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Strawberry is a well-known source of natural antioxidants with excellent free radical scavenging capacity. This study determined the effects of chitosan application in field condition on plant growth, fruit yield and antioxidant activities in strawberry fruit. Foliar applications of chitosan on strawberry significantly increased plant growth and fruit yield (up to 42% higher) compared to untreated control. Increased fruit yield was attributed to higher plant growth, individual fruit weight and total fruit weight/plant due to the chitosan application. Surprisingly, the fruit from plants sprayed with chitosan also had significantly higher contents (up to 2.6-fold) of carotenoids, anthocyanins, flavonoids and phenolics compared to untreated control. Total antioxidant activities in fruit of chitosan treated plants were also significantly higher (ca. 2-fold) (p< 0.05) than untreated control. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of chitosan applied on field plants providing significant improvement of both yield and health benefiting biochemical contents in strawberry fruit. Further study on the elucidation of mechanisms involved with enhancement of growth, yield and biochemical contents by chitosan is needed to promote sustainable production of strawberry.

Fusarium wilt, caused by the fungus Fusarium buharicum , is an emerging disease of okra in Japan. The disease was first reported in Japan in 2015, causing significant damage to okra seedlings. Due to the potential threat in okra cultivation, the development of an accurate detection method for F . buharicum is needed for the surveillance and management of the disease. In this study, we designed a primer set and developed conventional and nested PCR assays for the specific detection of F . buharicum in infected okra plants and contaminated soil, respectively. We compared the diversity of the translation elongation factor 1 alpha (EF-1α) gene of F . buharicum with 103 other fungal species/isolates to design a species-specific primer. This primer pair successfully amplified approximately 400 bp of PCR product that was only detected in the F . buharicum isolate, not in the other fungal isolates. The developed nested PCR method was highly sensitive and could detect the fungus from a 0.01 fg DNA sample. The primer successfully detected the pathogen in artificially infected plants and soil by conventional and nested PCR, respectively. This is the first report of the development of the F . buharicum -specific primer set and detection assays, which can be used for the specific and sensitive detection of F . buharicum in field samples and for taking early control measures.

Nanotechnology shows high promise in the improvement of agricultural productivity thus aiding future food security. In horticulture, maintaining quality as well as limiting the spoilage of harvested fruit and vegetables is a very challenging task. Various kinds of nanomaterials have shown high potential for increasing productivity, enhancing shelf-life, reducing post-harvest damage and improving the quality of horticultural crops. Antimicrobial nanomaterials as nanofilm on harvested products and/or on packaging materials are suitable for the storage and transportation of vegetables and fruits. Nanomaterials also increase the vitality of the cut flower. Nanofertilizers are target-specific, slow releasing and highly efficient in increasing vegetative growth, pollination and fertility in flowers, resulting in increased yield and improved product quality for fruit trees and vegetables. Formulated nanopesticides are target-specific, eco-friendly and highly efficient. Nanosensors facilitate up-to-date monitoring of growth, plant disease, and pest attack in crop plants under field conditions. These novel sensors are used to precisely identify the soil moisture, humidity, population of crop pests, pesticide residues and figure out nutrient requirements. This review aimed to provide an update on the recent advancement of nanomaterials and their potential uses for enhancing productivity, quality of products, protection from pests and reduction of the postharvest losses of the horticultural crops. This study reveals that nanotechnology could be used to generate cutting-edge techniques towards promoting productivity and quality of horticultural crops to ensure food and nutritional security of ever-increasing population of the world.

Endophytic bacteria, recognized as eco-friendly biofertilizers, have demonstrated the potential to enhance crop growth and yield. While the plant growth-promoting effects of endophytic bacteria have been extensively studied, the impact of weed endophytes remains less explored. In this study, we aimed to isolate endophytic bacteria from native weeds and assess their plant growth-promoting abilities in rice under varying chemical fertilization. The evaluation encompassed measurements of mineral phosphate and potash solubilization, as well as indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) production activity by the selected isolates. Two promising strains, tentatively identified as Alcaligenes faecalis (BTCP01) from Eleusine indica (Goose grass) and Metabacillus indicus (BTDR03) from Cynodon dactylon (Bermuda grass) based on 16S rRNA gene phylogeny, exhibited noteworthy phosphate and potassium solubilization activity, respectively. BTCP01 demonstrated superior phosphate solubilizing activity, while BTDR03 exhibited the highest potassium (K) solubilizing activity. Both isolates synthesized IAA in the presence of L-tryptophan, with the detection of nifH and ipdC genes in their genomes. Application of isolates BTCP01 and BTDR03 through root dipping and spraying at the flowering stage significantly enhanced the agronomic performance of rice variety CV. BRRI dhan29. Notably, combining both strains with 50% of recommended N, P, and K fertilizer doses led to a substantial increase in rice grain yields compared to control plants receiving 100% of recommended doses. Taken together, our results indicate that weed endophytic bacterial strains BTCP01 and BTDR03 hold promise as biofertilizers, potentially reducing the dependency on chemical fertilizers by up to 50%, thereby fostering sustainable rice production.

