Biological Control of Aflatoxin Contamination in U.S. Crops and the Use of Bioplastic Formulations of Aspergillus flavus Biocontrol Strains To Optimize Application Strategies

Aflatoxin contamination has a major economic impact on crop production in the southern United States. Reduction of aflatoxin contamination in harvested crops has been achieved by applying nonaflatoxigenic biocontrol Aspergillus flavus strains that can out-compete wild aflatoxigenic A. flavus, reducing their numbers at the site of application. Currently, the standard method for applying biocontrol A. flavus strains to soil is using a nutrient-supplying carrier (e.g., pearled barley for Afla-Guard). Granules of Bioplastic (partially acetylated corn starch) have been investigated as an alternative nutritive carrier for biocontrol agents. Bioplastic granules have also been used to prepare a sprayable biocontrol formulation that gives effective reduction of aflatoxin contamination in harvested corn kernels with application of much smaller amounts to leaves later in the growing season. The ultimate goal of biocontrol research is to produce biocontrol systems that can be applied to crops only when long-range weather forecasting indicates they will be needed

Laboratory and Field Investigations on Compatibility of Beauveria bassiana (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) Spores With a Sprayable Bioplastic Formulation for Application in the Biocontrol of Tarnished Plant Bug in Cotton

Two isolates of Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin, including the commercial strain GHA and the Mississippi Delta native NI8 strain, and two emulsifiers, Tween-80 and a starch-based sprayable bioplastic, were evaluated in the laboratory and field for pathogenicity and infectivity against the tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois) (Heteroptera: Miridae). The effect on fruit damage based on within-season cotton plant mapping was also examined. The highest mortality 10 d after treatment was found with insects caged on cotton terminals sprayed with NI8 + Tween-80, followed by those exposed to NI8 + bioplastic. Similarly, sporulation was shown to be higher in NI8 + Tween-80 than in other treatments. Plots sprayed with B. bassiana showed at least a twofold decrease in tarnished plant bug adults 3 d after treatment compared with control plots. Little to no variation was observed in tarnished plant bug nymph populations between treated and untreated plots. Within-season plant mapping provided clear evidence of damage to cotton caused by tarnished plant bug. The highest percentage retention of all first position fruiting structures was observed in plots treated with NI8 + Tween-80 (93.41 \ub1 1.51) followed by NI8 + bioplastic (90.25 \ub1 1.52). Both treatments were significantly different when compared with GHA + Tween-80 (82.89 \ub1 2.26) and GHA + bioplastic (70.48 \ub1 3.19), and both GHA formulations did not differ from the control (63.61 \ub1 2.96). Overall, these results indicated that B. bassiana application resulted in >50% mortality of tarnished plant bug regardless of the isolates by direct spray or by contact. However, the superior performance of the Mississippi Delta native NI8 strain was observed in all treatment applications and evaluation times

Effect of Increased Nitrogen Application Rates and Environment on Protein, Oil, Fatty Acids, and Minerals in Sesame (Sesamum indicum) Seed Grown under Mississippi Delta Conditions

Information on the effect of nitrogen fertilizer rates and environment on sesame seed composition and nutrition is scarce. The objective of this research was to investigate the effects of nitrogen fertilizer application rates on sesame seed yield, protein, oil, fatty acids, and mineral nutrition. A two-year (2014, 2015) field experiment was conducted. Nitrogen fertilizer (urea ammonium nitrate) solution (UAN, 32% N) was applied by side dressing to four sesame varieties (S-34, S-35, S-38, S-39) at rates of 44.7, 67.2, 89.6 and 112.0 kg\ub7ha-1. Rate of 44.7 kg\ub7ha-1 was used as control since this rate is traditionally recommended in the region. Increasing nitrogen application rates resulted in higher protein and oleic acid contents in two varieties in 2014, and in all varieties in 2015. Increased protein and oleic acid were accompanied by lower total oil and linoleic acid. Increased nitrogen application also resulted in higher seed N, S, B, Cu, Fe, and Zn in 2014 in S-34 and S-35, but either a decline or no clear change was observed in seed levels of these nutrients in S-38 and S-39. In 2015, increased nitrogen application resulted in significantly higher seed N in all varieties, and higher S, B, Cu, Fe, and Zn in some varieties. A significant positive correlation was observed between nitrogen application rate and yield, and with seed levels of protein, oleic, acid, N, B, Cu, Fe, and Zn. A significant negative correlation was observed between nitrogen application rate and seed oil and linoleic acid. Thus, increased nitrogen fertilizer application resulted in higher seed protein, oleic acid, and some mineral nutrients, but lower oil and linoleic acid. However, this effect depended on variety and environmental conditions. Because higher protein and oleic acid are desirable traits for sesame seed nutritional value and oil stability, regional breeders should select sesame varieties for efficient fertilizer response

