Microplastics (MPs) and pesticides increasingly co-occur in agricultural soils, yet their combined effects on soil biology and plant-soil interactions remain poorly understood. Here we provide the evidence that biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) MPs, despite their eco-friendly reputation, fundamentally reshape soil microbial and biochemical dynamics under pesticide stress. In a soil-chive system, PLA, but not conventional polyethylene (PE), significantly delayed iprodione (IPR) degradation (up to 7.7-fold), increased the persistence of its toxic metabolite 3,5-dichloroaniline (3,5-DCA), and enhanced plant uptake of 3,5-DCA (up to 59%). Mechanistically, PLA disrupted beneficial bacterial enrichment, altered microbial community composition, and interfered with plant detoxification pathways, notably glutathione metabolism and amino acid biosynthesis. These interactions intensified phytotoxicity, stunted plant growth, and reduced soil-plant resilience. Our findings reveal a previously overlooked ecological trade-off: biodegradable MPs can amplify pesticide risks by destabilizing soil microbial processes and stress-response mechanisms. This work advances understanding of how novel contaminants interact in soils and highlights the importance of integrating soil biological functions into sustainability assessments of alternative plastics.

Rosa roxburghii Tratt. is an acknowledged dual-purpose plant of significant interest, with applications in both the food and pharmaceutical industries. Top-rot disease (TRD), a devastating fungal infection affecting R. roxburghii orchards, has led to severe yield and economic losses in Guizhou Province, Southwest China. Effective management strategies are urgently needed to ensure the sustainable cultivation of this crop. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms through which exogenous elicitors induce systemic resistance against TRD in R. roxburghii. Field experiments demonstrated that amino-oligosaccharides (AO) application exhibited the highest control efficacy, reaching 71.19%. Biochemical analyses indicated that AO treatment significantly elevated the activities of key defense-related enzymes: superoxide dismutase (SOD) by 1.43-fold, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) by 1.26-fold, peroxidase (POD) by 2.69-fold, and catalase (CAT) by 1.57-fold. Furthermore, AO application improved the ultrastructural integrity of the fruit peel by enhancing cuticle density and stimulating the deposition of structural components, including cellulose (1.01-fold), lignin (1.92-fold), and carbohydrates (1.26-fold), thereby reinforcing the mechanical strength of the cell wall. Pathological evaluation confirmed that AO treatment reduced the lesion expansion area by 65.03%, compared to the control. Genomic analysis identified 90 nucleotide-binding site leucine-rich repeat (NBS-LRR) genes in R. roxburghii, among which 63.04% exhibited pathogen-responsive expression under AO treatment. Notably, RrNBS35, RrNBS60, and RrNBS73 were identified as key regulators of late-stage resistance in R. roxburghii fruit. Expression of RrNBS73 was markedly up-regulated by 47.31-fold under combined AO treatment and TRD pathogen (CXCDF-3) inoculation. These findings reveal that AO induces a dual resistance mechanism, involving both structural defense priming and activation of effector-triggered immunity (ETI)-related components. This study provides a theoretical and practical foundation for effective TRD control in R. roxburghii.

p-hydroxybenzoic acid (PHBA) and vanillic acid (VA), two ubiquitous phenolic acid allelochemicals, pose potential health risks to crops, ecosystems, and humans. Here, Bacillus cereus WL08 was found to efficiently degrade PHBA and VA, which loaded on coconut shell charcoal (CSC) particles obviously accelerated the degradation of PHBA, VA, or PHBA + VA (m:m=1:1). Their degradation efficiency and corresponding OD600 followed typical linear relationships, indicating that strain WL08 efficiently utilized PHBA or VA to support bacterial growth. The optimal conditions for PHBA + VA degradation and bacterial growth using CSC WL08 were achieved at pH 7.0, 30 degrees C, and 200 rpm. CSC WL08 displayed exceptional re-usability and storage stability, achieving rapid degradation of 84.80% and 94.27% of 500 mg L-1 PHBA + VA in sterile and non-sterile soils within 18 h, respectively. Additionally, the introduction of CSC WL08 into the continuous cropping soils of Pinellia ternata and Pseudostellaria heterophylla notably enhanced the elimination of the allelochemical PHBA and VA residuals. Concurrently, it dramatically improved their medicinal quality (1.03-similar to 1.13-fold and 1.07-similar to 1.21-fold) and tuber yield (1.28-fold and 1.19-fold) by restoring soil microbial structure, improving soil enzyme activity, and promoting plant agronomic traits, photosynthesis, intracellular water metabolism, nutrient transport, and growth metabolism. Furthermore, PHBA and VA residuals exhibited good correlations with the soil microbial populations and enzyme activity, as well as plant's agronomy, photosynthesis, electrophysiology, quality, and yield parameters. This study provides a novel approach and insight for remediating continuous cropping soils deteriorated by phenolic acid allelochemicals in multi-crop sites in-situ, and alleviating the cropping obstacles of medicinal plants.

