Pub Date : 2023-12-29DOI: 10.3390/agrochemicals3010002
A. Tsekoura, I. Gazoulis, N. Antonopoulos, Angeliki Kousta, P. Kanatas, I. Travlos
Sustainable crop and weed management is among the crucial challenges in the era of the EU Green Deal. The main objective of the present study was to apply an innovative approach for the rapid assessment of herbicide efficacy in maize (Zea mays) crop in four different trials during two years. Weed NDVI values were recorded at two weeks after treatment, while weed biomass and crop yield were also measured. The results revealed significant differences between the several treatments. In many cases, significant effects of herbicide application on the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) values and weed biomass were noticed at two weeks after treatment. Moreover, the mixture nicosulfuron + rimsulfuron + mesotrione resulted in high efficacy on the crop yield of all fields. Consequently, our approach can allow for an early prediction of the real field efficacy of several herbicides and thus act as an alert for the farmers in order to choose the most efficient herbicide, avoid applications of low efficacy and reduce the herbicide inputs.
{"title":"Quick In Situ Evaluation of Herbicide Efficacy in Maize (Zea mays L.) Crop","authors":"A. Tsekoura, I. Gazoulis, N. Antonopoulos, Angeliki Kousta, P. Kanatas, I. Travlos","doi":"10.3390/agrochemicals3010002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/agrochemicals3010002","url":null,"abstract":"Sustainable crop and weed management is among the crucial challenges in the era of the EU Green Deal. The main objective of the present study was to apply an innovative approach for the rapid assessment of herbicide efficacy in maize (Zea mays) crop in four different trials during two years. Weed NDVI values were recorded at two weeks after treatment, while weed biomass and crop yield were also measured. The results revealed significant differences between the several treatments. In many cases, significant effects of herbicide application on the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) values and weed biomass were noticed at two weeks after treatment. Moreover, the mixture nicosulfuron + rimsulfuron + mesotrione resulted in high efficacy on the crop yield of all fields. Consequently, our approach can allow for an early prediction of the real field efficacy of several herbicides and thus act as an alert for the farmers in order to choose the most efficient herbicide, avoid applications of low efficacy and reduce the herbicide inputs.","PeriodicalId":502241,"journal":{"name":"Agrochemicals","volume":"46 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139146183","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-12-22DOI: 10.3390/agrochemicals3010001
Amanda R. Streeter, Anthony Cartwright, Mohammad Zargaran, Anagha Wankhade, Anne J. Anderson, D. Britt
Plant probiotic bacteria are being increasingly used to maximize both the productivity and quality of field crops. Pseudomonas chlororaphis O6 (PcO6) is a plant root colonizer with probiotic activities. This bacterium produces an array of metabolites, including a group of phenazines that are functional in plant protection. The paper reports responses of PcO6 to a nonionic triblock copolymer surfactant, Pluronic F68. This Pluronic exhibits membrane “healing” activity and improves cryopreservation recovery in eukaryotic cells. The product is FDA-approved and is applied as an adjuvant in formulations used in agriculture, medicine, and biotechnology. Growth of PcO6 on lysogeny broth at 25 °C was unhindered by 0.1 and 1.0 g/L F68, reduced at 10 g/L, and with significant inhibition at 100 g/L F68; micelle formation could account for inhibited growth at higher doses. Phenazine production was not changed by F68, whereas the surfactant activity of F68 induced the spread of bacterial colonization on 0.5% agar. Exposure of cells to fluorescein-labeled F68 resulted in intense fluorescence, stable to washing, showing a direct association of the Pluronic with the bacterium. However, neither protection nor harm was found for PcO6 cells suspended in either 0.1% or 1% F68 after three freeze (−20 °C)/thaw cycles. These findings suggest that F68 could be compatible for use in agricultural formulations with little effect on probiotics such as PcO6.
