Phytoparasitica 

About: Phytoparasitica is an academic journal published by Springer Science+Business Media. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Population & Biology. It has an ISSN identifier of 0334-2123. Over the lifetime, 2323 publications have been published receiving 34417 citations.

A selective medium for improving quantitative isolation of Trichoderma spp. from soil

Abstract: ATrichoderma-selective agar medium (TSM) was developed for quantitative isolation ofTrichoderma spp. from soil. Selectivity was obtained by using chloramphenicol as a bacterial inhibitor, and pentachloronitrobenzene, p-dimethylaminobenzenediazo sodium sulfonate and rose-bengal as selective fungal inhibitors. The TSM also contains a low concentration of glucose which still allows relatively rapid growth and sporulation ofTrichoderma, enabling convenient and rapid identification ofTrichoderma colonies. All the 15Trichoderma isolates tested formed colonies and grew well on this medium. Recovery ofTrichoderma from artificially inoculated soils was high and was not affected by soil type or by other microorganisms. A positive correlation was observed betweenTrichoderma added to soil and counts ofTrichoderma colonies on TSM plates. When combined with a soil pellet sampler, the selective medium was also used successfully for recovery of the indigenousTrichoderma population of natural soils.

Phenolic compounds in plant disease resistance

Abstract: We propose that an important first line in plant defense against infection is provided by the very rapid synthesis of phenolics and their polymerization in the cell wall. This rapid synthesis, which leaves no time forde novo enzyme synthesis, is regulated by the extreme pH-dependence of the hydroxylase, catalyzing the formation of caffeoyl-CoA from 4-coumaroyl-CoA. We further propose that elicitor treatment or infection causes rapid membrane changes leading to a decrease in cytoplasmic pH. This decrease would have the effect of activating the hydroxylase.

DNA sequence-based identification of Fusarium : Current status and future directions

Abstract: Fusarium ranks as one of the world’s most economically destructive and species-rich groups of mycotoxigenic plant pathogens (Aoki et al. 2014). These ubiquitous molds produce a plethora of toxic secondary metabolites, such as trichothecenes, zearalenone, fumonisins, and enniatins, which pose a significant threat to agricultural biosecurity, food safety, and plant, human and animal health (Marasas et al.1984). Fusarial-induced diseases of virtually every economically important plant cost the global agricultural economy multi-billion euro losses annually. Moreover, phylogenetically diverse fusaria, including plant pathogens (Short et al. 2011), cause infections in humans, with those involving the cornea and nails being the most common (Chang et al.2006 and references therein). Because fusaria are broadly resistant to the spectrum of antifungals currently available, disseminated infections in patients who are artificially immunosuppressed or immunocompromised and severely neutropenic are typically fatal (Balajee et al.2009). The likely reservoir of nosocomial fusarioses is the plumbing system, which has been shown to harbor the most common human opportunistic fusaria (Kuchar 1996; Short et al.2011). Accurate identification of the etiological and/or toxigenic agent is central to disease management and infection control (Wingfield et al. 2012). Thus, the primary focus of this mini-review is to provide a contemporary guide to the following three web-accessible resources for DNA sequence-based identification of Fusarium: FUSARIUM-ID (http://isolate.fusariumdb.org/; Geiser et al.2004; Park et al. 2010), Fusarium MLST (http://www.cbs.knaw.nl/fusarium/; O’Donnell et al.2010), and NCBI GenBank (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/). The following brief overview of Fusarium phylogenetic diversity is provided as background information for the sections on DNA sequence-based identification.

Improved selective media for isolation ofTrichoderma spp. orFusarium spp.

Abstract: Modifications were made to improve theTrichoderma selective medium (TSM). TSM supplemented with benomyl was efficient for isolatingFusarium spp. from soil; and TSM supplemented with captan was a specific selective medium forTrichoderma spp., even in the presence ofFusarium in the soil.

Neem and other Botanical insecticides: Barriers to commercialization

Abstract: In spite of the wide recognition that many plants possess insecticidal properties, only a handful of pest control products directly obtained from plants, i.e., botanical insecticides, are in use in developed countries. The demonstrated efficacy of the botanical neem (based on seed kernel extracts of Azadirachta indica), and its recent approval for use in the United States, has stimulated research and development of other botanical insecticides. However, the commercialization of new botanical insecticides can be hindered by a number of issues. The principal barriers to commercialization of new botanicals are (i) scarcity of the natural resource; (ii) standardization and quality control; and (iii) registration. These issues are no problem (i) or considerably less of a problem (ii, iii) with conventional insecticides. In this review I discuss these issues and suggest how the problems may be overcome in the future.