According to the UN, the World population is going to achieve 8.000 million people imminently [1]. Finding a sustainable and efficient way to feed the growing population is one of the major challenges of this generation.

Crop yields can be promoted by plant growth promoting (PGP) bacteria in substitution of chemical fertilization, which has shown to cause a wide list of environmental harms. On the other side, pest control with chemical biocides is not only harmful for the environment but could also be a direct cause of human disease. For this reason, BCA (biological control agents) are being studied. Microorganisms can aid crops against the attack of phytopathogens, by direct antagonism (growth inhibition, p.e.) or by the early activation of the plant defense mechanisms –priming- [2].

In this study, 49 Brassica napus bacterial endophytes were tested in vitro as antagonists of the fungus Leptosphaeria maculans, the causal agent of the most damaging disease of this crop [3]. The screening allowed us to find 13 endophytes with high in vitro antifungal potential. Two Pseudomonas strains, belonging to the species P. brassicacearum and P. orientalis, respectively, greatly inhibited the fungus. Genomes sequences of these strains were sequenced, and their genetic potential to produce secondary metabolites was analyzed on the antiSMASH platform (v5.1.2). Both strains genome analyses showed diverse biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) that may be implicated in the production of novel secondary metabolites that might be implicated in the antifungal activity, according to its relative similarity to other BGCs in the platform database.

Funding: This work was funded from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 750795.

References

1. UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Available online: https://www.un.org/development/desa/en/news/population/world-population-prospects-2019.html (Accessed on 07/09/2020).
2. García-Fraile, P.; Menéndez, E.; Rivas, R. Role of bacterial biofertilizers in agriculture and forestry. AIMS Bioeng. 2015, 2, 183–205, doi:10.3934/bioeng.2015.3.183.
3. Marcroft, S.J.; Sosnowski, M.R.; Scott, E.S.; Ramsey, M.D.; Salisbury, P.A.; Howlett, B.J. Brassica napus plants infected by Leptosphaeria maculans after the third to fifth leaf growth stage in south-eastern Australia do not develop blackleg stem canker. Eur. J. Plant Pathol. 2005, 112, 289–292, doi:10.1007/s10658-005-1050-1.

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is an important staple cereal food crop for half of the world populations. Bacterial blight (BB) caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) is one of the most destructive disease across rice-growing regions. CB 174 R is an elite restorer line involved in popular medium duration grain quality hybrid CORH 4, which was highly susceptible to BB. The IRBB 60 possess three resistance genes [one dominant (Xa21) and two recessive genes (xa13 and xa5)] were used as a donor parent to introgress into CB 174 R through marker assisted breeding. The F₁ hybrid CB 174 R × IRBB 60 showed polymorphism for all three genes were tagged and selfed for generation advancement through marker assisted selection. A total of 110 F­₂ individuals of CB 174 R × IRBB 60 was genotyped using two functional (xa13 and xa5) and one flanking (RM 21) markers. Results from our study found three (Xa21+xa13+xa5) and two (Xa21+xa13 or Xa21+xa5 or xa5+xa13) genes introgressed combinations in different F­₂ individuals through foreground selection, thus could be followed until to find homozygous combinations. Among observed genes combinations, BB susceptibility was observed in the absence of Xa21 gene or recessive conditions of xa5 and xa13 genes. The genes introgressed individuals showed broad spectrum of resistance against virulent isolate under field conditions. The identified homozygous/heterozygous individuals forwarded to next cycles of breeding to fix homozygous conditions for all three genes with an improved agronomic performance background, and thus could be used as a donor source for future rice breeding programme.

