Fungi are important soil components as both decomposers and plant symbionts and play a major role in ecological and biogeochemical processes. However, little is known about the richness and structure of fungal communities. DNA sequencing technologies allow for the direct estimation of microbial community diversity, avoiding culture-based biases. We therefore used 454 pyrosequencing to investigate the fungal communities in the rhizosphere of Xinjiang jujube. We obtained no less than 40,488 internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA reads, the number of each sample was 6943, 6647, 6584, 6550, 6860, and 6904, and we used bioinformatics and multivariate statistics to analyze the results. The index of diversity showed greater richness in the rhizosphere fungal community of a 3-year-old jujube than in that of an 8-year-old jujube. Most operational taxonomic units belonged to Ascomycota, and taxonomic analyses identified Hypocreales as the dominant fungal order. Our results demonstrated that the fungal orders are present in different proportions in different sampling areas. Redundancy analysis (RDA) revealed a significant correlation between soil properties and the abundance of fungal phyla. Our results indicated lower fungal diversity in the rhizosphere of Xinjiang jujube than that reported in other studies, and we hope our findings provide a reference for future research.

The establishment of safe and effective methods for controlling fungal disease is an urgent issue in agriculture and forestry. Microbiological control of plant disease is expected to achieve better results than use of chemically derived fungicides. This study aimed to establish Brevibacillus laterosporus JX-5 as a potential microbiological control agent of poplar canker. The bacterium was isolated from the poplar rhizosphere and demonstrated significant growth inhibition of several pathogenic fungi in vitro. The antifungal components of Br. laterosporus JX-5 were isolated and identified. The fermentation broth of Br. laterosporus JX-5 and its main antifungal component, designated as component B, reduced Botryosphaeria dothidea associated canker of the excised poplar branch by 70 and 90%, respectively. Component B is considerably heat-stable, adaptable to a broad pH range, and UV-resistant. It could inhibit Bo. dothidea by permeating the fungal membrane, fracturing the nuclei, damaging the cell wall, and eventually killing the pathogenic fungus. The antifungal activity exhibited by Br. laterosporus JX-5 and its bioactive metabolic products indicate its feasibility as a potential biocontrol agent for plant diseases.

Aim Fusarium oxysporum is the primary pathogen causing root rot disease that severely affects cultivation of jujube fruit in the Xinjiang province of China. The aim of this study was to identify endophytic bacteria in healthy jujube organs that could effectively suppress F. oxysporum growth. Methods and Results Different plant organs (leaves, twigs and roots) were collected from healthy Chinese jujube cultivated in southern Xinjiang province of China. The endophytic bacterium Brevibacterium halotolerans JZ7 was selected for its strong antagonistic activity and growth‐promoting characteristics. Gas‐chromatography mass‐spectrometry analysis showed that acetoin, 2,3‐butanediol and fenretinide were the three dominant volatile organic compounds produced by strain JZ7. Fenretinide strongly suppressed spore germination of F. oxysporum in vitro. Pot experiments showed that strain JZ7 colonized both the roots and rhizosphere soil of Chinese jujube and significantly reduced F. oxysporum level in jujube rhizosphere soil. Conclusion We demonstrated that B. halotolerans JZ7 can be developed into a biological control agent to combat root rot disease of Chinese jujube in the Xinjiang province of China. Significance and Impact of the Study The suggested strategy for biological control of jujube root rot disease is fully in accordance with the current principles of sustainability.

a Effects of volatiles from Pistacia chinensis Bunge and Juniperus chinensis cv. Kaizuka on human emotions were investigated. The volatiles were analyzed using a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS). Human emotions were defined and measured using several physiological indices, including oxygen saturation of blood (OSB), finger temperature (FT), pulmonary ventilation volume (PVV), and electrocardiograph (ECG). These indices were measured using a multi-conductive physiology technique. The results showed that after participants had inhaled volatiles from P. chinensis Bunge, their OSB and FT decreased significantly (P＜ 0.05) in comparison to the control group, while the PVV increased. After inhaling the volatiles from J. chinensis cv. Kaizuka, the OSB and FT increased, while the PVV decreased. In addition, women's FT and PVV and men's OSB and PVV differed significantly from those of the control group (P＜0.05). Some ECG indices were also affected by the inhalation of volatiles. These results indicated that people tend to feel more excited or nervous when in the presence of P. chinensis Bunge, and more relaxed and comfortable while in the presence of J. chinensis cv. Kaizuka.