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Plant Fungi: Impact on Agricultural Production

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A special issue of Journal of Fungi (ISSN 2309-608X). This special issue belongs to the section "Fungi in Agriculture and Biotechnology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 May 2023) | Viewed by 25298

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Dr. Simona Marianna Sanzani

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Dipartimento di Scienze del Suolo, della Pianta e degli Alimenti, Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro, Via Amendola 165/A, 70126 Bari, Italy
Interests: fungi; plant pathology; postharvest; alternative control; induction of resistance; mycotoxins; diagnosis; host–pathogen interaction; food safety
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Dr. Michelina Ruocco

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Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection (IPSP)-CNR, Portici (NA), Italy
Interests: biocontrol; plant pathology; Trichoderma; VOCs; microbiology; molecular–plant–microbe interaction
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Dr. Massimo Reverberi

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Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
Interests: fungi;plant-pathogen interaction;lipidomics;biocontrol;defence priming;smart sensors
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Dr. Marzia Beccaccioli

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Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, P.Le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
Interests: plant pathology; fungal secondary metabolism; gene regulation; plant-microbe interactions; oxylipins
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fungi can be friends or foes to plants. They can colonize the soil, increasing nutrient availability and contrasting pathogens. They may also be nonpathogenic or symbiotic endophytes, inhabiting the inner plant tissues, or epiphytes colonizing surfaces. They can favorably affect plant growth and production, frequently resulting in better quality parameters of productions. However, they can be also foes, causing devastating diseases and producing metabolites that might be detrimental to human health and to product marketability. As such, studies on the plant microbiomes and characterization of the beneficial and pathogenic populations are fundamental to set up efficient sustainable control strategies from farm to fork. In this Special Issue, research and review manuscripts about studies on fungi affecting plants and their products, either pathogenic or not, are welcome. The manuscripts can deal with their occurrence, characterization, and putative functions. We encourage submission of papers dealing with the tri-trophic interaction (host–pathogen–antagonist) as well as sustainable solutions for their exploitation or control.

Dr. Simona Marianna Sanzani
Dr. Michelina Ruocco
Prof. Dr. Massimo Reverberi
Dr. Marzia Beccaccioli
Guest Editors

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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. Journal of Fungi is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

beneficials
plant pathogens
microbiome
sustainable control
mycotoxins
host–pathogen–antagonist interactions
VOCs

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 3357 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Trichoderma harzianum Volatile Organic Compounds Regulated by the THCTF1 Transcription Factor Are Involved in Antifungal Activity and Beneficial Plant Responses

by María Belén Rubio, Maurilia Maria Monti, Liberata Gualtieri, Michelina Ruocco, Rosa Hermosa and Enrique Monte

J. Fungi 2023, 9(6), 654; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof9060654 - 11 Jun 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2383

Abstract

The transcription factor THCTF1 from Trichoderma harzianum, previously linked to the production of 6-pentyl-2H-pyran-2-one (6-PP) derivatives and antifungal activity against Fusarium oxysporum, has been related in this study to conidiation, production of an array of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and expression of methyltransferase genes. VOCs emitted by three T. harzianum strains (wild type T34, transformant ΔD1-38 that is disrupted in the Thctf1 gene encoding the transcription factor THCTF1, and ectopic integration transformant ΔJ3-16) were characterized by Proton Transfer Reaction-Quadrupole interface-Time-Of-Flight-Mass Spectrometry (PTR-Qi-TOF-MS). Thctf1 disruption affected the production of numerous VOCs such as the antifungal volatiles 2-pentyl furan and benzaldehyde which were under-emitted, and acetoine, a plant systemic defense inductor, which was over-emitted. Biological assays show that VOCs regulated by THCTF1 are involved in the T. harzianum antifungal activity against Botrytis cinerea and in the beneficial effects leading to Arabidopsis plant development. The VOC blend from the disruptant ΔD1-38: (i) inhibited Arabidopsis seed germination for at least 26 days and (ii) when applied to Arabidopsis seedlings resulted in increased jasmonic acid- and salicylic acid-dependent defenses. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Fungi: Impact on Agricultural Production)

