In most instances, symbiotic relationships between fungi and plants are considered with reference to the opposite categories of ‘antagonists’ and ‘mutualists’. The ‘neutral’ condition, to which endophytic fungi are often referred, merely derives by the absence of indications enabling their circumstantial ascription. However, the increasing evidence that many fungal pathogens are able to spread endophytically in unrelated plant species introduces the possibility that they can actually shift from one category to the other depending on a series of ecological factors. In the case of fungi producing bioactive secondary metabolites, this adaptation could be related to the toxic or phagodeterrent effects on pests possibly induced by these products. Sphaeropsidin A (SphA), a pimarane diterpene produced by several Diplodia species (Dothideomycetes, Botryosphaeriaceae), was extracted from culture filtrates of a strain of D. corticola isolated from Quercus suber in Algeria. Despite this fungus is known as a pathogen, it is able to spread endophytically to other hosts in forest contexts. Following previous evidence of insecticidal properties of SphA, we investigated effects of this compound against chewing insects using larvae of the polyphagous lepidopteran Spodoptera littoralis as a model. Bioassays were carried out through both contact application and oral exposure. More in detail, the topical application assay consisted in treating two groups respectively of 2^nd and 5^th instar larvae which were directly sprayed with a solution containing SphA (pre-dissolved in ethanol) at the concentration of 8000 ppm, while the oral administration assay was realized by directly pouring 2 µl of the experimental solution into the foregut lumen of anesthetized 5^th instar larvae on three consecutive days, for a total amount of 0.12 µg SphA/larva. Control larvae were identically treated with a solution without SphA. The compound showed no lethal effect when directly sprayed both on 2^nd or 5^th instar larvae, while it produced an evident toxic effect on 5^th instar larvae which were orally injected with the experimental solution; in fact, these larvae showed a significantly lower survival rate and a reduced weight compared with the control. The larval mortality started from the last administration of SphA (day 3) and increased over the time until pupation. SphA-treated larvae showed a survival rate of 31%, while 98% of the control larvae survived. The orally treated larvae showed a modified bodily appearance: they were smaller and their weight before pupation was significantly lower compared to the control; however, no alteration of the development time was recorded. The pupae obtained from SphA-treated larvae also showed a lower weight with a survival rate of about 67%, significantly lower compared with the control pupae (100%). No differences were recorded for the pupal development, and for the adult fertility and longevity. Based on these results, we can speculate that SphA might play a defensive role against lepidopteran insects in plants harboring the producing fungus, depending on the extent at which the endophytic strains of D. corticola are able to perform synthesis of this and eventually other bioactive metabolites in vivo.

In traditional orchards, lots of labors and material resources are required to carry fruits, spray pesticides and remove weeds. It has become increasingly prominent that autonomous labor burdens should be reduced. In this paper, a general orchard platform based on Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is designed, which can be equipped with mowing and spraying systems to complete the whole orchard path. However, due to the limitation of orchard circumstances and other factors such as extreme illumination or light interference, there will be some position deviations in navigation by machine vision. To solve this problem, a method of orchard path recognition and location based on machine vision is proposed. The results show that this method can effectively adjust the deviation of path recognition through cameras and the identification and positioning accuracy are improved of the general orchard platform.

The increased occurrence of extreme weather events due to climate change has heightened the need to develop support decision systems that can help farmers to mitigate losses in agriculture. Environmental hazards, such as frost have a relevant economy impact on crops since they may cause several damages and injuries in sensitive crops and therefore lead to production losses. Probability of frost occurrences are heavily influenced by local climate conditions. In addition, the extent of damage due to frost also depends on the phenology stages of the crops present at the area of interest. Hence, an early frost warning system at local scale have the potential to minimize damage to the crops as one can deploy protection mechanisms. In this article, we present models for an early forecasting (24 hours and 48 hours) of frost occurrences using stacked machine learning models. We trained the machine-learning models with hourly historical data from local weather station. The trained model is validated within the timeframe when the crops (organic fruits) are most susceptible to frost for the area of study. We also show the applicability of the model by extrapolating it to a new region. Moreover, we also integrate the frost prediction model with a phenology monitoring system using very-high resolution satellite data and weather station data. This development is carried out within the framework of H2020 CYBELE project.

The Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) Fuentesaúco-Chickpea (F-C) includes a legume crop developed in the south of the province of Zamora (Spain), which is of great agronomic, economic and cultural importance for the area, as well as globally. Its cultivation is mainly affected by the fungal diseases called fusariosis (caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceri) and rabies (caused by Ascochyta rabiei). Through an in vitro antagonism study we were able to select the species Trichoderma atroviride, T. hamatum, T. harzianum and T. koningii as the most effective against both pathogens, thanks to mechanisms of action such as mycoparasitism, antibiosis and/or competition for space and/or nutrients. Subsequently, these four Trichoderma species were used in studies with F-C plants and both pathogens. Using this methodology, we described how T. atroviride and T. koningii were able to control F. oxysporum f. sp. ciceri both directly and by activating plant defenses, in the case of T. koningii. On the other hand, the species T. hazianum and T. koningii were able to significantly reduce foliar infection with A. rabiei, by activating systemic plant defence responses. Regarding the productivity of F-C, the species T. hamatum and T. koningii were able to significantly increase the formation of grains in each plant. Therefore, T. koningii is capable of controlling both pathogens under greenhouse conditions, in addition to increasing their productivity.

The first-of-its-kind study maps the state of sustainable agriculture in India and how it can be scaled up to secure farm incomes, nutrition security, and natural capital in a climate-changing world. This research identifies around 30 most relevant sustainable agriculture practices (SAPS) practised in India and assessed in detail the 16 most promising of them. Using a systematic review approach, this study gathers insights from the literature and more than 40 consultations with government officials, agriculture institutions, and a primary survey with 180 CSOs promoting sustainable agriculture. An in-depth review of these practices concludes that sustainable agriculture is far from mainstream in India. Most practices and systems are being practised by less than five million (or four per cent) of all farmers. In fact, many are practised by less than one per cent. Only five (crop rotation; agroforestry; rainwater harvesting; mulching and precision) practices scale beyond 5 per cent of the net sown area. It further recommends several measures for promoting SAPS, including restructuring government support and rigorous evidence generation. By assessing the on-ground adoption of these practices and their impact on incomes, environment, and society, the study serves as a handbook for policymakers, administrators, philanthropic organisations, among others to make evidence-backed decisions to scale-up sustainable agriculture practices in India as appropriate.

Sensitivity to wheat and peanut proteins is widespread and is not restricted to geographical areas where wheat and peanuts are produced. It emphasizes the importance of these crops as the source of energy and proteins to populations globally. An uptick in the number of individuals diagnosed with celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder – and peanut allergy was observed in the last two decades. According to a recent estimate, ~1.4% of the world population is diagnosed with celiac disease and ~2% with peanut allergies. Unfortunately, there is no therapy available for these sensitivities other than a preventive diet with a need to maintain an immunogen-free environment to prevent sensitive individuals’ accidental exposure to the antigen. Given this knowledge, the present research focuses on developing reduced-immunogenicity wheat and peanut genotypes that can significantly reduce the scope of severe reaction to accidental exposure to wheat/peanut proteins. Working in this direction, we undertook two approaches to develop reduced-immunogenicity wheat/peanut genotypes: 1) wheat/peanut germplasm screening for genotypes with reduced immunogen content to crossbreed them to develop reduced to non-immunogenic wheat/peanut lines. 2) Use a CRISPR-based multi-gene editing approach to silence genes encoding major allergenic proteins. To achieve the first objective, we screened wheat landraces and peanut-mini-core collections. Similarly, to induce site-specific mutations, guide RNAs from the wheat gluten gene sequences and the peanut Ara h1, Ara h2, Ara h3, and Ara h6 gene sequences were developed and assembled in single guide RNA modules. The progress made on these objectives in both crops will be discussed.

The European Union set the ambitious goal of achieving net zero CO₂-equivalent emissions by 2050. Activities aimed at emission compensation will therefore have to be implemented in the coming years by all sectors, including agriculture and livestock. Cattle breeding appears particularly affected by this policy, as on the one hand it is currently responsible of the largest carbon footprint in the food sector in absolute terms as well as per kg of product, and because emission sources such as enteric fermentations could at most be mitigated but never eliminated.

