Trichoderma-Induced Resistance to Botrytis cinerea in Solanum Species: A Meta-Analysis

With the idea of summarizing the outcomes of studies focusing on the resistance induced by Trichoderma spp. against Botrytis cinerea in tomato, the present paper shows, for the first time, results of a meta-analysis performed on studies published from 2010 to 2021 concerning the cross-talk occurring in the tomato–Trichoderma-B. cinerea system. Starting from an initial set of 40 papers, the analysis was performed on 15 works and included nine parameters, as a result of a stringent selection mainly based on the availability of more than one article including the same indicator. The resulting work not only emphasizes the beneficial effects of Trichoderma in the control of grey mold in tomato leaves (reduction in disease intensity, severity and incidence and modulation of resistance genes in the host), but carefully drives the readers to reply to two questions: (i) What are the overall effects of Trichoderma on B. cinerea infection in tomato? (ii) Do the main effects of Trichoderma differ based on the tomato species, Trichoderma species, amount, type and duration of treatment? At the same time, this meta-analysis highlights some weak points of the available literature and should be seen as an invitation to improve future works to better the conceptualization and measure

Beneficial effects of Trichoderma harzianum T-22 in tomato seedlings infected by Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV)

The study of the biochemical and molecular mechanisms deriving from the host-pathogen-antagonist interaction is essential to understand the dynamics of infectious processes and can be useful for the development of new strategies to control phytopathogens, particularly viruses, against which chemical treatments have no effect. In this work, we demonstrate the ability of the rhizospheric fungus Trichoderma harzianum strain T-22 (T22) to induce defense responses in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme) against Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV, family Bromoviridae, genus Cucumovirus) strain Fny. A granule formulation containing T22 was used for treating the plants before, simultaneously or after the CMV inoculation, in order to study the molecular and biochemical aspects of the interaction between T22 and tomato against the virus. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the genes encoding for ROS scavenging enzymes were investigated. Histochemical analysis revealed a different increase in the superoxide anion (O2 ) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content in plants infected by CMV alone or in the presence of T22, confirming the involvement of ROS in plant defense responses. Gene expression analysis suggested a definite improvement in oxidative stress when plants were treated with T22 after inoculation with CMV. In conclusion, our data indicate that Trichoderma harzianum T-22 stimulates the induction of tomato defense responses against CMV, an action that implies the involvement of ROS, pointing towards its use as a treatment rather than as a preventive measure

Root Morphology, Allometric Relations and Rhizosheath of Ancient and Modern Tetraploid Wheats (Triticum durum Desf.) in Response to Inoculation with Trichoderma harzianum T-22

Early root traits and allometrics of wheat are important for competition and use of resources. They are under-utilized in research and un-explored in many ancient wheats. This is especially true for the rhizosheath emerging from root-soil interactions. We investigated root morphology, root/shoot relations and the amount of rhizosheath of four tetrapoid wheat seedlings (30 days after emergence): the italian landrace Saragolle Lucana and modern varieties Creso, Simeto and Ciclope, and tested the hypothesis that inoculation with Trichoderma harzianum T-22 (T-22) enhances rhizosheath formation and affects wheat varieties differently. Overall growth of non-inoculated plants showed different patterns in wheat varieties, with Saragolle and Ciclope at the two extremes: Saragolle invests in shoot rather than root mass, and in the occupation of space with highest (p < 0.05) shoot height to the uppermost internode (5.02 cm) and length-to-mass shoot (97.8 cm g−1) and root (more than 140 m g−1) ratios. This may be interpreted as maximizing competition for light but also as a compensation for low shoot efficiency due to the lowest (p < 0.05) recorded values of optically-measured chlorophyll content index (22.8). Ciclope invests in biomass with highest shoot (0.06 g) and root (0.04 g) mass and a thicker root system (average diameter 0.34 mm vs. 0.29 in Saragolle) as well as a highest root/shoot ratio (0.95 g g−1 vs. 0.54 in Saragolle). Rhizosheath mass ranged between 22.14 times that of shoot mass in Ciclope and 43.40 in Saragolle (different for p < 0.05). Inoculation with Trichoderma increased the amount of rhizosheath from 9.4% in Ciclope to 36.1% in Simeto and modified root architecture in this variety more than in others. Ours are the first data on roots and seedling shoot traits of Saragolle Lucana and of Trichoderma inoculation effects on rhizosheath. This opens to new unreported interpretations of effects of Trichoderma inoculation on improving plant growth