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20 pages, 21291 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Sensitivity of Fungi Colonising Buckwheat Grains to Cold Plasma Is Species Specific

by Jure Mravlje, Tanja Kobal, Marjana Regvar, Pia Starič, Rok Zaplotnik, Miran Mozetič and Katarina Vogel-Mikuš

J. Fungi 2023, 9(6), 609; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof9060609 - 25 May 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2168

Abstract

Fungi are the leading cause of plant diseases worldwide and are responsible for enormous agricultural and industrial losses on a global scale. Cold plasma (CP) is a potential tool for eliminating or inactivating fungal contaminants from biological material such as seeds and grains. This study used a low-pressure radiofrequency CP system with oxygen as the feed gas to test the decontamination efficacy of different genera and species commonly colonising buckwheat grains. Two widely accepted methods for evaluating fungal decontamination after CP treatment of seeds were compared: direct cultivation technique or contamination rate method (%) and indirect cultivation or colony-forming units (CFU) method. For most of the tested fungal taxa, an efficient decrease in contamination levels with increasing CP treatment time was observed. Fusarium graminearum was the most susceptible to CP treatment, while Fusarium fujikuroi seems to be the most resistant. The observed doses of oxygen atoms needed for 1-log reduction range from 10²⁴–10²⁵ m⁻². Although there was some minor discrepancy between the results obtained from both tested methods (especially in the case of Fusarium spp.), the trends were similar. The results indicate that the main factors affecting decontamination efficiency are spore shape, size, and colouration. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Fungi: Impact on Agricultural Production)

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19 pages, 5258 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Population Dynamics of Phytophthora infestans in Egypt Reveals Clonal Dominance of 23_A1 and Displacement of 13_A2 Clonal Lineage

by Sherif Mohamed El-Ganainy, Ahmed Mahmoud Ismail, Maali Shaker Soliman, Yosra Ahmed, Muhammad Naeem Sattar, Biju Vadakkemukadiyil Chellappan and David E. L. Cooke

J. Fungi 2023, 9(3), 349; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof9030349 - 13 Mar 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1981

Abstract

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) and tomato (S. lycopersicum L.) are the most economically important vegetable crops in Egypt and worldwide. The winter crop in Egypt is particularly prone to late blight caused by Phytophthora infestans. A total of 152 P. infestans isolates were isolated from the 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2018 winter crops with 82 isolates from potato, 69 from tomato and one isolate from eggplant (S. melongena L.). All isolates belonged to the A1 mating type with no evidence of A2 or self-fertile strains. The majority of isolates (53%) were sensitive to metalaxyl, 32% were intermediate and 15% were resistant. Variation in aggressiveness between three P. infestans isolates EG-005 (13_A2) and EG-276 (23_A1) from potato, and EG-237 (23_A1) from eggplant was determined on tuber slices and leaflets of 10 potato cultivars. The eggplant isolate EG-237 showed higher sporulation capacity compared with the other tested isolates and was able to infect potato (Lady Rosetta cv) and tomato (Super Strain B cv). The simple sequence repeat (SSR) genotyping data showed that in contrast to our previous work (3-year period 2010–12) in which the proportion of 13_A2 lineage was 35%, all isolates belonged to the 23_A1 lineage. There was no evidence for the existence of the A2 mating type or 13_A2 lineage even in the destroyed field crops of some cultivars (Cara, Bellini and Valor) that had been reported as resistant to 23_A1. The data have been submitted into the Euroblight database to allow temporal and spatial genetic diversity to be examined in comparison with other regional P. infestans populations. The AVR2 and AVR2-like RXLR effector genes were amplified and sequenced. In the avirulent AVR2 gene, only one heterozygous SNP was detected at position 31 in the N terminus in six isolates out of eleven, whereas two heterozygous SNPs were detected at position 29 in the N-terminus and ninety-two in the C- terminus of the AVR2-like gene. This suggests that changes in the previously reported virulence profile of 23_A1 are not related to commercial cultivars carrying the R2 gene. In addition, this is the first report of P. infestans on eggplant in Egypt. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Fungi: Impact on Agricultural Production)