BACKGROUND:Rosa roxburghii Tratt. is an economically important fruit crop whose production is severely constrained by top rot disease caused by Colletotrichum fructicola. Although protein elicitors such as Harpin Ea represent a promising sustainable alternative to chemical fungicides, their mode-of-action in this crop is largely unknown. RESULTS:Foliar application of 7.5 mg L-1 Harpin Ea protein under field conditions significantly reduced top rot incidence, with >75% control efficacy over consecutive growing seasons, and increased fruit yield by >9% without negatively affecting quality, despite negligible direct antifungal activity in vitro (3.39-8.25% inhibition). The elicitor enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities, elevated levels of defense-related compounds and improved photosynthetic performance. Structural analyses show that Harpin Ea protein reinforced the fruit epidermis and cell walls, increasing key structural components (cellulose, lignin, carbohydrates) by 102-200%. Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic profiling demonstrates that Harpin Ea coordinately upregulated the phenylpropanoid-flavonoid biosynthetic pathway, enhancing the expression of genes encoding key enzymes such as phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), 4-coumarate-CoA ligase (4CL) and chalcone synthase (CHS), and promoting the accumulation of critical defense-related metabolites including p-cinnamic acid, caffeic acid, phenylalanine, naringenin, quercetin and hesperidin. CONCLUSION:Harpin Ea-induced resistance in R. roxburghii is mediated by a synergistic enhancement of physical barriers and systemic activation of phenylpropanoid-flavonoid metabolism. This work provides the first mechanistic evidence linking this dual-layer defense to Harpin Ea-induced disease resistance and establishes a molecular basis for the sustainable application of protein elicitors in fruit crop protection. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.

Rosa roxburghii Tratt., a vitamin C-rich edible and medicinal fruit native to southwest China, plays a vital role in poverty alleviation and economic development in mountainous regions. In this study, Neofusicoccum parvum was identified for the first time as a pathogen causing fruit rot in R. roxburghii. Koch's postulates were fulfilled by reisolating the fungus from artificially inoculated fruits, confirming its pathogenicity. Morphological and molecular analyses further validated the pathogen's identity. The optimal growth conditions for N. parvum were determined to be 28-30 degrees C and pH 5, with D-fructose and NH4Cl as the preferred carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively. Continuous light exposure was found to maximize mycelial growth. Among six tested plant extracts, osthol, Scutellariae Radix extract, and matrine exhibited notable antifungal activity, with osthol showing the highest efficacy (EC50 = 30.57 mu g/mL). Field trials demonstrated that 1% osthol emulsion in water (EW), applied at 300-500-fold dilution, achieved 60.68%-77.57% control efficacy against fruit rot after 21 d of the second application. This performance was comparable to the chemical fungicide 10% difenoconazole water dispersible granule (WG) (67.58%-81.04% efficacy at 5000-7000-fold dilution). This study provides a scientific basis for the biocontrol of N. parvum-induced fruit rot disease in R. roxburghii.

