (846 g/kg DM). Aerobic stability was longest in SDA6 (176 h) followed by LB treatment (134 h). Instability after aerobiosis was greatest in LP silages (68 h), about 8 h less than untreated silages. After aerobic exposure, yeast and mold numbers were lowest in SDA6 silages, resulting in DM loss minimization. Exhaustion of acetic acid and lactic acid after aerobic exposure was lowest with SDA6 but greatest with untreated and LP silages. Conclusion Treatment of early-cut wilted rye forage with SDA at 6 g/kg resulted in silages with higher feeding value and fermentation quality, and substantially delayed deterioration after aerobic exposure, potentially qualifying SDA at this load for promotion of silage quality and delaying aerobic spoilage of early-harvested (low DM) rye forage.

In order to investigate the cause of wilting symptoms in red pepper field of Korea, the frequency of occurrence of red peppers showing wilting symptoms was investigated in pepper cultivation fields in Goesan, Chungcheongbuk-do for 5 years from 2010 to 2014. There was a difference in the frequency of wilting symptoms depending on the year of investigation, but the frequency of occurrence increased as the investigation period passed from June and July to August. During this period, Ralstonia solanacearum causing the bacterial wilt was isolated at a rate four times higher than Phytophthora capsica causing the Phytophthora late blight. In wilted peppers collected in Goesan of Chungbuk and Andong of Gyeongbuk in 2013 and 2014, R. solanacearum and P. capsici were isolated from 20.3% and 3.8% of the total fields, respectively. In the year with a high rate of wilting symptoms, the average temperature was high, and the disease occurrence date of the bacterial wilt, estimated with disease forecasting model, was also fast. The inconsistency between the number of days at risk of Phytophthora late blight and the frequency of occurrence of wither symptoms is thought to be due to the generalization of the use of cultivars resistant to the Phytophthora late blight in the pepper field. In our study, the wilting symptoms were caused by the bacterial wilt caused by R. solanacearum rather than the Phytophthora late blight caused by P. capsica, which is possibly caused by increasing cultivation of pepper varieties resistant to the Phytophthora late blight in the field.

For about a decade, olive groves in Apulia (Southern Italy) have been progressively destroyed by Olive Quick Decline Syndrome (OQDS), a disease caused by the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca (Xfp). Recently, we described an additional wilting syndrome affecting olive trees in that area. The botryosphaeriaceous fungus Neofusicoccum mediterraneum was found associated with the diseased trees, and its high virulence toward olive trees was demonstrated. Given the common features with Branch and Twig Dieback (BTD) of olive tree, occurring in Spain and California, we suggested that the observed syndrome was BTD. During our first survey, we also found a botryosphaeriaceous species other than N. mediterraneum. In the present article, we report the morphological and molecular characterization of this fungal species which we identified as Neofusicoccum stellenboschiana. In the study, we also included for comparison additional N. stellenboschiana isolates obtained from olive trees in Latium and Tuscany region (Central Italy). The occurrence of N. stellenboschiana in olive trees is reported here for the first time in the northern hemisphere. The pathogenicity and virulence were tested in nine inoculation trials, where the Apulian N. stellenboschiana isolate was compared with the isolate from Latium and with the Apulian isolate of N. mediterraneum. Both isolates of N. stellenboschiana proved pathogenic to olive trees. They caused evident bark canker and wood discolouration when inoculated at the base of the stem of two/three-year-old trees and on one-year-old twigs. However, virulence of N. stellenboschiana was significantly lower, though still remarkable, compared with N. mediterraneum in term of necrosis progression in the bark and the wood and capacity of wilting the twigs. Virulence of N. stellenboschiana and N. mediterraneum did not substantially change when inoculations were performed in spring/summer and in autumn, suggesting that these fungal species have the potential to infect and damage olive trees in all seasons. The high thermotolerance of N. stellenboschiana was also revealed with in vitro growth and survival tests. The high virulence of these Botryosphaeriaceae species highlights their contribution in BTD aetiology and the necessity to investigate right away their diffusion and, possibly, the role of additional factors other than Xfp in the general decline of olive groves in Apulia. Hence the importance of assessing the degree of overlap of BTD/Botryosphariaceae with OQDS/Xfp is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction-- The masaguaro (Pseudomanea Guachapele) was used in reforestation by the" Fundación Orinoquia Biodiversa" in Arauca, and it presented an unknown wilting. Objective-- Characterize the disease and its causal agent, and evaluate the possibilities of chemical and biological control of the disease. Methodology-- The research was carried out in Campo Alegre Arauquita neighborhood (Arauca, Colombia). The samples were analyzed in the microbiology laboratory of the University of Pamplona. The disease and its causal agent were characterized, the incidence and severity of the disease were determined and the monetary losses considering the dead plants, were estimated. A wilting control experiment using benomyl and Bacillus subtilis was carried out, comparing them to a control without treatment. Fusarium oxysposum was determined as the causal agent. Results-- Fusarium oxysporum was identified as causal agent of the disease. Wilting reached between 13% and 54% of incidence. The economic losses were estimated at more than 19 million pesos/ha. Conclusion-- The preventive and eradicative action of benomyl and only preventive action of B. subtilis were