Plant Protection Science, 2022 (vol. 58), issue 2

Phages of phytopathogenic bacteria: High potential, but challenging applicationReview

Nataliia Korniienko, Alla Kharina, Iryna Budzanivska, Lenka Burketová, Tetiana Kalachova

Plant Protect. Sci., 2022, 58(2):81-91 | DOI: 10.17221/147/2021-PPS  

Phytopathogenic bacteria are one of the most significant causes of crop yield losses. Until now, the direct treatment of bacterioses was limited to the application of antibacterial compounds or resistance inducers. This is about to change due to the revolutionary discovery of phages. Indeed, bacteriophages look very promising as therapy agents: cheap, self-amplifying, self-eliminating, and safe for the host organism. However, phage therapy of plant diseases remains a "direction with high potential", which, so far, has very few successful implication cases. Here, we discuss recent advances in phage research, focusing on the challenges associated with...

Use of metalaxyl against some soil plant pathogens of the class Peronosporomycetes - A review and two case studiesReview

Matěj Pánek, Asad Ali, Štěpán Helmer

Plant Protect. Sci., 2022, 58(2):92-109 | DOI: 10.17221/42/2021-PPS  

Upon its discovery and implementation in plant protection, metalaxyl became one of the most important fungicides against Phytophthora infestans, but its efficiency has also been proven against other soil pathogens of the class Peronosporomycetes. The most important genus - Phytophthora comprises more than 150 plant pathogens, which cause significant losses in crop production or damage to natural plant associations. Many species of related genera Pythium, Phytopythium and Globisporangium have a similar ability as the species of Phytophthora. Those pathogens are able to quickly spread in wet soils...

Genetic diversity analysis in blackgram (Vigna mungo) genotypes using microsatellite markers for resistance to Yellow mosaic virusOriginal Paper

Chippy Ayyappan Korattukudy, Andrew Peter Leon Michael Antony Samy Tamilarasi, Kannan Rengasamy, Shoba Devadhasan, Saravanan Shunmugavel, Jeshima Khan Yasin, Arumugam Pillai Madhavan

Plant Protect. Sci., 2022, 58(2):110-124 | DOI: 10.17221/8/2020-PPS  

One hundred and two blackgram genotypes were evaluated for Yellow mosaic virus (YMV) resistance based on disease scoring, molecular characterisation, yield and morphological observation. An analysis of variance and a correlation analysis were performed on nine biometric traits. The genotypes showed the highest genetic variation for a single plant yield (genotypic coefficient variation 42.72%). The genotypes were grouped into 18 clusters based on the morphological data. The genetic divergence among the blackgram genotypes was differentiated by 60 alleles using 14 polymorphic simple sequence repeat markers. The polymorphism information content...

Genome-wide characterisation, evolution and expression analysis of the leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinase (LRR-RLK) gene family in cucumbersOriginal Paper

Jia Yu, Bo Zhang, Sisi Liu, Wei Guo, Yifan Gao, Hongyan Sun

Plant Protect. Sci., 2022, 58(2):125-138 | DOI: 10.17221/131/2021-PPS  

The leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinases (LRR-RLKs) compose a large gene family in plant genomes and implement essential functions in diverse plant physiology progress, including defence against pathogens. However, a systematic analysis of LRR-RLKs has not been accomplished in the economically important cucumber. 189 LRR-RLK genes were identified in the cucumber genome and further divided into 22 subgroups based on the sequence similarities in this study. A total of 31 segmental duplication events and 15 tandem duplication events were present in the genome, indicating that the two duplications were the main driving forces...

Trichoderma asperellum (NST-009): A potential native antagonistic fungus to control Cercospora leaf spot and promote the growth of 'Green Oak' lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) cultivated in the commercial NFT hydroponic systemOriginal Paper

Athakorn Promwee, Warin Intana

Plant Protect. Sci., 2022, 58(2):139-149 | DOI: 10.17221/69/2021-PPS  

Leaf spot caused by Cercospora lactucae-sativae is one of the most damaging diseases of 'Green Oak' lettuce in Thailand. This study was conducted to estimate the effectiveness of Trichoderma asperellum NST-009, a native strain in Thailand, to manage the leaf spot disease and enhance the growth of 'Green Oak' lettuce in a nutrient film technique (NFT) hydroponic system. In vitro tests showed that T. asperellum NST-009 significantly inhibited the mycelial growth of C. lactucae-sativae by 72.50%, and its antifungal metabolite from the culture filtrate...

Parasitisation of Yponomeuta malinellus feeding on Crataegus monogyna in the allotment gardens in the city of Poznań, PolandOriginal Paper

Hanna Piekarska-Boniecka, Marta Rzańska-Wieczorek, Idzi Siatkowski, Tadeusz Barczak

Plant Protect. Sci., 2022, 58(2):150-157 | DOI: 10.17221/101/2021-PPS  

The apple ermine moth (Yponomeuta malinellus Zeller) is an economically important pest of apple trees and apple orchards. It is also a pest of ornamental trees and shrubs in urban habitats. The aim of our study was to determine the degree of parasitisation of the apple ermine moth pupae collected from the common hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna Jacquin) in the allotment gardens in Poznań, Poland, by parasitoids from the Ichneumonidae family, to determine parasitoid species and the dates when they start flying. Judged from the parasitisation of pupae, the parasitoids reduced the apple ermine moth population by 9.1% over the period 2014-2016....

Detection of a novel Cry2Ab toxin against Etiella zinckenella Treitschke from the Bacillus thuringiensis serovar canadensis SP142 strainOriginal Paper

Ngoc Le Thu, Thanh Le Thi Minh, Ngoc Pham Bich, Ha Trinh Thi Thu, Quyen Dong Van, Binh Ngo Dinh, Ha Chu Hoang, Ha Hoang, Dong Nguyen Van

Plant Protect. Sci., 2022, 58(2):158-169 | DOI: 10.17221/59/2021-PPS  

The soybean (Glycine max) is an important crop. The pod borer (Etiella zinckenella) is one of the most serious insects that attacks various Leguminosae. Common insecticidal controls are ineffective because of the insect's growth properties. Use of resistant crop varieties offers stabilisation of the yield and has benefits over the use of insecticides. Bacillus thuringiensis is widely used as a bioinsecticide for pest control and a genetic material for pest-resistant transgenic plants. However, the resistance evolution of target insects is emerging as a major threat to the long-term efficacy of these applications....

Obituary of Professor Ing. Karel Veverka, DrSc. (1943-2021)Biographical Notice

Jana Palicová, Iva Křížková, Aleš Lebeda

Plant Protect. Sci., 2022, 58(2):170-171 | DOI: 10.17221/20/2022-PPS  

Prof. Ing. Karel Veverka, DrSc. was an important figure in Czech agricultural phytopathology at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries. His long, diverse experiences in the field of plant protection, combined with his excellent public speaking skills, led him to be recognized as one of the erudite experts of his time. His skillful presentations were widely appreciated at scientific conferences and seminars and at university lectures for students. All his scientific life, he kept contacts in the broader world of agricultural production, to which he was very close due to his personal experience. His expertise in chemical plant-protection products was...