Search Results (43)

Sugar beet (Beta vulgaris ssp. vulgaris) is a vital crop, contributing to nearly a quarter of global sugar production, but faces significant challenges from biotic stressors, particularly aphids, which transmit damaging yellowing viruses such as Beet Yellow Virus (BYV) and Beet Mild Yellowing Virus (BMYV). Following the partial ban of neonicotinoids in Europe, viral infections in sugar beet have surged, highlighting the need for a deeper understanding of aphid-mediated virus transmission mechanisms. This study aims to evaluate the transmission efficiency of BYV and BMYV through different clones of the aphid vector Myzus persicae from sugar beet seed companies across Europe, and to analyze the feeding behaviors of efficient clones to identify factors influencing virus transmission. The transmission rates of yellowing viruses by M. persicae clones ranged from 52% to 79% for BMYV (mean 65%) and 7% to 96% for BYV (mean 47%). While no significant differences in BMYV transmission efficiency were observed among clones, a significant difference was detected between two BYV-carrying clones. Moreover, the BYV-carrying clone exhibited prolonged penetration activities during its feeding phase compared to the BMYV-carrying clone, suggesting a potential behavioral influence on transmission efficiency. This study highlights the importance of considering aphid clone influence in the development of sugar beet resistance. Full article

Pineapple (Ananas comosus L.), cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) and mango (Mangifera indica L.) are among the most cultivated plants in tropical and subtropical regions due to the high demand around the world. Following the harvesting and processing of pineapple, cashew and mango fruits, a huge amount of waste is generated, which is generally discarded into the environment, contributing to global pollution and water contamination. This study aims to propose alternative feeds for pigs by characterizing cashew, pineapple and mango fruit by-products through an in vitro two-step (gastro-intestinal and caecum) study to provide feeds not competing with humans and promoting eco-sustainable livestock. Ten by-products [i.e., pineapple peel and pomace; cashew nut testa, cashew (var. yellow) whole fruit and pomace; cashew (var. red) whole fruit and pomace; mango peel, kernel and testa] were sampled in Benin. The samples involved chemical analysis and an in vitro two-step digestion method (enzymatic + microbial digestibility). The results report a low dry matter (DM) content specifically in the pomace, peel and whole apple (13.0–27.2%), while higher lipids were observed for cashew nut testa and mango kernel (26.4 and 11.2% DM). The investigated by-products fall within the interval of referenced feeds for structural carbohydrates (NDF: 7.6–47.1% DM) and protein (6.21–51.2% DM), except mango by-products with a low content of protein (2.51–4.69% DM). The total dry matter digestibility, short-chain fatty acid and gas production were low for cashew by-products and stopped after 48 h of incubation. Pineapple pomace, cashew whole apple, pomace and testa can be considered as feedstuff in fattening pigs, presenting characteristics partly similar to beet pulp. Indeed, mango peel and kernel should be combined with a protein feed source to feed pigs. Presently, fruit by-products, such as those from cashew, pineapple and mango, are thrown into the environment, contributing to global warming and water pollution. These problems would be reduced by recycling these wastes in other fields, such as pig nutrition, creating a circular economy to provide feeds promoting eco-sustainable livestock. Indeed, in vivo studies are needed before proposing these by-products for pig diets. Full article

The syndrome “bassess richesses” is a vector-borne disease of sugar beet in Germany. The gammaproteobacterium ‘Candidatus Arsenophonus phytopathogenicus’ causes reduced sugar content and biomass, growth abnormalities, and yellowing. Co-infection with the 16SrXII-P stolbur phytoplasmas often leads to more severe symptoms and a risk of complete economic loss. This yellowing agent of the Mollicutes class had not been described before, so its differences from other stolbur phytoplasmas remained unanswered. The genome of strain GOE was sequenced, providing a resource to analyze its characteristics. Phylogenetic position was revised, genome organization was compared, and functional reconstructions of metabolic and virulence factors were performed. Average nucleotide identity analysis indicates that GOE represents a new ‘Ca. Phytoplasma’ species. Our results show that GOE is also distinct from other stolbur phytoplasmas in terms of smaller genome size and G+C content. Its reductive evolution is reflected in conserved membrane protein repertoire and minimal metabolism. The encoding of a riboflavin kinase indicates a lost pathway of phytoplasmas outside the groups 16SrXII and 16SrXIII. GOE shows a complete tra5 transposon harboring orthologs of SAP11, SAP54, and SAP05 effectors indicating an original phytoplasma pathogenicity island. Our results deepen the understanding of phytoplasma evolution and reaffirm the heterogeneity of stolbur phytoplasmas. Full article

