ReDivia - Repositorio Digital de l'Instit Valencià d'Investigacions Agràries
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Postharvest Treatments with Sulfur-Containing Food Additives to Control Major Fungal Pathogens of Stone Fruits
Get PDFThe sulfur-containing salts, classified as food additives, sodium metabisulfite (SMBS), potassium metabisulfite (PMBS), aluminum sulfate (AlS), and aluminum potassium sulfate (AlPS), were evaluated for their activity against Monilinia fructicola, Rhizopus stolonifer, and Geotrichum candidum, the most economically important fungal pathogens causing postharvest disease of stone fruit. In in vitro tests with potato dextrose agar (PDA) Petri dishes amended with different concentrations of the salts (0, 10, 20, 30, 50, and 100 mM), SMBS and PMBS at all concentrations, AlS above 20 mM, and AlPS above 30 mM, completely inhibited the mycelial growth of the three fungi after incubation at 25º C for up to 10 days. In in vivo primary screenings with artificially inoculated nectarines, aqueous solutions of the four salts reduced the incidence and severity of brown rot (BR) at concentrations of 10 and 50 mM, whereas only AlS and AlPS reduced Rhizopus rot (RR), and none of the salts was effective against sour rot (SR). Solutions at 100 mM were phytotoxic and injured the fruit peel. In small-scale trials, 1 min dip treatments at 20º C in SMBS or PMBS at 10 mM significantly reduced the incidence and severity of BR after incubation at 20º C for up to 8 days. Conversely, dips in AlS and AlPS reduced neither BR nor RR. Results highlight the potential of SMBS and PMBS as new nonpolluting tools for the integrated control of BR, but not RR and SR, on stone fruit
Functional Genomics in Fruit Trees: From 'Omics to Sustainable Biotechnologies
Get PDFThis Research Topic of Frontiers in Plant Science collects 8 manuscripts, focused on fruit crops of high commercial interest, such as bayberry, blueberry, pear, grapevine, citrus, and walnut. The breadth of solutions and approaches that omics offer us today, and the applications and perspectives that are looming over a short time horizon, are illustrated with a particular focus on fruit qualitative traits, related to firmness and post-harvest (Cappai et al.), ripening (Honaas et al.), and lignin accumulation (Cao et al.), on improving knowledge on secondary metabolites, such as phenolic compounds (Saxe et al.), as well as on investigating earliest responses to pathogens (Wei et al.). Moreover, the Research Topic illustrates a technological application path from whole-genome sequencing (Wu et al.) to the resequencing (Tanaka et al.), to achieve the ultimate objective of modulating genes using the New Breeding Techniques (Salonia et al.)
Suitable rootstocks can alleviate the effects of heat stress on pepper plants
Get PDFIn this study, different pepper rootstocks are tested for their ability to overcome heat stress situations. This work aims to evaluate: (I) the physiological mechanisms that occur during long heat stress periods (7 days) under controlled conditions in a pepper variety grafted onto accessions; (II) the heat stress behaviour of these grafted pepper plants under greenhouse conditions in terms of marketable yields. For this purpose, plants of Lamuyo-type sweet pepper ‘Herminio F1’ (VA), grafted onto six accessions (VA/A25, VA/A31, VA/A34, VA/A52, VA/A57, VA/A6), and a self-grafted variety (VA/VA) were grown under controlled conditions in growth chambers (28/24°C, day/night temperatures and 38/24°C for control and heat stress, respectively) and under greenhouse conditions (38/24°C). For the controlled conditions, relative growth rate, leaf area, electrolyte leakage, chlorophyll a fluorescence and heat shock proteins were determined. For the greenhouse conditions, fresh and dry weigh, electrolyte leakage and fruit yield were determined. Our results confirmed that grafting a pepper cultivar onto appropriate rootstocks such as A6, A25 and A57 can overcome the negative effects of heat stress conditions with a higher relative growth rate, leaf area and Fv/Fm, and lower electrolyte leakage under the controlled conditions, and with higher marketable yields under the greenhouse conditions
Insecticide-contaminated honeydew: risks for beneficial insects
Get PDFHoneydew is the sugar-rich excretion of phloem-feeding hemipteran insects such as aphids, mealybugs, whiteflies, and psyllids, and can be a main carbohydrate source for beneficial insects in some ecosystems. Recent research has revealed that water-soluble, systemic insecticides contaminate honeydew excreted by hemipterans that feed on plants treated with these insecticides. This contaminated honeydew can be toxic to beneficial insects, such as pollinators, parasitic wasps and generalist predators that feed on it. This route of exposure has now been demonstrated in three plant species, for five systemic insecticides and four hemipteran species; therefore, we expect this route to be widely available in some ecosystems. In this perspective paper, we highlight the importance of this route of exposure by exploring: (I) potential pathways through which honeydew might be contaminated with insecticides; (II) hemipteran families that are more likely