verified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Abstract This study aimed to examine the shriveling parameters and some aerobic microbial qualities of waste watermelons in a combined solar energy drying system (CDS) and an open sun drying system (OSDS). Results showed that the CDS was better than the OSDS in terms of the temperature, relative humidity, surface temperature, time, and speed of reaching the target humidity level of the air-shriveled watermelon slices. The number of mesophilic aerobic bacteria (log10 cfu/g) increased in the shriveled (P>0.05) silages compared to fresh watermelon slices in the CDS and OSDS groups and decreased in silages (P0.05) and increased in the OSDS group (P>0.05) and was not detected in silages. No mold was determined in the fresh watermelon slices and silages in the CDS and OSDS groups. However, mold was found to be higher in the shriveled slices in the OSDS group than in the CDS group (P

Priming is used as a method to improve plant growth and alleviate the detrimental effects of pathogens. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of different priming methods in the context of resistance to Aspergillus niger in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Here, we show that different priming treatments—viz., hydropriming, osmotic priming, halopriming, and hormonal priming techniques can induce disease resistance by improving the biochemical contents of wheat, including chlorophyll, protein, proline, and sugar. In addition, physiological parameters—such as root length, shoot length, fresh and dry root/shoot ratios, and relative water content were positively affected by these priming methods. In essence, hydropriming and osmotic priming treatments were found to be more potent for enhancing wheat biochemical contents, along with all the physiological parameters, and for reducing disease severity. Hydropriming and osmotic priming significantly decreased disease severity, by 70.59–75.00% and 64.71–88.33%, respectively. RT-PCR and quantitative real-time PCR analyses of potentially important pathogenesis-related (PR)-protein genes (Thaumatin-like protein (TLP), chitinase, and β-1,3-glucanase) in primed plants were evaluated: β-1,3-glucanase was most highly expressed in all primed plants; Chitinase and TLP exhibited higher expression in hormonal-, halo-, osmotic-, and hydro-primed plants, respectively. These results suggest that the higher expression of β-1,3-glucanase, TLP, and chitinase after hydropriming and osmotic priming may increase disease resistance in wheat. Our study demonstrates the greater potential of hydropriming and osmotic priming for alleviating stress caused by A. niger inoculation, and enhancing resistance to it, in addition to significantly improving plant growth. Thus, these priming methods could be beneficial for better plant growth and disease resistance in other plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flower vase life is one important aspect in determining the flower quality in the cut flower chrysanthemum. The use of ascorbic or salicylic acid as preservative solutions was expected to have an impact on the prolonged duration of the cut flower freshness. The research was designed in two parallel experiments. The first dealt with salicylic acid, while the second focused on ascorbic acid. Both experiments were arranged in a factorial completely blocked randomised design. Two chrysanthemum varieties, i.e., 'Reagent Sunny' and 'Yellow Fiji' were the first factor and concentrations of the salicylic or ascorbic acids, i.e., 0, 100, 200 and 300 ppm became the second factor. The results showed the termination of the flower freshness was recognised by the wilted leaves and petals, and petal colour changes. In all the treatments, the colour change of the wilted petals of each variety fell in the same colour, indicating the direction of the colour changes was not affected by the ascorbic/salicylic acids. Ascorbic acid at 200 ppm induced longer flower longevity than the control with delayed chlorophyll degradation in both tested cultivars. In the salicylic acid applications, a 100-ppm solution induced longer flower freshness only in the 'Reagent Sunny'. In higher concentrations, salicylic acid solutions induced shorter flower freshness with faster chlorophyll degradation and basal tissue damage in the 'Yellow Fiji'.

Protea (Protea cynaroides L.) is one of the most important ornamental plants commercially cultivated in Turkey and other parts of the world. In May 2017, protea plants heavily showed wilting symptoms were obtained from the protea growing areas at Hatay province of Turkey. Brown vascular tissue in the stems of the infected plants was observed. To determine the causal agent of the disease, necrotic tissue pieces taken from diseased plants were surface-sterilized with 10% sodium hypochlorite, two times rinsed with sterile distilled water, placed on Petri dishes containing potato dextrose agar (PDA), and incubated at 24 oC for seven days. Microconidia were no septate, ovoid, hyaline, single-celled, and 9 to 12 × 1 to 3 μm. Macroconidia were slightly curved, four to six septate, and 27 to 31 × 3 to 5 μm. Based on the morphology and cultural features, the fungus was identified as F. incarnatum, which belongs to the F. incarnatum-equiseti species complex (FIESC). In addition, a pathogenicity test was made using the apple fruits. The pathogen was re-isolated from inoculated apple fruits and both cultural and morphological characteristics of the pathogen were identical. To confirm the identity of one representative isolate, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region including 5.8S rDNA was amplified and sequenced with primers of ITS-1 and ITS-4. Fusarium MLST, Fusarium-ID and GenBank database were used for the identification of sequence. The amplified 465 bp product has 99% nucleotide identity with the sequences of F. incarnatum-equiseti species complex of MLST types and deposited in GenBank under accession number (MH005097). According to the literature, this is the first molecular identification of F. incarnatum on protea plants in Turkey.

