Carbendazim Treatment Research Articles

Deciphering the Biocontrol Potential of Trichoderma asperellum (Tv1) Against Fusarium-Nematode Wilt Complex in Tomato.

The study assessed Trichoderma spp. as a biocontrol agent for managing wilt-nematode complex in tomato crops, aiming to mitigate yield losses. Fusarium sp. and Meloidogyne sp. were isolated from infected plant samples and confirmed molecularly and morphologically as Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici and Meloidogyne incognita. Four Trichoderma spp. procured from the Department of Plant Pathology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, India were identified molecularly as Trichoderma asperellum (Tv1), Trichoderma asperelloides (Tasd1), Trichoderma harzianum (Th1), and Trichoderma koningiopsis (Tk1) utilizing ITS and TEF1 primer pairs. Among them, Tv1 effectively inhibited the mycelial growth of pathogen isolates. Furthermore, crude metabolite of Tv1 exhibited similar effects. The mortality rate of M. incognita J2s ranged from 90.48% to 100% after 24-72 h of incubation and inhibition percentage of egg hatching reached 90.20%. The shoot length, root length, fresh weight, and dry weight of the tomato plants treated with Tv1 conidia were increased. In a pot experiment, Tv1 treatment reduced disease incidence by 64.57%, comparable to carbendazim treatment (82.32%). Tv1-treated plants had fewer root galls, egg masses, and J2s per 100 g of roots than the inoculated-untreated control plants. The root-knot index (RKI) was significantly lower in plants treated with carbafuran (1.98 ± 0.047) and Tv1 (3.06 ± 0.086) than in control (4.47 ± 0.109). The bio-control efficiency of Tv1 against M. incognita was 21.04%, and the nematodes' reproductive factor (RF) declined to 0.53 in Tv1 treatment group. Based on the findings above, it was established that Tv1 effectively controlled nematode populations and wilt disease when applied in soil.

Key bacterial taxa with specific metabolisms and life history strategies sustain soil microbial network stability exposed to carbendazim and deoxynivalenol

Co-contamination of carbendazim (CBD) and deoxynivalenol (DON) is common in agricultural soils, yet their ecological impact on soil microbiome remains poorly assessed. Here, we investigated the influence of CBD and DON on the structure, function, and co-occurrence networks of soil microbiome. The combined treatment of CBD and DON significantly exacerbated the negative impacts on soil microbial diversity, functional diversity, and microbial network stability compared to individual treatments. Specifically, Lysobacter, Gemmatimonas, Nitrospira, Massilia, and Bacillus were identified as indicator species for CBD and DON. Simultaneously, the abundance of genes involved in key ecological functions, such as nitrification (amoA) and organic phosphorus mineralization (phoAD), was significantly reduced. Notably, key bacterial taxa Nitrospira and Gemmatimonas, with K-life history strategy and capabilities for nitrification and organic nitrogen mineralization, played crucial roles in promoting positive interactions in networks. Furthermore, variance partitioning analysis (VPA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) demonstrated that the abundance and niche breadth of key bacterial taxa were the primary drivers of microbial network stability. In conclusion, our study provides new insights into how soil microbiomes and networks respond to pesticides and mycotoxins, aiding in a more comprehensive assessment of exposure risks.

Response of earthworm enzyme activity and gut microbial functional diversity to carbendazim in the manured soil.

