In this study, new thermotolerant Acetobacter pasteurianus CV01 strain recently isolated from local product of Morocco has been investigated for its ability to perform efficient acetous fermentation at a large-scale. Firstly, the thermotolerance basis bioconversion of CV01 strain was compared to other mesophilic and thermotolerant acetic acid bacteria. Subsequently, CV01 strain was assessed for its ability to produce and tolerate high amount of acetic acid at optimal and thermal stress conditions in lab-scale bioreactor. It was found that the studied strain exhibited thermotolerant properties compared to reference strains and could withstand the increase in temperature during acetous fermentation in fermenter. Furthermore, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used on the samples prepared with solid phase microextraction (SPME) to determine the volatile compounds of the pilot plant produced apple vinegar based on developed start-up and semi-continuous fermentation protocol. The operation strategy in the 500-L pilot plant scale acetator allowed achieving 7.3% (w/v) of final acetic acid concentration recording high yield and acetification rate. The aroma profile of experimentally produced vinegar was found different from that of the commercial reference one. According to the literature, the results obtained show that major volatile compounds found in pilot-plant produced apple vinegar are related to good aromatic note descriptors which could have a positive impact on the organoleptic quality of industrial vinegar. Consequently, it can be concluded that CV01 Acetobacter strain is well suited for large-scale production of high quality fruit vinegar.

Ficus microcarpa L. f. (Moraceae) is a popular ornamental plant that grows in many urban zones in Morocco. The psyllid Macrohomotoma gladiata (Kuwayama, 1908) was found for the first time from Morocco, in August 2019, on 21 ornamental Ficus microcarpa L. f. trees in the urban area of Kénitra, on the Atlantic coast of Morocco. The new psyllid caused serious damage on leaves and twigs of this host plant. Rolled leaves at the tip of the twigs, white and woolly waxy secretions were also observed in the infested trees. This first record of M. gladiata in Morocco, although still regarding a limited geographic area, represents a serious threat to Ficus in the country. A morphological description of this new pest is given.

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Zucchini squash, Cucurbita pepo L., is one of the most economically important vegetable crops in Morocco. Virus diseases are a major factor in limiting production of zucchini squash in the country. During the growing seasons 2015, 2016 and 2017, the main areas of field-grown cucurbit production in Morocco (Loukkos, Gharb, Bouznika, Doukkala and Souss) were surveyed for the occurrence and distribution of viruses of zucchini squash. A total of 38 commercial fields were visited and inspected for symptoms of virus diseases and 415 leaf samples were collected from plants showing virus-like symptoms for laboratory analyses. ELISA technique was used to detect the following viruses: Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV), Squash mosaic virus (SqMV), Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), Papaya ringspot virus-watermelon strain (PRSV-W) and Cucurbit aphid-borne yellows virus (CABYV). The obtained results showed that virus diseases were widely distributed in the country with an infection rate of 77.6%, especially in the region of Loukkos where 85% of the tested plants were infected by at least one virus. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study on the occurrence and geographical distribution of viruses infecting zucchini squash in Morocco. This study provides valuable information, which could be beneficial and of great interest for the researchers, growers and the plant protection services for planning future strategies to control virus diseases of zucchini squash in Morocco.

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