Co-infection with three mycoviruses stimulates growth of a Monilinia fructicola isolate on nutrient medium, but does not induce hypervirulence in a natural host

Monilinia fructicola and Monilinia laxa are the most destructive fungal species infecting stone fruit (Prunus species). High-throughput cDNA sequencing of M. laxa and M. fructicola isolates collected from stone fruit orchards revealed that 14% of isolates were infected with one or more of three mycoviruses: Sclerotinia sclerotiorum hypovirus 2 (SsHV2, genus Hypovirus), Fusarium poae virus 1 (FPV1, genus Betapartitivirus), and Botrytis virus F (BVF, genus Mycoflexivirus). Isolate M196 of M. fructicola was co-infected with all three viruses, and this isolate was studied further. Several methods were applied to cure M196 of one or more mycoviruses. Of these treatments, hyphal tip culture either alone or in combination with antibiotic treatment generated isogenic lines free of one or more mycoviruses. When isogenic fungal lines were cultured on nutrient agar medium in vitro, the triple mycovirus-infected parent isolate M196 grew 10% faster than any of the virus-cured isogenic lines. BVF had a slight inhibitory effect on growth, and FPV1 did not influence growth. Surprisingly, after inoculation to fruits of sweet cherry, there were no significance differences in disease progression between isogenic lines, suggesting that these mycoviruses did not influence the virulence of M. fructicola on a natural host

Fresnel laws at curved dielectric interfaces of microresonators

We discuss curvature corrections to Fresnel's laws for the reflection and transmission of light at a non-planar refractive-index boundary. The reflection coefficients are obtained from the resonances of a dielectric disk within a sequential-reflection model. The Goos-H\"anchen effect for curved light fronts at a planar interface can be adapted to provide a qualitative and quantitative extension of the ray model which explains the observed deviations from Fresnel's laws.Comment: submitted to Phys. Rev.

Four Tulasnella taxa associated with populations of the Australian evergreen terrestrial orchid Cryptostylis ovata

Of the more than 400 indigenous orchid species in Western Australia, Cryptostylis ovata is the only species that retains its leaves all year round. It exists as a terrestrial herb and occasionally as an epiphyte in forested areas. Like all terrestrial orchids, C. ovata plants associate with mycorrhizal fungi, but their identities have not previously been investigated. Fungi were isolated from pelotons in rhizomes collected from three southern and two northern populations of C. ovata on six occasions over two years. Phylogenetic analysis of ITS sequences temporally and spatially revealed that all the fungal isolates were of Tulasnella species of four distinct groups. One Tulasnella group was present only in the three southern orchid populations, and it closely resembled T. prima isolates previously described from Chiloglottis sp. orchids from eastern Australia. Isolates collected from plants in the two northern populations were of three undescribed Tulasnella groups. Analysis of intra-group diversity using inter-simple sequence repeat markers revealed that plants were usually colonised by a single genotype of Tulasnella at each sampling period, and this genotype usually, but not always, persisted with the host plant over both years tested

Monilinia fructicola and Monilinia laxa isolates from stone fruit orchards sprayed with fungicides displayed a broader range of responses to fungicides than those from unsprayed orchards

Monilinia fructicola and Monilinia laxa are causal agents of brown rot, the most serious fungal disease of stone fruit (Prunus species). The disease is controlled primarily by applying fungicides. It was hypothesised that Monilinia isolates exposed to a regime of fungicidal sprays would exhibit greater tolerance to those compounds than isolates that had not been subjected at all to such fungicide sprays. Sixty-six M. fructicola and 52 M. laxa isolates were collected from fungicide-sprayed and unsprayed commercial and domestic orchards. The fungicides propiconazole, iprodione, and a mixture of fluopyram and trifloxystrobin were used regularly on all the sprayed orchards tested, and these were used to challenge all Monilinia isolates in vitro. We found that isolates collected from sprayed orchards were on average more tolerant to the fungicides, as measured by effective concentration of fungicide reducing mycelial growth by 50% (EC50). This trend was evident for both fungal species tested, but it was statistically significant only for M. fructicola. Monilinia laxa isolates were on average more tolerant to propiconazole than were M. fructicola isolates irrespective of orchard type, while average responses to iprodione and fluopyram + trifloxystrobin were similar for both species. Although tolerant and sensitive isolates were identified under both sprayed and unsprayed regimes, there was a greater range of responses to all three fungicides by isolates from sprayed orchards. Isolates with tolerance to two fungicides were not exclusively from sprayed orchards, but occurred more frequently there

Spatial distribution of Monilinia fructicola and M. laxa in stone fruit production areas in Western Australia

In 2016 and 2017, 90 fungal isolates were collected from Prunus species exhibiting symptoms of brown rot disease at 12 sites in stone fruit production areas in Western Australia. ITS region analysis showed that 49 isolates belonged to Monilinia laxa and 34 to M. fructicola, species that cause brown rot in stone fruit. The two species were spatially separated to the south of the Perth Hills region, where only M. laxa was found, and to the north of Perth Hills where only M. fructicola was found. The two species co-existed only in the Perth Hills. The implications for control and trade are discussed, as is the need to implement biosecurity guidelines to prevent mixing of the two species where currently only one exists

Safe local onion (Hanh Tam) flyer

Local onion (Hanh Tam) - bean rotation is considered as a climate-smart agriculture intervention to adapt to drought condition during the summer-autumn season in Can Loc district, Ha Tinh province. This poster summaries key information on scale, economic as well as environmental benefits of this practice and can be used to introduce the practice to various stakeholders, including buyers of agricultural products

Interest of anorectal manometry during long-term follow-up of patients operated on for Hirschsprung's disease

Background/Aims Although many advances in the management of Hirschsprung's disease have recently been achieved, postoperative outcomes of these patients remain difficult in a non-negligible number of cases. Therefore, this study aims at investigating characteristics of anorectal manometry and its relationship with postoperative outcomes during long-term follow-up in Hirschsprung patients. Methods Patients over 4 years of age operated on for Hirschsprung's disease were interviewed to complete detailed questionnaires on bowel function. The patients who consented to undergo an anorectal manometry during follow-up were enrolled in this study. We investigated their clinical characteristics, manometric findings, and their postoperative bowel function. Results Nineteen patients out of 53 patients (35.8%) were enrolled, 68.4% who were male. Mean age of patients at manometry was 11.3 ± 6.3 years. Twelve out of 19 patients (63.2%) were incontinent. The mean anal resting pressures of incontinent patients were significantly lower than continent patients (47 ± 12 mmHg versus 63 ± 11 mmHg, P < 0.05, t test). Due to neurological impairment, only 11 patients (57.9%) were able to perform a complete manometry. A dyssynergic defecation was found in 4 patients during strain tests. Maximum tolerated volume of the incontinent patients was significantly lower than that of the continent patients (97 ± 67 mL versus 181 ± 74 mL, P < 0.05, t test). Conclusion Anorectal manometry is an objective method providing useful information that could guide a more adapted management in patients with defecation disorders after Hirschsprung's disease operation.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe