Postharvest Loss Control: Synergistic Plants Extract Inhibition of Ten Microbial Yam Rot Organisms

Nine microorganisms were isolated from four varieties of Dioscorea rotundata (gbongu, ogoja, Amula, Hembamkwase);four bacteria, Erwinia carotovora, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Serratia marcescens, Klebsiella oxytoca and five fungi, Rhizopus stolonifera, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Fusarium oxysporum, Penicillium marneffei, from five local government areas of Benue State (Vandeikya, Ukum, Katsina Ala, Guma and Logo). Pathogenicity test on the isolates confirmed them to be the cause of rot. The nine plants extract (Ceiba pentandra, Jatropha tanjorensis, Azadirachta indica, Moringa oleifera, Carica papaya, Mangifera indica, Daniella oliveri, Terminalia catapa and Passiflora edulis) synergistically added inhibited all the four bacteria isolates completely. The five fungi were inhibited by 60% (c) - 80% (b);Rhizopus stolonifera, Aspergillus flavus, Fusarium oxysporum;and Aspergillus niger, Penicillium marneffei, respectively.

Non-volatile dynamically switchable color display via chalcogenide stepwise cavity resonators

High-resolution multi-color printing relies upon pixelated optical nanostructures,which is crucial to promote color display by producing nonbleaching colors,yet requires simplicity in fabrication and dynamic switching.Antimony trisulfide(Sb_(2)S_(3))is a newly rising chalcogenide material that possesses prompt and significant transition of its optical characteristics in the visible region between amorphous and crystalline phases,which holds the key to color-varying devices.Herein,we proposed a dynamically switchable color printing method using Sb_(2)S_(3)-based stepwise pixelated Fabry-Pérot(FP)cavities with various cavity lengths.The device was fabricated by employing a direct laser patterning that is a less timeconsuming,more approachable,and low-cost technique.As switching the state of Sb_(2)S_(3) between amorphous and crystalline,the multi-color of stepwise pixelated FP cavities can be actively changed.The color variation is due to the profound change in the refractive index of Sb_(2)S_(3) over the visible spectrum during its phase transition.Moreover,we directly fabricated sub-50 nm nano-grating on ultrathin Sb_(2)S_(3) laminate via microsphere 800-nm femtosecond laser irradiation in far field.The minimum feature size can be further decreased down to~45 nm(λ/17)by varying the thickness of Sb_(2)S_(3) film.Ultrafast switchable Sb_(2)S_(3) photonic devices can take one step toward the next generation of inkless erasable papers or displays and enable information encryption,camouflaging surfaces,anticounterfeiting,etc.Importantly,our work explores the prospects of rapid and rewritable fabrication of periodic structures with nano-scale resolution and can serve as a guideline for further development of chalcogenide-based photonics components.

Colonization by Klebsiella variicola FH-1 stimulates soybean growth and alleviates the stress of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

Sclerotinia stem rot,caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum,is a destructive soil-borne disease leading to huge yield loss.We previously reported that Klebsiella variicola FH-1 could degrade atrazine herbicides,and the vegetative growth of atrazine-sensitive crops(i.e.,soybean)was significantly increased in the FH-1-treated soil.Interestingly,we found that FH-1 could promote soybean growth and induce resistance to S.sclerotiorum.In our study,strain FH-1 could grow in a nitrogen-free environment,dissolve inorganic phosphorus and potassium,and produce indoleacetic acid and a siderophore.The results of pot experiments showed that K.variicola FH-1 promoted soybean plant development,substantially improving plant height,fresh weight,and root length,and induced resistance against S.sclerotiorum infection in soybean leaves.The area under the disease progression curve(AUDPC)for treatment with strain FH-1 was significantly lower than the control and was reduced by up to 42.2%within 48 h(P<0.001).Moreover,strain FH-1 rcovered the activities of catalase,superoxide dismutase,peroxidase,phenylalanine ammonia lyase,and polyphenol oxidase,which are involved in plant protection,and reduced malondialdehyde accumulation in the leaves.The mechanism of induction of resistance appeared to be primarily resulted from the enhancement of transcript levels of PR10,PR12,AOS,CHS,and PDF1.2 genes.The colonization of FH-1 on soybean root,determined using CLSM and SEM,revealed that FH-1 colonized soybean root surfaces,root hairs,and exodermis to form biofilms.In summary,K.variicola FH-1 exhibited the biological control potential by inducing resistance in soybean against S.sclerotiorum infection,providing new suggestions for green prevention and control.

