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Novel Biocontrol Tools and Resources for Plant Protection

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A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Protection and Biotic Interactions".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 November 2023) | Viewed by 15018

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Yong Wang

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Guest Editor

Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Agriculture, GuiZhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
Interests: plant pathogens; disease resistance; plant–pathogen interaction; biological control
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Humayun Javed

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Guest Editor

Rothamsted Research West Common Harpenden, Hertfordshire AL5 2JQ, UK
Interests: integrated pest management; host plant resistance; stored grain insect pest; chemical ecology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The security and sustainability of the world’s food supply depend on plant protection (in line with Sustainable Development Goal 2 in the 2030 Agenda). Farmers have long employed synthetic pesticides to manage and eliminate pests, but these chemicals are harmful for the environment and for consumer health. The use of integrated pest management is encouraged by current regulatory frameworks in order to achieve sustainable production patterns (SDG Target 12.4) and improve food security. In particular, there should be a greater emphasis on using plant extracts as “green agrochemicals”. Numerous primary and secondary metabolites that exhibit bactericidal, fungicidal, virucidal, insecticidal, acaricidal, and nematocidal properties are produced by plants, including carbohydrates, cyanogenic glycosides, amino acids, lipids, phenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins, alkaloids, and terpenoids. The creation of formulations that can aid in crop preservation and protection requires these phytochemicals as vital raw components. However, the availability of goods made from botanicals is still limited despite the rising need for environmentally acceptable alternatives for the management of agricultural pests. Plant disease is a serious stressor that can significantly reduce the amount of food that plants produce by disrupting the equilibrium of their innate immune systems, hormone signaling pathways, transcriptional control, protein modifying, etc. For the detection of plant pathogens, real-time, visualized, quick, and sensitive technologies have recently been created. Biological techniques like transcriptomics, proteomics, VIGS, CRISPR, HIGS, and gene knock-out have also been established for identifying the molecular mechanisms underlying plant–pathogen interactions. Additionally, microbial communities are crucial in defending the environment of plants from disease invasion. The major microbes responsible for plant disease, that is, fungi, are many and diverse, but little research has been done in this field; as a result, novel taxa or cryptic species may be discovered from an evolutionary standpoint. A contemporary research hotspot is the study of fungal variety in terms of biodiversity, systematic phylogeny, and molecular evolution. This Special Issue will consider recent findings in the aforementioned research fields. In order to produce marketable biocontrol products, it is essential to identify the bioactive phytoconstituents in plant extracts. This Special Issue intends to aid the screening of promising candidate biorationals. Guest pieces (original research papers, reviews, and communications) for this Special Issue will mostly be focused on the following topics:

Isolation, characterization, and assessment of phytochemicals with biological action against pests/pathogens in both laboratory and field settings.
The combination of various plant extracts with other substances (g., biostimulants, nanomaterials, microbial volatiles) to increase their antibacterial, insecticidal, acaricidal, and/or nematocidal activity in a synergistic manner.
The creation of novel formulations that use plant botanicals/plant-growth-promoting microbes (PGPMs) as active components and provide the bioactive compounds with stability, adherence, and controlled release.
Studies on the biological and molecular mechanisms behind the action of natural products/plant–microbe interaction.

Prof. Dr. Yong Wang
Prof. Dr. Humayun Javed
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.

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Keywords

biological control
host-plant resistance (HPR)
plant–microbe interaction
plant-growth-promoting microbes (PGPM)
microbial volatiles
plant extracts
secondary metabolites
sustainable agriculture
integrated pest management
crop protection
natural antibacterial products
natural fungicide products
natural insecticides

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 4790 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Albocycline Is the Main Bioactive Antifungal Compound Produced by Streptomyces sp. OR6 against Verticillium dahliae

by Carla Calvo-Peña, Rebeca Cobos, José María Sánchez-López, Ana Ibañez and Juan José R. Coque

Plants 2023, 12(20), 3612; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12203612 - 18 Oct 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 828

