Agricultural Losses Research Articles

Developing an Alert System for Agricultural Protection: Sika Deer Detection Using Raspberry Pi

Agricultural loss due to the overpopulation of Sika deer poses a significant challenge in Japan, leading to frequent human–wildlife conflicts. We conducted a study in Muroran, Hokkaido (42°22′56.1″ N–141°01′51.5″ E), with the objective of monitoring Sika deer and notifying farmers and locals. We deployed a Sika deer detection model (YOLOv8-nano) on a Raspberry Pi, integrated with an infrared camera that captured images only when a PIR sensor was triggered. To further understand the timing of Sika deer visits and potential correlations with environmental temperature and humidity, respective sensors were installed on Raspberry Pi and the data were analyzed using an ANOVA test. In addition, a buzzer was deployed to deter Sika deer from the study area. The buzzer was deactivated in the first 10 days after deployment and was activated in the following 20 days. The Sika deer detection model demonstrated excellent performance, with precision and recall values approaching 1, and a bounding box creation latency of 0.82 frames per second. Once a bounding box was established after Sika deer detection, alert notifications were automatically sent via email and the LINE messaging application, with an average notification time of 0.32 s. Regarding the buzzer’s impact on Sika deer, 35% of the detected individuals reacted by standing upright with alert ears, while 65% immediately fled the area. Analysis revealed that the time of day for Sika deer visits was significantly correlated with humidity (F = 8.95, p < 0.05), but no significant association with temperature (F = 0.681, p > 0.05). These findings represent a significant step toward mitigating human–wildlife conflicts and reducing agricultural production losses through effective conservation measures.

Flash Drought Teleconnection With the Large‐Scale Climate Drivers in the Homogeneous Rainfall Regions of India

ABSTRACTFlash drought events can be characterised by the quick depletion of crop root zone soil moisture (rapid intensification) and hence can be termed as agricultural flash droughts. These events can have devastating impacts, such as increasing the risk of agricultural yield loss, heatwaves and increased wildfire risk, which further have cascading impacts on the socio‐economic conditions. The regional hotspots of flash droughts are analysed for winter, pre‐monsoon, monsoon and post‐monsoon seasons over India from 1981 to 2020. We assess the impact of the El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) on the flash drought frequency (FDF: number of flash drought events). The causal connection of the FDF with the ENSO and IOD is analysed using the PCMCI (Peter and Clark's algorithm combined with the Momentary Conditional Independence) algorithm. The monsoon season (June–September) is found to be more prone to flash droughts with higher spatial/regional average values of total per pixel FDF during the 40‐year period over the Central Northeast (~54) and West Central (~41) regions. It is observed that the fraction of the total number of flash droughts during the El Niño years (38.8%) is higher as compared with that in La Niña years (25.7%). It is also found that the co‐occurrence of positive/negative IOD with the El Niño phase can alter the seasonal fraction of FDF over India, highlighting the high complexity in the ENSO–IOD interactions. The causal analysis shows that only the Southern Peninsula and West Central regions have significant direct and lagged causal links of average per pixel FDF with IOD. Whereas, similar (direct and lagged) causal connections are observed between the ENSO and IOD. This study reveals that flash droughts and their teleconnections vary greatly among the seasons and regions in India, limiting its accurate predictions and increasing the risk to agricultural communities.

On the ability to study regional hydrometeorological changes using GPS and GRACE measurements

Recently, an ongoing rise in temperature for both land and ocean areas is recorded resulting from the Earth’s warming climate. As a result, droughts we observe are getting more frequent, longer and more severe, exerting sustained impacts on humans, ecosystems leading to famine, poverty, mass migration, or agricultural and economic losses. The changes in climate are successfully monitored by analyzing Total Water Storage (TWS). For years, TWS has been successfully determined using geodetic techniques, such as gravity field variations observed by the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) missions or station position changes monitored by the Global Positioning System (GPS). As well, geodetic-derived data can be applied successfully to study of hydrometeorological events. To quantify droughts characteristics at different temporal and spatial scales, we recalculate the vertical displacements to Drought Severity Indices (DSI). We find that DSI based on GPS and GRACE are positively correlated at over 80% of stations around the world, highlighting both Americas and Europe as the most correlated areas. To validate results, we compare DSI based on GPS/GRACE with the Global Land Water Storage (GLWS) hydrological model, the traditional climate indices, and temperature anomalies. We show that GPS-DSIs are strongly temporally consistent with both the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and the Soil Moisture Index (SMI) climate indices at 85% of stations, indicating weakly correlated areas at mid-latitudes. We further show a high potential of geodetic data to assess drought characteristics within climate zones as well as global studies. We note that moderate conditions dominate for all climate zones, for which dry moderate conditions are observed for 40% of the months analyzed. As a result, we note warning conditions at least 52% of global stations with extreme drying DSI trends above a value of 2–3 per year. We note that the global water changes are dominated by 9 month droughts at over 72% of stations, indicating the average drought duration around 12, 14, and 15 months for GPS-, GRACE-, and GLWS-DSI, respectively. The obtained results from geodetic measurements more reliably characterize the type and phase of drought, as well as how these droughts cascade into freshwater, enabling appropriate mitigation strategies.

