The physiological responses of cacao to the environment and the implications for climate change resilience. A review

Cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) is a tropical perennial crop which is of great economic importance to the confectionary industry and to the economies of many countries of the humid tropics where it is grown. Some recent studies have suggested climate change could severely impact cacao production in West Africa. It is essential to incorporate our understanding of the physiology and genetic variation within cacao germplasm when discussing the implications of climate change on cacao productivity and developing strategies for climate resilience in cacao production. Here we review the current research on the physiological responses of cacao to various climate factors. Our main findings are 1) water limitation causes significant yield reduction in cacao but genotypic variation in sensitivity is evident, 2) in the field cacao experiences higher temperatures than is often reported in the literature, 3) the complexity of the cacao/ shade tree interaction can lead to contradictory results, 4) elevated CO2 may alleviate some negative effects of climate change 5) implementation of mitigation strategies can help reduce environmental stress, 6) significant gaps in the research need addressing to accelerate the development of climate resilience. Harnessing the significant genetic variation apparent within cacao germplasm is essential to develop modern varieties capable of high yields in non-optimal conditions. Mitigation strategies will also be essential but to use shading to best effect shade tree selection is crucial to avoid resource competition. Cacao is often described as being sensitive to climate change but genetic variation, adaptive responses, appropriate mitigation strategies and interactive climate effects should all be considered when predicting the future of cacao production. Incorporating these physiological responses to various environmental conditions and developing a deeper understanding of the processes underlying these responses will help to accelerate the development of a more resource use efficient tree ensuring sustainable production into the future

A population genomics approach shows widespread geographical distribution of cryptic genomic forms of the symbiotic fungus Rhizophagus irregularis.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF; phylum Gomeromycota) associate with plants forming one of the most successful microbe-plant associations. The fungi promote plant diversity and have a potentially important role in global agriculture. Plant growth depends on both inter- and intra-specific variation in AMF. It was recently reported that an unusually large number of AMF taxa have an intercontinental distribution, suggesting long-distance gene flow for many AMF species, facilitated by either long-distance natural dispersal mechanisms or human-assisted dispersal. However, the intercontinental distribution of AMF species has been questioned because the use of very low-resolution markers may be unsuitable to detect genetic differences among geographically separated AMF, as seen with some other fungi. This has been untestable because of the lack of population genomic data, with high resolution, for any AMF taxa. Here we use phylogenetics and population genomics to test for intra-specific variation in Rhizophagus irregularis, an AMF species for which genome sequence information already exists. We used ddRAD sequencing to obtain thousands of markers distributed across the genomes of 81 R. irregularis isolates and related species. Based on 6 888 variable positions, we observed significant genetic divergence into four main genetic groups within R. irregularis, highlighting that previous studies have not captured underlying genetic variation. Despite considerable genetic divergence, surprisingly, the variation could not be explained by geographical origin, thus also supporting the hypothesis for at least one AMF species of widely dispersed AMF genotypes at an intercontinental scale. Such information is crucial for understanding AMF ecology, and how these fungi can be used in an environmentally safe way in distant locations

Hierarchical spatial sampling reveals factors influencing arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus diversity in Côte d'Ivoire cocoa plantations.

While many molecular studies have documented arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) communities in temperate ecosystems, very few studies exist in which molecular techniques have been used to study tropical AMF communities. Understanding the composition of AMF communities in tropical areas gains special relevance as crop productivity in typically low fertility tropical soils can be improved with the use of AMF. We used a hierarchical sampling approach in which we sampled soil from cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) plantations nested in localities, and in which localities were nested within each of three regions of Côte d'Ivoire. This sampling strategy, combined with 18S rRNA gene sequencing and a dedicated de novo OTU-picking model, allowed us to study AMF community composition and how it is influenced at different geographical scales and across environmental gradients. Several factors, including pH, influenced overall AMF alpha diversity and differential abundance of specific taxa and families of the Glomeromycotina. Assemblages and diversity metrics at the local scale did not reliably predict those at regional scales. The amount of variation explained by soil, climate, and geography variables left a large proportion of the variance to be explained by other processes, likely happening at smaller scales than the ones considered in this study. Gaining a better understanding of processes involved in shaping tropical AMF community composition and AMF establishment are much needed and could allow for the development of sustainable, productive tropical agroecosystems

Використання кисломолочних продуктів функціонального харчування у практиці лікарів-педіатрів та лікарів загальної практики — сімейних лікарів

Normal microflora is very important for the sustainable growth and development of the child's body. Determinations, the age characteristics and normal microfloras' main functions are defined in the article. Information about production, classification, qualitative and quantitative strain composition of normal microflora functional food containing are also submitted. A brief history of the origin of the strain composition of normal microflora functional food containing (yogurt starter cultures) is reduced. The possibility of their use in pediatricians, general practitioners and family medicine doctors' practice. Key words: normal microflora, functional food containing, yogurt starter cultures.Нормальная микрофлора чрезвычайно важна для сбалансированного роста и развития детского организма. В статье приведены определение, возрастные особенности и основные функции нормальной микрофлоры. Также представлена информация об изготовлении, классификации, качественном и количественном штаммовом составе продуктов функционального питания, содержащих пробиотические бактерии, идентичные нормальной микрофлоре. Приведена краткая историческая справка о происхождении продуктов функционального питания с идентичным нормальной микрофлоре составом (йогуртов, заквасок). Показаны возможности их применения в практике врачей-педиатров, врачей общей практики и семейной медицины. Ключевые слова: нормальная микрофлора, функциональные продукты питания, йогурт, закваска.Нормальна мікрофлора є надзвичайно важливою для збалансованого росту та розвитку дитячого організму. У статті наведено визначення, вікові особливості та основні функції нормальної мікрофлори. Також надано інформацію про виготовлення, класифікацію, якісний та кількісний штамовий склад продуктів функціонального харчування, що містять пробіотичні бактерії, ідентичні нормальній мікрофлорі. Наведена коротка історична довідка про походження продуктів функціонального харчування з ідентичним нормальній мікрофлорі складом (йогуртів, заквасок). Показано можливості їх використання у практиці лікарів-педіатрів, лікарів загальної практики та сімейної медицини. Ключові слова: нормальна мікрофлора, функціональні продукти харчування, йогурт, закваска