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Weaponizing Plants: Biocontrol and Biosecurity in Plant Protection

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A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Protection and Biotic Interactions".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 January 2024) | Viewed by 27432

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Francesca Degola

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Department of Chemistry, Life Science and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, 43124 Parma, Italy
Interests: plant physiology and pathology; mycotoxins; plant extracts; antifungals and biopesticides
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Giovanna Visioli

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Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 11/A, 43124 Parma, Italy
Interests: genetic and epigenetic response of plants to abiotic stresses; molecular mechanisms of interaction between plants and soil microorganisms in harsh environments
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Agnieszka Jamiołkowska

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Department of Plant Protection, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland
Interests: plant pathogens; biological control; plant–pathogen interactions; plant resistance elicitors

Dr. Izabela Kot

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Guest Editor

Department of Plant Protection, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland
Interests: applied entomology; galling insects; insect–plant interactions; pest management; insect diversity

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Climate change, plants and human health are closely linked, since the environment, plant health and food safety are parts of the same system. In fact, crop yield and plant products quality are, directly or indirectly, affected by climate alterations. Adverse climatic conditions often promote the occurrence of different abiotic stresses, which can have the effect of reducing or enhancing susceptibility to biotic stresses (pests or pathogens). The agricultural productivity challenges, posed by the climate change, can be overcome by innovation systems and farming practice; on the other hand, reducing the impact of noxious substances and controlling the stress conditions on plants has become imperative. Innovative bioprotection strategies, as well as the biological control of crop pests, is the new frontier for the sustainable future of plant health, demanding emerging technologies which facilitate the understanding and exploitation of the mechanisms involved. This Special Issue aims to collect the most updated insights and experimental developments intended to increase plants’ health and biosecurity. Original research papers and reviews describing agronomic practices, traditional breeding, bioinformatics, biological control agents (such as beneficial microorganisms or competitors), plant resistance against pests and pathogens, direct or indirect antagonistic interaction with the pathogen (or competition for nutrients and space), hyperparasitism or antibiosis, and the production/regulation of secondary metabolites with biocontrol activity (or supporting antagonists to gain a competitive advantage), are encouraged and welcomed. A particular attention to the plant standpoint is highly recommended.

Prof. Dr. Francesca Degola
Prof. Giovanna Visioli
Dr. Agnieszka Jamiołkowska
Dr. Izabela Kot
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

plant health
plant protection
plant disease and pest biocontrol strategies
biocontrol agents
beneficial microorganisms
plant biostimulants
plant stress alleviation
sustainable plant health enhancers
plant growth promoters
plant resistance elicitors
biopesticides
plant biosecurity

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 1435 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Antifungal Potency of Amaranth Leaf Extract: An In Vitro Study

by Agnieszka Jamiołkowska, Barbara Skwaryło-Bednarz, Radosław Kowalski, Ismet Yildirim and Elżbieta Patkowska

Plants 2023, 12(8), 1723; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12081723 - 20 Apr 2023

Viewed by 1577

Abstract

Plant diseases are a serious problem for agricultural crops, the food industry and human health. Significant efforts have been made in recent years to find natural products that could reduce the growth of plant pathogens and improve food quality. At present, there is an increased interest in plants as a source of biological active compounds that can protect crops from diseases. Important sources of these phytochemicals are lesser-known pseudocereals such as amaranth. The objective of this study was to determine the antifungal activity of leaf extracts of four amaranth species (A. cruentus, A. hypochondriacus × hybridus, A. retroflexus and A. hybridus). The antifungal potency of amaranth extracts was analyzed against selected strains of fungi. The results suggested that the antimicrobial properties of the tested extracts varied depending on the amaranth species and the fungal strain. The studied extracts inhibited the growth of Fusarium equiseti, Rhizoctonia solani, Trichoderma harzianum and Alternaria alternata. A lower inhibitory effect of the extracts was recorded against F. solani, while no inhibitory effect was observed against F. oxysporum and Colletotrichum coccodes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Weaponizing Plants: Biocontrol and Biosecurity in Plant Protection)