{"title":"Adjuvant Pluronic F68 Is Compatible with a Plant Root-Colonizing Probiotic, Pseudomonas chlororaphis O6","authors":"Amanda R. Streeter, Anthony Cartwright, Mohammad Zargaran, Anagha Wankhade, Anne J. Anderson, D. Britt","doi":"10.3390/agrochemicals3010001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/agrochemicals3010001","url":null,"abstract":"Plant probiotic bacteria are being increasingly used to maximize both the productivity and quality of field crops. Pseudomonas chlororaphis O6 (PcO6) is a plant root colonizer with probiotic activities. This bacterium produces an array of metabolites, including a group of phenazines that are functional in plant protection. The paper reports responses of PcO6 to a nonionic triblock copolymer surfactant, Pluronic F68. This Pluronic exhibits membrane “healing” activity and improves cryopreservation recovery in eukaryotic cells. The product is FDA-approved and is applied as an adjuvant in formulations used in agriculture, medicine, and biotechnology. Growth of PcO6 on lysogeny broth at 25 °C was unhindered by 0.1 and 1.0 g/L F68, reduced at 10 g/L, and with significant inhibition at 100 g/L F68; micelle formation could account for inhibited growth at higher doses. Phenazine production was not changed by F68, whereas the surfactant activity of F68 induced the spread of bacterial colonization on 0.5% agar. Exposure of cells to fluorescein-labeled F68 resulted in intense fluorescence, stable to washing, showing a direct association of the Pluronic with the bacterium. However, neither protection nor harm was found for PcO6 cells suspended in either 0.1% or 1% F68 after three freeze (−20 °C)/thaw cycles. These findings suggest that F68 could be compatible for use in agricultural formulations with little effect on probiotics such as PcO6.","PeriodicalId":502241,"journal":{"name":"Agrochemicals","volume":"34 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139164825","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-12-18DOI: 10.3390/agrochemicals2040034
S. R. Sharma, M. Mostafiz, Kyeong-Yeoll Lee
Trichome is a hair-like structure involved in mechanical and chemical defenses of plants against herbivorous insects. Nicotiana benthamiana, a wild tobacco plant, has well-developed glandular trichomes that secrete sugar esters with potent repellent and insecticidal properties. However, there is a lack of information about the effectiveness of trichome extract in the control of plant-sapping insects. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of N. benthamiana trichome exudates on Bemisia tabaci MED (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), a highly destructive insect pest that poses significant threats to both vegetable and ornamental plants globally. First, we determined the host preference and mortality of B. tabaci adults using the choice test and feeding assay towards tomato and N. benthamiana plants. B. tabaci preferred tomato over N. benthamiana plants. Second, we extracted N. benthamiana trichome exudates by washing the leaves with either water or ethanol and evaluated their oral toxicities against B. tabaci adults using a parafilm feeding chamber containing 20% sucrose solution. Oral ingestion of both extracts significantly increased mortality in a concentration-dependent manner. Oral ingestion of ethanol-washed 10% trichome extract caused >60% mortality in B. tabaci adults after 36 h. Third, trichome exudates were concentrated by drying to obtain a powder form, which was more potent in killing whiteflies than the liquid form. Oral ingestion of 1% trichome powder was completely lethal to B. tabaci within 36 h. N. benthamiana trichome exudates are highly toxic to B. tabaci through oral ingestion, suggesting that N. benthamiana can be used as a potential natural pesticide for whitefly management.
