MORPHOPHYSIOLOGICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL STUDY OF DURUM WHEAT (DESF DURUM TRITICUM) UNDER ALGERIAN CONDITIONS

This study was conducted at the University of El Bachir El Ibrahimi in Algeria. This experiment aimed to investigate the differences among ten cultivars of durum wheat Desf durum Triticum grown in Algeria by studying morphophysiological and biochemical parameters. The results obtained showed that the individuals G8, G9, G10, are cultivars most significant for most morphological parameters and yield components, which recorded the most important values for plant height, Spike length and number of grains in spikes, weight of grains and weight of 1000 grains. The biochemical study showed that the investigation of total protein content differs between cultivars study. The morphophysiological and biochemical study determined the diversity of species and characteristics differentiation within the durum wheat cultivars

DEVELOPMENT OF NEW TEST SYSTEMS FOR MOLECULAR GENETIC IDENTIFICATION DITYLENCHUS DESTRUCTOR THORNE, 1945

The potato rot nematode (Ditylenchus destructor) has been recorded from several countries and causes considerable yield loss of potato. During 2018-2020, the potato rot nematode, D.destructor, Thorne, 1945 were extracted from potato tubers collected from six regions of Iran and the Russian Federation. These populations were described and compared for the first time based on their morphological, morphometric, and molecular characteristics. Furthermore, two new primer pairs were developed to exactly identify the nematode. The morphological and morphometric features were generally in agreement with those published for D. destructor. The rRNA gene of the nematodes was amplified and sequenced using two primer sets: dsn.1 R/F and dsn.2 R/F. New sequences were deposited in the GenBank under accession numbers MN122076, MN307126, MN307128, MN493767, MN658597, MN658599, MN658637, MN658638. The identification was further supported by PCR with designed species-specific primers for this species

ПЕРСПЕКТИВА УСТОЙЧИВЫХ К ГЕРБИЦИДАМ СОРНЯКОВ И ВАРИАНТЫ БОРЬБЫ С НИМИ

In crop lands around the globe, various interventions for weed suppression are used and among them are chemicals which are widely recommended for weed control. This paper will try to bring forth ideas that can be integrated into the development of herbicide resistance. In most instances, researchers devote more time in defining herbicide resistance, this will therefore shift the attention towards comprehensive investigations of the resistance development in weeds. Weed experts in collaboration with plant biologists can work in synergy to develop better approach and sound innovation aimed at addressing herbicides resistance challenges. Chemical herbicides have been known to affect weed fitness, ecosystem and the diversity of their community changes over a period of time in response to both herbicides and other intervention strategies imposed on them. Regular application of the herbicides with same active ingredients and site of action repeatedly and intensively have the potential to swiftly result in population that is more tolerant, and difficult to suppress, this will ultimately result in weed community that is herbicide resistant, particularly in absence of using herbicides with different modes of action. Therefore, there is need for concerted efforts and more work to be done by both weed experts and evolutionary biologists towards an improvement and broader knowledge with regard to resistant development in plants. This collaboration is cardinal in offering innovative and tangible solutions to the herbicide resistance challenges being faced by the world.На сельскохозяйственных угодьях по всему миру используются различные средства борьбы с сорняками, в том числе химические вещества, которые широко рекомендуются для борьбы с сорняками. В этой статье мы попытаемся выдвинуть идеи, которые могут быть интегрированы в развитие устойчивости к гербицидам. В большинстве случаев исследователи уделяют больше времени определению устойчивости к гербицидам, поэтому это позволит переключить внимание на всесторонние исследования развития устойчивости у сорняков. Эксперты по сорнякам в сотрудничестве с биологами растений могут работать в синергии для разработки лучшего подхода и обоснованных инноваций, направленных на решение проблем устойчивости к гербицидам. Известно, чо химические гербициды влияют на приспособленность сорняков, экосистему и разнообразие их сообществ в течение определенного периода времени в ответ как на гербициды, так и на другие стратегии вмешательства, навязанные им. Регулярное применение гербицидов с одинаковыми активными ингредиентами и местом действия многократно и интенсивно может привести

In Vitro Evaluation of Antibacterial and Antifungal Activity of Biogenic Silver and Copper Nanoparticles: The First Report of Applying Biogenic Nanoparticles against Pilidium concavum and Pestalotia sp. Fungi

There is increased attention paid to metallic nanoparticles due to their intensive use in various branches of agriculture and biotechnology, such as pest management, nanosensors, gene delivery, seed treatment, etc. There has been growing interest in applying environmentally friendly strategies for synthesizing nanoparticles without using substances which are hazardous to the environment. Biological practices for the synthesis of nanoparticles have been considered as possible ecofriendly alternatives to chemical synthesis. In the present study, we used biogenic silver and copper nanoparticles which were prepared by a previously reported green method. Moreover, the problem of chemical residues, which usually remain along with chemically synthesized nanoparticles and limit their application, was solved by developing such a green synthesis approach. To study the antibacterial activity of silver and copper nanoparticles, Pseudomonas aeruginosa was used; for the evaluation of antifungal activity, the pathogenic fungi Botrytis cinerea, Pilidium concavum and Pestalotia sp. were applied. To the best of our knowledge, this study represents the first time that the antifungal impact of a nanoparticle has been tested on Pilidium concavum and Pestalotia sp. Silver nanoparticles were found to be the more effective antimicrobial agent against all examined pathogens in comparison to copper nanoparticles. Data from such investigations provide valuable preliminary data on silver nanoparticle-based compounds or composites for use in the management of different pathogens