The effect of pesticide pollution on environmental microorganisms in soil has become the focus of widespread concern in society today. The response of earthworm gut and surrounding soil microbial functional diversity and enzyme activity to carbendazim (CBD) was studied in a soil-earthworm ecosystem amended with manure. In the experiment, CBD was added to the manured soil (MS). Meanwhile, the pesticide treatment without manure and the control treatment without pesticides were also set up. The activities of catalase (CAT) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) were measured to evaluate the toxicity of CBD. The Biolog method was used to assess the functional diversity of the microbial community. In the 2 mg/kg CBD treatment, earthworm AChE activity decreased significantly in the MS after 14 d, which occurred earlier than in the un-manured soil (NS). The changes of earthworm CAT activity in the pesticide treatments showed a trend of initially increasing and then maintaining at a high activity level. However, the CAT activities at 28 d in the manured soils were clearly lower than that at 7 d for both the CBD treatments, while they remained stable in the control treatments. The carbon source utilization, Simpson index, Shannon index, and McIntosh index of soil microorganisms in the MS treatments were significantly higher than those in the NS treatments. The overall activity of earthworm gut microorganisms in the MS treated with 2 mg/kg CBD was higher than that in the control. Also, CBD treatment (2 mg/kg) increased significantly the Simpson index and McIntosh index of earthworm gut microorganisms. The results indicated that the enzyme activities in the manured soils increased before 7 d for the pesticide treatments. Furthermore, exposure to CBD at a high concentration in the MS not only led to the earlier inhibition of earthworm enzyme activity but also significantly improved the overall activity of earthworm gut microorganisms and microbial functional diversity. This study revealed the ecotoxicological effects of earthworms in response to pesticide stress following the use of organic fertilizers under facility environmental conditions, which can provide a theoretical basis for the remediation of pesticide pollution in soil in the future.

Toxicologic effect and transcriptome analysis for sub-chronic exposure to carbendazim, prochloraz, and their combination on the liver of mice.

Carbendazim (CBZ) and prochloraz (PCZ) are broad-spectrum fungicides used in agricultural peat control. Both fungicides leave large amounts of residues in fruits and are toxic to non-target organisms. However, the combined toxicity of the fungicides to non-target organisms is still unknown. Therefore, we characterized the toxic effects of dietary supplementation with CBZ, PCZ, and their combination for 90days in 6-week-old male Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice. CBZ-H (100mg/kg day), PCZ-H (10mg/kg day), and their combination treatments increased the relative liver weights and caused liver injury. The serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), glucose (Glu), pyruvate (PYR), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels were reduced, and synergistic toxicity was observed. Hepatic transcriptome revealed that 326 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of liver were observed in the CBZ treatment group, 149 DEGs in the PCZ treatment group, and 272 DEGs in the combination treatment group. According to KEGG enrichment analysis, the fungicides and their combination affected lipid metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and ferroptosis. In addition, the relative mRNA levels of key genes involved in lipid metabolism were also examined. Compared with individual exposure, combined exposure to CBZ and PCZ caused a more obvious decrease in the expression of some genes related to glycolipid metabolism. Furthermore, the relative mRNA levels of some key genes in the combination treatment group were lower than those in the CBZ and PCZ treated groups. In summary, CBZ, PCZ, and their combination generally caused hepatotoxicity and glycolipid metabolism disorders, which could provide new insights for investigating the combined toxicity of multiple fungicides to animals.

Effectiveness of Fungicides against Colletotrichum lindemuthianum Causing Anthracnose of Green Gram [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek

Background: Anthracnose is currently a severe threat to green gram cultivation in India. In vitro bioassay and glasshouse studies were performed to evaluate the effectiveness of different fungicides against Collectotrichum lindemuthianum. Methods: The current investigation was conducted at the Department of Plant Pathology, N.M. College of Agriculture, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari, Gujarat in 2020-21. The poison food technique assessed the efficacy of systemic, non-systemic and combination fungicides against C. lindemuthianum. The management study was also carried out from the best-performing bioassay treatments and evaluated in the glasshouse. Result: At 500 ppm, carbendazim 50 WP and propiconazole 25 EC inhibited 100% of mycelial growth out of six systemic fungicides tested while in non-systemic fungicides, mancozeb 75 WP and chlorothalonil 75 WP inhibited the test pathogen the most at 2500 ppm. Among the combi-fungicides tested at 500 ppm, carbendazim (12%) + mancozeb (63%) 75 WP and captan 70% + hexaconazole 5% 75 WP inhibited pathogen mycelial growth the most significantly more than the untreated control. In glasshouse studies, the lowest disease index was found in two foliar sprays of carbendazim 50 WP @ 1.0 g/l, propiconazole 25 EC @ 2.0 ml/l and captan 70% + hexaconazole 5% @ 0.6 g/l spaced 15 days apart. On the other hand, seed treatment of carbendazim 12% + mancozeb 63% @ 3.0 g/kg seed and mancozeb 75 WP @ 3.0 g/kg seed had the lowest disease index compared to control.

