We developed an innovative plantlet inoculation biological control strategy to protect cauliflower plants against cabbage root fly (CRF). Pathogenicity of several insect- or soil-associated fungi against CRF was confirmed in in-vitro and glasshouse experiments. Additionally, rhizosphere competence of the tested fungi was assessed. We discovered that all tested fungi persisted on the cauliflower rhizoplane. More importantly, we were able to show that the added fungi were found also outside the original place of inoculation. These observations provided the evidence for concluding that our tested fungi, which were not known plant symbionts, could be transferred via or grow with the elongating roots. In addition to colonizing the rhizoplane, some fungi were found inside the plant root or stem tissue, thus exhibiting endophytic characteristics. We concluded that a biological control strategy involving young plantlet inoculation with selected fungi may be considered as an environmentally friendly alternative for CRF control especially in organic farming systems.
COBISS.SI-ID: 4476776
The main aim of the research was to test a hypothesis that soil adapted beneficial fungi might have a greater biological activity against an important Brassicaceous pest, the cabbage root fly (CRF), than previously well-known entomopathogenic fungi. The experiments involved pathogenicity assessment of 18 insect-associated or potentially plant growth promoting fungal strains. Two kinds of experiments were performed: in-vitro laboratory assays and soil tests. The former enabled quick pathogenicity screening and the latter mimicked natural exposure pathways of the pest to the fungi. All isolates tested were infective to CRF. Importantly, the soil-adapted as well as plant growth promoting fungi achieved higher pathogenicity against CRF in soil bioassays as compared to in-vitro bioassays, thereby proving our hypothesis. The main achievement of the research was that we were able to prove that a selection of soil adapted fungi, previously unknown to exhibit pathogenic effects against CRF outperformed conventional, much tested, entomopathogenic fungi.
COBISS.SI-ID: 4503144
Secondary metabolites of a strain of Microcyclospora tardicrescens (Capnodiales) were analyzed. The strain was isoalted from apple and strongly inhibited growth of the plant pathogen Colletotrichum fioriniae. Bioassayguided fractionation and subsequent structure elucidation by spectroscopic and spectrometric methods (NMR, HRMS) yielded that the fungus produces trichothecolone acetate and its novel derivative (S)7hydroxytrichothecolone acetate as bioactive compoundes. This is the second report that mycotoxigenic trichothecenes can be produced not only by species of the Hypocreales (e.g., Fusarium) but also Capnodiales.
COBISS.SI-ID: 4463464
An unidentifyable SBFS fungus was retrieved as an epiphyte from ripening apples. DNA sequence based phylogenetic analyses and its micromorphology on artifical media suggested that it is related to Peltaster fructicola described earlier from North America. The European species is newly described as Peltaster cerophilus and the type material of P. fructicola redescribed. Two group I introns were discovered in the nuclear small ribosomal RNA subunit gene sequences of P. cerophilus. The specific features of one of these introns are unique for the sofar analyzed strains of P. cerophilus and could be used for diagnostics and epidemiological purposes.
COBISS.SI-ID: 4463720
Eleven microsatellite markers were developed for the leafhoppers of the genus Aphrodes using shotgun pyrosequencing and will be used to study the genetic diversity, population structure and gene flow within and between species in this genus in order to assess their conservation status. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 3 to 10, while observed and expected heterozygosity values varied from 0.421–1.000 to 0.542–0.876, respectively. Cross-species amplification was successful among the four congeners.
COBISS.SI-ID: 3149391