Glasshouse Conditions Research Articles

Serological Detection of Cucumber Mosaic Virus and Capsicum Chlorosis Virus in Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) Germplasm

A survey was conducted on the basis of symptomatology for the screening of germplasm under insect proof glasshouse conditions in the Department of Vegetable Science, Dr. YSPUHF, Nauni, Solan to identify the sources of resistance in pepper crop. The most prominent symptoms were mosaic, mottling, leaf narrowing, stunted growth, mosaic with chlorotic lesions, formation of rings with necrotic lesions and mosaic with mottling. Forty-eight varieties or breeding lines were screened for the presence or absence of virus through DAS-ELISA. The study revealed that nineteen varieties or breeding lines tested positive and twenty-nine tested negative for virus infection. Sweet Banana variety recorded the least O.D. value followed by SB and UHF-Cap-30 whereas, UHF-Cap-22 was most susceptible variety with maximum O.D. value. Mixed infection of CMV and capsicum chlorosis orthotospovirus (CaCV) was recorded with six varieties or breeding lines during germplasm screening. This study signifies the presence of mixed infection with chlorotic lesions like symptoms and importance of DAS-ELISA in screening of pepper germplasm against CMV and CaCV.

Exploring the bio-efficacy of biocontrol agents in mitigating <i>Meloidogyne incognita</i> menace in carrot cultivation

The nematicidal efficacy of liquid formulation of Pochonia chlamydosporia, Bacillus subtilis, Purpureocillium lilacinum, Trichoderma viride and vermiculite formulation of Rhizophagus intraradices were challenged against Meloidogyne incognita under glasshouse conditions. The in vivo experiment were piloted to test the potential of these biological agents by soil drenching of liquid formulation @ 1 ml/ pot or soil application of vermiculite formulation @ 1g/pot/dose. Their effect was compared with the granular application of Carbofuran @ 1g/pot/dose. All the liquid bioformulations investigated were capable of enhancing plant growth and lowering the pathogenicity and parasitic success of M. incognita in carrots. The soil drenching of P. chlamydosporia caused a significant reduction of galls in the root (51%), nematode population in the root (43.6%), egg mass in the root (65.3%) and infective juvenile population in soil (51.8%) over other treatments and Carbofuran.

Biological Suppression of Sclerotium rolfsii in Groundnut Cultivation: A Path Towards Sustainable Disease Management

Stem rot of groundnut caused by Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc, is a major soil borne disease which impact on groundnut cultivation both in India and globally. The primary objective of this study was to assess the antagonistic potential of biocontrol agents against the pathogen, both individually and in combination, under In vitro and glasshouse conditions. The results of the present investigation indicated that the application of microbial consortia was more effective against Sclerotium rolfsii than individual bioagents. Specifically, seed treatment with microbial consortia MC1, MC2, MC3, and MC4 resulted in lower disease incidence with 13.80%, 16.01%, 20.0%, and 22.60% respectively, compared to the pathogen check, which had a 74.12% PDI. Additionally, these treatments also enhanced plant growth through improved plant growth-promoting traits under glasshouse conditions.

Evaluation blackgram and greengram germplasm for resistance against tobacco streak virus (TSV) and peanut bud necrosis virus (PBNV) isolates of blackgram and greengram of Andhra Pradesh under glasshouse conditions

Evaluation blackgram and greengram germplasm for resistance against tobacco streak virus (TSV) and peanut bud necrosis virus (PBNV) isolates of blackgram and greengram of Andhra Pradesh under glasshouse conditions

Evaluating waterlogging stress response and recovery in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.): an image-based phenotyping approach

Waterlogging is expected to become a more prominent yield restricting stress for barley as rainfall frequency is increasing in many regions due to climate change. The duration of waterlogging events in the field is highly variable throughout the season, and this variation is also observed in experimental waterlogging studies. Such variety of protocols make intricate physiological responses challenging to assess and quantify. To assess barley waterlogging tolerance in controlled conditions, we present an optimal duration and setup of simulated waterlogging stress using image-based phenotyping. Six protocols durations, 5, 10, and 14 days of stress with and without seven days of recovery, were tested. To quantify the physiological effects of waterlogging on growth and greenness, we used top down and side view RGB (Red-Green-Blue) images. These images were taken daily throughout each of the protocols using the PSI PlantScreen™ imaging platform. Two genotypes of two-row spring barley, grown in glasshouse conditions, were subjected to each of the six protocols, with stress being imposed at the three-leaf stage. Shoot biomass and root imaging data were analysed to determine the optimal stress protocol duration, as well as to quantify the growth and morphometric changes of barley in response to waterlogging stress. Our time-series results show a significant growth reduction and alteration of greenness, allowing us to determine an optimal protocol duration of 14 days of stress and seven days of recovery for controlled conditions. Moreover, to confirm the reproducibility of this protocol, we conducted the same experiment in a different facility equipped with RGB and chlorophyll fluorescence imaging sensors. Our results demonstrate that the selected protocol enables the assessment of genotypic differences, which allow us to further determine tolerance responses in a glasshouse environment. Altogether, this work presents a new and reproducible image-based protocol to assess early stage waterlogging tolerance, empowering a precise quantification of waterlogging stress relevant markers such as greenness, Fv/Fm and growth rates.

Metproxybicyclone, a Novel Carbocyclic Aryl-dione Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase-Inhibiting Herbicide for the Management of Sensitive and Resistant Grass Weeds.

Postemergence control of grass weeds has become problematic due to the evolution of resistance to 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase), and acetolactate synthase-inhibiting herbicides. Herein we describe the invention and synthesis journey toward metproxybicyclone, the first commercial carbocyclic aryl-dione ACCase-inhibiting herbicide for the cost-effective management of grass weeds in dicotyledonous crops and in preplant burndown applications. Glasshouse and field experiments have shown that metproxybicyclone is safe for use on soybean, cotton, and sugar beet, among other crops. It is effective on a variety of key grass weeds including Eleusine indica, Digitaria insularis, Sorghum halepense, and Echinochloa crus-galli. Importantly, metproxybicyclone was more efficacious at killing resistant grass weed populations than current ACCase herbicides. Metproxybicyclone controlled the main ACCase target-site and nontarget site resistant mechanisms in characterized Lolium multiflorum and E. indica populations under glasshouse conditions. Excellent control of a broad resistance-causing D2078G target-site mutant E. indica population was also observed under field conditions.

First report of Rhizoctonia blight caused by Rhizoctonia solani on Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis) in India.

