Medicinal Value, Biological Characteristics, and Domestication of the Wild Mushroom Pholiota adiposa (Agaricomycetes).

In previous study, we identified a novel protein elicitor AMEP412 from Bacillus subtilis BU412, which could trigger plant defense response and induce systemic acquired resistance against diseases. In this paper, the production of the new elicitor was optimised. First, optimal carbon source and nitrogen source were determined as glucose and yeast extract by single factor test. Then, effects of seven different factors on AMEP412 production was studied by Plackett-Burman design. Significant factors (yeast extract, culture temperature and culture time) were selected for further optimisation using central composite design by response surface methodology. The optimum conditions for AMEP412 production were yeast extract 21.72 g/L, culture temperature 30.84 °C and culture time 31.84 h. Under these conditions, the yield of AMEP412 was enhanced from 0.32 to 2.39 mg/mL (7.47-fold), which was quite close to the predicted one. This result significantly raised the yield of AMEP412, which laid solid foundation for its application as a biocontrol agent.

This study examined biological characteristics, liquid fermentation, and cultivation of Fomitopsis pinicola. A single-factor test concluded that the optimal carbon and nitrogen sources for mycelial growth were soluble starch and yeast paste; the optimal culture temperature was 31°C, and the optimal pH was 6.0. The orthogonal experiment indicated that the optimal formula for mycelial culture was 25 g soluble starch, 2 g yeast extract, 1 g KH2PO4, and 1.5 g MgSO4 added to 1 L water. The optimal conditions for liquid fermentation culture consisted of the following: a loading volume 90 mL, inoculation volume 30 mL, and rotation speed 160 rpm. The optimal substrate formula for domestic culture was 20% corn cob, 30% sawdust, 20% wheat bran, 25% cotton seed shell, 3% corn meal, 1% gypsum, and 1% lime, which produced the highest yield of fruiting bodies. The results provided basic data for deep liquid fermentation culture and recommendations for the further development and utilization of F. pinicola.

In order to exploitation a solid inoculant of Trichoderma harzianum Ml which has a significant effect on Gramineae pasture, so that it can be better in the production of the application, the solid-state fermentation substrate was optimized in this experiment. The optimal combination of the solid-state fermentation of Trichoderma harzianum Ml was screened by single factor and orthogonal experiment. The effects of carbon, nitrogen and inorganic salt on the sporulation quantity of Trichoderma harzianum M1 were further studied. The results showed that: The optimal substrate for the solid-state fermentation of Trichoderma harzianum was the ratio of grass powder: wheat bran: rice bran was 3: 2: 1, the optimal carbon source was glucose, the optimal nitrogen source was peptone, and the optimal inorganic salt was dipotassium hydrogen phosphate. Therefore, the optimal formula of Trichoderma harzianum M1 solid-state fermentation substrate was as follows: the ratio of grass powder: wheat bran: rice bran was 3: 2: 1, glucose 1%, peptone 0.05%, dipotassium hydrogen phosphate 0.01%, the number of sporulation up to 5.9×109cfu/g.

A polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA)-producing strain was isolated from propylene oxide (PO) saponification wastewater activated sludge and was identified as Brevundimonas vesicularis UJN1 through 16S rDNA sequencing and Biolog microbiological identification. Single-factor and response surface methodology experiments were used to optimize the culture medium and conditions. The optimal C/N ratio was 100/1.04, and the optimal carbon and nitrogen sources were sucrose (10g/L) and NH4Cl (0.104g/L) respectively. The optimal culture conditions consisted of initial pH of 6.7 and an incubation temperature of 33.4°C for 48h, with 15% inoculum and 100mL medium at an agitation rate of 180rpm. The PHA concentration reached 34.1% of the cell dry weight and increased three times compared with that before optimization. The only report of PHA-producing bacteria by Brevundimonas vesicularis showed that the conversion rate of PHAs using glucose as the optimal carbon source was 1.67%. In our research, the conversion rate of PHAs with sucrose as the optimal carbon source was 3.05%, and PHA production using sucrose as the carbon source was much cheaper than that using glucose as the carbon source.

