We redescribe the only previously known species of Myrsidea from bulbuls, M. pycnonoti Eichler. Sixteen new species are described; they and their type hosts are: M. phillipsi ex Pycnonotus goiavier goiavier (Scopoli), M. gieferi ex P. goiavier suluensis Mearns, M. kulpai ex P. flavescens Blyth, M. finlaysoni ex P. finlaysoni Strickland, M. kathleenae ex P. cafer (L.), M. warwicki ex Ixos philippinus (J. R. Forster), M. mcclurei ex Microscelis amaurotis (Temminck), M. zeylanici ex P. zeylanicus (Gmelin), M. plumosi ex P. plumosus Blyth, M. eutiloti ex P. eutilotus (Jardine and Selby), M. adamsae ex P. urostictus (Salvadori), M. ochracei ex Criniger ochraceus F. Moore, M. borbonici ex Hypsipetes borbonicus (J. R. Forster), M. johnsoni ex P. atriceps (Temminck), M. palmai ex C. ochraceus, and M. claytoni ex P. eutilotus. A key is provided for the identification of these 17 species.

A new species

Computational geometry

Fungi are an understudied, biotechnologically valuable group of organisms. Due to 
the immense range of habitats that fungi inhabit, and the consequent need to compete against a diverse array of other fungi, bacteria, and animals, fungi have developed numerous survival mechanisms. The unique attributes of fungi thus herald great promise for their application in biotechnology and industry. Moreover, fungi can be grown with relative ease, making production at scale viable. The search for fungal biodiversity, and the construction of a living fungi collection, both have incredible economic potential in locating organisms with novel industrial uses that will lead to novel products. This manuscript reviews fifty ways in which fungi can potentially be utilized as biotechnology. We provide notes and examples for each potential exploitation and give examples from our own work and the work of other notable researchers. We also provide a flow chart that can be used to convince funding bodies of the importance of fungi for biotechnological research and as potential products. Fungi have provided the world with penicillin, lovastatin, and other globally significant medicines, and they remain an untapped resource with enormous industrial potential.

The amazing potential of fungi: 50 ways we can exploit fungi industrially

Plants are exposed to any number of potentially adverse environmental conditions such as water deficit, high salinity, extreme temperature, submergence, etc. These abiotic stresses adversely affect the plant growth and productivity. Nowadays various strategies are employed to generate plants that can withstand these stresses. In recent years, seed priming has been developed as an indispensable method to produce tolerant plants against various stresses. Seed priming is the induction of a particular physiological state in plants by the treatment of natural and synthetic compounds to the seeds before germination. In plant defense, priming is defined as a physiological process by which a plant prepares to respond to imminent abiotic stress more quickly or aggressively. Moreover, plants raised from primed seeds showed sturdy and quick cellular defense response against abiotic stresses. Priming for enhanced resistance to abiotic stress obviously is operating via various pathways involved in different metabolic processes. The seedlings emerging from primed seeds showed early and uniform germination. Moreover, the overall growth of plants is enhanced due to the seed-priming treatments. The main objective of this review is to provide an overview of various crops in which seed priming is practiced and about various seed-priming methods and its effects.

Seed priming for abiotic stress tolerance: an overview

11 – plant diseases associated with mycoplasma-like organisms

Sialoblastoma is a rare congenital tumor of salivary gland. Herein, we report a case in a 5-year-old child who presented with a painless swelling in parotid region since birth and also review the literature. Surgical excision of parotid gland was done. Further, histopathological and immunohistochemical examination was performed and a final diagnosis of sialoblastoma was made. Patient is on follow-up 6 monthly.

Sialoblastoma of parotid gland: A rare case report and review of literature

Pseudomonas solanacearum (Smith) was consistently isolated from the wilted plants of Casuarina equisetifolia. The isolate gave positive reaction to oxidase, catalase and gas production from nitrate and negative reaction for arginine dihydrolase and acid was produced from various carbohydrates. Wilt produced on tomato, egg plant and capsicum indicated that the pathogen belongs to Race I and Biovar III of P. solanacearum which is a new record from India.

Bacteria wilt of Casuarina equisetifolia in India

Rhizoctonia solani and Sclerotium rolfsii are newly reported causing a seedling web blight of Eucalyptus and a leaf spot of teak respectively in Kerala, India.

Two mycelia sterilia parasitic on foliage of hardwood seedlings in Kerala State, India

Nursery diseases of teak in India

Hydnum subvinosum , a rare hydnoid fungus reported for the first time from India, is redescribed and illustrated. On potato-dextrose agar the fungus produced characteristic fructifications within 10–12 weeks of incubation. H. subvinosum causes a serious stem canker disease of Leucaena leucocephala in Kerala, India.

Jyoti Kumar Sharma

Papers

Sialoblastoma of parotid gland: A rare case report and review of literature

Bacteria wilt of Casuarina equisetifolia in India

Two mycelia sterilia parasitic on foliage of hardwood seedlings in Kerala State, India

Nursery diseases of teak in India

Hydnum subvinosum, a rare parasite on Leucaena leucocephala in India