Fusarium wilt of banana:Current update and sustainable disease control using classical and essential oils approaches

Fusarium species were reported to produce biofilms.Biofilms are superficial societies of microbes bounded and endangered by being situated or taking place outside a cell or cells.The most destructive fungal diseases caused by phytopathogens are as a result of biofilms formation.Fusarium wilt of banana(Panama disease)is caused by a soil-borne pathogen called Fusarium oxysporum f.sp.cubense.Fusarium oxysporum occurs in a form of a species complex(FOSC)which encompasses a crowd of strains.Horizontal genetic factor transfer may donate to the observed assortment in pathogenic strains,while sexual reproduction is unknown in the FOSC.Fusarium wilt is a notorious disease on several crops worldwide.Yield loss caused by this pathogen is huge,and significant to destroy crop yields annually,thereby affecting the producer countries in various continents of the world.The disease is also resistant to various synthetic chemical fungicides.However,excessive use of synthetic fungicides during disease control could be lethal to humans,animals,and plants.This calls for alternative eco-friendly management of this disease by targeting the biofilms formation and finally suppressing this devastating phytopathogen.In this review,we,therefore,described the damage caused by Fusarium wilt disease,the concept of filamentous fungal biofilms,classical control strategies,sustainable disease control strategies using essential oils,and prevention and control of vegetables Fusarium wilt diseases.

Induction of Tolerance to Fusarium Wilt and Defense-Related Mechanisms in the Plantlets of Susceptible Berangan Banana Pre-Inoculated with Pseudomonas sp.(UPMP3) and Burkholderia sp.(UPMB3)

This study is aimed at assessing the ability of two endophytic bacteria originally isolated from healthy oil palm roots, Pseudomonas sp. （UPMP3） and Burkholderia sp. （UPMB3） to induce resistance in susceptible Berangan banana against Fusarium oxysporum race 4 （FocR4）. Increased accumulation of resistance-related enzymes such as peroxidase （PO）, phenylalanine ammonia lyase （PAL）, lignithioglycolic acid （LTGA）, and pathogenesis-related （PR） proteins （ehitinase and β-1,3-glucanase） has been observed in plantlets treated with endophytic bacteria UPMP3 and UPMB3 singly or as mixture under glasshouse conditions. Pre-inoculation of banana plantlets with UPMP3 showed a significant reduction in Fusarium wilt incidence 72 d after challenged inoculation with FocR4. UPMB3 was less effective in suppressing Fusarium wilt compared to UPMP3, whereas, the mixture of both endophytes showed an intermediate effect. Based on these results, it is concluded that UPMP3 could be a promising biological control agent that can trigger resistance against Fusarium wilt in susceptible Berangan banana.

A study on the pathogen species and physiological races of tomato Fusarium wilt in Shanxi,China

In order to clarify the main pathogens of tomato Fusarium wilt in Shanxi Province, China, morphological identification, elongation factor 1 alpha （EF-1α） sequence analysis, specific primer amplification and pathogenicity tests were applied to study the isolates which were recovered from diseased plants collected from 17 different districts of Shanxi Province. The results were as follows： 1） Through morphological and molecular identification, the following 7 species of Fusarium were identified： F. oxysporum, F. solani, F. verticillioides, F. subglutinans, F. chlamydosporum, F. sporotrichioides, and F. semitectum; 2） 56 isolates of F. oxysporum were identified using specific primer amplification, among which, 29, 5 and 6 isolates were respectively identified as F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici physiological race 1, race 2, and race 3; 3） pathogenicity test indicated the significant pathogenicity of F. oxysporum, F. solani, F. verticillioides, and F. subglutinans to tomato plant. Therefore, among these 4 species confirmed as pathogenic to tomato in Shanxi, the highest isolation rate （53.3％） corresponded to F. oxysporum. Three physiological species, race 1, race 2, and race 3 of F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici are detected in Shanxi, among which race 1 is the most widespread pathogen and is also considered as the predominant race.

