Search Results (903)

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing global health threat, and agricultural pesticide exposure has been proposed as an environmental driver of resistance alongside antibiotic consumption. However, long-term, multi-country evidence linking pesticide use to AMR in Escherichia coli remains limited. Panel data analysis was applied to data from 28 European countries between 2013 and 2023 to examine lagged associations between agricultural pesticide use and E. coli resistance to fluoroquinolones, third-generation cephalosporins, aminoglycosides, and aminopenicillins, alongside spatial analysis of resistance distribution. Country-level panel data on E. coli resistance, antibiotic consumption, and pesticide use per cultivated area were compiled for 28 European countries, except for the aminopenicillin resistance model, for which Sweden was excluded owing to insufficient longitudinal data, yielding a 27-country panel for that indicator. Four random-effects generalized least squares (GLS) panel regression models were constructed for each resistance indicator, incorporating same-year and one-, two-, and three-year lagged pesticide use, adjusted for the corresponding antibiotic consumption. Global Moran’s I and Local Indicators of Spatial Association (LISA) analyses assessed spatial autocorrelation and clustering of resistance across countries. Pesticide use was significantly and positively associated only with fluoroquinolone resistance at a three-year lag; no significant associations were found for third-generation cephalosporin, aminoglycoside, or aminopenicillin resistance at any lag. Antibiotic consumption was consistently and positively associated with resistance across all models. All four resistance indicators showed statistically significant positive spatial autocorrelation, with persistent high-resistance clusters in Southeast Europe and low-resistance clusters in Northern Europe. Antibiotic consumption remains the dominant determinant of E. coli resistance, whereas pesticide use shows only a delayed, class-specific association restricted to fluoroquinolone resistance. Full article

The intensification of Cannabis sativa cultivation has increased the need for effective and sustainable plant-health strategies. Pathogen control is particularly challenging because pesticide residues may compromise product safety and quality, while repeated chemical treatments can favour the emergence of fungicide-resistant populations. Microbial biological control agents (BCAs) represent a promising component of integrated disease management, although their discovery and validation remain largely empirical. This narrative review examines the current literature on the biological control of fungal and oomycete diseases of cannabis, with particular emphasis on Fusarium-associated syndromes, Golovinomyces-associated powdery mildew, grey mould caused by Botrytis cinerea and major oomycete root rots. Cannabis-specific research remains limited and heterogeneous regarding reproducible efficacy across host genotypes, pathogens, and environments; mechanisms of protection; and application-oriented assessment of biosafety, crop quality, and formulation performance. To address these gaps, available evidence is organised within a prospective multi-omics-guided framework combining host and pathogen genomic characterisation, microbiome profiling, targeted BCA isolation, strain-level genomic analysis, preliminary safety screening and comparative in planta evaluation. Transcriptomic, metabolomic, and microbiome analyses can complement these stages by identifying molecular and community-level patterns potentially related to direct antagonism, resource competition, host defence priming and microbiome-mediated protection. The relevance of these patterns to disease suppression requires functional validation, while the resulting evidence may inform the design and evaluation of synthetic microbial communities. Integrating omics across these stages could support more traceable and application-relevant BCA development by enabling mechanistic investigation while providing a structured roadmap for advancing biological control strategies against fungal and oomycete pathogens of cannabis. Full article