Abstract

Verticillium wilt is a soil-borne fungal disease that affects olive trees (Olea europaea) and poses a serious threat to their cultivation. The causal agent of this disease is Verticillium dahliae, a pathogen that is difficult to control with conventional methods. Therefore, there is a need to explore alternative strategies for the management of Verticillium wilt. In this study, we aimed to isolate and characterize actinobacteria from the rhizosphere of olive trees that could act as potential biocontrol agents against V. dahliae. We selected a Streptomyces sp. OR6 strain based on its in vitro antifungal activity and its ability to suppress the pathogen growth in soil samples. We identified the main active compound produced by this strain as albocycline, a macrolide polyketide with known antibacterial properties and some antifungal activity. Albocycline was able to efficiently suppress the germination of conidiospores. To our knowledge, this is the first report of albocycline as an effective agent against V. dahliae. Our results suggest that Streptomyces sp. OR6, or other albocycline-producing strains, could be used as a promising tool for the biological control of Verticillium wilt. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Biocontrol Tools and Resources for Plant Protection)

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16 pages, 2168 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Xanthomonas euvesicatoria-Specific Bacteriophage BsXeu269p/3 Reduces the Spread of Bacterial Spot Disease in Pepper Plants

by Elena Shopova, Liliana Brankova, Sergei Ivanov, Zoltan Urshev, Lyudmila Dimitrova, Melani Dimitrova, Petya Hristova and Yoana Kizheva

Plants 2023, 12(19), 3348; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12193348 - 22 Sep 2023

Viewed by 1015

Abstract

The present study was focused on the pathosystem pepper plants (Capsicum annuum L.)-phytopathogenic bacterium X. euvesicatoria (wild strain 269p)-bacteriophage BsXeu269p/3 and the possibility of bacteriophage-mediated biocontrol of the disease. Two new model systems were designed for the monitoring of the effect of the phage treatment on the infectious process in vivo. The spread of the bacteriophage and the pathogen was monitored by qPCR. A new pair of primers for phage detection via qPCR was designed, as well as probes for TaqMan qPCR. The epiphytic bacterial population and the potential bacteriolytic effect of BsXeu269p/3 in vivo was observed by SEM. An aerosol-mediated transmission model system demonstrated that treatment with BsXeu269p/3 reduced the amount of X. euvesicatoria on the leaf surface five-fold. The needle-pricking model system showed a significant reduction of the amount of the pathogen in infectious lesions treated with BsXeu269p/3 (av. 59.7%), compared to the untreated control. We found that the phage titer is 10-fold higher in the infection lesions but it was still discoverable even in the absence of the specific host in the leaves. This is the first report of in vivo assessment of the biocontrol potential of locally isolated phages against BS pathogen X. euvesicatoria in Bulgaria. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Biocontrol Tools and Resources for Plant Protection)

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14 pages, 1684 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Plant Extracts from the Yucatan Peninsula in the In Vitro Control of Curvularia lunata and Antifungal Effect of Mosannona depressa and Piper neesianum Extracts on Postharvest Fruits of Habanero Pepper

by Patricia Cruz-Cerino, Jairo Cristóbal-Alejo, Violeta Ruiz-Carrera and Marcela Gamboa-Angulo

Plants 2023, 12(16), 2908; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12162908 - 09 Aug 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 930

Abstract

Plant extracts are a valuable alternative for the control of phytopathogenic fungi in horticultural crops. In the present work, the in vitro antifungal effect of ethanol and aqueous extracts from different vegetative parts of 40 native plants of the Yucatan Peninsula on Curvularia lunata ITC26, a pathogen of habanero pepper (Capsicum chinense), and effects of the most active extracts on postharvest fruits were investigated. Among these, the ethanol extracts of Mosannona depressa (bark from stems and roots) and Piper neesianum (leaves) inhibited 100% of the mycelial growth of C. lunata. The three extracts were partitioned between acetonitrile and n-hexane. The acetonitrile fraction from M. depressa stem bark showed the lowest mean inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) of 188 µg/mL against C. lunata. The application of this extract and its active principle α-asarone in the postharvest fruits of C. chinense (500 µg/mL) was shown to inhibit 100% of the severity of the infection caused by C. lunata after 11 days of contact. Both samples caused the distortion and collapse of the conidia of the phytopathogen when observed using electron microscopy at 96 h. The spectrum of M. depressa enriched antifungal action is a potential candidate to be a botanical fungicide in the control of C. lunata in cultivating habanero pepper. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Biocontrol Tools and Resources for Plant Protection)