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16 pages, 1260 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Biocontrol Effect of Clonostachys rosea on Fusarium graminearum Infection and Mycotoxin Detoxification in Oat (Avena sativa)

by Alfia Khairullina, Nikola Micic, Hans J. Lyngs Jørgensen, Nanna Bjarnholt, Leif Bülow, David B. Collinge and Birgit Jensen

Plants 2023, 12(3), 500; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12030500 - 21 Jan 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2603

Abstract

Oat (Avena sativa) is susceptible to Fusarium head blight (FHB). The quality of oat grain is threatened by the accumulation of mycotoxins, particularly the trichothecene deoxynivalenol (DON), which also acts as a virulence factor for the main pathogen Fusarium graminearum. The plant can defend itself, e.g., by DON detoxification by UGT-glycosyltransferases (UTGs) and accumulation of PR-proteins, even though these mechanisms do not deliver effective levels of resistance. We studied the ability of the fungal biocontrol agent (BCA) Clonostachys rosea to reduce FHB and mycotoxin accumulation. Greenhouse trials showed that C. rosea-inoculation of oat spikelets at anthesis 3 days prior to F. graminearum inoculation reduced both the amount of Fusarium DNA (79%) and DON level (80%) in mature oat kernels substantially. DON applied to C. rosea-treated spikelets resulted in higher conversion of DON to DON-3-Glc than in mock treated plants. Moreover, there was a significant enhancement of expression of two oat UGT-glycosyltransferase genes in C. rosea-treated oat. In addition, C. rosea treatment activated expression of genes encoding four PR-proteins and a WRKY23-like transcription factor, suggesting that C. rosea may induce resistance in oat. Thus, C. rosea IK726 has strong potential to be used as a BCA against FHB in oat as it inhibits F. graminearum infection effectively, whilst detoxifying DON mycotoxin rapidly. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Weaponizing Plants: Biocontrol and Biosecurity in Plant Protection)

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15 pages, 1181 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Phyto-Beneficial Traits of Rhizosphere Bacteria: In Vitro Exploration of Plant Growth Promoting and Phytopathogen Biocontrol Ability of Selected Strains Isolated from Harsh Environments

by Gianluigi Giannelli, Franco Bisceglie, Giorgio Pelosi, Beatrice Bonati, Maura Cardarelli, Maria Luisa Antenozio, Francesca Degola and Giovanna Visioli

Plants 2022, 11(2), 230; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11020230 - 17 Jan 2022

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3336

Abstract

Beneficial interactions between plants and some bacterial species have been long recognized, as they proved to exert various growth-promoting and health-protective activities on economically relevant crops. In this study, the growth promoting and antifungal activity of six bacterial strains, Paenarthrobacter ureafaciens, Beijerinckia fluminensis, Pseudomonas protegens, Arthrobacter sp., Arthrobacter defluii, and Arthrobacter nicotinovorans, were investigated. The tested strains resulted positive for some plant growth promoting (PGP) traits, such as indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate-deaminase (ACC-deaminase), siderophore production, and solubilization of phosphates. The effect of the selected bacteria on Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings growth was assessed using different morphological parameters. Bacterial activity against the phytopathogenic fungal species Aspergillus flavus, Fusarium proliferatum, and Fusarium verticillioides was also assessed, since these cause major yield losses in cereal crops and are well-known mycotoxin producers. Strains Pvr_9 (B. fluminensis) and PHA_1 (P. protegens) showed an important growth-promoting effect on A. thaliana coupled with a high antifungal activity on all the three fungal species. The analysis of bacterial broths through ultra performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS) and liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization–mass spectrometry (LC–ESI–MS/MS) confirmed the presence of potential PGP-compounds, among these are desferrioxamine B, aminochelin, asperchrome B, quinolobactin siderophores, and salicylic acid. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Weaponizing Plants: Biocontrol and Biosecurity in Plant Protection)

