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Horticulturae
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Natural Actives Molecules: A Sustainable Solution to Fight against Diseases...
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Natural Actives Molecules: A Sustainable Solution to Fight against Diseases and Pests of Vegetable and Fruit Crops

A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Developmental Physiology, Biochemistry, and Molecular Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2020) | Viewed by 11863

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Othmane Merah

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Agro-industrial Chemistry Laboratory (LCA), University of Toulouse, 31030 Toulouse, France
2. Biological Engineering Department, Paul Sabatier University, 32000 Auch, France
Interests: plant physiology; plant breeding; bioactives accumulation; essential oils; biofertilizers; cereals; oilseed crop; legumes; vegetables; secondary metabolites; andioxidants
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The diseases and pests of vegetable and fruit crops generate a huge annual loss of production worldwide. Policy choices and the awareness of farmers and consumers in many parts of the world has led to significant changes in the use of chemicals in agricultural production. Thus, the number of pesticides used for the fight against fungal diseases and insects has been reduced considerably. It therefore appears necessary to research, test, and validate new solutions that will enable farmers to fight, regulate, and protect their crops against diseases and pests.

Plants have means of protection and/or ways to fight off microorganisms or insect attacks. Many of these means are secondary metabolites (essential oils, glucosinolates, alkaloids, etc.). In recent years, new strategies based on the use of these molecules have been proposed as natural means to protect crop production. By considering the expression “from the plant to products for the plant”, this Special Issue is open to all studies on molecules, resulting from primary and/or secondary metabolisms, to fight against diseases and pests of vegetables and fruit crops. This Issue is aims to cover a wide range of research, ranging from the prospection of natural active molecules, and their actions against pests and diseases; modes of action; experiments in agricultural conditions (greenhouse, in the field, or during storage); formulation tests and performances in agronomic situations; and the effect on the environment (life in the soil, crop auxiliaries, etc.), plants, and humans (health and residues in food).

This Special Issue is open to contributions on the following topics:

  • Active molecules (sources, compositions, productions, etc.)
  • Effects on pests and crop diseases
  • Effects on crops
  • Contributions of adjuvants and formulations on the activity
  • Economic studies of the use of these molecules
  • Environmental impact (soil, plants, auxillaries, persistence, etc.)

Dr. Othmane Merah
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Horticulturae is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