Carbendazim exposure inhibits mouse oocytes meiotic maturation in vitro by destroying spindle assembly.

Successful fertilization and early embryonic development heavily depend on the quality of the oocytes. Carbendazim (CBZ), a broad-spectrum fungicide, is widely available in the environment and has adverse effects on organisms. The present study focused on exploring the potential reproductive toxicity of CBZ exposure by investigating its effects on the maturation of mouse oocytes. The results demonstrated that although no disruptions were observed in the G2/M stage transition for meiosis resumption, CBZ did hinder the polar body extrusion (PBE) occurring during oocyte maturation. Cell cycle distribution analysis revealed that CBZ exposure interfered with the meiotic process, causing oocytes to be arrested at the metaphase I (MI) stage. The subsequent investigation highlighted that CBZ exposure impeded the spindle assembly and chromosomal alignment, which was linked to a decline in the level of p-MAPK. Additionally, CBZ exposure adversely affected the kinetochore-microtubule (K-MT) attachment, leading to the persistent activation of the spindle-assembly checkpoint (SAC). The study further noticed a substantial rise in the acetylation of α-tubulin and a reduction in spindle microtubule stability in CBZ-treated oocytes. In addition, the distribution pattern of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) was altered in oocytes treated with CBZ, with abnormal aggregation on the spindles. CBZ exposure also resulted in altered histone modifications. A notable finding from this research was that the meiotic maturation of some oocytes remained unaffected even after CBZ treatment. However, during the ensuing metaphase II (MII) stage, these oocytes displayed anomalies in their spindle morphology and chromosome arrangement and diminished ability to bind to the sperm. The observations made in this study underscore the potential for CBZ to disrupt the meiotic maturation of oocytes, leading to a decline in the overall quality of oocytes.

Activity of Essential Oils and Plant Extracts as Biofungicides for Suppression of Soil-Borne Fungi Associated with Root Rot and Wilt of Marigold (Calendula officinalis L.)

Essential oils (EOs) and Plant extracts (PEs) are gaining attention as eco-friendly alternatives to synthetic fungicides for the management of soil-borne fungi related to root rot and the wilt of marigolds. Here, EOs of Cinnamomum zeylanicum (cinnamon), Mentha piperita (peppermint), Syzygium aromaticum (clove), Thymus vulgaris (thyme), PEs of Cymbopogon citratus (lemongrass), Lantana camara (lantana), Ocimum basilicum (basil), and Zingiber officinales (ginger) were first evaluated in vitro for their inhibitory activity against the mycelium growth of the root rot and wilt fungi of marigold: Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Fusarium oxysporum, and F. solani, and in vivo for their activity in reducing disease progression. The results show that all EOs had a strong inhibitory activity on the mycelium growth of pathogens. Maximum inhibition of mycelium growth was achieved at a concentration of 1 mL/Lof S. aromaticum, C. zeylanicum, and M. piperita. The inhibition values were 100, 80.9, and 72.4% for F. solani, 100, 81.1, and 70% for S. sclerotiorum, 90.2, 79.4, and 69.1% for F. oxysporum, and 85.4, 78.2, and 68.7% for R. solani, respectively. Regarding plant extracts, the highest inhibition of mycelium growth was attained at a concentration of 20% of Z. officinales, C. citratus, and L. camara. The inhibition values were 77.4, 69.1, and 60.6% for F. solani, 76.5, 67.2, and 58% for S. sclerotiorum, 73.5, 68.2, and 56.3% for F. oxysporum, and 72, 64.8, and 55.2% for R. solani, respectively. In pot experiments, the application of EOs and PEs showed high efficiency in suppressing root rot and wilt of marigold at all concentrations used, especially at 3 mL/L for seed soaking (along with 1.5 mL/L for foliar spraying) for S. aromaticum, C. zeylanicum, and M. piperita EOs, and (40% for seed soaking along with 20% for foliar spraying) for Z. officinales, C. citratus, and L. camara PEs. All the treatments applied in the field greatly reduced the diseases in both seasons, especially S. aromaticum EO, C. zeylanicum EO, Z. officinales PE, and carbendazim treatments. This was accompanied by a significant improvement in morphological, yield, and phytochemical parameters of marigold as well as a significant increase in the activity of defense-related antioxidant enzymes. Overall, essential oils and plant extracts can be used effectively to control root rot and wilt in marigold as sustainable and eco-friendly botanical biofungicides.