Abstract: One of the leading important plantation crops with high revenue returns widely known is Elaeis guineensis palm. To-date, yield variability in fresh fruit bunches (YFFB) in Malaysia oil palm plantations is one of the key influences in low palm oil yield. Accordingly, an assessment of dura×pisifera progenies and their genetic origins on oil palm yield was carried out in this current study. Eleven years old 24 derived progenies from 10 genetic origins developed through single-crossed hybridization were adopted and the standard procedure for yield and yield traits data collections were followed for three sequential years. Analysis of variance revealed genetic variation among the progenies and their origins. Amid the progenies analysed, 45.83% had YFFB above the trial mean. Progeny HPDP500 had the highest YFFB (191.74 kg/palm/year) and the highest bunch number (YBNO) was recorded in PKDP4474 and HPDP500 at 20.65 bunch/palm/year and 20.53 bunches/palm/year, respectively. The highest YFFB was recorded in Year-one and year-three, while the highest YBNO was noticed in year-one of data collection. Dura-Ulu Remis × Yangambi had the highest YFFB (175.81 kg/palm/year) and Tanzania × Nigeria recorded the highest YBNO (19.06 bunches/palm/year). To further verify the genetic variation among progenies, variance components, heritability and coefficient of variation were estimated. The results revealed high heritability and phenotypic coefficient of variation with a moderate genotypic coefficient of variation for all the traits. YFFB had a significant positive relationship with YBNO (r=0.676**) with a weak positive association with average bunch weight (r=0.378**). Hence, due to progeny HPDP500 and origin Dura-Ulu Remis × Yangambi performance in YFFB yield, they could be exploited for selection and breeding for yield improvement.

The increased interest in the biotechnology of carotenoids has been mainly generated by their health-related properties: carotenoids can act as free radical scavengers and antioxidants, while an inverse relationship exists between the dietary intake of carotenoid-rich foods and the incidence of certain types of cancer, UV-induced skin damage, coronary heart diseases, cataracts and macular degeneration. Carotenoids with β-ring end groups act as precursors for the production of vitamin A in animal cells. Maize is one of the most important crops due to its high productivity and its multiple uses as a food source for humans, livestock feed and as a raw material in various industries; among staple crops, it has a relatively high amount of carotenoids. The major aim of this work is to characterize the carotenoid content from several Transylvanian maize hybrids produced by the Agricultural Research and Development Station (ARDS) Turda. Maize kernels were milled, weighed and extracted with ethanol and acetone, the resulting suspension being filtrated under vacuum, then by membrane filtration (0.47 mm). Total carotenoids were determined by UV/VIS spectrophotometry, while major carotenoids were determined by reverse-phased high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using a Perkin Elmer Flexar system with a UV/VIS detector. The total carotenoids’ content of maize grains revealed significant differences between certain hybrids; HPLC analysis emphasized that lutein is the major carotenoid in most hybrids, while in a smaller number of cases β-cryptoxanthin was the major carotenoid. Zeaxanthin and β-cryptoxanthin are in most cases in the mid-level range of concentrations, while b-carotene is a minor carotenoid. HPLC analysis, principal component analysis and cluster analysis revealed five HPLC fingerprint profiles. Since the β-cryptoxanthin and β-carotene are present in only small quantities, the provitamin A value of the investigated hybrids is rather modest; however, certain hybrids proved to contain significant amounts of lutein and zeaxanthin – important in many physiological processes. Besides being a helpful tool for future nutrition studies, this work is in the meantime a valuable tool in assisting the breeding activity for improvement the nutritional quality of maize.

The presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in medicinal plants may result in health risk to consumers, which are generally hoping that a natural remedy may be helpful in the healing process. Contamination of herbal teas with PAHs can occur as a result of environmental pollution as well as during processing (in some drying or preservation stages that allow combustion products to come into contact with medicinal plants). This research fits into current concerns directed towards establishing the PAHs’ contamination level of plant resources, the focus being on the priority PAHs as established by the US Environmental Protection Agency’s and by the European Union. In this study, the PAHs’ content of several commercial herbal teas brands (basil, chamomile, mulberry, plantain, dandelion, mint, St. John's wort, black locust, common elder, lime, marigold and fennel) was assessed by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using an Agilent 1100 system with fluorescence and photodiode array detectors. The obtained data revealed that: 1) the maximum overall PAH’s contamination in the studied herbal teas was recorded for dandelion (131.15 mg/ kg), mulberry (27.78 mg/ kg) and St.John’s wort (18.28 mg/ kg), all of these exposing high surface area of leaves; 2)from the 15 tracked PAHs, only three were present in all samples (acenaphthene, fluorene and benzo(b)fluoranthene), while anthracene and benzo(g,h,i)perylene were quantified in only two samples; 3) the maximum levels of individual PAHs were recorded in dandelion: 30.79 ppb naphthalene, 28.91 mg/ kg pyrene, 23.79 mg/ kg phenanthrene and 10.28 mg/ kg benzo(b)fluoranthene. 4) the lowest PAHs concentrations were recorded in basil and fennel (1,96 and 2.20 mg/ kg), these being the least contaminated also in terms of PAH’s range (only 7 from the 15 studied PAHs).

This project focuses on the development and impact of 2050 - A New World: a policy-making boardgame that makes players balance city development with climate change mitigation, to make the best future they can. They must make tough decisions with limited resources and consider what they are willing to change for a sustainable, resilient life. The game is intended to encourage creative thinking about sustainability, and emphasise the difficult trade offs and feedbacks involved in combating climate change.

Each round, players must create policies that move their assigned city towards its international commitments on sustainability and prevent environmental collapse, by reallocating or improving resources from five systems: energy, food, nature, shelter, and water. Throughout the game, progressively worsening climate events interact with your resource state, in a way that reflects the real-world risks to each city. The diversity of circumstances between cities helps to communicate the impacts of climate change in a global context, which players explore through debate. Social variables, such as inequality, population density, food security and aversion to some technological solutions, are all embedded within the game play.

In 2019, the game was played by three cohorts of people, from a wide range of age groups, backgrounds, and interests, hosted by the Cambridge Festival of Ideas. We found the compressed time frame of policy enactment and consequence provided a new perspective on real life decisions for the players. We observed that a dynamic environment developed, facilitating debate around topics that are associated with complex societal perceptions, such as deforestation, diet, and the use of transgenic crops. The game encourages the players to face tough choices creatively, and their policies, successes and failures reflect the values they brought to the table. We discuss the insights gained from this process in the context of sustainability and science communication.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a central role in plant immune responses. The chief enzymes that generate ROS are plasma-membrane NADPH oxidase and apoplast peroxidases. Today it is known that ROS perform signaling functions and serve as a trigger for the induction of plant defense systems at an early stage of disease development. The most important virulence factors of the Stagonospora nodorum are multiple fungal necrotrophic effectors (NEs) (SnTox) that affect the redox-status and cause necrosis and/or chlorosis on wheat lines possessing dominant susceptibility genes (Snn). However, the effect of NEs on ROS generation in the early stages of infection has not been studied. The pathosystem wheat–S. nodorum is mediated by multiple fungal NEs – host sensitivity gene interactions that include SnToxA–Tsn1, SnTox1–Snn1, and SnTox3–Snn3 and others. In this study, combinations of different genotypes of several varieties of soft spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) with different allelic states of susceptibility genes and several S. nodorum isolates, characterized by presence or absence of SnToxA, SnTox1, SnTox3 effector genes expression (SnB, Sn9MN, Sn4VD) were studied. In the compatible interaction Zhnitsa/ SnB or Sn9MN, suppression of hydrogen peroxide generation was found, which occurred due to high activity of catalase, low activity of peroxidase and reduce of expression of genes encoding NADPH-oxidase (TaRboh), anionic peroxidase (TaPrx) and superoxide dismutase (TaSod) at the early stage of infection (24 hours), which further led to the formation of extensive lesions. The greatest accumulation of hydrogen peroxide was found in the incompatible interaction Omskaya35/ SnB or Sn4VD. S. nodorum effectors SnToxA, SnTox1, SnTox3 reduced hydrogen peroxide generation at the initial stage of infection, most likely due to the regulation of peroxidase activity. This work was supported by the RFBR in the framework of the research project no. 20-316-80047 and no. 18-04-00978.