BACKGROUND Wilting affects the chemical compositions and epiphytic microorganisms of grasses to some extent, thereby influencing the fermentation characteristics of silage. The present study investigated the effects of wilting during a cloudy day and ensiling temperature (20, 30 and 40 °C) on the fermentation of Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum). RESULTS: Wilting during a cloudy day significantly decreased the water‐soluble carbohydrate content (P < 0.05) and significantly increased pH, counts of lactic acid bacteria and aerobic bacteria in grass (P < 0.05). Wilting increased the relative abundance of the Enterobacteriaceae family, as well as genera such as Acinetobacter, Pantoea and Lactococcus, and also decreased that of Sphingomonas and Methylobacterium, in fresh grass. Although ensiling increased the relative abundance of Lactobacillus, a Enterobacteriaceae genus was the dominant microorganism in Napier grass before ensiling and after ensiling. Wilting increased pH, acetic acid, butyric acid and NH3‐N contents, and also reduced the lactic acid content, of Napier grass silage. Additionally, the fermentation quality of silages at 30 °C was poorer, irrespective of wilting, as indicated by high pH, high butyric acid and NH3‐N contents, high relative abundance of Clostridium and Bifidobacterium, and a low lactic acid content. Ensiling at 40 °C enhanced lactic acid bacteria fermentation and also suppressed clostridial fermentation and the growth of microorganisms in silages. CONCLUSION: Napier grass should be ensiled immediately after being harvested during a cloudy day and ensiling at 30 °C should be avoided to prevent poor fermentation. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this work was to assess the effects of phenological stage, wilting and a microbial inoculant on chemical composition, organic acids concentration and ruminal degradability of dry matter (DMRD) of alfalfa silage. The pasture was cut in two phenological stages: 10 % (F10) and 50 % (F50) of flowering, and the material was divided into two fractions: with wilting (W) and without wilting (NW). Each fraction was chopped and sprayed with an inoculant (Lactobacillus plantarum, 5 × 109 viable cells/g, I) or with distilled water (no inoculant, NI) and ensiled in PVC microsilos, with 6 replications per treatment. After 90 days, pH, dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF), DMRD at 30 h, acetic (C2), propionic (C3), butyric (C4) and lactic (LA) acids were determined. The wilting process decreased pH, NH3-N, NDF and ADF, and increased CP of the silage. In F10, wilting decreased the concentration of C2, C3 and C4, and increased LA. In F50, wilting decreased the C2 concentration at the two levels of inoculant, and only when inoculant was not applied, wilting decreased C3 and C4, and increased LA. In F50-NW the application of inoculant decreased the content of C2, C3 and C4, and increased LA. The DMRD of W was higher than NW, and it was higher in F10 vs F50 only when wilting was applied. The inoculant application decreased the NDF content, and in F50 it decreased NH3-N level. It can be concluded that the use of wilting improves the nutritional quality of alfalfa silage, while the effect of L. plantarum is limited to some combinations of treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Garden pea (Pisum sativum L.), is an important legume grown worldwide as a source of proteins and carbohydrates. Since pea crop is cultivated globally in cool temperate climatic conditions, increasing temperatures accompanied by high humidity favors fungal infections. A fungal infection causing leaf blight symptoms was frequently observed on the leaves of pea plants grown in greenhouse and field conditions. The blight symptoms showed a water-soaked and wilting appearance with curly leaf edges accompanied by greyish mycelial growth and chlorotic lesions. The disease incidence in field conditions ranged between 5 and 10 %, whereas in the controlled greenhouse conditions, it ranged from 40 to 45%. Two isolates of the fungus, Gp03 and Gp04 were isolated from Arkel pea leaves and purified from a single conidium each. According to Koch's postulates, the pathogenicity tests with these isolates using detached leaf assay and whole plant leaf assays confirmed the pathogen. Morphological and molecular analysis of nucleotide sequences of the D1-D2 region, translation elongation factor-1α (TEF) and actin (ACT) genes confirmed these isolates as members of the genus, Cladosporium. The phylogenetic relatedness of these isolates with other members of the Cladosporium genus revealed them as fungal strains of Cladosporium tenuissimum. Further, these isolates were also confirmed as C. tenuissimum by Microbial Type Culture Collection and Gene Bank (MTCC), Chandigarh in India, and provided the accession nos. MTCC 13581 and MTCC 13582 to the C. tenuissimum strains, Gp03 and Gp04 respectively. This is the first report of Cladosporium tenuissimum infecting garden pea in Telangana, India. [Display omitted] • The leaf blight symptoms were first observed on garden pea in Telangana, India. • The causal agent identified as Cladosporium tenuissimum belongs to Ascomycota. • Phylogenetic relatedness was detected using D1-D2, TEF and Actin primers. • This is the first report of Cladosporium tenuissimum causing leaf blight in pea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Okra is rich in nutritional value, but transportation vibration, cold chain breakage and improper storage can quickly accelerate quality deterioration. In this study, we simulated the cold chain