Impact of Thermotherapy on Regeneration of Single Node Setts of Sugarcane Infected by Sugarcane Yellow Leaf Virus

Sugarcane is an important cash crop in India, as well as a key raw material in the production of sugar, jaggery, and bioethanol. Sugarcane yellow leaf disease incited by Sugarcane yellow leaf virus (SCYLV) is emerging as a major threat to sugarcane cultivation and the canes infected by SCYLV were found to be frequently invaded by fungal pathogens. SCYLV infected canes when used as seed material recorded low germination and seedling vigour. Hence, the present investigation was undertaken to test the efficacy of thermotherapy followed by carbendazim treatment for enhancing germination of SCYLV infected seed setts and seedling vigour. Single node setts of SCYLV infected canes were subjected to thermotherapy at 50°C, 51°C and 52°C for 10, 20 and 30 minutes in a hot water bath. Single node setts dipped in water or carbendazim (0.1%) solution served as control. Results of the study revealed that sett treatment with hot water at 50°C for 20 min followed by dipping in carbendazim (0.1%) solution for 30 minutes enhanced the sett germination and vigour of virus infected single noded setts. The presence of SCYLV in the seedlings that had emerged was determined using RT-PCR. The virus was found in germinated seedlings even after thermotherapy, suggesting that at the temperatures tested, thermotherapy was ineffective in eliminating the SCYLV sett borne inoculum. Thermotherapy and fungicide treatment, on the other hand, improved the germinability of infected single noded setts, probably due to a reduction in secondary fungal infection.

Chemical Control Measures Against Patch Canker Disease in Rubber Plantations

The rubber plantation industry plays a significant role in Sri Lankan economy in terms of foreign exchange earnings. Rubber cultivations are affected by a number of economically important diseases and insect pests which lead to significant yield losses. During the recent past, an abnormal bark cracking at the collar region and oozing of latex of trees was frequently reported to the Rubber Research Institute. The disease has been identified as Patch Canker condition and the causative agent was reported as a fungal like pathogen Pythium spp. This study reviews the recommendations to treat patch canker disease in rubber plantations. The effects of the fungicides namely mancozeb 80%, mancozeb 64%+metalaxil-MZ72, carbendazim 50% ai, hexaconazole 50 ai, captan 50% WP, thiram 80% WP and copper oxychloride 50% WP were evaluated on the mycelial growth of the Pythium spp. using the poisoned food technique (PFT) in vitro. Hundred parts per million (100 ppm), 200 ppm, 600 ppm and 1,000 ppm active ingredient of each chemicals were subjected to testing. The field trials were carried out at Pussella Estate, Kuruwita Estate and Woodend Estate which were identified as the affected fields with Pythium spp. One hundred and twenty five moderately affected, ten years old rubber trees were selected out of five hundred trees of one hectare for the field tests of the chemical treatments at each estate. Four fungicides namely mancozeb 80%, carbendazim 50% ai, thiram 80% WP and thiophanate methyl 70% WP were tested in vivo, based on their behavior in vitro also to represent different chemical mode of action. In the PFT, the most suppression of mycelial growth in plates containing was from mancozeb at a concentration of 200 ppm. Carbendazim and mancozeb+metalaxil were both inhibitory to Pythium spp. in culture at concentrations ranging 400- 600 ppm. Fungicides thiram, copper oxychloride, hexaconazole and captan were not inhibitory to Pythium spp. at 600 ppm. According the field test fungicides mancozeb and carbendazim showed the highest average disease recovery index while the low average disease recovery index were recorded for fungicides thiram and thiophanate methyl. Based on in vitro and in vivo investigation the fungicides mancozeb and carbendazim were extremely effective in controlling the pathogen Pythium spp. No further cankers developed from the bark surface after the applications of mancozeb and carbendazim treatments. Treating affected trees with mancozeb or carbendazim will reduce the severity of patch canker caused by the Pythium spp.
 Keywords: Natural rubber, Patch Canker disease, Chemical controlling

