Fusarium wilt, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici, threatens global tomato production, with losses reaching 80%. Although chemical fungicides are effective, their prolonged use risks resistant strains, reduces soil biodiversity, and causes environmental damage, highlighting the urgent need for ecofriendly alternatives. This study investigated the viability of Salvia officinalis (sage) methanolic extract as a biocontrol agent against Fusarium wilt (FW), employing a comprehensive approach that incorporates in vitro, in vivo, and molecular docking techniques. Four distinct isolates of F. oxysporum were identified through molecular techniques, and their virulence was assessed by examining the presence of tomatinase genes. The antifungal properties of S. officinalis extract were found to be compelling, with a total phenolic content of 64.15 mg GAE/g and a remarkable antioxidant activity of 97.04%. In laboratory tests, S. officinalis exhibited potent antifungal activity, inhibiting mycelial growth by between 52.00% and 88.67% at a concentration of 20 mg/ml. Additionally, in vivo experiments demonstrated a significant reduction in disease severity in treated tomato plants. Molecular docking analyses revealed strong binding affinities between key phytochemicals in the extract and target receptors such as tomatinase, highlighting the potential of the extract as a sustainable and effective alternative to chemical fungicides for managing FW in tomato crops.

Meloidogyne spp. are the most devastating plant-parasitic nematodes affecting tomato worldwide. Although resistant cultivars and rootstocks are used, selection for virulence occurs in the pathogen. Consequently, using other resistance sources, such as Solanum torvum, could improve resistance durability. Several experiments in microplots and plastic greenhouses were carried out to determine the potential use of S. torvum as a tomato rootstock to protect against M. incognita and M. javanica. In microplots, the relationship between nematode density at transplanting (Pi) and multiplication rate did not differ between Meloidogyne species in either ungrafted or grafted tomato. However, maximum multiplication rate and maximum density on grafted tomato were 1.27% and 2.93% those on ungrafted, respectively. The grafted tomato plants yielded between 2.9 and 7.5 more times than the ungrafted plants at Pi >= 100 eggs + J2s per 100 cm(3) of soil, but no differences were observed in plastic greenhouse where a large amount of scion-rooting occurred. In microplots, the quality of the tomato fruits of ungrafted and grafted plants was affected by the Pi. In parallel, some pot experiments were conducted on S. torvum and susceptible eggplant to determine the putative selection for nematode virulence to S. torvum and the nematode fitness cost. These showed that the nematode subpopulations infected and reproduced less on S. torvum than on eggplant. However, the female fertility was only reduced after development of three or four subpopulations on S. torvum. Finally, a histopathological study showed that nematode infection and development in S. torvum was delayed compared to eggplant.

Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) are the third largest food crop globally and are pivotal for global food security. Widespread N fertilizer waste in potato cultivation has caused diverse environmental issues. This study employed microbial metagenomic sequencing to analyze the causes behind the declining N use efficiency (NUE) and escalating greenhouse gas emissions resulting from excessive N fertilizer application. Addressing N fertilizer inefficiency through breeding has emerged as a viable solution for mitigating overuse in potato cultivation. In this study, transcriptome and metabolome analyses were applied to identify N fertilizer-responsive genes. Metagenomic sequencing revealed that excessive N fertilizer application triggered alterations in the population dynamics of 11 major bacterial phyla, consequently affecting soil microbial functions, particularly N metabolism pathways and bacterial secretion systems. Notably, the enzyme levels associated with NO3 - increased, and those associated with NO and N2O increased. Furthermore, excessive N fertilizer application enhanced soil virulence factors and increased potato susceptibility to diseases. Transcriptome and metabolome sequencing revealed significant impacts of excessive N fertilizer use on lipid and amino acid metabolism pathways. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was adopted to identify two genes associated with N fertilizer response: PGSC0003DMG400021157 and PGSC0003DMG400009544.