transportation process to find the synergistic effect of red-white LED illumination combined with modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) on okra quality maintenance and its mechanism of action. After 16 d of storage, LED+MAP can better avoid water loss and wilting in okra. The fracturability was 35 %, 33 %, and 40 % of fresh okra for LED, MAP, and LED+MAP, respectively, compared to 17 % for CK. CK produced unpleasant odors, but the odor of LED+MAP was close to the fresh. LED+MAP maintained the stability of the nutrient content of okra. The chlorophyll content of LED+MAP was reduced to 64 % of the original compared to 35 % of that for CK. The total phenol content of LED+MAP was reduced to 55 % of the original compared to 26 % of that for CK. The total flavonoid content of LED+MAP was reduced to 72 % of the original compared to 56 % of that for CK. LED+MAP regulated the activity of antioxidant enzymes, and the antioxidant capacity was significantly higher than that of the other groups. The ascorbic acid content of LED+MAP was reduced to 52 % of the original compared to 38 % of that for CK. The MDA content of LED+MAP was 3.83 times of the original compared to 8.52 times of that for CK. The electrolyte leakage of LED+MAP was 2.12 times of the original compared to 2.86 times of that for CK. With the increase of storage time, O 2 concentration in MAP showed a decreasing trend and CO 2 showed an increasing trend. O 2 in LED+MAP showed a growing trend followed by a decreasing trend and CO 2 showed a decreasing trend followed by a rising trend. LED+MAP complemented the shortcomings of the single technology and was more effective in delaying the quality deterioration of okra. • Okra tended to yellow and shrivel in the supply chain. • Combining LED with MAP can improve the quality of okra. • LED combined with MAP can delay the oxidation process. • LED combined with MAP can extend the shelf life up to 16 days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cocoa is a commercially important beverage crop that faces new challenges in the context of climate change, which can alter pest and disease dynamics in cocoa plantations. In the Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka, India, an abrupt increase in cocoa wilt was observed during the 2017–18 and 2018–19 seasons. Systematic examination of affected trees revealed consistent attacks of Euwallacea perbrevis (Schedl, 1951; Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae). In-depth studies of the wilted trees revealed the association of the plant pathogenic fungus Fusarium sp. with Euwallacea perbrevis. The identity of the obtained pure culture from the insect and infected tree was confirmed as Fusarium sp. using amplification of ribosomal DNA, RNA polymerase II largest subunit (RPB1) and translation elongation factor 1 (Tef1) genes. Notably, this study reports a remarkable case of mutualistic association between ambrosia beetles and Fusarium sp., belonging to the Fusarium solani species complex (FSSC), rather than the Ambrosia Fusarium clade (AFC). This finding highlights the intriguing diversity of mutualistic relationships in nature and sheds new light on the complex interactions between organisms. The present study also investigated the impact of rainfall on the colonization and spread of the Euwallacea-Fusarium complex. The findings revealed that rainfall was identified as a predisposing factor for the incidence and spread of attacks. Additionally, the study conducted a comprehensive analysis of the modeling of Euwallacea-Fusarium complex spread over a specific period of time. • An abrupt increase in cocoa wilt was documented in Karnataka, India during the periods 2017–2019. • Investigation unveiled incidence of Euwallacea fornicates , an ambrosia beetle, and Fusarium sp. fungus, belonging to the Fusarium solani species complex. • The study identified rainfall as a predisposing factor for the incidence and spread of Euwallacea - Fusarium complex. • This is the first report of Euwallacea - Fusarium complex causing wilt disease of cocoa in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective This study was conducted to investigate the effects of wilting and microbial inoculant treatment on the fermentation pattern and quality of Italian ryegrass silage. Methods Italian ryegrass was harvested at heading stage and ensiled into vinyl bags (20 cm×30 cm) for 60d. Italian ryegrass was ensiled with 4 treatments (NWNA, no-wilting no-additive; NWA, no-wilting with additive; WNA, wilting no-additive; WA, wilting with additive) in 3 replications, wilting time was 5 hours and additives were treated with 106 cfu/g of Lactobacillus plantarum. The silages samples were collected at 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 20, 30, 45, and 60 days after ensiling and analyzed for the ensiling quality and characteristics of fermentation patterns. Results Wilting treatment resulted in lower crude protein and in vitro dry matter digestibility and there were no significant differences in acid detergent fiber (ADF), total digestible nutrient (TDN), water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC), ammonia content, and pH (p>0.05). However, wilting treatment resulted in higher ADF and neutral detergent fiber content of Italian ryegrass silage (p

