Onion Fusarium Basal Rot Disease Control by Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Trichoderma harzianum.

Soilborne pathogens reduce 60% of the yield of onion crops. A common fungal pathogen causing wilt disease and severe losses is Fusarium basal rot (FBR). In this study, the combination of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) with Trichoderma harzianum was investigated against FBR. Onion samples were collected from the Ankara-Polatli region. Among the isolates, isolate S6 was identified as F. oxysporum f. sp. cepae (FOC) using morphological and molecular methods and pathogenicity tests. Different combinations of AMF (Funneliformis mosseae pure strain and the commercial AMF) and T. harzianum were inoculated on susceptible onion cultivars (Seç, Gence, and Sampiyon). The effects of the treatments on FOC biocontrol were studied under growth chamber conditions. The results showed that Sampiyon was the most resistant, while Gence was the most susceptible to basal rot disease. Different colonization rates (8.91-24%), spore densities (16.4-50.4 spore/10 g soil), and the extent to which a plant needs mycorrhizal conditions to grow to its maximum potential (i.e., mycorrhizal dependencies-18.3-51.9%) were recorded by treatment. Both single and combined applications of AMF and Trichoderma applications suppressed FOC. Suppressive effects were more pronounced when the F. mosseae pure strain was used alone (when F. mosseae was used, disease severity decreased from 90 to 68%, p < 0.05). The F. mosseae pure strain also showed the best plant growth promotion and phosphorus content release. The results indicate an interesting potential use of F. mosseae and the combination of AMF with T. harzianum in the management of FOC in onions.

Tolerance to UV-B radiation of the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium rileyi.

Soybean, corn, and cotton crops are afflicted by several noctuid pests and the development of bioinsecticides could help control these pests. The fungus Metarhizium rileyi has the greatest potential because its epizootics decimate caterpillar populations in the absence of insecticide applications. However, insect-pathogenic fungi when used for insect control in agriculture have low survival mainly due to the deleterious effects of ultraviolet radiation and heat from solar radiation. In this study, fourteen isolates of M. rileyi were studied and compared with isolates ARSEF 324 and ARSEF 2575 of Metarhizium acridum and Metarhizium robertsii, respectively, whose sensitivity to UV-B radiation had previously been studied. Conidia were exposed at room temperature (ca. 26 °C) to 847.90 mWm-2 of Quaite-weighted UV-B using two fluorescent lamps. The plates containing the conidial suspensions were irradiated for 1, 2, and 3 h, providing doses of 3.05, 6.10, and 9.16 kJ m2, respectively. A wide variability in conidial UV-B tolerance was found among the fourteen isolates of M. rileyi. Isolate CNPSo-Mr 150 was the most tolerant isolate (germination above 80% after 2 h exposure), which was comparable to ARSEF 324 (germination above 90% after 2 h exposure), the most tolerant Metarhizium species. The least tolerant isolates were CNPSo-Mr 141, CNPSo-Mr 142, CNPSo-Mr 156, and CNPSo-Mr 597. Nine M. rileyi isolates exhibited similar tolerance to UV-B radiation as ARSEF 2575 (germination above 50% after 2 h exposure). In conclusion, the majority of M. rileyi isolates studied can endure 1 or 2 h of UV-B radiation exposure. However, after 3 h of exposure, the germination of all studied isolates reduced below 40%, except for CNPSo-Mr 150 and ARSEF 324.

Sugars and Jasmonic Acid Concentration in Root Exudates Affect Maize Rhizosphere Bacterial Communities.

Root exudates contribute to shaping the root-associated microbiomes, but it is unclear which of the many exudate compounds are important in this process. Here, we focused on understanding the influence of sugars and jasmonic acid (JA) concentrations in maize root exudates on the rhizobacterial communities. Twelve maize genotypes were identified with variable concentrations of sugars and JA based on a screening of 240 maize genotypes grown in a semihydroponic system. These twelve maize genotypes were grown in a replicated field experiment in which samples were collected at three maize developmental stages. The 16S rRNA gene (V4 region) was amplified and sequenced. Sugars and JA concentrations from rhizosphere soils were also quantified. The results indicated that the maize genotypic variability in sugars and JA concentration in root exudates, measured in the semihydroponic system, significantly affected the rhizosphere bacterial community composition at multiple stages plant development. In contrast, the root endosphere and bulk soil bacterial communities were only affected at specific growth stages. Sugars and JA concentration as quantified in rhizosphere soil samples confirmed that these two compounds affected the rhizobacterial communities at all developmental stages analyzed. The effects of specific sugars on the composition of the rhizobacterial communities were also measured, with larger effects of sucrose at earlier developmental stages and trehalose at later developmental stages. Our results indicate that JA and sugars are important root exudate compounds that influence the composition of the maize rhizobacterial communities. IMPORTANCE Roots secrete exudates that are important in interactions with soil microbes that promote plant growth and health. However, the exact chemical compounds in root exudates that participate in these interactions are not fully known. Here, we investigated whether sugars and the phytohormone jasmonic acid influence the composition of the rhizobacterial communities of maize, which is an important crop for food, feed, and energy. Our results revealed that both compounds contribute to the assemblage of rhizobacterial communities at different maize developmental stages. Knowledge about the specific compounds in root exudates that contribute to shape the rhizobiome will be important for future strategies to develop sustainable agricultural practices that are less dependent on agrochemicals.

