Plant-Entomopathogenic Fungi Interaction: Recent Progress and Future Prospects on Endophytism-Mediated Growth Promotion and Biocontrol.

Entomopathogenic fungi, often acknowledged primarily for their insecticidal properties, fulfill diverse roles within ecosystems. These roles encompass endophytism, antagonism against plant diseases, promotion of the growth of plants, and inhabitation of the rhizosphere, occurring both naturally and upon artificial inoculation, as substantiated by a growing body of contemporary research. Numerous studies have highlighted the beneficial aspects of endophytic colonization.

Production of highly pure R,R-2,3-butanediol for biological plant growth promoting agent using carbon feeding control of Paenibacillus polymyxa MDBDO.

Background: Chemical fertilizers have greatly contributed to the development of agriculture, but alternative fertilizers are needed for the sustainable development of agriculture. 2,3-butanediol (2,3-BDO) is a promising biological plant growth promoter.

Results: In this study, we attempted to develop an effective strategy for the biological production of highly pure R,R-2,3-butanediol (R,R-2,3-BDO) by Paenibacillus polymyxa fermentation.

Biocontrol of the causal brown patch pathogen by GH1-13 and development of a bacterial strain specific detection method.

Brown patch caused by the basidiomycete fungus is an economically important disease of cool-season turfgrasses. In order to manage the disease, different types of fungicides have been applied, but the negative impact of fungicides on the environment continues to rise. In this study, the beneficial bacteria GH1-13 was characterized as a potential biocontrol agent to manage brown patch disease.

First Report of Binucleate AG-G Causing Root Rot of Japanese Bay Tree () in Korea.

Sieb. & Zucc., commonly known as Japanese bay tree, is a large evergreen tree belonging to the Lauraceae family and is widely distributed in Asia, including Korea in subtropical and tropical forest areas (Wu et al.

First report of post-harvest tuber rot of Medikus caused by in South Korea.

Medikus, a perennial vine legume native to North America, is known as 'Indian potato' or 'Apios' for their underground tubers that are used for human consumption in Korea (Choi et al., 2017). These tubers are known to be rich in isoflavones as well as other secondary products to have known several medicinal properties (Chu et al.

Cytogenetics and Consequences of Polyploidization on Different Biotic-Abiotic Stress Tolerance and the Potential Mechanisms Involved.

The application of polyploidy in sustainable agriculture has already brought much appreciation among researchers. Polyploidy may occur naturally or can be induced in the laboratory using chemical or gaseous agents and results in complete chromosome nondisjunction. This comprehensive review described the potential of polyploidization on plants, especially its role in crop improvement for enhanced production and host-plant resistance development against pests and diseases.

Fungi Associated with Postharvest Diseases of Sweet Potato Storage Roots and In Vitro Antagonistic Assay of against the Diseases.

Sweet potato is the 11th most important food crop in the world and an excellent source of nutrition. Postharvest diseases were monitored in sweet potato storage roots collected from the local markets in Korea during 2021. Several diseases including Fusarium surface and root rot, charcoal rot, dry rot, and soft rot were observed in the postharvest sweet potatoes.

Plant and Fungal Genome Editing to Enhance Plant Disease Resistance Using the CRISPR/Cas9 System.

Crop production has been substantially reduced by devastating fungal and oomycete pathogens, and these pathogens continue to threaten global food security. Although chemical and cultural controls have been used for crop protection, these involve continuous costs and time and fungicide resistance among plant pathogens has been increasingly reported. The most efficient way to protect crops from plant pathogens is cultivation of disease-resistant cultivars.

Control of Plant Viral Diseases by CRISPR/Cas9: Resistance Mechanisms, Strategies and Challenges in Food Crops.

Protecting food crops from viral pathogens is a significant challenge for agriculture. An integral approach to genome-editing, known as CRISPR/Cas9 (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and CRISPR associated protein 9), is used to produce virus-resistant cultivars. The CRISPR/Cas9 tool is an essential part of modern plant breeding due to its attractive features.

First Report of Post-Harvest Tuber Rot of American Groundnut (Apios americana) Caused by Fusarium acuminatum.

Apios americana Medik, commonly known as American groundnut, is a leguminous perennial vine crop native to North America and is cultivated in Japan and Korea (Chu et al. 2019). Its tubers are edible and believed to be very nutritious, especially for women just after childbirth.

Occurrence of Sweetpotato () Wilt and Surface Rot Disease and Determining Resistance of Selected Varieties to the Pathogen in Korea.

Fusarium wilt and Fusarium surface rot caused by Schltdl are the major diseases of sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas) and was surveyed in different locations (Cheongju, Heanam, Iksan, Icheon, Kimje, Nonsan, Yeoungam, and Yeoju) in Korea from 2015 to 2017 in the field, after harvesting and in storehouse. The wilt incidence in the early stage represented 17.9%, 5.

sp. nov. Isolated from subsp. in Korea.

A new species belonging to the genus was isolated from the necrotic leaf spots of subsp. in Yuseong district, Daejeon, Korea. It is an occasional isolate, not an etiological agent, which is morphologically similar to , but differs in conidial size and conidiophore shape.

Phylogenetic Placement and Morphological Characterization of (Teleomorph: ) Associated with Blight Disease of in Korea.

