A Combined Use of Rhizobacteria and Moringa Leaf Extract Mitigates the Adverse Effects of Drought Stress in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Less nutrient availability and drought stress are some serious concerns of agriculture. Both biotic and abiotic stress factors have the potential to limit crop productivity. However, several organic extracts obtained from moringa leaves may induce immunity in plants under nutritional and drought stress for increasing their survival. Additionally, some rhizobacterial strains have the ability to enhance root growth for better nutrient and water uptake in stress conditions. To cover the knowledge gap on the interactive effects of beneficial rhizobacteria and moringa leaf extracts (MLEs), this study was conducted. The aim of this experimental study was to investigate the effectiveness of sole and combined use of rhizobacteria and MLEs against nutritional and drought stress in wheat. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) (10(8) CFU ml(-1)) was inoculated to wheat plants with and without foliar-applied MLEs at two different concentrations (MLE 1 = 1:15 v/v and MLE 2 = 1:30 v/v) twice at 25 and 35 days after seed sowing (50 ml per plant) after the establishment of drought stress. Results revealed that Pa + MLE 2 significantly increased fresh weight (FW), dry weight (DW), lengths of roots and shoot and photosynthetic contents of wheat. A significant enhancement in total soluble sugars, total soluble proteins, calcium, potassium, phosphate, and nitrate contents validated the efficacious effect of Pa + MLE 2 over control-treated plants. Significant decrease in sodium, proline, glycine betaine, electrolyte leakage, malondialdehyde, hydrogen peroxide, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and peroxide (POD) concentrations in wheat cultivated under drought stress conditions also represents the imperative role of Pa + MLE 2 over control. In conclusion, Pa + MLE 2 can alleviate nutritional stress and drought effects in wheat. More research in this field is required to proclaim Pa + MLE 2 as the most effective amendment against drought stress in distinct agroecological zones, different soil types, and contrasting wheat cultivars worldwide.Peer reviewe

Role of useful fungi in agriculture sustainability

Fungi are very important microorganisms that are potentially utilized in different fields such as in agriculture and others. Fungi interact with plants as a useful factor or harmful factor. Useful fungi display a big role in agriculture sustainability. These fungi are of many types such as endophytic fungi and symbiosis fungi. The role of beneficial fungi in the control of pests, weeds, and plant pathogens can be an alternative to chemical pesticides. The beneficial fungi can be in different groups but, in general, comprise mycorrhiza, endophytic fungi, entomopathogenic fungi, mushroom, and dark septate fungi. Useful fungi contain some important tools between non-mycoparasitism and mycoparasitism. Some tools show high efficiency in the reduction of plant diseases such as producing secondary metabolites and induced plant defenses and systemic resistance. Also, some useful fungi have potential to enhance plant growth. The importance of fungi used in the fields that encouraged to inter them in the industry to produce the biopesticides and biofertilizers which can be instead of using synthetic chemicals and more reducing the residue of chemicals in environmental. In conclusion, the big role for fungi can utilize in the agriculture sustainable by including into the integrated management for plant pathogens, and pests.Fil: Al-Ani, Laith Khalil Tawfeeq. Universiti Sains Malaysia; MalasiaFil: Surono. Indonesian Agency for Agricultural Research and Development; IndonesiaFil: Aguilar-Marcelino, L.. Centro Nacional de Investigación Disciplinaria en Salud Animal e Inocuidad; MéxicoFil: Salazar-Vidal, V. E.. Universidad de Concepción; ChileFil: Becerra, Alejandra Gabriela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Raza, E.. University of Sargodha; Pakistá

Frankia‑actinorhizal symbiosis: A non‑chemical biological assemblage for enhanced plant growth, nodulation and reclamation of degraded soils

Actinorhizal symbiosis naturally harbours beneficial categories of diverse plant growth promoting microorganisms (PGPMs), including the Frankia species. The beneficial microorganisms can be used as efficient, non-chemical and sustainable alternatives for adopting effective soil restoration programmes and revegetation schedules in chemical and industrial-contaminated sites, including treating degraded lands contaminated with toxic chemicals and pesticides. It has been proposed that the interactions between the microbial gene pool are of immense agricultural significance that would facilitate an improvement in the health, hygiene and nutrient acquisition pathway of native soil. The present review is focused on exploiting the hitherto-unexplored Frankia-actinorhizal symbiosis with due interest for their application in soil restoration programmes, including the reclamation of degraded lands. This opens up new insights for the development of sustainability in forestry and plantation research. Additionally, it would promise an improvement in plant growth and vigour, hygiene, and other parameters related to crop yield, such as plant biomass, root/shoot ratio, crop yield, and so on. Novel and putative microorganisms isolated from the actinorhizal may be used for bio-transformation of allelochemicals and toxic heavy metals into compounds with modified biological properties, opening up novel avenues for mediating microbial degradation of putative allelochemicals that would otherwise accumulate at phytotoxic levels in soil. Endophyte-host specificities, the phylogeny of Frankia, and the conservation of unique endemic plant genetic resources like actinorhizal plants, are of paramount significance in the advancement of genomics, metabolomics and phenomics