Spodoptera frugiperda Smith (fall armyworm (FAW)) has invaded many countries in Africa and Asia in recent years, considerably restricting global agricultural production. In this study, we assessed the rearing performance of four artificial diets (D1: an artificial FAW diet based on wheat bran and soybean, maize, and yeast powders; D2: an artificial diet developed for Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner), based on wheat bran and soybean and yeast powders; D3: an artificial diet based on soybean powder; D4: an artificial diet based on wheat bran) for FAWs. We designed D4 based on a traditional diet (D2) but substituted the wheat bran for soybean and yeast powders. At 25 ± 1 °C, 75% ± 5% RH, and a 16:8 h L:D photoperiod, the larval stage of FAWs fed on D4 lasted 15.88 d, the pupal stage lasted 9.48 d, the pupal mass was 270.45 mg, the number of eggs deposited was 1364.78, and the mating rate was 89.53%. Most biological indicators of the larvae that were fed D4 were basically consistent with those of the larvae fed on the traditional diet (D2), but the intrinsic rate of increase (r), finite rate of increase (λ), and net reproduction rate (R0) of the D4 FAWs were lower than those of the D2 FAWs. The flight capacity (flight distance, duration, and velocity were 19.73 km, 6.91 h, and 2.90 km/h, respectively) of the D4 FAWs was comparable to that of the FAWs fed a traditional diet and maize leaves. Compared with the three other formulas, the cost of using D4 was lower by 26.42% on average. These results show that using cheap wheat bran instead of soybean flour and yeast powder as the basic material for an artificial diet for FAWs is feasible, which will substantially reduce rearing costs and promote the development of new controlling measures for FAWs. In addition, this study also has a reference value for reducing the cost of artificial diets for other insects.

Impatiens hawkeri W. Bull (I. hawkeri) is popular among consumers due to its diverse flower colors and year-round blooming. However, changes in ecological conditions, cultivation methods, and planting scale have led to increased disease incidence and diversity, particularly the widespread and destructive leaf spot disease. Currently, studies addressing the pathogen species and its biological characteristics remain limited. In this study, a highly pathogenic strain (IH-4) was selected from previously isolated fungi associated with leaf spot in I. hawkeri. Its taxonomic status was confirmed using upright fluorescence microscope analysis, internal transcribed spacer (ITS)/large subunit (LSU)/RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (rpb2)/β-tubulin (tub2) rRNA gene sequencing, and phylogenetic tree construction. Additionally, the biological characteristics of the pathogen and its sensitivity to 8 chemical fungicides were assessed. Strain IH-4 was identified as Ectophoma multirostrata (E. multirostrata) through combined morphological and molecular approaches. Optimal growth conditions included a temperature of 25 °C, a pH of 7, Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) medium, fructose as the optimal carbon source, and urea as the optimal nitrogen source, with the fastest growth observed under a semi-light photoperiod (12 h light/12 h dark). Fungicide sensitivity assays indicated that 25% azoxystrobin exhibited the lowest half-maximal effective concentration (EC50, 0.0724 μg/mL) and the steepest virulence regression slope (1.7), demonstrating the strongest inhibitory activity and highest sensitivity. Microscopic observations revealed that IH-4 hyphae penetrate I. hawkeri leaf tissues via stomata, colonize internally, and consequently cause host damage. This study provides a theoretical foundation for the timely and effective management of leaf spot disease in I. hawkeri.

Effect of nitrogen and carbon sources on Indigo and Congo red decolourization by Aspergillus alliaceus strain 121C

Beauveria bassiana PfBb is a new strain with high host specificity to the target pest Phauda flammans. We conducted a series of experiments to optimize the biphasic fermentation system of B. bassiana PfBb by screening the medium compositions and fermentation environmental conditions in both liquid and solid fermentations. In the liquid fermentation, glucose and yeast extract with a C:N ratio of 17:1 were the optimal carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively, for B. bassiana PfBb mycelium growth and blastospore production, and liquid fermentation with an inoculation concentration of 1 × 108/mL and an inoculum content of 50 mL conidial suspension, at 180 rpm/min rotation speed, pH 7 and 26 °C, favored mycelium growth. However, additional trace elements did not significantly improve liquid fermentation. In the solid fermentation, wheat bran and chaff at a ratio of 8:2 were identified as the best substrates that facilitated B. bassiana PfBb sporulation and conidial germination, and optimal substrates with 20% inoculum content, 50% water content, and 3-day fermentation in darkness had the highest conidia yield. The resulting conidia, stored at -20, 4, and 20 °C for one year, did not significantly change the water content, and with prolonged storage duration, conidial germination was significantly higher at -20 and 4 °C. Moreover, conidia stored at 4 °C for one year maintained its validity and virulence, which were toxic to all instar larvae of P. flammans. Our results provide essential support for the commercial production of B. bassiana PfBb-based biopesticides.

Optimization of culture medium for probiotic bacterium Lacticaseibacillus casei UT1 to enhance biomass production using the Taguchi statistical method.