Since the ban of neonicotinoid insecticides in the European Union, sugar beet production is threatened by outbreaks of virus yellows (VY) disease, caused by several aphid-transmitted viruses, including the polerovirus beet mild yellowing virus (BMYV). As the symptoms induced may vary depending on multiple infections and other stresses, there is an urgent need for fast screening tests to evaluate resistance/tolerance traits in sugar beet accessions. To address this issue, we exploited the virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) system, by introducing a fragment of a Beta vulgaris gene involved in chlorophyll synthesis in the BMYV genome. This recombinant virus was able to generate early clear vein chlorosis symptoms in infected sugar beets, allowing easy and rapid visual discernment of infected plants across five sugar beet lines. The recombinant virus displayed similar infectivity as the wild-type, and the insert remained stable within the viral progeny. We demonstrated that the percentage of VIGS-symptomatic plants was representative of the infection rate of each evaluated line, and depending on the susceptibility of the line to BMYV infection, VIGS symptoms may last over months. Our work provides a polerovirus-based VIGS system adapted to sugar beet crop allowing visual and rapid large-scale screens for resistance or functional genomic studies. Full article

Sugar beet hybrids are essential in modern agriculture due to their superior yields, disease resistance, and adaptability. This study investigates the role of the Rz2 gene in conferring resistance to beet necrotic yellow vein virus (BNYVV) in 14 sugar beet hybrids cultivated in Kazakhstan, including local and European varieties. The Rz2 gene, encoding a CC-NB-LRR protein, is a known resistance factor against BNYVV. Using RT-qPCR, we assessed Rz2 expression and detected BNYVV in bait plants inoculated with virus-infested soil. Our findings identified two highly resistant varieties: the Kazakh cultivar ‘Abulhair’ and the French line 22b5006. Additionally, the Kazakh cultivar ‘Pamyati Abugalieva’ and the French hybrid ‘Bunker’ exhibited increased resistance, suggesting involvement of other resistance loci. Notably, the Danish hybrid ‘Alando’, despite resistance to rhizomania, did not effectively resist BNYVV, highlighting possible evasion of its genetic factors by local virus strains. Our results emphasize the importance of Rz2 in resistance breeding programs and advocate for further research on additional resistance genes and the genetic variability of BNYVV in Kazakhstan. This work pioneers the molecular evaluation of BNYVV resistance in sugar beet in Kazakhstan, contributing to sustainable disease management and improved sugar beet production. Full article

In this study, the quality and health-promoting components in rhubarb products sweetened with isomaltulose and enriched with fruit (apple, chokeberry, black currant) and vegetable (beetroot, carrot) pomace were assessed. All products with added pomace had higher levels of ash (27–65%) and macro- and microelements (5–436% and 5–333%) compared to the sample without pomace. The addition of pomace also increased the total antioxidant activity. The addition of pomace increased the value of gel strength (Fe) by 22–73% compared to the control; the highest value was found in the product enriched with chokeberry pomace (1.71 N). Red (a* > 0) and yellow (b* > 0) dominated all products, and values of the L* parameter ranged from 7.81 to 37.54. The brightest were the products with added carrot, apple, and beet pomace, while the darkest were those containing chokeberry and blackcurrant pomace. The values of the texture parameters decreased after storage, but to a lesser extent in the products with pomace; however, the products with pomace maintained greater antioxidant activity and retained beneficial components better than those without. A slight darkening of the products and a decrease in the proportion of red (a*) and yellow (b*) color was also observed. Full article