Changes in concentrations and transcripts of plant hormones in wheat seedling roots in response to Fusarium crown rot

Fusarium crown rot(FCR) is a soilborne disease causing severe yield losses in many wheat-growing areas of the world. Diseased plants show browning and necrosis of roots and stems causing white heads at maturity. Little is known about the molecular processes employed by wheat roots to respond to the disease. We characterized morphological, transcriptional and hormonal changes in wheat seedling roots following challenge with Fusarium pseudograminearum(Fp), the main pathogen of FCR. The pathogen inhibited root development to various extents depending on plants' resistance level. Many genes responsive to FCR infection in wheat roots were enriched in plant hormone pathways. The contents of compounds involved in biosynthesis and metabolism of jasmonic acid, salicylic acid, cytokinin and auxin were drastically changed in roots at five days post-inoculation. Presoaking seeds in methyl jasmonate for 24 h promoted FCR resistance, whereas presoaking with cytokinin 6-benzylaminopurine made plants more susceptible. Overexpression of TaOPR3, a gene involved in jasmonic acid biosynthesis, enhanced plant resistance as well as root and shoot growth during infection.

Occurrence Factors and Efficient Green Prevention and Control Technology of Peanut Stem Rot Caused by Sclerotium rolfsii in Southern Mountainous Area of Shandong Province

Peanut stem rot caused by Sclerotium rolfsii is a soil-borne disease,and it has become the main disease of peanut in Yimeng mountainous area.S.rolfsii survives the winter as mycelia and sclerotia in soil and debris,becoming the primary source of infection in the following year.The disease resistance of peanut varieties,high temperature and humidity,and cultivation measures are the pathogenic factors affecting the occurrence of peanut stem rot.The disease can be effectively controlled by screening disease-resistant varieties and seed chemical treatment,improving soil by deep tillage and crop rotation,carrying out flowing water management of affected field,cutting off transmission routes,and strengthening seed dressing and triple spraying control.

Effects of Torreya grandis Root Rot on Seedling Growth and Screening of Its Chemical Control Agents

[Objectives]This study was conducted to prevent the occurrence of root rot disease in Torreya grandis and improve the yield and quality of T.grandis.[Methods]One-year-old and two-year-old seedlings of Torreya grandis‘Xifei’and‘Cufei’were inoculated with the root rot pathogen Fusarium fujikuroi,and the changes in photosynthesis,chlorophyll content,malondialdehyde,and defense enzyme system(superoxide dismutase,peroxidase,and catalase)activity in leaves of T.grandis seedlings were investigated using water as a control.Meanwhile,the control effects of 80%carbendazim wettable powder,64%metalaxyl·mancozeb wettable powder,430 g/L tebuconazole suspension and 30%difenoconazole·cyproconazole EC on root rot in T.grandis were investigated.[Results]After inoculation with the pathogen F.fujikuroi,the net photosynthetic rates and transpiration rates in leaves of T.grandis‘Xifei’and‘Cufei’decreased,and the contents of chlorophyll decreased,while the contents of malondialdehyde increased,and the contents of superoxide dismutase and catalase increased with time.However,peroxidase showed a high activity in T.grandis‘Cufei’only,but a trend of"increasing-decreasing-increasing"in T.grandis‘Xifei’.Among the four chemical control agents,64%metalaxyl·mancozeb wettable powder had the best control effect on root rot of T.grandis caused by the pathogenic fungus F.fujikuroi.[Conclusions]The net photosynthetic rate,transpiration rate,chlorophyll content,malondialdehyde content,superoxide dismutase activity and catalase activity could all be used as screening indicators for T.grandis varieties resistant to root rot.Meanwhile,64%metalaxyl·mancozeb wettable powder could be used as a control agent for root rot on T.grandis.

Formulation of Biofungicides from Cymbopogon citratus and Tithonia diversifolia: Evaluating Its Antimicrobial Activities against Pythium myriotylum, the Causal Agent of Root Rot of Xanthosoma sagittifolium (L.) Schott

Three fungicide formulations, namely M1, M2 and M3, were prepared from sodium bicarbonate, citronella essential oil and sunflower slurry. The stability of M1, M2 and M3 formulations was determined based on pH, temperature, order of incorporation of the inputs and storage time. The most stable formulations were used for antagonistic tests on Pythium myriotylum. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) was used for the greenhouse tests and the mode of action was determined in vitro. The study showed that the order of incorporation of the inputs “Essential Oil-Tween 80-Bicarbonate-Slurry” (EO-T80-B-S) promotes stability. M1 and M2 are stable at 4°C, 25°C, 37°C and 40°C temperatures and have a pH of 7 and 8 respectively. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration of M1 and M2 is 1% on P. myriotylum. M1 and M2 act on Pythium by membrane lysis, inhibiting proton pumps and inhibiting protein synthesis. The formulations M1 and M2 reduce the incidence of root rot disease in cocoyam plants growth in the greenhouse. M1 and M2 are potential candidates for improvement of cocoyam seedlings production in Cameroon.