Macronutrient Applications and Irrigation Regimes Impact Weed Dynamics and Weed Seedbank Augmentation in <i>Solanum melongena</i> L. Fields

Weeds are a major yield-limiting factor bedeviling eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) production in Russia. This study aimed to determine the influence of macronutrient rates and drip irrigation regimes on weed flora composition and potential soil contamination by weed seedbanks in the eggplant field. Three field experiments were conducted during the 2019–2021 cropping calendar. Two-factorial field experiments were designed in four blocks whereby the composition of weed flora in eggplants was examined under the influence of different macronutrient rates (40 tons manure and N140P30, 40 tons manure and N320P120K210, and control without fertilization), and three thresholds of pre-irrigation soil moisture % least moisture capacity (LMC) (in particular, 70, 80 and 90% LMC). The results demonstrated that nutrient rates contributed to a significant increase in weed density of 27.1 to 37.6%, due to an increase in the number of annual weeds (annual winter weeds and annual early spring weeds), and an increase in soil moisture threshold from 70 to 90%. Nevertheless, low moisture availability between the rows as a result of drip irrigation utilization led to a decrease in weed populations by 10.8 to 15.9%. Potential contamination of the arable soil layer with weed seed was desirably decreased, ranging from 19.8 to 21.7% with the application of fertilizers, compared with the control. Furthermore, the soil weed seedbank was considerably reduced by an increase in the pre-irrigation threshold of soil moisture

Real-Time PCR primer design for rapid and specific identification of the emerging pest Drosophila simulans (Insecta)

The invasive pest Drosophila simulans is a dangerous insect for territory of Russian Federation and many countries.A large proportion of suspected Drosophilade in transit or discovered in orchard surveys are in the larval stages, as their feeding leads to observable damage to the produce (13). A real-time PCR protocol was set up using two D. simulans positive control samples(from different DNA and region) as well as several non-target species samples as negative controls (Table 2). The designed primer pairs that amplify D. simulans were used in a real-time PCR run on a CFX96 Touch Real-time platform (BioRad, Hercules, CA, USA). Optimization gradients of temperature (55-65°C). We developed and validated a rapid, highly sensitive and specific assay based on Real-time PCR. Based on DNA sequence polymorphisms, the findings of the Real-time PCR have shown that this pair of primers (5. ds) classify the exact region of the gene as well as the specific Drosophila simulans primer. The real-time method is a fastand accurate way to identify the molecular nature of a Drosophila simulans; and given that no primer has yet been developed that accurately identifies the Drosophila simulans, this primer can be very useful for researchers. We suggest using this guide in the Russian Federation and other countries in quarantine and in the other academic institutes.Инвазионный вредитель Drosophila simulans-опасное насекомое для территории Российской Федерации и многих стран. Большая часть предполагаемых дрозофил, находящихся в пути или обнаруженных приобследовании садов, находятся в стадии личинок, так как их кормление приводит к заметному повреждению продукта (13). Протокол ПЦР в реальном времени был создан с использованием двух положительных кон- трольных образцов D. simulans (из разных ДНК и регионов), а также нескольких образцов нецелевых видовв качестве отрицательных контрольных образцов. Разработанные пары праймеров, усиливающие D. simulans, были использованы в ПЦР-тестировании в реальном времени на платформе CFX96 Touch Real-time(Bio Rad, Hercules, CA, США). Мы разработали и валидировали быстрый, высокочувствительный и специфичный анализ, основанный на ПЦР в реальном времени. Основываясь на полиморфизмепоследовательности ДНК, результаты ПЦР в реальном времени показали, что эта пара праймеров (5. ds) может классифицировать точную область гена, а также специфический праймер Drosophila simulans. Метод реального времени-это быстрый и точный способ определить молекулярную природу симуляторов дрозофилы; а учитывая, что до сих пор не был разработан праймер, который бы точно идентифицировал симулянтов дрозофилы, этот праймер может быть очень полезен для исследователей. Мы рекомендуем использовать данную методику в лабораториях карантинных служб и институтовРоссийской Федерации и других стран

Impact of foliar fertilization on apple and pear trees in reconciling productivity and alleviation of environmental concerns under arid conditions