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15 pages, 1735 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Debaryomyces hansenii, Stenotrophomonas rhizophila, and Ulvan as Biocontrol Agents of Fruit Rot Disease in Muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.)

by Tomas Rivas-Garcia, Bernardo Murillo-Amador, Juan J. Reyes-Pérez, Roberto G. Chiquito-Contreras, Pablo Preciado-Rangel, Graciela D. Ávila-Quezada, Liliana Lara-Capistran and Luis G. Hernandez-Montiel

Plants 2022, 11(2), 184; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11020184 - 11 Jan 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2020

Abstract

The indiscriminate use of synthetic fungicides has led to negative impact to human health and to the environment. Thus, we investigated the effects of postharvest biocontrol treatment with Debaryomyces hansenii, Stenotrophomonas rhizophila, and a polysaccharide ulvan on fruit rot disease, storability, and antioxidant enzyme activity in muskmelon (Cucumis melo L. var. reticulatus). Each fruit was treated with (1) 1 × 10⁶ cells mL⁻¹ of D. hansenii, (2) 1 × 10⁸ CFU mL⁻¹ of S. rhizophila, (3) 5 g L⁻¹ of ulvan, (4) 1 × 10⁶ cells mL⁻¹ of D. hansenii + 1 × 10⁸ CFU mL⁻¹ of S. rhizophila, (5) 1 × 10⁸ CFU mL⁻¹ of S. rhizophila + 5 g L⁻¹ of ulvan, (6) 1 × 10⁶ cells mL⁻¹ of D. hansenii + 1 × 10⁸ CFU mL⁻¹ of S. rhizophila + 5 g L⁻¹ of ulvan, (7) 1000 ppm of benomyl or sterile water (control). The fruits were air-dried for 2 h, and stored at 27 °C ± 1 °C and 85–90% relative humidity. The fruit rot disease was determined by estimating the disease incidence (%) and lesion diameter (mm), and the adhesion capacity of the biocontrol agents was observed via electron microscopy. Phytopathogen inoculation time before and after adding biocontrol agents were also recorded. Furthermore, the storability quality, weight loss (%), firmness (N), total soluble solids (%), and pH were quantified. The antioxidant enzymes including catalase, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and phenylalanine ammonium lyase were determined. In conclusion, the mixed treatment containing D. hansenii, S. rhizophila, and ulvan delayed fruit rot disease, preserved fruit quality, and increased antioxidant activity. The combined treatment is a promising and effective biological control method to promote the shelf life of harvested muskmelon. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Weaponizing Plants: Biocontrol and Biosecurity in Plant Protection)

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24 pages, 7662 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Nutrient Status of Cucumber Plants Affects Powdery Mildew (Podosphaera xanthii)

by Yigal Elad, Dor Barnea, Dalia Rav-David and Uri Yermiyahu

Plants 2021, 10(10), 2216; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10102216 - 19 Oct 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2163

Abstract

We examined the effects of applications of N, P, K, Mg, and Ca through an irrigation solution and spraying K, Ca, and Mg salts on cucumber powdery mildew (CPM, Podosphaera xanthii) in potted plants and under commercial-like conditions. Spraying CaCl₂ and MgCl₂, or KCl and K₂SO₄, decreased CPM. There were significant negative correlations between the anion-related molar concentrations of the salts and disease severity. Among the sprayed treatments, NaCl provided significantly less CPM control when applied at a low (0.05 M) concentration, as compared with CaCl₂ and MgCl₂. When sprayed applications of Mg and K salts were analyzed separately from the untreated control, the Cl⁻ salts were found to be more effective than the SO₄⁻² salts. High N and Mg concentrations in the irrigation water delivered to young, fruit-less cucumber plants reduced CPM, whereas more CPM was observed when the irrigation solution contained a medium amount of P and a high amount of K. In contrast, mature, fruit-bearing plants had less severe CPM at higher N, lower P, and higher K levels. Spraying mature plants with monopotassium phosphate, polyhalite (K₂Ca₂Mg(SO₄)₄·2H₂O), and the salts mentioned above over an entire growing season suppressed CPM. CPM severity was also reduced by spray applications of Ca, Mg, and KSO₄⁻² and Cl⁻ salts. Spray applications provided better CPM control than fertigation treatments. Induced resistance is probably involved in the effects of nutrients on CPM. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Weaponizing Plants: Biocontrol and Biosecurity in Plant Protection)