In this study, taking as a reference an intensive dairy farm located in the Po Valley, the possibilities of reducing its carbon footprint by implementing various mitigation strategies are discussed. This was done through a cradle-to-farm gate life cycle assessment analysis applied to the current production scenario and then adapted to different alternative scenarios. While cattle farms have the opportunity to reduce their carbon footprint and indeed even generate credits through different strategies, the difficulty of reaching net zero emissions is clear in the different scenarios.

It was therefore also hypothesized how much a farm should spend, even in the various mitigation scenarios already implemented, to finally become carbon neutral, balancing its emissions by purchasing credits, considering current market prices.

Rice production is one of the cultivation systems with the highest environmental impact, mainly due to the flooding. This condition involves the degradation of organic matter in anaerobic conditions and the emission of methane. This gas is responsible for about 40-55% of the rice impact in terms of climate change.

The aim of this study, that is included in BESTsomeRICE project is to demonstrate how an alternative flooding management, characterized by an additional aeration period, can reduce methane emission and carbon footprint of Italian rice production. To this purpose, a Life Cycle Assessment methodology was applied with a from cradle-to-farm gate perspective. The environmental impact of the production of two rice varieties (Carnaroli and Caravaggio) grown in 3 farms in Northern Italy was analyzed. In detail, the environmental profile of two different water management systems were compared (traditional and alternative). The environmental profile was analysed in terms of 12 different impact categories: climate change (CC), ozone depletion (OD), particulate matter (PM), human toxicity – non cancer effects (HT-noc), human toxicity – cancer effects (HT-c), photochemical ozone formation (POF), terrestrial acidification (TA), terrestrial eutrophication (TE), freshwater eutrophication (FE), marine eutrophication (ME), freshwater ecotoxicity (FEx), and mineral and fossil resource depletion (MFRD).

Alternative flooding management decreases emissions of CH₄ in all scenarios evaluated (from 15% to 52%), resulting in a reduction in Climate Change of paddy production (from 12% to 32%). Furthermore, the alternative water management does not negatively affect grain production in terms of quantity and quality.

In the coming years, the application of biostimulants in agriculture will become a fundamental tool for reducing chemical fertilization, increasing the efficiency of soils and crops to face up to climate change conditions, as well as for the recovery of soils. Following this context, we have evaluated the effect of garden waste compost tea (CT) in a ratio of 1: 5 (v/v) with water on root morphology of tomato var. Tres Cantos plants. The studied CT showed a relevant content in K2O, N, humic acids and, to a lesser extent, amino acids. Three treatments were proposed: water, optimal tomato Hoagland solution and compost tea, which were axenically prepared. The tomato seeds were sterilized, germinated and then transferred to the considered treatments contained in Petri dishes, where plants were grown for seven days. Then, root growth parameters were measured and it was observed that CT induces the growth of the main root, as well as the number of lateral roots. Moreover, indolacetic acid, indol-3-butyric acid, zeatine, 6-benzyladenine and gibberellic acid were measured, but no changes were observed between treatments. Thus, other direct or indirect pathways seem to be involved in CT-mediated tomato root modulation.

Free-living soil bacteria that promote plant development, known as plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB), can colonize the plant root and promote plant growth. In general, PGPB work in three ways: producing certain molecules for the plants, enabling the uptake of specific nutrients from the soil, and decreasing or preventing disease in the plants. The variety of conditions may influence the evolution of microorganisms and shape their phenotype. Especially the soil, which is the main niche of PGPB is very heterogeneous in terms of nutrients, pH and particle size. Different bacterial strains were isolated from bulk soil and vegetables samples collected from north-eastern Poland. The analysis of selected PGPB properties was carried out among 154 bacterial isolates, based on: (i) qualitative and quantitative estimation of phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) solubilization activity, (ii) quantitative estimation of Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) production. Additionally, the potential chitinolytic properties of the tested isolates were preliminarily established by qualitative test. 63.2% of tested bacterial isolates were capable of solubilizing potassium whereas 66.8 % were capable of solubilizing phosphate. Pseudomonas spp. AF8I4 showed the highest phosphate solubilization, while Comamonas koreensis DC5 showed the highest potassium solubilization activity. Quantitative tests revealed that 85.5% of the tested bacteria produced auxin. The ability to degrade colloidal chitin was observed in only about 10% of the 154 bacterial strains. The obtained results indicate that the isolates from different origin differ in PGP properties. Our results suggest that some of isolated bacteria can be used as plant-growth promoters or biocontrol agents.