Article
Agronomy
Matteo Garbelotto, Doug Schmidt, Tina Popenuck
Summary: The study inoculated 25 ornamental plant species with different genotypes of the pathogen Phytophthora ramorum, evaluating their susceptibility, infectivity, and pathogenicity through various parameters. Leaf results were influenced by multiple factors, while stem results were mainly affected by the host. Different hosts ranked differently across parameters, and the results can be used for decision-making regarding regulations or plant selection in areas infested by P. ramorum.
Article
Agronomy
Anna R. Harris, Clive M. Brasier, Bruno Scanu, Joan F. Webber
Summary: In this study, the growth characteristics, pathogenicity on different hosts, and sporulation on Japanese larch needles of EU1 and EU2 were compared. Results showed that EU2 was more pathogenic at 20 degrees C on Japanese larch and European larch, producing larger lesions. Both lineages caused similar amounts of necrosis on rhododendron leaves, but EU2 isolates sporulated less abundantly on larch needles, indicating a trade-off between pathogenicity and sporulation among the lineages.
Article
Plant Sciences
Heather F. Dun, Tin Hang Hung, Sarah Green, John J. MacKay
Summary: This study compared the gene expression differences between European larch and Japanese larch in response to Phytophthora ramorum infection. The results showed that the two larch species exhibited differences in the expression of defense genes and pathways. These differences may be related to the observed variations in the field and are important for tree selection and future breeding.
Article
Biology
Ophelie Leger, Frederick Garcia, Mehdi Khafif, Sebastien Carrere, Nathalie Leblanc-Fournier, Aroune Duclos, Vincent Tournat, Eric Badel, Marie Didelon, Aurelie Le Ru, Sylvain Raffaele, Adelin Barbacci
Summary: Mechanical cues from pathogens activate early plant defense in cells distant from the infection site through CMT anisotropic patterning.
Article
Plant Sciences
Cai H. Thompson, Mitchell M. McCartney, Tatiana Roubtsova, Takao Kasuga, Susan E. Ebeler, Cristina E. Davis, Richard M. Bostock
Summary: Phytophthora ramorum is an invasive pathogen causing ramorum blight and sudden oak death, with asymptomatic infections in nursery stock creating unacceptable risk. A VOC-based test successfully detected P. ramorum infections in Rhododendron plants, with unique changes induced by different pathogens. Predicting infection status was successful from ambient volatiles, while extracted leaf volatiles resulted in lower accuracy.
Article
Plant Sciences
Lisa M. Rosenthal, Sebastian N. Fajardo, David M. Rizzo
Summary: This study quantitatively measured the sporulation potential of common plant species in SOD-endemic ecosystems in the Big Sur region of California, providing insight into the pathogen's basic biology and disease trajectory in a changing environment. Results showed that P. ramorum was capable of infecting every species studied and that a wider range of plant species may contribute to local transmission than previously recognized.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Fumika Kato, Yuka Ando, Aiko Tanaka, Takamasa Suzuki, Daigo Takemoto, Makoto Ojika
Summary: Phytophthora is a microorganism that damages important crops like potatoes and tomatoes. Natural products like naringenin and flazin can inhibit the asexual reproduction of Phytophthora and protect agricultural products.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Zhiyuan Yin, Nan Wang, Weiwei Duan, Lei Pi, Danyu Shen, Daolong Dou
Summary: The CBM1 family is predominantly found in fungi and oomycetes, playing crucial roles in plant-microbe interactions. PcCBP3, identified in Phytophthora capsici, is an apoplastic effector that induces cell death in plants, suggesting its importance in the virulence of the pathogen.
MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Niloofar Shoari, Shahram Heydari, Marta Blangiardo
Summary: This study aimed to understand the factors affecting child pedestrian safety in England from 2011 to 2020. The results showed that child pedestrian crash frequencies are positively correlated with child population, unemployment-related claimants, road density, and the number of schools, while the number of licensed vehicles per capita and walking/cycling rates contribute to improved child pedestrian safety. Although overall child pedestrian safety has improved, there is still socio-economic inequality. The study also found variations in the rate of decline in crashes among local authorities, indicating the impact of localized risk factors and mitigation measures on child pedestrian safety.
Article
Agronomy
Heather F. Dun, John J. MacKay, Sarah Green
Summary: This study focuses on the natural infection processes of Phytophthora ramorum on Japanese larch and the factors influencing disease progression. It found that the infection primarily occurs in buds on fine shoots and that climatic conditions, such as summer precipitation and spring storms, play a significant role in disease outbreaks. The findings can help predict future expansions of the disease and inform management strategies for larch in the UK.