Quantitative Trait Loci for Resistance Against Fusarium Wilt Based on Three Cotton F_2 Populations

Fusarium wilt （FW） is one of the most common cotton diseases in the world. Identification of QTLs conferring resistance to FW is key for the incorporation of resistance genes into elite cultivars. Two intraspecific （cross between Gossypium hirsuturn L.） and one interspecific （cross between Gossypium hirsutum L. and Gossypium bardence L.） F2 populations were constructed by using a highly resistant cultivar and crossing it to a susceptible cultivar with 154, 79, and 148 offsprings, respectively. Simple sequence repeats （SSR） were used to screen genomic regions closely linked to FW resistance. The results showed that five QTLs associated with FW resistance were detected in two intraspecific populations using a composite interval mapping method under four different conditions. Four of these loci located on Chr. 2/Chr. 17 neighboring markers JESPR304 or CIR305 which explained 13.1 to 45.9% of the phenotypic effect. Furthermore, JESPR304 and CIR305 were previously testified and found to be tightly linked. It is possible that these four QTLs detected under different conditions were the same resistance QTL/gene. We consider that there is the possibility of a major FW resistant gene in intraspecific populations. In the interspecific mapping populations two QTLs were detected on Chr. 9 and Chr. 12/26 which explained great phenotypic variance of 49.4 and 45.7%. As the location of QTLs for FW resistance among the intraspecific and the interspecfic populations were totally different, it is suggested that there may be different resistance mechanisms between G. bardence L. and G. hursutum L. Thus, the present research provides an opportunity to understand the genetic control of resistance to FW in Gossypium hirsutum and Gossypium bardence and to conduct MAS in breeding programs to develop FW resistant cultivars.

Screening and identification of candidate Fusarium wilt-resistance genes from pumpkin

Pumpkin(Cucurbita moschata)has been widely used as cucumber(Cucumis sativus L.)rootstock to defend against Fusarium wilt(FW)and increase cucumber yields and profits.However,the resistance genes and mechanisms underlying the FW tolerance in pumpkin are poorly understood.Here we analyzed the transcriptome of pumpkin inoculated with the cucumber FW causal agent Fusarium oxysporum f.sp.cucumerinum(Foc),and obtained 3152 and 4735 upregulated genes induced by Foc at 24h after Foc inoculation compared with at 0h and 24h non-inoculated control,respectively.Next,404 common differentially expressed genes(DEGs)were screened using the criterion log_(2) FPKM(fold change)≥2.In total,206 of 404 DEGs were predominantly expressed in roots,which is the first tissue that Foc contacts and invades.140 DEGs were selected and classified into four groups(pathogenesis resistance,secondary metabolism-related,transcription factor and signal binding)based on their functional descriptions.Then,29 genes having high expression levels were selected to investigate the expression patterns induced by a Foc inoculation.Among them,16 genes were significantly induced by Foc and showed high expression levels at various treatment time points.These candidate genes may act as positive regulators of FW resistance in pumpkin and provide effective resources for improving cucumber FW resistance through breeding programs.

In vitro Screening of Fusarium Wilt-resistant Germplasm Resources of Red Edible Seed Watermelon( Citrullus lanatus ssp. vulgaris var. megalaspermus Lin et Chao)

[ Objective] This study aimed to establish an appropriate technology system for in vitro screening of Fuzarium wilt-resistant germplasm resources of red edible seed watermelon and obtain variants resistant to fusaric acid, thus providing resistant materials for breeding Fusarium wilt-resistant red edible seed watermel- on. [ Method] Using Zhongxin No. 1 red edible seed watermelon advemitious buds as screening materials and fusaric acid （FA） as a stress agent, in vitro screen- ing of Fusarium wilt-resistant red edible seed watermelon clonal variants and identification of Fusarium wilt-resistance of the germplasm resources of red edible seed watermelon were performed. [ Result] The results showed that the appropriate FA for in vitro screening of Fusarium wilt-resistant red edible seed watermelon vari- ants was 15 mg/L. In vitro screening system for Fusarium wilt-resistant red edible seed watermelon variants was established preliminarily and FA-resistant regenera- ted plants were obtained. Among the 36 germplasm resources of red edible seed watermelon, there were 2 highly resistant materials, 6 moderately resistant materi- als, 11 slightly resistant materials and 17 highly susceptible materials. [ Conclusion] This study confirmed preliminarily that in vitro screening method is effective for obtaining resistant materials of red edible seed watermelon.

