Parts Of Tree Research Articles

Date Palm Industrial Benefits and Secondary Metabolites Production by Biotechnology Approach

Abstract. Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.), commonly grown in the hot arid zones predominantly in the Middle East and North Africa, became one of the highly important cultivated palms around the world, because of the multiple processing utilization of the edible fruit, and the various industry- uses of the whole tree parts. Moreover, there are intensive studies indicated the higher nutraceutical value of the essential biological compounds in the date palm tissues like (carotenoids, phenols, lignin, flavonoids, tannins and sterols) and their therapeutic aspects, such as antioxidants (lutein, β-carotene and vitamin A), antibacterial (syringic acid, vanillic acid and gallic acid), antifungal (tannic acid) and anti-cancer (quercetin) and anti-sterility (β-sitosterol and stigmasterol). Meanwhile, the biotechnology approach provides the production possibilities of the plants' secondary metabolites, using cell suspension cultures and the scale-up by bioreactors. Also, using the biotic and abiotic elicitors as important factors inducing bioactive compounds accumulation in plants tissue cultures. This review describes the progress in studying the in vitro production of some important secondary metabolites from the date palm tissues.

A comprehensive analysis of higher‐level phylogenetic relationships of Hemiptera based on transcriptome data

AbstractHemiptera is the largest order of non‐holometabolous insects. Recent phylogenetic studies have contributed greatly to our understanding of the phylogeny of the group. However, parts of the hemipteran tree remain unclear. In this study, we have sequenced transcriptomes from five sternorrhynchan species, four exemplars from Aphididae, and one from Monophlebidae. The addition of published transcriptome data produced alignments of >105 000 amino acids from 224 hemipteran taxa in 30 superfamilies covering all suborder and infraorder clades. The data confirmed the Sternorrhyncha superfamily relationship of Aleyrodoidea + (Psylloidea + [Coccoidea + Aphidoidea]). In addition, phylogenomic analyses supported a basal split of Sternorrhyncha and the remaining hemipteran lineages. The Fulgoromorpha formed a sister clade to Cicadomorpha, with strong support. Therefore, our results supported the monophyly of Auchenorrhyncha. The Coleorrhyncha was robustly resolved as a sister group of Auchenorrhyncha, contrary to the concept of the Heteropterodea. Within Heteroptera, the Enicocephalomorpha, Dipsocoromorpha, and Gerromorpha were resolved as the earliest branching groups, while the Nepomorpha, Leptopodomorpha, Cimicomorpha, and Pentatomomorpha were the successive sister groups to the remaining clades in the series. The Cimicomorpha and Pentatomomorpha were sister groups that occupied the most apical branches of the heteropteran tree. Although some phylogenetic estimates yielded conflicting hypotheses for superfamily relationships of Cicadomorpha, Four‐cluster Likelihood Mapping (FcLM) analyses revealed a greater phylogenetic signal for the relationship of Membracoidea + (Cicadoidea + Cercopoidea).

Banana Fiber: Environmental Friendly Fabric: A way to Health and Wealth

Abstract: Banana is one of the rhizomatous plants and currently growing 129 countries around the world. It is the fourth most important global food crop. Different parts of banana trees serve different needs, including fruits as food sources, leaves as food wrapping, and stems for fiber and paper pulp. Historically, banana stems had been used as a source of fiber with the earliest evidence around the 13thcentury. But its popularity was faded after other convenient fibers such as cotton and silk were made available. As fiber industry has been developing to increase production efficiency, new fibers were then developed to effectively respond the consumer’s need, including the production of man-made fibers using petroleum to optimize the fiber properties. The chemical use inevitably causes contamination in every environmental medias - water, soil and air, which directly affects human well-being and environment

Application of hybrid artificial neural network (ANN)–particle swarm optimization (PSO) for modelling and optimization of the adsorptive removal of cyanide and phenol from wastewater using agro-waste-derived adsorbent