Article
Computer Science, Information Systems
Daniel Seebacher, Johannes Hauessler, Michael Hundt, Manuel Stein, Hannes Mueller, Ulrich Engelke, Daniel A. Keim
Summary: Invasive species, such as the vinegar fly Drosophila suzukii, pose a significant threat to ecological systems and economic interests. Researchers have collected extensive data on the occurrence of D. suzukii, but the lack of interactive methods for analysis hinders effective investigation. Through ensemble-based classification and visualizations, a new system called Drosophigator has been developed to predict and analyze the spread dynamics of invasive species, particularly D. suzukii, in a spatio-temporal context.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON BIG DATA
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alexandre Canet, Meysam Qadrdan, Nick Jenkins, Jianzhong Wu
Summary: This paper describes a method to produce data that quantifies the impacts of residential heat decarbonisation on the energy supply infrastructure in England and Wales. It estimates the annual heat demand for different types of dwellings and quantifies the energy savings and costs of potential energy efficiency measures. The study creates profiles for heat production and energy demand using average daily temperature and trial project data to analyze the impacts of different heating technologies in each area under user-defined decarbonisation pathways.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yong Pei, Peiyun Ji, Jierui Si, Hanqing Zhao, Sicong Zhang, Ruofei Xu, Huijun Qiao, Weiwei Duan, Danyu Shen, Zhiyuan Yin, Daolong Dou
Summary: The study finds that an LRR-RLK from Phytophthora sojae can activate pattern-triggered immunity in host soybean and nonhost tomato and Nicotiana benthamiana plants. This provides a novel microbe-associated molecular pattern for oomycete sexual reproduction and demonstrates a scenario where a pathogen LRR-RLK is sensed by a plant LRR-RLP to initiate plant immunity.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Austin G. McCoy, Richard R. Belanger, Carl A. Bradley, Daniel G. Cerritos-Garcia, Vinicius C. Garnica, Loren J. Giesler, Pablo E. Grijalba, Eduardo Guillin, Maria A. Henriquez, Yong Min Kim, Dean K. Malvick, Rashelle L. Matthiesen, Santiago X. Mideros, Zachary A. Noel, Alison E. Robertson, Mitchell G. Roth, Clarice L. Schmidt, Damon L. Smith, Adam H. Sparks, Darcy E. P. Telenko, Vanessa Tremblay, Owen Wally, Martin I. Chilvers
Summary: This study reveals an increase in pathotype diversity of Phytophthora sojae isolates and a decrease in the efficacy of specific Rps genes used for disease management. The widely deployed Rps1a, Rps1c, and Rps1k genes in the United States, Argentina, and Canada are no longer effective, highlighting the need for new sources of resistance to effectively manage Phytophthora stem and root rot.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Natasha L. Bell, Steven N. Jeffers, Daniel R. Hitchcock, Sarah A. White
Summary: This study found that certain aquatic plant species can be infected by specific Phytophthora species in aqueous growing solutions, potentially serving as sources of inoculum in nurseries. In experiments conducted from 2016 to 2018, roots of some aquatic plants were infected with multiple Phytophthora species in water, highlighting the potential role of these plants as sources of disease in ornamental plant production.
Article
Agronomy
Angela Berrie, Tom Passey, Xiangming Xu
Summary: Research has shown that integrating biopesticides and biostimulants with a decision-based management programme in strawberry production can significantly reduce fungicide use, save costs, and have no negative impacts on yield, fruit quality, or disease control.
Article
Agronomy
Sophia Bellamy, Michael Shaw, Xiangming Xu
Summary: This study assessed the reduction in post-harvest rot of cherry by applying two biocontrol strains pre-harvest. The results showed that both strains significantly reduced the incidence of post-harvest rots, which could help reduce reliance on fungicides.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PLANT PATHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Jing Liu, Lu-yao Zhang, Hua-yu Wang, Na Liu, Sen Lian, Xiang-ming Xu, Bao-hua Li
Summary: This study examined the colonization and infection process of Botryosphaeria dothidea on apple trees, and found that temperature, humidity, and host surface washates have an impact on these processes. Under optimal conditions, hyphae can colonize the host surface and form pseudoparenchyma to infect apple tissues.
Article
Agronomy
Ruth Murunde, Gideon Ringo, Louisa Robinson-Boyer, Xiangming Xu
Summary: This study evaluated the effects of commercial biopesticides on rice blast disease and yield in Africa. The results showed that using biopesticides not only controlled the disease, but also increased grain yield, especially in low-production regions. Dipping treatment alone was effective in suppressing the disease and improving yield, unless disease pressure was high. The findings suggest that applying biopesticides in rice production is important, particularly in subsistence farming.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Qiang Wang, Rui Song, Sanhong Fan, Jeffrey J. Coleman, Xiangming Xu, Xiaoping Hu
Summary: This study investigated the Fusarium community in diseased wheat heads sampled from different geographical sites in China, and found that the diversity of Fusarium significantly influenced mycotoxin accumulation.
Article
Plant Sciences
Xueren Cao, Qun Zhang, Yongxiang He, Haiyan Che, Yating Lin, Daquan Luo, Jonathan S. West, Xiangming Xu
Summary: This study analyzed the genotypes of 112 isolates of Colletotrichum siamense and found significant genetic differentiation among three clusters, regardless of host, location, and year. This suggests that C. siamense infecting rubber tree, areca palm, and coffee in Hainan can be considered as one disease and should be controlled simultaneously.