In vitro intestinal models such as Caco-2 cells are integral to pharmacokinetic research. However, insect intestinal cells have proven less tractable for pharmacokinetic studies limiting our knowledge of pesticide pharmacokinetics in these species. To overcome this, we have developed a Caco-2 cell line that has been genetically modified to express insect P-glycoprotein (Pgp), providing a robust ‘insectified’ screening platform to monitor xenobiotic transport. This platform consists of wild-type (Pgpwild type) cells, a Pgp knockout (PgpKO) line which eliminates endogenous background interference, and species-specific Pgp rescue lines. These rescue lines allow for the stable expression of human (Hs Pgp), cotton bollworm (Ha Pgp), and malaria mosquito (Ag Pgp) homologs, enabling direct comparisons of efflux kinetics across different pesticides and species. Functional validation using the substrate Digoxin confirmed high Pgp dependency within the platform. Methyl parathion, an organophosphate insecticide, was recognized and transported by both insect and human Pgps consistent with the low mammalian selectivity of this compound. In contrast, Triflumezopyrim exhibited a high efflux ratio that remained remarkably stable even in the absence of MDR1, indicating that the uptake and pharmacokinetics of this compound are not Pgp-dependent. By successfully differentiating between transporter-specific and independent pathways, these cell lines can serve as a high-fidelity screening tool for predicting novel pesticide selectivity and possibly validating the potential role of transporters in resistance. Future work can extend this system to other transporters. Full article

Organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) are widely used and have recently been linked to metabolic syndrome (MS). This study aimed to investigate the probable association between chronic OPP exposure and MS among farm workers in Sharkia Governorate, Egypt, and to assess the potential role of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ). This comparative cross-sectional study included 140 participants, equally divided into OPP-exposed farm workers and non-exposed subjects. OPP exposure was confirmed by detecting plasma residues and cholinesterase activity. MS was diagnosed by assessing body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), blood pressure, plasma glucose, serum insulin, and lipid parameters. Oxidative and inflammatory markers, including malondialdehyde (MDA), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), ferritin, superoxide dismutase (SOD), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), were measured. The mRNA expression of the PPARγ and paraoxonase 1 (PON1) genes was also investigated. In total, 60% of farm workers demonstrated MS, compared with 10% of non-exposed participants. Workers exhibited elevated oxidative and inflammatory indices and reduced PPARγ and PON1 expression. PPARγ positively correlated with high-density lipoprotein (HDL), SOD, and PON1, while negatively correlating with glucose, insulin resistance (IR), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), triglycerides (TGs), MDA, GGT, ferritin, TNF-α, and hs-CRP. The study concluded that chronic OPP exposure was associated with increased oxidative stress and inflammation, reduced PPARγ and PON1 expression, disturbed glucose and lipid metabolism, and increased IR. The observed associations between PPARγ downregulation, metabolic disturbances, and oxidative and inflammatory markers suggest that PPARγ dysregulation may represent a potential mechanistic link between chronic OPP exposure and MS. However, this proposed mechanism requires further validation. Full article

Frankliniella occidentalis, an important crop pest worldwide, is mainly controlled by chemical pesticides, triggering resistance in thrips populations. Among the biological control methods evaluated in recent years, entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) appear to be a promising solution. A self-inoculation method could be an alternative that would increase specificity and reduce application costs. This requires efficient compatible semiochemicals and available EPF. The present study therefore consists of a preliminary screening of these components and their compatibility. Fungal strains were isolated from thrips cadavers with fungal infection symptoms in thrips populations reared in insect rearing cages. Out of twenty-three isolated fungal strains, one strain (Bb1) of Akanthomyces lecanii showed some efficacy for F. occidentalis biocontrol. Other strains potentially pathogenic to humans were not considered. The pathogenicity of the Bb1 strain and nine other EPF strains from our collection was assessed using an exploratory method in which the fungal treatments were applied to F. occidentalis eggs laid on bean pods. The reduction in the number of surviving individuals in the emerging population was evaluated after 8 days. The Bb1 strain caused a statistically significant mortality of 75%. In addition to that, the ten EPF strains were exposed to seven semiochemicals at concentrations of 1% and 10%. All semiochemicals showed an inhibitory effect. Moreover, geraniol, nerol and linalool at 10% were specifically deleterious, with 41%, 71% and 82% fungal growth inhibition, respectively. However, the inhibitory effect of semiochemicals depends on the strains tested. Thus, the radial growth of strain Bb1 is particularly little affected by verbenone, neryl (S)-2-methylbutanoate, methyl isonicotinate, and p-anisaldehyde. This work yielded a fungal strain of interest and the selection of potentially compatible semiochemicals attractive to F. occidentalis. Full article

