Horticultural Plant Pathology and Prevention

A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Developmental Physiology, Biochemistry, and Molecular Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2018) | Viewed by 40103

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Bioenergy Crop Research Institute, National Institute of Crop Science, Rural Development Administration, Muan 58545, Korea
Interests: biological control; endophytes; molecular phylogeny; mycology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Botanical Genetics, Buffalo, NY14203, USA
Interests: molecular biology; plant pathology; host resistance; crop improvement

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Horticulture is the art and science of cultivating plants for both utility and beauty, including vegetables, fruits, flowers, and medicinal plants. Horticulture has become a key driver for economic development in agro-based countries around the world. Intensive cultivation is necessary for safe, healthy, highly valued horticultural crops, and sustainable agriculture. Diseases caused by fungi, bacteria, viruses, nematodes, etc. are the most important constraints on the production of horticultural crops. Disease detection, life cycle studies of causal organisms, and prevention play important roles in the production of horticultural foods.

This Special Issue focuses on disease detection, monitoring, causal organism isolation, identification by molecular and morphological methods, endophytic diversity, antagonist selection and biocontrol activity, integrated disease management and prevention, etc. Submissions to the Special Issue could relate to the above-mentioned topics but are not limited to them. We welcome well-prepared manuscripts of original research, review articles, and short communications.

Dr. Narayan Chandra Paul
Dr. Sujon Sarowar
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Horticulturae is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Biocontrol
  • Endophytes
  • Field Diseases
  • New Disease Detection
  • Pestiside and Host Resistance
  • Postharvest Diseases
  • Plant Protection