Research Progress in Biological Control of Soft Rot of Amorphophallus konjac

In this paper,the main control methods of soft rot of Amorphophallus konjac are reviewed,with a focus on the current research status of using plant growth promoting rhizobacteria for biological control of soft rot of A.konjac,and future research directions are looked forward to.

A novel pathogen Fusarium cuneirostrum causing common bean(Phaseolus vulgaris)root rot in China

Several fungal pathogens cause root rot of common bean,among which Fusarium spp.are the most common pathogens causing Fusarium root rot(FRR)worldwide.FRR has been becoming an increasingly severe disease of common bean in China,but the species of Fusarium spp.have remained unclear.Thus,this study was performed to identify the pathogen causing common bean root rot in Liangcheng County,Inner Mongolia,China.Nineteen Fusarium-like isolates were obtained after pathogen isolation and purification.The pathogenicity test indicated that eight isolates caused severe disease symptoms on common bean,while 11 other isolates were not pathogenic.The eight pathogenic isolates,FCL1–FCL8,were identified as Fusarium cuneirostrum by morphological characterization and phylogenetic analysis using partial sequences of EF-1α,ITS,28S,and IGS regions.Host range test showed that the representative F.cuneirostrum isolate FCL3 was also pathogenic to mung bean,while not pathogenic to adzuki bean,chickpea,cowpea,faba bean,pea,and soybean.Moreover,50 common bean and 50 mung bean cultivars were screened for resistance to FRR,and seven highly resistant or resistant cultivars of common bean were identified,while no resistant cultivars of mung bean were screened.This study revealed that F.cuneirostrum was one of common bean FRR pathogens in Inner Mongolia and it could induce mung bean root rot as well.To our knowledge,this is the first report of F.cuneirostrum causing FRR of common bean in China.

Controllable optical bistability in a Fabry-Pérot cavity with a nonlinear three-dimensional Dirac semimetal

Optical bistability(OB)is capable of rapidly and reversibly transforming a parameter of an optical signal from one state to another,and homologous nonlinear optical bistable devices are core components of high-speed all-optical communication and all-optical networks.In this paper,we theoretically investigated the controllable OB from a Fabry-Pérot(FP)cavity with a nonlinear three-dimensional Dirac semimetal(3D DSM)in the terahertz band.The OB stems from the third-order nonlinear bulk conductivity of the 3D DSM and the resonance mode has a positive effect on the generation of OB.This FP cavity structure is able to tune the OB because the transmittance and the reflectance can be modulated by the Fermi energy of the 3D DSM.We believe that this FP cavity configuration could provide a reference concept for realizing tunable bistable devices.

Genome-wide association mapping and genomic prediction of stalk rot in two mid-altitude tropical maize populations

Maize stalk rot reduces grain yield and quality.Information about the genetics of resistance to maize stalk rot could help breeders design effective breeding strategies for the trait.Genomic prediction may be a more effective breeding strategy for stalk-rot resistance than marker-assisted selection.We performed a genome-wide association study(GWAS)and genomic prediction of resistance in testcross hybrids of 677 inbred lines from the Tuxpe?o and non-Tuxpe?o heterotic pools grown in three environments and genotyped with 200,681 single-nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs).Eighteen SNPs associated with stalk rot shared genomic regions with gene families previously associated with plant biotic and abiotic responses.More favorable SNP haplotypes traced to tropical than to temperate progenitors of the inbred lines.Incorporating genotype-by-environment(G×E)interaction increased genomic prediction accuracy.

Effective transmittance of Fabry–Perot cavity under non-parallel beam incidence

The Fabry–Perot(FP) resonant cavity is widely used in laser and spectroscopic measurements due to its unique interference transfer function(ITF). In the ideal case of parallel incident light, the ITF of the FP resonant cavity can be expressed by the Airy function. However, in reality, it is difficult to achieve perfect parallelism with collimated beams. In this article, a theoretical model is established for non-parallel light incidence, which assumes that the non-parallel incident light is a cone-shaped beam, and the cone angle is used to quantify the non-parallelism of the beam. The transmittance function of the FP resonant cavity under non-parallel light incidence is derived. The accuracy of the model is experimentally verified. Based on this model, the effects of divergence angle, tilt angle and FP cavity parameters(reflectivity, cavity length)on the ITF are studied. The reasons for the decrease in peak value, broadening and asymmetry of the interference peak under non-parallel light incidence are explained. It is suggested that a fine balance between the interference peak and the collimation effect of the incident light should be considered in the design and application of FP resonant cavities, especially for tilted applications such as angle-scanned spectroscopy. The research results of this article have certain significance for the design and application of FP resonant cavities.