Background In February 2016, a new fungal disease was spotted in wheat fields across eight districts in Bangladesh. The epidemic spread to an estimated 15,000 hectares, about 16 % of the cultivated wheat area in Bangladesh, with yield losses reaching up to 100 %. Within weeks of the onset of the epidemic, we performed transcriptome sequencing of symptomatic leaf samples collected directly from Bangladeshi fields. Results Reinoculation of seedlings with strains isolated from infected wheat grains showed wheat blast symptoms on leaves of wheat but not rice. Our phylogenomic and population genomic analyses revealed that the wheat blast outbreak in Bangladesh was most likely caused by a wheat-infecting South American lineage of the blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae . Conclusion Our findings suggest that genomic surveillance can be rapidly applied to monitor plant disease outbreaks and provide valuable information regarding the identity and origin of the infectious agent.

Wheat blast disease, caused by the Triticum pathotype of Magnaporthe oryzae (MoT), poses a significant threat to global food security. The blast resistance gene Rmg8 , recently isolated from a hexaploid wheat cultivar, strongly confers resistance to all Bangladeshi and Zambian MoT isolates that carry the eI type of AVR-Rmg8. However, the molecular interactions underlying this recognition at the protein level remain poorly understood. In this study, we elucidated the structural and biological characteristics of RMG8 proteins and their recognition of the AVR-Rmg8 effector proteins using computational biology approaches. Amino acid sequence comparison of four AVR-Rmg8 types revealed that only three amino acid residues distinguish the eI type of AVR-Rmg8, which induces a higher level of resistance conferred by RMG8. The most intriguing finding of this study is that only the eI type effector interacts with ATP through the Pro26 residue, a feature not present in the other AVR-Rmg8 types. We identified that the Protein Kinase C (PKC) domain of RMG8, where proline dependency mediates the phosphorylation of a serine residue, is involved in the strong recognition of the eI type of AVR-Rmg8. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that RMG8 might have evolved from proteins closely associated with plant signaling pathways. Although Rmg8 is an atypical resistance gene, our data suggest that it may function as a hub in the plant defense network, as it is a type of nuclear membrane protein, specifically a calcium-dependent multiple C2 domain protein with transmembrane regions (MCTP) kinase, which integrates signaling for effector recognition. Taken together, our study provides detailed insights into the molecular recognition mechanism between AVR-Rmg8 and RMG8, which is expected to aid in wheat blast resistance breeding. Future studies involving the purification and structural characterization of MoT effector proteins and Rmg8 gene products are necessary to validate these findings.

Background Botrytis cinerea , a notorious fungal pathogen, is responsible for causing grey mold in fruits and vegetables during the postharvest period. The use of environmentally friendly natural compounds presents a viable alternative to synthetic fungicides for managing postharvest diseases. 3-methyl pentanoic acid (3MP), a short-chain fatty acid widely employed as a flavoring agent and in agrochemicals, has not been explored for its potential in controlling postharvest diseases or its underlying mechanisms of action. Results This study aimed to evaluate the antifungal activity and elucidate the potential mechanisms of action of 3MP against B. cinerea . Specifically, the effects of 3MP on mycelial growth, spore germination, disease development in tomatoes and strawberries fruit, cell viability, cell membrane integrity, and the expression of key genes ( Chs1 , Bmp1 , Bmp3 , and Sak1 ) associated with cell wall integrity (CWI) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling in B. cinerea were investigated. Results showed that mycelial growth, sporulation, spore germination, germ tube elongation, of B. cinerea were significantly suppressed by 3MP in a dose dependent manner. In vivo tests demonstrated that 3MP effectively controlled postharvest grey mold caused by B. cinerea on tomatoes and strawberries at concentrations of 12 μL/L. Fluorescein diacetate (FDA) and propidium iodide (PI) staining assays indicated that 3MP disrupted membrane integrity and impaired cell viability in B. cinerea . Additionally, the expression levels of CWI and MAPK-related genes Chs1 , Bmp1 , Bmp3 and Sak1 were significantly altered following 3MP treatment. Conclusion 3MP represents a promising natural alternative to commercial fungicides or a lead compound for developing new biofungicide to control grey mold disease during the postharvest period. These results provide a theoretical basis for elucidating the underlying antifungal mechanism of 3MP against B. cinerea .