Botanical Pesticides: Role of Ricinus communis in Managing Bactrocera zonata (Tephritidae: Diptera)

The melon fruit fly, Bactrocera zonata (Coquillett) (Diptera: Tephritidae), is a notorious pest, posing a significant threat to a wide range of fruits and vegetables, leading to substantial agricultural losses worldwide. With growing concerns over chemical pesticide resistance and environmental safety, plant-based insecticides have emerged as eco-friendly and economically sustainable alternatives. In this context, the present study delves into the insecticidal potential of Ricinus communis extracts against B. zonata. The crude extract of R. communis was systematically fractionated using a series of organic solvents with increasing polarities. The fraction demonstrating the highest insecticidal activity was further purified for the isolation of bioactive compounds, employing advanced chromatographic techniques such as Column Chromatography, coupled with state-of-the-art analytical methods including Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Bioassays were conducted on B. zonata using the crude extract and its fractions in n-hexane, methanol, and ethyl acetate. Among the isolated compounds, 11,14,17-Eicosatrienoic acid was identified in both the methanol and ethyl acetate fractions. This compound exhibited remarkable insecticidal efficacy, with an LC50 value of 1.36%, a linearity of R2 = 0.64, and a statistically significant probability (p < 0.01). Particularly, 11,14,17-Eicosatrienoic acid emerged as the most potent bioactive agent against B. zonata highlighting its potential as a natural insecticide. These findings underscore the potential of R. communis as a valuable source of bioactive compounds for the sustainable management of B. cucurbitae. This study not only broadens the scope of plant-based pest control strategies but also opens avenues for further exploration of natural compounds in integrated pest management.

Oued Souf (Algerian Sahara): balancing rising groundwater and agricultural sustainability

This research addresses the issue of rising groundwater in the Algerian Sahara, a paradoxical phenomenon given that the desert is typically associated with dryness. The cause of this rising water is the recharge of aquifers by wastewater from local activities resulting from poor water resource management. This has led to overexploitation of water resources in Oued Souf, posing an environmental threat and agricultural loss in the Ghouts. To sustainably manage these resources, it is essential to establish a management system involving all relevant stakeholders. Ultimately, sustainable groundwater management requires effective management of Sahara aquifers. This involves avoiding overuse and overexploitation, limiting excessive pumping, employing artificial recharge methods to replenish water reserves, and regulating water flows in watersheds to reduce rising water levels in the Sahara.

Mechanism of Irrigation Before Low-Temperature Exposure on Mitigating the Reduction in Yield Loss and Spikelet Abortion at the Jointing Stage of Wheat