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22 pages, 4212 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Microelements on Downy Mildew (Peronospora belbahrii) of Sweet Basil

by Yigal Elad, Ziv Nisan, Ziv Kleinman, Dalia Rav-David and Uri Yermiyahu

Plants 2021, 10(9), 1793; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10091793 - 28 Aug 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2113

Abstract

We recently demonstrated that spraying or irrigating with Ca, Mg and K reduces the severity of sweet basil downy mildew (SBDM). Here, the effects of Mn, Zn, Cu and Fe on SBDM were tested in potted plants. The effects of Mn and Zn were also tested under semi-commercial and commercial-like field conditions. Spray applications of a mixture of EDTA-chelated microelements (i.e., Fe-EDTA, Mn-EDTA, Zn-EDTA, Cu-EDTA and Mo) reduces SBDM severity. The application of EDTA chelates of individual microelements (i.e., Fe-EDTA, Mn-EDTA and Zn-EDTA) significantly reduces SBDM in potted plants. Foliar applications of Mn-EDTA and Zn-EDTA are found to be effective under semi-commercial conditions and were, thus, further tested under commercial-like conditions. Under commercial-like conditions, foliar-applied Mn-EDTA and Zn-EDTA decreased SBDM severity by 46–71%. When applied through the irrigation solution, those two microelements reduce SBDM by more than 50%. Combining Mg with Mn-EDTA and Zn-EDTA in the irrigation solution does not provide any additional disease reduction. In the commercial-like field experiment, the microelement-mixture treatment, applied as a spray or via the irrigation solution, was combined with fungicides spray treatments. This combination provides synergistic disease control. The mode of action in this plant–pathogen system may involve features of altered host resistance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Weaponizing Plants: Biocontrol and Biosecurity in Plant Protection)

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20 pages, 16010 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Endophytic Pseudomonas sp. S57 for Plant-Growth Promotion and the Biocontrol of Phytopathogenic Fungi and Nematodes

by Patricio Muñoz Torres, Steffany Cárdenas, Mabel Arismendi Macuer, Nelly Huanacuni, Wilson Huanca-Mamani, Denise Cifuentes and Germán F. Sepúlveda Chavera

Plants 2021, 10(8), 1531; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10081531 - 27 Jul 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2739

Abstract

Oregano from Socoroma (Atacama Desert) is characterized by its unique organoleptic properties and distinctive flavor and it is produced using ancestral pesticide-free agricultural practices performed by the Aymara communities. The cultivation in this zone is carried out under extreme conditions where the standard production of different crops is limited by several environmental factors, including aridity, high concentration of salts, and boron among others. However, oregano plants are associated with microorganisms that mitigate biotic and abiotic stresses present in this site. In this work, the S57 strain (member of the Pseudomonas genus that is closely related to Pseudomonas lini) was isolated from roots of oregano plants, which are grown in soils with high content of non-sodium salts and aluminum. This bacterium stimulates the growth of Micro-Tom tomato plants irrigated with saline-boric water. Moreover, it controls the growth of phytopathogenic fungi Fusarium oxysporum and Botrytis cinerea and the nematode Meloidogyne incognita under saline-boric conditions. Together with the high levels of bacterial biomass (~47 g/L), these results allow the establishment of the bases for developing a potential new agricultural bioproduct useful for arid and semiarid environments where commercial biological products show erratic behavior. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Weaponizing Plants: Biocontrol and Biosecurity in Plant Protection)

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9 pages, 1490 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Field Efficacy of Steinernema sp. (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae) on the Colorado Potato Beetle Overwintering Generation

by Maja Čačija, Renata Bažok, Majda Kolenc, Tena Bujas, Zrinka Drmić and Martina Kadoić Balaško