In the present study, the waste part of the banana tree was used as a precursor, and copper chloride salt was used as an impregnating agent for the preparation of adsorbent to remove both cyanide and phenol from synthetic wastewater. Initially, thermogravimetric analysis was used to determine the rate of carbonization of the material with temperature, and thus, the optimum temperature (370 °C) and time of carbonization (35 min) were assessed. Different samples of adsorbents were prepared next by varying the weight ratio of pseudo-stem of waste banana tree to copper salt from 1:1 to 30:1. All the samples were then tested for removal of both the pollutants, and the ratio (20:1) corresponding to maximum removal of both the pollutants was considered as optimum. Therefore, further studies were conducted with the adsorbent prepared at optimum ratio, temperature and time and such adsorbent was termed as copper impregnated activated banana tree (CIABT). One variable at a time approach was followed to find out the most effective condition based on the maximum removal of pollutants. Maximum removal of 95.99 ± 1.03% and 97.33 ± 0.04% was achieved for cyanide (initial concentration: 100 ppm) and phenol (initial concentration: 450 ppm), respectively, at an optimum contact time of 150 min, the particle size of 90 μ, the adsorbent dosage of 10 g/L, pH 8.0 using CIABT at 25 °C. Hybrid artificial neural network–particle swarm optimization were employed for modelling-optimization of removal of both the pollutants while achieving 91.4–99.99% and 86.43–99.99% removal of cyanide and phenol, respectively, from simulated wastewater.

Patient-specific brain arteries molded as a flexible phantom model using 3D printed water-soluble resin

Visualizing medical images from patients as physical 3D models (phantom models) have many roles in the medical field, from education to preclinical preparation and clinical research. However, current phantom models are generally generic, expensive, and time-consuming to fabricate. Thus, there is a need for a cost- and time-efficient pipeline from medical imaging to patient-specific phantom models. In this work, we present a method for creating complex 3D sacrificial molds using an off-the-shelf water-soluble resin and a low-cost desktop 3D printer. This enables us to recreate parts of the cerebral arterial tree as a full-scale phantom model (10times 6times 4 cm) in transparent silicone rubber (polydimethylsiloxane, PDMS) from computed tomography angiography images (CTA). We analyzed the model with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and compared it with the patient data. The results show good agreement and smooth surfaces for the arteries. We also evaluate our method by looking at its capability to reproduce 1 mm channels and sharp corners. We found that round shapes are well reproduced, whereas sharp features show some divergence. Our method can fabricate a patient-specific phantom model with less than 2 h of total labor time and at a low fabrication cost.

Effect of Treated Wastewater Irrigation on the Accumulation and Transfer of Heavy Metals in Lemon Trees Cultivated in Arid Environment

The Middle East is considered as one of the driest regions of the world and the use of municipal-treated wastewater (TWW) for agricultural purposes is needed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of continuous irrigation of TWW in lemon orchards on the accumulation of heavy metals (HMs) in the soil, as well as their uptake and translocation to aerial parts of the trees. For this purpose, two lemon orchards were selected to be irrigated from two different water sources: TWW from a tertiary treatment plant and freshwater (SW) from Moses springs in Jordan. Continuous irrigation with TWW resulted in higher concentrations of nutrients and HM accumulation in the soil as compared to SW. However, HM accumulation in the soil was found to be within the acceptable range according to the standards of the WHO. On the contrary, the continuous irrigation with TWW resulted in the accumulation of HMs in plant parts when compared to SW irrigation; the fruits were clearly affected by the accumulation of high levels of Cd and Pb that exceed the maximum limits for the presence of HMs in plant tissues. The irrigation of lemon trees with TWW had a significant effect on the bioaccumulation factor and translocation factors (TF) of HMs into different lemon tree parts. Heavy metal accumulation coincided with high translocation rates to different tree parts, and this is considered to be a main challenge for long-term irrigation with TWW in arid environments.

Categorical edge-based analyses of phylogenomic data reveal conflicting signals for difficult relationships in the avian tree

Phylogenetic analyses fail to yield a satisfactory resolution of some relationships in the tree of life even with genome-scale datasets, so the failure is unlikely to reflect limitations in the amount of data. Gene tree conflicts are particularly notable in studies focused on these contentious nodes, and taxon sampling, different analytical methods, and/or data type effects can further confound analyses. Although many efforts have been made to incorporate biological conflicts, few studies have curated individual genes for their efficiency in phylogenomic studies. Here, we conduct an edge-based analysis of Neoavian evolution, examining the phylogenetic efficacy of two recent phylogenomic bird datasets and three datatypes (ultraconserved elements [UCEs], introns, and coding regions). We assess the potential causes for biases in signal-resolution for three difficult nodes: the earliest divergence of Neoaves, the position of the enigmatic Hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin), and the position of owls (Strigiformes). We observed extensive conflict among genes for all data types and datasets even after meticulous curation. Edge-based analyses (EBA) increased congruence and provided information about the impact of data type, GC content variation (GCCV), and outlier genes on each of nodes we examined. First, outlier gene signals appeared to drive different patterns of support for the relationships among the earliest diverging Neoaves. Second, the placement of Hoatzin was highly variable, although our EBA did reveal a previously unappreciated data type effect with an impact on its position. It also revealed that the resolution with the most support here was Hoatzin + shorebirds. Finally, GCCV, rather than data type (i.e., coding vs non-coding) per se, was correlated with a signal that supports monophyly of owls + Accipitriformes (hawks, eagles, and vultures). Eliminating high GCCV loci increased the signal for owls + mousebirds. Categorical EBA was able to reveal the nature of each edge and provide a way to highlight especially problematic branches that warrant a further examination. The current study increases our understanding about the contentious parts of the avian tree, which show even greater conflicts than appreciated previously.