Objective This study was conducted to investigate the effects of molasses and Lactobacillus plantarum on the ensiling quality and in vitro rumen fermentation of sudangrass silage prepared with or without wilting. Methods The ensiling experiment, measured with 3 replicates, was carried out according to a 2×4 (wilted stages×additives) factorial treatment structure. Dry matter of the fresh (210 g/kg fresh matter) or wilted (305 g/kg fresh matter) sudangrass were ensiled (packed into 5.0-L plastic jars) without additive (control) or with molasses (M), Lactobacillus plantarum (LP), or molasses + Lactobacillus plantarum (M+LP). After 60 days of ensiling, the silages were analyzed for the chemical, fermentation, and in vitro characteristics. Results After 60 days of ensiling, the fermentation parameters were affected by wilted, the additives and the interactions of wilted with the additives (p

This study evaluated within-stem differences in the moisture content of stored summer-harvested oak wood with respect to drying method. The felled oaks were naturally dried for eight weeks, from 4 July to 29 August 2017. We analyzed two methods of preparation and storage: a transpiration drying method (W), and an air-drying method for stem-wood (L). Transpiration drying is a better method for oak stems than air-drying. Statistically significant differences between drying methods were found after six weeks of storage. This coincided with complete wilting of the leaves. However, signs of wilting and leaf color change appeared earlier, between the second and fourth weeks of storage. In parallel, in scenario W, a statistically significant difference in MC of sapwood was observed between the second and fourth weeks of storage. Such a phenomenon was not observed in scenario L. The MC of heartwood also gradually decreased, especially in scenario W. Explanation of this phenomenon lay outside the scope of this study; however, it indicates how the structure and properties of wood, in addition to storage conditions and methods, influence the efficiency of biomass drying in the harvesting area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cannabis (Cannabis sativa L., marijuana) plants with symptoms of crown rot, root decay, wilting and plant death were sampled during 2018 and 2019 from seven licensed production greenhouses. Affected tissues from 140 diseased plants were surface-sterilized and plated onto potato dextrose agar. Ninety-five isolates morphologically resembling Pythium species were subcultured and subjected to PCR of the ITS1-5.8-ITS2 region of ribosomal DNA. The following species were identified based on >99% sequence identity to reference isolates in GenBank: P. myriotylum (43 isolates), P. dissotocum (35 isolates), P. aphanidermatum (3 isolates) and Globisporangium ultimum (syn. P. ultimum) (2 isolates). A fifth species – P. catenulatum (12 isolates), was distinguished from P. rhizo-oryzae using the cytochrome oxidase c subunit I (COI) sequence. Cannabis licensed production facilities in British Columbia had all five species present, while P. dissotocum was found in two facilities in Ontario, and P. myriotylum was present in one facility in northern California. Isolates selected to represent each Pythium species were grown on potato dextrose agar at 25°C and they all showed comparable colony growth after 6 days. The same isolates caused root browning, decay and stunting of cannabis plants grown in a coco: perlite potting medium. Plant mortality was similar after 21 days but rates of disease progression varied depending on the isolate tested. Wounding of roots and prolonged periods of saturation enhanced disease development. These results demonstrate for the first time that crown and root rot on greenhouse-grown cannabis plants can be caused by up to five Pythium species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protea (Protea cynaroides L.) is one of the most important ornamental plants commercially cultivated in Turkey and other parts of the world. In May 2017, protea plants heavily showed wilting symptoms were obtained from the protea growing areas at Hatay province of Turkey. Brown vascular tissue in the stems of the infected plants was observed. To determine the causal agent of the disease, necrotic tissue pieces taken from diseased plants were surface-sterilized with 10% sodium hypochlorite, two times rinsed with sterile distilled water, placed on Petri dishes containing potato dextrose agar (PDA), and incubated at 24 oC for seven days. Microconidia were no septate, ovoid, hyaline, single-celled, and 9 to 12 × 1 to 3 µm. Macroconidia were slightly curved, four to six septate, and 27 to 31 × 3 to 5 µm. Based on the morphology and cultural features, the fungus was identified as F. incarnatum, which belongs to the F. incarnatum-equiseti species complex (FIESC). In addition, a pathogenicity test was made using the apple fruits. The pathogen was re-isolated from inoculated apple fruits and both cultural and morphological characteristics of the pathogen were identical. To confirm the identity of one representative isolate, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region including 5.8S rDNA was amplified and sequenced with primers of ITS-1 and ITS-4. Fusarium MLST, Fusarium-ID and GenBank database were used for the identification of sequence. The amplified 465 bp product has 99% nucleotide identity with the sequences of F. incarnatum-equiseti species complex of MLST types and deposited in GenBank under accession number (MH005097). According to the literature, this is the first molecular identification of F. incarnatum on protea plants in Turkey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flower vase life is one important aspect in determining the flower quality in the cut flower chrysanthemum. The use of ascorbic or salicylic acid as preservative solutions was expected to have an impact on the prolonged duration of the cut flower