During January and February 2021, foliar blight symptoms were observed on the leaves of Chinese cabbage (Pak choi) at Lembucherra research farm, College of Agriculture, Tripura, India. The incidence of disease symptoms ranged from 5 to 10% of the plants observed in the field. The symptomatic leaves showed grayish colored water-soaked lesions with an irreguar shape and size. A total of 10 symptomatic leaves (1 leaf per plant) from Chinese cabbage infected plant were sampled, surface decontaminated with 1% NaOCl, washed twice in sterile water, plated on 2% water agar, and incubated at 25 ± 2°C. Hyphal tips from mycelium of 7-day old culture (2 isolates from two different plants) with right-angled branching were transferred to potato dextrose agar (PDA) media (SRL, India). Cream or light brown hyphae that branched at right angles, with septa near the point of the origin of hyphae, and a slight constriction at the base of the branch) were visible under a microscope. Olive-brown sclerotia were observed after 5 days of incubation. Multiple nuclei per cell were visible after staining with 4', 6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (Estandarte et al. 2016). Based on morphological characteristics (Parmeter et al. 1970) the isolates TP36 and TP37 were identified as Rhizoctonia solani. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene (GAPDH) were amplified with ITS1& ITS4 (White et al. 1990) and (GAPDH F-5'- CAAGGAGAACCCAGGTGTTAAG-3' and GAPDH R- 5'-GGCGTCGAAGATAGAAGAGTGT-3') respectively for both isolates and sequenced (accession #. PP458158, PP458159, PP425343, PP425344). BLASTn analysis showed 99.26%( 668/673 nt) to 99.46% (659/664 nt) identity with R. solani sequences (GenBank MG397062.1 and KX674524.1) for ITS and 98.42% (552/562 nt) to 100% 540/540 nt)identity with R. solani sequences (GenBank HQ425709.1 and CP102644.1) for GAPDH. Isolates TP36 and TP37 were deposited in the Indian Type Culture Collection (ITCC), New Delhi as R. solani (nos. 9154 and 9319, respectively). Both isolates were amplified using (anastomosis group) AG1 subgroup specific primers (Matsumoto 2002; Prashantha et al. 2021) to identify their AG. The presence of a 265 bp amplicon for both isolates suggested that they belong to AG1-IA. A multilocus analysis of R. solani isolates from different host plants with concatenated sequences ITS and GAPH showed that TP36 and TP37 are closely related to rice isolate RS107. A pathogenicity test on five plants per treatment was conducted and repeated twice on one month old Chinese cabbage plants (hybrid, TOKITA, India) grown under glasshouse conditions in a sterilized mixture of soil and sand (3:1) at 27-28oC during January 2024 at ICAR-IARI, New Delhi. R. solani isolates TP36 and TP37 were grown on PDA and plants were inoculated by placing single sclerotia of 10-day old colony on different plant parts and covering it with moist cotton. After 7 day, typical lesions of R. solani infection were visible. No symptoms were observed on the control plants. The fungus was reisolated from the inoculated plants and identified as R. solani based on morphology. R. solani has previously been reported to cause disease on some members of Brassicaceae in different countries (Budge et al. 2009; Hua et al. 2014). Based on literature available this is the first report of R. solani infecting Chinese cabbage in India.

Manure-derived black soldier fly frass enhanced the growth of chilli plants (Capsicum annuum L.) and altered rhizosphere bacterial community

Sustainable manure management is crucial for minimising environmental impacts as the livestock industry expands to meet the increasing demand for protein. Black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens L.) larvae (BSFL) farming is an emerging waste management method that efficiently processes large volumes of organic waste, including manure, to produce valuable protein, oil and chitin products. Frass, a nutrient-rich by-product of black soldier fly farming, has potential as an organic fertiliser. However, research has primarily focused on frass derived from food waste, with little exploration of manure-derived BSFL frass. This study aimed to determine whether frass derived from manure could enhance the growth of chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) over 14 weeks under controlled glasshouse conditions. The impacts of manure-derived BSFL frass on soil properties and soil bacterial communities were characterised. The results indicated that a 0.6 % w/w application rate yielded the highest chilli plant biomass, with reduced growth observed at higher rates. The enhanced growth at optimal manure-derived BSFL frass application rates was due to increased nitrogen content, whereas reduced growth at higher rates was likely caused by phytotoxicity from not completely decomposed frass. Soil microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen also increased with manure-derived BSFL frass, implying microbial carbon and nitrogen immobilisation. Additionally, the changes in pH and nutrients due to manure-derived BSFL frass caused shifts in the bacterial community in the chilli plant rhizosphere, enriching the relative abundance of bacteria with potential growth-promoting properties. This study highlights the potential of integrating manure into black soldier fly waste management processes, demonstrating that manure-derived BSFL frass can be used as an organic fertiliser with circular economy benefits.

Optimizing Corn Tar Spot Measurement: A Deep Learning Approach Using Red-Green-Blue Imaging and Stromata Contour Detection Algorithm for Leaf-Level Disease Severity Analysis.