New Rotative Radiofrequency Technology: A Multicenter Retrospective Study on Efficacy and Safety

Background: Non-ablative radiofrequency (RF) technology is widely used for the treatment of signs of aging, skin laxity, localized fat and cellulite. However, many RF devices suffer from technical limitations that make the results highly dependent on the user’s experience or clinical limitations that compromise safety, efficacy and comfort. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a novel semi-automatic non-ablative RF device for skin tightening, body shaping and cellulite reduction. Materials and methods: A retrospective multicenter study was performed using a novel rotative RF device with temperature and impedance control (Sculpt&Shape®, Sinclair, Spain). 58 subjects underwent a minimum of 4 treatments every 1-2 weeks. A total of 120 treatments (56.7% body and 43.3% facial) and 1034 sessions were performed. Efficacy was evaluated by 3 researchers using the Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS) and anthropometric measurements were collected. Subject and practitioner satisfaction were recorded. Safety was evaluated by analyzing the perception of pain during the treatment and the side and adverse effects immediately after treatment and over the next 48 hours. Results: Between 25% and 50% improvement was achieved according to the GAIS. Statistically significant (p < 0.01) abdominal fold reduction of 5.1 mm and circumference reduction of 32.0 mm, 16.4 mm and 13.9 mm were recorded for the abdomen, legs and arms, respectively. 77.5% of subjects and 94.9% of practitioners were either satisfied or very satisfied. Minor adverse effects were found in 0.97% of the sessions. Conclusion: This novel semi-automatic rotative RF device has been found to provide treatments that are effective, safe and comfortable for both practitioners and subjects. .

Sine-Gordon方程二重网格方法的高精度分析

讨论了Sine-Gordon方程的二重网格有限元方法,建立了EQ_(1)^(rot)非协调元全离散逼近格式.直接利用EQ_(1)^(rot)元的插值算子和该元的性质,并对非线性项进行线性化处理,导出了能量模意义下的超逼近结果.更进一步利用插值后处理技术得到整体超收敛结果.

Screening of antagonistic Trichoderma strains and their application for controlling stalk rot in maize

Maize is one of the major crops in China, but maize stalk rot occurs nationwide and has become one of the major challenges in maize production in China. In order to find an environment-friendly and feasible technology to control this disease, a Trichoderma-based biocontrol agent was selected. Forty-eight strains with various inhibition activities to Fusarium graminearum, and Fusarium verticillioides were tested. A group of Trichoderma strains(DLY31, SG3403, DLY1303 and GDFS1009) were found to provide an inhibition rate to pathogen growth in vitro of over 70%. These strains also prevented pathogen infection over 65% and promoted the maize seedling growth for the main root in vivo by over 50%. Due to its advantage in antifungal activity against pathogens and promotion activity to maize, Trichoderma asperellum GDSF1009 was selected as the most promising strain of the biocontrol agent in the Trichoderma spectrum. Pot experiments showed that the Trichoderma agent at 2–3 g/pot could achieve the best control of seedling stalk rot and promotion of maize seedling growth. In the field experiments, 8–10 g/hole was able to achieve over 65% control to stalk rot, and yield increased by 2–11%. In the case of natural morbidity, the control efficiency ranged from 27.23 to 48.84%, and the rate of yield increase reached 11.70%, with a dosage of Trichoderma granules at 75 kg ha^-1. Based on these results, we concluded that the Trichoderma agent is a promising biocontrol approach to stalk rot in maize.

First report of Athelia bombacina causing postharvest fruit rot on pear

Pear is an important fruit crop in the world. An uncharacterized disease has been observed on pear fruits during cold storage ir~ Suning, Shenzhou, Xinji and other locations in Hebei Province, China. The incidence rate of the disease has reached 10%, and sometimes up to 20%. A particular fungus was consistently isolated from the infected pear fruit and cultured. Based on its morphology, molecular characteristics, pathogenicity and ITS sequence, the fungus was identified as Athelia bombacina. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Athelia bombacina causing postharvest fruit rot on pear.