The increasing frequency of low-temperature events in spring, driven by climate change, poses a serious threat to wheat production in Northern China. Understanding how low-temperature stress affects wheat yield and its components under varying moisture conditions, and exploring the role of irrigation before exposure to low temperatures, is crucial for food security and mitigating agricultural losses. In this study, four wheat cultivars—semi-spring (YZ4110, LK198) and semi-winter (ZM366, FDC21)—were tested across two years under different conditions of soil moisture (irrigation before low-temperature exposure (IBLT) and non-irrigation (NI)) and low temperatures (−2 °C, −4 °C, −6 °C, −8 °C, and −10 °C). The IBLT treatment effectively reduced leaf wilt, stem breakage, and spikelet desiccation. Low-temperature stress adversely impacted the yield per plant—including both original and regenerated yields—and yield components across all wheat varieties. Furthermore, a negative correlation was found between regenerated and original yields. Semi-spring varieties showed greater yield reduction than semi-winter varieties, with a more pronounced impact under NI compared to IBLT. This suggests that the compensatory regenerative yield is more significant in semi-spring varieties and under NI conditions. As low-temperature stress intensified, the primary determinant of yield loss shifted from grain number per spike (GNPS) to spike number per plant (SNPP) beyond a specific temperature threshold. Under NI, this threshold was −6 °C, while it was −8 °C under IBLT. Low-temperature stress led to variability in fruiting rate across different spike positions, with semi-spring varieties and NI conditions showing the most substantial reductions. Sensitivity to low temperatures varied across spikelet positions: Apical spikelets were the most sensitive, followed by basal, while central spikelets showed the largest reduction in grain number as stress levels increased, significantly contributing to reduced overall grain yield. Irrigation, variety, and low temperature had variable impacts on physiological indices in wheat. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis revealed that irrigation significantly enhanced wheat’s response to cold tolerance indicators—such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), proline (Pro), and peroxidase (POD)—while reducing malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. Irrigation also improved photosynthesis (Pn), chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm), and leaf water content (LWC), thereby mitigating the adverse effects of low-temperature stress and supporting grain development in the central spike positions. In summary, IBLT effectively mitigates yield losses due to low-temperature freeze injuries, with distinct yield component contributions under varying stress conditions. Furthermore, this study clarifies the spatial distribution of grain responses across different spike positions under low temperatures, providing insights into the physiological mechanisms by which irrigation mitigates grain loss. These findings provide a theoretical and scientific basis for effective agricultural practices to counter spring freeze damage and predict wheat yield under low-temperature stress.

Bioprospecting a Natural Antioxidant Peptide for Tomato Biostimulation Under Water Limitations: Physiological Approach

AbstractDrought causes major agricultural losses, threatening food security worldwide. Thus, innovative strategies have been explored to improve crop tolerance to drought. This work focused on one natural peptide (PpT-2) with antioxidant activity, unexplored in plant applications, to evaluate its effectiveness in mitigating drought effect on Solanum lycopersicum L. plants. For that, tomato plants were foliar sprayed with different doses of PpT-2 (0, 15 or 150 mg L−1) and exposed to water Stressed and UnStressed conditions. The plant growth, photosynthesis and oxidative stress-related parameters were evaluated. Plant treatment with PpT-2, mostly at the highest concentration, alleviated diverse effects induced by water restriction: stimulated CO2 assimilation; improved ΦPSII, Fv/Fm and Fv’/Fm’; amended net CO2 assimilation rate and water use efficiency; restricted H2O2 accumulation and lipid peroxidation; stimulated SOD activity. Under UnStressed conditions, PpT-2 induced some degree of stomatal closure, nevertheless without restricting CO2 availability for the non-photochemical processes of photosynthesis, besides of decreasing H2O2 content and CAT activity. Overall, PpT-2 application controlled H2O2 accumulation, and under water limitations improved both photochemical and non-photochemical processes of photosynthesis and promoted drought tolerance, underscoring its potential for managing drought stress in crop species.

Characterization of Tomato Leaf Curl New Delhi Virus Associated with Leaf Curl and Yellowing Disease of Bitter Gourd from Karnataka, India

Aims: The objective of this study was to identify the ToLCNDV isolate responsible for leaf curl and yellowing disease in bitter gourd crops in Karnataka, India. Study Design: Molecular characterisation and transmission study. Place and Duration of Study: The laboratory studies were conducted in the Department of Plant Pathology, College of Agriculture, University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bangalore-560065. Methodology: The sample was collected and subjected to molecular characterization using specific primer for ToLCNDV and sent for sequencing. Vector and sap transmission studies were also carried out. Results: PCR-mediated detection revealed the presence of ToLCNDV, although it was not coupled with any satellite molecules. The partial genome sequencing of the AV1 gene revealed more than 97% similarity with ToLCNDV isolates. The isolate under investigation was identified as a ToLCNDV isolate and given the name ToLCNDV_GKVK_BT due to high sequence identities and phylogenetic links between the incomplete DNA-A genome and ToLCNDV isolates. The transmission experiments demonstrated that it was effectively transmitted via vector and sap transfer. Conclusion: This study identified the ToLCNDV isolate responsible for leaf curl and yellowing disease in bitter gourd crops in Karnataka, India. Identifying, characterizing at the molecular level, and understanding the transmission of begomoviruses are essential steps in developing effective management approaches to minimize agricultural losses caused by these viruses. Therefore, these findings are important for identifying the leaf curl disease of bitter gourd.