freshness. The research was designed in two parallel experiments. The first dealt with salicylic acid, while the second focused on ascorbic acid. Both experiments were arranged in a factorial completely blocked randomised design. Two chrysanthemum varieties, i.e., 'Reagent Sunny' and 'Yellow Fiji' were the first factor and concentrations of the salicylic or ascorbic acids, i.e., 0, 100, 200 and 300 ppm became the second factor. The results showed the termination of the flower freshness was recognised by the wilted leaves and petals, and petal colour changes. In all the treatments, the colour change of the wilted petals of each variety fell in the same colour, indicating the direction of the colour changes was not affected by the ascorbic/salicylic acids. Ascorbic acid at 200 ppm induced longer flower longevity than the control with delayed chlorophyll degradation in both tested cultivars. In the salicylic acid applications, a 100-ppm solution induced longer flower freshness only in the 'Reagent Sunny'. In higher concentrations, salicylic acid solutions induced shorter flower freshness with faster chlorophyll degradation and basal tissue damage in the 'Yellow Fiji'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pepper and tomato plants infected with two Clavibacter species, C. capsici and C. michiganensis have shown different patterns of disease development depending on their virulence. Here, we investigated how pepper and tomato plants respond to infection by the high-virulent or low-virulent Clavibacter strains. For this, we chose two strains of each Clavibacter species to show different virulence level in the host plants. Although low-virulent strains showed less disease symptoms, they grew almost the same level as the high-virulent strains in both plants. To further examine the response of host plants to Clavibacter infection, we analyzed the expression patterns of plant defense-related genes in the leaves inoculated with different strains of C. capsici and C. michiganensis. Pepper plants infected with high-virulent C. capsici strain highly induced the expression of CaPR1, CaDEF, CaPR4b, CaPR10, and CaLOX1 at 5 days after inoculation (dai), but their expression was much less in low-virulent Clavibacter infection. Expression of CaSAR8.2 was induced at 2 dai, regardless of virulence level. Expression of GluA, Pin2, and PR2 in tomato plants infected with high-virulent C. michiganensis were much higher at 5 dai, compared with mock or low-virulent strain. Expression of PR1a, Osmotin-like, Chitinase, and Chitinase class 2 was increased, regardless of virulence level. Expression of LoxA gene was not affected by Clavibacter inoculation. These results suggested that Clavibacter infection promotes induction of certain defense-related genes in host plants and that differential expression of those genes by low-virulent Clavibacter infection might be affected by their endophytic lifestyle in plants.

Silage quality remains an important issue in farming, as do limitations in the range of products suitable for animal fodder. We therefore explored the microorganisms that are critical for the fermentation quality of paper mulberry silage. Low (unwilted) and high (wilted) dry matter (DM) paper mulberry were harvested at two cutting times. These were ensiled for 0, 3, 7, 14, and 56 days, respectively. Compared with unwilted silages, wilting significantly decreased (p < 0.05) silage pH value, ammonia‐N concentration, and yeast counts but increased (p < 0.05) lactic acid content. In addition, higher (p < 0.05) crude protein (CP) contents were also observed in wilted silages. Next‐generation sequencing (NGS) analysis revealed that wilting reduced the abundance of Enterobacter, while increasing that of Lactobacillus. Single‐molecule real‐time sequencing (SMRT) revealed that the silage was enriched in the lactic acid bacteria (LAB), Lactobacillus rhamnosus after wilting, which showed a positive correlation with CP and lactic acid content. We conclude that wilting may help preserve paper mulberry silage, facilitating its use as a new fodder resource. Moreover, L. rhamnosus has the potential to be developed as a new inoculant for the modulation in wilted silages, particularly paper mulberry silage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: This special issue contains new developments in the field of fresh produce quality. Freshness provides the appeal for the consumer to purchase a particular horticultural produce. Freshness is a combination of size, colour, shape, flesh firmness, turgescence and glossiness without wilting, which imply that the produce has been picked only a short while ago and has not suffered any decay during harvest, transport or storage. (2) Objective: The objective of the present work was to develop potential freshness indices. The indices are based on non-invasive, real-time measurements, using changes in surface appearance after harvest, using Bell pepper as the most difficult model. (3) Methods: The selection criteria were a dramatic change in values over 14 days of storage at 17 °C, and either a consistent decrease or increase without peaks and troughs. Only two (out of five) non-invasive techniques were selected, i.e., surface glossiness, measured non-destructively using a luster sensor (type CZ-H72 from Keyence Co., Osaka, Japan) and light reflection spectra, recorded by a spectrometer, whereas the three techniques fruit firmness (penetrometer), colorimeter (e.g., Minolta) and false colour images (profilometer) were excluded. (4) Results: The first technique based on fruit glossiness provides luster values depending