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The olive tree is crucial to the Mediterranean agricultural economy but faces significant threats from climate change and soil-borne pathogens like Verticillium dahliae. This study assesses the dual role of an onion extract formulation, rich in organosulfur compounds, as both biostimulant and antifungal agent. Research was conducted across three settings: a controlled climatic chamber with non-stressed olive trees; an experimental farm with olive trees under abiotic stress; and two commercial olive orchards affected by V. dahliae. Results showed that in the climatic chamber, onion extract significantly reduced MDA levels in olive leaves, with a more pronounced reduction observed when the extract was applied by irrigation compared to foliar spray. The treatment also increased root length by up to 37.1% compared to controls. In field trials, irrigation with onion extract increased the number of new shoots by 148% and the length of shoots by 53.5%. In commercial orchards, treated trees exhibited reduced MDA levels, lower V. dahliae density, and a 26.7% increase in fruit fat content. These findings suggest that the onion extract effectively reduces oxidative stress and pathogen colonization, while enhancing plant development and fruit fat content. This supports the use of the onion extract formulation as a promising, sustainable alternative to chemical treatments for improving olive crop resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Over the past decade, the great impact of agricultural crop diseases has generated considerable economic losses and has compromised the production of edible crops at a time when the world population is only expected to rise, leading to the search for new pest management strategies. Besides that, the environmental impact resulting from the continued use of chemical pesticides has led to the search for natural and sustainable alternatives. One of the existing solutions that currently stands out for its effectiveness is the use of bioactive plant extracts. This study aims to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of propyl propane thiosulfinate (PTS) and propyl propane thiosulfonate (PTSO), two organosulfur compounds (OSCs) derived from Allium cepa, against a wide range of target bacteria and fungi. To this end, various in vitro procedures were conducted as well as soil sanitization tests using sterile substrate inoculated with soil-borne pathogens. In addition, this study also evaluates the pesticidal activity of both compounds through in vitro mortality and repellence tests. Results: PTS and PTSO revealed inhibition activity on all the pathogens tested, belonging to different taxonomic groups. Moreover, both significatively reduced the population of bacteria and fungi in soil. The quantification of active substances in soil carried out in parallel to the microbial quantification showed that their use reduces the risk of residue accumulation since they break down quickly when applied. The set of antimicrobial tests performed demonstrated that the antifungal effect of both compounds is higher than the bactericidal effect. Lastly, PTS and PTSO showed a concentration-dependent significant biocidal and repellent effect against aphids. Conclusions: The results presented in this work demonstrate that both PTS and PTSO have a significant antimicrobial and pesticidal activity against the great majority of phytopathogens tested, being a promising tool to improve pest management in crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Reutilization of olive oil by-products in animal feeding could be considered an alternative for attenuating the environmental problems derived from their cumulation. Olive pulp along with other olive oil by-products are characterized by high fiber and bioactive compounds content, which can be interesting in feeding pregnant sows. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of olive pulp inclusion in Iberian sow's diet on performance, immunoglobulin levels and serum parameters, antioxidant capacity, and fecal microbiota. The experience showed a positive effect of olive pulp inclusion on the sow's fecal bacterial counts and antioxidant status, but no effects were found on the rest of the parameters studied. These results are promising from a nutritional point of view, as olive pulp can be considered an ingredient to include in Iberian sow's formulation program. Nonetheless, more research is needed to be able to consider olive pulp in Iberian sow's diet, especially from the sustainability aspect, since both productions coexist. Olive pulp (Olea europaea) inclusion in the diet of Iberian sows (Sus scrofa) is interesting due to fiber and bioactive compounds content and because both productions are located in the same area. The aim of this trial was to study the effect of olive pulp inclusion at 100 g/kg in Iberian sow's diet on performance, immunoglobulin and serum parameters, antioxidant status, and fecal microbiota. Forty multiparous Iberian sows (body weight (BW) = 149.6 ± 20.2 kg) were assigned either a control diet (CON) or an experimental diet (PUL) with olive pulp at 100 g/kg. The BW and backfat thickness in sows were measured at post-insemination days 42 and 107, and litter performance was measured on the farrowing day. Blood and fecal samples were collected at gestation day 107. In piglets, blood was sampled when they were 10 days old for immunoglobulin analysis. Albumin, total protein, triglyceride, creatinine, urea, glucose, and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity in serum were higher (p < 0.05) in PUL sows than in CON sows. The Enterobacteriaceae, Bifidobacterium spp., and Lactobacillus spp. fecal counts were increased (p < 0.05) with olive pulp supplementation compared with the CON sow group. Olive pulp added to gestating Iberian sow's diet at 100 g/kg has beneficial effects on the fecal microbiota and antioxidant status, without penalizing other gestation parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Sustainability is a current issue that is gaining an important place in consumer choices. Natural and environment-friendly products are becoming more popular and widely accepted, so changes to production methods are needed. Local by-products offer a good way to close the circle on animal production. In this study, two by-products were used: Garlicon ST®, a supplement obtained from garlic and onion, which could improve the microbiota gut and the ingestion in pigs, and olive pulp from Mediterranean oil production, which could be a good source of nutrients for pigs. The impact of the use of both by-products on the quality of meat and fat of pigs was examined. A total of 70 male growing non-castrated pigs (Large White), with a 23.07 ± 2.87 kg average body weight (BW), were randomly allocated to three treatments in a 103 day trial: a CONTROL diet and two experimental diets, ALLIUM (5 g/kg of Allium spp. extract) and OLIVE (100 g/kg of olive pulp). Animals were slaughtered at 115 kg live body weight. Meat and fat quality were analyzed. Animals fed ALLIUM and OLIVE had higher water holding capacity (WHC) than those fed the control diet. No significant differences were observed between groups for cooking loss, drip losses and color CIELab. No antioxidant effect was observed on an oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) test. Animals fed OLIVE presented a more unsaturated fatty acid profile than CONTROL and ALLIUM. Meat from ALLIUM group and OLIVE showed her values of brightness and meat odor than CONTROL. Mean scores of sensory analyses (color, odor, flavor and juiciness) of cooked samples were similar for the three treatments, with the meat samples from the ALLIUM and OLIVE treatments being less hard. Consumers did not reflect a preference for any of the treatments. Both by-products could be used for pork production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]