Identification of disease suppressive potential of Trichoderma virens and Jasmonic acid against fusarium wilt and damping-off in “Seed Primed” tomato plants

Disease causing phytopathogens are responsible for an approximately 15% reduction in worldwide food production. Therefore, for efficient management of plant diseases, a systematic understanding of the harmful impacts of pathogens on economic crops is essential. The practice of sustainable agriculture aims at the development of a system that supports the growth of plants but simultaneously induces adverse effects on the existence of pathogens. Therefore, the current research was designed to monitor the seed priming effects of Trichoderma virens (as Biocontrol Agent, BCA) and Jasmonic acid (a chemical inducer) in tomato plants infected with two devastating soil-borne pathogens viz., Fusarium oxysporum lycopersici (Fol) and Rhizoctonia solani. Application of these agents in infected plants alone or together leads to the establishment of various disease-suppressive mechanisms in the host plants as observed in the form of enhanced seedling vigour index, percentage germination, morphological growth, and a substantial decrease in the percentage of disease incidence. Furthermore, pathogen inoculation in diseased plants enhances the content of two compatible osmolytes i.e., proline and glycine betaine which themselves serve as defensive molecules by acting as osmoprotectants and signalling molecules in the induction of various defence-related pathways in the stressed plants. Our study provides important insights into the effectiveness of T. virens and JA in the amelioration of pathogen-induced damage in the host plants. The inferences obtained from this research highlight the better efficiency of combined applications of T. virens and JA against these two soil-borne pathogens

Screening of Chickpea genotypes from different agro-climatic areas against Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciceris (race 3) using morphological and molecular marker

Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciceris (FOC), an extremely destructive pathogen, infects chickpea plants leading to over 100% losses. Although using chemicals like Carbendazim and Mancozeb control the disease but ruin the soil’s natural flora and fauna. Also, the emergence of new FOC races threatens the current genotypes. Many efforts have been made towards improving chickpea genotypes through breeding and selection, but the situation has not been improved over the last 2 decades. The current research uses pot screening and molecular-based approaches to screen out the resistant chickpea cultivars. In that view, the present research uses 16 chickpea genotypes collected from diverse agro-climatic areas and checked against FOC race-3. After the pot screening and ANOVA (P<0.001), the genotypes were categorized as highly Resistant (C 235, HC 1), resistant (GNG 2477, PHULeG 0517, GNG 2171, HC 7, PHULe G 0127), susceptible (ICCV 10) and highly susceptible (PUSA 547, RSG 931, RSG 888, ICCV 512, CSJ 513, ICCV 6). In Marker-assisted selection (MAS), the DNA of genotypes was subjected to PCR with STMS markers TA-96 and TA-27. The results revealed that the genotypes ICCV 512, C 235, GNG 2171, ICCV 10, HC 7, PHULe G 0127 and HC 1 were resistant. These results are significant for selecting resistant genotypes and can be utilized in the future validation and development of more wilt-resistant chickpea genotypes. Our results based on pot-screening and molecular-based datasets suggested a more reliable identification system for screening of FOC resistance cultivar inhibiting, which can help narrow down the selection

Unravelling the potential of susceptibility genes in plant disease management: Present status and future prospects

The increasing global population requires an equivalent increase in food production to meet the global food demand. Crop production is challenged by various biotic and abiotic stresses, which decrease crop yield and production. Thus, proper disease management for crops ensures global food security. Various chemical, physical, and biological disease control methods have been devised and used for plant protection. However, due to the low efficiency of these methods, modern research has shifted to genetic engineering approaches. The recent advances in molecular techniques have revealed the molecular mechanisms controlling the plant’s innate immune system and plant-pathogen interactions. Earlier studies revealed that the pathogens utilize the susceptibility (S) genes in hosts for their sustainability and disease development. The resistance achieved by suppressing the S genes expression provides resistance against pathogens. Exploiting S genes for imparting/enhancing disease resistance would offer a more durable and effective alternative to conventional disease control methods. Therefore, the present review highlights the potential of this novel tool for inducing disease resistance in plants

Changing Trends in Microalgal Energy Production- Review of Conventional and Emerging Approaches

The depletion of fossil fuel for energy production is one of the major problems being faced worldwide. As an alternative to fossil fuels, first and second generation biofuel was developed from corn, grains and lignocellulosic agricultural residues. These generations are inefficient in achieving the desired rate of biofuel production, climate change mitigation and economic growth. Therefore, third generation biofuel specifically derived from microalgae have proved to be a promising unconventional energy source. Microalgae are microscopic organisms that grow in salt or fresh water and have been used for producing metabolites, cosmetics and for energy production. The conventional approaches used for biofuel production include pyrolysis, gasification, direct combustion and thermomechanical liquefaction. The search for biological and eco-friendly approaches led to the emergence of Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC), which provide a new solution to energy crisis. Integration of photosynthetic organisms such as microalgae into MFC resulted in a new approach i.e. Microbial Solar Cell, which can convert solar energy into electrical energy via photosynthesis. Microbial solar cells have broad range application in wastewater treatment, biodiesel processing and intermediate metabolite production