to excrete contaminated honeydew; and (III) systemic insecticides with different modes of action that might contaminate honeydew through the plant. Furthermore, we analyse several model scenarios in Europe and/or the USA where contaminated honeydew could be problematic for beneficial organisms that feed on this ubiquitous carbohydrate source. Finally, we explain why this route of exposure might be important when exotic, invasive, honeydew-producing species are treated with systemic insecticides. Overall, this review opens a new area of research in the field of ecotoxicology to understand how insecticides can reach non-target beneficial insects. In addition, we aim to shed light on potential undescribed causes of insect declines in ecosystems where honeydew is an important carbohydrate source for insects, and advocate for this route of exposure to be included in future environmental risk assessments
Check-All-That-Apply Questions including the Ideal Product as a Tool for Selecting Varieties in Breeding Programs. A Case Study with Mandarins
Get PDFObtaining superior quality varieties are one of the main objectives of fruit breeding programs worldwide. In this study, we investigate employing check-all-that-apply (CATA) questions, which include the ideal product, as a method to select new varieties according to consumer organoleptic quality requirements. To this end, mandarin cultivars were used as a case study. Four
new cultivars from the IVIA breeding program (‘Pri-880 , ‘Pri-890 , ‘Pri-900 and ‘Tri-7070), and two commercial cultivars related to them (‘Clemenules’ and ‘Oronules’), were evaluated by a consumer panel using the CATA questions method, which include their ideal product. Our results reveal that this method is a useful tool for selecting varieties based on consumer descriptions of their sensory properties in relation to those of their ideal cultivar. This allows the different consumer preference patterns and differences in sample perceptions to be taken into account. A penalty analysis was performed, including the ideal product, to identify the “must-have” attributes; i.e., those that consumers included in their ideal mandarin description and, whenever present in samples, they significantly increased acceptance. For the mandarins herein evaluated, these attributes are “refreshing taste”, “very aromatic”, “sweet”, “juicy”, “very intense taste”, “sour” and “not very fibrous”. The fruit characteristics that contributed to improve the quality of the new varieties vs. the original varieties were also identified. ‘Pri-890 and ‘Tri-7070 , obtained from ‘Clemenules’, came closer to consumers’ ideal variety, because besides the aforementioned “must-have” attributes, these mandarins have small segments. ‘Pri-900 implied improvement in relation to ‘Oronules’ and is an appropriate variety for those consumers sensitive to bitterness and who like mandarins with a certain level of sourness
Pathogenicity of Xylella fastidiosa subsp. multiplex isolates from Alicante outbreak (mainland Spain) on different hosts
Get PDFIn the outbreak of Xylella fastidiosa in the province of Alicante (mainland Spain), all isolates characterized so far belong to subsp. multiplex and ST6, and the main host is Prunus dulcis. Two different strains (IVIA 5901 and ESVL), isolated from almond trees in two municipalities of the Demarcated Area, were used to carry out pathogenicity tests on different plant species. The Italian strain De Donno (subsp. pauca, ST53) and the Spanish strain IVIA 5770 (subsp. fastidiosa, ST1) were also included
The use of habitat interventions to enhance natural pest regulation services in Spanish orange orchards
Get PDFTo meet the rising demand for food from a growing human population, modern agriculture has focused on intensification by mechanising agricultural processes, converting land to agriculture, removing ecological infrastructure to maximise field sizes, and increasing agrochemical inputs (synthetic fertilisers and plant protection products). This has resulted in habitat loss, environmental pollution, and increased greenhouse gas emissions which has contributed to the accelerated loss of biodiversity and global climate change. In turn, ecological processes have been disrupted, including economically important ecosystem services that underpin food production, such as pest regulation. Interventions which protect and support ecosystem services must be applied to agricultural systems to enable the increasing demand for food to be met sustainably. Wildflower habitats provide resources for natural enemies of crop pests, including carbohydrates (nectar, honeydew, and guttation), protein (pollen and alternative host/prey), and shelter, and can therefore support populations of natural enemies, which spill-over onto adjacent crops, and ultimately enhance pest regulation services. Orange is an economically important fruit crop in Spain, worth €1.24 billion annually. Spanish orange orchards are characterised by a high diversity of native and naturalised natural enemies which successfully regulate many potential citrus pests. However, some pests still avoid successful control. For the delivery of robust Integrated Pest Management programmes, habitat management strategies