Urban expansion and agricultural land loss: a GIS-Based analysis and policy implications in Hawassa city, Ethiopia

This study investigated the historical and future trends of urban expansion and its subsequent impact on agricultural land-use in Hawassa city, Ethiopia. A time-series of remote-sensing imageries from Landsat Thematic Mapper for the years 1984, 1990, 2000, and 2010 and Operational Land Imager for 2021 were used to extract the LULC information from the study area. Seven major land-cover classes’ waterbody, built-up, agricultural land, wetland, grassland, woody vegetation, and agroforestry were identified with visual image interpretation along with supervised image classification techniques using the maximum-likelihood algorithm for the study years. The urban and agricultural lands were then extracted from the original LULC data to quantify the extent, rates, and number of area conversion between the two. The Land Change Modeler module of TerrSet software was used to predict the spatial extents of built-up and agricultural lands in 2030 and 2050. The results showed that there have been significant changes between the LULC types in Hawassa city within the past 37 years, from which built-up and agricultural land have shown the most prevalent changes. It showed that built-up land has increased from 584.73 ha in 1,984–3,939.03 ha in 2021, representing a 573.65% increase at an annual growth rate of 15.50%. However, agricultural land decreased from 8,324.64 ha to 3,595.68 ha in the respective years, with a 56.81% decrease at a rate of −1.54% each year. A total of 3,148.74 ha (37.82%) of agricultural land was converted into built-up land within the past 37 years (85.10 ha per year, a rate of 1.02%. The built-up land is projected to increase to 5,009.85 ha and 6,794.73 ha from 2021 to 2030 and 2050, with annual growth rates of 3.02% and 2.50%, respectively. In the same years, agricultural land will decrease to 2,849.58 ha and 2033.46 ha by 2.31% and 1.50% annually, respectively, from which 64.76 ha (1.80%) and 48.41 ha (1.35%) will be converted into built-up land, respectively. Future planning and development in the city should consider the rapid increase in built-up land toward agricultural land areas and develop appropriate adaptation mechanisms for the local community, which is highly dependent on agriculture.

Advancing Chickpea Breeding: Omics Insights for Targeted Abiotic Stress Mitigation and Genetic Enhancement.

Chickpea is a major source of proteins and is considered the most economically vital food legume. Chickpea production is threatened by several abiotic and biotic factors worldwide. The main constraints limiting worldwide chickpea production are abiotic conditions such as drought, heat, salinity, and cold. It is clear that chickpea is treasured for its nutritive value, in particular its high protein content, and hence study of problems like drought, cold and salinity stresses are very important concerning chickpeas. In this regard, several physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms are reviewed to confer tolerance to abiotic stress. The most crippling economic losses in agriculture occur due to these abiotic stressors, which affect plants in many ways. All these abiotic stresses affect the water relations of the plant, both at the cellular level as well as the whole-plant level, causing both specific and non-specific reactions, damage and adaptation reactions. These stresses share common features. Breeding programs use a huge collection of over 100,000 chickpea accessions as their foundation. Significant advancements in conventional breeding, including mutagenesis, gene/allele introgression, and germplasm introduction, have been made through this method. Abiotic tolerance and yield component selection are made easier by creating unique DNA markers for the genus Cicer, which has been made possible by developments in high-throughput sequencing and molecular biology. Transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics have also made it possible to identify particular genes, proteins, and metabolites linked to chickpea tolerance to abiotic stress. Chickpea abiotic stress tolerance has been directly and potentially improved by biotechnological applications, which are covered by all 'Omics' approaches. It requires information on the abiotic stress response at the different molecular levels, which comprises gene expression analysis for metabolites or proteins and its impact on phenotype. Studies on chickpea genome-wide expression profiling have been conducted to determine important candidate genes and their regulatory networks for abiotic stress response. This study aimed to offer a detailed overview of the diverse 'Omics' approaches for resilience's to abiotic stresses on chickpea plants.

