Determination of spider mite abundance in soil of field-grown cucumbers and in plants under predatory mite pressure in invasive infestations using HRM real-time PCR assay.

The two spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch L. (Acari: Tetranychidae), is a plant pest that can lead to severe economic losses in open field cucumber cultivation. Between 2017 and 2019 we studied the abundance of spider mites in the soil to estimate the potential infestation pressure of soil colonizing spider mites.

Analysis of pectolytic enzymes and Alternaria spp. in fresh dill, mustard seeds, onions, and vinegar, and their influence on the softening of pickled cucumbers.

Proteolytic enzymes or fungi have long been identified as causing softening of pickled cucumbers. As the softening of cucumbers occurs mainly in the pasteurized state, this study considers the hypothesis that vinegar and the added spices could be responsible for this softening by studying polygalacturonase (endo-/exo-PG), pectinesterase (PE), and pectin lyase, as well as Alternaria spp. found in the spices.

Quantifying the Role of Ground Beetles for the Dispersal of and Fungi in Agricultural Landscapes.

The spread by arthropods (zoochory) is an essential dispersal mechanism for many microorganisms, like plant pathogens. Carabid beetles are very abundant and mobile ground-dwelling insects. However, their role in the dispersal of economically relevant phytopathogens, like and fungi is basically unknown.

Co-Cultivation of , , and on Wheat-Ears Affects Microbial Growth and Mycotoxin Production.

Mycotoxigenic fungal pathogens and are a leading cause of loss in cereal production. On wheat-ears, they are confronted by bacterial antagonists such as pseudomonads. Studies on these groups' interactions often neglect the infection process's temporal aspects and the associated priority effects.

Pseudomonas simiae effects on the mycotoxin formation by fusaria and alternaria in vitro and in a wheat field.

Fluorescent pseudomonads colonizing wheat ears have a high antagonistic potential against phytopathogenic fungi. To check this hypothesis, the bacterial antagonist Pseudomonas simiae 9 was spray-inoculated onto the ears of winter wheat in a locally demarcated experimental field plot. Fusarium and Alternaria fungi naturally occurring on the ears and the formation of their mycotoxins in the ripe grains were investigated.