Trichoderma atroviride LZ42 releases volatile organic compounds promoting plant growth and suppressing Fusarium wilt disease in tomato seedlings

BackgroundThe promotion of plant growth and suppression of plant disease using beneficial microorganisms is considered an alternative to the application of chemical fertilizers or pesticides in the field.ResultsA coconut-scented antagonistic Trichoderma strain LZ42, previously isolated from Ganoderma lucidum-cultivated soil, was investigated for biostimulatory and biocontrol functions in tomato seedlings. Morphological and phylogenetic analyses suggested that strain LZ42 is closely related to T. atroviride. Tomato seedlings showed increased aerial and root dry weights in greenhouse trials after treatment with T. atroviride LZ42 formulated in talc, indicating the biostimulatory function of this fungus. T. atroviride LZ42 effectively suppressed Fusarium wilt disease in tomato seedlings, with an 82.69% control efficiency, which is similar to that of the carbendazim treatment. The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by T. atroviride LZ42 were found to affect the primary root growth direction and promote the root growth of tomato seedlings in root Y-tube olfactometer assays. The fungal VOCs from T. atroviride LZ42 were observed to significantly inhibit F. oxysporum in a sandwiched Petri dish assay. SPME–GC–MS analysis revealed several VOCs emitted by T. atroviride LZ42; the dominant compound was tentatively identified as 6-pentyl-2H-pyran-2-one (6-PP). The VOC 6-PP exhibited a stronger ability to influence the direction of the primary roots of tomato seedlings but not the length of the primary roots. The inhibitory effect of 6-PP on F. oxysporum was the highest among the tested pure VOCs, showing a 50% effective concentration (EC50) of 5.76 μL mL−1 headspace.ConclusionsTrichoderma atroviride LZ42, which emits VOCs with multiple functions, is a promising agent for the biostimulation of vegetable plants and integrated management of Fusarium wilt disease.

Appraise a seed Treatment of Carbendazim 50% WPagainst Sheath Blight Disease of Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

An investigation was carried out to evaluate the efficacy of different dose of Carbendazim 50 % WP as seed treatment on the severity of sheath blight disease and yield contributing characters of rice in the Department of Plant Pathology and the field of University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences farm, Shivamogga, Karnataka during the period of 2017 to 2018. Four doses of Carbendazim 50 % WP were evaluated against sheath blight disease at three growth stages (flowering, milking and maturity) and yield attributing features. It was observed that disease severity was gradually increased from flowering stage to maturity stage with the age of the plant and minimum severity gave the maximum yield. Seed treatment of Carbendazim 50% WP @ 4g / kg of seeds or Carbendazim 50% WP @ 3 g/kg of seeds was found to be highly effective in managing sheath blight disease at early stage of crop growth and significantly reduces further spread under field condition by mitigating inoculum at seedling stage which in turn provided higher grain yield and other yield attributing characters. Present study clearly indicated that, Carbendazim 50 % WP was best chemical to control sheath blight disease as seed treatment.