Gibberellin action‐based strategies show promise in the control of Striga—A major threat to global agriculture

Societal Impact StatementThe root‐parasitic plant Striga hermonthica can cause severe crop failure, leading to significant agricultural and economic losses in Africa. Despite the promising target offered by the Striga seed germination mechanism for developing control methods, effective control methods have yet to be established. For seed germination, Striga must undergo an incubation under warm and humid conditions, a process termed conditioning, which allows it to germinate. Here, we report that the plant hormone gibberellin stimulates the conditioning process in Striga seeds. Our findings suggest that the quantitative control of gibberellin in plants is a promising approach for controlling Striga infestations and may help alleviate substantial threats to food security.Summary The root‐parasitic plant S. hermonthica is a serious agricultural threat in Africa. Although a number of control methods have been employed to combat Striga, there is still a need to develop more effective control methods. Striga seeds germinate only in the presence of host plants, owing to the need for host‐released stimulants, primarily strigolactone. To detect signals from the host, Striga seeds must be exposed to a specific warm, dark, and moist environment, which is known as conditioning. Gibberellin directly promotes germination in many nonparasitic plants, but Striga seeds are insensitive to exogenous gibberellin. Consequently, the role of gibberellin in the germination of Striga seeds is unclear. We demonstrated that the effect of the gibberellin biosynthesis inhibitor paclobutrazol was higher in seeds during the conditioning, compared with those already conditioned, suggesting that gibberellin primarily regulates conditioning rather than germination. The content of an active form gibberellin, gibberellin A4 (GA4) exhibited an increase throughout the conditioning period, and we quantified the elevated expression levels of some gibberellin biosynthesis genes. The GA4 treatment shortened the conditioning period required for strigolactone‐induced seed germination. We also discovered that gibberellin upregulated ShACO1, the gene responsible for ethylene synthesis, during conditioning, and that the inhibition of GR24‐induced germination by the ethylene biosynthesis inhibitor α‐aminoisobutyric acid was gradually alleviated by GA4. Our findings demonstrate that gibberellin is critical for conditioning and germination processes but acts as a minor stimulant in Striga seeds. This study demonstrates the potential of quantitative endogenous gibberellin control for Striga management, providing valuable insights for alleviating food security issues.

Biodiversity Assessment of Trees and Shrubs at Tirunelveli’s Science Centre in Southern India: A Conservation Perspective

A comprehensive taxonomical floristic survey conducted at the District Science Centre in Tirunelveli identified 84 species of trees and shrubs, documenting each plant species with detailed information on medicinal uses, family classification, commercial importance, and population count of individual plants. The survey identified 33 families and 68 genera, with Fabaceae being the most dominant family, followed by Rubiaceae, Arecaceae, and Malvaceae. Additionally, the survey highlighted a list of vulnerable, threatened, and endangered tree species such as Cycas beddomei Dyer., Santalum album L., emphasizing the need for conservation efforts based on their spatial reach and anthropogenic pressures. These species face various threats, including loss of habitat, agriculture, pollution load, and recreational disturbances, and were assessed according to the IUCN Red List criteria. This study provides valuable insights for botanists, conservationists, and policymakers, promoting sustainable management and protection of plant biodiversity in the region.

Time Series Analysis and Optimization of the Prediction Model of Agricultural Insurance Loss Ratio

For ensuring successful financial planning to perform sustainable farming, one key sector is to provide solutions that could accurately predict the agricultural loss ratios. In China, the Henan province is considered to be an agricultural center that is primarily exposed to drastic weather fluctuations that directly impact the crop yields. This study was conducted in Henan province from January 2020 to December 2023. With the data collected from that period, the study proposes a combinatory model combining Deep Gaussian Processes with Bayesian Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks. The model was trained on data encompassing weather conditions, agricultural practices, and historical insurance claims. The experimental analysis was conducted against other traditional models, including ARIMA and Support Vector Regression. The RMSE improvement of the proposed model was around 7.2% on training data and 8.2% on test data, which demonstrates enhanced predictive accuracy. The enhanced performance of the proposed model was reflected in its effectiveness in reducing log-likelihood errors across training epochs. The model had demonstrated better robustness in handling complex and multi-dimensional agricultural data.