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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8 pages, 2158 KiB  
Article
Mechanism of the Alternaria alternata Pathogenicity in ‘Fortune’ Mandarin
by Licinio Díaz, José Antonio Del Río and Ana Ortuño
Horticulturae 2018, 4(4), 54; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae4040054 - 07 Dec 2018
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3247
Abstract
Alternaria brown spot, caused by Alternaria alternata (Fr.) Keissl, is an important disease in tangerines and their hybrids, affecting leaves, twigs, and immature fruit. Differences in susceptibility to this pathogenic fungus have been described for different Citrus species. In this paper, the expression [...] Read more.
Alternaria brown spot, caused by Alternaria alternata (Fr.) Keissl, is an important disease in tangerines and their hybrids, affecting leaves, twigs, and immature fruit. Differences in susceptibility to this pathogenic fungus have been described for different Citrus species. In this paper, the expression of the mycotoxins alternariol and alternariol monomethyl ether in different A. alternata isolates was analyzed by HPLC-MS. A correlation was observed between the mycotoxins content and the pathogenicity of each isolated of A. alternata used, suggesting that the mycotoxins may be involved in the evolution of brown spot in ‘Fortune’ fruits caused by this fungus. The increased expression of the above mycotoxins was associated with the end of mycelia growth, high sporulation, and an increase in hyphal melanization in the fungus. On the other hand, the presence of laccase activity in the xylem of ‘Fortune’ fruits inoculated with A. alternata suggests that this is the way the fungus propagates in the plant. These results add to our knowledge of the pathogenesis of A. alternata in Citrus. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Horticultural Plant Pathology and Prevention)
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9 pages, 399 KiB  
Article
Performance of Two Citrus Species Grafted to Different Rootstocks in the Presence of Huanglongbing Disease in Puerto Rico
by Rebecca Tirado-Corbalá, Dania Rivera-Ocasio, Alejandro Segarra-Carmona, Elvin Román-Paoli and Agenol González
Horticulturae 2018, 4(4), 38; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae4040038 - 06 Nov 2018
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3915
Abstract
Since Huanglongbing (HLB) disease was detected in 2009 in Puerto Rico, a steady drop in citrus production has been experienced, forcing farmers to abandon their land or switch to other crops. Between 2015 and 2016, we used grafted trees from two experimental orchards [...] Read more.
Since Huanglongbing (HLB) disease was detected in 2009 in Puerto Rico, a steady drop in citrus production has been experienced, forcing farmers to abandon their land or switch to other crops. Between 2015 and 2016, we used grafted trees from two experimental orchards (Tahiti lime and Nova mandarin), each on five rootstocks, to collect soil and plant tissue samples from each scion‒rootstock combination to determine soil fertility, tissue nutrient content, and yield. The tree growth parameters (height, diameter, and canopy volume) and efficiency of the two orchards were also measured. These orchards, growing in Coto series (Typic Hapludox), were planted in 2009 and reported as heavily infested with HLB by 2011. Our results showed that soil and tissue samples from the Tahiti lime orchard exhibited benefits for tree growth parameters when grafted on Carrizo and Cleopatra rootstocks. Lower tree mortality (13%) was observed for Tahiti lime grafted on Carrizo, HRS 812, Carrizo and Rough lemon rootstocks, while 25% of the Nova mandarin trees perished on the same rootstocks. Yield was higher for Tahiti lime grafted on Swingle rootstock (35.6 fruit m−3) as compared to the other rootstocks. In general, HLB appears to have caused poor development and low production in the Nova mandarin orchard. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Horticultural Plant Pathology and Prevention)
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16 pages, 853 KiB  
Article
Use and Effects of Different Brassica and Other Rotation Crops on Soilborne Diseases and Yield of Potato
by Robert P. Larkin and Ryan P. Lynch
Horticulturae 2018, 4(4), 37; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae4040037 - 30 Oct 2018
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 4752
Abstract
Soilborne diseases are persistent problems in potato production, resulting in reductions in tuber quality and yield. Brassica rotation crops may reduce soilborne potato diseases, but how to best utilize Brassica crops in potato cropping systems has not been established. In this research, two [...] Read more.
Soilborne diseases are persistent problems in potato production, resulting in reductions in tuber quality and yield. Brassica rotation crops may reduce soilborne potato diseases, but how to best utilize Brassica crops in potato cropping systems has not been established. In this research, two two-year trials were established at three different sites with histories of soilborne diseases, and up to six different Brassica crops (canola, winter rapeseed, yellow and brown condiment mustards, oriental mustard, oilseed radish, and a mustard blend) and standard rotation crops (ryegrass and buckwheat) were evaluated as rotation and green manure crops. Tuber yield did not vary substantially among the rotation crops, but rotation treatments significantly affected incidence and severity of soilborne diseases at all sites. However, results were variable among sites and years. Perennial ryegrass and mustard blend rotations reduced powdery scab disease by 31–55% relative to other rotations in the only field where powdery scab was a serious problem. Mustard blend, ryegrass, and other Brassica rotations also reduced common scab, silver scurf, and black scurf at various sites, but not consistently at all sites. At one site, mustard blend and barley/ryegrass rotations reduced black scurf (by 21–58%) and common scab (by 13–34%) relative to no rotation. Overall, disease control was not correlated with biofumigation potential or rotation crop biomass production. Although both Brassica and non-Brassica rotations provided disease reduction in potato cropping systems, no single rotation crop performed consistently better than several others. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Horticultural Plant Pathology and Prevention)
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13 pages, 985 KiB  
Article
Effects of Different Sulfur Dioxide Pads on Botrytis Mold in ‘Italia’ Table Grapes under Cold Storage
by Saeed Ahmed, Sergio Ruffo Roberto, Allan Ricardo Domingues, Muhammad Shahab, Osmar José Chaves Junior, Ciro Hideki Sumida and Reginaldo Teodoro De Souza
Horticulturae 2018, 4(4), 29; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae4040029 - 28 Sep 2018
Cited by 34 | Viewed by 11716
Abstract
‘Italia’ grape is one of the most important table grape cultivars grown worldwide. Gray mold, caused by Botrytis cinerea Pers. Fr., is one of the most important causes of postharvest decay of table grapes, and the control of this disease is very difficult [...] Read more.
‘Italia’ grape is one of the most important table grape cultivars grown worldwide. Gray mold, caused by Botrytis cinerea Pers. Fr., is one of the most important causes of postharvest decay of table grapes, and the control of this disease is very difficult because postharvest treatments with synthetic fungicides are not allowed in many countries. The objective of this study was to compare different types of pads releasing different doses of SO2 during cold storage to control gray mold in ‘Italia’ table grapes grown under subtropical conditions. Grape bunches were harvested from a commercial field trained on an overhead trellis located at Cambira, state of Parana (PR), South Brazil. The grapes were packed into carton boxes (capacity, 4.5 kg) and subjected to the following SO2 pad treatments (Uvasys®, Cape Town, South Africa) under cold storage (1.0 ± 1 °C) for 50 days: (i) Control; (ii) SO2 slow release pad; (iii) SO2 dual release pad; (iv) SO2 dual release–fast reduced pad; (v) SO2 slow release pad with grapes inoculated with B. cinerea suspension; (vi) SO2 dual release pad with grapes inoculated with B. cinerea suspension; and (vii) SO2 dual release-fast reduced pad with grapes inoculated with B. cinerea suspension. After cold storage, the grape boxes were maintained for 7 days at room temperature (25 °C). The incidence of gray mold on the grapes, firmness, shattered berries, stem browning, as well as other physicochemical variables, such as bunch mass, bunch mass loss, skin color, soluble solids (SS), titratable acidity (TA) and SS/TA were evaluated. Both SO2 dual release pads were highly efficient in preventing the incidence of gray mold in ‘Italia’ grapes packed in clamshells during the 50-day period of cold storage and at room temperature, even with Botrytis-inoculated berries. The SO2 slow release pad showed lower efficiency, but was higher than the control. The SO2 dual release pad treatments provided the best results with respect to stem browning scores (fresh and green stems) during cold storage, and no differences were observed among the treatments with respect to the other physicochemical evaluations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Horticultural Plant Pathology and Prevention)
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10 pages, 1240 KiB  
Article
Cold Storage and Biocontrol Agents to Extend the Storage Period of ‘BRS Isis’ Seedless Table Grapes
by Ronan Carlos Colombo, Deived Uilian Carvalho, Maria Aparecida Da Cruz, Ciro Hideki Sumida, Saeed Ahmed, Paulo Augusto Bassoli, Reginaldo Teodoro De Souza and Sergio Ruffo Roberto
Horticulturae 2018, 4(3), 18; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae4030018 - 15 Aug 2018
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4363
Abstract
‘BRS Isis’ is a novel hybrid seedless table grape with large reddish bunches. This cultivar is cultivated in tropical and subtropical areas and has potential to be exported overseas; however, under these growth conditions, grapes can be severely damaged by gray mold ( [...] Read more.
‘BRS Isis’ is a novel hybrid seedless table grape with large reddish bunches. This cultivar is cultivated in tropical and subtropical areas and has potential to be exported overseas; however, under these growth conditions, grapes can be severely damaged by gray mold (Botrytis cinerea), the main postharvest disease of table grapes. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate different pre- and postharvest strategies to extend the storage period of ‘BRS Isis’ seedless table grapes. The treatments consisted of grapes packed into carton boxes under cold storage (1 °C and high relative humidity), pre- and/or postharvest treatment with potassium bicarbonate or a biological control agent (Bacillus subtilis), all with Botrytis inoculation. Additionally, two controls, with and without Botrytis inoculation, were also evaluated. The experimental design was completely randomized with eight treatments and three replications, and each plot consisted of four bunches. After a 50-day cold storage period, the carton boxes were kept for five days at room temperature (22 °C). Gray mold incidence and water loss, as well as soluble solids (SS), pH, titratable acidity (TA), SS/TA ratio, and color attributes were evaluated during both periods. Cold storage effectively reduced gray mold in ‘BRS Isis’ seedless grape for a period of 50 days, even when grapes were inoculated; however, no difference among treatments was observed. Higher water loss was observed in both non-treated control treatments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Horticultural Plant Pathology and Prevention)
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Review

