Search

Bemisia tabaci poses a major threat to tomato crops, causing significant yield losses and economic damage to farmers. This study investigates the conidia filtration method as a potential management strategy for B. tabaci under greenhouse conditions. Evaluating the efficacy of this approach in controlling the whitefly population while potentially promoting plant growth is crucial for developing sustainable solutions for tomato production. Both Trichoderma viride and Beauveria bassiana fungi effectively killed adult whiteflies in this study, significantly exceeding the untreated control. Beauveria bassiana showed slightly higher mortality rates at all time points, achieving a maximum of 69.47% compared to T. viride's 62.22% after 14 days. Trichoderma viride and Beauveria bassiana significantly stimulated plant growth compared to the untreated control. However, T. viride emerged as the superior growth promoter across all assessed parameters: plant height, fresh weight, and dry weight. It achieved the tallest plants (27.31 cm), exceeding both the control and B. bassiana. Similarly, its impact on fresh and dry weight surpassed both the control and B. bassiana, reaching respective values of 14.21 and 2.83 g. These findings suggest that T. viride holds greater potential as a plant growth promoter under the examined conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Verticillium wilt, caused by the soil-borne fungus Verticillium dahliae Kleb., poses a significant threat to olive (Olea europaea L.) cultivation worldwide. This review provides an in-depth comprehension of the disease and its management strategies. The genetic diversity of V. dahliae, comprising various pathotypes and races, has implications for virulence and host interactions. The fungus can affect a wide host range, including crops and trees. V. dahliae is responsible for many symptoms such as wilting, yellowing, stunted growth, necrosis, and vascular discoloration. Economic consequences caused by this pathogen include yield losses, low-quality olive oil, market restrictions, and increased production costs. Verticillium wilt thrives in warm temperatures and excessive soil moisture. Chemical and biological controls and cultural practices are evaluated as potential measures. However, the search for resistant cultivars stands out as a significant solution. Insights from this review underscore the need for an interdisciplinary approach to managing the Verticillium wilt of olives. Integrated disease management strategies, resistant cultivars, and sustainable practices emerge as pivotal approaches for disease control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nematicidal potential of five filamentous fungi as biological control agents (BCAs) against the root-knot nematode (RKN), Meloidogyne javanica, infecting tomato was assessed in vitro and in pot experiments. The five promising native taxa, namely Trichoderma longibrachiatum, T. harzainum, T. asperellum, Lecanicillium spp., and Metacordyceps chlamydosporia, were selected to compare their effectiveness against both chemical (Mocap, 10% ethoprophos) and biological (abamectin) nematicides on M. javanica reproduction indices and plant growth parameters. The stimulation of defense mechanisms was assessed by monitoring changes in the enzymatic activities of the polyphenol oxidase (PPO), peroxidase (POD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), catalase (CAT), lipid peroxidation (MDA), phenols, and proteins content of tomato roots. The laboratory assays revealed that T. longibrachiatum, M. chlamydoporia, and Lecanicillium spp. seemed to be the most effective under laboratory conditions, with more than 60% of juvenile mortality. The egg infection rate was above 62%, and the egg hatching rate was below 32%. The direct parasitism by the five taxa was confirmed by scanning electron microscope observation. The results of this study found a similar parasitism mechanism for T. longibrachiatum, T. harzianum, and M. chlamydosporia, where their hyphae and spores adhered to the M. javanica juveniles cuticle layer and formed trapping rings around them. The pot experiment results showed that T. harzianum and Lecanicillium spp. enhanced the plant growth parameters. Trichoderma longibrachiatum, abamectin, and the ethoprophos-based nematicides effectively decreased the reproduction rates of the nematode. The Trichoderma species and M. chlamydosporia significantly reduced the gall index and female fecundity of RKN. The treatment with BCAs and chemical nematicides involved a significant increase in the antioxidant activities of nematode-infected plants. The ethoprophos and fungal treatments decreased the MDA and total phenols content compared with the nematode-infested seedlings. This paper analyzes the advancements made towards the effective and efficient biocontrol of M. javanica using different fungal taxa, especially T. longibrachiatum and M. chlamydosporia, and the implications of these advancements for sustainable agriculture and food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Arab Journal of Plant Protection is the property of Arab Society for Plant Protection and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Arab Journal of Plant Protection is the property of Arab Society for Plant Protection and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Soil mycoflora analysis from cucurbits showed remarkable diversity A total of 180 soil samples were collected from experimental field treated with four doses of organic amendments (0, 20, 40, 60 tons per hectare) and cultivated by five cucurbits (watermelon, grafted watermelon, muskmelon, grafted muskmelon and squash) to determining number of soil-borne fungi. This study aimed to isolate and identify the mesophilic and thermophilic fungi from soil and to evaluate their pathogenicity. The highest number of CFUs was recorded in the fertilized soil samples with 60 tons per hectare, compared with control and amended soil with 20 tons for mesophilic (30°C) or thermophilic (45°C) fungi. The CFUs values of soil samples fertilized with 60 tons/ha of organic manure varied from 23.554 x 105 per gram of soil (melon seedlings) to 18.598 x 105 (grafted watermelon seedlings), for the total number of mesophilic fungi, and from 23.697 x 10³ (melon seedlings) to 9.993 x 10³ (grafted watermelon seedlings) for all the identified thermophilic fungi. The use of 60 tons per hectare of organic amendments was the most suppressive dose, with 0.34% of the total number of mesophilic pathogenic fungi. Thirty-six species belonging to 17 genera were identified for the two fungi types. The genera with the highest number of species were Aspergillus sp. (9) and Penicillium sp. (4). According to pathogenicity test, Fusarium solani, F. oxysporum, Macrophomina phaseolina and Rhizoctonia solani are the most virulent on watermelon plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]