Wave Attenuation Over Mangroves in the Nanliu Delta, China

Mangrove forests grow on tropical and subtropical coastlines and play a significant role in reducing hydrodynamic energy. However, little information is known about the mechanism of wave attenuation caused by mangroves of different ages, even though the effects of mangroves on wave damping have received widespread concern. Here, a series of systemic biohydrological data were collected along a cross-shore transect through mangroves with different ages of native Aegiceras corniculatum (AC) distribution in the Nanliu Delta of China and were analyzed to investigate wave attenuation over mangroves during different tidal conditions. The results showed that the wave height decreased nearly 58.33%, with a transport distance of 275 m in the AC seedling-sapling region, and approximately 80%, with a transport distance of 1,000 m in the sapling-adult region, on average. The largest wave height attenuation rate of 3 × 10−3 was found in the measured time period and occurred in the seedling-sapling section during the neap tide, while the sapling-adult region had a basically constant reduction rate of 0.8 × 10−3 under changing tidal conditions. Moreover, the drag coefficient calculation indicated that an AC seedling with a height of nearly 0.55 m was more effective in attenuating wave energy than the stem part of a grown tree with a height of nearly 1.2 m. AC seedlings and saplings have significant impacts on wave damping, even though the stem part of an adult AC could produce a decline in wave energy. Moreover, differences in the drag coefficient caused by stems and canopies were responsible for wave attenuation, and the degree of AC inundation volume induced by water level fluctuation might affect the wave damping effect. Our results documented distinct differences in the wave attenuation process by mangroves of different ages, which can inform superior designs of mangroves along coasts against a background of sea-level rise and the occurrence of frequent typhoons.

Visual Estimation Accuracy of Tree Part Diameter and Fall Distance

Abstract When professionals assess tree risk, they must consider the potential consequences associated with a branch or whole tree striking a person, vehicle, or structure. This process requires an assessor to determine the diameter and fall distance of a tree part and then gauge the likely damage to a target if failure occurred. The ability to accurately estimate diameter and fall distances is important, as direct measurements are not always possible. In this study, we examined whether differences exist between visual estimations and direction measurements of tree part diameters and fall distances among 106 arborists of differing experience levels. Our findings suggest arborists’ estimations were reasonably accurate in comparison to direct measurements. International Society of Arboriculture Certified Arborists and experienced arborists were more accurate in diameter estimations than arborists lacking assessment experience. In contrast, nonexperienced arborists were closer in their fall distance estimations than arborists with risk assessment experience.

Percutaneous transluminal forceps biopsy with an adjustable curved sheath for obstructive jaundice

Purpose To evaluate the feasibility and safety of percutaneous transluminal forceps biopsy (PTFB) with an adjustable curved sheath in patients with obstructive jaundice. Material and methods Forty-two patients who underwent PTFB with an adjustable curved sheath were analyzed retrospectively. Sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value (NPV), positive predictive value (PPV) and accuracy were calculated for all populations and in different situations. Technical success and safety were evaluated. Results The technical success rate was 100%. Thirty-five of 42 cases were diagnosed malignant diseases, the sensitivity of PTFB with an adjustable curved sheath was 74.29% (26/35), the specificity was 100%, the positive predictive value was 100%, the negative predictive value was 43.75% (7/16), and the accuracy rate was 78.57% (33/42). There was a better sensitivity for bile duct malignancies when compared with non-bile duct malignancies (p = 0.012). No statistical difference was found in the sensitivity of the upper part of the biliary tree and the lower part of the biliary tree, and none in the sensitivity of different approaches (left vs. right). The complication rate was 11.90%, and no serious complications were observed. Conclusions PTFB with an adjustable curved sheath is an effective and safe technique, without being limited by approaches and obstruction sites.