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17 pages, 1372 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Chemical Constituents and Antimicrobial Activity of a Ganoderma lucidum (Curtis.) P. Karst. Aqueous Ammonia Extract

by Eva Sánchez-Hernández, Ana Teixeira, Catarina Pereira, Adriana Cruz, Jesús Martín-Gil, Rui Oliveira and Pablo Martín-Ramos

Plants 2023, 12(12), 2271; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12122271 - 11 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1755

Abstract

Mushroom extracts have shown potential as a source of new antimicrobial agents. This study investigates the chemical profile of an aqueous ammonia extract obtained from the carpophores of Ganoderma lucidum, which grows on Quercus ilex trees, and explores its valorization as a biorational. The major chemical constituents of the extract, identified through gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, include acetamide, oleic acid, 1,2,3,4-butanetetrol, monomethyl azelate, undecane, and palmitic acid. The anti-oomycete and antifungal activity of G. lucidum extract was evaluated against Phytophthora cinnamomi, the primary threat to Quercus spp. in the dehesa biome, as well as three Botryosphaeriaceae fungi. In vitro tests revealed minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 187.5 μg·mL⁻¹ against P. cinnamomi and 187.5–1000 μg·mL⁻¹ against the fungi. Furthermore, conjugation of the G. lucidum extract with chitosan oligomers (COS) synergistically enhanced its antimicrobial activity, resulting in MIC values of 78.12 and 375–500 μg·mL⁻¹ against P. cinnamomi and the fungi, respectively. These MIC values are among the highest reported to date for natural products against these phytopathogens. Subsequent ex situ testing of the COS-G. lucidum conjugate complex on artificially inoculated Q. ilex excised stems resulted in high protection against P. cinnamomi at a dose of 782 µg·mL⁻¹. These findings support the potential utilization of this resource from the dehesa ecosystem to protect the holm oak, aligning with sustainable and circular economy approaches. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Biocontrol Tools and Resources for Plant Protection)

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13 pages, 3342 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Eucalyptus globulus Leaf Aqueous Extract Differentially Inhibits the Growth of Three Bacterial Tomato Pathogens

by Mafalda Pinto, Cristiano Soares, Tatiana Andreani, Fernanda Fidalgo and Fernando Tavares

Plants 2023, 12(8), 1727; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12081727 - 21 Apr 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1678

Abstract

As available tools for crop disease management are scarce, new, effective, and eco-friendly solutions are needed. So, this study aimed at assessing the antibacterial activity of a dried leaf Eucalyptus globulus Labill. aqueous extract (DLE) against Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst), Xanthomonas euvesicatoria (Xeu), and Clavibacter michiganensis michiganensis (Cmm). For this, the inhibitory activity of different concentrations of DLE (0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, 105, 120, 135, and 250 g L⁻¹) was monitored against the type strains of Pst, Xeu, and Cmm through the obtention of their growth curves. After 48 h, results showed that the pathogen growth was strongly inhibited by DLE, with Xeu the most susceptible species (15 g L⁻¹ MIC and IC₅₀), followed by Pst (30 g L⁻¹ MIC and IC₅₀), and Cmm (45 and 35 g L⁻¹ MIC and IC₅₀, respectively). Additionally, using the resazurin assay, it was possible to verify that DLE considerably impaired cell viability by more than 86%, 85%, and 69% after Pst, Xeu, and Cmm were incubated with DLE concentrations equal to or higher than their MIC, respectively. However, only the treatment with DLE at 120 g L⁻¹ did not induce any hypersensitive response in all pathogens when treated bacterial suspensions were infiltrated onto tobacco leaves. Overall, DLE can represent a great strategy for the prophylactic treatment of tomato-associated bacterial diseases or reduce the application of environmentally toxic approaches. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Biocontrol Tools and Resources for Plant Protection)