on fruit colour. Green Bell pepper fruit with a Fresh Index in excess of 463–490 a.i. can be classified as fresh, and similarly of 525–565 a.i. for yellow and 486–502 a.i. for red pepper fruit. This first Freshness index dropped, indicating a lesser freshness, to less than 100 a.i. after 14 days storage, irrespective of fruit colour, thereby providing a suitable wide, ca. 5-fold, range of parameterization. The second index is based on the difference between the light reflectance peaks at 630–633 nm and at 500 nm, also measured perpendicular to the convex fruit side. These percentage values decreased from >40% with fresh red and yellow Bell pepper to ca. 20% after 14 days storage; similarly, these percentages decreased from ca. 16% to ca. 8% in green pepper fruit, in both cases by a twofold factor. Overall, a third Freshness index could be a combination of luster values larger than 470 a.u. and >40% difference of the light reflectance between 630 nm and 500 nm. (5) Conclusions: Two viz three freshness indices are proposed and thresholds elaborated for Bell pepper fruit. The analysis showed that both indices viz technologies, luster and light reflection spectra, require colour differentiation, i.e., a specific index for yellow, red and green Bell pepper fruit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A survey was conducted at Gazipur, one of the major jackfruit producing districts in Bangladesh where decline syndromes were frequently observed. The characteristic symptoms of jackfruit decline included trunk canker, wilting, dieback of the canopy and in some cases complete death. The disease incidence was increased with the increase of plants age. Among the isolated fungi from the study area, only Phytophthora spp. were found to be pathogenic and caused decline symptoms in artificially inoculated jackfruit seedlings. Based on the morphological data, the isolates were confirmed as Phytophthora spp. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report in Bangladesh. [Fundam Appl Agric 2020; 5(3.000): 315-318]

Objective The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of wilting and additives on the fermentation quality, structural and non-structural carbohydrate composition of mulberry silages. Methods The selected lactic acid bacteria strains Lactobacillus plantarum ‘LC279063’ (L1), commercial inoculant Gaofuji (GF), and Trichoderma viride cellulase (CE) were used as additives for silage preparation. Silage treatments were designed as control (CK), L1, GF, or CE under three wilting rates, that is wilting for 0, 2, or 4 hours (h). After ensiling for 30 days, the silages were analyzed for the chemical and fermentation characteristics. Results The results showed that wilting had superior effects on increasing the non-structural carbohydrate concentration and degrading the structural carbohydrate. After ensiling for 30 days, L1 generally had a higher fermentation quality than other treatments, indicated by the lower pH value, acetic acid, propionic acid and ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) content, and the higher lactic acid, water soluble carbohydrate, glucose, galactose, sucrose, and cellobiose concentration (p

Abstract Silage quality remains an important issue in farming, as do limitations in the range of products suitable for animal fodder. We therefore explored the microorganisms that are critical for the fermentation quality of paper mulberry silage. Low (unwilted) and high (wilted) dry matter (DM) paper mulberry were harvested at two cutting times. These were ensiled for 0, 3, 7, 14, and 56 days, respectively. Compared with unwilted silages, wilting significantly decreased (p

Priming is used as a method to improve plant growth and alleviate the detrimental effects of pathogens. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of different priming methods in the context of resistance to Aspergillus niger in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Here, we show that different priming treatments—viz., hydropriming, osmotic priming, halopriming, and hormonal priming techniques can induce disease resistance by improving the biochemical contents of wheat, including chlorophyll, protein, proline, and sugar. In addition, physiological parameters—such as root length, shoot length, fresh and dry root/shoot ratios, and relative water content were positively affected by these priming methods. In essence, hydropriming and osmotic priming treatments were found to be more potent for enhancing wheat biochemical contents, along with all the physiological parameters, and for reducing disease severity. Hydropriming and osmotic priming significantly decreased disease severity, by 70.59–75.00% and 64.71–88.33%, respectively. RT-PCR and quantitative real-time PCR analyses of potentially important pathogenesis-related (PR)-protein genes (Thaumatin-like protein (TLP), chitinase, and β-1,3-glucanase) in primed plants were evaluated: β-1,3-glucanase was most highly expressed in all primed plants; Chitinase and TLP exhibited higher expression in hormonal-, halo-, osmotic-, and hydro-primed plants, respectively. These results suggest that the higher expression of β-1,3-glucanase, TLP, and chitinase after hydropriming and osmotic priming may increase disease resistance in wheat. Our study demonstrates the greater potential of hydropriming and osmotic priming for alleviating stress caused by A. niger inoculation, and enhancing resistance to it, in addition to significantly improving plant growth. Thus, these priming methods could be beneficial for better plant growth and disease resistance in other plants.

