Deciphering the degradation characteristics of the fungicides imazalil and penflufen and their effects on soil bacterial community composition, assembly, and functional profiles

One stone two birds: Endophytes alleviating trace elements accumulation and suppressing soilborne pathogen by stimulating plant growth, photosynthetic potential and defense related gene expression

In the present investigation, we utilized zinc nanoparticles (Zn-NPs) and bacterial endophytes to address the dual challenge of heavy metal (HM) toxicity in soil and Rhizoctonia solani causing root rot disease of tomato. The biocontrol potential of Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens was harnessed, resulting in profound inhibition of R. solani mycelial growth and efficient detoxification of HM through strong production of various hydrolytic enzymes and metabolites. Surprisingly, Zn-NPs exhibited notable efficacy in suppressing mycelial growth and enhancing the seed germination (%) while Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis unveiled key volatile compounds (VOCs) crucial for the inhibition of pathogen. Greenhouse trials underscored significant reduction in the disease severity (%) and augmented biomass in biocontrol-mediated plants by improving photosynthesis-related attributes. Interestingly, Zn-NPs and biocontrol treatments enhanced the antioxidant enzymes and mitigate oxidative stress indicator by increasing H2O2 concentration. Field experiments corroborated these findings, with biocontrol-treated plants, particularly those receiving consortia-mediated treatments, displayed significant reduction in disease severity (%) and enhanced the fruit yield under field conditions. Root analysis confirmed the effective detoxification of HM, highlighting the eco-friendly potential of these endophytes and Zn-NPs as fungicide alternative for sustainable production that foster soil structure, biodiversity and promote plant health.

Synthetic and Natural Antifungal Substances in Cereal Grain Protection: A Review of Bright and Dark Sides

Molds pose a severe challenge to agriculture because they cause very large crop losses. For this reason, synthetic fungicides have been used for a long time. Without adequate protection against pests and various pathogens, crop losses could be as high as 30-40%. However, concerns mainly about the environmental impact of synthetic antifungals and human health risk have prompted a search for natural alternatives. But do natural remedies only have advantages? This article reviews the current state of knowledge on the use of antifungal substances in agriculture to protect seeds against phytopathogens. The advantages and disadvantages of using both synthetic and natural fungicides to protect cereal grains were discussed, indicating specific examples and mechanisms of action. The possibilities of an integrated control approach, combining cultural, biological, and chemical methods are described, constituting a holistic strategy for sustainable mold management in the grain industry.

Adaptation strategies and functional transitions of microbial community in pyrene-contaminated soils promoted by lead with Pseudomonas veronii and its extracellular polymeric substances

Pyrene was designated as a remediation target in this study, and low contamination of lead (Pb) was set to induce heavy metal stress. Pseudomonas veronii and its extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) were chosen for biofortification, with the aim of elucidating the structural, metabolic, and functional responses of soil microbial communities. Community analysis of soil microorganisms using high-throughput sequencing showed that the co-addition of P. veronii and EPSs resulted in an increase in relative abundance of phyla associated with pyrene degradation, and formed a symbiotic system dominated by Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, which involved in pyrene metabolism. Co-occurrence network analysis revealed that the module containing P. veronii was the only one exhibiting a positive correlation between bacterial abundance and pyrene removal, indicating the potential of bioaugmentation in enriching functional taxa. Biofortification also enhanced the abundance of functional gene linked to EPS production (biofilm formation-Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and pyrene degradation. Furthermore, 17 potential functional bacteria were screened out using random forest algorithm. Lead contamination further promoted the growth of Proteobacteria, intensified cooperative associations among bacteria, and increased the abundance of bacteria with positive correlation with pyrene degradation. The results offer novel perspectives on alterations in microbial communities resulting from the synergistic impact of heavy metal stress and biofortification.

Core bacteria carrying the genes associated with the degradation of atrazine in different soils

Atrazine residues can pose serious threats to soil ecology and human health. Currently, the underlying relationship between soil microbial communities and the degradation genes associated with atrazine degradation remains unclear. In this study, the degradation characteristics of atrazine was investigated in ten different soil types. Further, diversity and abundance of degradation genes and succession of the bacterial community were also studied. The degradation of 10 mg/kg atrazine in different soil types exhibited an initial rapid trend followed by a gradual slowdown, adhering to the first-order kinetic equation. Atrazine significantly increased the absolute abundance of atz degradation genes. The increase in the absolute abundance of atzC gene was the largest, whereas that of atzA gene was the smallest, and the trzD gene was only detected in the Binzhou loam soil. Co-occurrence network analysis showed that the number of potential bacterial hosts of atzC was the highest compared with the other atz genes. Atrazine also altered the structural composition of the soil microbial community. The relative abundances of Ochrobactrum, Nocardiopsis, Lactobacillus, and Brevibacterium was increased in the atrazine-treated soils, while those of Conexibate, Solirubacter, and Micromonospora was decreased significantly compared with the control. Additionally, four atrazine-degrading bacterial strains Rhizobium AT1, Stenotrophomonas AT2, Brevibacterium AT3, and Bacillus AT4 were isolated from the atrazine-treated soils. After 14 d for inoculation, their degradation rate for 10 mg/L atrazine ranged from 17.56 % to 30.55 %. Moreover, the relative abundances of the bacterial genera, including these four isolates, in the atrazine-treated soil were significantly higher than those in the control, indicating that they were involved in the synergistic degradation of atrazine in the soil. This study revealed the degradation characteristics of atrazine, distribution of degradation genes, and succession of microbial communities, and explored the internal relationship between microbial community structure and atrazine degradation mechanisms in different soil types.