In vitro antifungal activity and in vivo edible coating efficacy of insect-derived chitosan against Botrytis cinerea in strawberry

Strawberry is a perishable fruit, susceptible to development of rot by a range of fungi, in particular Botrytis cinerea. Chitosan represents an alternative to agrochemicals for improving shelf-life and fighting fungal pathogens. A chitosan-based coating derived from pupal exuviae of Hermetia illucens has been recently formulated for improving shelf-life of strawberry stored at 4 °C and mixed condition (4 °C and room temperature). The effects of a decolored (PEDEC) and not decolored (PEND) chitosan from the black soldier fly were evaluated and compared with commercial chitosans from crustaceans (CCs), in vitro and in vivo. An inhibition/reduction of fungal growth and a disturbance of normal fungal morphology were observed, being MIC of 0.5 mg mL−1 and 1 mg mL−1 and growth inhibition of 70 % and 4% for PEND and PEDEC, respectively. Both edible coatings distributed via aerograph showed equal or better potential application than CCs in controlling B. cinerea in strawberry post-harvest treated. Different effects for chitosans depended on their different molecular weight and deacetylation degree distributions, and the presence or absence of melanin pigments in their structure. PEND could act directly against the fungus, with effects predominantly associated with fungitoxic properties; PEDEC might principally provide viable alternatives, such as the elicitation of biochemical defense responses in fruits, for example through total phenols, in particular the flavonoids

Hermetia illucens, an innovative and sustainable source of chitosan-based coating for postharvest preservation of strawberries

The ability of chitosan produced from pupal exuviae of Hermetia illucens to retard the decay of the local strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) cultivar Melissa was investigated for the first time in this paper. The results demonstrated the effectiveness of insect chitosan compared to the commercial polymer in preserving and enhancing, at the same time, some physicochemical parameters (weight loss, pH and soluble solids content) and nutraceutical properties (total polyphenol content, total flavonoid content and total antioxidant activity) of strawberries stored at RT, 4 C and at mixed storage conditions (4 C + RT). Moreover, chitosan from H. illucens was also effective in reducing fungal decay and improving fruit shelf life. The obtained results confirm that insect chitosan, particularly deriving from H. illucens pupal exuviae, can be a viable alternative to crustacean one in safeguarding postharvest fruits

Development and analytical performance of an automated screening method for cannabinoids on the Dimension clinical chemistry system

A fully automated, random access method for the determination of cannabinoids (UTHC) was developed for the Dimension AR and XL clinical chemistry systems. The method utilizes Abuscreen ONLINE reagents and a multianalyte liquid calibrator containing 11-nor-Δ9-THC-9-carboxylic acid. Within-run and total reproducibility, determined using NCCLS protocol EP5- T2, was less than 0.6% and 1.6% CV, respectively, at all concentrations. Calibration stability was retained for at least 30 days. An extensive evaluation of non-structurally related drugs and various physiological substances indicated lack of interference in the method. No sample carry-over was observed following a specimen containing 1886 ng/ml 11-nor-Δ9-THC-9-carboxylic acid. A 99.1% agreement (N = 445 samples) was found between an EMIT based method on the aca discrete clinical analyser and the Dimension UTHC method

Socio-cultural Disadvantages and Cumulative Deficits: Which Education Can Fight Inequalities?

This article focuses on identifying the root causes of educational problems before starting “educational treatment” It starts from the premise that prevention is better than cure since it avoids further damage and is a way to prevent the problem from getting worse. Prevention understood as early action, which takes advantage of adequate planning and programming processes, keeps us away from the dangers of school failure, and guarantees us “cultural health”. Through a contrasted and comparative methodology, it was possible to analyze and interpret the sources that inform a review of the literature, with the objective of understanding how students should be helped at an early stage if they do not have the necessary conditions to face their path of acquisition. The aim is to prevent teachers from “returning” responsibilities once the damage is done, by compensating and treating the “deficit” and creating favorable conditions before starting the new segment of education. The article addresses these problems by trying to focus attention on the cumulative capacity of the “difficulty” to consolidate and grow, making subsequent compensatory interventions more problematic in their effects

Un anno tra coccole e Ginnastica. Attività Motoria per il Bambino nel primo anno di vita e per la mamma dopo il parto”

N EDUCAZIONE FISICA E SPORT NELLA SCUOLA, N.193-194, GEN-.APR., ANNO LVII,FIEFS ROMA 2005