In plants, pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) activate pattern-triggered immunity and can contribute to resistance against phytopathogenic infections. Identifying novel microbial elicitors is important for developing resistance-inducing strategies that reduce reliance on pesticides. This study evaluated BV801-derived protein preparations obtained from Xanthomonas euvesicatoria strain BV801 grown in host-associated media containing lyophilized Solanum lycopersicum or Capsicum annuum tissue. Six treatments were evaluated in C. annuum against bacterial spot caused by X. euvesicatoria (BSX) under in vitro conditions: SP-AWSL and SP-AWCA (obtained from BV801 grown in the host-associated AWSL and AWCA media), SP-NYGA and SP-M9 (obtained from BV801 grown in rich and minimal control media), and two commercial reference inducers, Actigard^® 50 GS (acibenzolar-S-methyl) and Messenger Gold^® (commercial harpin formulation). Plants were treated 48 h before pathogen inoculation. SDS-PAGE revealed protein bands in the 12–26 kDa range that were enriched in SP-AWSL and SP-AWCA relative to the control-media preparations. Several BV801-derived preparations produced localized necrosis in N. tabacum leaves consistent with a hypersensitive-response-like reaction. SP-AWSL and SP-AWCA reduced BSX severity in chili pepper by up to 67% compared with the diseased control (Kruskal–Wallis, p ≤ 0.05) and significantly reduced bacterial proliferation (Tukey, p ≤ 0.05). At the final sampling point, plants pretreated with BV801-derived protein preparations and subsequently challenged with X. euvesicatoria showed higher CaBPR1 expression than corresponding pretreated but unchallenged plants, a pattern consistent with a priming-like defense response. These findings support the potential of BV801-derived protein preparations obtained under putative Hrp-inducing conditions as candidates for sustainable resistance-inducing strategies against bacterial spot in chili pepper. Full article

The simultaneous and accurate detection of multiple pesticide residues remains a critical challenge in electrochemical sensing. Herein, a strategy is proposed for the in situ growth of interconnected Zn₃(OH)₂V₂O₇·2H₂O (ZVO) nanosheets on carbon cloth (CC), forming ZVO/CC electrodes for the simultaneous detection of thiophanate-methyl and diuron. A negative-potential pre-reduction treatment is employed to regulate the interfacial electronic structure and activate sensing sites of ZVO/CC electrodes. During pre-reduction, partial V⁵⁺ is reduced to V⁴⁺, accompanied by the formation of oxygen vacancies, which reconstruct local electronic states and decrease charge-transfer resistance. Meanwhile, the chemically integrated Zn–O–V framework exhibits a performance synergy, resulting in significantly enhanced and well-distinguished electrochemical responses toward the target pesticides. The ZVO/CC electrode achieves linear detection ranges of 0.1–25 μM for thiophanate-methyl and 0.1–40 μM for diuron, with low detection limits of 12.4 nM and 28.5 nM, respectively. Furthermore, machine learning algorithms are introduced to resolve partial overlapping signals, enabling simultaneous pesticide classification and concentration prediction. The integration of interfacial engineering with machine learning provides an effective strategy for achieving simultaneous multi-pesticide detection at the nanomolar level. Full article

Almond (Prunus dulcis) production generates large quantities of hull by-products, the safe utilisation of which can be affected by pesticide residues resulting from conventional disease management practices. Identifying practical approaches that reduce pesticide use while maintaining crop health is therefore an important step towards more sustainable almond production. This study evaluated vitamin-based biostimulants as a potential alternative disease management strategy under commercial orchard conditions. Field experiments were conducted over two consecutive growing seasons in commercial almond orchards in Australia. Eight vitamin formulations containing vitamin B complex, vitamin B₁, vitamin C and vitamin E were evaluated for their ability to reduce disease incidence in leaves and whole nuts, together with their effects on chlorophyll content, flower-to-nut conversion, kernel nutrient composition and other production-related parameters. A formulation containing 50 µg mL⁻¹ vitamin B complex together with vitamin B₁ consistently reduced disease incidence to levels comparable with the grower standard chemical programme. Selected vitamin treatments also maintained chlorophyll content, kernel nutrient composition and flower-to-nut conversion without adversely affecting crop performance. Overall, the results indicate that vitamin-based biostimulants have the potential to become a practical component of integrated disease management in commercial almond production. Their use may contribute to reducing reliance on conventional pesticides while supporting the sustainable utilisation of almond hull by-products and improving the environmental sustainability of almond production systems. Full article

