Do informally managed sacred groves have higher richness and regeneration of medicinal plants than state-managed reserve forests?

Sacred groves are ‘traditionally managed’ forest patches that functionally link social life and forest management system of a region. It is believed that one of the prime utilities of sacred groves is the protection and occasional supply of medicinal plants. We assessed the regeneration among sacred groves of the central Western Ghats, India, and compared it with the ‘state-managed reserve forests’. Overall, nearly 60% of the regenerating species were medicinally important. The density of regenerating medicinal plants among sacred groves was almost twice as that of reserve forests. There were a higher number of seedlings (Class-II), saplings (Class-III) and poles (Class-IV) of medicinally important plants in sacred groves than among reserve forests. Further, we found that nearly 40% of medicinally important species were unique to sacred groves; in contrast, only 11% was unique to reserve forests. However, nearly equal proportions (29 vs 27%) of ‘non-medicinal plants’ were unique to sacred groves and to reserve forests. These results suggest that informal management systems such as sacred groves have not only conserved useful species, but people have tended to ‘discover’ medicinal values more often among plants unique to sacred groves, than those found in other landscapes. Perhaps, this typifies one preliminary step in medicinal-plant domestication

Metabolic pathway genes for editing to enhance multiple disease resistance in plants

Diseases are one of the major constraints in commercial crop production. Genetic diversity in varieties is the best option to manage diseases. Molecular marker-assisted breeding has produced hundreds of varieties with good yields, but the resistance level is not satisfactory. With the advent of whole genome sequencing, genome editing is emerging as an excellent option to improve the inadequate traits in these varieties. Plants produce thousands of antimicrobial secondary metabolites, which as polymers and conjugates are deposited to reinforce the secondary cell walls to contain the pathogen to an initial infection area. The resistance metabolites or the structures produced from them by plants are either constitutive (CR) or induced (IR), following pathogen invasion. The production of each resistance metabolite is controlled by a network of biosynthetic R genes, which are regulated by a hierarchy of R genes. A commercial variety also has most of these R genes, as in resistant, but a few may be mutated (SNPs/InDels). A few mutated genes, in one or more metabolic pathways, depending on the host–pathogen interaction, can be edited, and stacked to increase resistance metabolites or structures produced by them, to achieve required levels of multiple pathogen resistance under field conditions

Apoptotic‑like PCD inducing HRC gene when silenced enhances multiple disease resistance in plants

Programmed cell death (PCD) plays an important role in plant environmental stress and has the potential to be manipulated to enhance disease resistance. Plants have innate immunity and, following pathogen perception, the host induces a Hypersensitive Response PCD (HR-PCD), leading to pattern (PTI) or effector triggered immunity (ETI). Here we report a non-HR type or Apoptotic-Like PCD (AL-PCD) in pathogen infected wheat and potato based on apoptotic-like DNA fragmentation. A deletion mutation in the gene encoding histidine rich calcium binding protein (TaHRC) in FHB-resistant wheat (R-NIL) failed to induce AL-PCD. Similarly, the CRISPR-Cas9 based silencing of StHRC gene in Russet Burbank potato failed to induce apoptotic-like DNA fragmentation, proved based on DNA laddering and TUNEL assays. The absence of AL-PCD in wheat R-NIL reduced pathogen biomass and mycotoxins, increasing the accumulation of resistance metabolites and FHB-resistance, and in potato it enhanced resistance to multiple pathogens. In addition, the reduced expressions of metacaspase (StMC7) and Ca2+ dependent endonuclease 2 (StCaN2) genes in potato with Sthrc indicated an involvement of a hierarchy of genes in the induction of AL-PCD. The HRC in commercial varieties of different crops, if functional, can be silenced by genome editing possibly to enhance resistance to multiple pathogens

The Coffea arabica Fungal Pathosystem in New Caledonia: Interactions at Two Different Spatial Scales

International audienceThe simultaneous analysis of epidemioiogical and environmental vari- ables could contribute lo the determination of the main factors which govern the epidemic dynamics of diseases (i.e. rust, anthracnose and Cercospora leaf spot) in Coffea arahica. With this in mind, the condition of previously marked leaves in 29 plots, which were grou[)ed in 11 different sites in New Caledonia, were surveyed monthly, in the same period, the environmental characteristics of the plots (soil type, climate, etc.) were determined. Statistical analysis of these data revealed significant correlations between pathology and the environment, at the sites" level (analysis of the mean site values) as well as at the plots' level (analysis of the deviations with the mean site value). The site effects predominated; at those sites in which rust was the major disease, leaf and branch mortality were more pronounced than at sites in which anthracnose or Cercospora leaf spot predominated. Rust was generally associated with soil pH values that were favourable for coffee tree development, with poor soil structure and with large temperature ranges. Within a site, plotexposure to sun and wind could enhance anthracnose and Cercospora leaf spot. Finally, in New Caledonia the three variables soil pH, soil structure and temperature range allow a simple and satisfactory' estimation of the epidemiologicai risks iti a given plo

Marques, indications géographiques et certifications : comment valoriser la biodiversité dans les Ghâts occidentaux (Inde) ?

International audienceThe district of Kodagu (Coorg) in India produces between 1 and 2 % of the world’s coffee, in multi-strata agro-forestry systems embedded between paddy fields and evergreen rainforest fragments. This complex landscape is rapidly changing. The forests have been converted into coffee plantations, the native species that form the rich canopy cover of the plantations are being replaced with exotic and fast growing species and the conflicts between humans and wildlife are increasing. In this context, we explore the potential for linking livelihood development and biodiversity conservation offered by three value-addition approaches centered on the localized productions of the district. The first one relies on trademarks comprising the name “Coorg ” for marketing coffee. The second is based on the existing indian Geographical Indications legal framework, which has yet to be used for coffee from Coorg. The third one rests on the development of environmental certifications for the coffees from India. We assess the social and ecological efficiency of these three strategies and propose an analysis of the questions raised by the different degrees of implication of the stakeholders and beneficiaries of such approaches.Le district du Kodagu (Coorg) en Inde produit entre 1 et 2 % du café mondial, dans des systèmes agroforestiers complexes imbriqués entre des rizières et des fragments de forêts sempervirentes humides. Cette mosaïque paysagère évolue rapidement. La forêt a reculé au profit des plantations, le couvert arboré riche en espèces natives est progressivement remplacé par une espèce exotique et les conflits avec la faune se font plus fréquents. Dans ce contexte, trois stratégies de valorisation commerciale sont explorées, avec une attention particulière à leur potentiel pour associer développement économique et conservation de la biodiversité. La première approche repose sur l’utilisation de marques commerciales comprenant le nom « Coorg » pour du café. La seconde approche est basée sur les perspectives offertes par les indications géographiques, qui font l’objet d’une dynamique remarquable en Inde mais qui n’ont pas encore été mobilisées pour le café de Coorg. La troisième s’appuie sur l’émergence des certifications environnementales pour le café en Inde. Nous proposons une analyse de l’efficacité sociale et environnementale de ces trois stratégies ainsi qu’une lecture des questions soulevées par l’implication différentielle des acteurs porteurs et/ou usagers potentiels de ces démarches