Drought and heat stress are significant factors limiting fruit crop yield in arid conditions. Foliar fertilization is a common practice of supplying fruit crop production with mineral nutrients, especially under limited soil nutrient availability conditions. To evaluate potential effectiveness of the foliar application of macro-, micronutrient and growth regulators on dynamics of physiological parameters of the pear and apple cultivars under abiotic stresses, three–year experiments were carried out under arid conditions at the Russian Research Institute of Arid Agriculture during the 2015–2017 growing seasons. It has been revealed that foliar nutrition reduces the negative influence of heat stress, stabilizes the functional state of plants, thereby enhancing resistance to drought. During the most severe drought periods of vegetation, under the influence of foliar nutrition, there was a significant increase in the total water content (TWC), relative leaf turgidity (RLT) and water retention capacity (WRC); and also index of leaf water deficiency (LWD) was improved as compared to the non-treated control. All foliar treatments involving the macro-, micronutrient and growth regulators significantly enhanced fruit crop yield of pear and apple varieties over the control, yield enhancement was obtained 2.7–22.0 t ha−1 for the Talgar beauty (pear variety), 2.2–19.3 t ha−1 for the Renet Symirenko (apple variety), and 1.6–10.5 t ha−1 for the Starkrimson (apple variety). The most effective treatments for water consumption coefficient (WCC) were plantafol and speedphol. The results suggest that foliar plantafol and speedfol could be used as part of an efficient, sustainable fertilizer program for apple and pear trees for maintaining or improving fruit quality, productivity, and avoiding negative efficacy of abiotic stresses

Evaluation of Phoma sp. Biomass as an Endophytic Fungus for Synthesis of Extracellular Gold Nanoparticles with Antibacterial and Antifungal Properties

The aim of our study was to examine the different concentrations of AuNPs as a new antimicrobial substance to control the pathogenic activity. The extracellular synthesis of AuNPs performed by using Phoma sp. as an endophytic fungus. Endophytic fungus was isolated from vascular tissue of peach trees (Prunus persica) from Baft, located in Kerman province, Iran. The UltraViolet-Visible Spectroscopy (UV&ndash;Vis spectroscopy) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy provided the absorbance peak at 526 nm, while the X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy images released the formation of spherical AuNPs with sizes in the range of 10&ndash;100 nm. The findings of inhibition zone test of Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) showed a desirable antifungal and antibacterial activity against phytopathogens including Rhizoctonia solani AG1-IA (AG1-IA has been identified as the dominant anastomosis group) and Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae. The highest inhibition level against sclerotia formation was 93% for AuNPs at a concentration of 80 &mu;g/mL. Application of endophytic fungus biomass for synthesis of AuNPs is relatively inexpensive, single step and environmentally friendly. In vitro study of the antifungal activity of AuNPs at concentrations of 10, 20, 40 and 80 &mu;g/mL was conducted against rice fungal pathogen R. solani to reduce sclerotia formation. The experimental data revealed that the Inhibition rate (RH) for sclerotia formation was (15, 33, 74 and 93%), respectively, for their corresponding AuNPs concentrations (10, 20, 40 and 80 &mu;g/mL). Our findings obviously indicated that the RH strongly depend on AuNPs rates, and enhance upon an increase in AuNPs rates. The application of endophytic fungi biomass for green synthesis is our future goal

The Efficacy of Micronutrient Fertilizers on the Yield Formulation and Quality of Wheat Grains

Under the changing climatic conditions, one of the most pressing issues in wheat production is the improvement of the yield quality, the lack of which has a negative impact on animal and human health. More than 25% of the world’s population are affected by micronutrient deficiencies in food products, a problem which is known as hidden hunger. Thus, effective micronutrient management is crucial for improving both the quantity and quality of wheat production by increasing the plant’s ability to tolerate various environmental stresses and diseases. In this review, previous works were assessed to investigate the significance of micronutrient fertilizers and their interaction effects on the wheat grain yield and quality, including high-quality and nutritionally rich products. The application of micronutrients mixed with macronutrients significantly increases plant growth, physiological traits, yield components, the grain yield, and the quality traits. Among the types of applications, the foliar application of nutrients is very profitable due to its efficiency in terms of economics, ecology, and the qualitative and quantitative yield. In short, in-depth studies are needed to determine the best concentrations, forms, and times of application of micro-fertilizers to the wheat field and to mitigate the challenges of the increasing wheat demand due to steadily rising world population growth and reducing the rates of nutritional deficiency

Facile Biogenic Synthesis and Characterization of Seven Metal-Based Nanoparticles Conjugated with Phytochemical Bioactives Using Fragaria ananassa Leaf Extract

In this investigation, for the first time, we used Fragaria ananassa (strawberry) leaf extract as a source of natural reducing, capping or stabilizing agents to develop an eco-friendly, cost-effective and safe process for the biosynthesis of metal-based nanoparticles including silver, copper, iron, zinc and magnesium oxide. Calcinated and non-calcinated zinc oxide nanoparticles also synthesized during a method different from our previous study. To confirm the successful formation of nanoparticles, different characterization techniques applied. UV-Vis spectroscopy, X-ray Diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) coupled with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), Photon Cross-Correlation Spectroscopy (PCCS) and Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) were used to study the unique structure and properties of biosynthesized nanoparticles. The results show the successful formation of metal-based particles in the range of nanometer, confirmed by different characterization techniques. Finally, the presented approach has been demonstrated to be effective in the biosynthesis of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles