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Introduction: Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) and deep learning techniques have been widely applied to predict postharvest quality and shelf life in multiple horticultural crops such as vegetables, mushrooms, and fruits; however, few studies show the application of these techniques to evaluate the quality issues of cut flowers. Therefore, in this study, we developed a non-contact and rapid detection technique for the emergence of gray mold disease (GMD) and the potential longevity of cut roses using deep learning techniques based on HSI data. Methods: Cut flowers of two rose cultivars ('All For Love' and 'White Beauty') underwent either dry transport (thus impaired cut flower hydration), ethylene exposure, or Botrytis cinerea inoculation, in order to identify the characteristic light wavelengths that are closely correlated with plant physiological states based on HSI. The flower bud of cut roses was selected for HSI measurement and the development of a vase life prediction model utilizing YOLOv5. Results and discussion: The HSI results revealed that spectral reflectance between 470 to 680 nm was strongly correlated with gray mold disease (GMD), whereas those between 700 to 900 nm were strongly correlated with flower wilting or vase life. To develop a YOLOv5 prediction model that can be used to anticipate flower longevity, the vase life of cut roses was classed into two categories as over 5 d (+5D) and under 5 d (-5D), based on scoring a grading standard on the flower quality. A total of 3000 images from HSI were forwarded to the YOLOv5 model for training and prediction of GMD and vase life of cut flowers. Validation of the prediction model using independent data confirmed its high predictive accuracy in evaluating the vase life of both 'All For Love' (r² = 0.86) and 'White Beauty' (r² = 0.83) cut flowers. The YOLOv5 model also accurately detected and classified GMD in the cut rose flowers based on the image data. Our results demonstrate that the combination of HSI and deep learning is a reliable method for detecting early GMD infection and evaluating the longevity of cut roses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Botrytis cinerea (B. cinerea) causes gray mold disease (GMD), which results in physiological disorders in plants that decrease the longevity and economic value of horticultural crops. To prevent the spread of GMD during distribution, a rapid, early detection technique is necessary. Thermal imaging has been used for GMD detection in various plants, including potted roses; however, its application to cut roses, which have a high global demand, has not been established. In this study, we investigated the utility of thermal imaging for the early detection of B. cinerea infection in cut roses by monitoring changes in petal temperature after fungal inoculation. We examined the effects of GMD on the postharvest quality and petal temperature of cut roses treated with different concentrations of fungal conidial suspensions and chemicals. B. cinerea infection decreased the flower opening, disrupted the water balance, and decreased the vase life of cut roses. Additionally, the average temperature of rose petals was higher for infected flowers than for non-inoculated flowers. One day before the appearance of necrotic symptoms (day 1 of the vase period), the petal temperature in infected flowers was significantly higher, by 1.1 °C, than that of non-inoculated flowers. The GMD-induced increase in petal temperature was associated with the mRNA levels of genes related to ethylene, reactive oxygen species, and water transport. Furthermore, the increase in temperature caused by GMD was strongly correlated with symptom severity and fungal biomass. A multiple regression analysis revealed that the disease incidence in the petals was positively related to the petal temperature one day before the appearance of necrotic symptoms. These results show that thermography is an effective technique for evaluating changes in petal temperature and a possible method for early GMD detection in the cut flower industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gray mold caused by Botrytis cinerea is the most harmful postharvest disease responsible for the degradation of strawberries. The presented study targeted the preparation of 7S globulin from pea seeds to serve as an antifungal agent against B. cinerea in vitro and on the post-harvest strawberry to extend the fruits' shelf life. The 7S globulin isolation from pea seeds and characterization employed various methods, such as SDS-PAGE, FTIR, and pH solubility curve. The molecular technique also helped confirm the identity of the causative microorganism of the gray mold disease in strawberries. Utilizing rRNA gene sequencing identified a fungal pathogen that causes gray mold as B. cinerea. The 7S globulin showed three protein bands corresponding to a/(83 KDa), a (68 KDa), and ß (60 KDa) subunits. The isoelectric point was notable at pH 5.8. The essential and non-essential amino acids occurred around 24.92% and 54.04%, respectively. The 7S globulin inhibited the mycelial growth of B. cinerea in a concentration-dependent manner. The Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) of B. cinerea subjected to 7S globulin showed swelling of both the fungal hyphae and conidia, significantly affected by the pea 7S-globulin treatment, entirely destabilizing and deforming their shape at 0.4 g/L. The 7S-globulin exposure maintained the fruit quality and stopped the strawberry's natural deterioration. Results further authenticated that 7S globulin (isolated from pea seeds) revealed effective antifungal action against B. cinerea mycelial development via a membrane-targeted mechanism. The 7S globulin affects hyphal morphology, compromises plasma membrane integrity, and prevents post-harvest gray mold on strawberry fruits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the most frequently used components of traditional Chinese herbal medicine, the economic plant Fritillaria thunbergii Miq is widely grown in several provinces of China. The so-called "gray mold disease" of the plant that may lead to fatal economic loss is caused by the fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea. Sensitive and rapid detection of fungal infections is highly desired as a preventive step to fight against the disease. In this study, we prepared a monoclonal antibody (McAb) against a pathogenic fungus using classic hybridoma technology. After analyzing the titer, sensitivity, specificity, type, and binding protein of the prepared McAbs, we developed a colloidal carbon competitive immunochromatographic test strip with the McAbs. Results showed that we successfully obtained two highly specific McAbs, IgG3 and IgG2a, against B. cinerea from hybridoma cell lines BcA4 and BcE4, respectively. The McAbs from BcA4 could bind a 25 kDa protein, while the antibodies from BcE4 could bind two proteins (53 and 340 kDa). The test strip prepared with antibodies against BcE4 reached a detection sensitivity of 6.25 μg/mL. The strips could be conveniently stored in a dry environment (≤ 4 °C) for > 6 months without any noticeable decrease in performance. The design was user-friendly, and all the steps required to perform the detection were sample preparation and sample loading. The results could be read directly within 15 min. The use of test strips enabled the detection of disease at a stage 4 days earlier than the traditional method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gray mold disease, caused by Botrytis cinerea, has reduced grape's output and market quality globally. In this study, the antifungal activity of a mixed microbial combination of Brevibacillus brevis FJAT-0809-GLX and Bacillus sp. strains was investigated. The results showed that the inhibition rate against B. cinerea was 85.10% when B. brevis FJAT-0809-GLX was mixed with a mixture of B. brevis FJAT-10623 and Bacillus velezensis FJAT-55034 at a proportion of 80%:20%, which was significantly higher than those of other combination proportions. The inhibitory rates of the mixed microbial combination diluted 0 times, 10 times, and 100 times were 89.14%, 88.10%, and 86.33%, respectively, with no significant differences between each other. The mixed microbial combination appeared to be temperature-insensitive and significantly stable from pH 3 to pH 7. Furthermore, it was discovered that its antifungal activity was significantly stable with UV radiation for 30 min, 60 min, and 90 min, with values of 84.82%, 83.89%, and 82.22%, respectively. An amount of 0.025 mol mL−1 of KCl, CuSO4, and MgCl2 had no effects on the antifungal activity of the mixed microbial combination, while 0.025 mol mL−1 of NaCl, ZnSO4, FeSO4, CaCl2, and MnSO4 reduced the inhibition rate. The mixed microbial combination demonstrated antifungal activities against a variety of fungi, with inhibition rates ranging from 68.78% to 85.10%. The grape fruits and grape leaves treated with the mixed microbial combination decayed at 27.27% and 48.34%, respectively. Additionally, the mixed microbial combination improved grape fruit resistance by increasing the activity of defense enzymes polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and catalase (CAT). Therefore, the results indicated that the mixed microbial combination had great biocontrol potential against gray mold in grape fruits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Botrytis cinerea (B. cinerea) causes gray mold disease (GMD), which results in physiological disorders in plants that decrease the longevity and economic value of horticultural crops. To prevent the spread of GMD during distribution, a rapid, early detection technique is necessary. Thermal imaging has been used for GMD detection in various plants, including potted roses; however, its application to cut roses, which have a high global demand, has not been established. In this study, we investigated the utility of thermal imaging for the early detection of B. cinerea infection in cut roses by monitoring changes in petal temperature after fungal inoculation. We examined the effects of GMD on the postharvest quality and petal temperature of cut roses treated with different concentrations of fungal conidial suspensions and chemicals. B. cinerea infection decreased the flower opening, disrupted the water balance, and decreased the vase life of cut roses. Additionally, the average temperature of rose petals was higher for infected flowers than for non-inoculated flowers. One day before the appearance of necrotic symptoms (day 1 of the vase period), the petal temperature in infected flowers was significantly higher, by 1.1 °C, than that of non-inoculated flowers. The GMD-induced increase in petal temperature was associated with the mRNA levels of genes related to ethylene, reactive oxygen species, and water transport. Furthermore, the increase in temperature caused by GMD was strongly correlated with symptom severity and fungal biomass. A multiple regression analysis revealed that the disease incidence in the petals was positively related to the petal temperature one day before the appearance of necrotic symptoms. These results show that thermography is an effective technique for evaluating changes in petal temperature and a possible method for early GMD detection in the cut flower industry.

Bacillus spp. are known for their ability to control plant diseases; however, the mechanism of disease control by Bacillus spp. is still unclear. Previously, bacterial organic acids have been implicated in the process of disease suppression. We extracted the total organic acid from Bacillus cereus AR156 culture filtrate and identified oxalic acid (OA) as the programmed cell death–inducing factor. OA strongly suppressed the lesion caused by Botrytis cinerea without significant antagonism against the fungus. Low concentration of OA produced by Bacillus spp. inhibited cell death caused by high concentrations of OA in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Pretreatment with a low concentration of OA led to higher accumulation of active oxygen-scavenging enzymes in tomato leaves and provoked the expression of defense-related genes. The activation of gene expression relied on the jasmonic acid (JA) signaling pathway but not the salicylic acid (SA) pathway. The disease suppression capacity of OA was confirmed on wild-type tomato and its SA accumulation–deficient line, while the control effect was diminished in JA synthesis–deficient mutant, suggesting that the OA-triggered resistance relied on JA and ethylene (ET) signaling transduction. OA secretion ability was widely distributed among the tested Bacillus strains and the final environmental OA concentration was under strict regulation by a pH-sensitive degradation mechanism. This study provides the first systematic analysis on the role of low-concentration OA secreted and maintained by Bacillus spp. in suppression of gray mold disease and determines the dependence of OA-mediated resistance on the JA/ET signaling pathway. [Graphic: see text] The author(s) have dedicated the work to the public domain under the Creative Commons CC0 “No Rights Reserved” license by waiving all of his or her rights to the work worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law, 2022.

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[Display omitted] • CsPGIP2 was induced by Botrytis Cinerea. • A possible interaction between BcPG3 and CsPGIP2 was supported by protein interaction prediction and BiFC analysis. • The transgenic Arabidopsis exhibited higher antioxidant enzyme activities, lignin content, Pn , and photochemical activity. • CsPGIP2 can enhance resistance against gray mold disease. Polygalacturonase inhibitor protein (PGIP) restricts fungal growth and colonization and functions in plant immunity. Gray mold in cucumber is a common fungal disease caused by Botrytis cinerea , and is widespread and difficult to control in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) production. In this study, Cucumis sativus polygalacturonase-inhibiting protein 2 (CsPGIP2) was found to be upregulated in response to gray mold in cucumber. CsPGIP2 was detected in the endoplasmic reticulum, cell membrane, and cell wall after transient transformation of protoplasts and tobacco. A possible interaction between Botrytis cinerea polygalacturonase 3 (BcPG3) and CsPGIP2 was supported by protein interaction prediction and BiFC analysis. Transgenic Arabidopsis plants expressing CsPGIP2 were constructed and exhibited smaller areas of gray mold infection compared to wild type (WT) plants after simultaneous inoculation. Evans blue dye (EBD) confirmed greater damage for WT plants, with more intense dyeing than for the transgenic Arabidopsis. Interestingly, compared to WT, transgenic Arabidopsis exhibited higher superoxide dismutase (AtSOD1) expression, antioxidant enzyme activities, lignin content, net photosynthetic rate (Pn), and photochemical activity. Our results suggest that CsPGIP2 stimulates a variety of plant defense mechanisms to enhance transgenic Arabidopsis resistance against gray mold disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gray mold disease, caused by Botrytis cinerea, has reduced grape’s output and market quality globally. In this study, the antifungal activity of a mixed microbial combination of Brevibacillus brevis FJAT-0809-GLX and Bacillus sp. strains was investigated. The results showed that the inhibition rate against B. cinerea was 85.10% when B. brevis FJAT-0809-GLX was mixed with a mixture of B. brevis FJAT-10623 and Bacillus velezensis FJAT-55034 at a proportion of 80%:20%, which was significantly higher than those of other combination proportions. The inhibitory rates of the mixed microbial combination diluted 0 times, 10 times, and 100 times were 89.14%, 88.10%, and 86.33%, respectively, with no significant differences between each other. The mixed microbial combination appeared to be temperature-insensitive and significantly stable from pH 3 to pH 7. Furthermore, it was discovered that its antifungal activity was significantly stable with UV radiation for 30 min, 60 min, and 90 min, with values of 84.82%, 83.89%, and 82.22%, respectively. An amount of 0.025 mol mL−1 of KCl, CuSO4, and MgCl2 had no effects on the antifungal activity of the mixed microbial combination, while 0.025 mol mL−1 of NaCl, ZnSO4, FeSO4, CaCl2, and MnSO4 reduced the inhibition rate. The mixed microbial combination demonstrated antifungal activities against a variety of fungi, with inhibition rates ranging from 68.78% to 85.10%. The grape fruits and grape leaves treated with the mixed microbial combination decayed at 27.27% and 48.34%, respectively. Additionally, the mixed microbial combination improved grape fruit resistance by increasing the activity of defense enzymes polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and catalase (CAT). Therefore, the results indicated that the mixed microbial combination had great biocontrol potential against gray mold in grape fruits.

Gray mold caused by necrotrophic fungus pathogen (Botrytis cinerea) is a lethal disease, which affects various plants. It is also a common disease in strawberry, limiting the yield. Therefore, the detection and quantification of gray mold disease in the field is indispensable. Most of the deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) were used for the plant disease identification and classification based on the highest probability value scored by the network. However, pixel-level segmentation allows quantifying the disease severity in the plant, which is crucial to determine the pesticides' dose. Disease severity is also a useful parameter for monitoring the plant's resistance against a particular disease. Therefore, accurate quantification of plant disease is of utmost necessity in agriculture. In this circumstance, a deep learning-based semantic segmentation model was designed and tested to detect and measure the strawberry plants' gray mold disease. For this purpose, three concentrations of 1 × 103, 1 × 105, 1 × 107 CFU/mL pathogen were inoculated on each group of 10 strawberry plants, and consequent occurrence of disease and its intensity over time were observed. The model performance was evaluated using pixel accuracy, dice accuracy, and intersection over union (IoU) metrics using fivefold cross-validation method. The results were compared with the results obtained from the XGBoost model, K-means, and Otsu image processing algorithms. The pixel, dice, and IoU accuracies were achieved the highest from the Unet model followed by the XGBoost model on 80 test images. Results showed that the Unet model surpasses the conventional XGBoost, K-means, and image processing technique in detecting and quantifying gray mold disease. Thus, a deep learning Unet can be a nifty tool assisting the farmers and agronomists in disease severity measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micronutrient manipulation can enhance crop resilience against pathogens, but the mechanisms are mostly unknown. We tested whether priming Capsicum annuum plants with zinc (5 μM Zn) or manganese (3 μM Mn) for six weeks increases their immunity against the generalist necrotroph Botrytis cinerea compared to deficient (0.1 μM Zn, 0.02 μM Mn) and control conditions (1 μM Zn, 0.6 μM Mn). Zinc priming reduced the pathogen biomass and lesion area and preserved CO 2 assimilation and stomatal conductance. Zinc mobilization at the infection site, visualized by micro-X-ray fluorescence, was accompanied by increased Zn protein binding obtained by size exclusion HPLC-ICP/MS. A common metabolic response to fungal infection in Zn- and Mn-primed plants was an accumulation of corchorifatty acid F, a signaling compound, and the antifungal compound acetophenone. In vitro tests showed that the binding of Zn2+ increased, while Mn2+ binding decreased acetophenone toxicity against B. cinerea at concentrations far below the toxicity thresholds of both metals in unbound (aquo complex) form. The metal-specific response to fungal infection included the accumulation of phenolics and amino acids (Mn), and the ligand isocitrate (Zn). The results highlight the importance of Zn for pepper immunity through direct involvement in immunity-related proteins and low molecular weight Zn-complexes, while Mn priming was inefficient. [Display omitted] • Zinc priming promotes resistance in Capsicum annuum against Botrytis cinerea. • Zn-binding proteins and low MW Zn ligands accumulate in infected Zn-primed plants. • Zn priming mechanisms include local Zn accumulation at the infection site. • Zn-acetophenone has higher antifungal activity than the ligand or the Mn-complex. • Mn priming was not efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fungal diseases are among the most common problems that affect tomato fruits, especially after harvesting. The early detection of these diseases may save 60% of the losses. Thus, this study aimed to detect the gray mold disease at an early stage on tomato fruits using the non-destructive visible/near-infrared (VIS/NIR) technique. Botrytis. cinerea fungus was isolated and identified using two specific primer sets (C729+/- and BC108+/BC563-). Three tomato varieties were used for this study (i.e. Harver, Izmer and Ekram), 30 samples from each variety, 20 samples were injected with the B. cinerea and 10 samples were left as control/healthy samples. Samples were examined using the VIS/NIR spectroscopy with a range of 550-1100 nm for three days. Thereafter, the data were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA), where the results showed the ability of VIS/NIR to detect the infected samples on the second day of the injection, and before the symptoms appear on the samples. Two PCs explained 99% and 100% of VIS/NIR variance, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gray mold disease is caused by Botrytis cinerea and it is the most significant and devastating disease affecting tomato cultivation worldwide. This disease was recently reported infecting tomato fruits in Cameroon Highland, Pahang. Biocontrol agents have been proven to be effective towards many phytopathogens. In this study, 43 bacterial isolates were screened against B. cinerea in-vitro. Five isolates with more than 65% inhibition of radial growth (PIRG) were selected for the subsequent experiments. Findings in dual culture assay revealed that BM11 and BC4 were the most effective biocontrol agent, with PIRG of 82.5% and 71.8%, respectively. BM11 and BC4 isolates were identified using the 16S rDNA gene. The identification results found that BM11 and BC4 were Pseudomonas protegens and Brevibacterium casei, respectively. Ten major bioactive compounds were successfully identified by Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) from the culture filtrate of both biological control agent (BCA) isolates. These bioactive compounds may responsible for antifungal activity. In vivo study revealed that culture filtrate extract manages to suppress disease lesions on the treated tomato fruit from 0.86 -1.03 cM, 30 days after inoculation. Based on overall findings suggested that P. protegens and B. casei were the promising BCA in controlling gray mold disease of tomato fruit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the indeterminate nodules of a model legume Medicago truncatula, ∼700 nodule-specific cysteine-rich (NCR) peptides with conserved cysteine signature are expressed. NCR peptides are highly diverse in sequence, and some of these cationic peptides exhibit antimicrobial activity in vitro and in vivo. However, there is a lack of knowledge regarding their structural architecture, antifungal activity, and modes of action against plant fungal pathogens. Here, the three-dimensional NMR structure of the 36-amino acid NCR044 peptide was solved. This unique structure was largely disordered and highly dynamic with one four-residue α-helix and one three-residue antiparallel β-sheet stabilized by two disulfide bonds. NCR044 peptide also exhibited potent fungicidal activity against multipleplant fungal pathogens, includingBotrytis cinerea and three Fusarium spp. It inhibited germination in quiescent spores of B. cinerea. In germlings, it breached the fungal plasma membrane and induced reactive oxygen species. It bound to multiple bioactive phosphoinositides in vitro. Time-lapse confocal and superresolution microscopy revealed strong fungal cell wall binding, penetration of the cell membrane at discrete foci, followed by gradual loss of turgor, subsequent accumulation in the cytoplasm, and elevated levels in nucleoli of germlings. Spray-applied NCR044 significantly reduced gray mold disease symptoms caused by the fungal pathogen B. cinerea in tomato and tobacco plants, and postharvest products. Our work illustrates the antifungal activity of a structurally unique NCR peptide against plant fungal pathogens and paves the way for future development of this class of peptides as a spray-on fungistat/fungicide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was conducted to evaluate the efficiency of Biochar, fish oil, and greland, separately and in combination to control gray mold disease caused by botrytis cinerea in strawberry under greenhouse condition. Three different isolates of B.cinerea, from strawberry leaves and fruits showing gray mold symptoms were identified as BC1, BC2, BC3. The pathogenicity tests revealed that the 3 isolates were highly pathogenic on strawberry fruits. BC2 isolate was found the more pathogenic with disease severity 95-8%. Results of Biochar, fish oil, and greland activity against B.cinerea development showed that Eucalyptus biochar was more active with growth inhibition percentage 100% at 7% on PDA. The combination of biochar with greland was found more effective under greenhouse conditions with disease severity 3.33% compared to 5, 5, 5.% with biochar+ fish oil, biochar, biochar + greland respectively and to 80% in control. The reduction in disease severity was found associated with increase in plant fresh and dry weights that attained to 8.63 and 2.60 g/plant respectively. The treatment with organic agants to 29.27- 47.27 rates of light absorption variation/min/g fresh weight. The combination Biochar with fish oil was found more effective with peroxidase activity 47.27 compared with 9.81 in control and 15.3 in B.cinerea, indicating to induce resistance in plant against B. cinerea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) and deep learning techniques have been widely applied to predict postharvest quality and shelf life in multiple horticultural crops such as vegetables, mushrooms, and fruits; however, few studies show the application of these techniques to evaluate the quality issues of cut flowers. Therefore, in this study, we developed a non-contact and rapid detection technique for the emergence of gray mold disease (GMD) and the potential longevity of cut roses using deep learning techniques based on HSI data., Methods: Cut flowers of two rose cultivars ('All For Love' and 'White Beauty') underwent either dry transport (thus impaired cut flower hydration), ethylene exposure, or Botrytis cinerea inoculation, in order to identify the characteristic light wavelengths that are closely correlated with plant physiological states based on HSI. The flower bud of cut roses was selected for HSI measurement and the development of a vase life prediction model utilizing YOLOv5., Results and Discussion: The HSI results revealed that spectral reflectance between 470 to 680 nm was strongly correlated with gray mold disease (GMD), whereas those between 700 to 900 nm were strongly correlated with flower wilting or vase life. To develop a YOLOv5 prediction model that can be used to anticipate flower longevity, the vase life of cut roses was classed into two categories as over 5 d (+5D) and under 5 d (-5D), based on scoring a grading standard on the flower quality. A total of 3000 images from HSI were forwarded to the YOLOv5 model for training and prediction of GMD and vase life of cut flowers. Validation of the prediction model using independent data confirmed its high predictive accuracy in evaluating the vase life of both 'All For Love' (r 2 = 0.86) and 'White Beauty' (r 2 = 0.83) cut flowers. The YOLOv5 model also accurately detected and classified GMD in the cut rose flowers based on the image data. Our results demonstrate that the combination of HSI and deep learning is a reliable method for detecting early GMD infection and evaluating the longevity of cut roses., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Kim, Ha and In.)

Postharvest fruits including tomatoes are commonly infected by gray mold disease resulting in significant economic losses in the fruit industry. Therefore, this study aimed to develop botanical fungicide derived from Vernonia amygdalina leaf extract to control gray mold on tomato. The emulsion formulation containing surfactant, oil carrier and water was optimized at different non-ionic alkyl polyglucoside surfactants through eleven combinations of oil to surfactant ratio (0:10, 1:9, 2:8, 3:7, 4:6, 5:5, 6:4, 7:3, 8:2, 9:1 and 10:0 w/w). From eight selected formulations, two formulations, F5 and F7 showed stable in storage, remarkable thermodynamic stability, smaller particle size (66.44 and 139.63 nm), highly stable in zeta potential (−32.70 and −31.70 mV), low in polydispersity index (0.41 and 0.40 PdI), low in viscosity (4.20 and 4.37 cP) and low in surface tension (27.62 and 26.41 mN/m) as compared to other formulations. In situ antifungal activity on tomato fruits showed F5 formulation had a fungicidal activity against B. cinerea with zero disease incidence and severity, whereas F7 formulation reduced 62.5% disease incidence compared to a positive control with scale 1. Based on these findings, F5 formulation exhibited pronounced antifungal activity and may contribute to the development of new and safe antifungal product against gray mold on tomato.