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22 pages, 11332 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Identification and Characterization of Neofusicoccum stellenboschiana in Branch and Twig Dieback-Affected Olive Trees in Italy and Comparative Pathogenicity with N. mediterraneum

by Giuliano Manetti, Angela Brunetti, Valentina Lumia, Lorenzo Sciarroni, Paolo Marangi, Nicola Cristella, Francesco Faggioli, Massimo Reverberi, Marco Scortichini and Massimo Pilotti

J. Fungi 2023, 9(3), 292; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof9030292 - 23 Feb 2023

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2571

Abstract

For about a decade, olive groves in Apulia (Southern Italy) have been progressively destroyed by Olive Quick Decline Syndrome (OQDS), a disease caused by the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca (Xfp). Recently, we described an additional wilting syndrome affecting olive trees in that area. The botryosphaeriaceous fungus Neofusicoccum mediterraneum was found associated with the diseased trees, and its high virulence toward olive trees was demonstrated. Given the common features with Branch and Twig Dieback (BTD) of olive tree, occurring in Spain and California, we suggested that the observed syndrome was BTD. During our first survey, we also found a botryosphaeriaceous species other than N. mediterraneum. In the present article, we report the morphological and molecular characterization of this fungal species which we identified as Neofusicoccum stellenboschiana. In the study, we also included for comparison additional N. stellenboschiana isolates obtained from olive trees in Latium and Tuscany region (Central Italy). The occurrence of N. stellenboschiana in olive trees is reported here for the first time in the northern hemisphere. The pathogenicity and virulence were tested in nine inoculation trials, where the Apulian N. stellenboschiana isolate was compared with the isolate from Latium and with the Apulian isolate of N. mediterraneum. Both isolates of N. stellenboschiana proved pathogenic to olive trees. They caused evident bark canker and wood discolouration when inoculated at the base of the stem of two/three-year-old trees and on one-year-old twigs. However, virulence of N. stellenboschiana was significantly lower, though still remarkable, compared with N. mediterraneum in term of necrosis progression in the bark and the wood and capacity of wilting the twigs. Virulence of N. stellenboschiana and N. mediterraneum did not substantially change when inoculations were performed in spring/summer and in autumn, suggesting that these fungal species have the potential to infect and damage olive trees in all seasons. The high thermotolerance of N. stellenboschiana was also revealed with in vitro growth and survival tests. The high virulence of these Botryosphaeriaceae species highlights their contribution in BTD aetiology and the necessity to investigate right away their diffusion and, possibly, the role of additional factors other than Xfp in the general decline of olive groves in Apulia. Hence the importance of assessing the degree of overlap of BTD/Botryosphariaceae with OQDS/Xfp is discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Fungi: Impact on Agricultural Production)

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16 pages, 3161 KiB

Open AccessArticle

First Record of Aspergillus fijiensis as an Entomopathogenic Fungus against Asian Citrus Psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae)

by Jianquan Yan, Hao Liu, Atif Idrees, Fenghao Chen, Huilin Lu, Gecheng Ouyang and Xiang Meng

J. Fungi 2022, 8(11), 1222; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof8111222 - 19 Nov 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2664

Abstract

The Asian citrus psyllid Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae) is the most widespread and devastating pest species in citrus orchards and is the natural vector of the phloem-limited bacterium that causes Huanglongbing (HLB) disease. Thus, reducing the population of D. citri is an important means to prevent the spread of HLB disease. Due to the long-term use of chemical control, biological control has become the most promising strategy. In this study, a novel highly pathogenic fungal strain was isolated from naturally infected cadavers of adult D. citri. The species was identified as Aspergillus fijiensis using morphological identification and phylogenetic analysis and assigned the strain name GDIZM-1. Tests to detect aflatoxin B₁ demonstrated that A. fijiensis GDIZM-1 is a non-aflatoxin B₁ producer. The pathogenicity of the strain against D. citri was determined under laboratory and greenhouse conditions. The results of the laboratory study indicated that nymphs from the 1st to 5th instar and adults of D. citri were infected by A. fijiensis GDIZM-1. The mortality of nymphs and adults of D. citri caused by infection with A. fijiensis increased with the concentration of the conidial suspension and exposure time, and the median lethal concentration (LC₅₀) and median lethal time (LT₅₀) values gradually decreased. The mortality of D. citri for all instars was higher than 70%, with high pathogenicity at the 7th day post treatment with 1 × 10⁸ conidia/mL. The results of the greenhouse pathogenicity tests showed that the survival of D. citri adults was 3.33% on the 14th day post-treatment with 1 × 10⁸ conidia/mL, which was significantly lower than that after treatment with the Metarhizium anisopliae GDIZMMa-3 strain and sterile water. The results of the present study revealed that the isolate of A. fijiensis GDIZM-1 was effective against D. citri and it provides a basis for the development of a new microbial pesticide against D. citri after validation of these results in the field. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Fungi: Impact on Agricultural Production)