Characterization of salt tolerance and Fusarium wilt resistance of a sweetpotato mutant

The variant LM1 was previously obtained using embryogenic cell suspension cultures of sweetpotato variety Lizixiang by gamma-ray induced mutation, and then its characteristics were stably inherited through six clonal generations, thus this mutant was named LM1. In this study, systematic characterization of salt tolerance and Fusarium wilt resistance were performed between Lizixiang and mutant LM1. LM1 exhibited significantly higher salt tolerance compared to Lizixiang. The content of proline and activities of superoxide dismutase（SOD） and photosynthesis were significantly increased, while malonaldehyde（MDA） and H_2O_2 contents were significantly decreased compared to that of Lizixiang under salt stress. The inoculation test with Fusarium wilt showed that its Fusarium wilt resistance was also improved. The lignin, total phenolic, jasmonic acid（JA） contents and SOD activity were significantly higher, while H_2O_2 content was significantly lower in LM1 than that in Lizixiang. The expression level of salt stress-responsive and disease resistance-related genes was significantly higher in LM1 than that in Lizixiang under salt and Fusarium wilt stresses, respectively. This result provides a novel and valuable material for improving the salt tolerance and Fusarium wilt resistance of sweetpotato.

Alleviating Effect of Phenol Compounds on Cucumber Fusarium Wilt and Mechanism

The amount of phenol compounds in the soil increased after adding organic material into the soil. It was found that p-hydroxybenzoic acid, p-coumaric acid and frulic acid alleviated Fusarium wilt of cucumber, the alleviating effect of p-hydroxybenzoic acid was the best, followed by p-coumaric acid and frulic acid. The total amount of bacterial, actinomyces and fungus in high phenol compounds treatment decreased than that of control treatment, while the microorganisms’ amount in low phenol compounds treatment increased. Phenol compounds inhibit the growth of pathogen.

An improved electrochemiluminescence polymerase chain reaction method for the detection of Fusarium wilts

An improved electrochemiluminescence polymerase chain reaction （ECL-PCR） method was developed and applied to detect Fusarium wilt. Briefly, the internal transcribed spacer （ITS） sequence of Fusarium oxysporumf, sp Cubense （FOC） was amplified by PCR. Two universal fragments, which were complimentary to Ru（bpy）3^2＋ （TBR） labeled probe and Biotin labeled probe, respectively, were connected to the tail of primers so that all the PCR products got universal sequences. Then biotin labeled probes and TBR labeled probes were hybridized with the PCR products at the same time. Through the specific interaction between biotin and streptavidin, the PCR products were captured by streptavidin coated magnetic bead and then detected by ECL assay. The experiment results showed that the healthy banana samples and infected ones can be discriminated by this ECL-PCR method. This improved ECL-PCR approach is useful in Fusarium wilt detection due to its high sensitivity, simplicity and stability.

Progresses in the Mechanism of Resistance to Fusarium Wilt in Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.)

Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cucumerinum （Owen） is one of the most devastating diseases in cucumber production worldwide. Recent progresses in the mechanism of resistance to Fusarium wilt in cucumber were reviewed in this paper, including pathogenic mechanism of Fusarium oxysporum, the resistance mechanism of cucumber, the heredity of resistance, and the location of resistance genes. Following works should be the location and cloning of resistance genes with molecular biologic methods.

Control Effects of Biological Fertilizer on Watermelon Fusarium wilt

With conventional fertilization as the control, the control effects of biological fertilizer and general organic fertilizer on watermelon Fusarium wilt were studied in the paper. The results showed that applying biological fertilizer could effectively reduce the incidence rate of watermelon Fusarium wilt and significantly improve the quality of watermelon, while application of general organic fertilizer had no obvious control effect on watermelon Fusarium wilt.