A total of 54 FvbZIP genes were identified from the strawberry genome. These genes were found to be unevenly distributed on seven different chromosomes, and two of the genes had no matching chromosomal localization. FvbZIP genes were divided into 10 subfamilies according to protein sequence, and the structures of these genes were found to be highly conserved. Based on the bioinformatics analysis of FvbZIP genes, the expression of FabZIP genes changed during different stages of its growth and of its infection with gray mold disease. FabZIP46 was substantially upregulated, and its expression remained relatively high. FabZIP46 was cloned from cultivated strawberries by homologous cloning. The results of a transient transgenic assay revealed that the damage to the fruit tissue was markedly alleviated in strawberries overexpressing FabZIP46, with the incidence rate being substantially lower than that in the control group. By contrast, a brief silencing of FabZIP46 had the opposite effect. The results revealed that FabZIP46 played a positive role in the resistance of strawberries to Botrytis cinerea. The study findings provide valuable insights into the role of bZIP transcription factors as well as a theoretical reference for the regulation of resistance to gray mold disease in strawberry fruit.

Gray mold disease caused by Botrytis cinerea is a damaging postharvest disease in tomato plants, and it is known to be a limiting factor in tomato production. This study aimed to evaluate antifungal activities of Vernonia amygdalina leaf extracts against B. cinerea and to screen the phytochemical compound in the crude extract that had the highest antifungal activity. In this study, crude extracts of hexane, dichloromethane, methanol, and water extracts with concentration levels at 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 mg/mL were shown to significantly affect the inhibition of B. cinerea. Among the crude extracts, dichloromethane extract was shown to be the most potent in terms of antifungal activities. The SEM observation proved that the treatment altered the fungal morphology, which leads to fungal growth inhibition. For the in vivo bioassay, the fruits treated with dichloromethane extract at 400 and 500 mg/mL showed the lowest disease incidence with mild severity of infection. There were 23 chemical compounds identified in V. amygdalina dichloromethane extract using GCMS analysis. The top five major compounds were dominated by squalene (16.92%), phytol (15.05%), triacontane (11.31%), heptacosane (7.14%), and neophytadiene (6.28%). Some of these significant compounds possess high antifungal activities. This study proved that V. amygdalina from dichloromethane extract could be useful for inhibiting gray mold disease on tomato fruit and has potential as a natural antifungal agent.

Strawberries are delicious and nutritious fruits that are widely cultivated and consumed around the world, either fresh or in various products such as jam, juice, and ice cream. Botrytis cinerea is a fungal pathogen that causes gray mold disease on many crops, including strawberries. Disease monitoring is an important aspect for growing commercial crops like strawberry because there is an urgent need to develop effective strategies to control this destructive gray mold disease. In this protocol, we provide an important tool to monitor the gray mold fungal infection progression in different developmental stages of strawberry. There are different types of inoculation assays for B. cinerea on strawberry plants, such as in vitro (in/on a culture medium) or in vivo (in a living plant). In vivo inoculation assays can be performed at early, middle, and late stages of strawberry development. Here, we describe three methods for in vivo inoculation assays of B. cinerea on strawberry plants. For early-stage strawberry plants, we modified the traditional fungal disc inoculation method to apply to fungal infection on strawberry leaves. For middle-stage strawberry plants, we developed the flower infection assay by dropping fungal conidia onto flowers. For late-stage strawberry plants, we tracked the survival rate of strawberry fruits after fungal conidia infection. This protocol has been successfully used in both lab and greenhouse conditions. It can be applied to other flowering plants or non-model species with appropriate modifications. Key features • Fungal disc inoculation on early-stage strawberry leaves. • Fungal conidia inoculation on middle-stage strawberry flowers. • Disease rating for late-stage strawberry fruits. • This protocol is applicable to the other flowering plants with appropriate modifications., Competing Interests: Competing interestsThe authors declare no competing interests., (©Copyright : © 2023 The Authors; This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC license.)

One of the most important postharvest plant pathogens that affect strawberries, grapes and tomatoes is Botrytis cinerea, known as gray mold. The fungus remains in latent form until spore germination conditions are good, making infection control difficult, causing great losses in the whole production chain. This study aimed to purify and identify phenazine-1-carboxylic acid (PCA) produced by the Pseudomonas aeruginosa LV strain and to determine its antifungal activity against B. cinerea. The compounds produced were extracted with dichloromethane and passed through a chromatographic process. The purity level of PCA was determined by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography semi-preparative. The structure of PCA was confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Antifungal activity was determined by the dry paper disk and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) methods and identified by scanning electron microscopy and confocal microscopy. The results showed that PCA inhibited mycelial growth, where MIC was 25 μg mL-1. Microscopic analysis revealed a reduction in exopolysaccharide (EPS) formation, showing distorted and damaged hyphae of B. cinerea. The results suggested that PCA has a high potential in the control of B. cinerea and inhibition of EPS (important virulence factor). This natural compound is a potential alternative to postharvest control of gray mold disease.

Botrytis cinerea is the causal agent of gray mold disease and is responsible for the loss of millions of dollars in crops in worldwide. Currently, this pathogen exhibits increasing resistance to conventional fungicides; therefore, better control methods and novel compounds with a more specific mechanism of action but without biocidal effects, are required. In this work, several natural compounds to control B. cinerea were analyzed in vitro. Detected effects were dependent on the stage of fungus development, and 3-phenyl-1-propanol displayed the most potent inhibition of in vitro germination, germ tube development, and sporulation. However, it had lower protection of leaves and postharvest fruit in plant infection. Isoeugenol and 1-phenylethanol exhibited lower inhibition of in vitro germination and sporulation, but at the highest concentrations, they inhibited germ tube elongation. Although the lowest rates of foliage infection were recorded using isoeugenol and 3-phenyl-1-propanol, 1-phenylethanol significantly decreased the disease in postharvest tomato fruit, with an efficacy like Mancozeb, but at 18 times lower micromolar concentration. All compounds resulted in high cell viability after spores were removed from the treatment solution exhibited high cell viability, suggesting a non-biocidal effect. The diversity of in vitro and in-plant effects seems to indicate a different mechanism of action.