Confronted with severe global challenges, including water scarcity, excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and heavy metal contamination in soils, conventional agricultural technologies exhibit marked limitations in integrated water–fertilizer management and non-point source pollution control. Leveraging their excellent water retention capacity, intelligent sustained-release properties, and environmental responsiveness, hydrogels offer innovative solutions to advance sustainable agricultural development. This review comprehensively outlines the fundamental types, crosslinking mechanisms, and key functional properties of hydrogels, with a focused discussion on their agricultural deployment as high-efficiency soil conditioners, fertilizer vectors, and pesticide carriers; it deciphers the microscopic water-holding mechanisms under the tristate water model, delineates the divergent water-uptake and retention behaviors between ionic and non-ionic hydrogels, and clarifies the cyclic water-holding and release mechanisms of hydrogels during soil amelioration. Thise paper further synthesizes hydrogel-enabled environmental remediation applications, in which heavy metals and pesticide residues in soils and aquatic systems are removed via functional-group coordination adsorption or photocatalytic degradation; concurrently, hydrogels have been shown to activate plant systemic immunity through calcium-signaling pathways, thereby inducing broad-spectrum antiviral defense responses. Moreover, hydrogels can be integrated into precision agriculture frameworks to enable real-time monitoring of crop physiological status and to support targeted irrigation and fertilization management. This work also evaluates the role of hydrogels in promoting seed germination, root system development, crop metabolic regulation, and stress resilience, while introducing tailored application strategies across distinct plant growth stages. Their documented economic advantages include water conservation, enhanced crop yields, reduced dependence on synthetic fertilizers, and lower labor costs. Nevertheless, the large-scale implementation of hydrogels continues to face multifaceted challenges—particularly poor degradability and latent ecological risks, as conventional polyacrylamide (PAM)-based gels resist soil mineralization and retain potentially neurotoxic monomers, leaving a critical gap in multi-annual field data concerning their non-target interference with native soil aggregate evolution, pore distribution, and rhizospheric carbon–nitrogen footprints. Mechanistically, many hydrogels with tensile strengths below 1 MPa are highly susceptible to three-dimensional network collapse under high-salinity osmotic shock and tillage mechanical stress, exhibiting a precipitous drop in water retention after more than three wet–dry cycles due to deficient long-term structural stability. Compounding these technical gaps are elevated production costs and low farmer adoption, driven by the absence of texture-specific performance thresholds—such as an available water increment ≥ 40% for sandy soils—and the lack of established life-cycle cost models and farmer incentive mechanisms for bio-based hydrogels. Moving forward, hydrogel technology should pivot toward materials innovation and cost-reduction engineering to broaden its applicability, employ ≥3-year, multi-habitat regional trials to delineate ecological benefit–risk boundaries, and ultimately position hydrogels as pivotal enablers of sustainable, green agricultural paradigms. Full article