Appraise a seed Treatment of Carbendazim 50% WP against Sheath Blight Disease of Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Appraise a seed Treatment of Carbendazim 50% WP against Sheath Blight Disease of Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Root Rot Disease Incited by Macrophomina phaseolina in Arid Legumes and their Management: A Review

Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid. is a soil- and seed-borne pathogen that causes charcoal rot and various rots and blights of more than 500 crop species. Dry root rot (DRR) also called as charcoal rot which causes yield loss ranged from 25-48 per cent. The pathogen is necrotroph and infects a wide range of crops. It is observed that mycelium of M. phaseolina in cotyledons, plumule and radicle, in the naturally infected seeds of mungbean and cowpea. The disease symptoms are clearly visible from the time of emergence and can be evaluated at various stages of development of the plant. The mechanical plugging of the xylem vessels by microsclerotia, toxin production, enzymatic action and mechanical pressure during penetration lead to disease development. Management of M. phaseolina aim to reduce the number of sclerotia in soil or to minimize the contact of the inoculum and the host. Soil solarization can be a cost-effective method for management of soil borne diseases. Disease suppression by biocontrol agents such as Trichoderma harzianum, T. viride and Bacillus subtilis are the sustained manifestation of interactions among the plant, the pathogen, the biocontrol agent, the microbial community on and around the plant and the physical environment and considerably inhibited growth of M. phaseolina. Essential oils and plant extracts contain a multitude of bioactive substances against fungi, bacteria and nematodes. It has been reported that neem oil, turmeric and garlic was effective against M. phaseolina in in vitro condition. Chemical control is an effective method when seed treatment and foliar spray of carbendazim, topsin M-70, captan, thiram, mancozeb, copper oxychloride against root rot and leaf blight (Macrophomina phaseolina) topsin M-70, captan, thiram, mancozeb, copper oxychloride against root rot (Macrophomina phaseolina). As non-chemical alternative methods can be time-consuming and less effective against soilborne plant pathogens. Chemical control is an effective method of controlling some soilborne diseases in agricultural crops. Varoius workers are reported compatibility of biocontrol agents with fungicides and found that Carbendazim and biocontrol agents Trichoderma viride, T. harizianum were found effective under in vitro and pot condition.

Comparison of the effects of three fungicides on clubroot disease of tumorous stem mustard and soil bacterial community

PurposeThe application of fungicides is one of the main strategies to prevent clubroot disease. Currently, numerous studies focus on changes in the soil microbial community at different levels of clubroot disease severity. However, the effects of fungicides on the soil microbial community and causative pathogen, Plasmodiophora brassicae, while preventing clubroot disease remain unclear.MethodsIn this study, we evaluated the control efficacy of three fungicides (fluazinam, metalaxyl-mancozeb, and carbendazim) on clubroot disease of tumorous stem mustard in greenhouse experiment. Uninoculated and Water treatments after inoculation were performed as controls. At three (3 W) and six weeks (6 W) post-inoculation of P. brassicae, soil properties, bacterial composition (sequencing of 16S rRNA genes), and effector gene expression of the pathogen were analyzed. The correlation of these factors with disease index (DI) was explored.ResultsFluazinam was the most effective in controlling clubroot disease of tumorous stem mustard with a controlled efficacy of 59.81%, and the abundance of P. brassicae in the soil decreased 21.29% after 3 weeks of treatment. Compared with other treatments, twelve out of twenty effector genes showed higher expression in fluazinam 3 W samples. Different fungicides had different effects on soil properties. EC (electrical conductivity), the main factor that positively associated with DI, was significantly lower in fluazinam treatment than the other two fungicide treatments. The application of fungicides, especially carbendazim, significantly reduced bacterial α-diversity and the composition of soil bacteria. Pseudomonas, Microbacterium, and Sphingobacterium (positively correlated with DI) were enriched in Water, metalaxyl-mancozeb, and carbendazim treatments, but were less abundant in fluazinam treatment. Among the three fungicide treatments, DI was significantly negatively correlated with Shannon and Chao 1 indices. Soil properties and the top bacterial genera that positively correlated with DI were influenced to a lesser degree in the fluazinam treatment.ConclusionAmong three fungicides, fluazinam was the most effective agent with the highest control effects against clubroot disease. The strong virulence of fluazinam against P. brassicae was one of the main reasons for the prevention of clubroot disease, and in addition the alteration of rhizosphere bacterial community by fluazinam to the detriment of P. brassicae infection. Based on our results, EC could be an indicator of the severity of clubroot disease.