Wheat blast, caused by Magnaporthe oryzae pathotype Triticum (MoT), threatens global wheat production, yet durable resistance mechanisms remain elusive. Current strategies relying on race-specific resistance genes or fungicides are vulnerable to pathogen evolution and inefficacy. Here, we investigated field-derived transcriptomes from the 2016 Bangladesh wheat blast epidemic, a catastrophic event devastating all local varieties to identify host susceptibility ( S ) genes co-opted by MoT. By analyzing RNA-seq data from infected and healthy plants across geographically distinct regions, we pinpointed 273 consistently upregulated wheat genes, enriched in defense-related pathways. Ortholog analysis with rice, a model for blast resistance, identified three conserved susceptibility ( S )-gene candidates: TaSULTR3-3B (an ortholog of a rice bacterial blight susceptibility gene), TaSTP3-4D (associated with stripe rust), and TaMLO1-5A (a wheat powdery mildew susceptibility gene). While all three candidates exhibited significant expression correlation with M. oryzae Triticum (MoT) effectors in field-derived samples, in planta spike assays revealed distinct expression dynamics. Only TaMLO1-5A was significantly upregulated in the susceptible cultivar BARI Gom 26 following MoT inoculation, with no induction observed in the resistant cultivar S-615 (carrying Rmg8 ). Conversely, TaSULTR3-3B and TaSTP3-4D did not show significant induction under the specific conditions and time points of the in planta spike assays. This discrepancy potentially arises from tissue-specific regulation (spike vs. leaf), environmental variations, or differences in sampling time points between the field and greenhouse experiments. Disruption of such S genes, validated in other cereals for durable resistance, offers a transformative strategy to engineer non-race-specific wheat blast resilience. Our findings shift the paradigm from transient resistance genes to foundational susceptibility networks, proposing CRISPR-based editing of the candidate gene as an actionable target. This approach, resilient to pathogen evolution, could preempt epidemics in climate-vulnerable regions, safeguarding global wheat security. By bridging field pathogenomics and evolutionary genomics, we provide a roadmap for sustainable disease management in an era of expanding fungal threats.

Magnaporthe oryzae is one of the most notorious fungal pathogens that causes blast disease in cereals, and results in enormous loss of grain production. Many chemical fungicides are being used to control the pathogen but none of them are fully effective in controlling blast disease. Therefore, there is a demand for the discovery of a new natural biofungicide to manage the blast disease efficiently. A large number of new natural products showed inhibitory activities against M. oryzae in vitro. To find out effective biofungicides, we performed in silico molecular docking analysis of some of the potent natural compounds targeting four enzymes namely, scytalone dehydratase, SDH1 (PDB ID:1STD), trihydroxynaphthalene reductase, 3HNR (PDB ID:1YBV), trehalose-6-phosphate synthase, Tps1 (PDB ID:6JBI) and isocitrate lyase, ICL1 (PDB ID:5E9G) of M. oryzae fungus that regulate melanin biosynthesis and/or appresorium formation. Thirty-nine natural compounds that were previously reported to inhibit the growth of M. oryzae were subjected to rigid and flexible molecular docking against aforementioned enzymes followed by molecular dynamic simulation. The results of virtual screening showed that out of 39, eight compounds showed good binding energy with any one of the target enzymes as compared to reference commercial fungicides, azoxystrobin and strobilurin. Among the compounds, camptothecin, GKK1032A2 and chaetoviridin-A bind with more than one target enzymes of M. oryzae . All of the compounds except tricyclazole showed good bioactivity score. Taken together, our results suggest that all of the eight compounds have the potential to develop new fungicides, and remarkably, camptothecin, GKK1032A2 and chaetoviridin-A could act as multi-site mode of action fungicides against the blast fungus M. oryzae .

The plant microbiome, found in the rhizosphere, phyllosphere, and endosphere, is essential for nutrient acquisition, stress tolerance, and the overall health of plants. This review aims to update our knowledge of and critically discuss the diversity and functional roles of the rice microbiome, as well as microbiome engineering strategies to enhance biofertilization and stress resilience. Rice hosts various microorganisms that affect nutrient cycling, growth promotion, and resistance to stresses. Microorganisms carry out these functions through nitrogen fixation, phytohormone and metabolite production, enhanced nutrient solubilization and uptake, and regulation of host gene expression. Recent research on molecular biology has elucidated the complex interactions within rice microbiomes and the signalling mechanisms that establish beneficial microbial communities, which are crucial for sustainable rice production and environmental health. Crucial factors for the successful commercialization of microbial agents in rice production include soil properties, practical environmental field conditions, and plant genotype. Advances in microbiome engineering, from traditional inoculants to synthetic biology, optimize nutrient availability and enhance resilience to abiotic stresses like drought. Climate change intensifies these challenges, but microbiome innovations and microbiome-shaping genes (M genes) offer promising solutions for crop resilience. This review also discusses the environmental and agronomic implications of microbiome engineering, emphasizing the need for further exploration of M genes for breeding disease resistance traits. Ultimately, we provide an update to the current findings on microbiome engineering in rice, highlighting pathways to enhance crop productivity sustainably while minimizing environmental impacts.