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21 pages, 4954 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Metabarcoding and Metabolome Analyses Reveal Mechanisms of Leymus chinensis Growth Promotion by Fairy Ring of Leucocalocybe mongolica

by Mingzheng Duan, Jia Lu, Wenjing Yang, Meiling Lu, Jibin Wang, Suli Li, Yiting Chen, Lihua Hu and Lingqiang Wang

J. Fungi 2022, 8(9), 944; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof8090944 - 8 Sep 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2359

Abstract

Fairy rings are a unique ecological phenomenon caused by the growth of the fungal mycelium in the soil. Fairy rings formed by Leucocalocybe mongolica (LM) are generally distributed in the Mongolian Plateau, where they promote plant growth without fertilization and alleviate fertilizer use. We previously investigated the soil factors regulating growth promotion in a fairy ring ecosystem; however, the aspects of the plant (Leymus chinensis, LC) that promote growth have not been explored. Therefore, the present study investigated the endophyte diversity and metabolome of LC in an LM fairy ring ecosystem. We analyzed the leaf and root samples of LC from the DARK (FR) and OUT (CK) zones. The fairy rings significantly improved the fungal diversity of roots and leaves and the bacterial diversity of leaves in the FR zone. Ralstonia was the dominant bacteria detected in the LC leaves. In addition, Marasmius, another fairy ring fungal genus, was also detected with a high abundance in the roots of the FR zone. Furthermore, widely targeted metabolome analysis combined with KEGG annotation identified 1011 novel metabolites from the leaves and roots of LC and seven pathways significantly regulated by the fairy ring in the FR zone. The fairy ring ecosystem significantly downregulated the flavonoid metabolism in the leaves and roots of LC. The correlation analysis found Ralstonia is a potential regulatory factor of flavonoid biosynthesis in LC. In addition, salicylic acid and jasmonic acid were found upregulated in the leaves, probably related to Marasmius enrichment. Thus, the study details plant factors associated with enhanced growth in an LM fairy ring ecosystem. These findings lay a theoretical foundation for developing the fairy ring ecosystem in an agricultural system. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Fungi: Impact on Agricultural Production)

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15 pages, 1548 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Diversity of Fusarium Species Isolated from Symptomatic Plants Belonging to a Wide Range of Agri-Food and Ornamental Crops in Lebanon

by Charlie Abi Saad, Mario Masiello, Wassim Habib, Elvis Gerges, Simona Marianna Sanzani, Antonio Francesco Logrieco, Antonio Moretti and Stefania Somma

J. Fungi 2022, 8(9), 897; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof8090897 - 23 Aug 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2729