This study investigates the effect of a brand-new tank-mix adjuvant, Spray Adjuvant—Paraffinic Hydrocarbon Surfactant Complex (SA-PHSC), in enhancing the efficacy of commonly used insecticides and acaricides against two significant pests of tea plantations, the black looper (Hyposidra talaca) and the red spider mite (Oligonychus coffeae). Given the pest’s major influence on tea cultivation, which can result in output reductions of up to 55%, this study addresses mounting concerns of pesticide resistance and climate change. Laboratory bioassays showed that the combination of SA-PHSC with the insecticides quinalphos, deltamethrin, and emamectin benzoate, and acaricides etoxazole and fenpyroximate, significantly increased the mortality rates of H. talaca larvae (76.67–100.0%) and O. coffeae adults (100.0%). Additionally, enhancements were noted in the mechanisms of pest cuticular penetration and contact toxicity. These observations were corroborated by field trials, which demonstrated enhanced control of H. talaca (70.47–97.63%) and O. coffeae (75.87–96.59% reduction) populations, as well as increased green tea leaf yields, as a result of SA-PHSC treatment in conjunction with the evaluated pesticides. In addition, the study evaluated the phytotoxicity and organoleptic attributes of the made tea after application, confirming the safety and absence of any off-flavors in the final product (scoring 6.6–7.0). These findings indicate that SA-PHSC could serve as a valuable adjuvant for sustainable pest management in tea cultivation, as it has the ability to optimize the application of currently recommended insecticides and acaricides and restore pest susceptibility. Full article

Botanical gardens are highly heterogeneous plant systems characterized by high taxonomic diversity, with numerous plant taxa represented within confined areas, and complex ecological interactions that create unique challenges for pest management. Conventional IPM strategies, designed for simplified agroecosystems, often fail to address complex pest pressures in curated environments. Microbial biostimulants have emerged as promising components of sustainable IPM strategies by enhancing plant defense responses, improving stress resilience, and reducing reliance on chemical inputs. This review synthesizes current knowledge on microbial biostimulants, including plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and endophytic microorganisms, in modulating plant defense against insect herbivores. These beneficial microbes enhance plant resistance through multiple mechanisms. They activate induced systemic resistance and modulate key phytohormones, including jasmonic acid, salicylic acid, and ethylene. Additionally, they regulate calcium-dependent and reactive oxygen species-mediated defenses. Microbially induced changes in plant secondary metabolites and volatile organic compounds further influence herbivore behavior and trophic interactions. Emphasis is placed on integrating microbial biostimulants into IPM frameworks tailored to botanical gardens. This highlights compatibility with biological control agents and reduced reliance on synthetic pesticides. Despite promising advances, challenges remain, including context-dependent efficacy, host specificity and limited long-term validation. Overall, microbial biostimulants offer a promising tool for enhancing IPM in biodiversity-rich botanical gardens, although further long-term validation is needed to fully assess their sustainability and effectiveness. Full article

Plant anthracnose, caused by Colletotrichum spp., is a class of significant diseases that severely threatens global crop production. Traditional management strategies, including chemical control, are hindered by inherent limitations such as the frequent emergence of pathogen resistance, low pesticide utilization efficiency, high environmental residue risks, and inconsistent field efficacy. Moreover, achieving further improvements in control efficacy is constrained by the complex biological characteristics of Colletotrichum species, particularly their hemibiotrophic lifestyle and latent infection strategies. In recent years, nanotechnology has emerged as a potential approach for the management of anthracnose. This review summarizes the research progress of various nanomaterials in the control of plant anthracnose. It analyzes the proposed multi-mechanism modes of action of nanomaterials tailored to the specific infection traits of Colletotrichum. Particular emphasis is placed on analyzing the theoretical mechanisms and preliminary in vitro evidence of nano-enabled controlled-release systems in addressing asymptomatic latent infections and achieving targeted, precise delivery. However, it must be emphasized that most current findings are derived from laboratory or controlled-environment studies, and the actual field-scale effectiveness, long-term environmental behavior, and multi-trophic safety of many nanomaterials remain insufficiently confirmed. Building upon these insights, this review thoroughly evaluates the critical challenges facing the agricultural field application of nanomaterials, such as ecotoxicity, formulation stability, scalable industrial production, and regulatory gaps. This review aims to provide objective theoretical support and technical references for achieving safe, efficient, and sustainable nano-enabled green management of plant anthracnose. Full article

