Background: Sclerotium bataticola, a soil-born fungus, is responsible for charcoal rot in a variety of plants. It is also responsible for causing substantial damage to a wide range of horticultural crops around the world. Methods: Fifteen different Bacillus isolates were isolated and evaluated for their ability to inhibit S. batatacola's growth. The promising bacterial isolate was molecularly identified using NCBI-Blast and phylogenetic tree analysis of the 16S rRNA gene. Batch fermentation was performed in a stirred tank bioreactor to maximize culture biomass and secondary metabolite synthesis. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to discover secondary metabolite compounds. Results: The KSAS6 isolate was the most effective for inhibiting the fungal growth of mycelial cells, with a 48.2% inhibition percentage. The probable biocontrol agent, B. amyloliquefaciens strain KSAS6, was identified and recorded in GenBank under the accession number PQ271636. The culture biomass and secondary metabolites were maximized by the batch fermentation technique, reaching the highest achievable level of 2.1 g L-1 at 11 hours. This was accomplished while maintaining a steady specific growth rate (mu) of 0.13 h(-1). Based on the observations, the biomass yield coefficient was found to be 0.37 g cells/g glucose. Among the 21 secondary metabolite compounds identified in GC-MS analysis, diisooctyl phthalate was the highest compound (43.31%). Conclusion: The strain of rhizobacterium B. amyloliquefaciens known as KSAS6 can inhibit the growth of S. bataticola, which makes it a promising candidate for the biocontrol of fungal infections in plants.

Background Soil-borne plant diseases represent a severe problem that negatively impacts the production of food crops. Actinobacteria play a vital role in biocontrolling soil-borne fungi. Aim and objectives The target of the present study is to test the antagonistic activity of chitinase-producing Streptomyces cellulosae Actino 48 (accession number, MT573878) against Rhizoctonia solani. Subsequently, maximization of Actino 48 production using different fermentation processes in a stirred tank bioreactor. Finally, preparation of bio-friendly formulations prepared from the culture broth of Actino 48 using talc powder (TP) and bentonite in a natural as well as nano forms as carriers. Meanwhile, investigating their activities in reducing the damping-off and root rot diseases of peanut plants, infected by R. solani under greenhouse conditions. Results Actino 48 was found to be the most significant antagonistic isolate strain at p <= 0.05 and showed the highest inhibition percentage of fungal mycelium growth, which reached 97%. The results of scanning electron microscope (SEM) images analysis showed a large reduction in R. solani mycelia mass. Additionally, many aberrations changes and fungal hypha damages were found. Batch fermentation No. 2, which was performed using agitation speed of 200 rpm, achieved high chitinase activity of 0.1163 U mL- 1 min- 1 with a yield coefficient of 0.004 U mL- 1 min- 1 chitinase activity/g chitin. Nano-talc formulation of Actino 48 had more a significant effect compared to the other formulations in reducing percentages of damping-off and root rot diseases that equal to 19.05% and 4.76% with reduction percentages of 60% and 80%, respectively. The healthy survival percentage of peanut plants recorded 76.19%. Furthermore, the nano-talc formulation of Actino 48 was sufficient in increasing the dry weight of the peanut plants shoot, root systems, and the total number of peanut pods with increasing percentages of 47.62%, 55.62%, and 38.07%, respectively. Conclusion The bio-friendly formulations of actinobacteria resulting from this investigation may play an active role in managing soil-borne diseases.

Amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus L.) is a potential forage crop with a high yield and crude protein (CP) content; however, establishment methods need to improve for the crop to be less sensitive to typhoons. Optimal establishment, cultivation, and utilization in amaranth were examined in a variety of seasons and methods of establishment in 2021-2023. Four methods were examined: (1) direct seeding in rows, (2) direct seeding in spots, (3) soil seed balls, and (4) transplant pretreatment methods under a randomized blocked design (n = 3). Sowings every month from April to August were applied only in 2021, while establishments in April, May, and August with both pretreatment methods were applied in 2022 and 2023. The establishment in August successfully escaped damage from typhoons. The direct seeding of either rows or spots showed marginal success in establishment compared to stable establishment in pretreatment methods. In 2022 and 2023, the highest yield and CP content were achieved in soil seed balls plots in April and in both pretreated plots sown in August, respectively. The quality of silage fermentation showed a high pH, ranging from 4.52 to 6.39, due to the high CP content in 7.59-18.36% dry matter (DM). Sowing in April or August established with soil seed balls can avoid typhoon damage to have stable forage yields and can be processed with a favorable quality of amaranth silage in the region.

This study focuses on mitigating the socio-economic and environmental damage of the invasive macroalga Rugulopteryx okamurae and counteracting the pollution from petroleum-based plastics by using the alga as a feedstock for polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) production. The enzymatic hydrolysis of R. okamurae, non-pretreated and hydrothermally acid-pretreated (0.2 N HCl, 15 min), was carried out, reaching reducing sugar (RS) concentrations of 10.7 g/L and 21.7 g/L, respectively. The hydrolysates obtained were used as a culture medium for PHB production with Cupriavidus necator, a Gram-negative soil bacterium, without supplementation with any external carbon and nitrogen sources. The highest yield (0.774 g PHB/g RS) and biopolymer accumulation percentage (89.8% cell dry weight, CDW) were achieved with hydrolysates from pretreated macroalga, reaching values comparable to the highest reported in the literature. Hence, it can be concluded that hydrolysates obtained from algal biomass hydrothermally pretreated with acid have a concentration of sugars and a C/N ratio that favour PHB production.