The vase life of cut dahlia (Dahlia × hortensis Guillaumin) flowers is generally short. Petal senescence is known to be divided into petal wilting, withering, and abscission. Petals with ongoing wilting were isolated from the inflorescence and supplied with water using 10 cultivars to clarify the type of petal senescence of dahlia. Based on the recovery of fresh weight and appearance of petals, senescent types could be categorized into three types: petal senescence in two, six, and two cultivars were categorized into abscission, abscission with withering, and wilting types, respectively. The pulse treatment with silver thiosulfate complex (STS) significantly extended the vase life of 7 out of 10 cultivars. Moreover, pulse treatment with STS followed by continuous treatment with GLA, which was comprised of glucose, isothiazolinone germicide, and aluminum sulfate, increased the relative fresh weight of the five dahlia cultivars more than pulse treatment with STS. Therefore, this combined treatment is available to extend the vase life of cut dahlia, irrespective of the senescent types.

Pocketbook plants ( Calceolaria spp.) are flowering ornamentals often grown as potted plants (Poesch 1937). In December 2022, leaf blight symptoms were observed on 2-mo-old plants of C . hybrida F1 'Dainty'. The disease was found in a nursery in Ren'ai Township, Nantou, and about 20% of the plants exhibited symptoms. Symptomatic plants had brown or gray necrotic lesions of different sizes and shapes, mostly around leaf margins. Lower leaf wilting was also observed (Fig. S1, A and B). Three plants were sampled. Leaf lesions were surface-disinfected with 75% ethanol and cut into smaller pieces in 10 mM MgCl 2 . After observing bacterial streaming under a microscope, the bacteria were streaked onto nutrient agar (NA). Following 2 days at 28°C, a type of round, creamy white colony predominated on all the plates. Three strains (Calc-A, Calc-B, and Calc-C) were obtained, one from each plant. The strains produced fluorescent pigments on King's B medium and were tested Gram-negative. The strains were characterized with the LOPAT scheme (Schaad et al. 2001). They did not exhibit activities of pectic enzymes, arginine dihydrolase and levan sucrase, but produced oxidase and induced the hypersensitive response in tobacco. DNA was extracted from the strains for PCR amplification of the 16S rDNA with primer pair 27f/1492r as described by Lane (1991). The 16S rDNA sequences were compared with entries in the GenBank database. The sequences obtained (GenBank accession no. OR824302) matched that of Pseudomonas cichorii MAFF 301158 (accession no. AB724288; 1,403/1,403 bp) and were 99% identical to that of DSM 50259 T (accession no. CP074349; 1,391/1,405 bp). The strains were also tested with the species-specific primers hrp1a and hrp2a (Cottyn et al. 2011). The amplicons were sequenced and a BLASTn search showed that the sequences (accession no. OR827305) shared the highest identity (99.3%) with that of P . cichorii strain 83-1 (accession no. DQ168848; 848/854 bp) and were 97.3% identical to the sequence of DSM 50259 T (accession no. CP074349; 831/854 bp). Calc-A was selected as a representative strain and deposited in the Bioresource Collection and Research Center, Taiwan (reference no. BCRC 81432). Koch's postulates were fulfilled by spray-inoculating a suspension of Calc-A on three 2-mo-old C. hybrida F1 'Dainty' plants. The inoculum was prepared by suspending NA-grown cells in 10 mM MgCl2 including 0.02% Silwet L-77 (OD 600 = 0.3; 1.5 x 10 8 CFU/ml). For the controls, three plants were sprayed with bacteria-free solution. The plants were bagged throughout the experiment and kept in a growth chamber (14/10 h light/dark; 26/24°C day/night). Leaf blight and wilting symptoms developed on all leaves of the inoculated plants after 30 h, but not the controls (Fig. S1, C and D). The pathogen was reisolated from the treatment group, and colony PCR with hrp1a/hrp2a showed that the reisolated strain shared the same sequence with Calc-A to Calc-C. Repeating the inoculation assay produced consistent results. This is the first report of P . cichorii affecting Calceolaria in Taiwan. The bacterium has been reported infecting diverse crops in Taiwan, such as tomato and lettuce (Tsai et al. 2014). Expanding the understanding of the pathogen's potential hosts could help prevent its spread across important crops.