Strobilurin fungicides are among the most widely used agrochemicals worldwide. Dimoxystrobin has been shown to induce hepatic injury in adult zebrafish; however, whether this damage also involves early extracellular matrix remodelling and hepatobiliary remodelling remains unknown. Here, we investigated early remodelling of the extracellular matrix, focusing on initial collagen deposition and glycosaminoglycan redistribution after a short-term exposure (96 h) to two environmentally relevant concentrations of dimoxystrobin (6.56 and 13.13 µg/L) on the liver of Danio rerio using an integrated histological, histochemical, and semi-quantitative approach. The results showed a progressive dose-dependent alteration of hepatic architecture, accompanied by a significant increase in bile pigment-like deposits and collagen deposition. Exposure also induced a significant increase in the deposition of acidic glycosaminoglycans and a severe depletion of glycogen-dependent Periodic Acid–Schiff positivity components, accompanied by an increase in amylase-resistant Periodic Acid–Schiff reactive components. Overall, these findings indicate that dimoxystrobin-induced hepatotoxicity extends beyond parenchymal degeneration to encompass coordinated stromal and hepatobiliary remodelling. The present study also indicates that the periductal microenvironment may represent a sensitive target of dimoxystrobin toxicity and supports the use of histochemical and semi-quantitative analyses as sensitive tools for detecting sublethal pesticide-induced early extracellular matrix remodelling in fish liver. Full article

Soil fungi play key roles in decomposition, nutrient cycling, plant–soil interactions, and soil structure, yet their immediate responses to pesticides remain insufficiently understood. Most studies have focused on long-term, cumulative, or plant-mediated effects, limiting insight into direct impacts. We assessed the short-term direct effects of eight commercial pesticides on fungal abundance, alpha diversity, community composition, trophic structure, and total arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) abundance across three contrasting agricultural soils in a plant-free pot experiment. Responses varied strongly among soils and pesticides, with no consistent fungal suppression. Alpha-diversity changed little and inconsistently, whereas community composition shifted markedly, indicating rapid community reorganization before detectable changes in richness or evenness. Soil 1 showed the strongest responses, while Soil 2 was resistant. Although most trophic groups’ relative abundance remained stable, their internal composition was often substantially restructured, suggesting taxonomic turnover without major functional-group shifts. Total AMF abundance increased under several treatments in Soil 1 but decreased under selected treatments in Soil 3. Soil pH was associated with fungal diversity, community composition, and total AMF abundance; however, pesticide-induced pH changes did not consistently explain microbial responses. Overall, short-term pesticide exposure drove selective, soil-dependent community restructuring rather than uniform diversity loss, supporting soil-specific risk assessment. Full article

The melon fruit fly, Bactrocera zonata, and the pumpkin fruit fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae (Diptera: Tephritidae), are important agricultural pests that cause significant losses in a wide range of fruit and vegetable crops. Increasing concerns over pesticide resistance and environmental contamination have driven interest in plant-derived insecticide alternatives. This study investigated the insecticidal activity of Ricinus communis L. leaf extracts against both species. The crude leaf extract was fractionated using solvents of increasing polarity (n-hexane, methanol, and ethyl acetate). The resulting fractions were assessed for insecticidal activity, and the most active fraction was further purified using column chromatography. Chemical constituents were identified using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Bioassay results indicated that the methanol, n-hexane, and ethyl acetate fractions exhibited the highest insecticidal activity against both B. zonata and B. cucurbitae. GC-MS analysis revealed several bioactive constituents in the active fractions, including neophytadiene, fatty acid derivatives, and 11,14,17-eicosatrienoic acid, which was tentatively identified as a candidate constituent associated with the most active fractions. These findings suggest that R. communis leaf extracts contain bioactive constituents with insecticidal properties against tephritid fruit flies and may contribute to the development of plant-based pest management strategies. However, further work is required to isolate pure compounds and confirm their individual toxicological roles under field conditions. Full article