must therefore be developed for Spanish orange orchards to support natural enemies and their pest regulation services. Replicated blocks established within larger commercial citrus orchards (>300 ha) in Huelva, Andalucía, were used to investigate the effect of a novel wildflower habitat sown in the orchard alleyways under different management strategies on natural enemy abundance and the delivery of pest regulation services in Spanish Navel orange orchards. Two management treatments were applied to the wildflower habitats: I) a standard management treatment, whereby the wildflower habitats were managed by cutting once annually in February, and II) an active management treatment, for which the wildflower habitat received two additional cuts each year, once in May and again in July, to coincide with predicted incidence of a key pest of citrus, Aonidiella aurantii Maskell (Hemiptera: Diaspididae). These management treatments were compared against control alleyways whereby alleyways were managed conventionally by cutting the naturally occurring vegetation four to five times annually. For the first time, it was demonstrated that species-rich wildflower strips can be established successfully in Spanish orange orchards, doubling plant richness in the alleyways, and supporting distinct plant communities compared to conventionally managed alleyways. In turn, this provided resources to support natural enemies. Carbohydrate feeding in parasitoids, a prerequisite for optimised host foraging, was increased and natural enemy abundance on orange trees was boosted in association with the standard wildflower treatment, without increasing the relative abundance of hyperparasitoids. This enhanced pest regulations services during a period of the year critical for the control of several economically important pest species (June-July). However, actively managing the wildflower alleyways by cutting resulted in a reduced abundance of the sown species during the three-year study. Rather than encouraging spill-over, the increased disturbance was associated with reduced abundance of natural enemies on the crop, decreased incidence of parasitoids recently fed on carbohydrate, and diminished pest regulation services. This study has shown that wildflower habitats under standard management can enhance the delivery of pest regulations services in commercial orange orchards. To optimise this service, wildflower habitats should therefore be managed by cutting just once annually, allowing alleyways to grow throughout the rest of the year. The adoption of this strategy could allow growers to reduce the use of plant protection products and provide a more environmentally and economically sustainable approach to pest regulation in Spanish orange orchards
Digestibilidad in vitro del alperujo de la comunidad valenciana en ganado vacuno: resultados preliminares
Get PDFEl alperujo es un subproducto reciente en las almazaras tradicionales, por la transformación de los procesos de molturación de 3 fases (aceite, alpechín y orujo) a sistemas de 2 fases (aceite y alperujo), debido a la nueva regulación medioambiental. Presenta una humedad del 65% y hasta un 15% (en materia seca, MS) de aceite. A día de hoy, se producen alrededor de 80.000 toneladas anuales en la Comunidad Valenciana, que son retiradas por orujeras. Su uso directo en la alimentación de la ganadería cercana a la zona de producción es una vía alternativa de aprovechamiento que, además, potencia la economía circular local. El objetivo del trabajo es determinar la digestibilidad in vitro de la MS (DIVMS) del alperujo para ganado bovino. Este trabajo se enmarca en un Proyecto mayor cuyo objetivo es desarrollar un modelo de gestión y aprovechamiento del alperujo en el norte de la Comunidad Valenciana para alimentación de ganado vacuno extensivo
Morphological characterization of eggplant landraces: key for ensuring nutritional quality and biodiversity conservation
No full textThe genetic erosion caused in crops by prioritizing production over quality has led to a loss of biodiversity (Brush, 1992; Castillo, 2008), which compromises global food security. As for eggplant, there is little morphological variability among commercialized
eggplants (Hanson et al., 2006), and it is therefore necessary to have a source that helps to increase crop diversity, as are the landraces. Traditional varieties are those that have been differentiated by farmers through a historical process of selection, and are considered an important source of agricultural biodiversity (Jain & Gupta, 2013), which can be used for the development of new varieties while supporting the local economy (Ebbert, 2014)
Búsqueda y caracterización de virus bacteriófagos frente a Xylella fastidiosa
Get PDFXylella fastidiosa es una bacteria Gram-negativa de la familia Xanthomonadaceae que habita el xilema de la planta hospedadora, donde se multiplica y puede llegar a obstruir el flujo de savia bruta, pudiendo llegar a provocar la muerte de la planta. Tiene un modo de vida dual, ya que también habita en el tracto digestivo anterior de insectos chupadores de xilema que actúan como vectores. Afecta a un elevado número de especies vegetales, muchas de ellas de gran interés agrícola y medioambienta