Long term outcome of a subcutaneous colonic interposition after pharyngo-laryngectomy for strictures of the larynx and hypopharynx resulting from caustic ingestion: A case report.

IntroductionCaustic agents, also called corrosive agents, could be acids or alkali in nature. If ingested, these agents can injure any part of the aerodigestive tree. Extent of injury depends on the type, concentration, duration of exposure and volume of caustic agent ingested. Serious complications after caustic agent ingestion can occur both in the short term such as hollow viscus perforation and death and in the long term such as stricture formation causing obstruction and lifetime risk of development of carcinoma.Presentation of a caseThis is a case of a 25-year-old female who ingested an unknown substance resulting to a severe stricture of the larynx, hypopharynx, esophagus and pyloroantral region of the stomach. Six months after her tracheostomy and tube jejunostomy, she sought further medical attention in our institution due to inability to swallow food and saliva. She underwent pharyngolaryngectomy (PL) with the strictured esophagus and stomach left in-situ due to extensive adhesions. The subcutaneous colonic interposition reestablished the alimentary continuity by providing enough length for tension-free anastomosis and a more direct route for cervical anastomosis.DiscussionStricture formation is one of the most challenging late complication of corrosive injury. It results from scar formation in response to inflammation of the aerodigestive tract. Key factors in managing caustic strictures include safety of strictured segment resection, choice of replacement organ for reconstruction and route of conduit.ConclusionTiming of surgery and proper selection the surgical procedure for complications of caustic ingestion can result in excellent long term outcomes.

Extractives of Tree Biomass of Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) for Biorefining in Four Climatic Regions in Finland—Lipophilic Compounds, Stilbenes, and Lignans

The aim of the study was to quantify total extractive contents and lipophilic compounds, stilbenes, and lignans in Scots pine stem wood, stem bark, branch biomass, and sawmill residues in four climatic regions of Finland to evaluate the most optimal sources of extractives for bio-based chemical biorefining and bioenergy products. Data were derived from 78 chip samples from the before-mentioned raw materials, the samples being pooled by tree height position from the sample trees of 42 experimental forest stands, and sawdust lots from 10 log stands. Accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) was employed to determine total extractive contents, followed by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC–FID) to quantify extractive groups and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) to analyse individual extractive compounds. Resin acids and triglycerides followed by fatty acids were the dominant extractive groups. Resin acids were most abundant in stem wood from final fellings and in sawdust, fatty acids in bark and branch biomass, and triglycerides also in stem wood from thinnings and the top parts of trees. Of the minor extractive groups, stilbenes were the most abundant in stem wood from final fellings and in sawdust, and steryl esters, sterols, and lignans in bark and branch biomass, the two last groups almost missing from other biomass components. Regional differences in the contents of extractive groups were generally small, 1.0−1.5 percentage points at the maximum, but factor analysis distinguished northern and southern regions into their own groups. Bark was the most potential source of fatty acids and sterols in southern Finland, and triglycerides and steryl esters in northern Finland. In stem wood, steryl esters, triglycerides, and lignans decreased and stilbenes increased from north to south. Certain fatty acids and resin acids were more frequent in the north. The results highlighted the importance of focused procurement and efficient sorting of raw materials, purity, unique properties, and feasible isolation techniques for competitive ability as well as large raw material volumes or well-defined value-added products.

The pharmacological and phytochemical study of adansonia digitata

Adansonia digitata is a unique tree with their tender root, twigs, seeds, leaves, tubers, fruits and flowers which are edible. The Adansonia are also used for treat of various types of disease/disorder due to their nutritional and chemical contents. This plant is mostly found in South Africa and Asian countries. In this paper, we represent the nutritional benefits of Adansonia digitata tree parts vise its fruits pulp, seeds, and leaves etc. The medicinal properties of the tree parts as well as the medicinal compound contained are discussed on addition. In this paper, the nutrition benefits of seeds oil are concluded use as premium oil.