Epimedium sagittatum, a prominent perennial medicinal herb widely utilized in traditional Chinese medicine, has increasingly faced disease-related challenges as cultivation expands. During a field survey in Guizhou Province, China, from 2024 to 2025, a previously unreported disease associated with significant plant mortality was observed in Jiangkou County. Disease incidence ranged from 5% to 20% across areas, with localized outbreaks reaching up to 45%. Examination of affected plants revealed necrosis and rot at the stem base and rhizome regions. A fungal pathogen was isolated from symptomatic stem base and rhizome tissues. Morphological characterization, combined with multilocus sequence analysis of the ITS, LSU, tub2, and tef1-alpha gene regions, identified the causal agent as Clonostachys rosea. Pathogenicity was confirmed through controlled inoculation experiments on E. sagittatum under standardized environmental conditions. All inoculated plants exhibited symptoms consistent with those observed in naturally infected field specimens. The fungus was successfully re-isolated from diseased stem bases and rhizomes and confirmed as Cl. rosea by morphological and molecular analyses, thereby fulfilling Koch's postulates. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Cl. rosea causing stem base and rhizome rot in E. sagittatum, providing a critical basis for rapid diagnosis and targeted management of this emerging disease.

Iprodione is a widely used fungicide for preventing various fungal diseases in numerous crops. Its residues in the environment pose potential risks to pollinating insects and may also cause reproductive toxicity in male animals. However, its impact on the reproductive health of drones of the Chinese honeybee (Apis cerana cerana), a key pollinator in China, has remained largely unexplored. This study therefore aimed to investigate the effects of iprodione on drone reproductive health, using concentrations reflective of environmental residues in pollen. Colonies were fed rape pollen patties spiked with three iprodione concentrations (500, 1000, and 2000 ng/g). Our results demonstrated that low (500 ng/g) and medium (1000 ng/g) iprodione exposure significantly impaired multiple aspects of drone physiology. Specifically, body weight decreased by 15.1 % at both concentrations, wing length by 2.3 % and 3.4 %, seminal vesicle (SV) width by 5.6 % and 9.3 %, and sperm viability by 3.9 % and 3.89 %, respectively. Medium and high (2000 ng/g) concentrations also caused reductions in total sperm count by 14.4 % and 24.4 %, respectively, while high-concentration exposure resulted in a 40.4 % decrease in sexual maturity rate. Notably, all concentrations of iprodione significantly inhibited the activities of three key ATPases (Ca2+Mg2+-ATPase, Na+K+-ATPase, and V-ATPase), with inhibition exceeding 50 % under high-concentration exposure. Interestingly, high-concentration exposure did not significantly reduce body weight, body size, or sperm viability, a phenomenon that may be linked to markedly reduced sexual maturity and/or colony-level reproductive compensation mechanisms. This finding highlights a potential social buffering effect, where colonies prioritize the quality of surviving drones over quantity under environmental stress. Overall, our study reveals that iprodione exerts multifaceted detrimental effects on drone reproductive health, affecting morphology, sperm quality, sexual maturation, and key metabolic enzymes. These results provide novel mechanistic insights into the reproductive toxicity of iprodione in a socially important pollinator and underscore the need for caution in fungicide application during crop flowering periods to safeguard honeybee colonies and ecosystem services.

Epimedium sagittatum, an important traditional Chinese medicinal herb valued for its tonic and anti-rheumatic properties, was found to be affected by leaf anthracnose in Jiangkou County, Tongren City, Guizhou Province, in 2024 and 2025. Symptoms were observed on both nursery seedlings and field-grown plants. Fungal isolates resembling Colletotrichum species were consistently obtained from symptomatic leaf tissues. Morphological examination combined with multilocus sequence analysis of ITS, act, tub2, cal, and gapdh regions identified the pathogen as Colletotrichum boninense. Phylogenetic inference and morphological traits supported this classification. Pathogenicity was verified through inoculation of healthy E. sagittatum leaves with isolate GE001, which reproduced symptoms consistent with field observations. The fungus was successfully re-isolated from the diseased leaves and confirmed using morphological and molecular approaches, thereby fulfilling Koch's postulates. To our knowledge, this study represents the first report of C. boninense causing anthracnose on E. sagittatum. These findings reveal a novel fungal threat to this economically significant medicinal plant and emphasize the necessity for further research into disease management strategies.