毛状体是一种毛发状结构,参与植物对食草昆虫的机械和化学防御。野生烟草植物烟草(Nicotiana benthamiana)具有发达的腺毛,能分泌糖酯,具有强大的驱虫和杀虫特性。然而,关于毛状体萃取物在控制植物蛀食昆虫方面的效果,目前还缺乏相关信息。本研究的目的是调查 N. benthamiana 毛状体渗出物对烟粉虱(Bemisia tabaci MED (Gennadius))(半翅目:蝼蛄科)的影响。首先,我们使用选择试验和取食试验测定了 B. tabaci 成虫对番茄和 N. benthamiana 植物的寄主偏好和死亡率。与 N. benthamiana 植物相比,B. tabaci 更喜欢番茄。其次,我们用水或乙醇清洗 N. benthamiana 的叶片,提取其毛状体渗出物,并使用含有 20% 蔗糖溶液的parafilm饲喂室评估其对 B. tabaci 成虫的口服毒性。口服这两种提取物都会显著增加死亡率,且呈浓度依赖性。口服乙醇洗涤的 10%毛状体提取物可在 36 小时后导致烟粉虱成虫死亡率超过 60%。口服 1%的毛状体粉末可在 36 小时内完全杀死烟粉虱。N. benthamiana 毛状体渗出物通过口服对烟粉虱具有很强的毒性,这表明 N. benthamiana 可作为一种潜在的天然杀虫剂用于防治烟粉虱。
{"title":"Insecticidal Activity of Nicotiana benthamiana Trichome Exudates on the Sweetpotato Whitefly Bemisia tabaci MED (Gennadius)","authors":"S. R. Sharma, M. Mostafiz, Kyeong-Yeoll Lee","doi":"10.3390/agrochemicals2040034","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/agrochemicals2040034","url":null,"abstract":"Trichome is a hair-like structure involved in mechanical and chemical defenses of plants against herbivorous insects. Nicotiana benthamiana, a wild tobacco plant, has well-developed glandular trichomes that secrete sugar esters with potent repellent and insecticidal properties. However, there is a lack of information about the effectiveness of trichome extract in the control of plant-sapping insects. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of N. benthamiana trichome exudates on Bemisia tabaci MED (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), a highly destructive insect pest that poses significant threats to both vegetable and ornamental plants globally. First, we determined the host preference and mortality of B. tabaci adults using the choice test and feeding assay towards tomato and N. benthamiana plants. B. tabaci preferred tomato over N. benthamiana plants. Second, we extracted N. benthamiana trichome exudates by washing the leaves with either water or ethanol and evaluated their oral toxicities against B. tabaci adults using a parafilm feeding chamber containing 20% sucrose solution. Oral ingestion of both extracts significantly increased mortality in a concentration-dependent manner. Oral ingestion of ethanol-washed 10% trichome extract caused >60% mortality in B. tabaci adults after 36 h. Third, trichome exudates were concentrated by drying to obtain a powder form, which was more potent in killing whiteflies than the liquid form. Oral ingestion of 1% trichome powder was completely lethal to B. tabaci within 36 h. N. benthamiana trichome exudates are highly toxic to B. tabaci through oral ingestion, suggesting that N. benthamiana can be used as a potential natural pesticide for whitefly management.","PeriodicalId":502241,"journal":{"name":"Agrochemicals","volume":"68 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139174737","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-11-29DOI: 10.3390/agrochemicals2040033
V. Bankova, M. Popova
Recently, the search for sustainable and environmentally friendly agrochemicals from natural origin is steadily growing. Propolis, a resinous substance collected by honeybees, well known for its diverse biological activities, has attracted the attention of scientists and farmers with its agrochemical potential in the last years. This review article aims to delve into the fascinating world of propolis and its utilization in agriculture. Here, we provide a brief overview of propolis: its chemical composition and the bioactive substances responsible for its biological properties. The effectiveness of propolis in controlling common pests and diseases that affect crops, suppressing postharvest illnesses of fruits and vegetables, stimulating plant defenses and increasing stress resistance, is reviewed. Discussion of the challenges and future perspectives related to the integration of propolis in agriculture is also one of our objectives, including chemical variability, standardization and regulatory considerations. We also focused on the latest research trends and technological advances that promise to unlock the full potential of propolis as a sustainable agricultural tool.