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17 pages, 3224 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Bio-Intensive Tactics for the Management of Invasive Fall Armyworm for Organic Maize Production

by Manikyanahalli Chandrashekara Keerthi, Sachin Suresh Suroshe, Sagar Doddachowdappa, Kadanakuppe Thammayya Shivakumara, Hosapura Shekhararaju Mahesha, Virendra Singh Rana, Ankita Gupta, Ajith Murukesan, Ryan Casini, Hosam O. Elansary and Najam Akhtar Shakil

Plants 2023, 12(3), 685; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12030685 - 03 Feb 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3016

Abstract

Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is an invasive pest native to the American continent. The present study focused on bio-intensive tactics like intercropping, using natural enemies, botanical insecticides and biopesticides for managing S. frugiperda for the organic production of maize in Indian conditions. A total of eight different parasitoids attacking the different stages of S. frugiperda viz., eggs and larvae were found in the study area. The total parasitism rate due to all the parasitoids ranged from 28.37 to 42.44%. The egg-larval parasitoid, Chelonus formosanus Sonan (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) was the dominant parasitoid (12.55%), followed by Chelonus nr. blackburni (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) (10.98%) and Coccygydium sp. (4.85%). About 36.58 percent of the egg masses collected was parasitized by egg parasitoids, among which Telenomus remus (Nixon) (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) was the dominant parasitoid. The botanicals insecticides such as citronella and annona extract were most effective, resulting in 100% mortality of FAW larvae (168 h after treatment). The essential oil of garlic (100%) was found highly effective in inhibiting egg hatching, followed by geraniol (90.76%). The maize intercropped with lady’s finger (okra) recorded significantly the lowest pest infestation and recorded higher grain yield (6.17 q/ha) than other intercropping systems and control (5.10 q/ha). The overall bioefficacy of commercial biopesticides against the larvae of S. frugiperda was in the following order azadirachtin > Metarhizium anisopliae (Metch.) Sorokin (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) > Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) at 168 h after treatment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Biocontrol Tools and Resources for Plant Protection)

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19 pages, 5480 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effectiveness of Endophytic and Rhizospheric Bacteria from Moringa spp. in Controlling Pythium aphanidermatum Damping-Off of Cabbage

by Buthaina Aamir Ali Al-Rahbi, Abdullah Mohammed Al-Sadi, Majida Mohammed Ali Al-Harrasi, Jamal Nasser Al-Sabahi, Issa Hashil Al-Mahmooli, Daniel Blackburn and Rethinasamy Velazhahan

Plants 2023, 12(3), 668; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12030668 - 02 Feb 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2225

Abstract

In this study, endophytic and rhizospheric bacteria were isolated from Moringa olifera and M. perigreina from Oman, and their in vitro antagonistic activity against Pythium aphanidermatum was tested using a dual culture assay. The promising strains were tested further for their compatibility and potential for plant growth promotion, biofilm formation, antifungal volatile organic compound (VOC) production, and the biological control of P. aphanidermatum damping-off of cabbage (Brassica oleracea L.) under greenhouse conditions. A total of 12 endophytic and 27 rhizospheric bacteria were isolated from Moringa spp. Among them, Bacillus pumilus MPE1 showed the maximum antagonistic activity against P. aphanidermatum in the dual culture assay, followed by Paenibacillus glucanolyticus MPE3 and Pseudomonas indica MOR3 and MOR8. These bacterial isolates induced abundant morphological abnormalities in the hyphae of P. aphanidermatum, as observed via scanning electron microscopy. The in vitro cross-streak assay showed that these bacterial isolates were compatible among themselves, except for P. indica MOR8 × P. glucanolyticus MPE3. These antagonists released VOCs that restricted the growth of P. aphanidermatum in an in vitro assay. These antagonistic bacteria released 2,4-dimethylheptane and 4-methyloctane as the predominant volatile compounds. Of the four antagonistic bacterial strains, P. indica MOR8 was capable of forming biofilm, which is considered a trait that improves the efficacy of rhizosphere inoculants. The results of the greenhouse experiments showed that the soil treatment with B. pumilus MPE1 showed the highest reduction (59%) in the incidence of P. aphanidermatum damping-off in cabbage, evidencing its potential as a biological control agent for the management of this disease. Further research is needed to characterize the antifungal traits and activities of B. pumilus MPE1 and to assert its potential use against other soil-borne plant pathogens. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Biocontrol Tools and Resources for Plant Protection)