Mancozeb is widely used as a broad-spectrum fungicide, and its potential effects on the gut-liver-kidney axis remain incompletely understood. In this study, we used an experimental oral exposure model to identify dose-associated effects and underlying mechanisms associated with mancozeb exposure. Following exposure to mancozeb at doses of 1, 10, and 100 mg/kg body weight, the fungicide was found to accumulate primarily in the digestive system (including the colon, cecum, and their contents) and feces of mice. Mancozeb exposure may exert adverse effects on the biomarkers related to liver function in mice, as evidenced by elevated activities of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase, increased malondialdehyde levels, and reduced activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase. Additionally, it caused significant shortening of the small intestine and increased intestinal permeability, reflected by elevated wet weight and dry-to-wet ratio of fecal particles, along with increased serum levels of creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, uric acid, and lipopolysaccharide. Mancozeb also markedly altered the gut microbiota structure, leading to an increased relative abundance of Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group (1.01-1.71-fold) and Ileibacterium (2.21-5.54-fold). Furthermore, mancozeb promoted the accumulation of acetylcholine, histamine release, and elevated levels of indole compounds in intestinal tissues. Transcriptomic analysis revealed upregulation of immune-related genes and downregulation of genes involved in drug metabolism. These results suggest that mancozeb exposure may affect gut microbiota composition, neurotransmitter and metabolite profiles, and the expression of functional genes related to immunity and detoxification. This study provides critical insights for the dietary health risk assessment of mancozeb.

The co-contamination of agricultural water by morpholine fungicides (e.g., flumorph and dimethomorph) and cadmium (Cd) poses significant ecological threats, challenging conventional treatment approaches. This study developed an innovative bioremediation system integrating biochar-immobilized microbial consortia with phytoremediation, and quantified the individual contributions of biodegradation, biosorption, phyto-uptake, and biochar-adsorption to the synergistic removal of pesticide and Cd co-contaminants. A novel Cd-tolerant and flumorph-degrading bacterium, Alcaligenes faecalis X4, was combined with a dimethomorph-degrading strain (Bacillus cereus WL08) to form a stable consortium. This consortium was capable of simultaneously metabolizing both fungicides into less toxic products and adsorbing cadmium. The consortium was immobilized on bamboo charcoal to produce a biocomposite (BCI-X4 + WL08), which achieved high removal efficiencies under optimized conditions: 97.65% for flumorph (50 mg/L), 94.23% for dimethomorph (50 mg/L), and 82.68% for cadmium (10 mg/L). Subsequent introduction of duckweed (Lemna minor) contributed an additional 15.40-28.00% removal via phyto-accumulation. Partitioning analysis confirmed true synergistic interactions-rather than merely additive effects-enhancing overall removal by up to 3.27-fold while alleviating oxidative stress in the plants. A compound ecological filter bed incorporating both BCI-X4 + WL08 and duckweed demonstrated practical applicability under outdoor conditions, achieving average simultaneous removal rates of 94.96% (flumorph), 91.43% (dimethomorph), and 85.42% (Cd) across three consecutive seasons, along with improved water quality parameters. This work presents a scalable, eco-friendly strategy for the in situ remediation of surface waters co-contaminated with pesticides and heavy metals, and provides a quantitative assessment of the distinct microbial, plant, and biochar contributions to the synergistic remediation process.

L-glufosinate-ammonium (L-GLA), a widely used herbicide, exerts detrimental non-target effects on crops, soil microorganisms, and ecosystems. However, its impacts on soil microbial communities and metabolic functions remain poorly understood. In this study, we applied L-GLA at two concentrations—600 g a.i. hm−2 (low, L) and 3,000 g a.i. hm−2 (high, H)—to yellow-brown soil and investigated its effects on microbial community composition, carbon cycle-related metabolic functions, and soil metabolites using integrated metagenomics and soil environmental pseudotargeted metabolomics at 30 and 60 days post-application. The degradation rate of L-GLA was concentration-dependent, with half-lives of 18.8 days (L) and 29.7 days (H). Both doses significantly reduced soil organic matter (SOM) and available potassium (AK) content, and markedly altered microbial community richness, structure, and composition. L-GLA exposure also disrupted the complexity of soil microbial co-occurrence networks and the activities of carbon-cycle-related enzymes. Metabolomic analysis further revealed significant (p < 0.05) and dose-dependent alterations in the soil metabolite profile. Correlation analysis indicated strong associations between characteristic microbial taxa and differential metabolites. Our findings provided critical insights into how L-GLA influences the soil microecological environment and contributed to a deeper understanding of soil microbial ecology in the context of modern agricultural practices.

