Abstract Wheat and barley serve as significant nutrient-rich staples that are extensively grown on a global scale, spanning over 219 million hectares. The annual combined global yield is 760.9 million tons, with Kazakhstan contributing 14.3 million tons of wheat and 3.83 million tons of barley to this total. The productivity of grain crops has declined annually due to fungal disease, especially root and crown rot caused by Bipolaris sorokiniana and Fusarium spp. Research has focused on pinpointing the pathogens responsible for common root rot in various types of wheat and barley grown in Southeast Kazakhstan. The main goal was to examine the efficacy of certain chemical and biological substances in safeguarding barley seedlings during the early growth stage against root rot root rot. Moreover, this study sought to gauge their effects on seed quality by examining aspects such as germination rates, the colonization of seeds by particular fungal pathogens, and the overall vitality of seeds and seedlings. Visual inspection of the plants revealed that the prevalence of B. sorokiniana was an average of 51.8%, and that of Fusarium species was 58.6%. Three isolates were obtained from the roots of the winter wheat promising line 231, three from the spring wheat roots of the Kazakh variety 10, four from the winter wheat variety Steklovidnaya variety 24, fourteen from the spring barley variety Symbat, and fourteen from the winter barley variety Aidyn variety 2. The external spread of common root rot on spring wheat and spring barley varieties reached 50% and 53%, respectively. Promising line 231 of winter wheat and variety Kazakh 10 of spring barley were affected by the disease by 60%, whereas the winter wheat Steklovidnaya 24 was impacted by 67%. Molecular analysis of B. sorokiniana isolates via species-specific primers (COSA_F/COSA_R) from infected plant tissues confirmed their identification. Koch postulates were fulfilled for B. sorokiniana isolates Kz 48, 60, and 82 on Steklovidnaya 24 winter wheat and Symbat spring barley varieties. Biological products such as Phytosporin-M and Sporobacterin-Rassada significantly reduced the level of fungal infection, confirming their potential as environmentally safe plant protection agents.
The locust Oedaleus decorus undergoes massive outbreaks and engages in round-trip migratory flights across northern China and Mongolia. However, its specific genetic structure remains poorly understood. In this study, we sequenced the complete mitochondrial genomes of 163 O. decorus individuals from 16 locations in northern China using high-throughput sequencing data and analyzed its population structure. The results showed that these mitochondrial genomes are 15,142 to 15,914 bp in sizes, with size variation attributed to A + T-rich regions in intergenic spacers. All 13 protein-coding genes exhibited conserved lengths across samples. The overall genetic differentiation between populations was small (Fst = 0.00843), with high gene flow (Nm = 29.40). Both genetic differentiation and DAPC analyses revealed significant genetic differentiation in the New Barag Left Banner (NBL) population compared to the Zhengxiangbai Banner (ZB), Taibus Banner (TP), Xianghuang Banner (XH), and Zhenglan Banner (ZL) populations. The phylogenetic tree and haplotype network suggest Hap_20 is presumably a relatively ancestral haplotype and all haplotypes were divided into two clades, and no population formed a distinct independent clade. Our findings indicate that the O. decorus population in North China exhibits mitochondrial subtype differentiation. The lack of difference in genetic structure across different regions in North China is consistent with a high level of migratory activity by O. decorus in the region.
Based on the establishment and field experiments in two agroecological zones of southeastern Kazakhstan, optimal methods, doses, and ratios of applying biochar to the main irrigated crops have been developed, and the features of their growth and development, crop formation, and product quality have been studied. Introducing biochar in doses of 15-20 tons ha-1 for basic tillage helps to improve the bulk weight and increases the content of agronomically valuable and durable aggregates of the arable soil layer.
