Review
Plant Sciences
Javier Palma-Guerrero, Tania Chancellor, Jess Spong, Gail Canning, Jess Hammond, E. Vanessa McMillan, E. Kim Hammond-Kosack
Summary: Take-all disease, caused by the fungal root pathogen Gaeumannomyces tritici, is considered the most important root disease of wheat worldwide. Recent research has focused on identifying new sources of genetic resistance in wheat relatives and studying the role of the microbiome in disease development. Breakthroughs in molecular interactions between G. tritici and wheat, including genome and transcriptome analyses, will help in developing novel control strategies against take-all disease.
TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Wen Xu, Lingling Xu, Xiaoxu Deng, Paul H. Goodwin, Mingcong Xia, Jie Zhang, Qi Wang, Runhong Sun, Yamei Pan, Chao Wu, Lirong Yang
Summary: Pseudomonas chlororaphis YB-10 effectively inhibits the growth of Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici and controls take-all disease when coated on wheat seeds, promoting seedling growth. Additionally, the bacterium enhances wheat seedlings' defense enzyme activities, inducing resistance against pathogens.
Article
Microbiology
Zhaosha Liu, Jiawen Xiao, Xuechao Zhang, Shijuan Dou, Tongguo Gao, Dongmei Wang, Dongdong Zhang
Summary: This study demonstrates that Bacillus subtilis strain Z-14 effectively controls wheat take-all disease by increasing the metabolic activity and abundance of rhizospheric microorganisms, which in turn enhances the functional diversity of soil microbial communities. Z-14 also promotes bacterial community interactions and inhibits fungal community development.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Gangyi Zhao, Tianjie Sun, Zina Zhang, Jingjing Zhang, Yinbo Bian, Chunyan Hou, Dongdong Zhang, Shengfang Han, Dongmei Wang
Summary: In this study, two strains of Bacillus subtilis, Z-14 and JY214, were found to have significant antagonistic effects against Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici (Ggt), the pathogen causing wheat take-all disease. These strains also secrete antimicrobial proteins and can control take-all disease in wheat at a reduced level of pesticide use, providing resources for environmentally friendly crop disease control.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Yi-nan Cheng, Liansheng Sun, Haoguang Meng, Zhenhua Jiang, Zhijia Zhang, Yuanyuan Yun, Xiafei Wang, Jingming Yan, Xifa Yang, Haifeng Zhou, Honglian Li
Summary: This study designed and prepared a series of benzoyl arylamine compounds, and evaluated their fungicidal activities against wheat root fungal pathogens. The results showed that the position and structure of the N-heterocyclic group and the substituted group on the benzamide scaffold significantly influenced the activities. Compound 18f exhibited excellent activities against multiple wheat root pathogens, making it a potential novel fungicide candidate for controlling wheat root diseases.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Limin Wang, Xiaoyu Song, Yi-nan Cheng, Senxiang Cheng, Tong Chen, Honglian Li, Jingming Yan, Xiafei Wang, Haifeng Zhou
Summary: TPB inhibits ergosterol synthesis and disrupts the function of adenine nucleotide transferase (ANT), leading to mitochondrial damage and ultimately causing excellent antifungal activity against Ggt. The results provide new insights for the design of active compounds and tools for pathogen resistance management.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Niels Julian Maywald, Melissa Mang, Nathalie Pahls, Guenter Neumann, Uwe Ludewig, Davide Francioli
Summary: This study demonstrates the critical role of different forms of nitrogen fertilization in host-pathogen interactions and the assemblage of wheat rhizosphere microbiome.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Mirjana Lalosevic, Radivoje Jevtic, Vesna Zupunski, Stevan Masirevic, Branka Orbovic
Summary: Powdery mildew is a common and economically important disease in the wheat growing area of Serbia. A large-scale survey of its causal agent revealed high virulence complexity and genetic diversity in the population, which are influential factors for the damaging epidemics it can cause.
Article
Plant Sciences
Shuangyu Bai, Jiaohui Long, Yuanyuan Cui, Zhaoyi Wang, Caixia Liu, Fenglou Liu, Zhangjun Wang, Qingfeng Li
Summary: The study identified that the biosynthetic pathways of salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, and ethylene were highly enriched during wheat infection by Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici. Additionally, hormone-related genes showed significant expression from 1 to 4 days post-infection, with up-regulation of the salicylic acid pathway and suppression of the jasmonic acid and ethylene pathways.
Article
Agronomy
Habteab Goitom Gebremedhin, Yahui Li, Jinghuang Hu, Dan Qiu, Qiuhong Wu, Hongjun Zhang, Li Yang, Yang Zhou, Yijun Zhou, Zhiyong Liu, Peng Zhang, Hongjie Li
Summary: This study developed molecular markers for assisted breeding of wheat with powdery mildew resistance. These markers have important applications in wheat breeding and can enhance the efficiency of selecting disease-resistant wheat cultivars.