Visual detection of stromata (brown-black, elevated fungal fruiting bodies) is a primary method for quantifying tar spot early in the season, as these structures are definitive signs of the disease and essential for effective disease monitoring and management. Here, we present Stromata Contour Detection Algorithm version 2 (SCDA v2), which addresses the limitations of the previously developed SCDA version 1 (SCDA v1) without the need for empirical search of the optimal Decision Making Input Parameters (DMIPs), while achieving higher and consistent accuracy in tar spot stromata detection. SCDA v2 operates in two components: (i) SCDA v1 producing tar-spot-like region proposals for a given input corn leaf Red-Green-Blue (RGB) image, and (ii) a pre-trained Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) classifier identifying true tar spot stromata from the region proposals. To demonstrate the enhanced performance of the SCDA v2, we utilized datasets of RGB images of corn leaves from field (low, middle, and upper canopies) and glasshouse conditions under variable environments, exhibiting different tar spot severities at various corn developmental stages. Various accuracy analyses (F1-score, linear regression, and Lin's concordance correlation), showed that SCDA v2 had a greater agreement with the reference data (human visual annotation) than SCDA v1. SCDA v2 achievd 73.7% mean Dice values (overall accuracy), compared to 30.8% for SCDA v1. The enhanced F1-score primarily resulted from eliminating overestimation cases using the CNN classifier. Our findings indicate the promising potential of SCDA v2 for glasshouse and field-scale applications, including tar spot phenotyping and surveillance projects.

Revealing the Complex Interplay of Biostimulant Applications.

Some biostimulant products provide proven benefits to plant production, potentially offering more environmentally friendly, sustainable, and natural inputs into production systems. However, the transference and predictability of known benefits between different growth environments, application protocols, and management systems are fraught with difficulty. In this study, we carried out carefully controlled glasshouse and in vitro assays with applications of humic acids, protein hydrolysates, and seaweed extract to compare the variability of biostimulant effects and dosage-dependent variations across diverse conditions, encompassing a sufficient range to comprehensively assess their full spectrum of impacts. The results demonstrated a clear trend of dosage-dependent effects with each biostimulant exhibiting a significant growth-promoting effect within a critical concentration range, but detrimental effects when the concentration fell outside this range. While substantial growth-promoting effects were observed under glasshouse conditions, biostimulant applications tended to be more sensitive and generally led to negative impacts in sterilised conditions. The combined use of biostimulants mostly resulted in detrimental and toxicological responses with only two combined treatments showing marginal synergistic effects. The findings demonstrated a complex interplay between biostimulants and the growth conditions of plants. Lack of knowledge of the indirect effects of different growth media may result in negative impacts of biostimulant applications and combinations of products outside narrow critical concentration ranges.

Anthroponics: Application and effects on growth of parsley, rhipsalis, coriander, and basil fed with urine fertiliser

Urine has emerged as a promising nutrient-rich waste stream suitable for plant fertigation. Biological nitrification in a membrane bioreactor offers an effective method for producing liquid fertiliser from urine, extracting essential nutrients into a final product. Despite the increasing interest in hydroponics and urban horticulture, research exploring the efficacy of urine-derived fertilisers remains scarce. This study employed three growing systems, including nutrient film technique open channels in outdoor setup, pot-drench under glasshouse conditions, and deep-water culture (DWC) under laboratory conditions to investigate the efficiency of urine-derived fertiliser compared to commercial fertilisers. The results demonstrated comparable growth responses in parsley, rhipsalis, coriander, and basil, as demonstrated by the analysis of several parameters including biomass, stem numbers and length, and nutritional composition in shoots and roots. In conclusion, urine-derived fertilisers showed promising potential as a sustainable alternative to synthetic fertilisers, laying the foundation for the development of a circular economy of nutrients in agriculture.

Evaluation of Iranian Dragon’s Head landraces for resistance to prevalent diseases in the field and glasshouse conditions

Evaluation of Iranian Dragon’s Head landraces for resistance to prevalent diseases in the field and glasshouse conditions

Inhibition of Pre-Emergent Herbicide on Weedy Rice under Flooded and Saturated Soil Conditions in Rice

