Alternative control of early blight of tomato using plant extracts from Acacia nilotica, Achillea fragrantissima and Calotropis procera

The in vitro and in vivo antifungal potential of extracts of three wild medicinal plants, (Acacia nilotica (L.) Delile, Achillea fragrantissima (Forssk.) Sch.Bip. and Calotropis procera (Aiton) W. T. Aiton) was examined against Alternaria solani, the causal agent of the early blight of tomato. Aqueous or ethanol extracts of all tested plants reduced the mycelial growth and conidium germination of A. solani in vitro. Ethanol extracts were more effective against the pathogen than the aqueous extracts. Extract of C. procera exhibited more antifungal potential against the pathogen than other plant extracts. Observations by scanning and transmission electron microscopy showed dramatic alterations in the morphology and ultrastructure of A. solani when treated with the ethanol extract of C. procera at a concentration of 20%. Phytochemical screening confirmed the presence of many bioactive constituents in the extracts which were in greater amounts in C. procera than the other two plants. In a plot experiment, both types of extracts from C. procera reduced disease severity. Tomato fruit yield was increased after the treatment with the plant extracts

Antifungal potential and defense gene induction in maize against Rhizoctonia root rot by seed extract of Ammi visnaga (L.) Lam.

Methanol extracts from five medicinal plants (Eucalyptus tereticornis Sm., Ammi visnaga (L.) Lam., Azadirachta indica A. Juss., Rheum Palmatum L., and Adansonia digitata L.) were assessed in vitro for antifungal activity against Rhizoctonia solani Kühn, the causal agent of Rhizoctonia root rot of maize. All tested extracts showed antifungal activity with varied extents. Ammi visnaga (khella) extract showed the greatest activity compared with the untreated experimental controls. Observations using transmission electron microscopy showed ultrastructural changes in hyphal cells as a response to exposure to khella extract. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometric analysis of khella extract showed the presence of 69 compounds. The antifungal properties of the extracts were mainly attributed to their content of coumarins and fatty acids. In the greenhouse experiment, treatment of maize plants with khella extract at 15% gave the least incidence of Rhizoctonia root rot. Results of DD-PCR showed up- and down- regulations of some genes in maize as response to the treatment with khela extract. Identification of the randomly selected genes from DD-PCR revealed that they were defense-related, as S-domain class receptor-like kinase 3 and glutathione-S-transferase1. Real-time PCR showed induction in the gene expression of the pathogenesis-related protein chitinases (2.36 fold) and thaumatin-like proteins (8.99 fold) by treatment with khella extract at 15%, which was greater expression than detected at 10 and 20%. This indicates triggering effects from the extract on the maize immune system against the R. solani infection in a concentration-dependent manner. The efficient, low-cost and eco-friendly characteristics of khella extract indicate that it could be used for the control of Rhizoctonia root rot of maize

Distribution and Biodiversity of Seed-Borne Pathogenic and Toxigenic Fungi of Maize in Egypt and Their Correlations with Weather Variables

© 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).Studies of the biodiversity of plant pathogenic and toxigenic fungi are attracting great attention to improve the predictability of their epidemics and the development of their control programs. Two hundred maize grain samples were gathered from 25 maize-growing governorates in Egypt and 189 samples were processed for the isolation and identification of seed-borne fungal microbiome. Twenty-six fungal genera comprising 42 species were identified according to their morphological characteristics and ITS DNA sequence analysis. Occurrence and biodiversity indi-cators of these fungal species were calculated. Ustilago maydis, Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus flavus, A. niger, Penicillium spp., Cladosporium spp. and Fusarium verticillioides were the highly frequent (>90% for each), recording the highest relative abundance (˃50%). Al-Menia governorate showed the highest species diversity and richness, followed by Sohag, Al-Nobaria and New Valley gov-ernorates. Correlations of 18 fungal species with temperature, relative humidity, precipitation, wind speed, and solar radiation were analyzed using canonical correspondence analysis. Results showed that relative humidity, temperature, and wind speed, respectively, were the most impactful weather variables. However, the occurrence and distribution of these fungi were not clearly grouped into the distinctive climatic regions in which maize crops are grown. Monitoring the occurrence and dis-tribution of the fungal pathogens of maize grains in Egypt will play an important role in predicting their outbreaks and developing appropriate future management strategies. The findings in this study may be useful to other maize-growing countries that have similar climatic conditions.Peer reviewe

Chitinase production by Bacillus subtilis ATCC 11774 and its effect on biocontrol of Rhizoctonia diseases of potato