Within the context of ecofriendly alternatives to neonicotinoids, we explored the direct and endophytic potential of two Beauveria bassiana isolates, GHA from BotaniGard and the new endemic isolate GxABT-1, against the Sugar Beet Mild Yellow Virus (BMYV)-Myzus persicae pathosystem. A mortality rate of 96 and 91% was registered after 8 days of treatment with GHA and Gx-ABT-1, respectively. To assess the endophytic impact, sugar beet seeds were treated, and the ability of the fungi to colonize the plant was assessed and correlated with the aphids’ (1) life cycle, (2) attraction towards the plants, and (3) ability to transmit BMYV. Both fungi colonized the plants, and the GxABT-1 isolate impaired the aphids’ life cycle. Myzus persicae were more attracted to leaf discs from non-treated plants than to the fungal-treated ones. Interestingly, when the choice test dealt only with the fungal treatments, aphids were more attracted to leaves from plants harboring Gx-ABT-1 than those with GHA. Moreover, no significant impact was observed for BMYV transmission despite the slight decrease in the viral load in GxABT-1 isolate-treated plants. Our findings constitute a baseline to delve more into the performance of the new endemic isolate B. bassiana in other pathosystems using different treatment methods. Full article

Antioxidant properties, betalain profiles and biochemical composition were studied in table beets with maroon and yellow root colors. Features of dynamic changes during the growing season were described. Significant differences in antioxidant activity were found in table beet accessions with differently colored roots. Negative dynamics of antioxidant activity were observed in all accessions. Statistically significant differences were registered among the accessions in the total amounts of phenolic compounds, chlorophylls, and betalains. The group of maroon accessions demonstrated strong positive correlations between their antioxidant activity and total phenolics (r = 0.91), antioxidant activity and betacyanins (r = 0.80), and between betacyanins and phenolics (r = 0.90). The antioxidant activity in the accessions with yellow roots was associated with chlorophyll b (r = 0.85), ascorbic acid (r = 0.83), and total phenolics (r = 0.83). The data are presented on the structure of betalains in two table beet groups contrasting in their root color. The results of the study made it possible to identify key components in the biochemical profile of differently colored beetroots, associated with their high antioxidant activity. Dynamic changes were shown for the antioxidant activity and fractional composition of betalains in table beet during its growing season, and a conclusion was made concerning the higher nutritional value of maroon cultivars. Full article

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacterial strain FP607^T was isolated from the rhizosphere of beets in Wuhan, China. Strain FP607^T exhibited significant antagonism toward several phytopathogenic bacteria, indicating that FP607^T may produce antimicrobial metabolites and has a stronger biocontrol efficacy against plant pathogens. Growth-promoting tests showed that FP607^T produced indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), NH₃, and ferritin. The genome sequence of strain FP607^T was 6,590,972 bp long with 59.0% G + C content. The optimum temperature range was 25–30 °C, and the optimum pH was 7. The cells of strain FP607^T were Gram-negative, short, and rod-shaped, with polar flagella. The colonies on the King’s B (KB) agar plates were light yellow, smooth, and circular, with regular edges. A phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA sequence and a multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) showed that strain FP607^T was most closely related to the type of strain Pseudomonas farris SWRI79^T. Based on a polyphasic taxonomic approach, strain FP607^T was identified as a novel species within the genus Pseudomonas, for which the name Pseudomonas wuhanensis sp. nov. was proposed. The type of strain used was FP607^T (JCM 35688, CGMCC 27743, and ACCC 62446). Full article