Screening of Bacillus subtilis HAAS01 and Its Biocontrol Effect on Fusarium wilt in Sweet Potato

Fusarium wilt,a disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum f.sp batatas(Fob)is an important disease in sweet potato production.Using endophytic bacteria for biological control of sweet potato diseases is one of the important ways.A Bacillus subtilis with antagonistic effect on Fusarium wilt of sweet potato was isolated from soil by confrontation culture.According to the biological characteristics,16S rDNA sequence analysis,and physiological and biochemical analysis,the Bacillus subtilis HAAS01 was named.A pot experiment was conducted for the biological control experiment of strain HAAS01,and the endogenous hormone content,antioxidant enzyme activity,soluble protein content,and related gene expressions of sweet potato plants were detected.The results showed that the HAAS01 strain could promote the production of endogenous hormones and resist the infection of plant diseases together with defensive enzymes and upregulation of related gene expressions.In summary,Bacillus subtilis HAAS01 was effective in controlling Fusarium wilt of sweet potato and has potential for application and development.

Screening and Identification of an Antagonistic Bacillus Strain against Snap Bean Fusarium Wilt

With Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. phaseoli as the target bacterium,the bacterial strain with strong antagonistic activity was screened from crop rhizosphere soil using plate confrontation method and pot efficiency test. This strain was identified according to morphological observation, physiological and biochemical characteristics and sequence analysis of 16S rRNA gene and gyrB gene. The results showed that LZF-5-3 strain was identified as Bacillus methylotrophicus and the control effect of LZF-5-3 against F.oxysporum in snap bean was 71.42% in pot test.

The effects of Trichoderma on preventing cucumber fusarium wilt and regulating cucumber physiology

In our previous studies, we identified 3 Trichoderma strains with anti-Fusarium oxysporum activity, including T. asperellum 525, T. harzianum 610, and T. pseudokoningii 886. Here, we evaluated the effects of these 3 Trichoderma strains on preventing cucumber fusarium wilt through pot culture and greenhouse culture experiments. All 3 Trichoderma strains demonstrated higher control effects toward cucumber fusarium wilt than previous studies, with efficacies over 78%. Additionally, inoculation with the 3 Trichoderma strains significantly promoted the quality and yield of cucumbers. Among the 3 strains, Trichoderma 866 was the most effective, with disease control efficacy of 78.64% and a cucumber yield increase of 33%. Furthermore, seedlings inoculated with Trichoderma exhibited significantly increased measures of plant height, stem diameter, leaf area, aboveground fresh weight, underground fresh weight, chlorophyll content, and nitric nitrogen content, as well as the activities of several stress-resistance enzymes, including superoxide dismutase(SOD), peroxidase(POD), catalase(CAT), polyphenol oxidase(PPO), and ascorbate oxidase(AAO). In addition, the plants inoculated with Trichoderma showed decreased cell membrane permeability and malondialdehyde(MDA) content in the leaves. Together, our results suggest that T. asperellum 525, T. harzianum 610, and T. pseudokoningii 886 inoculations inhibit F. oxysporum infection, stimulate the metabolism in cucumbers, and enhance the activities of stress-resistance enzymes, which consequently promote the growth of cucumber plants, prevent cucumber fusarium wilt, and improve the yield and quality of cucumbers. T. harzianum is a commonly used biocontrol fungus, while few studies have focused on T. asperellum or T. koningense. In this study, strains of T. asperellum and T. pseudokoningii showed excellent plant disease prevention and growth promoting effects on cucumber, indicating that they also have great potential as biocontrol fungi.

Occurrence and Control Technology of Bitter Gourd Fusarium Wilt

With the increase of growing area of bitter gourd, Fusarium wilt has become one of the most important diseases in bitter gourd production, seriously affecting the yield and quality of bitter gourd. The occurrence regularity of bitter gourd Fusarium wilt was expounded, and the research status of agricultural control, chemical control and biological control were summarized, so as to provide the reference for safe and efficient production of bitter gourd.

Identification of a SSR marker (TOM-144) linked to Fusarium wilt resistance in <i>Solanum lycopersicum</i>

With the discovery of molecular markers and marker assisted selection technology, the research has entered into a new era and has made it possible to develop new and more informative PCR-based markers, including SSR, and to further facilitate the use of markers in tomato breeding. The present study is a step to introduce a new SSR marker (TOM-144) which was deduced after evaluation of eight microsatellite loci amongst the twenty-one different tomato cultivars. The marker selected was inherited and segregated in mendelian fashion as demonstrated in successive generation of a cross between parent cvs. H-24 x GT-2.