Acanthoscelides obtectus Say (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae) is an insect pest that attacks wild and cultivated common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). To control insect plagues, it is a priority to choose compounds with different modes of action, greater selectivity, and less environmental persistence. There is an increasing demand in the search for new active substances and natural plant products for pest control for the reduction of adverse effects on human health and the environment. Therefore, this investigation evaluated under laboratory conditions, three doses (24, 60 and, 120 µL) of Cymbopogon winterianuss and Ocimum basilicum essential oils over bean seeds placed in Petri dishes in which A. obtectus insects were previously placed. Different doses of essential oils provided different survival on A. obtectus adults. The essential oils affected the development of A. obtectus since the greatest doses applied on beans decreased the emergence of the weevil. Besides, they reduced the number of exit holes per damaged bean and the bean weight loss, which ranged from 2.987% in the control treatment to 1.014% and 1.221% with 120 µL of C. winterianuss and O. basilicum, respectively. The ability of both C. winterianuss and O. basilicum to reduce the insect longevity, the subsequent emergence of new adults, and to protect the bean seeds make these essential oils a suitable tool for the control of this insect pest in small storages.

Acanthoscelides obtectus Say (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae), know as the bean weevil, causes severe post-harvest losses in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). The control of this insect pest is still poor and involves the use of conventional insecticides. Besides, there is an increasing demand in the search for new active substances and natural plant products for pest control towards the reduction of adverse effects on human health and the environment. Under laboratory conditions, four doses (12, 24, 60 and 120 µL) of Lippia origanoides and Lippia alba essential oils were evaluated on Petri dishes against A. obtectus insects during 15 days. L. origanoides and L. alba oils exhibited similar patterns of insecticidal activity over the insect. L. origanoides and L. alba accumulated an insect mortality of 85.00 and 81.94% at dose 120 µL, respectively, significantly greater than the lower applied doses of each essential oil. However, all the lower doses applied of each oil produced significantly higher effects than the control treatment, with an accumulated mortality of 16.25%. These essential oils affected the survival of A. obtectus since the greatest doses applied on insects decreased the life span of the bean weevil. The results prove the insecticidal capacity of the essential oils of Lippia spp. genus and hence their potential as active substances against A. obtectus in environmentally low-risk pest control strategies. Supplementary trials should be conducted under real storage conditions.

Global climate change has a negative impact on tomato production all around the world. This leads to annual losses of this crop due to disease and extreme weather conditions by 12-30%. To increase the supply of vegetables and expand the range of genotypes adaptive to biotic and abiotic environmental factors, it is necessary to use laboratory methods and methods of mathematical modeling. These techniques are needed to assess and select promising sources of resistance in the breeding.

The effectiveness of a complex rapid assessment of tissue culture in vitro in modified selective media MS (T. Murashigе, F. Skoog, 1962) was studied in terms of viability and biometric parameters of calli and regenerated plants of 10 tomato genotypes. A two-factor experiment was performed. The factor A - 18 variants of selective media, factor B - genotype. In each experimental variant, there were 20 numbers of explants in quadruplicate. The development of donor plants and the determination of the peroxidase level in their tissues were carried out after 21 days of cultivation. At the same time, the level of productivity and stability of the samples in soil conditions was studied.

The 64 studied parameters revealed 14 high degrees of correlation between the parameters of plants growing in selective media in vitro culture and the yield and resistance of tomatoes in soil conditions. These indicators were used to construct two variants of discriminant functions with the help of canonic discriminant analysis. This will make it possible to predict the level of stress resistance of tomato genotypes and simplify the assessment of a large number of genotypes by a set of traits in breeding practice.