Soil biodiversity and microbial antagonism for suppression of plant-parasitic nematodes

Abstract Plant parasitic nematodes (PPN) cause significant economic losses in agriculture and the use of nematicides is the most common management practice applied today. However, due to the impact of such chemicals, more sustainable methods are needed. Current trends consider the exploitation of indigenous soil microbial communities. In this review we discuss some concepts required for the conservation and management of soil microorganisms, considered as a fundamental natural resource. Co-evolution and co-speciation are basic evolutionary processes of soil taxa involved in soil ecosystem services such as nematode regulation. The microorganisms showing a host-parasite co-evolution hold potential for the insurgence or re-construction of a natural equilibrium in soil, aiming at nematode regulation. The impact on soil microbial diversity of farming intensification and PPN management through nematicides is also discussed. Some examples of soil microbial resources and their impact including antagonists like nematophagous fungi (NF), aquatic parasites and bacteria are also briefly reviewed.

Production losses in Russian agriculture: Impact on food security and environmental sustainability

This paper provides a quantitative assessment of the impact of losses on specific aspects of food security and environmental sustainability. The lack of full information on the benefits of food loss reduction destimulates developing appropriate effective measures at the public level and in the private sector. The study covers losses generated at the initial stages of the food supply chain, including agricultural production and primary processing. Methodological assessments are based on works of foreign authors, recommendations of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and domestic methodological developments in this area. The results indicate that at the primary stages of the food supply chain, food losses generate a relatively small amount of greenhouse gas emissions, so their reduction in order to lower the carbon footprint is not as effective as at the stage of retail and household consumption. However, preventing losses in agriculture contributes to the creation of additional volumes of food, which can be directed to the consumption of vulnerable groups of population. At the same time, the consequences of loss reduction vary greatly depending on the type of product

Economic Analysis of the Impact of Waste on the Production and Consumption of Dates in Saudi Arabia

The goal of this study was to determine how the loss of dates affected food security in Saudi Arabia from 2000 to 2021. The researchers achieved this by using food security indicators, economic equations to quantify agricultural resource losses, and econometric analyses to develop a partial adjustment model. The results show that dates are considered a self-sufficient crop as well as an export crop, as the state resorts to exporting the surplus instead of storing it for local consumption. During the study period, there was an increase in the period of sufficiency in date production for local consumption and the period of coverage of imports for local consumption. In 2000, the volume of dates lost increased by approximately 131.22%. The total loss of land and water resources reached 31,918.4 hectares and 324.759 million cubic meters, respectively. The value of the partial adjustment coefficient (λ) indicates that about 81.1% of the imbalance in the equilibrium between the actual and equilibrium levels is adjusted within one year. Loss is considered one of the most important factors that determine food security for dates, in addition to the total value of loans financed to date factories, the total population, and the level of technological progress in the marketing and storage of dates. It was found that a change of 10% in these variables leads to a change in food security for dates of (−2.37%), 0.07, (−15.33%), and 0.58%, respectively, and the adjusted coefficient of determination was estimated at 0.93. This study recommends the following: (1) expanding the use of modern technologies for date post-harvest transportation and storage, and (2) increasing support and loans allocated to date factories to increase warehouses for cooling and storage to accommodate the increase in production and surplus consumption.

Copper acquisition is essential for plant colonization and virulence in a root-infecting vascular wilt fungus.

Plant pathogenic fungi provoke devastating agricultural losses and are difficult to control. How these organisms acquire micronutrients during growth in the host environment remains poorly understood. Here we show that efficient regulation of copper acquisition mechanisms is crucial for plant colonization and virulence in the soilborne ascomycete Fusarium oxysporum, the causal agent of vascular wilt disease in more than 150 different crops. Using a combination of RNA-seq and ChIP-seq, we establish a direct role of the transcriptional regulator Mac1 in activation of copper deficiency response genes, many of which are induced during plant infection. Loss of Mac1 impaired growth of F. oxysporum under low copper conditions and abolishes pathogenicity on tomato plants and on the invertebrate animal host Galleria mellonella. Importantly, overexpression of two Mac1 target genes encoding a copper reductase and a copper transporter was sufficient to restore virulence in the mac1 mutant background. Our results establish a previously unrecognized role of copper reduction and uptake in fungal infection of plants and reveal new ways to protect crops from phytopathogens.