{"title":"Propolis: Harnessing Nature’s Hidden Treasure for Sustainable Agriculture","authors":"V. Bankova, M. Popova","doi":"10.3390/agrochemicals2040033","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/agrochemicals2040033","url":null,"abstract":"Recently, the search for sustainable and environmentally friendly agrochemicals from natural origin is steadily growing. Propolis, a resinous substance collected by honeybees, well known for its diverse biological activities, has attracted the attention of scientists and farmers with its agrochemical potential in the last years. This review article aims to delve into the fascinating world of propolis and its utilization in agriculture. Here, we provide a brief overview of propolis: its chemical composition and the bioactive substances responsible for its biological properties. The effectiveness of propolis in controlling common pests and diseases that affect crops, suppressing postharvest illnesses of fruits and vegetables, stimulating plant defenses and increasing stress resistance, is reviewed. Discussion of the challenges and future perspectives related to the integration of propolis in agriculture is also one of our objectives, including chemical variability, standardization and regulatory considerations. We also focused on the latest research trends and technological advances that promise to unlock the full potential of propolis as a sustainable agricultural tool.","PeriodicalId":502241,"journal":{"name":"Agrochemicals","volume":"62 17","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139209961","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-11-17DOI: 10.3390/agrochemicals2040032
D. Volkov, O. Rogova, Svetlana T. Ovseenko, Aleksandr Odelskii, M. Proskurnin
Membrane fractionation with track-etched membranes was used to size-profile the microelement composition of water-extractable soil colloids (WESCs). The aim of the study is the element composition of narrow WESC fractions of typical chernozems in the range of 0.01–10 µm. Micro-/ultrafiltration through a cascade of track-etched polycarbonate membrane filters with pore sizes of 5, 2, 1, 0.8, 0.4, 0.2, 0.1, 0.05, 0.03, and 0.01 µm at room temperature was used. ICP–AES using direct spraying of obtained fractions without decomposition was used; Al, Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Si, Sr, Ti, Zn, Ca, K, Mg, Na, P, and S were found. Narrow WESC fractions differ significantly. For macro- and microelements, maximum amounts of Si, Al, Fe, and Ti and their maximum percentages are observed in fractions with sizes above 1 µm, while Ca, Mg, Mn, Cu, Zn, K, and S are accumulated more in fractions with sizes below 1 µm. The developed approach provides preparative isolation of a detailed set of narrow WESC fractions in the micrometer–nanometer range. This provides element soil profiles that reveal distinct differences and the individual character of each fraction as well as trends in changes in the mineral matrix and microelement composition with fraction size.
{"title":"Element Composition of Fractionated Water-Extractable Soil Colloidal Particles Separated by Track-Etched Membranes","authors":"D. Volkov, O. Rogova, Svetlana T. Ovseenko, Aleksandr Odelskii, M. Proskurnin","doi":"10.3390/agrochemicals2040032","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/agrochemicals2040032","url":null,"abstract":"Membrane fractionation with track-etched membranes was used to size-profile the microelement composition of water-extractable soil colloids (WESCs). The aim of the study is the element composition of narrow WESC fractions of typical chernozems in the range of 0.01–10 µm. Micro-/ultrafiltration through a cascade of track-etched polycarbonate membrane filters with pore sizes of 5, 2, 1, 0.8, 0.4, 0.2, 0.1, 0.05, 0.03, and 0.01 µm at room temperature was used. ICP–AES using direct spraying of obtained fractions without decomposition was used; Al, Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Si, Sr, Ti, Zn, Ca, K, Mg, Na, P, and S were found. Narrow WESC fractions differ significantly. For macro- and microelements, maximum amounts of Si, Al, Fe, and Ti and their maximum percentages are observed in fractions with sizes above 1 µm, while Ca, Mg, Mn, Cu, Zn, K, and S are accumulated more in fractions with sizes below 1 µm. The developed approach provides preparative isolation of a detailed set of narrow WESC fractions in the micrometer–nanometer range. This provides element soil profiles that reveal distinct differences and the individual character of each fraction as well as trends in changes in the mineral matrix and microelement composition with fraction size.","PeriodicalId":502241,"journal":{"name":"Agrochemicals","volume":"6 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139262623","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}