Abstract

Lebanon is a small Mediterranean country with different pedoclimatic conditions that allow the growth of both temperate and tropical plants. Currently, few studies are available on the occurrence and diversity of Fusarium species on Lebanese crops. A wide population of Fusarium strains was isolated from different symptomatic plants in the last 10 years. In the present investigation, a set of 134 representative strains were molecularly identified by sequencing the translation elongation factor, used in Fusarium as a barcoding gene. Great variability was observed, since the strains were grouped into nine different Fusarium Species Complexes (SCs). Fusarium oxysporum SC and Fusarium solani SC were the most frequent (53% and 24%, respectively). Members of important mycotoxigenic SCs were also detected: F. fujikuroi SC (7%), F. sambucinum SC (5%), F. incarnatum-equiseti SC (3%), and F. tricinctum SC (4%). Two strains belonging to F. lateritium SC, a single strain belonging to F. burgessii SC, and a single strain belonging to F. redolens SC were also detected. This paper reports, for the first time, the occurrence of several Fusarium species on Lebanese host plants. The clear picture of the Fusarium species distribution provided in this study can pose a basis for both a better understanding of the potential phytopathological and toxicological risks and planning future Fusarium management strategies in Lebanon. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Fungi: Impact on Agricultural Production)

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16 pages, 1929 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Bioassays of Beauveria bassiana Isolates against the Fall Armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda

by Atif Idrees, Ayesha Afzal, Ziyad Abdul Qadir and Jun Li

J. Fungi 2022, 8(7), 717; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof8070717 - 8 Jul 2022

Cited by 32 | Viewed by 4972

Abstract

The control of Spodoptera frugiperda, the key invasive pest of maize, is a serious concern due to its biology and the current global restriction on applying synthetic pesticides. Entomopathogenic fungi are considered to be a potential biological control strategy. The pathogenicity of 12 isolates of Beauveria bassiana in the immature stages and feeding efficacy of S. frugiperda were evaluated. The B. bassiana isolates QB-3.45, QB-3.46 and QB-3.428 caused the highest egg mortality rates of 87.3, 82.7 and 79.3%, respectively, when applied at a concentration of 1 × 10⁸ conidia/mL and measured at 7 days post-treatment. Neonate mortality rates of 45.6 to 53.6% were observed with the same isolates. The B. bassiana isolates caused significant cumulative mortality rates ranging from 71.3 to 93.3% at 14 days post-treatment and reduced larval feeding efficacy from 69.4 to 77.8% at 48 h post-treatment. This study supports using the effective B. bassiana isolates as a biological control agent against S. frugiperda. The significant mortality of the eggs and neonatal larvae and the reduction in the feeding efficacy of the second instar larvae of the S. frugiperda that were treated with isolates of B. bassiana supports the application of entomopathogenic fungi as a biocontrol agent for the effective control of the S. frugiperda population. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Fungi: Impact on Agricultural Production)

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13 pages, 1631 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Oligogalacturonides on Seed Germination and Disease Resistance of Sugar Beet Seedling and Root

by Can Zhao, Chunyan Wu, Kuikui Li, John F. Kennedy, Michael Wisniewski, Lihong Gao, Chenggui Han, Jia Liu, Heng Yin and Xuehong Wu

J. Fungi 2022, 8(7), 716; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof8070716 - 8 Jul 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2019

Abstract

Oligogalacturonides (OGs) are a bioactive carbohydrate derived from homogalacturonan. The OGs synthesized in this study significantly inhibited the mycelial growth of Rhizoctonia solani AG-4HGI in vitro, even at a low concentration (10 mg/L). The seed vigor test demonstrated that the application of 50 mg/L OGs to sugar beet seeds significantly increased average germination percentage, germination energy, germination index, and seedling vigor index. The same concentration of OGs also improved the seedling emergence percentage of sugar beet when seeds were sown in soil inoculated with D2 and D31 isolates, respectively. The lesion diameter on mature sugar beet roots caused by R. solani AG-4HGI isolates D2 and D31 also decreased by 40.60% and 39.86%, respectively, in sugar beets roots first treated with 50 mg/mL OGs in the wound site, relative to lesion size in untreated/pathogen inoculated wounds. Sugar beet roots treated with 50 mg/mL OGs prior to inoculation with the D2 isolate exhibited up-regulation of the defense-related genes glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) by 2.4- and 1.6-fold, respectively, relative to control roots. Sugar beet roots treated with 50 mg/mL OGs prior to inoculation with D31 exhibited a 2.0- and 1.6-fold up-regulation of GPX and SOD, respectively, relative to the control. Our results indicate that OGs have the potential to be used for the protection of sugar beet against R. solani AG-4HGI. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Fungi: Impact on Agricultural Production)

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