Plant Disease Sensing: Studying Plant-Pathogen Interactions at Scale.

Plant disease threatens the environmental and financial sustainability of crop production, causing $220 billion in annual losses. The dire threat disease poses to modern agriculture demands tools for better detection and monitoring to prevent crop loss and input waste. The nascent discipline of plant disease sensing, or the science of using proximal and/or remote sensing to detect and diagnose disease, offers great promise to extend monitoring to previously unachievable resolutions, a basis to construct multiscale surveillance networks for early warning, alert, and response at low latency, an opportunity to mitigate loss while optimizing protection, and a dynamic new dimension to agricultural systems biology. Despite its revolutionary potential, plant disease sensing remains an underdeveloped discipline, with challenges facing both fundamental study and field application. This article offers a perspective on the current state and future of plant disease sensing, highlights remaining gaps to be filled, and presents a bold vision for the future of global agriculture.

Sweet Sorghum Genotypes Tolerant and Sensitive to Nitrogen Stress Select Distinct Root Endosphere and Rhizosphere Bacterial Communities.

The belowground microbiomes have many beneficial functions that assist plant growth, including nutrient cycling, acquisition and transport, as well as alleviation of stresses caused by nutrient limitations such as nitrogen (N). Here we analyzed the root endosphere, rhizosphere and soil bacterial communities of seven sweet sorghum genotypes differing in sensitivity to N-stress. Sorghum genotypes were grown in fields with no (low-N) or sufficient (high-N) N. The dry shoot weight ratio (low-N/high-N) was used to determine N-stress sensitivity. Our hypothesis was that genotypes tolerant and sensitive to N-stress select distinct bacterial communities. The endosphere and rhizosphere bacterial community structure were significantly different between the N-stress sensitive and tolerant genotypes in the high-N field, but not in the low-N field. However, significant changes in the relative abundance of specific bacterial taxa were observed in both fields. Streptomyces, a bacterial genus known to alleviate plant abiotic stresses, was enriched in the endosphere and rhizosphere of the tolerant genotypes in the low-N field. Our study indicates that sweet sorghum genotypes tolerant to N-stress select taxa that can potentially mitigate the N-stress, suggesting that the interactions between N-stress tolerant lines and the root-associated microbiome might be vital for coping with N-stress.

Recent Advances in Applied Microbiology: Editorial.

The importance of microbiology has grown exponentially since the development of genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics, making it possible to clarify microbial biogeochemical processes and their interactions with macroorganisms in both health and disease. Particular attention is being payed to applied microbiology, a discipline that deals with the application of microorganisms to specific endeavors, whose economic value is expected to exceed USD 675.2 billion by 2024. In the Special Issue "Recent Advances in Applied Microbiology", twenty-four papers were published (four reviews and twenty original research papers), covering a wide range of subjects within applied microbiology, including: microbial pathogenesis, the health-promoting properties of microorganisms and their by-products, food conservation, the production of alcoholic beverages, bioremediation and the application of microbiology to several industrial processes.

A method to measure redox potential (Eh) and pH in agar media and plants shows that fungal growth is affected by and affects pH and Eh.

The specificities of the plant environment and its effects on fungal growth are not yet fully explored. Both pH and Eh play a key role during this interaction, but are often studied independently or at different scales. We aimed at investigating whether the methods developed for the joint characterization of the pH and Eh in soil could be transposed to fungi. On artificial media, the growth of all 16 species tested significantly altered either Eh, pH or both. Measuring Eh reveals that even the species not modifying pH can have an impact on the surrounding environment. Reciprocally, fungi responded to pH and Eh parameters, both quantitatively with a decrease in colony diameter and qualitatively with colony aspect repeatedly and thoroughly modified. In infected oilseed rape plant stems, pH and Eh were significantly altered. The observed alcalinisation or acidification correlates with canker length. The joint characterization of both parameters will allow understanding the impact of fungi on their environment, and conversely of the environment on fungal growth. The availability of methods for measurement opens the prospect to study combinations of stresses, and get an understanding of the involvement of pH and Eh modifications in these interactions.