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15 pages, 4394 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Colonization and Effect of Isaria cateinannulata on Buckwheat Sprouts

by Xiaona Zhang, Xue Peng, Guimin Yang, Qingfu Chen and Daochao Jin

Plants 2023, 12(1), 145; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12010145 - 28 Dec 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1426

Abstract

The use of entomogenous fungi as endophytes is currently an area of active research. Isaria cateniannulata is an important entomogenous fungus that has been employed for the active control of a range of pests in agricultural and forestry settings, but its direct impact on plants remains to be evaluated. Herein, we assessed the ability of I. cateniannulata to colonize buckwheat, Fagopyrum esculentum and F. tataricum, and its impact on buckwheat defense enzyme activity and physiological indexes. The majority of fungal submerge condia was able to enter into leaves through stomata and veins, and this was followed by conidial attachment, lytic enzyme secretion, conidial deformation, and enhanced defensive enzyme activity within buckwheat, followed by the repair of damaged tissue structures. I. cateniannulata populations on buckwheat leaf surfaces (in CFU/g) reached the minimum values at 24 h after inoculation. At this time, the blast analysis revealed that the sequence identity values were 100%, which was consistent with the sequence of I. cateniannula. The number of I. cateniannulata submerge conidia colonized in the buckwheat leaves gradually rose to peak levels on 7 d post-inoculation, and then gradually declined until 10 d, at which time the buckwheat plant growth index values increased. This study provided novel evidence that I. cateniannulata could be leveraged as an endophytic fungus capable of colonizing buckwheat plants and promoting their growth. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Biocontrol Tools and Resources for Plant Protection)

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17 pages, 4630 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Biocontrol Potential of PeBL2, a Novel Entomopathogenic Bacterium from Brevibacillus laterosporus A60, Induces Systemic Resistance against Rice Leaf Folder Cnaphalocrocis exigua (Butler) in Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

by Khadija Javed, Talha Humayun, Ayesha Humayun, Shahida Shaheen, Yong Wang and Humayun Javed

Plants 2022, 11(23), 3350; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11233350 - 02 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1385

Abstract

The dangerous insect pest known as rice leaf folder Cnaphalocrocis exigua (Butler), which reduces rice output globally, twists and feeds on the young rice plant’s leaves. Protein elicitors are hypothesized to be biological components that promote rice in becoming herbivore resistant. The evolving elicitor protein PeBL2, obtained from Brevibacillus laterosporus A60, was tested for biocontrol against C. exigua. Four distinct PeBL2 doses (74.23, 45.53, 22.26, and 11.13 μg mL⁻¹) were assigned to evaluate the impact of PeBL2 on immature growth, survivability, and lifespan. Adult reproductive efficiency and the interaction between the pest and the disease were assessed against C. exigua. Further, the assessment of active compounds in PeBL2 with multi-acting entomopathogenic effects investigated the direct correlations of PeBL2 with temperature and climatic change in plants of rice (Oryza sativa L.). When compared to controls, PeBL2 treatments reduced the growing population of second- and third-generation C. exigua. Cnaphalocrocis exigua colonized control plants faster than PeBL2-treated O. sativa plants in a host selection test. PeBL2 doses delayed the development of the larval stage of C. exigua. PeBL2-treated seedlings generated less offspring than control seedlings, identical to fecundity. Trichomes and wax formation on PeBL2-treated leaves generated an adverse environment for C. exigua. PeBL2 altered the surface topography of the leaves, preventing colonization and reducing C. exigua reproduction. PeBL2-treated O. sativa seedlings exhibited somewhat increased amounts of jasmonic acid (JA), salicylic acid (SA), and ethylene (ET). Systemic defensive processes also included the activation of pathways (JA, SA, and ET). Following these results versus C. exigua, the use of PeBL2 in an agroecosystem with integrated pest management and biocontrol appears to be reasonable. These findings shed new light on a cutting-edge biocontrol technique based on B. laterosporus A60. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Biocontrol Tools and Resources for Plant Protection)

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