Biomass and carbon accumulations of acacia trees planted on tropical peatlands

Acacia (Acacia crassicarpa) is a fiber source for pulp industries, adaptive on tropical peatlands and has been planted intensively since the early seventies. Considering the fragility of peat and its low nutrient content along with the complication to manage water conducive environment to the tree growth, the sustainability of this plantation is under rudimentary inquiry. Peat loss may occur due to subsidence, emission, and surface runoff whilst biomass accumulation will result in carbon enhancement. This study aims 1) to evaluate growths of Acacia trees planted on tropical peatlands with different peat thicknesses; 2) to obtain allometric model to represent the growth of the tree parts; and 3) to estimate biomass and carbon accumulations and their rate in a few rotations. Destructive samples were taken from three different sites with different peat thicknesses and separated into the root, knud (buttress root), stem, branch, and leaf. An allometric model was introduced to represent each growth of the tree parts and to estimate the accumulation of biomass and carbon. The result shows Acacia grew better in thick peatlands, larger than 1 meter. The model can relate the tree parts specifically to estimate the tree biomass. In one hectare of one rotation within 5 years, total biomass ranges 36.3–443.7 tonnes, and total carbon absorbed ranges 17.4–213.0 tonnes. Thus, successive rotations would potentially result in additional thickness of organic matter at the rate of 0.07– 2.08 cm/y, and carbon enrichment at the rate of 1.74–19.98 tonnes/y. This biomass and carbon enrichments would lessen the losses and greenhouse gas emission from the peatlands.

Nitrate fertilization may delay autumn leaf senescence, while amino acid treatments do not.

Fertilization with nitrogen (N)‐rich compounds leads to increased growth but may compromise phenology and winter survival of trees in boreal regions. During autumn, N is remobilized from senescing leaves and stored in other parts of the tree to be used in the next growing season. However, the mechanism behind the N fertilization effect on winter survival is not well understood, and it is unclear how N levels or forms modulate autumn senescence. We performed fertilization experiments and showed that treating Populus saplings with inorganic nitrogen resulted in a delay in senescence. In addition, by using precise delivery of solutes into the xylem stream of Populus trees in their natural environment, we found that delay of autumn senescence was dependent on the form of N administered: inorganic N (NO3−) delayed senescence, but amino acids (Arg, Glu, Gln, and Leu) did not. Metabolite profiling of leaves showed that the levels of tricarboxylic acids, arginine catabolites (ammonium, ornithine), glycine, glycine‐serine ratio and overall carbon‐to‐nitrogen (C/N) ratio were affected differently by the way of applying NO3 − and Arg treatments. In addition, the onset of senescence did not coincide with soluble sugar accumulation in control trees or in any of the treatments. We propose that different regulation of C and N status through direct molecular signaling of NO3 − and/or different allocation of N between tree parts depending on N forms could account for the contrasting effects of NO3 − and tested here amino acids (Arg, Glu, Gln, and Leu) on autumn senescence.

The Pharmacological and Phytochemical Study of Adansonia digitata

Adansonia digitata is a unique tree with their tender root, twigs, seeds, leaves, tubers, fruits and flowers which are edible. The Adansonia are also used for treat of various types of disease disorder due to their nutritional and chemical contents. This plant is mostly found in South Africa and Asian countries. In this paper, we represent the nutritional benefits of Adansonia digitata tree parts vise its fruits pulp, seeds, and leaves etc. The medicinal properties of the tree parts as well as the medicinal compound contained are discussed on addition. In this paper, the nutrition benefits of seeds oil are concluded use as premium oil.

Application of UAS for Monitoring of Forest Ecosystems

In the last couple of years, there have been a great number of articles that cover and emphasize the advantages and possibilities that UAS (Unmanned Air System) offers in forest ecosystem research. In the available research, alongside UAS, the importance of developing sensors that are designed to be used with UAV (Unamnned Air Vehicle), a flight programming software and UAS collected data processing software have been pointed out. With the widespread use of high-precision sensors and accompanying software in forestry, it is possible to obtain accurate data in a short time that replaces long-term manpower in the field with equal or in some cases, such as windthrow calculation or wildlife counting, greater accuracy. The former practice of manual imagery processing is being partly replaced with automated approaches. The paper analyses studies that deal with some form of application of UAS in forestry, e.g. forest inventory, forest operations, ecological monitoring, forest pests and forest fires, and wildlife monitoring. In the forest inventory, a large number of studies deal with the possibilities of applying UAS in mapping vegetation and individual trees, morphological research of individual parts of trees, surface analysis, etc. The use of remote and proximal sensing technologies in forest engineering has mainly been focused on defining surface roughness and topology, road geometry, planning and maintenance, ground-based and cable-based harvesting and soil characteristics and displacement. Wildfire monitoring already relies heavily on the use of UAS and thermal cameras in operations, and it is similar to the mapping of windthrow or directions of the spread of certain insects important for forestry. In wildlife research, numerous studies deal with abundance research of individual terrestrial birds and mammals using UAS thermal imagery. With some drawbacks such as wildlife disturbance or limited UAV range, common to most of the processed studies are positive attitudes regarding the application of UAS in forestry sensing and monitoring, which is slowly becoming a common operative practice, with the scientists’ focus being on developing automated approaches in UAS imagery processing. Reducing the error by improving the technological characteristics of the sensors will in the long run reduce the number of people required to collect data important for forestry, reduce risks and in some cases increase accuracy.