Weedy rice poses a formidable challenge in rice cultivation due to its genetic similarity to cultivated rice, making selective herbicides less effective in controlling it without causing harm to the cultivated rice. The potential use of pre-emergent herbicides before rice sowing to inhibit emergence and growth of weedy rice seedlings in the soil remain unknown. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the responses of weedy rice towards selected pre-emergent herbicides under different soil water conditions and to identify the optimal timing for rice seed sowing following the application of pre-emergent herbicide to the soil under glasshouse conditions. The results showed that oxadiazon and pretilachlor at 500 g ai ha-1 exhibited higher reductions in weedy rice density and dry weight compared to those given by pendimethalin. Under saturated soil conditions, oxadiazon demonstrated 79 and 80% reductions whereas pretilachlor gave 50 and 59% reductions in weedy rice density and dry weight, respectively. By contrast, under flooded soil conditions both oxadiazon and pretilachlor resulted in complete inhibition of weedy rice. The study showed that delaying rice seed sowing for at least six days after application of pretilachlor or oxadiazon effectively minimized phytotoxic effects on rice. These findings provide valuable insights on the impact of soil water conditions when applying pretilachlor and oxadiazon for effective weedy rice control in direct-seeded rice systems.

Isolation and Characterization of a (Surfactin-Like Molecule) Produced by Bacillus subtilis: Antagonistic Impact on Root-Knot Nematodes

Plant-parasitic nematodes are severe soil-borne pathogens that cause significant damage to agricultural products each year, resulting in substantial financial losses globally. Thus, there is an urgent need to identify novel biological control agents or nematicides. The nematicidal potential of Bacillus subtilis-derived lipopeptides against Meloidogyne incognita was investigated at various concentrations (35 ppm, 25 ppm, 15 ppm, 5 ppm) under in vitro conditions. Egg hatching inhibition and mortality of second-stage juveniles (J2s) of M. incognita were analyzed after exposure for 6, 12, 24, 48, and 96 hours. Data showed that with the increase in concentration and exposure period, egg hatching inhibition and percent mortality increases. Maximum percent mortality of J2s was reported at 35ppm i.e., 45%, 55%, 67.75%, 77% and 85% at 6, 12, 24, 48 and 96 hrs, respectively. The maximum ovicidal activity was reported at 35ppm concentration, with 84.61% of eggs hatching inhibition on 96 hrs of the exposure period. The bacterial culture suspension of Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas putida at1.2x108cfu/ml, and the crude lipopeptide (35ppm) was also investigated as a biological control agent against M. incognita on tomato in a pot experiment under glasshouse condition. Combinational treatment of P. putida and B. subtilis culture, prior to inoculation of M. incognita on tomato plant caused a significant increase in plant growth attributes and in biochemical parameters over the inoculated control. In the same treatment, the maximum reduction in nematode population and root galling was recorded. However, in the crude lipopeptide experiment study, root dip and inoculation of crude lipopeptide in tomato after the introduction of M. incognita caused a major augment in all the parameters over the inoculated control. MALDI-TOF MS analysis of crude lipopeptide shows surfactin like molecules at m/z 1058 [M+Na]+. It is concluded that crude lipopeptide or combinational treatment of B. subtilis and P. putida culture suspension can be employed as a biocontrol agent against M. incognita and may act as a source of a novel nematicidal agent of bacterial origin.

Inhibition of Botrytis cinerea and Escherichia coli by Lactic Acid Bacteria on Leafy Vegetables

The evaluation of the potentiality of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains isolated from fermented products to inhibit Botrytis cinerea and Escherichia coli O157:H7 growth on spinach and lettuce was conducted. From a total of forty LAB strains tested, three were selected due to their high inhibitory effect on plant pathogenic fungi. The identification of these isolates based on a 16S rRNA gene fragment sequence analysis confirmed the genus of Levilactobacillus sp. and Lactiplantibacillus sp. An effective method of coating LAB isolates on the lettuce and spinach surface was developed. The leaves were immersed in bacterial suspension (5.0 × 106 cfu mL−1) for 4 s and drained on tissue paper. LAB survived on lettuce and spinach leaves for 8 days at 6 log10 cfu g−1. Additionally, these bacteria decreased the number of filamentous fungi on the leaves. These isolates were found to inhibit the growth of B. cinerea and E. coli O157:H7 in vitro conditions in growing microbiological media. Their efficacy was confirmed in vivo conditions. These isolates inhibited the development of grey mould caused by B. cinerea on lettuce leaves. Two LAB isolates reduced the abundance of the pathogenic bacterium E. coli on spinach leaves by about 0.7 log10 cfu g−1. In glasshouse conditions, LAB stimulated the growth of examined plants. The lactic acid bacteria used in this study showed the capacity to be used as possible alternatives to chemical compounds in the protection of leafy vegetables against grey mould and for a decrease in E. coli O157:H7 contamination.