The Xenon Test Chamber Q-SUN® for testing realistic tolerances of fungi exposed to simulated full spectrum solar radiation.

The low survival of insect-pathogenic fungi when used for insect control in agriculture is mainly due to the deleterious effects of ultraviolet radiation and heat from solar irradiation. In this study, conidia of 15 species of entomopathogenic fungi were exposed to simulated full-spectrum solar radiation emitted by a Xenon Test Chamber Q-SUN XE-3-HC 340S (Q-LAB® Corporation, Westlake, OH, USA), which very closely simulates full-spectrum solar radiation. A dendrogram obtained from cluster analyses, based on lethal time 50 % and 90 % calculated by Probit analyses, separated the fungi into three clusters: cluster 3 contains species with highest tolerance to simulated full-spectrum solar radiation, included Metarhizium acridum, Cladosporium herbarum, and Trichothecium roseum with LT50 > 200 min irradiation. Cluster 2 contains eight species with moderate UV tolerance: Aschersonia aleyrodis, Isaria fumosorosea, Mariannaea pruinosa, Metarhizium anisopliae, Metarhizium brunneum, Metarhizium robertsii, Simplicillium lanosoniveum, and Torrubiella homopterorum with LT50 between 120 and 150 min irradiation. The four species in cluster 1 had the lowest UV tolerance: Lecanicillium aphanocladii, Beauveria bassiana, Tolypocladium cylindrosporum, and Tolypocladium inflatum with LT50 < 120 min irradiation. The QSUN Xenon Test Chamber XE3 is often used by the pharmaceutical and automotive industry to test light stability and weathering, respectively, but it was never used to evaluate fungal tolerance to full-spectrum solar radiation before. We conclude that the equipment provided an excellent tool for testing realistic tolerances of fungi to full-spectrum solar radiation of microbial agents for insect biological control in agriculture.

Indicadores de qualidade do solo cultivado com café, pastagem e integração pastagem e eucalipto / Quality indicators of soil cultivated with coffee, pasture, and pasture and eucalyptus integration / Indicadores de calidad del suelo cultivado con café, pastaje e integración pastaje y eucalipto

A demanda crescente da utilização dos solos exige soluções que permitam incentivar o desenvolvimento socioeconômico sem comprometer a sustentabilidade dos recursos naturais. Desse modo, o objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar os efeitos de diferentes culturas como café, pastagem e manejo integrado de pastagem e eucalipto na qualidade química e microbiológica do solo. Foram analisados da parte química o pH do solo, nitrogênio, carbono orgânico total e fósforo do solo e da parte microbiológica foram analisados a densidade de esporos de fungos micorrizicos arbusculares (FMAs), carbono da biomassa microbiana (CBM), respiração basal do solo e coeficiente metabólico do solo qCO2. O pH do solo variou de 5,38 no manejo de pasto e eucalipto para 4,70 nas áreas cultivadas com pasto. A densidades de esporos de FMAs e o CBM na área de integração de pasto e eucalipto foram aumentados em relação à área cultivada com café, e o qCO2 foi aumentado com o cultivo do café, indicando que o cultivo de café eleva a condição de estresse do solo nas condições avaliadas. Concluindo, portanto, que as diferentes formas de uso e manejo das três áreas estudadas apontaram variações do comportamento de suas propriedades químicas e microbiológicas, entretanto, o manejo que se destacou foi a de eucalipto com a integração de pastagens, sendo mais sustentável.(AU)

The increasing demand for land use requires solutions that encourage its socio-economic development without compromising the sustainability of natural resources. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of different crops such as coffee, pasture and the integrated management of pasture and eucalyptus in the chemical and microbiological quality of the soil. Chemical tests were performed to obtain the pH, nitrogen, total organic carbon, and phosphorus contents on the land, while microbiological parameters analyzed the density of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) spores, microbial biomass carbon (MBC), soil basal respiration (SBR) and soil metabolic coefficient qCO2. The soil pH varied from 5.38 in the management of pasture and eucalyptus to 4.70 in the areas cultivated with only pasture. The density of AMF spores and the MBC were higher in the pasture and eucalyptus integration when compared with coffee cultivation; the qCO2 in soil with coffee was higher than that found for the integration of pasture and eucalyptus. Those results indicate that coffee cultivated in those conditions increase stress in the soil due to higher SBR. It can be concluded that the different forms of use and management of the three studied areas show variations in the behavior of the chemical and microbiological properties in the soil, and eucalyptus with pasture integration presents a better sustainable soil management.(AU)

