dieback – mycolab.ai

Roles of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in plant growth and disease management for sustainable agriculture

mycolabadmin

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are beneficial fungi that live in plant roots and form a mutually beneficial relationship with plants. These fungi help plants absorb more nutrients and water from the soil, strengthen their natural defenses against diseases and pests, and work together with other helpful soil bacteria to create disease-suppressive soil. This makes AMF a promising natural alternative to chemical pesticides and fertilizers for sustainable agriculture.

Valorization of Quercus suber L. Bark as a Source of Phytochemicals with Antimicrobial Activity against Apple Tree Diseases

mycolabadmin

This research shows that waste cork from bottle stopper production contains natural compounds with strong antimicrobial properties. When combined with chitosan oligomers, these cork extracts effectively inhibit fungal and bacterial pathogens that damage apple trees. The natural antimicrobial activity was even more potent than some commercial synthetic fungicides, suggesting cork waste could provide an environmentally sustainable alternative for protecting fruit crops.

Morphological and Molecular Characterization of Lasiodiplodia theobromae Causing Stem Gummosis Disease in Rubber Trees and Its Chemical Control Strategies

mycolabadmin

Rubber trees in China experienced a serious stem gummosis disease that caused bark cracking and latex leakage in 2023. Scientists identified the fungus Lasiodiplodia theobromae as the cause through laboratory and molecular tests. They successfully treated the disease using a combination of copper-based fungicides applied to tree trunks and roots, preventing further damage to the trees.

Genome sequencing and analysis of isolates of Cytospora sorbicola and Cytospora plurivora associated with almond and peach canker

mycolabadmin

This study provides genetic blueprints for two dangerous fungal pathogens that damage almond and peach orchards by causing canker diseases. Scientists sequenced the complete genomes of these fungi and identified genes responsible for their ability to infect plants, finding that they’ve evolved special abilities to survive in nutrient-poor bark tissue. This genetic information could help farmers develop fruit trees resistant to these infections. The research also clarifies the identity of a newly described fungal species, showing it’s actually the same as a previously known species.

Phylogenetic diversity of Colletotrichum species (Sordariomycetes, Glomerellales, Glomerellaceae) associated with plant diseases in Thailand

mycolabadmin

Researchers identified eight species of Colletotrichum fungi causing plant diseases in Thailand. They discovered two completely new species and found these fungi on 13 additional plant hosts previously unknown. Using DNA analysis, they confirmed the identity of each fungal species and documented their characteristics. This work helps farmers and scientists better identify and manage these damaging plant pathogens.

Three New Records of Pathogens Causing Stem Blight on Vaccinium corymbosum in China

mycolabadmin

Researchers in China identified three new fungal species causing stem blight disease in blueberry crops. These fungi infect blueberry stems, causing brown lesions that kill the shoots and leaves. Laboratory tests confirmed all three fungi can cause the disease, with one species being particularly aggressive. This research helps farmers understand and manage this economically important disease that damages 10-25% of China’s blueberry crops.

Complete genome sequence of Diaporthe vaccinii Shear, a fungal isolated from blueberry

mycolabadmin

Scientists have sequenced the complete genetic code of a fungus that damages blueberry crops. This fungus, called Diaporthe vaccinii, causes diseases like twig blight and fruit rot that cost farmers significant money. The complete genome sequence provides valuable information for understanding how the fungus causes disease and may help develop better ways to protect blueberry crops.

Vulnerability of Walnut Pruning Wounds to Fungal Trunk Pathogens and Seasonal Conidial Dynamics of Botryosphaeriaceae in the Maule Region, Chile

mycolabadmin

When walnut trees are pruned, the resulting wounds are exposed to dangerous fungi that can cause branch die-back and significantly reduce crop yield. This research found that freshly cut pruning wounds are most vulnerable to infection, especially from aggressive fungi like Diplodia mutila, but this vulnerability decreases over time. The fungi spread their spores mainly during wet winter months when rainfall and humidity are high, so timing pruning operations to avoid these periods and protecting wounds with fungicides could substantially reduce disease losses in walnut orchards.

Complete genome sequence of Diaporthe vaccinii Shear, a fungal isolated from blueberry

mycolabadmin

Scientists have sequenced the complete genetic blueprint of a fungus called Diaporthe vaccinii that causes serious disease in blueberry plants. Using advanced DNA sequencing technology, they created a high-quality map of the fungus’s 60.2 million base pair genome. This genetic information will help researchers understand how the fungus causes disease and potentially develop better ways to protect blueberry crops from this costly plant pathogen.

The Heterogeneity of Ornamental Plants in Nurseries Increases the Chance of Finding New Hosts for Phytophthora

mycolabadmin

Ornamental plant nurseries in Mexico are frequently affected by Phytophthora pathogens that cause rotting, wilting, and dieback in flowers and ornamental plants. This study identified seven different Phytophthora species infecting 13 types of ornamental plants in Mexican nurseries, including two species never before reported as hosts for the pathogen anywhere in the world. The diversity of plants grown together in nurseries increases the likelihood that the pathogen will spread to new host plants and escape to home gardens and natural ecosystems.

Disease: dieback