Plants 2021, 10(7), 1464; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10071464 - 16 Jul 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1908

Abstract

Colorado potato beetle (CPB) is an economic pest of potato that has developed resistance to all classes of chemical insecticides, thus requiring alternative control measures. As a potential solution, entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) have proven effective in suppressing this pest, but their efficacy against overwintering generations of CPB in Croatia has not been sufficiently researched. The aim of this two-year (2018–2019) field study was to determine the efficacy of Steinernema feltiae and Steinernema carpocapsae applied to overwintering CPB adults. EPNs were applied at three doses (7.5 mil./10 m², 5.0 mil./10 m² (the recommended dose) and 2.5 mil./10 m²) by watering the soil where the adults were overwintering. The first-year results were satisfactory for both EPNs: the efficacy of S. feltiae ranged from 79.03% to 100.00%, while the efficacy of S. carpocapsae ranged from 77.32% to 96.22%. In the second year, the highest efficacy (69.57%) was obtained using the recommended dose of S. feltiae. Although the results are not consistent across the two years of our study and suggest further research, they indicate that EPNs have great potential in controlling overwintering CPB generations to reduce first generation abundance and damage, and also to prevent the spread of new generations to surrounding potato growing areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Weaponizing Plants: Biocontrol and Biosecurity in Plant Protection)

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13 pages, 806 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Agronomic Practices on the Severity of Sweet Basil Downy Mildew (Peronospora belbahrii)

by Chen Omer, Ziv Nisan, Dalia Rav-David and Yigal Elad

Plants 2021, 10(5), 907; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10050907 - 30 Apr 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1801

Abstract

Downy mildew (caused by Peronospora belbahrii) is a severe disease of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) crops around the world. We examined cultural methods for reducing the severity of sweet basil downy mildew (SBDM) under commercial conditions in greenhouses and walk-in tunnels. The effects of the orientation of walk-in tunnels, air circulation in greenhouses, plant density, and soil mulch were tested. SBDM was less severe in the tunnels that were oriented north-south than in those oriented east-west, but the yields in both types of tunnels were similar. Increased air circulation reduced SBDM severity, but did not affect yield. Gray or transparent polyethylene mulch reduced SBDM severity and, in most cases, increased yield relative to bare soil/growth medium. Yellow polyethylene mulch provided a smaller amount of control. The combination of increased air circulation and yellow polyethylene mulch provided synergistic SBDM control, whereas no synergism was observed when we combined increased air circulation with the other two types of mulch. Planting at half the usual density reduced disease severity. The reduced plant density was associated with reduced yield in the greenhouses, but not in the tunnels. All of the tested methods provided an intermediate level of SBDM control that varied among the different experiments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Weaponizing Plants: Biocontrol and Biosecurity in Plant Protection)

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Review

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12 pages, 3952 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

A Sustainable Alternative for Postharvest Disease Management and Phytopathogens Biocontrol in Fruit: Antagonistic Yeasts

by Luis G. Hernandez-Montiel, Samir Droby, Pablo Preciado-Rangel, Tomás Rivas-García, Ramsés R. González-Estrada, Porfirio Gutiérrez-Martínez and Graciela D. Ávila-Quezada

Plants 2021, 10(12), 2641; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10122641 - 01 Dec 2021

Cited by 34 | Viewed by 3410

Abstract

Postharvest diseases of fruits caused by phytopathogens cause losses up to 50% of global production. Phytopathogens control is performed with synthetic fungicides, but the application causes environmental contamination problems and human and animal health in addition to generating resistance. Yeasts are antagonist microorganisms that have been used in the last years as biocontrol agents and in sustainable postharvest disease management in fruits. Yeast application for biocontrol of phytopathogens has been an effective action worldwide. This review explores the sustainable use of yeasts in each continent, the main antagonistic mechanisms towards phytopathogens, their relationship with OMIC sciences, and patents at the world level that involve yeast-based-products for their biocontrol. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Weaponizing Plants: Biocontrol and Biosecurity in Plant Protection)

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