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

This research paper focuses on providing an algorithm by which (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) UAVs can be used to provide optimal routes for agricultural applications such as, fertilizers and pesticide spray, in crop fields. To utilize a minimum amount of inputs and complete the task without a revisit, one needs to employ optimized routes and optimal points of delivering the inputs required in precision agriculture (PA). First, stressed regions are identified using VegNet (Vegetative Network) software. Then, methods are applied for obtaining optimal routes and points for the spraying of inputs with an autonomous UAV for PA. This paper reports a unique and innovative technique to calculate the optimum location of spray points required for a particular stressed region. In this technique, the stressed regions are divided into many circular divisions with its center being a spray point of the stressed region. These circular divisions would ensure a more effective dispersion of the spray. Then an optimal path is found out which connects all the stressed regions and their spray points. The paper also describes the use of methods and algorithms including travelling salesman problem (TSP)-based route planning and a Voronoi diagram which allows applying precision agriculture techniques.

https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/4/3/58/pdf

An Approach for Route Optimization in Applications of Precision Agriculture Using UAVs

Extracts prepared from unfed larvae of Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum were purified by immunoaffinity chromatography using anti-gut IgG as ligand. Affinity purified antigen (Aff-GHLAg) was used to immunize cross-bred (Bos taurus × B. indicus) calves of 6–7 months of age. Immunized calves rejected 70.6% larvae, 54.5% nymphs and 61.9% adults. No significant changes in the engorged weight of females was observed; however, significant decrease in the engorgement weight of larvae and nymphs was recorded. There was a significant decrease in the emerging nymphs (p < 0.05) and adults (p < 0.01) of the tick stages fed on immunized animals. SDS-PAGE analysis revealed three antigenic proteins of 100, 59.4 and 37 kDa responsible for induction of resistance in the host.

Immunization of cross-bred cattle against Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum by purified antigens

Progress in development of vaccine against Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum—Indian scenario

SUMMARY Clones of Populus spp. growing in a relatively uniform field environment near Canberra appear to differ in the form and degree of resistance to the two leaf rusts Melampsora medusae Thum, and M. larici-populina Kleb. There is evidence of considerable racial specialisation in both rust species and this has importance in future breeding strategies for poplar. Although both rust species occurred at low and high latitudes in eastern Australia in 1975, in midsummer M. medusae was most common on clones at low latitudes while M. larici-populina was most frequent on the same clones at higher latitudes. Fungal hyperparasites of both rusts are common in the field in autumn. A programme for further research on poplar rusts is outlined.

Some Aspects of Poplar Rust Research in Australia

Conidia of Cladosporium sp. are frequently present in large numbers in collections of uredospores of Melampsora larici-populina made in the field at Canberra in late autumn. The presence of these conidia considerably reduces the viability of the uredospores and consequently infection of leaves of Populus nigra var. italica under controlled conditions. Lysis of germinated and ungerminated uredospores under experimental conditions by the mycelium of Cladosporium sp. has been demonstrated. The potential for control of leaf rust of poplar by hyperparasitism is discussed.

Jyoti Kumar Sharma

Papers

An Approach for Route Optimization in Applications of Precision Agriculture Using UAVs

Immunization of cross-bred cattle against Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum by purified antigens

Progress in development of vaccine against Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum—Indian scenario

Some Aspects of Poplar Rust Research in Australia

Parasitism of uredospores of Melampsora larici‐populina Kleb. by Cladosporium sp.