Article
Plant Sciences
Huiyan Sun, Ziye Wang, Rui Wang, Si Chen, Xinyu Ni, Fu Gao, Yazhao Zhang, Yiwei Xu, Xianxin Wu, Tianya Li
Summary: In this study, the presence of stem rust resistance genes in 65 commercial wheat cultivars from Hebei Province was determined using gene postulation, pedigree analysis, and molecular detection. The results revealed the presence of 6 Sr genes (Sr5, Sr17, Sr24, Sr31, Sr32, Sr38, and SrTmp) in 46 wheat cultivars, with Sr31 being the most common. This study is important for breeding wheat cultivars resistant to stem rust.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Plant Sciences
Shenghao Zou, Yang Xu, Qianqian Li, Yali Wei, Youlian Zhang, Dingzhong Tang
Summary: Powdery mildew is a devastating disease on wheat caused by the pathogen Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici. The complex genome of wheat has hindered the identification of resistance genes, but recent advances in sequencing, genomics, and gene isolation techniques have enabled progress in this area. The current research on wheat powdery mildew resistance focuses on multilayered resistance and manipulation of susceptibility genes.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Isabel Mendez, Ana Fallard, Isabel Soto, Gonzalo Tortella, Maria de la Luz Mora, Alex J. Valentine, Patricio Javier Barra, Paola Duran
Summary: Research on the microbiome residing in suppressive soils for Ggt biocontrol has shown to be highly efficient, with bacterial consortia proving to be more effective than individual strains, showcasing a potential strategy for biocontrol.
Article
Plant Sciences
Yuli Jin, Tiantian Gu, Xiuquan Li, Hong Liu, Guohao Han, Zhipeng Shi, Yilin Zhou, Jieru Fan, Jing Wang, Wei Liu, He Zhao, Diaoguo An
Summary: This study identified an alternative splicing variant of Pm4, which provides information on the regulation of Pm4 gene function. Additionally, a new resistant resource for powdery mildew, PmYAV, was discovered.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Plant Sciences
Johannes Mapuranga, Jiaying Chang, Wenxiang Yang
Summary: Wheat powdery mildew, caused by a fungus called Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici (Bgt), is a major threat to global wheat production. The use of resistant cultivars is a cost-effective method to manage this disease. However, new strains of the pathogen with higher virulence can render these resistance genes ineffective. Therefore, pyramiding multiple resistance genes into a single wheat genotype is crucial for achieving durable resistance.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
J. Nowak, S. B. Visnovsky, C. D. Cruz, G. C. Fletcher, A. H. M. van Vliet, D. Hedderley, R. Butler, S. Flint, J. Palmer, A. R. Pitman
Summary: The study revealed that biofilm formation and gallidermin resistance of L. monocytogenes are influenced by the mprF gene, with its inactivation leading to enhanced biofilm formation and abiotic surface attachment but compromising invasiveness.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
J. M. Plett, J. Solomon, F. Snijders, J. Marlow-Conway, K. L. Plett, S. L. Bithell
Summary: This study evaluated interactions between rhizobia species Mesorhizobium ciceri and oomycete pathogen Phytophthora medicaginis, finding that post-pathogen M. ciceri inoculation improved resistance to PRR in chickpea. This improvement may be due to multiple mechanisms including improved host nutrition, direct inhibition of pathogen growth, and the induction of plant defense responses.
MICROBIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Gordana Durovic, Amani Alawamleh, Silvia Carlin, Giuseppe Maddalena, Raffaele Guzzon, Valerio Mazzoni, Daniel T. Dalton, Vaughn M. Walton, David M. Suckling, Ruth C. Butler, Sergio Angeli, Antonio De Cristofaro, Gianfranco Anfora
Summary: Climate change and agroecosystem transformation present challenges to agricultural production, with invasive insect species heavily impacting crops. Current pesticide control tactics for invasive insects must be replaced with sustainable methods. This study focuses on utilizing a non-toxic baiting system to track the invasive spotted-wing drosophila, providing a more environmentally friendly approach to pest management.
Article
Entomology
Mette-Cecilie Nielsen, David A. J. Teulon, R. Bruce Chapman, Ruth C. Butler, Gabby M. Drayton, Holger Phillipsen
Summary: The study reveals that the greenhouse strain of western flower thrips has a longer lifespan and lays more eggs compared to the lupin strain, even under different temperature conditions. However, there was no significant difference between the two strains in terms of development rate, minimum temperature requirements, and degree days.
ENTOMOLOGIA EXPERIMENTALIS ET APPLICATA
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Krista L. Plett, Sean L. Bithell, Adrian Dando, Jonathan M. Plett
Summary: The research identified key abiotic and genetic factors that affect chickpea nodule development and nitrogen fixation, showing that understanding genotype-specific factors affecting chickpea nodule induction and function is crucial for improving the benefits of rhizobial symbiosis in chickpea.