Foliar diseases caused by various fungi severely affect the yield and quality of banana crops. This study was conducted to clarify the biological characteristics of Bipolaris oryzae (teleomorph: Cochliobolus miyabeanus), a pathogen reported in 2023 as a new etiological agent of leaf spot in the banana variety ‘Pisang Mas’ (Musa acuminata, AA group) in Hainan Province, China, and to screen effective fungicides for its control. The results indicated that banana leaf extract agar (BLEA) and cornmeal agar (CMA) were the best media for the growth and sporulation of the pathogen, respectively. The pathogen grew best on a Czapek’s agar (CZA) medium with sucrose as a carbon source and yeast extract as a nitrogen source, while the optimal carbon and nitrogen sources for sporulation were lactose and beef extract, respectively. The pathogen could grow within a temperature range from 5 °C to 35 °C, and the optimal temperatures for growth and sporulation were 30 °C and 25 °C, respectively. Exposure to 50 °C for 10 min was lethal. Additionally, the pathogen could grow and sporulate within pH ranges of 4 to 10 and 4 to 9, respectively, and the optimal pH values for growth and sporulation were 5 and 8, respectively. The optimal photoperiods for growth and sporulation were 16 h light/8 h dark and 24 h light, respectively. Among the 12 tested fungicides, 500 g/L of iprodione SC showed the highest toxicity against B. oryzae, with an EC50 value of 0.08 μg/mL, followed by 30% difenoconazole-azoxystrobin SC and 125 g/L of epoxiconazole SC, with EC50 values of 0.13 μg·mL−1 and 0.20 μg/mL, respectively. A fungicide containing 40% chlorothalonil SC had the poorest fungicidal activity, with an EC50 value of 155.98 μg/mL. An artificial inoculation pot experiment showed that 125 g/L of epoxiconazole SC at 250 μg/mL, 500 g/L of iprodione SC at 1667 μg/mL, and 30% difenoconazole-azoxystrobin SC at 250 μg/mL provided a protective control efficacy of 100% against B. oryzae, while 125 g/L of epoxiconazole SC at 250 μg/mL and 500 g/L of iprodione SC at 1667 μg/mL provided a curative control efficacy of greater than 60%. This study clarified the optimal conditions for the mycelial growth and sporulation of B. oryzae isolated from banana and screened out fungicides with effective inhibitory activities. These results can provide guidance for field applications and the management of leaf spot caused by B. oryzae in banana.

In recent years, the poor business environment in Northeast China has become a key factor restricting the regions economic development. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), in order to deepen the reform of administrative system and promote the transformation of government functions, China has pushed forward the reform of releasing management and providing services, which has optimised the local business environment to a certain extent. However, in some areas of Northeast China, such as Mudanjiang City, Heilongjiang Province, the reform of release of management and service to improve the business environment is not obvious. This paper analyses the effectiveness of the implementation of relevant policies to optimize the business environment in Mudanjiang City, summarizes the relevant reasons and puts forward recommendations, namely, from the deepening of the style of the organs to rectify the situation, the implementation of policies and measures, improve the business environment, and improve the business environment. This paper analyses the effectiveness of policy implementation from three aspects, i.e. deepening organ style rectification, comprehensive implementation of policies and measures, and perfecting enterprise landing environment, and seeks to improve the poor business environment in the northeast region from the policy area and achieve economic revitalisation.

목이의 균사생육에 일반적인 특성을 조사한 결과 최적온도는 <TEX>$25^{\circ}C$</TEX>, pH는 6~7범위에서 균사생육이 양호하였다. 배지원 선발로 무기염류종류와 농도는 <TEX>$MgSO_4{\cdot}7H_2Os$</TEX> 0.05%, <TEX>$KH_2PO_4$</TEX> 0.1%에서 균사생육이 양호하였고, 탄소원은 흑설탕 2%첨가에서 균사생육이 양호하였으며, 질소원은 콩가루를 0.3~0.5%로 첨가하였을 때 목이버섯의 균사생육이 제일 양호하였다. This study was performed to obtain the scientific data an artificial culture of ear mushroom(Auricularia auricula). Liquid cultural of Auricularia auricula. mycelium was characterized with respect to temperature, pH, compositions of inorganic, carbon and nitrogen. The its optimum temperature and media pH were at <TEX>$25^{\circ}C$</TEX> and pH 5.0~6.0 on the mycelial growth, respectively. The optimum inorganic compositions and concentration for mycelial growth were <TEX>$MgSO_4$</TEX> 0.05%(w/v) and <TEX>$KH_2PO_4$</TEX> 0.1%(w/v), respectively. The optimum carbon sources and nitrogen sources were black-sugar 2%(w/v) and soybean powder at 0.3~0.5%(w/v) with7 days optimum culture time.