Finding practical solutions for utilizing agricultural organic wastes has always been a challenge. To address this, our study investigated the effects and mechanisms of different exogenous organic waste fermentation solutions on alleviating Cd stress in plants using hydroponic experiments. Out of the seven fermentation solutions examined, pea fermentation liquid (T3), chicken manure (T5), molasses (T6), and chitosan oligosaccharide broth (T9) exhibited positive effects. They increased shoot fresh weight by 1.17%, 26.83%, 7.94%, and 15.59%, and root fresh weight by 50.00%, 12.21%, 81.19%, and 19.47%, respectively. Conversely, amino acid mother liquid (T7) and potassium polyaspartate liquid (T8) reduced shoot fresh weight by 34.21% and 24.74%, and root fresh weight by 27.06% and 7.10%, respectively. All organic waste liquids reduced Cd concentration in shoots and roots. Corn fermentation liquid (T4) reduced Cd in shoots from 87.91 to 19.20 mg/kg, while molasses (T6) reduced Cd in roots from 980.94 to 260.47 mg/kg. SEM-EDX results revealed that molasses (T6) effectively repaired Cd damage on root surfaces. In addition, several waste liquids mitigated microelement absorption disturbances. All waste liquids reduced MDA, corn fermentation liquid (T4), chicken manure (T5), molasses (T6), potassium polyaspartate liquid (T8), and chitosan oligosaccharide liquid (T9) significantly decreased H2O2 by 21.6-38.3%. Structural equation model (SEM) and correlation analysis highlighted the importance of root Mg, Cu, and Zn content and CAT activity in relieving Cd stress and promoting plant growth. Overall, molasses (T6) and chicken manure (T5) demonstrated the most beneficial combined effects, while amino acid mother liquid (T7) and chitosan oligosaccharide liquid (T9) should be exercised with caution due to their weaker effects.

Priming enables plants to respond more promptly, minimise damage, and survive subsequent stress events. Here, we aimed to assess the efficacy of priming and cross-priming in mitigating the stress caused by waterlogging and/or dehydration in soybeans (Glycine max). Soybean plants were cultivated in a greenhouse in plastic pots in which soil moisture was maintained at pot capacity through irrigation. The first stress was applied in plants at the vegetative stage for 5 days and involved either dehydration or waterlogging, depending on the treatment. Subsequently, the plants were irrigated or drained and maintained at pot capacity until the second stress. For the second stress, the conditions were repeated in plants at the reproductive stage. We then evaluated the levels of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), lipid peroxidation, total soluble sugars (TSS), amino acids, proline, and starch, and the activity of antioxidant, fermentative, and aminotransferase enzymes. Under waterlogging and dehydration, priming and cross-priming significantly increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes and the levels of TSS, amino acids, and proline while reducing H2O2 concentration and lipid peroxidation. Under waterlogging, priming suppressed fermentative activity and increased carbohydrate content. This demonstrates that soybean plants activate their defence systems more promptly when subjected to priming.

Food cellars, otherwise referred to as ice or meat cellars, (lednik in Russian, k'aetyran in Chukchi, si????uaq in Inupiaq, and siqlugaq in Yupik) are a natural form of refrigeration in permafrost or seasonally frozen ground used to preserve, age, and ferment foods harvested for subsistence, including marine mammals, birds, fish, and plants. Indigenous peoples throughout the Arctic have constructed cellars in frozen ground for millennia. This paper focuses on cellars in Russian and American coastal and island communities of the Bering Strait, the region otherwise known as Beringia. This area has a unique, culturally rich, and politically dynamic history. Many traditions associated with cellars are threatened in Chukchi communities in Russia because of the impacts of climate change, relocation, dietary changes, and industrial development. However, even with warmer temperatures, cellars still provide a means to age and ferment food stuffs following traditional methods. In cooperation with local stakeholders, we measured internal temperatures of 18 cellars in 13 communities throughout the Bering Strait region and northern Alaska. Though cellars are widely used in permafrost regions, their structure, usage, and maintenance methods differ and exhibit influences of local climates, traditions, and economic activities. Monitoring internal temperatures and recording structural descriptions of cellars is important in the face of climate change to better understand the variety and resilience of living adaptations in different cold regions.

The fate of soil organic carbon (SOC) stored in the Arctic permafrost is a key concern as temperatures continue to rise in the northern hemisphere. Studies and conceptual models suggest that degradation of SOC is affected by its composition, but it is unclear exactly which SOC fractions are vulnerable to rapid breakdown and what mechanisms may be controlling SOC degradation upon permafrost thaw. Here, we examine the dynamic consumption and production of labile SOC in an anoxic incubation experiment using soil samples from the active layer at the Barrow Environmental Observatory, Barrow, Alaska, USA. Free-reducing sugars, alcohols, and low-molecular-weight (LMW) organic acids were analyzed during incubation at either -2 or 8 degrees C for up to 240 days. Results show that degradation of simple sugar and alcohol in SOC largely accounts for the initial rapid release of CO2 and CH4 through anaerobic fermentation, whereas the fermentation products, acetate and formate, are subsequently utilized as primary substrates for methanogenesis. Iron(III) reduction is correlated with acetate production and methanogenesis, suggesting its important role as an electron acceptor in SOC respiration in tundra environment. These observations are further supported in a glucose addition experiment, in which rapid CO2 and CH4 production occurred concurrently with rapid production and consumption of labile organics such as acetate. However, addition of tannic acid, as a more complex organic substrate, showed little influence on the overall production of CO2 and CH4 and organic acids. Together our study shows that LIVIW labile SOC controls the initial rapid release of green-house gases upon warming of permafrost soils. We present a conceptual framework for the labile SOC transformations and their relations to fermentation, iron reduction and methanogenesis, thereby providing the basis for improved model prediction of climate feedbacks in the Arctic. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.