Insect pests are serious threats to agriculture, forestry, and human health because they damage crops and trees and spread diseases. Chemical insecticides control insect pests quickly and effectively, protecting crops. Environmental and health concerns arise from their use. Long-term exposure can cause pesticide-resistant insects, requiring stronger chemicals. Beneficial insects and wildlife may be harmed. Some chemical insecticides persist in the environment, causing long-term ecological damage. The present study was to isolate, identify, and characterize entomopathogenic fungi from the soil, evaluate their pathogenicity against major insect species, and evaluate the non-target effect on soil bioindicator species. Bioassay results show that Beauveria bassiana conidia are more pathogenic to all three species at 10 days after treatment, causing 100% mortality in Halyomorpha halys and Tenebrio molitor within 10 days. The lethal concentration showed lower LC50 values of 9.5 x 103 conidia/mL in H. halys, 2.6 x 103 conidia/mL in T. molitor, and 8.3x104 conidia/mL in P. japonica, B. bassiana treatment results showed a shortened insect life time LT50 of H. halys (6.0 days), T. molitor (5.3 days), and P. japonica (6.9 days). The present study concluded that B. bassiana fungi conidia are more efficient against three major insect pests.

A bacterial strain, designated GEM5(T), was isolated from sand soil samples from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The polyphasic study confirmed the affiliation of the isolate with the genus Massilia. GEM5(T) had Gram-stain-negative, non-spore-forming and rod-shaped cells and grew at 4-30 degrees C. pH 6-8 and with 0-2% (w/v) NaCl. Its cell wall contained ribose. Q8 was the predominant respiratory quinone, and summed feature 3 (C-1(6:1), omega 6c/w7c) and C-16:0 were the major components of the fatty acids. The polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, an unidentified phospholipid, an unidentified aminolipid and four unidentified lipids. The DNA G+C content was 65.1 mol%. The phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene showed a stable Glade being formed by GEM5(T), Massilia timonae CCUG 45783(T) (97.94%) and Massilia oculi CCUG 43427A(T) (97.58%). The average nucleotide identity (ANIb) values between GEM5(T) and M. timonae CCUG 45783(T), M.oculi CCUG 43427A(T) were 91.3 and 91.7%, respectively. On the basis of the morphological, physiological and chemotaxonomic pattern, it was proposed that strain GEM5(T) (=JCM 32744(T)=CICC 24458(T)) should be classified as representing a member of the genus Massilia with the name Massilia arenae sp. nov.

Antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) and virulence factor genes (VFGs) constitute a serious threat to public health, and climate change has been predicted to affect the increase in bacterial pathogens harboring ARGs and VFGs. However, studies on bacterial pathogens and their ARGs and VFGs in permafrost region have received limited attention. In this study, a metagenomic approach was applied to a comprehensive survey to detect potential ARGs, VFGs, and pathogenic antibiotic resistant bacteria (PARB) carrying both ARGs and VFGs in the active layer and permafrost. Overall, 70 unique ARGs against 18 antimicrobial drug classes and 599 VFGs classified as 38 virulence factors were detected in the Arctic permafrost region. Eight genes with mobile genetic elements (MGEs) carrying ARGs were identified; most MGEs were classified as phages. In the metagenomeassembled genomes, the presence of 15 PARB was confirmed. The soil profile showed that the transcripts per million (TPM) values of ARGs and VFGs in the sub-soil horizon were significantly lower than those in the top soil horizon. Based on the TPM value of each gene, major ARGs, VFGs, and these genes in PARB from the Arctic permafrost region were identified and their distribution was confirmed. The major host bacteria for ARGs and VFGs and PARB were identified. A comparison of the percentage identity distribution of ARGs and VFGs to reference databases indicated that ARGs and VFGs in the Arctic soils differ from previously identified genes. Our results may help understand the characteristics and distribution of ARGs, VFGs, and these genes in PARB in the Arctic permafrost region. This findings suggest that the Arctic permafrost region may serve as potential reservoirs for ARGs, VFGs, and PARB. These genes could pose a new threat to human health if they are released by permafrost thawing owing to global warming and propagate to other regions.