8 pages, 235 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Biological Approaches for Controlling Shoot and Fruit Borer (Earias vitella F.) of Okra Grown in Peri-Urban Area in Bangladesh
by Md. Abdur Razzak Choudhury, Md. Fuad Mondal, Ahasan Ullah Khan, Md. Shahadat Hossain, Md Obyedul Kalam Azad, Mohammad Dalower Hossain Prodhan, Jasim Uddain, Mohammed Saifur Rahman, Nur Ahmed, Ki Young Choi and Most Tahera Naznin
Horticulturae 2021, 7(1), 7; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/horticulturae7010007 - 13 Jan 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3750
Abstract
Irrational applications of insecticides on vegetable crops are very common in Bangladesh, resulting in harmful consequences for the environment and human health. Therefore, a study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of biological and botanical insecticides on okra shoot and fruit borer grown [...] Read more.
Irrational applications of insecticides on vegetable crops are very common in Bangladesh, resulting in harmful consequences for the environment and human health. Therefore, a study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of biological and botanical insecticides on okra shoot and fruit borer grown in open fields. Four insecticides were used in this study, namely Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), Spinosad 45 SC, Abamectin 1.8 EC, and Azadirachtin 1% EC an untreated control. The experiment used a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The results showed that the rate of shoot infestation was the lowest in the Spinosad-treated plot (3.80%), and the highest was in the control (20.67%). The lowest fruit infestation (3.56%) was recorded in the treated plot of Spinosad. The rate of reduction of fruit infestation over control was 80.69, 60.14, 56.45, and 55.58% in the plots treated with Spinosad, Bt, Azadirachtin, and Abamectin, respectively. Consequently, the Spinosad-treated plot attained the highest yield (8.65 t ha−1), which was followed by the plots treated with Azadirachtin (6.74 t ha−1), Bt (6.28 t ha−1), and Abamectin (6.12 t ha−1). The highest net return and benefit–cost ratio (BCR) were 542.36 US$ and 2.64, obtained respectively from the Spinosad-treated plot. The second highest BCR (1.70) was obtained from the Azadiratin-treated plot, and the lowest BCR (1.18) was recorded in the Abamectin-treated plot. Therefore, the studied insect management practices could be incorporated to attain higher yields and economic benefits for growing okra in Bangladesh. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Actives Molecules: A Sustainable Solution to Fight against Diseases and Pests of Vegetable and Fruit Crops)
10 pages, 1770 KiB  
Article
Toxicity of Piperine Amide Analogs toward the Tomato Pinworm Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) and Risk Assessment for Two Predators
by Elba Pereira, Elizeu Farias, Arthur Ribeiro, Elson Alvarenga, Alex Aguiar, Jhulyana Ferreira and Marcelo Picanço
Horticulturae 2019, 5(4), 70; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/horticulturae5040070 - 05 Oct 2019
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2817
Abstract
Nineteen amides (three of them unpublished) were synthesized and tested on Tuta absoluta Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), an important pest of Solanaceae plants worldwide. Three of these compounds (14, 15 and 16) presented high acute toxicity toward the pest, with LD50 [...] Read more.
Nineteen amides (three of them unpublished) were synthesized and tested on Tuta absoluta Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), an important pest of Solanaceae plants worldwide. Three of these compounds (14, 15 and 16) presented high acute toxicity toward the pest, with LD50s of 3.68 (CI95 = 2.83 − 4.47), 6.46 (CI95 = 5.85 − 7.20), and 13.52 μg/mg (CI95 = 11.06 − 15.95), respectively. Amide 14 presented the fastest action (LT50 = 1.2 minutes, CI95 = 1.03 − 1.37), followed by amide 16 (LT50 = 18 minutes, CI95 = 9.96 − 26.04), and amide 15 (LT50 = 3.7 hours, CI95 = 0.69 − 6.71). When applied at a sublethal dose, they did not affect weight gain and leaf consumption of the pest. Bioassays were also conducted using the ant Solenopsis saevissima (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and wasp Polybia ignobilis (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) to assess the toxicity of the amides against T. absoluta predators. Amides 14, 15, and 16 were harmless to S. saevissima but presented high toxicity toward P. ignobilis. Amides 14, 15 and 16 are potential hit compounds for the development of insecticides for T. absoluta control. However, their use should be carried out following the principles of ecological selectivity to mitigate potential adverse effects on non-target organisms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Actives Molecules: A Sustainable Solution to Fight against Diseases and Pests of Vegetable and Fruit Crops)
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9 pages, 446 KiB  
Article
Punicalagin Content and Antifungal Activity of Different Pomegranate (Punica ganatum L.) Genotypes
by Domenico Rongai, Patrizio Pulcini, Giovanni Di Lernia, Paolo Nota, Pjerin Preka and Filomena Milano
Horticulturae 2019, 5(3), 52; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/horticulturae5030052 - 16 Jul 2019
Cited by 29 | Viewed by 4536
Abstract
This study investigated the antifungal activity of a number of pomegranate genotypes. Since the main compound of pomegranate extract is punicalagin, an important substance involved in antifungal and antimicrobial activity, we analyzed the contents of punicalagin (α and β) in 21 different pomegranate [...] Read more.
This study investigated the antifungal activity of a number of pomegranate genotypes. Since the main compound of pomegranate extract is punicalagin, an important substance involved in antifungal and antimicrobial activity, we analyzed the contents of punicalagin (α and β) in 21 different pomegranate genotypes. Ellagic acid content, total phenolic content, acidity and pH were also determined. This work allowed us to determine which genotypes of pomegranate can be used to obtain extracts with the highest content of punicalagin, with the goal of developing a green alternative to synthetic pesticides. To improve the extraction system from pomegranate peel fruits, several different solvents were tested. All the pomegranate genotypes tested showed antifungal activity; some genotypes were able to almost completely inhibit the fungus, while others had very low inhibitory activity. Research results also showed that the use of water as a solvent for extraction is very effective, especially when it is combined with ethanol. This is very important for the practical use of the extracts since water is economical and environmentally friendly. The research showed that among the genotypes there is also great variability regarding the chemical parameters. Genotypes with a high phenolic and punicalagin content were significantly correlated with antifungal activity. All the other chemical parameters (pH, titratable acidity and ellagic acid content) were not correlated with antifungal activity. The results obtained indicate that the fruits of some pomegranate genotypes could be used to obtain extracts very rich in punicalagins and that these substances could be used as an alternative to synthetic products to control plant disease and improve the quality of the plant products, avoiding the impact of synthetic chemicals on the environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Actives Molecules: A Sustainable Solution to Fight against Diseases and Pests of Vegetable and Fruit Crops)
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