Bacillus subtilis strain BS06 protects soybean roots from Fusarium oxysporum infection.

Soybean, as a major oil crop, is one of the most widely planted crops in the world. Fusarium oxysporum causes soybean root rot, leading to great economic losses to soybean planting every year globally. Chemical fungicide for controlling soybean F. oxysporum diseases may cause environmental problems and has human health risks. Biological control methods avoid these shortcomings; however, few studies have focused on biocontrol of soybean diseases caused by F. oxysporum. Aiming at this problem, we obtained biocontrol bacteria against soybean F. oxysporum by plate confrontation method. The type of the strain with the highest biocontrol activity was identified by molecular biological methods, and then its biocontrol effects were verified through greenhouse experiments. One of our isolated strain named BS06 strain had the highest activity, which was identified as Bacillus subtilis. Our study showed that BS06 strain could effectively control soybean F. oxysporum disease and significantly reduce F. oxysporum to infect soybean roots. Compared with control and carbendazim treatments, BS06 treatment had higher root biomass, plant height, leaf chlorophyll content, stem base diameter and control efficiency. Our results indicated that BS06 could effectively protect soybean root (BS06 strain might produce substances to inhibitF. oxysporum), which was potentially useful for soybean planting.

Plant growth-promoting ability and control efficacy of Penicillium aurantiogriseum 44M-3 against sesame Fusarium wilt disease

ABSTRACT Penicillium sp. 44M-3, previously isolated from soil samples in Sanmenxia City (Henan Province, China), was identified as Penicillium aurantiogriseum Dierckx based on sequence analysis of ITS-rDNA, β-tubulin, and calmodulin. In co-culture assays against 14 pathogenic fungi, the inhibition ratios achieved by isolate 44M-3 ranged from 42.90% to 66.0%. Optimising the culture medium conditions to maximise the production of inhibitory substances increased the average inhibitory activity of the filtrate by 44.25% compared to that of the original culture filtrate. Isolate 44M-3 secreted extracellular enzymes such as protease, cellulase, and β-1,3-glucanase on agar plates. Treatment with a spore suspension of isolate 44M-3 significantly reduced the incidence of Sesame Fusarium wilt (P = 0.036) in pot experiments, achieving a maximum control efficacy of 75.88%, which did not differ significantly from carbendazim treatment (P = 0.292). Treatment with isolate 44M-3 spore suspension increased the root length of wheat and dry weight of whole sesame, maize, and tobacco plants, likely due to the isolate’s ability to dissolve insoluble inorganic phosphorus and secrete siderophores and indole acetic acid. Consequently, isolate 44M-3 provides a promising candidate for plant growth promotion and prevention of sesame Fusarium wilt disease.

Carbendazim exposure during the larval stage suppresses major royal jelly protein expression in nurse bees (Apis mellifera)

Studying the sublethal effects of agrochemical pesticides on nontarget honeybees (Apis mellifera) is important for agricultural development. Carbendazim is a widely used broad-spectrum fungicide that inhibits mitotic microtubule formation and cell division. However, the impact of carbendazim on bee health and development has not been fully elucidated. Here, using proteomics approaches, we assessed in vitro the changes in the expression of functional proteins in the head of newly emerged adults following treatment with field concentration of carbendazim during the larval stage. Treatment with carbendazim severely altered 266 protein expression patterns in the heads of adults and 218 of them showed downregulation after carbendazim exposure. Notably, major royal jelly proteins, a crucial multifunctional protein family with irreplaceable function in sustaining the development of colonies, were significantly suppressed in carbendazim-treated bees. This result was verified in both head and hypopharyngeal gland of nurse bees. Moreover, visual and olfactory loss, immune functions, muscular activity, social behavior, neural and brain development, protein synthesis and modification, and metabolism-related proteins were likely inhibited by carbendazim treatment. Together, these results suggest that carbendazim is an environmental risk factor that likely weakens bee colonies, partially due to reduced expression of major royal jelly proteins, which may be potential causes of colony collapse disorder.