Production of Trichoderma harzianum K179 bioagent for maize diseases control: complete laboratory stage bioprocess development

In order to be competitive on the market, the production of biopreparations needs to be optimized, modelled, and assessed in the early stages of its development. The aim of this paper was to optimize medium for the production of Trichoderma harzianum K179 biocontrol agent, to analyze its kinetics at enlarged laboratory scale and finally economic analysis of the production of this high-value product through simulation modelling. The results showed that the bioprocess of T. harzianum K179 bioagent production in a laboratory bioreactor on the medium with optimal composition (dextrose 10 g l−1, soy flour 6.87 g l−1, K2HPO4 1.51 g l−1, KCl 0.5 g l−1, and MgSO4 × 7H2O 0.5 g l−1), at stirring speed of 1.75 × g and aeration intensity of 1.5 vvm, can be shortened from 96 to 36 h. The results of bioprocess economic analysis showed that with a 25-year project lifetime and an investment payback time of 7.58 years, this project represents an economically viable system

First report of inhibitory abilities of dark septate endophytic fungi against white root rot disease on Hevea brasiliensis seedlings in nursery conditions

Abstract Background The dark septate endophytes (DSE) are endophytic and non-mycorrhizal fungi with the ability to impact and control some plant pathogens and promote plant growth. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of five different DSE fungal isolates in controlling white root rot disease (WRRD) caused by the plant pathogen, Rigidoporus microporus in Hevea brasiliensis in a nursery system. There are no previous reports on the role of DSE in controlling WRRD. In this study, the efficacy of five DSE isolates, including Acrocalymma vagum SBTBMDS 1, Clonostachys chloroleuca TMDS 2.1, Lasiodiplodia theobromae APDS 3.2, Penicillium oxalicum TMDS 3.2, and Fusarium falciforme TBMDS 2.4b, was tested for their ability to reduce the severity of WRRD in vivo. Results The results showed that all the DSE isolates were able to inhibit R. microporus, leading to a decrease in the disease severity of WRRD, with percentages ranging from 7.50 to 17.5% and percentage of disease inhibition from 57.67 to 83.33% than the controls, which had a severity percentage of 45%. The TMDS3.2 isolate showed high efficacy in increasing the girth (137%) and height (63.3%) of H. brasiliensis seedlings, while the isolates of P. oxalicum TMDS 3.2 and F. falciforme TMDS 2.4b enhanced the dry weight (123 and 122%, respectively) than the control. Two isolates of P. oxacilum TMDS 3.2 and C. chloroleuca TMDS 2.1 increased the root volume (120 and 107%, respectively) than the control. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis showed the ability of three selected DSE isolates, L. theobromae APDS 3.2, F. falciforme TBMDS 2.4b, and P. oxacilum TMDS 3.2, to produce acetic acid butyl methyl-phosphinoylmethyl ester and ethanone, 1-(4-methyl-1H(imidazol-2-yl)—that previously reported as antimicrobials. Conclusion This study demonstrated that DSE fungal isolates had the potential to act as a biocontrol agent against R. microporus in H. Brasiliensis seedlings. In the future, the findings of this study could be utilized to prevent WRRD, one of the most serious problems in rubber plantations, in an environmentally friendly way by reducing the usage of fungicides

The Possible Biotechnological Use of Edible Mushroom Bioproducts for Controlling Plant and Animal Parasitic Nematodes

The present paper reviewed publications on the nematocidal activity of edible mushrooms (EM) and their potential use as sustainable tools for the control of parasitic nematodes affecting agriculture and livestock industry. Nematodes are organisms living in the soil and animals’ guts where they may live as parasites severely affecting economically important crops and farm animals, thus causing economic losses to worldwide agriculture. Traditionally, parasitic nematodes have been controlled using commercial pesticides and anthelmintic (AH) drugs. Over the years, nematodes developed resistance to the AH drugs, reducing the usefulness of many commercial drugs. Also, the use of pesticides/anthelmintic drugs to control nematodes can have important negative impacts on the environment. Different EM have been not only used as food but also studied as alternative methods for controlling several diseases including parasitic nematodes. The present paper reviewed publications from the last decades about the nematocidal activity of EM and assessed their potential use as sustainable tools for the control of nematodes affecting agriculture and livestock industry. A reduced number of reports on the effect of EM against nematodes were found, and an even smaller number of reports regarding the potential AH activity of chemical compounds isolated from EM products were found. However, those studies have produced promising results that certainly deserve further investigation. It is concluded that EM, their fractions and extracts, and some compounds contained in them may have biotechnological application for the control of animal and plant parasitic nematodes