Chemical and biological control of Fusarium species involved in garlic dry rot at early crop stages

AbstractThe aim of the study was to test in vitro and in vivo the efficacy of triazoles and biocontrol agents (BCAs) against Fusarium proliferatum and F. oxysporum, the former signaled as the main causal agent of garlic dry rot and the latter also involved. In vitro trials were organized using potato dextrose agar with added chemicals or BCAs inoculated with selected F. proliferatum and F. oxysporum. Garlic cloves were dipped before sowing in suspensions prepared with the fungicides showing the best performances in vitro; then they were dipped in Fusaria suspension before sowing. In in vitro trials, the maximum Fusaria growth inhibition was performed by Propiconazole + Prochloraz (100%), followed by Tebuconazole (88.9%). BCAs showed great capacity to control Fusaria, with a maximum growth inhibition of 80% (Trichoderma harzianum + T. gamsii). In vivo bacterial BCAs showed a similar capacity to control F. proliferatum and F. oxysporum compared to chemical products (mean of severity index 18.6% and 11.7%, respectively). In vivo results confirmed the in vitro performances, except for Trichoderma, which had the worst performances in vivo. Therefore, the results are preliminary but promising for future field application

First report of a gallbladder hemangioma coexisting with gallstones: a case report and literature review of a rare finding

BACKGROUND: Gallbladder hemangioma is an exceptionally rare entity, with only ten cases reported in literature hitherto. The here described case is the first report of a gallbladder hemangioma coexisting with gallstones. CASE PRESENTATION: A 76-year-old male was hospitalized following repeated episodes of epigastric pain. Patient’s medical history included primary hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, obesity and hyperuricemia. Physical examination revealed marked pain in the right hypochondriac region, and laboratory workup was notable for mildly elevated glycemia (125 mg/dL) and pancreatic amylase (60 IU/L). Abdominal ultrasound showed multiple gallstones, a thickened gallbladder wall and mild edema of the perivisceral adipose tissue as well as a hepatic angioma. During surgery, an incidental subserosal nodule of about 1 cm was detected within the gallbladder fundus. After surgery, the clinical course was uneventful and the patient was discharged. Histopathological examination of the subserosal nodule showed multiple dilated vascular channels within a sclerosing matrix, a finding consistent with a cavernous hemangioma. Diffuse chronic cholecystitis was also present. CONCLUSIONS: Gallbladder hemangiomas represent a rare, likely underdiagnosed condition which can be undetected during the preoperative workup

Elicitation and accumulation of stilbene phytoalexins in grapevine berries infected by Botrytis cinerea

At three developmental stages berries of field-grown Castor (interspecific crossing) and Huxelrebe (V. vinifera L. crossing) were in vitro inoculated with two strains of Botrytis cinerea Pers. to investigate the response of berries to fungal infection With respect to the time course of phytoalexin (trans-resveratrol, ε-viniferin and pterostilbene) accumulation and Visual disease symptoms. In infected berries the amounts of ε-viniferin dominated over pterostilbene. The stilbene phytoalexin content decreased during berry development and sugar accumulation. Grape varieties reacted differently to B. cinerea strains with regard to stilbene response and Visual symptoms. Mechanical damage of the berry skin induced uninfected berries to synthesize low amounts of phytoalexins. It can be assumed that after extraction and degradation ε-viniferin of mature berries is a source of resveratrol in wine

Efficacy of chemical and biological spray seed treatments in preventing garlic dry rot

Garlic dry rot caused by Fusarium proliferatum is an emerging postharvest disease that has resulted in severe economic losses, necessitating design and implementation of efficient disease control strategies. Sanitation of planting cloves is critical for preventing garlic dry rot. This study evaluated the efficacy of commercial chemicals and biocontrol agents, applied at planting as spray treatments, for reducing disease severity and the occurrence of Fusarium spp. in garlic, from the field stage then through 9 months of postharvest storage. Tebuconazole was the most effective for reducing disease severity, giving 26.5% reduction of basal plate rots and 44% reduction of bulb rots, and 33.4% reduction in visible symptoms on cloves relative to the untreated controls. Comparable results were obtained by applying B. subtilis and S. griseoviridis. However, none of the active ingredients tested in this study reduced the incidence of F. oxysporum and F. proliferatum on basal plates, although tebuconazole reduced the postharvest incidence of F. proliferatum on cloves by nearly 50%. Incidence of F. proliferatum increased by 37% in bulbs transferred from storage to room temperature (25°C) for 15 days, simulating storage in consumers' homes. These results demonstrate that spray seed clove treatments have inhibitory effects on postharvest garlic dry rot, although further research is required to determine the persistence of these treatments during prolonged storage, especially without low temperatures