6 research outputs found
Phenotypic, Pathogenic, and Genetic Diversity of Botrytis cinerea Isolates from Moroccan Vineyards
No full textGray mold, caused by Botrytis cinerea Pers. Fr. (teleomorph: Botryotinia fuckeliana), is a major disease affecting Moroccan vineyards. However, limited information is available on the natural populations of this pathogen. In this study, 82 single-spore isolates collected from vineyards in two major wine-growing regions were evaluated for phenotypic, physiological, and molecular variability. The isolates exhibited differences in morphotypes, conidial size, and sclerotia production on PDA medium. Temperature significantly affected mycelial growth rate (mm d−1). All isolates were virulent on grapevine leaves, showing varying levels of aggressiveness. Among the representative isolates, 20 were heterothallic and 2 were homothallic. Mating-type analysis revealed that 12% belonged to MAT1-1 and 75% to MAT1-2. Transposable element genotyping showed that the population was composed of 41.7% transposa, 29.2% vacuma, 16.7% Flipper-only, and 12.5% Boty-only. This work represents the first report on genotypic variation in B. cinerea populations from Moroccan vineyards. The findings provide new insights into the morphenotypic and genetic diversity of the pathogen and may support the development of improved strategies for disease management
Antifungal efficacy of four plant-derived essential oils against Botrytis cinerea: chemical profiles and biological activities
No full textInternational audienceChemical compositions and the antifungal efficacy of essential oils derived from Origanum elongatum, Mentha pulegium, Thymus vulgaris, or Corymbia citriodora were assessed against the grapevine gray mold pathogen Botrytis cinerea, isolated from Moroccan vineyards. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses identified the major constituents of these oils as carvacrol (61.8%) from O. elongatum, pulegone (91.2%) from M. pulegium, thymol (47.8%) from T. vulgaris, and cineol (78.11%) from C. citriodora. All these essential oils had antifungal activity, inhibiting in vitro colony radial growth and conidium germination of B. cinerea. Among the essential oils, that from O. elongatum exhibited the greatest inhibition of mycelium growth, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and effective concentrations (EC 50 ), respectively, of 252.5 µL L -1 and 33.27 µL L -1 in direct contact, and 56.17 µL L -1 and 12.75 µL L -1 in fumigation. At 125 µL L -1 , origanum essential oil completely inhibited B. cinerea conidium germination. In vivo tests with detached leaves of two grapevine cultivars and grape berries showed that essential oils from M. pulegium and O. elongatum reduced the lesion diameters by, respectively, 78% and 72% on the leaves, and by 58% and 50% on grape berries. The results indicate the potential of using these essential oils as natural and effective alternatives to chemical fungicides for control of B. cinerea, offering a promising strategy for sustainable and environmentally friendly disease management practices
Unraveling the Multiple Biocontrol Mechanisms of Trichoderma spp. in the Protection of Grapevines Against Botrytis cinerea
No full textInternational audienceBotrytis cinerea, the causal agent of grey mold in grapevine, remains one of the most economically important pathogens in viticulture and a key target for sustainable biocontrol strategies. This study evaluated the antagonistic potential of seven Trichoderma isolates (T1–T7), collected from the rhizosphere of grapevine in Morocco, using a combination of in vitro and in planta assays designed to capture multiple direct and indirect modes of action. The isolates exhibited variable levels of antagonism through competition, volatile organic compounds, extracellular metabolites, and elicitation responses. Preliminary in planta assays on detached grape berries further demonstrated that all selected isolates reduced lesion development, with preventive applications yielding the strongest protection. Overall, the study highlights the complementary and strain-specific mechanisms underlying Trichoderma & B. cinerea interactions and underscores the importance of isolate selection and application timing for the development of effective and environmentally friendly grey mold management strategies. These findings provide a mechanistic basis for the future evaluation of promising isolates under vineyard conditions
Precision livestock farming: a qualitative exploration of swine industry stakeholders
No full textIntroduction: Precision livestock farming (PLF) technology development has proliferated recently, but on-farm adoption has lagged. Understanding PLF stakeholders’ views, practical applications, limitations, and concerns are necessary to understand the factors influencing the adoption of PLF technology.
Methods: Using semi-structured online interviews, 12 influential stakeholders’ PLF views and lived experiences were investigated. A phenomenological paradigm was used to generate qualitative data that was analyzed using template analysis.
Results: We identified two unique groups of stakeholders, namely the PLF enthusiast and PLF cautious groups. The majority of the participants were well aware and had firsthand experience with the PLF technologies that are currently being used in the swine industry.