Stem canker and black scurf of potato, caused by Rhizoctonia solani, can be serious diseases causing an economically significant damage. Biocontrol activity of Bacillus subtilis ATCC 11774 against the Rhizoctonia diseases of potato was investigated in this study. Chitinase enzyme was optimally produced by B. subtilis under batch fermentation conditions similar to those of the potato-growing soil. The maximum chitinase was obtained at initial pH 8 and 30 °C. In vitro, the lytic action of the B. subtilis chitinase was detected releasing 355 μg GlcNAc ml−1 from the cell wall extract of R. solani and suggesting the presence of various chitinase enzymes in the bacterial filtrate. In dual culture test, the antagonistic behavior of B. subtilis resulted in the inhibition of the radial growth of R. solani by 48.1% after 4 days. Moreover, the extracted B. subtilis chitinase reduced the growth of R. solani by 42.3% when incorporated with the PDA plates. Under greenhouse conditions, application of a bacterial suspension of B. subtilis at 109 cell mL−1 significantly reduced the disease incidence of stem canker and black scurf to 22.3 and 30%, respectively. In addition, it significantly improved some biochemical parameters, growth and tubers yield. Our findings indicate two points; firstly, B. subtilis possesses a good biocontrol activity against Rhizoctonia diseases of potato, secondly, the harmonization and suitability of the soil conditions to the growth and activity of B. subtilis guaranteed a high controlling capacity against the target pathogen

Biodiversity of Pathogenic and Toxigenic Seed-Borne Mycoflora of Wheat in Egypt and Their Correlations with Weather Variables

Funding Information: Funding: This work was funded by the Egyptian Science, Technology, and Innovation Funding Authority (STIFA) through project No. 30691 (Egypt–UK Grants), the UK Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy through British Council Newton-Mosharafa (Project No. 332392589) and the UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Grant/Award Number: BB-SRC/BB/P00489X/1; Innovate UK, Grant/Award Number: 102641. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.Simple Summary: Pathogenic fungi cause yield and quality losses and threaten food security. In this study, 198 samples of wheat grains, representing 20 Egyptian wheat cultivars, were collected from 25 wheat-growing governorates across Egypt, and screened for their seed-borne fungi. Twenty genera and 44 species of seed-borne fungi were identified, and their biodiversity indicators and evolutionary relationships were studied based upon similarities in their genetic characteristics. The most frequent fungi were Alternaria alternata and Cladosporium spp., while Tilletia tritici and Ustilago tritici were the most common smut fungi. The highest fungal diversity was recorded for Sinai governorate, while the greatest species richness was recorded in Qena and Sohag governorates. Correlations of the detected fungi with weather variables (temperature, relative humidity, precipitation, wind speed, or solar radiation) were investigated. Our results indicated that the relative humidity was the most influential weather variable, followed by temperature, solar radiation, wind speed, and precipitation, respectively. Despite this study being conducted on the wheat-growing areas in Egypt, our findings are useful for other wheat-growing countries that share the same climatic conditions. The correlation between a given fungus and the climatic variables can be useful in other ecosystems. Abstract: Surveillance investigations for pathogenic and toxigenic fungi are important to refine our understanding of their epidemiology and help in predicting their outbreaks. During 2019, 198 samples of wheat grains were collected from 25 wheat-growing governorates in Egypt to detect and identify seed-borne mycoflora in vitro. Forty-four fungal species belonging to 20 genera were identified. Molecular data for these fungi were analyzed to construct a phylogenetic tree. Occurrence and biodiversity indicators were calculated. Two prevalent pathogens (average incidence > 40%) were Alternaria alternata and Cladosporium spp. Ustilago tritici was present in only seven of the 25 governorates, and less abundant than Tilletia tritici, the causal agent of stinking smut. Sinai governorate recorded the greatest species diversity, while the greatest species richness was in Qena and Sohag governorates. Canonical correspondence analysis of data for 20 fungal genera with temperature, relative humidity, precipitation, wind speed or solar radiation revealed that relative humidity was the most influential weather variable. It showed that occurrence and distribution of the 20 genera corresponded well with three out of four Egyptian climatic regions: Mediterranean, semi-arid, and arid. Knowing pathogen occurrence and distribution in Egypt is the first step to developing future disease management strategies to limit yield losses and improve food security. Despite this study being conducted on the wheat-growing areas in Egypt, our findings are useful for other wheat-growing countries that share the same climatic conditions. The correlation between a given fungus and the climatic variables can be useful in other ecosystems.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Extract from Curcuma longa L. triggers the sunflower immune system and induces defence-related genes against Fusarium root rot

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) has economic value worldwide Fusarium root rot, caused by Fusarium solani (Mart.) Sacc., is the most important disease in sunflower crops, causing considerable economic losses. Seed treatment with a turmeric aqueous extract was tested for control of Fusarium root rot. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of the extract identified three major constituents; ar-curcumin, camphor and α-turmerone. The greenhouse experiment showed that incidence and severity of sunflower root rot were significantly reduced after treatment with turmeric extract. Plant growth parameters also increased 2 and 4 weeks after inoculation. In addition, treatment with turmeric extract triggered the sunflower immune system, as indicated by the induction of host phenolic content and activity of antioxidant enzymes (peroxidase and phenylalanine ammonia lyase). Differential display-PCR of the treated plants showed distinct profiles of gene expression in response to the treatments. Of the four bands randomly selected for sequencing and identification, three up-regulated genes that encode defence-related proteins (glutathione S-transferase 6, ascorbate peroxidase, and defensin) were detected. A time-course real-time quantitative PCR was carried out on mRNA of the defence-related genes defensin and chitinase of the treated sunflower seedlings. After 14 d, treatment with turmeric extract enhanced the expression levels of chitinase by > nine-fold and defensin genes by > four-fold. Based on these results, we recommend treatment of sunflower seeds with turmeric extract as a disease management method against Fusarium root rot

