Kill rate as a tool in efficiency evaluation of Neoseiulus californicus (Acari: Phytoseiidae) mass reared on factitious food.

The predatory mites of the Phytoseiidae family are crucial biological control agents widely utilized in biological pest management targeting phytophagous mites and insects. Key factors in these control strategies are that phytoseiids must be able to find their main target prey and to maintain high populations and efficacy. To reduce expenses and time-consuming production methods of mass rearing of phytoseiids, pollen and other factitious (i.

Phenolic Extract from Olive Leaves as a Promising Endotherapeutic Treatment against in Naturally Infected (var. ) Trees.

(1) Background: Since 2013, the pathogenic bacterium has been severely affecting olive production in Apulia, Italy, with consequences for the economy, local culture, landscape and biodiversity. The production of a phenolic extract from fresh olive leaves was employed for endotherapeutic injection into naturally infected olive trees by in Apulia region, Italy. (2) Methods: The effectiveness of the extract was tested in vitro and in planta in comparison with analogous treatments based on garlic powder and potassium phosphite.

Next-generation methods for early disease detection in crops.

Plant pathogens are commonly identified in the field by the typical disease symptoms that they can cause. The efficient early detection and identification of pathogens are essential procedures to adopt effective management practices that reduce or prevent their spread in order to mitigate the negative impacts of the disease. In this review, the traditional and innovative methods for early detection of the plant pathogens highlighting their major advantages and limitations are presented and discussed.

NGS transcriptomic analysis uncovers the possible resistance mechanisms of olive to leaf spot infection.

is a dangerous obligate fungal pathogen of olive, feared in the Mediterranean countries, causing or , which can lead to a serious yield loss of approximately 20% or higher depending on climatic conditions. Coping with this disease is much more problematic for organic farms. To date, knowledge on the genetic control of possible mechanisms of resistance/low susceptibility is quite limited.

Development, Validation, and Application of Reverse Transcription Real-Time and Droplet Digital PCR Assays for the Detection of the Potyviruses Watermelon Mosaic Virus and Zucchini Yellow Mosaic Virus in Cucurbits.

Among the cucurbit-infecting viruses, watermelon mosaic virus (WMV) and zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV) (Potyvirus: Potyviridae) are responsible for severe symptoms on cucumber, melon, watermelon, and zucchini cultivations worldwide. In this study, reverse transcription real-time PCR (real-time RT-PCR) and droplet-digital PCR (RT-ddPCR) assays targeting the coat protein (CP) genes of WMV and ZYMV were developed and validated according to the international standards of plant pest diagnosis (EPPO PM 7/98 (5)). First, the diagnostic performance of WMV-CP and ZYMV-CP real-time RT-PCRs was evaluated, and the assays displayed an analytical sensitivity of 10 and 10, respectively.

Improvement of Fresh Ovine "Tuma" Cheese Quality Characteristics by Application of Oregano Essential Oils.

In the present work, oregano essential oils (OEOs) were applied to process the fresh ovine cheese "Tuma" obtained by pressed cheese technology. Cheese making trials were performed under industrial conditions using ewe's pasteurized milk and two strains of (NT1 and NT4) as fermenting agents. Two experimental cheese products (ECP) were obtained through the addition of 100 (ECP100) and 200 (ECP200) µL/L of OEO to milk, while the control cheese product (CCP) was OEO-free.

Rapid molecular assay for the evaluation of clove essential oil antifungal activity against wheat common bunt.

Common bunt of durum wheat (DW), Triticum turgidum L. ssp. durum (Desf.

Silver nanoclusters with Ag oxidative states are a new highly effective tool against phytopathogenic bacteria.

The main measure worldwide adopted to manage plant bacterial diseases is based on the application of copper compounds, which are often partially efficacious for the frequent appearance of copper-resistant bacterial strains and have raised concerns for their toxicity to the environment and humans. Therefore, there is an increasing need to develop new environmentally friendly, efficient, and reliable strategies for controlling plant bacterial diseases, and among them, the use of nanoparticles seems promising. The present study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of protecting plants against attacks of gram-negative and gram-positive phytopathogenic bacteria by using electrochemically synthesized silver ultra nanoclusters (ARGIRIUM‑SUNCs) with an average size of 1.

"Oops…a Beaver Again!" Eurasian Beaver Recorded by Citizen-Science in New Areas of Central and Southern Italy.

The Eurasian beaver was once present in the Palearctic, ranging from the western Iberian Peninsula to northwestern China. In the Middle Ages, this rodent underwent a severe decline in population due to habitat loss, hunting for fur and meat, and the demand for castoreum. At the beginning of 1900, the range of the Eurasian beaver was limited to scattered refugia in Eurasia.

Biomolecular Monitoring Tool Based on Lab-on-Chip for Virus Detection.

Lab-on-Chip (LoC) devices for performing real-time PCR are advantageous compared to standard equipment since these systems allow to conduct in-field quick analysis. The development of LoCs, where the components for performing the nucleic acid amplification are all integrated, can be an issue. In this work, we present a LoC-PCR device where thermalization, temperature control and detection elements are all integrated on a single glass substrate named System-on-Glass (SoG) obtained using metal thin-film deposition.