Amino acid‐based biostimulants and microbial biostimulants promote the growth, yield and resilience of strawberries in soilless glasshouse cultivation

AbstractIntroductionThe increasing demand for strawberries in the United Kingdom, valued for their flavour, nutrition and economic significance, presents challenges in maintaining consistent production, especially under various biotic and abiotic stress conditions. Traditional reliance on conventional agrochemicals to meet these demands is tempered by concerns about their health and environmental impacts, paving the way for eco‐friendly alternatives, such as biostimulants. However, their efficiency in commercial table‐top systems for June‐bearing and ever‐bearing strawberries under glasshouse conditions remains underexplored.Materials and methodsThis study investigated the efficiency of two commercial biostimulants in enhancing the growth, productivity and resilience of two strawberry varieties: ‘Malling Centenary’ (June‐bearer) and ‘Malling Ace’ (ever‐bearer) strawberry cultivars in a soilless hydroponic system within an unheated glasshouse. ‘Vitalnova Prime’ (VP), an amino acid and peptide‐based biostimulant derived from yeast, was applied every 2 weeks as a foliar spray (1 mL/L), whereas ‘Vitalnova Triboost’ (VT), a microbial inoculant with live cultures, was incorporated into the medium post‐transplanting (500 g/m3).ResultsVP significantly enhanced vegetative growth in both cultivars, resulting in substantial increases in number of leaves, crowns, crown diameter and shoot biomass accumulation compared to the control. VT also effectively improved multiple growth parameters compared to the control. Both biostimulants similarly improved crown formation and shoot dry weight in ‘Malling Centenary’. In terms of yield, both VP and VT increased yield in ‘Malling Ace’; notably, VP significantly enhanced the number of marketable fruits by 55% and average fruit weight by 56% compared to the control. Additionally, both biostimulants significantly reduced the occurrence of diseased fruits in both cultivars.ConclusionThis study demonstrates that biostimulants significantly enhance the growth, yield, and resilience of strawberries in soilless cultivation systems within unheated glasshouses. These findings suggest that biostimulants offer a sustainable and promising approach to addressing the increasing global demand for high‐quality strawberries.

Characterisation of ‘giant’ cysts of the potato cyst nematode, Globodera rostochiensis, present in potato fields in Kenya

Summary Potato production in East Africa is seriously impacted by the potato cyst nematode (PCN), Globodera rostochiensis, where it has been recorded in at least three countries. In Kenya, it is widespread in all major potato-growing regions, often at very high densities. Consecutive cropping of potato on the same land and a sub-tropical climate have influenced PCN biology. For example, unusually large cysts have been regularly recovered. We have analysed the biological properties of these ‘giant cysts’. The giant cysts contained more eggs than those recovered from UK fields. Egg size did not differ from UK populations and there was no difference in overall lipid content or lipid profile in J2 from giant cysts, compared to control samples. The nematodes in giant cysts were also genetically indistinguishable from any other G. rostochiensis sampled. When grown under UK glasshouse conditions, the offspring of nematodes from giant cysts were no different in size from those grown from control cysts, indicating that gigantism is not a heritable trait and may simply reflect favourable conditions for PCN under Kenyan farming systems. To date, all the PCN tested from Kenya, including those from giant cysts, are avirulent on potato cultivars containing the resistance gene.

A potent endophytic fungus Purpureocillium lilacinum YZ1 protects against Fusarium infection in field-grown wheat.