Banana Fusarium Wilt(Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense)Control and Resistance, in the Context of Developing Wilt-resistant Bananas Within Sustainable Production Systems

Banana(Musa spp.) is seriously threatened by the soil-borne fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense(Foc), also known as Panama disease.Attempts to control Fusarium wilt with fungicides damage soil health and have limited efficiency due to pathogenic variability. Elucidating the mechanism of infection and molecular basis of host defense through banana genome sequencing, genome editing and proteomic profile analysis will help formulate strategies to develop resistant cultivars. This will include research to better understand the functions of Fusarium wilt-resistance proteins. Transgenic approaches and protoplast fusion could be employed as tools for transferring resistance genes from wild relatives to commercial banana varieties, and may serve as a new strategy in solving the problems faced by banana breeding programmes.Evaluation of banana germplasm for resistance to Fusarium wilt using in vitro mutation and selection, along with somaclonal variation and somatic hybridization, could improve banana breeding efficiency for resistance against Foc. Plant hormones could also play an important role in regulating plant growth and defense by mediating developmental processes and signaling networks involved in banana responses to Foc. A complementary approach for managing Fusarium wilt, such as exclusion, surveillance and biological control as important components of integrated disease management programs must be considered to prevent and contain contagion. This includes studies on banana plant-microbe interactions, embracing both plant growth promoting rhizobacteria(PGPR) to induce Foc resistance, and exploring Foc-derived elicitors for inducing defense-related enzymes in bananas. The role of Silicon and crop and livestock integration must also be included in the Fusarium control toolbox. The current review also gathers knowledge of the biotechnological approaches along with biological control of Fusarium wilt of banana that will provide researchers insights and criteria to develop future studies.

Identification of banana fusarium wilt using supervised classification algorithms with UAV-based multi-spectral imagery

The disease of banana Fusarium wilt currently threatens banana production areas all over the world.Rapid and large-area monitoring of Fusarium wilt disease is very important for the disease treatment and crop planting adjustments.The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of supervised classification algorithms such as support vector machine(SVM),random forest(RF),and artificial neural network(ANN)algorithms to identify locations that were infested or not infested with Fusarium wilt.An unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV)equipped with a five-band multi-spectral sensor(blue,green,red,red-edge and near-infrared bands)was used to capture the multi-spectral imagery.A total of 139 ground sample-sites were surveyed to assess the occurrence of banana Fusarium wilt.The results showed that the SVM,RF,and ANN algorithms exhibited good performance for identifying and mapping banana Fusarium wilt disease in UAV-based multi-spectral imagery.The overall accuracies of the SVM,RF,and ANN were 91.4%,90.0%,and 91.1%,respectively for the pixel-based approach.The RF algorithm required significantly less training time than the SVM and ANN algorithms.The maps generated by the SVM,RF,and ANN algorithms showed the areas of occurrence of Fusarium wilt disease were in the range of 5.21-5.75 hm2,accounting for 36.3%-40.1%of the total planting area of bananas in the study area.The results also showed that the inclusion of the red-edge band resulted in an increase in the overall accuracy of 2.9%-3.0%.A simulation of the resolutions of satellite-based imagery(i.e.,0.5 m,1 m,2 m,and 5 m resolutions)showed that imagery with a spatial resolution higher than 2 m resulted in good identification accuracy of Fusarium wilt.The results of this study demonstrate that the RF classifier is well suited for the identification and mapping of banana Fusarium wilt disease from UAV-based remote sensing imagery.The results provide guidance for disease treatment and crop planting adjustments.

Advances in Cotton Breeding for Resistance to Fusarium and Verticillium Wilt in the Last Fifty Years in China

This review summarizes the main advances in cotton breeding for resistance to fusarium and verticillium wilt in the last fifty years in China. The topics discussed include main achievements, experiences, problems and countermeasures for solving.