Evaluation of antibacterial activity and phytochemical investigation of Azadirachta indica L. against certain bacterial species

Historically, plants have been a source of herbal medicines and are used for treating various human ailments. Azadirachta indica, commonly known as neem, is a multipurpose tree with a wide range of health benefits. Various parts of neem tree have been shown to exhibit antimicrobial effects against a wide variety of microorganisms. The present study was carried out for screening of active components and antibacterial activity of leaves and bark extracts of A. indica. Ethanol and methanol extracts of leaves and bark of A. indica were tested against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria viz. Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus cereus. The agar well diffusion method was used for testing the antibacterial activity. Results revealed that methanol extract of bark and ethanolic extract of leaves exhibited significant antibacterial activity. Methanolic extract of bark of A. indica showed maximum antibacterial activity against B. cereus and K. pneumoniae (16 mm) followed by p. aeruginosa (15.6 mm), E. coli (15.3 mm) and least was found against S. aureus (15 mm). Whereas ethanolic extract of leaves exhibited maximum activity against P. aeruginosa (11.3 mm), followed by K. pneumoniae (11 mm), S. aureus (10.3 mm), E.coli (7 mm) and no activity was observed against B. cereus. Phytochemical screening of plant extracts gave positive results for alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins and tannins.

Influence of Date Palm Tree Fibers on the Tensile Fracture Energy of an Epoxy-based Adhesive

ABSTRACT In the previous study, the effect of date palm fibers on the shear strength of adhesively bonded joints has been investigated by the same authors. Nevertheless, the role of these bio-based fibers on the fracture energy of adhesives has not been explored. The current study was conducted to comprehend the influences of date palm fibers on mode I fracture energy (GIc ) of adhesives. To this aim, the fibers were collected from four different parts of a date palm tree (Bunch, Rachis, Petiole, and Mesh). After an alkalization treatment, they were cut into 0.5 to 2 mm and added to the adhesive in three various weight ratios (2, 5, and 10%). The fracture energy of the neat and reinforced adhesively bonded double cantilever beam (DCB) was then experimentally analyzed utilizing a compliance-based method. The outcomes prove the outstanding potential of the date palm fibers in enhancing the tensile fracture energy of adhesives. The highest improvement in GIc was achieved by 10 wt% Rachis fibers where the fracture energy of the enhanced adhesive was 7.6 times higher than the neat adhesive. The microscopic images of fracture surfaces revealed the significant roles of the considered fibers in the improvement of the GIc of the adhesive.

Sooty canker, a destructive disease of banyan (Ficus benghalensis L.) trees in landscapes of Kish Island (Iran)

Ficus benghalensis L (banyan tree) has been planted as ornamental tree in parks, landscapes as well as along roads and streets in many southern cities of Iran. During field surveys conducted in Kish Island (Hormozgān province) an unusual decline was noticed on F. benghalensis. Affected trees exhibited bark necrosis, peeled off bark and cankers on branches and aerial roots, yellowing and defoliation, branch dieback and eventually death. A black sooty mass of fungal spores under the bark as well as wood discoloration in cross sections were also observed on infected parts of trees and pruning wood debris. Samples were collected from all affected parts of trees showing disease symptoms, pruning wood debris as well as rove arthropods in close proximity to the trees for the presence of fungal inoculum. In this study 239 Botryosphaeriaceae-like isolates were obtained from discoloured wood tissues, pruning wood debris and from the bodies of collected arthropods. Based on morphological characteristics and DNA sequence data of ITS and tef-1α gene regions, isolates were identified as Lasiodiplodia theobromae and Neoscytalidium dimidiatum. Pathogenicity of both species was performed on the branches of banyan trees and L. theobromae was more virulent, based on the length of necrotic lesions in the wood, than those of N. dimidiatum. This study is the first report of N. dimidiatum associated with sooty canker and dieback of F. benghalensis worldwide. Our study showed for the first time that L. theobromae and N. dimidiatum can also be associated with some arthropods. Our outcomes can improve the management strategies of trunk diseases caused by Botryosphaeriaceae species on ornamental trees in landscapes.