AIMS To investigate the ability of Azospirillum sp., a facultative endophitic diazotrophic bacterium, to release plant growth regulators (PGR) such as polyamines, ethylene, indoleacetic acid and amino acids in both combined-N and N-free cultures. METHODS AND RESULTS The presence of those substances was analysed by HPLC. Azospirillum sp. is capable of releasing PGR and amino acids into the cul...

Mechanistic hypotheses to explain mycorrhizal enhancement of root hydraulic conductivity (L,) suggest that phosphorus (P) nutr i t ion, plant growth substances and/or al tered morphology may be responsible . Such ideas are based on work with VA (vesicular-arbuscular) mycorrhizas . S ince VA mycorrhizas and ectomycorrhizas di f fer in many respects , they may alter host plant water uptake via di...

Bacillus coagulans TQ33 is isolated from the skimmed milk powder and has a broad antifungal activity against pathogens such as Botrytis cinerea, Alternaria solani, Phytophthora drechsleri Tucker, Fusarium oxysporum and Glomerella cingulata. The characteristics of active antifungal substances produced by B. coagulans TQ33 and its antifungal effects against the growth of plant pathogenic fungi ha...

Vermitechnology is an effective composting method, which transforms biomass into nutrient-rich organic fertilizer. Mature vermicompost is a renewable organic product containing humic substances with high biological activity. The aim of this study was to assess the chemical characteristics and the bioactivity of humic acids isolated from different vermicomposts produced with either cattle manure...

Entrohemorrhagic Escherichia coli is a human pathogen that causes hemorrhagic colitis due to its verotoxin. It is an agent with food poisoning importance; a significant number of cases subsequntly develop hemolitic uremic syndrome (HUS) which is probably the most common cause of renal failure in childeren and occasionally resulting in death. Inhibition of bacterial growth in food is the most im...

As a follow-up to previous studies, the effects of Thymus vulgaris essential oil on selected virulence factors (growth, sessile cell survival, swimming, swarming, and exopolysaccharide production) were evaluated in phytopathogenic Pseudomonas syringae strains isolated from soybean fields Argentina; reference savastanoi pv. glycinea B076 aeruginosa PAO1. P. are responsible for bacterial blight, ...

It is widely accepted that brassinosteroids (BRs) are important regulators of plant growth and development. However, in comparison to the other classical plant hormones, such as auxin, relatively little is known about BR transport and its potential role in the regulation of endogenous BR levels in plants. Here, we show that end-pathway BRs in pea (Pisum sativum) occur in a wide range of plant t...

Wild pistachio (Pistacia atlantica subsp. kurdica) is one of tree species that cover much of the forest in northwest of Iran and used in industries, medicine and as food. The present study describes callus induction of the P. atlantica subsp. kurdica using seedling stem explants and the influence of different plant growth regulators including kinetin, benzyladenine (BA), thidiazuron (TDZ), 6Ben...

Weeds are a challenge for global food production due to their rapidly evolving resistance against herbicides. We have identified chalcones as selective inhibitors of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC), a key enzyme for carbon fixation and biomass increase in the C4 photosynthetic pathway of many of the world's most damaging weeds. In contrast, many of the most important crop plants use C3 p...