Co-location of QTL for Sclerotinia stem rot resistance and flowering time in Brassica napus

Sclerotinia stem rot(SSR) caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum(Lib.) de Bary is one of the most devastating diseases of Brassica napus worldwide. Both SSR resistance and flowering time(FT) adaptation are major breeding goals in B. napus. However, early maturing rapeseed varieties, which are important for rice-rapeseed rotation in China, are often highly susceptible to SSR. Here, we found that SSR resistance was significantly negatively correlated with FT in a natural population containing 521 rapeseed inbred lines and a double haploid(DH) population with 150 individual lines, both of which had great variation in FT. Four chromosomal regions on A2, A6, C2, and C8 affecting both SSR resistance and FT were identified using quantitative trait loci(QTL) mapping after constructing a high-density genetic map based on single nucleotide polymorphism markers in the DH population.Furthermore, we aligned QTL for the two traits identified in the present and previous studies to the B. napus reference genome, and identified four colocalized QTL hotspots of SSR resistance and FT on A2(0–7.7 Mb), A3(0.8–7.5 Mb), C2(0–15.2 Mb), and C6(20.2–36.6 Mb). Our results revealed a genetic link between SSR resistance and FT in B.napus, which should facilitate the development of effective strategies in both early maturing and SSR resistance breeding and in map-based cloning of SSR resistance QTL.

Experimental Study on Decolorization and Degradation of Reactive Brilliant Red X-3B in a White Rot Fungal Biofilm Reactor

Experimental results of an azo dye(reactive brilliant red X 3B, RBR X 3B) decolorization and degradation in a white rot fungal biofilm reactor were introduced and discussed. The fungal biofilm reactor is highly potential for dye decolorization and degradation with the highest decoloring rate of 95% within 96 hours reaction time at initial pH 4.5 under high nitrogen level (HN) (24 mmol/L ammonium tartrate) condition. Experimental conditions, such as nutrient nitrogen levels in reaction mixture and initial pH, significantly affected dye decolorization and degradation. Effluents from this biofilm reactor can be well treated to meet the discharging requirements by use of chemical flocculation.RBR X 3B was first absorbed onto fungal biomass and then degraded gradually. The SH 13 fungus monopolized the biofilm throughout the experiments, though the reactor was exposed to open air for 4 months.

Decolorization of reactive brilliant red K-2BP by white rot fungus under sterile and non-sterile conditions

Almost all the studies both domestic and international using white rot fungus for dye wastewater treatment are performed under sterile conditions. However, it is obviously unpractical that wastewater with dyes is treated under sterile conditions. A feasible study was made for using white rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium to degrade reactive brilliant red K-2BP dye under non-sterile conditions. The results showed that there was no decolorizing effect under non-sterile condition if white rot fungus was incubated under non-sterile condition, and the decolorization was always near to 0% during decolorizing test for 3 d; in the meantime, a lot of yeast funguses were found in liquid medium when white rot fungus was incubated under non-sterile conditions; however, if white rot fungus was incubated under sterile condition firstly, its decolorization was above 90% under non-sterile condition, which was similar to that of sterile condition. So we point out that the treating process for wastewater with dyes should be divided into two stages. The first stage is that white rot fungus should be incubated under sterile conditions, and the second stage is that reactive brilliant red K-2BP is decolorized under non-sterile conditions. The method not only save the operation cost which decolorizing reactive brilliant red K-2BP under sterile condition, but also provide the feasibility for using white rot fungus to degrade wastewater with dyes under non-sterile conditions.

Isolation of Nine Microorganisms from Rotten <i>Dioscorea rotundata</i>(White Yam) and Antimicrobial Sensitivity Test with Five Plant Extracts

Five yam tuber varieties were investigated for microorganisms that cause yam tuber rot from five local government areas of Benue State, Nigeria, between the months of March 2014 to March 2015. Five fungi species: Aspergillus niger, Rhizopus stolonifera, Botryodiplodia theobromae, Fusarium oxysporum, Penicillium marnessei and four bacteria species: Serratia marcescens, Erwinia caro-tovora, Klebsiella oxytoca and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were consistently isolated. Pathogenicity test carried out confirmed these organisms as the pathological agent of the rot. Antimicrobial activity of five plant aqueous extracts: Terminalia catapa (common name fruit), Passiflora edulis (passion fruit), Daniella oliveri (Chiha-Tiv), Ceiba pentandra (Vambe-Tiv), Jatropha tanjorensis (Catholic plant) was carried out on the isolated microorganims and they showed varing degrees of inhibition, the aqueous extract from Passiflora edulis, Ceiba pentandra and Jatropha tanjorensis were able to inhibit all the fungi completely.