Situated at the northeastern edge of the global snow leopard range, Kazakhstan constitutes an important barometer of the plight of the species. In common with the situation in other range states, snow leopards in Kazakhstan face numerous threats, but there are also opportunities to enhance conservation efforts. The proximity of snow leopard habitats to human populations, including the mega-city of Almaty, offers enhanced engagement between people and nature and wider support for the protection of the species and their mountain habitats. Here we set out in detail the snow leopard distribution and abundance across their shrinking range in Kazakhstan and highlight areas where more effective conservation and mitigation measure can be deployed. Government support is essential, which requires greater understanding and acknowledgement of the impacts of major project, such infrastructure development, tourism, and water security.
Peach (Prunus persica) is an important stone fruit crop cultivated on 14,350 hectares in temperate areas of Pakistan, where post-harvest fungal rots cause major economic losses for growers. During April-August 2019, rotted peaches were observed in fruit markets of Rawalpindi district (33° 37' 33.8052'' N and 73° 4' 17.1912'' E), Punjab Province, Pakistan. Symptomatic fruit were surface sterilized for 3 min in 0.5% NaClO and 1 min in 70% ethanol, then rinsed three times in sterilized distilled water and air-dried for 30 minutes on filter paper. Tissue segments were excised from the margins of rot lesions and placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA), followed by incubation for one week at 25 +1o C. Furthermore, to maintain original sporodochial morphology and conidial description tissue segments were also grown on carnation leaf agar (CLA) and synthetic nutrient agar (SNA) (Sever et al., 2012). A total of 22 isolates were obtained from different fruit markets; colonies were fast-growing with pinkish-white, fluffy mycelia. Microconidia were abundant, 7.5 to 11.3 × 2.1 to 4.1 μm, oval to spindle-shaped, thin-walled, and hyaline whereas, macroconidia were thick-walled, sickle-shaped, 5- to 7-septate, hyaline, and 23.5 to 39.7 × 3.7 to 7.0 μm on carnation leaf agar. Virulence intensity of fungal isolates was confirmed after pathogenicity. Based on morphological characteristics, isolates were identified provisionally as Fusarium sporotrichioides (Leslie and Summerell 2006). For molecular identification, three target gene regions (ITS, elongation factor (EF), and β-tubulin benA) were amplified for highly pathogenic fungal isolates (FUS21K, FUS9SM, and FUS63KP) (O'Donnell et al. 2015). BLAST searches of the obtained sequences indicated 100% homology with GenBank accession number MN452643, and 99.56% homology with MT635298 for the ITS region, similarly 100% identity with GenBank accession numbers MN555016, MN555126, and MN555037 for the EF gene, and 100% homology with GenBank accession numbers MK435577, MH791363, and GQ915448 for β-tubulin benA of the F. sporotrichioides species complex (O'Donnell et al. 2015). Sequences were deposited in GenBank; accession numbers for each gene were as follows: ITS, ON180670, ON180671, and ON180672; EF, ON312093, ON312094, and ON312095; and β-tubulin benA, ON312090, ON312091, and ON312092. Maximum likelihood analysis on RPB1 and RPB2 nucleotide sequences of various fusaria was conducted which revealed that F. sporotrichioides formed a monophyletic relationship to terminal fusarium clade (TFC) comprising 22 strongly supported species complexes and 10 monotypic lineages, which were provisionally recognized as Fusarium. To complete Koch's postulates, 10μl aliquots of spore suspensions (106 spores/ml) of each FUS21K, FUS9SM and FUS63KP were pipetted individually onto six ripe, asymptomatic peaches. Sterile distilled water was applied as a negative control on four fruit. Fruit were incubated at 25 ± 1°C for one week in a sterile moist chamber, and the trial was conducted three times. Rot symptoms associated with pinkish-white fluffy mycelia were observed on inoculated fruits after 72 hours, whereas no mycelium was observed on the negative controls. The cultures on PDA, CLA and SNA from each of the inoculated fruit were morphologically identical to the original culture. The pathogen was confirmed as a member of F. sporotrichioides species complex based on pinkish-white mycelium, with red color on the underside of petri plates and the manner in which conidia are born on conidiophores. This is the first report of F. sporotrichioides on peaches from Pakistan, providing an important foundation for peach growers, agricultural advisers, plant pathologists, and plant breeders to improve the management of this economically damaging disease.