Carbendazim-induced androgen receptor expression antagonized by flutamide in male rats

Carbendazim, a widely used fungicide, exhibits reproductive and developmental toxicity. The objective of this study was to investigate the expression of androgen receptor induced by carbendazim and the antagonistic effect of flutamide. Rats were treated with carbendazim, flutamide or a combination of both to measure androgen receptor mRNA, immune activity and protein expression. Carbendazim treatment increased androgen receptor mRNA in a dose-dependent manner, while flutamide, an androgen receptor antagonist, blocked the androgen receptor mRNA. Co-treatment with carbendazim and various flutamide doses decreased the androgen receptor mRNA in a dose-dependent manner. Conversely, co-treatment with flutamide and various carbendazim doses increased the androgen receptor mRNA in a dose-dependent manner. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot analyses showed that carbendazim increased androgen receptor activity (especially in rat testes) in a dose-dependent manner, while flutamide decreased it. Furthermore, carbendazim or flutamide treatment for 7 days increased testosterone and follicular stimulating hormone concentrations in the serum of male rats in a dose-dependent manner, which might involve the disruption of the androgen receptor. Although we need to examine the exact mechanism of androgen receptor involved in the reproductive toxicity and endocrine-disrupting activity induced by carbendazim and its parent, benomyl, we should first discuss how to take advantage of flutamide antagonism on carbendazim-induced reproductive and endocrine-disrupting activity possibly in human. In summary, carbendazim induced androgen receptor expression in mRNA and protein levels, while flutamide antagonized this effect. This is the first report on the antagonistic effect of flutamide on the carbendazim-androgenic effect on mRNA and protein levels. The results would help to clarify the mechanism of carbendazim- and chemical-induced developmental toxicity and endocrine-disrupting activity.

In-vitro efficacy of fungicides against Phomopsis vexans caused Phomopsis blight in Brinjal

Phomopsis blight caused by Phomopsis vexans is one of the major constraints in the production of brinjal. In order to find out the effective fungicides against Phomopsis vexans experiment was carried out in-vitro evaluation of fungicides. The results of present investigation revealed that the maximum growth inhibition after seven days against Phomopsis vexans in-vitro condition was recorded in the treatment of carbendazim 87.46 per cent followed by propiconazole 86.29 per cent. Other fungicide treatments growth inhibition recorded hexaconazole and tebuconazole whereas 72.18 per cent and 64.83 per cent respectively. Copper oxychloride showed growth inhibition 54.20 per cent and minimum growth inhibition was noticed in copper hydroxide 47.40 per cent and this treatment.

Effective scheduling of fungicide and insecticide combination for the management of Rice Sheath rot caused by Sarocladium oryzae (Sawada) W. Gams & D. Hawksw

Sheath rot caused by Sarocladium oryzae was recorded in more than 65% locations surveyed in the North coastal zone of Andhra Pradesh. A field trail was conducted at Agricultural Research Station, Ragolu during 2010-13 to study efficacy of fungicide (carbendazim and propiconazole) and insecticide (Profenofos, Cartap hydrochloride) combinations for the management of sheath rot and stem borer in paddy. Scheduled prophylactic spray with propiconazole @ 1 ml/l + cartap hydrochloride (2 g/l) for two times i.e., first spray at 50% of panicle initiation and II spray at 50% flowering resulted in significant reduction of sheath rot (10.6% incidence) in comparison to 29.7% disease recorded in untreated control. Profenofos + propiconazole/ carbendazim treatment combinations were also found effective, but keeping in view the environmental risks posed by Profenofos, scheduled prophylactic foliar spray with propiconazole + cartap hydrochloride could be an effective means in managing stem borer and sheath rot in paddy.