Protection of plants against herbivorous pests is an important aspect that guarantees agricultural efficiency, i.e., food provision to populations. Environmental, water and foodstuff pollution by toxic pesticides, along with climate changes, highlight the necessity to achieve intensive development of ecologically safe methods of herbivory control. This review discusses modern methods of plant protection against insect pests: the biofortification of plants with selenium, treatment of plants with bulk and nano-silicon, and utilization of garlic extracts. The peculiarities of such methods of defense are described in relation to growth stimulation as well as increasing the yield and nutritional value of products. Direct defense methods, i.e., mechanical, hormonal, through secondary metabolites and/or mineral element accumulation, and indirect defense via predator attraction are discussed. Examples of herbivorous pest control during plant growth and grain/seed storage are emphasized. A comparison of sodium selenate, silicon containing fertilizer (Siliplant) and garlic extract efficiency is analyzed on Raphanus sativus var. lobo infested with the cruciferous gall midge Contarinia nasturtii, indicating the quick annihilation of pests as a result of the foliar application of garlic extract or silicon-containing fertilizer, Siliplant.
The ‘edge’ effect is considered one of the fundamental ecological phenomena essential for maintaining ecosystem integrity. The properties of plant outer tissues (root, tuber, bulb and fruit peel, tree and shrub bark, leaf and stem trichomes) mimic to a great extent the ‘edge’ effect properties of different ecosystems, which suggests the possibility of the ‘edge’ effect being applicable to individual plant organisms. The most important characteristics of plant border tissues are intensive oxidant stress, high variability and biodiversity of protection mechanisms and high adsorption capacity. Wide variations in morphological, biochemical and mineral components of border tissues play an important role in the characteristics of plant adaptability values, storage duration of roots, fruit, tubers and bulbs, and the diversity of outer tissue practical application. The significance of outer tissue antioxidant status and the accumulation of polyphenols, essential oil, lipids and minerals, and the artificial improvement of such accumulation is described in connection with plant tolerance to unfavorable environmental conditions. Methods of plant ‘edge’ effect utilization in agricultural crop breeding, production of specific preparations with powerful antioxidant value and green nanoparticle synthesis of different elements have been developed. Extending the ‘edge’ effect phenomenon from ecosystems to individual organisms is of fundamental importance in agriculture, pharmacology, food industry and wastewater treatment processes.
The paper describes the isolation and identification of pathogens from soil samples taken in the Moscow region from walnut plants with signs of wilting and stem ulcers. Isolation of Phytophthora from soil samples was carried out by the method of floating biological baits with subsequent isolation of pathogens on a semi-selective nutrient medium - P5ARP [H]. Samples were taken from the colonies for DNA isolation. After that, PCR analysis was carried out with primers YPh1F / YPh2R and ITS4 / ITS5 and sequencing. As a result of the studies carried out, colonies similar to the morphological characteristics of P. cactorum and P citricola were obtained and confirmed by sequencing.
As part of working on the solution of the task of importing asparagus beans, it is necessary to create a conveyor of green beans for vegetables during the growing season under the conditions of the Central Nonchernozem Zone (CNZ). In this regard, in 2018, work was continued on the evaluation of the existing collection of the FSBSI FSVC on economically valuable grounds, which allowed pre-select promising samples for further breeding work. According to the results of the assessment of the collection variety samples of vegetable beans in 2018, 30 variety samples of different groups of ripeness were identified as initial forms for breeding work on creating varieties that meet the requirements of the processing industry and creating a conveyor for producing asparagus products in the CNZ. Selected varieties are described and evaluated for the productivity of beans and seeds, suitability for mechanized harvesting, quality of the bean, seed size, resistance to the most harmful diseases. It is important to note that the year 2018 was unfavorable for the optimal development of culture due to the negative weather conditions that developed from the 3rd decade of May to the 2nd decade of June. This has made its own adjustments to the development of plants, as a result of which the assessment on some grounds is not indicative.
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