Article
Entomology
Ashraf M. El-Sayed, Suresh Ganji, C. Rikard Unelius, Cesar Gemeno, Byrappa Ammagarahalli, Ruth C. Butler, Christoph Hoffmann
Summary: Plants release volatiles in response to caterpillar feeding, which attract natural enemies of the herbivores and repel or attract conspecific adult herbivores as an indirect defense mechanism. Research has shown that infested grapevines emit compounds such as phenylacetonitrile, which attracts adult European grapevine moths.
ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Barsha Poudel, Roger G. Shivas, Dante L. Adorada, Martin J. Barbetti, Sean L. Bithell, Lisa A. Kelly, Natalie Moore, Adam H. Sparks, Yu Pei Tan, Geoff Thomas, Joop Van Leur, Niloofar Vaghefi
Summary: Most isolates of Macrophomina in Australia are identified as M. phaseolina, but recent molecular methods have identified M. pseudophaseolina and introduced M. tecta as a new species. The potential for multiple Macrophomina species to infect the same host has implications for disease epidemiology and pathogen evolution, requiring further research into distribution, biology, host range, and population diversity of these new records.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PLANT PATHOLOGY
(2021)
Editorial Material
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Ruth C. Butler
ANNALS OF APPLIED BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Nicola Jayne Sullivan, Sabina Avosani, Ruth C. Butler, Lloyd D. Stringer
Summary: This study investigates whether the passionvine hopper uses substrate-borne vibrations for communication. The passionvine hopper is a destructive pest to the kiwifruit industry in New Zealand, and there are limited pest management tools available during the growing season. The study finds that the passionvine hopper has a repertoire of calling signals, including a male calling signal and two female calling signals, but no evidence of duetting behavior for pair formation has been found so far. Further understanding of vibrational communication in this insect and the pair formation process may lead to the development of a residue-free pest management tool and contribute to future biosecurity preparedness and response initiatives.
Article
Microbiology
Donovin W. Coles, Sean L. Bithell, Meena Mikhael, William S. Cuddy, Jonathan M. Plett
Summary: Hemibiotrophic pathogens cause significant losses in agriculture. This study focuses on the response of chickpea roots to the root hemibiotroph Phytophthora medicaginis. The findings suggest that chickpea roots show similarities in response to disease progression as previously documented in leaf plant-pathogen interactions, but differ in phytohormone responses.
Article
Entomology
Nicola J. Sullivan, Vaughn A. Bell, Ruth C. Butler, Roger Wallis, Remya Ramesh, D. Srinivasa Reddy, Andrew M. Twidle, Barry Bunn, C. Rikard Unelius, Lee-Anne M. Manning, David M. Suckling
Summary: Mealybugs are phloem-feeding insects that transmit the economically important Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 3 (GLRaV-3) in New Zealand vineyards. Synthetic sex pheromones have been developed as monitoring tools for some mealybug species. This study presents the development of a combined P. longispinus and P. calceolariae pheromone lure, which remained active in the field for 90 days and showed no negative effects on male mealybug trap catch. The combined lure provides an efficient monitoring tool for the New Zealand viticultural industry.
JOURNAL OF PEST SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Sean L. Bithell, David Backhouse, Steve Harden, Andre Drenth, Kevin Moore, Richard J. Flavel, Kristy Hobson
Summary: This study evaluated pathogenic variation in P. medicaginis populations and found differences in aggressiveness of isolates using different phenotyping methods. The study also showed that phenotyping methods interact with both isolate and host genotype reactions. The cup-based root inoculation method showed promise as a non-field-based phenotyping method, with significant correlations with genotype-isolate rankings in the field experiment for several disease parameters.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Xiaohui Yu, Seona Casonato, Eirian Jones, Ruth C. Butler, Paul A. Johnston, Soonie Chng
Summary: This study characterized the phenotypic responses of two introgression lines with chromosomal segments introgressed from Hordeum bulbosum in Hordeum vulgare backgrounds against Puccinia hordei. The results showed that these lines had gradually increasing resistance over the course of different plant development stages, with a definitive switch occurring at tillering stage.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Karla Lopez-Reyes, Karen F. Armstrong, David A. J. Teulon, Ruth C. Butler, Coby van Dooremalen, Monika Roher, Robert W. H. M. van Tol
Summary: Discrepancies in research on the attraction of western flower thrips to different colors have been addressed in this study. Two laboratory populations from Germany and the Netherlands were compared for their response to different color cues, and it was found that they had different color preferences. The laboratory of origin and the rearing time on the host plant also influenced their behavior.
Article
Plant Sciences
Sean L. Bithell, Andre Drenth, David Backhouse, Steve Harden, Kristy Hobson
Summary: Phytophthora medicaginis is causing root rot disease in chickpeas in Australia and breeding for genetic resistance is a crucial approach due to limited management options. Crosses between chickpea and Cicer echinospermum provide partial resistance with genetic basis from C. echinospermum and disease tolerance from C. arietinum germplasm. The concentration of P. medicaginis DNA in soil can be used as an indicator of pathogen proliferation, and genotypes with consistently low levels of foliage symptoms have lower levels of soil inoculum.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)