Institute of Plant Protection

Odorant Receptors Mediating Benzaldehyde Detection in Mythimna separata: Functional Identification and Ligand Selectivity

Benzaldehyde (BA) is a ubiquitous aromatic volatile produced by both plants and insects. In Mythimna separata, it also serves as a male-emitted pheromonal signal that mediates male–male competition by antagonizing the pheromone receptor MsepPR3 and disrupting the perception of th...

A sustained‐release fludioxonil/Metalaxyl‐M delivery system for root‐zone protection against soybean root rot

Abstract BACKGROUND Soybean root rot occurs throughout soybean growth, yet traditional fungicide formulations may provide insufficient persistence for full‐cycle control. The contrasting soil behavior of fludioxonil and metalaxyl‐M further limits their coordinated release, retent...

Assessing the physiological impacts of different invert sugars and sucrose on caged nurse honey bees

The quantity and type of carbohydrate sources applied in supplemental feeding have a substantial impact on honey bee physiology and overall colony health. This study examined five carbohydrate treatments—sucrose, Invertase-hydrolysed inverted sugar, Acid-hydrolysed inverted sugar...

Centrifugal Microfluidic Soil-to-DNA Preparation for the Portable Detection of Phytophthora infestans Using a CRISPR/Cas12a-Based Quantum Dot Fluorescent Lateral Flow Assay

Abstract Portable detection of soil-borne pathogens is constrained by laborious soil sample preparation and nucleic acid extraction. Here, we report a centrifugal Soil-on-a-Disc (SoaD) microfluidic chip for rapid soil-to-DNA preparation with automated on-chip clarification and DN...

Mass-Rearing of Insects on Food Waste to Produce Chitosan—A Bio-Based Plastic Alternative

Mass-rearing of insects is being promoted to meet demands for sustainable sources of livestock and pet feed, protein, oils, pharmaceutical precursors and more. Here, we describe an industrial symbiosis, in which insect mass-rearing is based on food waste, and chitin extracted fro...

Fungal Isolates Associated with Cuscuta campestris in Kazakhstan: Characterization and Preliminary Screening for Biological Control

Cuscuta campestris Yunck. is one of the most destructive parasitic weeds worldwide, causing substantial economic losses because of its broad host range, prolific seed production, and long-term persistence in the soil seed bank. The limited effectiveness and environmental constrai...

Effects of Relative Humidity on the Development, Survival, and Reproduction of Paralipsa gularis (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), a Pest of Stored Grains and Maize

Paralipsa gularis (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) is a storage pest native to Southeast Asia that has now become a major agricultural pest affecting maize during the late growth stage in the border regions of southern Yunnan, China, adjacent to Southeast Asia. The typical tropi...

Life History Traits of Mythimana loreyi (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on Two Transformation Events (DBN9936 and Ruifeng 125)

Mythimna (=Leucania) loreyi (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is an important pest of summer maize (Zea mays) in China’s Huang–Huai–Hai region. The approved transformation events DBN9936 (Cry1Ab) and Ruifeng 125 (Cry1Ab/Cry2Aj) were primarily developed to target Ostrinia furnacalis, and t...

A novel pepper mild mottle virus-based vector for high-efficiency gene expression and silencing in pepper (Capsicum annuum)

Abstract Background Pepper ( Capsicum annuum ) is an economically important vegetable crop worldwide. However, progress in its functional genomics has been severely impeded by the low efficiency and time-consuming nature of stable genetic transformation. To address these limitati...

Comparison of Two Inoculum Preparation Protocols for Improving the Nutritional Quality of Soybean Meal Fermented with Aspergillus niger and Candida tropicalis

This study compared two inoculum preparation protocols for the mixed fermentation of unsterilized soybean meal (SBM) with Aspergillus niger and Candida tropicalis. The mono-culture-derived (MO-C) inoculation protocol involved separately cultivating A. niger and C. tropicalis and...

Dual-Edged Roles of Fungal Chlamydospores in Plant Protection: Research Progress and Application Potential

Chlamydospores are thick-walled, dormant propagules formed by fungi in response to environmental stress. They play contrasting roles in plant protection: serving as persistent inocula of soil-borne pathogenic fungi that contribute to recurrent disease outbreaks, while also acting...

Environmental Occurrence, Toxicity Concerns, Degradation Behavior, and Plant Resistance of Glufosinate-Ammonium

The market for traditional non-selective herbicides has undergone dramatic changes over the past decade. As an emerging herbicide, glufosinate-ammonium’s market share has been steadily increasing. However, with its widespread use, glufosinate-ammonium residues have been detected...

Underground Signals: The Ecological Power of Root Volatiles

Root volatiles mediate diverse belowground interactions among plants, microbes, and invertebrates, but biological and environmental conditions strongly influence their production, movement, perception, and ecological effects. This review synthesizes current knowledge through an i...

Egg volatiles of oak silkworm mediate defense against parasitoid wasps

Most insects protect their eggs from natural enemies via physical coverings, yet defensive mechanisms of exposed eggs (i.e., those without such coverings), particularly those lacking toxins, remain largely unexplored. The oak silkworm (Antheraea pernyi) lays such exposed eggs, ye...

The gut microbiota of Brandt’s vole under varying population densities reveals contrasting patterns in the natural environment

The population density of rodents fluctuates due to intrinsic and extrinsic factors, inducing density-dependent effects on organisms and their habitats. The gut microbiota of herbivores plays a pivotal role in digestion, immunity, environmental adaptation, and host fitness. Crowd...

Topological Reinforcement of Rhizosphere Microbial Networks Facilitates the Invasive Superiority of Spartina anglica

Rhizosphere microbial interaction patterns underpin the resilience and dominance of invasive plants in fluctuating coastal salt marshes. We compared the rhizosphere microbial communities of the invasive Spartina anglica and the native Spartina maritima across varying distances fr...

Fgk3 interacts with FgMetR to regulate mycelial growth, conidia development, DON production, and pathogenicity in Fusarium graminearum

Abstract Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (Gsk3) is a potential drug target in human medicine, controlling many substrates in cellular processes. In this study, FgMetR was identified as a putative binding partner of Fgk3, the Fusarium graminearum ortholog of Gsk3, although the specific...

Dual mechanism of silver nanoparticles in controlling tobacco Fusarium root rot: Direct antifungal activity and induced systemic resistance

Tobacco root rot caused by Fusarium species severely threatens crop yield. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) offer a promising alternative to conventional fungicides for sustainable crop disease management. However, the comprehensive antifungal activity and underlying mechanism of AgN...

Ecotoxicological risks of insecticides: A comprehensive review of environmental behavior, exposure pathways and strategies for sustainable management

Pesticides, including insecticides, are widely used to control pests in modern agriculture. However, a small portion of the applied insecticide reaches the intended target, while off-target losses may contaminate agricultural environments. This review focused on the fate of insec...

Inhibitory Effects and Mechanisms of Thymol Against Fusarium oxysporum, a Pathogen of Stem Base Rot

Background/Objectives: Stem base rot caused by Fusarium oxysporum is a devastating soil-borne disease, yet long-term chemical pesticide application has raised serious environmental and ecological concerns. Thymol, a plant-derived fungicide, demonstrates a favorable safety profile...