Article
Plant Sciences
Thomas Heaven, Helen M. M. Cockerton, Xiangming Xu, Matthew Goddard, Andrew D. D. Armitage
Summary: This study presents the first genome assembly for Podosphaera aphanis, the causal agent of powdery mildew on strawberry. The assembled genome consists of 12,357 contigs and has 17,239 predicted genes encoding 17,328 proteins. This annotated genome provides a molecular resource for investigating host-pathogen interactions in the strawberry powdery mildew pathosystem.
Article
Agronomy
Gurkan Tut, Naresh Magan, Xiangming Xu
Summary: This study investigates the impact of temperature, relative humidity, and vapor pressure deficit on the viable populations of Bacillus subtilis QST 713 and Gliocladium catenulatum J1446. The results show a slight decline in the population size of both biocontrol organisms on strawberry and lettuce leaves, but this decline is not statistically significant under general UK agronomy climates. However, the viable populations increase significantly at optimal growth temperatures with high relative humidity. Temperature and dew point have a significant effect on the rate of temporal changes in the viable biocontrol population size.
Editorial Material
Plant Sciences
E. Malusa, N. Vassilev, D. Neri, X. Xu
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Amanda Karlstrom, Matevz Papp-Rupar, Tom A. J. Passey, Greg Deakin, Xiangming Xu
Summary: The composition of bacterial and fungal endophytes within the phyllosphere of apple trees is influenced by host genetics and environment. A study on apple trees infected with the fungal pathogen Neonectria ditissima showed that multiple loci have a significant effect on the abundance of individual endophytic taxa. Some of these loci are associated with tolerance to Neonectria ditissima. These findings suggest that apple endophyte composition has a genetic basis and can be modified through breeding.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Matevz Papp-Rupar, Leone Olivieri, Robert Saville, Thomas Passey, Jennifer Kingsnorth, Georgina Fagg, Hamish McLean, Xiangming Xu
Summary: Apple canker, caused by Neonectria ditissima, is a major disease of apples worldwide. This study found that Epicoccum nigrum B14-1, isolated from healthy apple trees, can effectively control N. ditissima without causing harm to the apple trees. This discovery suggests that E. nigrum B14-1 could be a potential biocontrol agent for managing apple canker in commercial apple production.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zheng Ma, Hongjie Feng, Chuanzhen Yang, Xiaojie Ma, Peng Li, Zili Feng, Yalin Zhang, Lihong Zhao, Jinglong Zhou, Xiangming Xu, Heqin Zhu, Feng Wei
Summary: This study aimed to assess the effects of fludioxonil and metalaxyl-M: fludioxonil, azoxystrobin, on cotton seed endophytes, rhizosphere soil enzymatic activities, microbiome, and metabolites. The seed coating agents significantly changed the seed endophytic bacterial and fungal communities. The coated seeds inhibited soil catalase activity and decreased bacterial and fungal biomass, but increased rhizosphere bacterial alpha diversity. The seed coating reduced the abundance of beneficial microorganisms but enriched potential pollutant-degrading microorganisms. Furthermore, there were strong links between soil microbial communities, metabolites, and enzymatic activities.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Horticulture
Lauren Helen Farwell, Greg Deakin, Adrian Lee Harris, Georgina Fagg, Thomas Passey, Carol Verheecke-Vaessen, Naresh Magan, Xiangming Xu
Summary: Raspberry production in the U.K. has increased under polythene cultivation in the past decade, leading to a rise in previously less common diseases such as Cladosporium. This study identified Cladosporium cladosporioides as the predominant species responsible for infecting raspberry fruit, particularly close to harvest in the U.K. and Spain. Only ripe raspberries were found to be susceptible to Cladosporium, resulting in skin lesions. Further research is needed to determine if early stigmata infections could lead to subsequent skin lesion infections.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Chris Cook, Naresh Magan, Louisa Robinson-Boyer, Xiangming Xu
Summary: We studied the effect of different temperatures and CO2 levels on the microbiome of apple orchard soil under conventional and organic management. The key difference between the two orchards was the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. The differences between the two orchards had the most significant impact on the bacterial and fungal communities, contributing to a large portion of the variance in Bray-Curtis beta diversity. Elevated CO2 concentration and temperature affected the microbial diversity of organic orchard more than the conventionally managed orchard.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Matevz Papp-Rupar, Amanda Karlstrom, Thomas Passey, Greg Deakin, Xiangming Xu
Summary: Bacterial and fungal endophytes can help improve the tolerance and growth of host plants. This study investigated the correlation between apple endophytes and the development of European apple canker. The results showed that certain bacterial groups were positively associated with canker tolerance, while some fungal groups may facilitate canker development and others may compete with it.
PHYTOBIOMES JOURNAL
(2022)