Enhancing tomato production by using non-conventional water resources within integrated sprinkler irrigation systems in arid regions

This research evaluated the importance of establishing an integrated sprinkler irrigation design connected to fish farm ponds in order to achieve environmental and financial benefits. To achieve the aim of the study, two field experiments were conducted at a private farm in the Nubaria area of Beheira Governorate during the 2022 and 2023 seasons to quantify all the benefits from using fish water effluent (FWE) in irrigation. The obtained results indicated that the effluent could represent a good source of irrigation and bio-fertilization. The yield of tomato was higher when using FWE for irrigation compared with using groundwater for irrigation (IW). This was due to the additional amounts of dissolved bio-nitrogen along with other nutrients present in the FWE. The proportion of dissolved nitrogen added by using FWE was 22.3 kg nitrogen per hectare in 2022 and 24.6 kg nitrogen per hectare in 2023, in addition to some other major elements such as phosphorus and potassium, which are also among the main nutrients needed by crops. It has also been noticed that the fertility of the sandy soil increased with the use of FWE for irrigation. One of the most important results was the possibility of reducing the addition of nitrogen mineral fertilizers by 25%, thus saving on N fertilizers when growing tomato. In addition to the vitality of the FWE and its macro- and microelements, algae, microorganisms, and other organic materials, the use of this type of water as an alternative source for irrigation, along with the reduction in the amount of added mineral fertilizers, will reduce the degree of groundwater contamination with mineral fertilizers and increase the income of farmers. It was also observed that the air temperature decreased during the growing season when compared with the temperature of uncultivated surrounding areas

Effects of hospital facilities on patient outcomes after cancer surgery: an international, prospective, observational study

Background Early death after cancer surgery is higher in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with in high-income countries, yet the impact of facility characteristics on early postoperative outcomes is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between hospital infrastructure, resource availability, and processes on early outcomes after cancer surgery worldwide.Methods A multimethods analysis was performed as part of the GlobalSurg 3 study-a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study of patients who had surgery for breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer. The primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and 30-day major complication rates. Potentially beneficial hospital facilities were identified by variable selection to select those associated with 30-day mortality. Adjusted outcomes were determined using generalised estimating equations to account for patient characteristics and country-income group, with population stratification by hospital.Findings Between April 1, 2018, and April 23, 2019, facility-level data were collected for 9685 patients across 238 hospitals in 66 countries (91 hospitals in 20 high-income countries; 57 hospitals in 19 upper-middle-income countries; and 90 hospitals in 27 low-income to lower-middle-income countries). The availability of five hospital facilities was inversely associated with mortality: ultrasound, CT scanner, critical care unit, opioid analgesia, and oncologist. After adjustment for case-mix and country income group, hospitals with three or fewer of these facilities (62 hospitals, 1294 patients) had higher mortality compared with those with four or five (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3.85 [95% CI 2.58-5.75]; p<0.0001), with excess mortality predominantly explained by a limited capacity to rescue following the development of major complications (63.0% vs 82.7%; OR 0.35 [0.23-0.53]; p<0.0001). Across LMICs, improvements in hospital facilities would prevent one to three deaths for every 100 patients undergoing surgery for cancer.Interpretation Hospitals with higher levels of infrastructure and resources have better outcomes after cancer surgery, independent of country income. Without urgent strengthening of hospital infrastructure and resources, the reductions in cancer-associated mortality associated with improved access will not be realised

Search for new particles in events with energetic jets and large missing transverse momentum in proton-proton collisions at root s=13 TeV

A search is presented for new particles produced at the LHC in proton-proton collisions at root s = 13 TeV, using events with energetic jets and large missing transverse momentum. The analysis is based on a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 101 fb(-1), collected in 2017-2018 with the CMS detector. Machine learning techniques are used to define separate categories for events with narrow jets from initial-state radiation and events with large-radius jets consistent with a hadronic decay of a W or Z boson. A statistical combination is made with an earlier search based on a data sample of 36 fb(-1), collected in 2016. No significant excess of events is observed with respect to the standard model background expectation determined from control samples in data. The results are interpreted in terms of limits on the branching fraction of an invisible decay of the Higgs boson, as well as constraints on simplified models of dark matter, on first-generation scalar leptoquarks decaying to quarks and neutrinos, and on models with large extra dimensions. Several of the new limits, specifically for spin-1 dark matter mediators, pseudoscalar mediators, colored mediators, and leptoquarks, are the most restrictive to date.Peer reviewe