Use of a biochar-based formulation for coating corn seeds

The series of experiments summarized here were conducted with the objective to evaluate the benefits of using biochar for coating corn seeds. Seeds coated with a slurry containing bio-based ingredients and biochar were tested for germination and vigor, and for their potential to being infected by the fungus Aspergillus flavus, using a novel single seed incubator specifically designed for these purposes. Biochar-treated seeds were also planted for two years in experimental fields in the Mississippi Delta to evaluate their effect on corn yield and aflatoxin contamination of kernels. Experiments were conducted with two types of commercial biochar; one was obtained from hardwood residues and the other from coconut shells. Application of both types of biochar for coating the seeds did not affect seed germination and vigor. However, treated seeds showed increased wettability and a more rapid water uptake. This resulted in a 8.5% shortening of germination time. Microbiological analysis using plate culturing and qPCR methods showed that biochar was not conducive to the growth of A. flavus. This was also confirmed by analyzing soil samples that were collected from experimental fields located in the Mississippi Delta. Most importantly, although aflatoxin contamination was different in the two experimental years, aflatoxin contamination of corn kernels was not affected by biochar-based formulations

METODO PER LA VALUTAZIONE DELLA DISPERSIONE DI PARTICELLE

Metodo per la valutazione della dispersione di particelle mediante un sistema per l\u2019analisi di materiale sfuso comprendente almeno una base ed una pluralit\ue0 di particelle contenenti materiale dielettrico; il sistema comprende un generatore di cariche elettrostatiche ed un sistema di controllo, il quale \ue8 atto a determinare la quantit\ue0 delle particelle. Il metodo comprende una fase di carica, durante la quale, un corpo di attrazione carico elettrostaticamente viene posto in prossimit\ue0 del materiale sfuso attraendo e trattenendo le particelle; una fase di combinazione, durante la quale una sostanza almeno parzialmente liquida, viene posta in corrispondenza delle particelle e le trattiene formando un miscuglio (mixture), una fase di solidificazione della sostanza che forma quindi un corpo almeno parzialmente solidificato contenente le particelle ed una fase di analisi delle particelle, durante la quale il sistema di controllo rileva le particelle contenute nel corpo almeno parzialmente solidificato e determina la quantit\ue0 di particelle in funzione di quanto rilevato

Influence of Cry1Ac toxin on mineralization and bioavailability of glyphosate in soil

The impact of transgenic plants containing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxin on soil processes has received recent attention. In these studies, we examined the influence of the lepidopterean Bt Cry1Ac toxin on mineralization and bioavailability of the herbicide glyphosate in two different soils. The addition of 0.25-1.0 íg g-1 soil of purified Cry1Ac toxin did not significantly affect glyphosate mineralization and sorption in either a sandy loam or a sandy soil. In contrast, extractable glyphosate decreased over the 28 day incubation period in both soils. Our findings suggest that the reduction in the bioavailabily of glyphosate was not influenced by the presence of Cry1Ac toxin but rather the results of aging or sorption processes. Results from this investigation suggest that the presence of moderate concentrations of Bt-derived Cry1Ac toxin would have no appreciable impact on processes controlling the fate of glyphosate in soils

Dispersione degli erbicidi nelle acque di drenaggio e nel sottosuolo di un sistema colturale mais-frumento

Dottorato di ricerca in colture erbacee. 12. ciclo. Coordinatore Giovanni Toderi. Tutore Pietro CatizoneConsiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche - Biblioteca Centrale - P.le Aldo Moro, 7 , Rome; Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale - P.za Cavalleggeri, 1, Florence / CNR - Consiglio Nazionale delle RichercheSIGLEITItal

Leaf application of a sprayable bioplastic-based formulation of biocontrol Aspergillus flavus strains for reduction of aflatoxins in corn

BACKGROUND Applying non-aflatoxin-producing Aspergillus flavus isolates to the soil has been shown to be effective in reducing aflatoxin levels in harvested crops, including peanuts, cotton and corn. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possibility of controlling aflatoxin contamination using a novel sprayable formulation consisting of a partially gelatinized starch-based bioplastic dispersion embedded with spores of biocontrol A. flavus strains, which is applied to the leaf surfaces of corn plants. RESULTS The formulation was shown to be adherent, resulting in colonization of leaf surfaces with the biocontrol strain of A. flavus, and to reduce aflatoxin contamination of harvested kernels by up to 80% in Northern Italy and by up to 89% in the Mississippi Delta. The percentage of aflatoxin-producing isolates in the soil reservoir under leaf-treated corn was not significantly changed, even when the soil was amended with additional A. flavus as a model of changes to the soil reservoir that occur in no-till agriculture. CONCLUSIONS This study indicated that it is not necessary to treat the soil reservoir in order to achieve effective biocontrol of aflatoxin contamination in kernel corn. Spraying this novel bioplastic-based formulation to leaves can be an effective alternative in the biocontrol of A. flavus in corn

Agronomia e tecnologia contro il black spot

Le lesioni meccaniche possono causare degli imbrunimenti sotto-epidermici ai tuberi, ma una corretta irrigazione e l’impiego di dispositivi funzionali, come la patata elettronica, possono aiutare a ridurre i dann