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21 pages, 2399 KiB  
Review
Mealybug Wilt of Pineapple and Associated Viruses
by Kishore K. Dey, James C. Green, Michael Melzer, Wayne Borth and John S. Hu
Horticulturae 2018, 4(4), 52; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae4040052 - 30 Nov 2018
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 11399
Abstract
Mealybug wilt of pineapple (MWP) is a disease of pineapple that has a long history in Hawaii, but is present throughout the world where pineapples are grown in tropical regions. The disease has an interesting etiology that is poorly understood but involves an [...] Read more.
Mealybug wilt of pineapple (MWP) is a disease of pineapple that has a long history in Hawaii, but is present throughout the world where pineapples are grown in tropical regions. The disease has an interesting etiology that is poorly understood but involves an association with virus particles, mealybug vectors, and ants which spread the mealybug vectors. Several distinct pineapple mealybug wilt-associated virus (PMWaV) species have been identified thus far with potential further member species yet to be characterized. Pineapple mealybug wilt-associated viruses are member species of the Ampelovirus genus of the Closteroviridae family. Ampeloviruses are split into two subgroups, subgroup I and subgroup II. PMWaV-2 is a subgroup II member, and these have a longer and more complex genome with additional genes on the 3’ terminus of the RNA genome compared to subgroup I ampeloviruses. PMWaV-2, along with the presence of mealybug vectors, have been shown to be necessary factors in symptom development in Hawaii. Some of these extra genes in the 3’ of PMWaV-2 have recently been shown to function as silencing suppressors, and may play a role in the virulence of PMWaV-2 and symptom development. In other regions of the world, reports of symptomatic plants without PMWaV-2 infection, but with PMWaV-1, -3 or some combination, contradict the requirement of PMWaV-2 for symptom development in MWP. It is possible that further, uncharacterized PMWaVs may be present in symptomatic pineapple plants that test negative for PMWaV-2, explaining the inconsistency in symptom development. More research is necessary to explore the confusing etiology of the MWP disease, and to perhaps shed light upon the symptom development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Horticultural Plant Pathology and Prevention)
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