Discussion: We found that PLF technology was perceived to improve specificity in decision-making, better care for pigs, improve animal health and welfare, increase labor efficiency, and improve resource-use efficiency. Poor internet connectivity and the inability to use PLF data for decision-making due to needing to first complete daily on-farm tasks were considered key obstacles to its implementation. To integrate PLF technology into the existing barn environment, it is necessary to modify farm buildings and infrastructure and management protocols. Stakeholders’ main concerns with PLF technology included data privacy issues and the influence of PLF technology on human-animal relationships and farmers’ duty of care to the animals. In conclusion, stakeholders perceived camera systems for monitoring pig health and welfare and ensuring individual pig identification as a high priority in PLF development going forward.This article is published as Akinyemi BE, Vigors B, Turner SP, Akaichi F, Benjamin M, Johnson AK, Pairis-Garcia MD, Rozeboom DW, Steibel JP, Thompson DP, Zangaro C and Siegford JM (2023) Precision livestock farming: a qualitative exploration of swine industry stakeholders. Front. Anim. Sci. 4:1150528. doi: 10.3389/fanim.2023.1150528. © 2023 Akinyemi, Vigors, Turner, Akaichi, Benjamin, Johnson, Pairis-Garcia, Rozeboom, Steibel, Thompson, Zangaro and Siegford. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms
The -ray spectrum of the core of Centaurus A as observed with H.E.S.S. and Fermi-LAT
No full textInternational audienceCentaurus A (Cen A) is the nearest radio galaxy discovered as a very-high-energy (VHE; 100 GeV–100 TeV) γ-ray source by the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.). It is a faint VHE γ-ray emitter, though its VHE flux exceeds both the extrapolation from early Fermi-LAT observations as well as expectations from a (misaligned) single-zone synchrotron-self Compton (SSC) description. The latter satisfactorily reproduces the emission from Cen A at lower energies up to a few GeV. New observations with H.E.S.S., comparable in exposure time to those previously reported, were performed and eight years of Fermi-LAT data were accumulated to clarify the spectral characteristics of the γ-ray emission from the core of Cen A. The results allow us for the first time to achieve the goal of constructing a representative, contemporaneous γ-ray core spectrum of Cen A over almost five orders of magnitude in energy. Advanced analysis methods, including the template fitting method, allow detection in the VHE range of the core with a statistical significance of 12σ on the basis of 213 hours of total exposure time. The spectrum in the energy range of 250 GeV–6 TeV is compatible with a power-law function with a photon index Γ = 2.52 ± 0.13stat ± 0.20sys. An updated Fermi-LAT analysis provides evidence for spectral hardening by ΔΓ ≃ 0.4 ± 0.1 at γ-ray energies above 2.8+1.0−0.6 GeV at a level of 4.0σ. The fact that the spectrum hardens at GeV energies and extends into the VHE regime disfavour a single-zone SSC interpretation for the overall spectral energy distribution (SED) of the core and is suggestive of a new γ-ray emitting component connecting the high-energy emission above the break energy to the one observed at VHE energies. The absence of significant variability at both GeV and TeV energies does not yet allow disentanglement of the physical nature of this component, though a jet-related origin is possible and a simple two-zone SED model fit is provided to this end.Key words: gamma rays: galaxies / radiation mechanisms: non-thermal⋆ Corresponding author: H.E.S.S. and LAT Collaborations, e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected].† Funded by EU FP7 Marie Curie, grant agreement No. PIEF-GA-2012-332350
The regional geopolitics of the strait of Gibraltar
No full textSecurity of passage of the Strait of Gibraltar is an imperative for the world community. To achieve this, there must be stability on the northern and southern shores of the Strait. Peace in the region is currently threatened by the "creeping jurisdiction" which both Spain and Morocco wish to exert over the waters of the Strait. Other factors which threaten stability are the historical rivalry which exists between Spain and the Islamic southern shore; the legacy of disputed sovereignty in the Crown Colony of Gibraltar and the Spanish Plazas in North Africa; the economic divide betwen the EC and Maghreb along the Strait axis; and the possible threat of militant Islam. Contentions also exist between Morocco and Algeria, eg the Western Saharan War. The re-establishment of a strong "power hierarchy" in the area must be supported by such international instruments as the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982). The Crown Colony and the Spanish Plazas must be decolonized once Spain is firmly integrated into the EC and NATO, and once Morocco has reached a level of economic and political development that is condusive to closer ties with Western institutions
