Effects of salicylic acid on the growth and pathogenicity of Zymoseptoria tritici

Introduction: Zymoseptoria tritici, is a species of filamentous fungus and causes the widespread wheat disease Septoria tritici blotch (STB). Salicylic acid has a key role in plant defence reactions and is also involved in the induction of systemic acquired resistance. However, the contribution of SA to the interaction of Z. tritici -wheat in STB is not entirely clear.In this study, it was shown that the Z. tritici mycelial growth and conidia germination were significantly inhibited the presence of increasing concentration of SA in both liquid and solid media. In addition, the effect of SA on pathogenicity of Z. tritici in wheat was investigated. Materials and methods: In this study, the inhibitory effect of SA on Z. tritici at different concentrations (1 to 20 mM) in vitro, and also, the efficacy of its exogenous application in the suppression of STB in wheat under the greenhouse condition were investigated. In vitro evaluation was done on YMDA and YMDB to determine the effect of SA on the germination of conidia and growth of mycelium, respectively.  Susceptible bread wheat cultivar was grown in pot and inoculated with fungus spores and SA in a three-leaf stage for green house experiments. Results: The results showed that the germination ofconidia was completely inhibited by 4 mM SA. Furthermore, in modified YMDA plates at over 0.8 mM, the colonies diameter was reduced significantly. The result of in planta assay indicated that the foliar application of 4 mM SA can significantly reduce the disease symptoms on the wheat leaves. Discussion and conclusion: Regarding our data, it seems that SA shows more inhibitory effect in in vitro experiments than in planta. Moreover, according to the positive effects of SA on STB, the survey results can be considered as a potential approach in the management of this disease

Response of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) to Spent Mushroom Compost under Different Moisture Conditions

The effect of spent mushroom compost (SMC) on yield and yield components of wheat (cv. Azar2) under different moisture conditions was evaluated in pot experiment at Dry-land Agricultural Research Institute in 2010. Experiment arrangement was factorial based on complete randomized design with four replications. Treatments were SMC at three levels (0, 25 and 50 Mg.ha-1) and water deficit stress at three levels (-0.3 or field capacity, -5 and -10 bar). Some morphological, yield and yield components of wheat were determined. Results indicated that water stress had a negative and significant (

Multilayer perceptron-genetic algorithm as a promising tool for modeling cultivation substrate of Auricularia cornea Native to Iran

Auricularia cornea Ehrenb (syn. A. polytricha) is a wood-decaying fungi known as black ear mushroom. Earlike gelatinous fruiting body distinguishes them from other fungi. Industrial wastes have the potential to be used as the basic substrate to produce mushrooms. Therefore, 16 substrate formulations were prepared from different ratios of beech (BS) and hornbeam sawdust (HS) supplemented with wheat (WB) and rice brans (RB). The pH and initial moisture content of substrate mixtures were adjusted to 6.5 and 70%, respectively. The comparison of in vitro growth characteristics of the fungal mycelia under the different temperatures (25, 28, and 30°C), and culture media [yeast extract agar (YEA), potato extract agar (PEA), malt extract agar (MEA), and also HS and BS extract agar media supplemented with maltose, dextrose, and fructose revealed that the highest mycelial growth rate (MGR; 7.5 mm/day) belonged to HS and BS extract agar media supplemented with three mentioned sugar at 28°C. In A. cornea spawn study, the substrate combination of BS (70%) + WB (30%) at 28°C and moisture contents of 75% displayed the highest mean MGR (9.3 mm/day) and lowest spawn run period (9.0 days). In the bag test, “BS (70%) + WB (30%)” was the best substrate displaying the shortest spawn run period (19.7 days), and the highest fresh sporophore yield (131.7 g/bag), biological efficiency (53.1%) and number of basidiocarp (9.0/bag) of A. cornea. Also, A. cornea cultivation was processed to model yield, biological efficiency (BE), spawn run period (SRP), days for pinhead formation (DPHF), days for the first harvest (DFFH), and total cultivation period (TCP) by multilayer perceptron-genetic algorithm (MLP-GA). MLP-GA (0.81–0.99) exhibited a higher predictive ability than stepwise regression (0.06–0.58). The forecasted values of the output variables were in good accordance with their observed ones corroborating the good competency of established MLP-GA models. MLP-GA modeling exhibited a powerful tool for forecasting and thus selecting the optimal substrate for maximum A. cornea production

Multilayer perceptron-genetic algorithm as a promising tool for modeling cultivation substrate of Auricularia cornea Native to Iran.