One of the most important postharvest plant pathogens that affect strawberries, grapes and tomatoes is Botrytis cinerea, known as gray mold. The fungus remains in latent form until spore germination conditions are good, making infection control difficult, causing great losses in the whole production chain. This study aimed to purify and identify phenazine-1-carboxylic acid (PCA) produced by the Pseudomonas aeruginosa LV strain and to determine its antifungal activity against B. cinerea. The compounds produced were extracted with dichloromethane and passed through a chromatographic process. The purity level of PCA was determined by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography semi-preparative. The structure of PCA was confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Antifungal activity was determined by the dry paper disk and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) methods and identified by scanning electron microscopy and confocal microscopy. The results showed that PCA inhibited mycelial growth, where MIC was 25 μg mL-1. Microscopic analysis revealed a reduction in exopolysaccharide (EPS) formation, showing distorted and damaged hyphae of B. cinerea. The results suggested that PCA has a high potential in the control of B. cinerea and inhibition of EPS (important virulence factor). This natural compound is a potential alternative to postharvest control of gray mold disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultraviolet C (UV-C) radiation is known for preventing fungal decay and enhancing phytochemical content in fruit when applied postharvest. However, limited knowledge is available regarding fruit responses to preharvest application of UV-C radiation. Thus, the effects of UV-C radiation on photosynthetic efficiency, dry matter accumulation and partitioning, fruit yield and decay, phytochemical content, and relative transcript accumulation of genes associated with these metabolic pathways were monitored in strawberry ( Fragaria x ananassa Duch.) cv. Camarosa. A reduction in photosynthetic efficiency was followed by a decrease in light harvesting complex LhcIIb-1 mRNA accumulation as well as a decrease in yield per plant. Phenylalanine ammonia lyase activity, phenolic, anthocyanin, and L-ascorbic acid contents were higher in UV-C treated fruit. In addition, preharvest UV-C treatment reduced microorganism incidence in the greenhouse and on the fruit surface, increased the accumulation of β-1,3-Gluc and PR- 1 mRNA, and prevented fruit decay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gray mold caused by Botrytis cinerea , a ubiquitous and destructive plant pathogen, is an important disease of various crops including orchard crops, vegetables and ornamental plants. In June 2012, symptoms similar to gray mold were observed on mung bean ( Vigna radiata ) plants in Yongchuan, Chongqing, China. To confirm the causal agent, the pathogen was isolated and six fungal isolates were identified based on morphological and molecular characterization. The six isolates showed similar morphology to Botrytis cinerea . The rDNA-ITS sequences of the six isolates showed 99% identity to reported B. cinerea strains. The two specific primer pairs for B. cinerea , C 729 + /C 729 − and Bc 108 + /Bc 563 − , produced target fragments of 700-bp and 450-bp, respectively, in all six isolates, and their sequences displayed 99–100% identity to known B. cinerea strains. All of the isolates harbored two transposable elements of B. cinerea , Flipper and Boty , which indicated that they all belonged to the transposa group. Subsequently, pathogenicity tests demonstrated the pathogen was virulent not only on mung bean but also on other legume crops, including Phaseolus vulgaris , Vigna unguiculata , Vigna angularis , Pisum sativum , Vicia faba , and Glycine max . The results of morphological and molecular identification combined with pathogenicity tests confirmed that the pathogen isolated from mung bean was B. cinerea . To our knowledge, this is the first report of B. cinerea causing gray mold on mung bean in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the antifungal characteristics of linalool against Botrytis cinerea using plate inhibition assay and spore germination assay, and assessed the capacity of linalool in controlling tomato gray mold disease via tomato pot inoculation assay. The results showed that linalool exhibited strong inhibitive effects on mycelial growth of B. cinerea , with an EC 50 value of 0.581 mL·L -1 . In the spore germination test, linalool treatment inhibited spore germination in a dose-dependent manner. The electric conductivity and the malondialdehyde (MDA) contents were significantly increased in linalool-treated B. cinerea than that of the control, indicating that linalool induced oxidative damage and destroyed the cell membrane integrity in B. cinerea . The activities of the superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD) in the linalool-treated B. cinerea were decreased significantly by 27.4%, 68.9% and 26.0%, respectively, suggesting that linalool inhibited the antioxidant activity of B. cinerea. In the pot experiment, the diameter of lesions in linalool-treated tomatoes was significantly smaller than that of the control. The activities of SOD, POD, CAT, polyphenol oxidase, and phenylalnine ammonialyase in the linalool-treated tomatoes increased, while the MDA content decreased, suggesting that linalool could alleviate the oxidative damage caused by B. cinerea and promote plant disease resistance. In summary, linalool had inhibitory effect on the growth of B. cinerea and could control gray mold disease in tomatoes. These findings could lay the foundation for developing bota-nical antifungal agents for management of tomato gray mold disease.

The use of microorganisms and their secreted molecules to prevent plant diseases is considered an attractive alternative and way to supplement synthetic fungicides for the management of plant diseases. Strain BS062 was selected based on its ability to inhibit the mycelial growth of Botrytis cinerea, a major causal fungus of postharvest root rot of ginseng and strawberry gray mold disease. Strain BS062 was found to be closely related to Streptomyces hygroscopicus (99% similarity) on the basis of 16S ribosomal DNA sequence analysis. Postharvest root rot of ginseng and strawberry gray mold disease caused by B. cinerea were controlled up to 73.9% and 58%, respectively, upon treatment with culture broth of Streptomyces sp. BS062. These results suggest that strain BS062 may be a potential agent for controlling ginseng postharvest root rot and strawberry gray mold disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacillus spp. are known for their ability to control plant diseases; however, the mechanism of disease control by Bacillus spp. is still unclear. Previously, bacterial organic acids have been implicated in the process of disease suppression. We extracted the total organic acid from Bacillus cereus AR156 culture filtrate and identified oxalic acid (OA) as the programmed cell death-inducing factor. OA strongly suppressed the lesion caused by Botrytis cinerea without significant antagonism against the fungus. Low concentration of OA produced by Bacillus spp. inhibited cell death caused by high concentrations of OA in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Pretreatment with a low concentration of OA led to higher accumulation of active oxygen-scavenging enzymes in tomato leaves and provoked the expression of defense-related genes. The activation of gene expression relied on the jasmonic acid (JA) signaling pathway but not the salicylic acid (SA) pathway. The disease suppression capacity of OA was confirmed on wild-type tomato and its SA accumulation-deficient line, while the control effect was diminished in JA synthesis-deficient mutant, suggesting that the OA-triggered resistance relied on JA and ethylene (ET) signaling transduction. OA secretion ability was widely distributed among the tested Bacillus strains and the final environmental OA concentration was under strict regulation by a pH-sensitive degradation mechanism. This study provides the first systematic analysis on the role of low-concentration OA secreted and maintained by Bacillus spp. in suppression of gray mold disease and determines the dependence of OA-mediated resistance on the JA/ET signaling pathway. [Formula: see text] The author(s) have dedicated the work to the public domain under the Creative Commons CC0 "No Rights Reserved" license by waiving all of his or her rights to the work worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law, 2022.