A novel protein elicitor (Cs08297) from Ciboria shiraiana enhances plant disease resistance.

Ciboria shiraiana is a necrotrophic fungus that causes mulberry sclerotinia disease resulting in huge economic losses in agriculture. During infection, the fungus uses immunity elicitors to induce plant tissue necrosis that could facilitate its colonization on plants. However, the key elicitors and immune mechanisms remain unclear in C. shiraiana. Herein, a novel elicitor Cs08297 secreted by C. shiraiana was identified, and it was found to target the apoplast in plants to induce cell death. Cs08297 is a cysteine-rich protein unique to C. shiraiana, and cysteine residues in Cs08297 were crucial for its ability to induce cell death. Cs08297 induced a series of defence responses in Nicotiana benthamiana, including the burst of reactive oxygen species (ROS), callose deposition, and activation of defence-related genes. Cs08297 induced-cell death was mediated by leucine-rich repeat (LRR) receptor-like kinases BAK1 and SOBIR1. Purified His-tagged Cs08297-thioredoxin fusion protein triggered cell death in different plants and enhanced plant resistance to diseases. Cs08297 was necessary for sclerotial development, oxidative-stress adaptation, and cell wall integrity but negatively regulated virulence of C. shiraiana. In conclusion, our results revealed that Cs08297 is a novel fungal elicitor in fungi inducing plant immunity. Furthermore, its potential to enhance plant resistance provides a new target to control agricultural diseases biologically.

Impact of Cryptosporidium parvum infection on glucose transport and metabolism in calves: Physiological and molecular insight

The present study aimed to assess the impact of Cryptosporidium parvum infection on physiological parameters and glucose metabolism in calves. To achieve this goal, a study was conducted in Moscow, Russia, from 2022 to 2023, involving 20 calves, of which 10 were infected with C. parvum and 10 comprised the control group. Comprehensive methods were employed, including body weight measurement, fecal analysis, histopathological examinations, blood analysis, Using chamber experiments, and molecular analyses. The results of the study revealed a statistically significant decrease in body weight in the infected calf group (P < 0.052) and noticeable changes in fecal consistency changes were noticed on the 4th-day post-infection (P < 0.01). Histopathological examination identified acute catarrhal enteritis and villus atrophy in the small intestine of infected calves. Blood analysis demonstrated a statistically significant decrease in glucose levels in infected calves on the 6th and 7th days post-infection (P < 0.05). However, the results of the Ussing chamber experiments and studies of glucose metabolism genes did not reveal statistically significant differences between the groups. The findings suggest the potential applicability of monitoring body weight, fecal consistency, and glucose levels in the diagnosis and control of cryptosporidiosis in cattle, which could lead to a reduction in economic losses in agriculture.

Impact of transinfection of Wolbachia from the planthopper Laodelphax striatellus on reproductive fitness and transcriptome of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci

The whitefly Bemisia tabaci is critical global pest threatening crops and leading to agricultural losses. Wolbachia is an intracellular symbiotic bacterium in insects, which can regulate the growth and development of the host through various ways. In a prior study, Wolbachia was found to be transferred to whitefly and induce fitness changes. However, little is known about the underlying mechanisms of host-Wolbachia interactions in B. tabaci. In this study, a Wolbachia strain wStri was isolated from the small brown planthopper, Laodelphex striatellus, and transferred to B. tabaci. The distribution of Wolbachia in whiteflies was determined using fluorescence in situ hybridization. Reciprocal crossing experiments demonstrated that wStri did not induce cytoplasmic incompatibility phenotypes in B. tabaci, but prolonged the developmental duration of the offspring. We performed transcriptomic analysis of Wolbachia-infected female and male adults using Illumina-based RNA-Seq. A total of 843 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in infected females, among them 141 were significantly up-regulated and 702 were down-regulated by Wolbachia infection. In infected males, of 511 gene sets, 279 host genes were significantly up-regulated, and 232 were down-regulated by Wolbachia infection. KEGG analysis of DEGs demonstrated significant differences in gene pathway distribution between up-regulated and down-regulated genes. These genes are involved in various biological processes, including, but not limited to, detoxification, oxidation–reduction, metabolic processes, and immunity. The transcriptomic profiling of this study offers valuable information on the differential expression of genes in whiteflies following Wolbachia infection, and enhances our understanding of this host-symbiotic interaction.