Analysis of Italian isolates of subsp. and development of a real-time PCR-based diagnostic method.

subsp. (Pss) causes Stewart's vascular wilt of maize, and it is responsible for serious crop losses. Pss is indigenous to North America and spreads with maize seeds.

Development and Validation of a Duplex RT-qPCR for Detection of Peach Latent Mosaic Viroid and Comparison of Different Nucleic-Acid-Extraction Protocols.

Peach latent mosaic viroid (PLMVd) is an important pathogen that causes disease in peaches. Control of this viroid remains problematic because most PLMVd variants are symptomless, and although there are many detection tests in use, the reliability of PCR-based methods is compromised by the complex, branched secondary RNA structure of the viroid and its genetic diversity. In this study, a duplex RT-qPCR method was developed and validated against two previously published single RT-qPCRs, which were potentially able to detect all known PLMVd variants when used in tandem.

Effects of climate change on the distribution of Fusarium spp. in Italy.

This work studies the incidence of Fusarium spp. on wheat kernels about current and future climatic conditions in Italy. Epidemiological analyses were performed from 2007 to 2013 and the resulting dataset was used to find correlations between the disease incidence of five important Fusarium species monitored in Italy (Fusarium graminearum, F.

First records of Pochazia shantungensis (Chou & Lu, 1977) (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Ricaniidae) in Italy.

The invasive ricaniid species Pochazia shantungensis (Chou & Lu, 1977), an Asiatic pest in China and Korea, is reported for the first time in Italy. This is the fourth confirmed record from Europe after Turkey, France, and Germany. The list of the host plants recorded in Europe is given.

Chemical Composition and Biological Activities of Essential Oils from Genotypes Belonging to the Carvacrol and Thymol Chemotypes.

The remarkable biological activities of oregano essential oils (EOs) have recently prompted a host of studies aimed at exploring their potential innovative applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries. The chemical composition and biological activities of EOs from two genotypes, widely cultivated in Sicily and not previously studied for their biological properties, were characterized. Plants of the two genotypes, belonging to the carvacrol (CAR) and thymol (THY) chemotypes and grown in different cultivation environments, were considered for this study.

Identification and Characterization of in Branch and Twig Dieback-Affected Olive Trees in Italy and Comparative Pathogenicity with .

For about a decade, olive groves in Apulia (Southern Italy) have been progressively destroyed by Olive Quick Decline Syndrome (OQDS), a disease caused by the bacterium subsp. (Xfp). Recently, we described an additional wilting syndrome affecting olive trees in that area.

In Vivo Antiphytoviral and Aphid Repellency Activity of Essential Oils and Hydrosols from and to Control Zucchini Yellow Mosaic Virus and Its Vector .

In recent years, natural compounds have gained attention in many fields due to their wide-range biological activity. In particular, essential oils and their associated hydrosols are being screened to control plant pests, exerting antiviral, antimycotic and antiparasitic actions. They are more quickly and cheaply produced and are generally considered safer for the environment and non-target organisms than conventional pesticides.

Different diagnostic approaches for the characterization of the fungal community and Fusarium species complex composition of Italian durum wheat grain and correlation with secondary metabolite accumulation.

Background: The evolution of the fungal communities associated with durum wheat was assessed using different diagnostic approaches. Durum wheat grain samples were collected in three different Italian cultivation macro-areas (north, center and south). Fungal isolation was realized by potato dextrose agar (PDA) and by deep-freezing blotter (DFB).

Genetic analysis of the tomato russet mite provides evidence of oligophagy and a widespread pestiferous haplotype.

Worldwide, the tomato russet mite (TRM), Aculops lycopersici (Eriophyidae), is a key pest on cultivated tomato in addition to infesting other cultivated and wild Solanaceae; however, basic information on TRM supporting effective control strategies is still lacking, mainly regarding its taxonomic status and genetic diversity and structure. As A. lycopersici is reported on different species and genera of host plants, populations associated with different host plants may constitute specialized cryptic species, as shown for other eriophyids previously considered generalists.

as a Simple and Cheap Preclinical Pharmacokinetic and Toxicity Model.

The progression of drugs into clinical phases requires proper toxicity assessment in animals and the correct identification of possible metabolites. Accordingly, different animal models are used to preliminarily evaluate toxicity and biotransformations. Rodents are the most common models used to preliminarily evaluate the safety of drugs; however, their use is subject to ethical consideration and elevated costs, and strictly regulated by national legislations.

Genetic variability of Metarhizium isolates from the Ticino Valley Natural Park (Northern Italy) as a possible microbiological resource for the management of Popillia japonica.

The natural occurrence of entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) was investigated along the Ticino River (Ticino River Natural Park, Novara Province, Piedmont, Italy), at the center of the area of the first settlement of the invasive alien pest Popillia japonica. Using Zimmermann's "Galleria bait method", EPF were successfully isolated from 83 out of 155 soil samples from different habitats (perennial, cultivated, or uncultivated meadows, woodlands, and riverbanks). Sequencing of the 5' end of the Translation Elongation Factor 1 alfa (5'-TEF) region allowed the assignment of 94% of the isolates to Metarhizium spp.