Paenibacillus polymyxa strain PJH16, isolated and tested by our team, suppresses cucumber Fusarium wilt as an efficient biocontrol agent. For further investigation, the strain has been combined with two other Bacillus strains (Bacillus velezensis VJH504 and Bacillus subtilis JNF2) to enhance biocontrol ability, which formed high-efficiency microbial agents in the current study. The methodological target taken is based on achieving the optimal growth conditions of the combined microbial agents; hence, the medium composition and culture conditions were optimized through a single-factor test, orthogonal test and response surface methodology. Following this, the effectiveness of the microbial combination was assessed through pot experiments, which provided a theoretical foundation for the synthesis of microbial flora to significantly control cucumber Fusarium wilt. The results showed excellent compatibility, proving suitable for the proliferation and growth of Paenibacillus polymyxa PJH16, Bacillus velezensis VJH504, and Bacillus subtilis JNF2 strains together, specifically, when the inoculation amounts were adjusted to 4% of each. Using the single-factor test and orthogonal test analysis, the optimum composition of culture medium for the composite strain was identified as 3% glucose as the optimal carbon source, 2% yeast extract powder as the preferred nitrogen source, and 1% dipotassium hydrogen phosphate as the most suitable inorganic salt. Furthermore, the optical density (OD600) of the composite strain solution reached its highest level at 3.16 under the following culture conditions: inoculation volume of 200 µL, 171 rpm culture speed, 21.6 h culture time, 30 °C cultural temperature, and an initial pH of 7.0. The pot experiment demonstrated that the mixed bacterial solution achieved a relative control efficacy of 93.4% against cucumber Fusarium wilt, which was significantly superior to that of single- strain or pesticide treatment, and also promoted cucumber growth. In summary, the microbial flora synthesized by the three Bacillus strains displayed a high bacterial concentration, following the optimization of culture conditions, and exerted remarkable control and growth-promoting effects on cucumber Fusarium wilt. This finding holds great significance for future developments of composite microbial agents.

King oyster mushroom (Pleurotus eryngii) contains many medicinal and nutritional values, excellent flavors, and a long shelf life. Cultivation of edible mushroom on agricultural and lignocellulosic waste like wheat straw and wood chips gives a high yield and nutritional contains. In present study, the effects of lignocellulosic organic wastes, such as wood chips, wheat and barley straw, sugar beet pulp, sawdust and maize stem residue as basal substrate and wheat and rice bran, soybean powder and their combinations were used as supplements. We analyzed mushroom production gap, mushroom fresh weight, moisture content, dry matter, and protein content of fruit body traits. A factorial experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with four replications. Supplementation of wheat bran in wood chips increased the mushroom production gap and dry matter content. The highest mushroom fresh weight and moisture content were achieved on barley straw and sugar beet pulp substrate complemented with rice bran, respectively. In addition, protein content ranged from 4.64 % (barley straw + wheat bran and wood chips + soybean powder + rice bran treatments) to 13.66 % (wheat straw + wheat bran + soybean powder treatment). The quality of P. eryngii was significantly affected by substrate ingredients. The type of substrate as well as the type and quantity of supplement appeared to have a substantial effect on prolonging the delayed-release nutrients.

Grapholita molesta (Busck) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) is a major pest of many fruit trees. The large-scale artificial propagation technology of the insect is the basis for the field application of the sterile insect technique and biological control products based on host mass reproduction. However, a low-cost diet with easily accessible materials remains lacking. In this study, we assessed the insect rearing performance feeding on 3 artificial diets: D1: an artificial diet based on wheat bran and soybean powders; D2: an artificial diet based on soybean powder, maize powders, and tomato sauce; and D3: an artificial diet based on soybean powder, maize powder, tomato sauce, and wheat bran, with apples as a control, using 2-sex life table. At 26 ± 1 °C, 70 ± 5% humidity, and 16:8 h L:D photoperiod, the biological indicators of G. molesta fed D1 were consistent with those fed apples, with a larval stage of 14.88 d, a pupal stage of 7.57 d, adult longevity of 22.69 d, egg deposition count of 223.22, intrinsic rate of increase (r) of 0.1359, finite rate of increase (λ) of 1.1456, and net reproductive rate (R0) of 94.50. D1 was used to continuously rear G. molesta population for 5 generations, all life parameters remained normal. These results indicated that the artificial diet based on wheat bran and soybean powder could be used for rearing of the insect. This study proposes an available and cost-effective artificial diet for G. molesta, facilitating the application of green prevention and control technology.