This work aimed to develop gluten-free snacks such as crispbread based on beetroot pomace (Beta vulgaris L.) and golden linseed (Lini semen). Beetroot is attracting more and more consumer attention because of its nutritional and health properties. The use of beet pomace contributes to waste management. Linseed, known as a superfood with many health-promoting properties, was used to produce crispbreads as an alternative to cereals, which are allergens. Beetroot pomace and whole or ground linseed were used in different proportions to produce crispbread snacks. Chemical and physical analyses were performed including water activity, dry matter, betalains, and polyphenols content, as well as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). A sensory evaluation and microstructure observations were also performed. The obtained snacks were characterized by low water activity (0.290–0.395) and a high dry matter content (93.43–97.53%), which ensures their microbiological stability and enables longer storage. Beetroot pomace provided betalains—red (14.59–51.44 mg betanin/100 g d.m.) and yellow dyes (50.02–171.12 mg betanin/100 g d.m.)—while using linseed enriched the product with polyphenols (730–948 mg chlorogenic acid/100 g d.m.). FTIR analysis showed the presence of functional groups such as the following: -OH, -C-O, -COOH, and -NH. The most desired overall consumer acceptability was achieved for snacks containing 50% beetroot pomace and 50% linseed seeds. The obtained results confirmed that beetroot pomace combined with linseed can be used in the production of vegetable crispbread snacks. Full article

The planthopper Pentastiridius leporinus (Hempiptera: Cixiidae) is the main vector of two bacterial pathogens: the γ-proteobacterium ‘Candidatus Arsenophonus phytopathogenicus’ and the stolbur phytoplasma ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma solani’. These pathogens cause the disease syndrome basses richesses (SBR) in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris), which reduces the yields and sugar content. In 2022, potato (Solanum tuberosum) fields were found to be colonized by P. leporinus, and the transmission of Arsenophonus was confirmed, resulting in symptoms like wilting, yellow leaves, and rubbery tubers. We monitored both pathogens in Southwest Germany in 2022 and 2023. This revealed their widespread presence in potato tubers, although there were differences in regional prevalence. The broad prevalence of Arsenophonus was maintained in 2023, whereas the prevalence of stolbur increased in most locations. We confirmed that P. leporinus adults can transmit both pathogens to potatoes, but neither pathogen reduced the germination rate of tubers, and no plants showed abnormal growth after germination. Arsenophonus was not detected in germinated shoots, but 5.4% contained stolbur, emphasizing the need for plant material testing to maintain phytosanitary conditions. Full article

Citrus is affected by many diseases, and hence, the movement of citrus propagative materials is highly regulated in the USA. Currently used regulatory pathogen detection methods include biological and laboratory-based technologies, which are time-consuming, expensive, and have many limitations. There is an urgent need to develop alternate, rapid, economical, and reliable testing methods for safe germplasm exchange. Citrus huanglongbing (HLB) has devastated citrus industries leading to an increased need for germplasm exchanges between citrus growing regions for evaluating many potentially valuable hybrids for both HLB resistance and multilocational performance. In the present study, Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) methods were used to sequence the transcriptomes of 21 test samples, including 15 well-characterized pathogen-positive plants. A workflow was designed in the CLC Genomics Workbench software, v 21.0.5 for bioinformatics analysis of the sequence data for the detection of pathogens. NGS was rapid and found to be a valuable technique for the detection of viral and bacterial pathogens, and for the discovery of new citrus viruses, complementary to the existing array of biological and laboratory assays. Using NGS methods, we detected beet western yellows virus, a newly reported citrus virus, and a variant of the citrus yellow vein-associated virus associated with the “fatal yellows” disease. Full article