Fusarium diseases pose a severe global threat to major cereal crops, particularly wheat. Existing biocontrol strains against Fusarium diseases are believed to primarily rely on antagonistic mechanisms, but not widely used under field conditions. Here, we report an endophytic fungus, Purpureocillium lilacinum YZ1, that shows promise in combating wheat Fusarium diseases. Under glasshouse conditions, YZ1 inoculation increased the survival rate of Fusarium graminearum (Fg)-infected wheat seedlings from 0% to > 60% at the seedling stage, and reduced spikelet infections by 70.8% during anthesis. In field trials, the application of YZ1 resulted in an impressive 89.0% reduction in Fg-susceptible spikelets. While a slight antagonistic effect of YZ1 against Fg was observed on plates, the induction of wheat systemic resistance by YZ1, which is distantly effective, non-specific, and long-lasting, appeared to be a key contributor to YZ1's biocontrol capabilities. Utilizing three imaging methods, we confirmed YZ1 as a potent endophyte capable of rapid colonization of wheat roots, and systematically spreading to the stem and leaves. Integrating dual RNA-Seq, photosynthesis measurements and cell wall visualization supported the link between YZ1's growth-promoting abilities and the activation of wheat systemic resistance. In conclusion, endophytes such as YZ1, which exhibits non-antagonistic mechanisms, hold significant potential for industrial-scale biocontrol applications.

Application of silver nanoparticles synthesized from the calli of Centella asiatica for the management of Meloidogyne arenaria infection in cowpea plants

The green synthesis of AgNPs from the calli extract of Centella asiatica was confirmed by the detailed analysis of UV–Vis spectroscopy, Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) which revealed the size, shape, chemical composition and functional groups involved in the AgNPs formation.The in-vitro raised cowpea plants were given root dip treatment in Murashige and Skoog (MS) suspension medium supplemented with LC50- 75 mg/mL AgNPs followed by their transfer to glass house conditions for acclimatization. To evaluate the efficiency of root dip treatment, the acclimatized plants were inoculated with 2000 J2s of M. arenaria and the plants were observed on weekly basis. A differential growth response was observed from the cowpea plants under glass house conditions. A treatment plan designed showed that P4 plants showed a significant defense response against the biotic stress of M. arenaria as indicated by the percentage response of several growth parameters such as- plant height of 49.22 ± 0.89 %, plant fresh mass of 46.12 ± 0.83 %, plant dry mass of 9.3 ± 0.17 % and nodule number of 38 ± 0.68 % were reported in P4 plants after 6 weeks of J2s inoculation.Confocal microscopy of root sections of P3 cowpea plants revealed the presence of M. arenaria J2s in the cortical and provascular regions, however, in case of P4 plants an intact cellular structure was maintained. The application of AgNP didn't show any toxic effect on the growth of plant.

Unraveling the impact of water deficit stress on nutritional quality and defense response of tomato genotypes.

Water deficit stress triggers various physiological and biochemical changes in plants, substantially affecting both overall plant defense response and thus nutritional quality of tomatoes. The aim of this study was to assess the antioxidant defense response and nutritional quality of different tomato genotypes under water deficit stress. In this study, six tomato genotypes were used and subjected to water deficit stress by withholding water for eight days under glass house conditions. Various physiological parameters from leaves and biochemical parameters from tomato fruits were measured to check the effect of antioxidant defense response and nutritional value. Multi-trait genotype-ideotype distance index (MGIDI) was used for the selection of genotypes with improved defense response and nutritional value under water deficit stress condition. Results indicated that all physiological parameters declined under stress conditions compared to the control. Notably, NBH-362 demonstrated resilience to water deficit stress, improving both defense response and nutritional quality which is evident by an increase in proline (16.91%), reducing sugars (20.15%), total flavonoids (10.43%), superoxide dismutase (24.65%), peroxidase (14.7%), and total antioxidant capacity (29.9%), along with a decrease in total oxidant status (4.38%) under stress condition. Overall, the findings suggest that exposure to water deficit stress has the potential to enhance the nutritional quality of tomatoes. However, the degree of this enhancement is contingent upon the distinct genetic characteristics of various tomato genotypes. Furthermore, the promising genotype (NBH-362) identified in this study holds potential for future utilization in breeding programs.