In this study, we aimed to characterize fungal samples from necrotic lesions on collar regions observed in different sweetpotato growing regions during 2015 and 2016 in Korea. Sclerotia appeared on the root zone soil surface, and white dense mycelia were observed. At the later stages of infection, mother roots quickly rotted, and large areas of the plants were destroyed.

Characterization of and in Korea Based on the Morphological Characteristics and Multigene Phylogenetic Analyses.

During fungal diversity surveys of the order Eurotiales in Korea, two fungal strains, EML-DG33-1 and EML-NCP50, were isolated from samples of rat dung and fig tree leaf collected at a garden located in Gwangju in 2014. To complete the National Species List of Korea, it is a prerequisite to verify whether many questionable species, which were previously recorded but not confirmed, indeed present in Korea. Herein, the isolates were confirmed as undescribed species, and based on the combination of morphological and phylogenetic analyses of multigenes including the rDNA internal transcribed spacer, β-tubulin, and RNA polymerase II subunit 2.

Prevalence, Characterization, and Mycotoxin Production Ability of Fusarium Species on Korean Adlay (Coix lacrymal-jobi L.) Seeds.

Adlay seed samples were collected from three adlay growing regions (Yeoncheon, Hwasun, and Eumseong region) in Korea during 2012. Among all the samples collected, 400 seeds were tested for fungal occurrence by standard blotter and test tube agar methods and different taxonomic groups of fungal genera were detected. The most predominant fungal genera encountered were , , , , , and .

Characterization and Pathogenicity of Alternaria burnsii from Seeds of Cucurbita maxima (Cucurbitaceae) in Bangladesh.

In the course of survey of endophytic fungi from Bangladesh pumpkin seeds in 2011~2012, two strains (CNU111042 and CNU111043) with similar colony characteristics were isolated and characterized by their morphology and by molecular phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer, glyceraldehydes-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (gpd), and Alternaria allergen a1 (Alt a1) sequences. Phylogenetic analysis of all three sequences and their combined dataset revealed that the fungus formed a subclade within the A. alternata clade, matching A.

Occurrence of Leaf Blight on Cosmos Caused by Alternaria cosmosa in Korea.

In 2011, a leaf blight disease was observed on cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus) leaves in Nonsan, Korea. The causal pathogen was isolated and identified based on morphological and molecular approaches. Morphological characteristics of the pathogen matched well with the Alternaria cosmosa and also easily distinguishable from Alternaria zinniae reported from cosmos seeds by producing branched beak.

Characterization and Pathogenicity of Alternaria vanuatuensis, a New Record from Allium Plants in Korea and China.

Alternaria from different Allium plants was characterized by multilocus sequence analysis. Based on sequences of the β-tubulin (BT2b), the Alternaria allergen a1 (Alt a1), and the RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2) genes and phylogenetic data analysis, isolates were divided into two groups. The two groups were identical to representative isolates of A.

First Record of Alternaria simsimi Causing Leaf Spot on Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) in Korea.

Leaf spot disease was observed in sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) during 2009 and 2010 in Korea. The pathogen was identified as Alternaria simsimi based on morphological and cultural characteristics.

A New Record of Penicillium raphiae Isolated from Agricultural Soil of Ulleung Island, Korea.

A fungal isolate EML-NCP01 was recovered from agricultural soil in Ulleung Island, Korea. Phylogenetic analysis of internal transcribed spacer and β-tubulin genes identified the isolate as the Penicillium species P. raphiae.

Endophytic fungi from Lycium chinense Mill and characterization of two new Korean records of Colletotrichum.

Chinese boxthorn or matrimony vine (Lycium chinense Mill) is found primarily in southeastern Europe and Asia, including Korea. The dried ripe fruits are commonly used as oriental medicinal purposes. Endophytic fungi were isolated from surface sterilized tissues and fruits of the medicinal plant in 2013 to identify the new or unreported species in Korea.

A Novel Alternaria Species Isolated from Peucedanum japonicum in Korea.

We isolated and examined a new Alternaria sp., which causes leaf spots on Peucedanum japonicum in Korea, by using molecular and morphological methods. Phylogenetic analysis based on a combined internal transcribed spacer region analysis and two protein-coding genes (gpd and Alt a1) demonstrated that the causal fungus was most closely related to A.

Biocontrol Activity of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens CNU114001 against Fungal Plant Diseases.

A total of 62 bacterial isolates were obtained from Gomsohang mud flat, Mohang mud flat, and Jeju Island, Republic of Korea. Among them, the isolate CNU114001 showed significant antagonistic activity against pathogenic fungi by dual culture method. The isolate CNU114001 was identified as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens by morphological observation and molecular data analysis, including 16SrDNA and gyraseA (gyrA) gene sequences.

Penicillium daejeonium sp. nov., a new species isolated from a grape and schisandra fruit in Korea.

Two isolates of monoverticillate Penicillium species were collected from a grape and schisandra fruit in Korea. Multigene phylogenetic analyses with the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and genes encoding β-tubulin (benA) and calmodulin (cmd), as well as morphological analyses revealed that the two isolates are members of the P. sclerotiorum complex in Penicillium subgenus Aspergilloides, but different from species of the P.