In recent years, a new root rot disease in barley, which is caused by an Aphanomyces species, was found in field surveys in Southern Sweden and Denmark. Its symptoms occurred at the early tillering stage, around the BBCH 21 growth stage, and included the yellowing of leaves, brown coleoptiles, and the discolouration of roots. Prolonged soil wetness after rainfall favoured disease development, which sometimes advanced the yellowing patches to entire fields, resulting in lower yields. Oospores were found in the fine roots of diseased plants, and Aphanomyces isolates were obtained from these roots, as well as from the roots of barley plants grown in the greenhouse in soil samples from infected fields. Based on morphological analysis, we found that the new isolates were similar to those already obtained from barley and spinach roots in the 1990s in the same growing area. The morphological and molecular analyses performed in this study clearly separated and distinguished these barley isolates from other known Aphanomyces, and hereby Aphanomyces macrosporus sp. nov. is proposed as a new plant pathogenic species. It has larger oogonia and oospores than A. euteiches, A. cochlioides, and A. cladogamus, with one up to eight diclinous antheridia per oogonium. The phylogenetic analysis of the ITS rDNA region sequences grouped these new Aphanomyces isolates in a monophyletic clade, which was clearly distinguished from other plant pathogenic Aphanomyces species. The further pathogenicity of A. macrosporus on other plants is currently under investigation, but it is clear that it can at least infect barley, spinach, and sugar beet, indicating a wide host range for this species. The widespread presence and presumably broad host range of this new pathogenic Aphanomyces species must be considered in crop rotations. Full article

Plant transcriptomes offer a valuable resource for studying viral communities (viromes). In this study, we explore how plant transcriptome data can be applied to virome research. We analyzed 40 soybean transcriptomes across different growth stages and identified six viruses: broad bean wilt virus 2 (BBWV2), brassica yellow virus (BrYV), beet western yellow virus (BWYV), cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), milk vetch dwarf virus (MDV), and soybean mosaic virus (SMV). SMV was the predominant virus in both Glycine max (GM) and Glycine soja (GS) cultivars. Our analysis confirmed its abundance in both, while BBWV2 and CMV were more prevalent in GS than GM. The viral proportions varied across developmental stages, peaking in open flowers. Comparing viral abundance measured by viral reads and fragments per kilobase of transcript per million (FPKM) values revealed insights. SMV showed similar FPKM values in GM and GS, but BBWV2 and CMV displayed higher FPKM proportions in GS. Notably, the differences in viral abundance between GM and GS were generally insignificant based on the FPKM values across developmental stages, except for the apical bud stage in four GM cultivars. We also detected MDV, a multi-segmented virus, in two GM samples, with variable proportions of its segments. In conclusion, our study demonstrates the potential of plant transcriptomes for virome research, highlighting their strengths and limitations. Full article

Microgreens are young plants of various vegetables, medicinal and aromatic plants, cereals and edible wild plants that were first associated with nouvelle cuisine as decoration in dishes due to their attractive appearance and strong flavor. Recently, they have become more sought after in the market due to their high nutritional value. This is due to the growing interest of consumers in a healthy lifestyle that includes a varied diet with emphasis on fresh, functional foods. Nowadays, commercial production of microgreens is shifting to modern hydroponic systems due to their numerous advantages, such as accelerated plant growth and biomass production, earlier harvesting, and more production cycles that positively affect yield and chemical composition. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the content of specialized metabolites and antioxidant capacity of hydroponically grown alfalfa (Medicago sativa) cv. ‘Kangaroo’, yellow beet (Beta vulgaris var. conditiva) cv. ‘Yellow Lady’, red cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. rubra) cv. ‘Red Carpet’, and fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) cv. ‘Aganarpo’ microgreens. The highest content of total phenols (408.03 mg GAE/100 g fw), flavonoids (214.47 mg GAE/100 g fw), non-flavonoids (193.56 mg GAE/100 g fw) and ascorbic acid (74.94 mg/100 g fw) was found in fennel microgreens. The highest content of all analyzed chlorophyll pigments (Chl_a 0.536 mg/g fw, Chl_b 0.248 mg/g fw, and TCh 0.785 mg/g fw) was found in alfalfa microgreens. However, in addition to alfalfa, high levels of chlorophyll a (0.528 mg/g fw), total chlorophyll (0.713 mg/g fw) and the highest level of total carotenoids (0.196 mg/g fw) were also detected in fennel microgreens. The results suggest that microgreens grown on perlite in floating hydroponics have high nutritional potential as a functional food important for human health and therefore could be recommended for daily diet. Full article