ABSTRACT
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1206217.].
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Sustainable agricultural practices for controlling crop pests are urgently needed to reduce the reliance on chemical pesticides, which have long-term detrimental effects on ecosystems. In this study, we assessed the effectiveness of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and vermicompost (Vc) supplementation, alone and in combination, in mitigating the negative impacts of Meloidogyne incognita infestation on carrot (Daucus carota L.) growth, development, and physiology. Methods: We measured different plant growth parameters such as plant height and biomass accumulation, several plant physiological parameters such as the levels of photosynthetic pigments, phenolics, and the activity of defense enzymes such as peroxidases and polyphenol oxidases, and evaluated the severity of Meloidogyne incognita nematode infestation on plants treated or not treated with vermicompost (Vc) and/or arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Results: Our findings show that M. incognita significantly affects plant growth, biomass accumulation, and photosynthetic pigment and carotenoid content. The incorporation of Vc and AMF into the soil, either individually or in combination, significantly alleviates the negative effects of nematode infestation on carrot plants. This was accompanied by the induction of phenolic compounds and defense enzymes such as peroxidases (+15.65%) and polyphenol oxidases (29.78%), and by a reduction in the severity of nematode infestation on Vc and AMF-treated plants compared to nematode-infested plants. Principal component analysis (PCA) shows significant correlations between various of the studied parameters. In particular, we observed negative correlations between the application of AMF and Vc alone and in combination and disease severity, and positive correlations between plant growth, photosynthetic pigments phenol content, and activity of defense enzymes. Discussion: Our study highlights the relevance of cultural practices and beneficial microorganisms for the sustainable and environmentally friendly management of agricultural pests.
ABSTRACT
A new species of the genus Eutyphoeus is described herein from the material collected from Assam, the North-eastern region of India. The new species Eutyphoeus dhubriensis sp. nov. belongs to a group of avestibulate, metandric species, with bidiverticulate spermathecae, lacking lateral intestinal caecae. The proposed species is distinguished from its congeners by the shape, position of genital markings and associated glands, as well as number and position of ventral intestinal caecae and supra-intestinal glands.
Subject(s)
Oligochaeta , Animals , IndiaABSTRACT
Earthworms of the genus Moniligaster Perrier, 1872 can be distinguished from other genera of the family Moniligastridae by the presence of spermathecal atrial glands. Moniligaster gravelyi Stephenson, 1915 has so far been known only from a single specimen, and it is the only species with supposed single spermathecal atrial gland in the genus. Hence, this species has been a subject to some taxonomic confusion. Here, M. gravelyi is redescribed from new material collected and illustrated for the first time. The current study expanded its description and provided a more comprehensive taxonomic characterization of the species. Comparison of the species with closely related species are also made. Apart from this detailed information on its habitat and geographical range is also provided.
Subject(s)
Lepidoptera , Oligochaeta , Animals , Ecosystem , IndiaABSTRACT
A new species Hoplochaetella darwini sp. nov. is described from the Deccan Peninsula biogeographic zone of South Indian State, Tamil Nadu. The new species is distinguished from all known Hoplochaetella species by having only one pair of spermathecal pores in segment 7, and a combination of male and prostatic pores in segment 17. The canonical analysis of principal coordinates also supported the proposed new species, showing significant differences with other members of the genus based on the taxonomical characters such as the number and position of spermathecae and prostate glands. Furthermore, an identification key and updated checklist of known species in the genus are also presented along with updated locality details.
Subject(s)
Oligochaeta , Animals , Male , IndiaABSTRACT
Tonoscolex kalimpongensis Ahmed Julka sp. nov. is described from Neora Valley National Park in the Kalimpong district of West Bengal, India. The new species is easily distinguished by the presence of one pair of spermathecal pores at intersegmental furrow 7/8. An updated checklist of the genus Tonoscolex and an identification key to the Indian Tonoscolex species are provided as well.
Subject(s)
Oligochaeta , Animals , Environment , India , Parks, RecreationalABSTRACT
This study aims to investigate the dynamic relationship between renewable and non-renewable energies, CO2 intensity and economic growth for the period of 1990-2016 using a case study of Myanmar. Autoregressive distributed lag, dynamic OLS, fully modified OLS and Gregory-Hansen co-integration are applied to analyse a time series dataset over the specified time period. The analysis shows that total energy use plays an insignificant role in promoting economic growth. However, decomposition analysis reveals that only renewable energy use significantly promotes, whereas non-renewable energy negatively influences, economic growth. Furthermore, non-renewable energy use is counterproductive in the presence of technological inefficiency, and the size of the overall labour force fosters economic growth. Overall results are robust under different estimation scenarios, including structural break, endogeneity and mixed order of integration. This study presents a new avenue of knowledge by investigating the role of decomposed energy use and technological efficiency in promoting economic growth in the context of Myanmar. Results emphasise the production and use of renewable energy to achieve sustainable economic development in Myanmar.