La demanda creciente de utilización del suelo exige soluciones que permitan incentivar el desarrollo socioeconómico sin comprometer la sustentabilidad de los recursos naturales. Así, el objetivo de ese estudio ha sido evaluar los efectos de diferentes culturas como café, pastaje y manejo integrado de pastaje y eucalipto en la calidad química y microbiológica del suelo. Se analizaron de la parte química, el pH del suelo, nitrógeno, carbono orgánico total y fosforo del suelo, y de la parte microbiológica se analizaron la densidad de esporos de fungos micorrizicos arbusculares (FMAs), carbono de la biomasa microbiana (CBM), respiración basal del suelo y coeficiente metabólico del suelo qCO2. El pH del suelo osciló de 5,38 en el manejo de pasto y eucalipto para 4,70 las áreas cultivadas con pasto. La densidad de esporos de FMAs y el CBM en el área de integración de pasto y eucalipto han aumentado en relación al área cultivada con café, y el qCO2 fue aumentado con el cultivo de café, indicando que el cultivo de café eleva la condición de estrés del suelo en las condiciones evaluadas. Concluyendo, por lo tanto, que las diferentes formas de uso y manejo de las tres áreas estudiadas, apuntaron variaciones de comportamiento de sus propiedades químicas y microbiológicas, entretanto el manejo que se destacó fue la del eucalipto con la integración de pastajes, siendo más sostenible.(AU)

Can nanotechnology deliver the promised benefits without negatively impacting soil microbial life?

Nanotechnology exploits the enhanced reactivity of materials at the atomic scale to improve various applications for humankind. In agriculture, potential nanotechnology applications include crop protection and fertilization. However, such benefits could come with risks for the environment: non-target plants, plant-beneficial soil microbes and other life forms could be impacted if nanoparticles (nanomaterials) contaminate the environment. This review evaluates the impact of the major metallic nanoparticles (Ag, ZnO, CuO, CeO2 , TiO2 , and FeO-based nanoparticles) on soil microbes involved in agricultural processes. The current literature indicate that in addition to population and organismal-scale effects on microbes, other subtle impacts of nanoparticles are seen in the nitrogen cycle, soil enzyme activities, and processes involved in iron metabolism, phytohormone, and antibiotic production. These effects are negative or positive, the outcome being dependent on specific nanoparticles. Collectively, published results suggest that nanotechnology portends considerable, many negative, implications for soil microbes and, thus, agricultural processes that are microbially driven. Nonetheless, the potential of plant and soil microbial processes to mitigate the bioreactivity of nanoparticles also are observed. Whereas the roots of most terrestrial plants are associated with microbes, studies of nanoparticle interactions with plants and microbes are generally conducted separately. The few studies in actual microbe-plant systems found effects of nanoparticles on the functioning of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, nitrogen fixation, as well as on the production of microbial siderophores in the plant rhizosphere. It is suggested that a better understanding of the agro-ecological ramifications of nanoparticles would require more in-depth interactive studies in combined plant-microbe-nanoparticle systems.

Characterization of the biomass of a hybrid anaerobic reactor (HAR) with two types of support material during the treatment of the coffee wastewater

This study investigated the microbiology of a hybrid anaerobic reactor (HAR) in the removal of pollutant loads. This reactor had the same physical structure of an UASB reactor, however with minifilters inside containing two types of support material: expanded clay and gravel. Two hydraulic retention times (HRT) of 24h and 18h were evaluated at steady-state conditions, resulting in organic loading rates (OLR) of 0.032 and 0.018 kgDBO5m-3d-1 and biological organic loading rates (BOLR) of 0,0015 and 0.001 kgDBO5kgSVT- 1d¹, respectively. The decrease in concentration of organic matter in the influent resulted an endogenous state of the biomass in the reactor. The expanded clay was the best support material for biofilm attachment.

Strengthen the Basis Teaching, Stretch the Application Teaching,and Construct New Microbiology Curriculum System in Agricultural Universities / 微生物学通报

Agricultural Microbiology is a professional foundation curriculum for biology,botany and envi-ronmental majors in agricultural universities.After 1999,with the increase enrollment of the national under-graduate education and rapid construction of the university,the number of majors and students increased rapidly and quality of students and talent demand of society changed dramatically.Under such condition,in order to meet the society demand of microbiology,according to the distinguishing feature of different major groups,based on strengthening the basis teaching and stretching application teaching,new curriculum teaching model and method were explored positively,and then new curriculum system was constructed.Be-ing aroused sufficiently of the students’ subjective initiative,both the teaching quality and comprehensive quality were improved.

The Realization of Agricultural Microbiology Teaching BBS Based on Campus Network / 微生物学通报

The importance and feasibility was analyzed of the teaching BBS for aiding classroom teaching based on campus network. The design, technique, content, advantages and deficiencies were presented of agricultural microbiology teaching BBS. The prospect also was discussed of teaching BBS based on campus network in this paper.