Auricularia cornea Ehrenb (syn. A. polytricha) is a wood-decaying fungi known as black ear mushroom. Earlike gelatinous fruiting body distinguishes them from other fungi. Industrial wastes have the potential to be used as the basic substrate to produce mushrooms. Therefore, 16 substrate formulations were prepared from different ratios of beech (BS) and hornbeam sawdust (HS) supplemented with wheat (WB) and rice brans (RB). The pH and initial moisture content of substrate mixtures were adjusted to 6.5 and 70%, respectively. The comparison of in vitro growth characteristics of the fungal mycelia under the different temperatures (25, 28, and 30°C), and culture media [yeast extract agar (YEA), potato extract agar (PEA), malt extract agar (MEA), and also HS and BS extract agar media supplemented with maltose, dextrose, and fructose revealed that the highest mycelial growth rate (MGR; 7.5 mm/day) belonged to HS and BS extract agar media supplemented with three mentioned sugar at 28°C. In A. cornea spawn study, the substrate combination of BS (70%) + WB (30%) at 28°C and moisture contents of 75% displayed the highest mean MGR (9.3 mm/day) and lowest spawn run period (9.0 days). In the bag test, "BS (70%) + WB (30%)" was the best substrate displaying the shortest spawn run period (19.7 days), and the highest fresh sporophore yield (131.7 g/bag), biological efficiency (53.1%) and number of basidiocarp (9.0/bag) of A. cornea. Also, A. cornea cultivation was processed to model yield, biological efficiency (BE), spawn run period (SRP), days for pinhead formation (DPHF), days for the first harvest (DFFH), and total cultivation period (TCP) by multilayer perceptron-genetic algorithm (MLP-GA). MLP-GA (0.81-0.99) exhibited a higher predictive ability than stepwise regression (0.06-0.58). The forecasted values of the output variables were in good accordance with their observed ones corroborating the good competency of established MLP-GA models. MLP-GA modeling exhibited a powerful tool for forecasting and thus selecting the optimal substrate for maximum A. cornea production

Evaluation of genetic diversity among some commercial cultivars and wild Iranian strains of Agaricus bisporus by microsatellite markers

Agaricus bisporus is the most widely cultivated mushroom in Iran. Lack of diversity in mushroom crops especially where disease is concerned, creates a crucial risk in the currently grown cultivars. The aim of this study was to assess the genetic diversity among Iranian wild strains and some commercial cultivars by using microsatellite markers. Eighteen codominant microsatellite markers of A. bisporus (AbSSR) were used to distinguish 17 wild and commercial strains. All the microsatellite markers used in this research gave clear banding patterns and only one strain remained undistinguished. Among 106 generated alleles the wild subgroup presented 53 alleles never found both in brown and white commercial cultivars and 42 alleles never found in commercial brown strains. The dendrogram obtained by UPGMA clustering analysis separated A.bisporus strains into six groups. Based on our results, the high level of genetic diversity among Iranian wild strains, compared with the commercial strains, provides a new and promising source of diversity for A. bisporus breeding programs. To our knowledge this is the first relevant study of biodiversity in native Iranian populations of A. bisporus.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author

Effect of cropping systems and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on soil microbial activity and root nodule nitrogenase

Forage legumes are used to enhancement soil fertility of the agro ecosystem. Understanding effect of them on agro ecosystem soil status during when these legumes growing and after that is essential. In one experiment the effects of inoculation with the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), Glomus mosseae, and mixed cropping systems (MCS) on forage biomass yield, nitrogen production, nitrogenase activity and after harvesting on soil microbial activity were studied at various mixed cropping ratios of berseem clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L., B) to Persian clover (Trifolium resupinatum L., P) (B:P = 1:0, 3:1, 1:1, and 1:3). In the second experiment, the effect of treatments on soil microbial activity were studied by soil collection after clover harvesting and 8-week soil incubations in the laboratory. MCS had positive effects on root and shoot dry weight. The effects of AMF on plant yield were positive. AMF affected the fraction root and the vertical root distribution. Plants colonized by AMF showed shorter roots than control plants. At cut 1, with the AMF colonization, the greatest nitrogenase activity (79.61 μmol C2H4 g dwt−1 h−1) of root nodule was observed with B:P = 3:1. At cut 2, the Persian clover plants colonized by G. mosseae in the mixed crop (1:3) had a higher nitrogenase activity (77.38 μmol C2H4 g dwt−1 h−1). The greatest nitrogen accumulation in the aboveground biomass, 23.5 mg g−1 forage dry matter, was obtained with mixed cropping (B:P = 1:1) in the presence of the AMF colonization. Microbial activity measured as substrate-induced respiration and activities of dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, and acid phosphatase enzymes responded positively to AMF colonization; with the greatest activities for B:P = 1:3