Abstract: The present study aimed to determine the most efficient experimental conditions of iron sulfate use leading to optimal inhibition in the development of fungal pathogens. Assays have been focused on fungal species inducing severe grapevine diseases. FeSO4 directly inhibited the in vitro mycelial growth of Botrytis cinerea, Eutypa lata, Phaeomoniella chlamydospora, Phaeoacremonium aleophilum, Diplodia seriata, and Neofusicoccum parvum with variable efficiency in the range of 0.5–10mM. The development was always completely inhibited at 20mM. This inhibitory effect was greatly increased at acidic pH values. The anionic moiety of the molecule was of importance since bromide, chloride and sulfate were highly active, whereas acetate and oxalate showed a small effect. Electron microscope observations on E. lata and B. cinerea showed that a treatment with FeSO4 induced dramatic changes in the hyphal organization leading to cell death. No toxicity was observed on grapevine leaves following repeated FeSO4 sprays in the antifungal concentration range. Therefore, FeSO4 may be proposed to effectively replace the long-term pollutant use of CuSO4 as an antifungal agent, with the additional advantage of iron being an important plant micronutrient. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] • Biofumigation by VOCs from P. fluorescens ZX managed gray mold on postharvest grapes. • Biofumigation by VOCs resulted in damage on the morphology of hyphae. • VOCs and sulphur containing compounds showed inhibitory effect. • VOCs from P. fluorescens ZX colonized on healthy grapes could inhibit gray mold on grapes. • Pre-fumigation by VOCs could control the development of gray mold. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by antagonistic microorganisms have the potential for controlling postharvest diseases on fruit and vegetables. In this study, the biocontrol efficacy of VOCs emitted by Pseudomonas fluorescens ZX was determined in vitro and in vivo against gray mold, caused by Botrytis cinerea , on grapes. In vitro , application of VOCs produced by bacterial suspension of P. fluorescens ZX at initial inoculum concentration of 1 × 109 colony-forming units (CFU)/mL inhibited B. cinerea mycelial growth from 52 to 23 mm and spore germination from 88.56 to 39.67%. In vivo tests indicated that, for grapes, disease incidence and disease index were markedly reduced by VOCs from P. fluorescens ZX incubated on NA plates, in NB, and on healthy grapes. Pre-fumigation with VOCs could inhibit development of gray mold on grapes. Furthermore, P. fluorescens ZX-producing VOCs exhibited favorable effects on postharvest natural decay of grapes. In vitro testing of selected pure chemicals demonstrated that dimethyl trisulfide (20 μL/L), dimethyl disulfide (40 μL/L), geranyl formate (640 μL/L), acetic acid (160 μL/L), butyric acid (320 μL/L), 2-methylbutyric acid (160 μL/L), isobutyric acid (160 μL/L) and isovaleric acid (320 μL/L) could completely inhibit mycelial growth of B. cinerea on PDA plates. These eight substances also exerted a strong inhibitory effect on gray mold on grapes. Additionally, SEM analysis showed that VOCs could affect the morphological and structural characteristics of B. cinerea both in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, VOCs produced by P. fluorescens ZX are promising for biocontrol of gray mold on grapes through fumigant action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Healthy tomato plants harbor diverse endophytic bacteria colonizing mainly leaves. • 36 % of the strains produce antifungal volatiles against Botrytis cinerea. • Antagonistic bacteria belong to 9 Bacillus and 2 Enterobacter species. • Enterobacter volatile and Bacillus soluble compounds reduced B. cinerea infection. • 3-Methylbutan-1-ol reduces postharvest decay of B. cinerea on tomato fruit. Botrytis cinerea is one of the most important postharvest fungal pathogens causing significant losses in fresh fruits, vegetables and ornamentals. Synthetic fungicides are primarily used to control postharvest decay loss, but due to their hazardous use the recent trend is shifting toward safer and more eco-friendly alternatives. The use of antagonistic microorganisms is becoming popular throughout the world. This study investigated the antifungal, the plant growth promoting activities and the identity of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by tomato-derived endophytic bacteria strains. The capacity of selected strains to prevent postharvest B. cinerea infection on tomato fruit through VOCs and soluble compounds was also studied. A collection of 50 bacterial strains was established from different organs of tomato plants sampled from six localities in Cape Bon region (Tunisia). Despite the small geographical scale, complexity and abundance of endophytic communities varied greatly according to the site of origin. Healthy tomato plants harbor diverse endophytic bacteria of Bacillus and Enterobacter genera colonizing mainly leaves with a significant enrichment with Bacillus strains. The in vitro dual culture assays showed that 36 % of the endophytic bacterial strains produce antifungal VOCs against B. cinerea. To our knowledge, this is the first report of VOCs antifungal activity produced by B. nakamurai, B. pseudomycoides, B. proteolyticus, B. thuringiensis, E. asburiae and E. cloacae against B. cinerea. About 14 % of bacterial strains produce VOCs with in vitro specific promoting effects on tomato seedling length or biomass production. The five selected antagonistic endophytic bacterial strains produced a core set of seven VOCs along with different strain-specific and known antifungal VOCs such as 3-Methylbutan-1-ol, sulfur-containing compounds, 2-Heptanone and Dodecanal. Tomato fruit bio-protection assay showed that the Enterobacter strain TR1 produces the most protective VOCs against B. cinerea infection with 3-Methylbutan-1-ol as a major volatile compound which totally suppressed B. cinerea growth and infection on tomato fruit at 0.442 mL L−1 headspace, whereas the Bacillus strains showed better protection against fungal infection when applied as vegetative cells on tomato fruit. These results support the use of the selected strains as potential biocontrol agents to reduce postharvest decay of B. cinerea , as well as 3-Methylbutan-1-ol as promising antifungal volatile to apply during postharvest commercialization of tomato fruit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Postharvest fruits including tomatoes are commonly infected by gray mold disease resulting in significant economic losses in the fruit industry. Therefore, this study aimed to develop botanical fungicide derived from Vernonia amygdalina leaf extract to control gray mold on tomato. The emulsion formulation containing surfactant, oil carrier and water was optimized at different non-ionic alkyl polyglucoside surfactants through eleven combinations of oil to surfactant ratio (0:10, 1:9, 2:8, 3:7, 4:6, 5:5, 6:4, 7:3, 8:2, 9:1 and 10:0 w/w). From eight selected formulations, two formulations, F5 and F7 showed stable in storage, remarkable thermodynamic stability, smaller particle size (66.44 and 139.63 nm), highly stable in zeta potential (−32.70 and −31.70 mV), low in polydispersity index (0.41 and 0.40 PdI), low in viscosity (4.20 and 4.37 cP) and low in surface tension (27.62 and 26.41 mN/m) as compared to other formulations. In situ antifungal activity on tomato fruits showed F5 formulation had a fungicidal activity against B. cinerea with zero disease incidence and severity, whereas F7 formulation reduced 62.5% disease incidence compared to a positive control with scale 1. Based on these findings, F5 formulation exhibited pronounced antifungal activity and may contribute to the development of new and safe antifungal product against gray mold on tomato. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polygonatum sibiricum is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb and can also be used as tea and ornamental plant. During 2016 to 2018, a disease with symptoms similar to gray mold was extensively observed on leaves of P. sibiricum in the Sichuan Province of China. The pathogen was isolated from the diseased plants and identified as Botrytis cinerea based on the morphological features and Internal transcribed spacer (ITS), DNA dependent RNA polymerase subunit II gene (RPB2), heat-shock protein 60 gene (HSP60) and ATP-dependent RNA helicase DBP7 gene (MS547) all of which showed 99.89%–99.91% identities to the reported B. cinerea strains. Pathogenicity was confirmed through inoculation experiments fulfilling Koch's postulates. To our knowledge, this is the first report of B. cinerea causing gray mold disease on P. sibiricum in China. • This research first reported the occurrence of a gray mold of Polygonatum sibiricum in China. • The pathogen fungus was isolated and identified as B. cinerea. • Pathogenicity tests confirmed Botrytis cinerea was virulent to P. sibiricum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gray mold disease caused by Botrytis cinerea is a damaging postharvest disease in tomato plants, and it is known to be a limiting factor in tomato production. This study aimed to evaluate antifungal activities of Vernonia amygdalina leaf extracts against B. cinerea and to screen the phytochemical compound in the crude extract that had the highest antifungal activity. In this study, crude extracts of hexane, dichloromethane, methanol, and water extracts with concentration levels at 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 mg/mL were shown to significantly affect the inhibition of B. cinerea. Among the crude extracts, dichloromethane extract was shown to be the most potent in terms of antifungal activities. The SEM observation proved that the treatment altered the fungal morphology, which leads to fungal growth inhibition. For the in vivo bioassay, the fruits treated with dichloromethane extract at 400 and 500 mg/mL showed the lowest disease incidence with mild severity of infection. There were 23 chemical compounds identified in V. amygdalina dichloromethane extract using GCMS analysis. The top five major compounds were dominated by squalene (16.92%), phytol (15.05%), triacontane (11.31%), heptacosane (7.14%), and neophytadiene (6.28%). Some of these significant compounds possess high antifungal activities. This study proved that V. amygdalina from dichloromethane extract could be useful for inhibiting gray mold disease on tomato fruit and has potential as a natural antifungal agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 54 FvbZIP genes were identified from the strawberry genome. These genes were found to be unevenly distributed on seven different chromosomes, and two of the genes had no matching chromosomal localization. FvbZIP genes were divided into 10 subfamilies according to protein sequence, and the structures of these genes were found to be highly conserved. Based on the bioinformatics analysis of FvbZIP genes, the expression of FabZIP genes changed during different stages of its growth and of its infection with gray mold disease. FabZIP46 was substantially upregulated, and its expression remained relatively high. FabZIP46 was cloned from cultivated strawberries by homologous cloning. The results of a transient transgenic assay revealed that the damage to the fruit tissue was markedly alleviated in strawberries overexpressing FabZIP46, with the incidence rate being substantially lower than that in the control group. By contrast, a brief silencing of FabZIP46 had the opposite effect. The results revealed that FabZIP46 played a positive role in the resistance of strawberries to Botrytis cinerea. The study findings provide valuable insights into the role of bZIP transcription factors as well as a theoretical reference for the regulation of resistance to gray mold disease in strawberry fruit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Botrytis cinerea is the causal agent of gray mold disease and is responsible for the loss of millions of dollars in crops in worldwide. Currently, this pathogen exhibits increasing resistance to conventional fungicides; therefore, better control methods and novel compounds with a more specific mechanism of action but without biocidal effects, are required. In this work, several natural compounds to control B. cinerea were analyzed in vitro. Detected effects were dependent on the stage of fungus development, and 3-phenyl-1-propanol displayed the most potent inhibition of in vitro germination, germ tube development, and sporulation. However, it had lower protection of leaves and postharvest fruit in plant infection. Isoeugenol and 1-phenylethanol exhibited lower inhibition of in vitro germination and sporulation, but at the highest concentrations, they inhibited germ tube elongation. Although the lowest rates of foliage infection were recorded using isoeugenol and 3-phenyl-1-propanol, 1-phenylethanol significantly decreased the disease in postharvest tomato fruit, with an efficacy like Mancozeb, but at 18 times lower micromolar concentration. All compounds resulted in high cell viability after spores were removed from the treatment solution exhibited high cell viability, suggesting a non-biocidal effect. The diversity of in vitro and in-plant effects seems to indicate a different mechanism of action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of microorganisms and their secreted molecules to prevent plant diseases is considered an attractive alternative and way to supplement synthetic fungicides for the management of plant diseases. Strain BS062 was selected based on its ability to inhibit the mycelial growth of Botrytis cinerea, a major causal fungus of postharvest root rot of ginseng and strawberry gray mold disease. Strain BS062 was found to be closely related to Streptomyces hygroscopicus (99% similarity) on the basis of 16S ribosomal DNA sequence analysis. Postharvest root rot of ginseng and strawberry gray mold disease caused by B. cinerea were controlled up to 73.9% and 58%, respectively, upon treatment with culture broth of Streptomyces sp. BS062. These results suggest that strain BS062 may be a potential agent for controlling ginseng postharvest root rot and strawberry gray mold disease.