Control of mosaic disease using microbial biostimulants: insights from mathematical modelling

A major challenge to successful crop production comes from viral diseases of plants that cause significant crop losses, threatening global food security and the livelihoods of countries that rely on those crops for their staple foods or source of income. One example of such diseases is a mosaic disease of plants, which is caused by begomoviruses and is spread to plants by whitefly. In order to mitigate negative impact of mosaic disease, several different strategies have been employed over the years, including roguing/replanting of plants, as well as using pesticides, which have recently been shown to be potentially dangerous to the environment and humans. In this paper we derive and analyse a mathematical model for control of mosaic disease using natural microbial biostimulants that, besides improving plant growth, protect plants against infection through a mechanism of RNA interference. By analysing the stability of the system’s steady states, we will show how properties of biostimulants affect disease dynamics, and in particular, how they determine whether the mosaic disease is eradicated or is rather maintained at some steady level. We will also present the results of numerical simulations that illustrate the behaviour of the model in different dynamical regimes, and discuss biological implications of theoretical results for the practical purpose of control of mosaic disease

Increase in the Synthesis of Polyfructan in the Cultures of Chicory “Hairy Roots” with Plant Natural Growth Regulators

Experiments were conducted to study the benefit of using the new plant growth regulators (PGRs) Ivin, Emistim, Biolan and Charkor in nutrient medium ½ MS for intensification of biomass growth and the increased synthesis of polyfructan (PF) in the cultures of chicory “hairy roots” (Cichorium intybus L.), obtained by Аgrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated transformation,. The best indexes of increased specific quantities of PF are observed after using Biolan at a concentration of 5.0 μL/L (up to 130 mg/g dry mass of roots) and Emistim at a concentration 2.5 µL/L (up to 220 mg/g dry mass of roots). The greatest stimulation of root growth activity was expressed on using the growth regulators Emistim, Ivin and Charkor, in concentrations between 2.5 and 10.0 µL/L, considerably raising the total quantity of PF: compared with the control the use of regulator Emistim showed a rise of up to 35 times, regulator Ivin showed an increase of up to 28 times and regulator Charkor showed an increase up to 7.0-7.5 times. The results thus obtained definitely prove the benefit of applying these regulators to increase the biomass growth and PF synthesis in the culture of chicory «hairy roots»