Study of defense genes expression profile pattern of wheat in response to infection by Mycosphaerella graminicola

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of salicylic acid on the gene expression pattern of four enzymes; Phenylalanine ammonialyase, Polyphenol oxidase, Peroxidase and Catalase in wheat-Mycosphaerella graminicola pathosystem. For this reason, Salicylic Acid (2mm) were sprayed on wheat in two-leaf stage before inoculation with the fungal pathogen. Sampling of the plants was done at five time points (0, 3, 6, 12 and 24 h) after inoculation. The scanning of genes expression pattern of encoding enzymes were carried out by reverse northern dot blotting method. The results showed that within 24 hours post inoculation the gene expression of these enzymes significantly increased in this tolerant cultivar. SA enhanced the expression of Phenylalanine ammonialyase and Peroxidase genes in all time points. The expression of Polyphenol oxidase was increased by SA after 12h. On the other hand, increasing the expression level of these genes directly increases the activity of the enzymes which indicates direct role of these gens in plant defense system. SA caused a rapid rise in expression of Catalase gene, but this effect was not continued for 24h

Medicinal mushroom Agaricus subrufescens from Iran shares genetic markers with specimens from China and Thailand

Agaricus subrufescens Peck is a cosmopolitan species of nutritional and medicinal interest. Three types of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA sequences were recently characterized for this species. Sequences of types A, B, or both types A and B are found in American and European specimens, while sequences of type C are found in Asian (China and Thailand) and Oceanian (Hawaii) specimens. We report on a collection of this species from Iran, for the first time. Both the morphological features and ITS sequence confirm its identification as A. subrufescens. Its ITS sequence was of type C and even identical to that of specimens previously reported from Hawaii, China, and Thailand. This sequence differed from those of Europe or the Americas, where most current cultivars originate. The discovery of a specimen likely native to Iran extends the known distribution range of the ITS sequence of type C from East Asia to Iran. More collections from West Asia (and elsewhere, for example Africa) would help to better know the distribution area of the different types of ITS sequences and to increase the available germ-plasm resources of A. subrufescens

Genetic diversity and population structure of Iranian wild Pleurotus eryngii species-complex strains revealed by URP-PCR markers

In the present study, a set of 68 P. eryngii wild strains collected from nine locations in northwest and west of Iran along with six commercial strains were studied using universal rice primers (URP). The wild strains were isolated from Ferula ovina, F. haussknechtii, Cachrys ferulacea, Kellusia odoratissima and Smyrniopsis aucheri plant species. Eleven URP primers amplified 188 polymorphic fragments. A total of 3, 2 and 7 bands were specific to the strains collected from F. ovina and C. ferulacea plant species and commercial strains, respectively. The highest and lowest polymorphisms were identified in populations B (66.49%) and F (24.47%), respectively. Genetic distances among populations ranged from 0.027 (between populations A and B) to 0.393 (between populations C and F) with an average of 0.210. The closest and furthest wild populations to commercial strains were populations B (0.102) and F (0.234), respectively. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed significant among regions, among populations within regions and within population diversity, whereas within population variation (61.6%) accounted for most of the total molecular variance

Curbing the Growth of Wax Bean (<i>Vigna unguiculata</i> L.) <i>via</i> a Novel Complex of Nano Zinc Oxide/Vermicompost

Vermicompost (VC) samples were prepared from manure and spent mushroom compost (SMC) and were impregnated with zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs), giving ZnO NPs/VC complexes that were added into the soil in which wax beans (Vigna unguiculata L.) were then planted. The study was carried out through a factorial experiment in a randomized complete block design with three factors. The experimental factors included: ZnO NPs (0, 0.4, 0.8 and 1.2 mg kg-1), two substrate types (cow manure and SMC) and VC (2.5, 5 and 7.5 weight percentages). To the substrate types, adult earthworms (Eisenia fetida) were added. Specifically, after three months, the prepared VC was soaked in ZnO NPs solutions, mixed with soil (according to cultivation substrate weight), then employed in wet plantation of wax beans. The obtained results showed that with increasing ZnO NPs, leaves’ chlorophyll, grains number per pod, stem length, hundred grains weight, grain yield, and the grain protein content significantly decreased. In general, the usage of these NPs in the applied amounts could curb the undesired growth of this species