Exogenous pollutants may alter the profile of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in soil. Substantial application of a fungicide carbendazim (CBD) and ZnO nanoparticles (nZnO) in modern agriculture has led to serious combined pollution in soil. Here, the degradation characteristics of CBD, the diversity and abundance of ARGs and their dissemination and regulatory mechanisms were investigated in response to individual and combined applications of CBD and nZnO. CBD initially degraded fast and then slowly in soil, and nZnO slightly delayed the degradation of CBD. CBD and nZnO significantly changed the soil bacterial community structure. Meanwhile, CBD and nZnO significantly increased the abundance of ARGs, especially for multidrug and beta-lactam resistance genes. The relative abundance of plasmids significantly increased in CBD and nZnO treatments, and the elevation in soil ARG abundance was associated with the increase in plasmid-borne ARG abundance, suggesting that plasmid-mediated horizontal gene transfer might contribute to the dissemination of ARGs. Moreover, the intergenus and intragenus conjugative transfer frequency of plasmid RP4 in the CBD and nZnO treatments increased by up to 9.4-fold of the control. Additionally, the cell membrane permeability and intracellular reactive oxygen species content of recipient and donor bacteria in the CBD and nZnO treatments increased by up to 1.6-fold of the control, which facilitated plasmid-mediated conjugative transfer of ARGs. It is concluded that CBD and nZnO can alter soil microbiome and improve antibiotic resistome by accelerating conjugative plasmid-mediated ARGs propagation.

BACKGROUND:Mycophagous ladybirds of Macroilleis hauseri play a vital role in the biological control of plant pathogenic fungi. However, little is known about mass-rearing of M. hauseri and its application in agroforestry ecosystems to control powdery mildew in the characteristic plant Rosa roxburghii producing edible medicinal fruits. RESULTS:Combining Podosphaera xanthii with artificial diet I (AD I), which comprised glucose, fructose, soybean powder, silkworm pupa powder, feed-grade vitamin and sterile water, facilitated M. hauseri development and propagation. Macroilleis hauseri developed well when fed on P. xanthii and AD I at 12 L:12D, 20-25°C, and 75-80% relative humidity. The <25% mortality rate of M. hauseri larvae and adults exposed to four common fungicides at 72 h was observed, but it raised to 28-83% and 23-58%, respectively, when exposed to six common insecticides. Macroilleis hauseri (10 adults per tree) release had the 83-86% control efficiency against R. roxburghii powdery mildew at 21 days, which is close to that (85-89%) of under 30% pyraclostrobin SC treatment, increasing fruit yields and economic benefits by 48-62% and 45-59%, respectively, compared with the bank control, although they were not higher than those (51-65% and 51-66%) of pyraclostrobin treatment. CONCLUSION:Mass-rearing of M. hauseri could be achieved by feeding AD I and P. xanthii. Fungicide use in orchards minimally threatened adults of M. hauseri. These adult individuals could serve as biocontrol agents to effectively control the spread of R. roxburghii powdery mildew, which highlights its application potential of controlling plant powdery mildew. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

The use of artificial addition of microbial consortia into soils is a key strategy to simultaneously alleviate the common contamination and continuous cropping obstacles. This study established the coconut shell charcoal (CSC) LY05 +LGY06 by immobilizing Bacillus sp. LY05 and B. cereus LGY06 on CSC particles, which effectively accelerated the removal of pendimethalin as a possible human carcinogen (91.68 %) and Cd2 + (80.02 %) from the culture-solution, and displayed the prominent re-usability and stability compared with their free coculture consortium. This consortium could detoxify pendimethalin via serial nitro-reduction, oxidation, cyclization, carboxylation and hydroxylation reactions. CSC LY05 +LGY06 could rapidly degrade pendimethalin in sterile (90.01 %) and non-sterile (99.03 %) soils. Moreover, it notably reduced pendimethalin and Cd2+ residuals in pod kernels, pod shells, and plants of peanut growing in continuous cropping soil by 99.19 % and 94.02 %, 99.16 % and 93.94 %, and 98.94 % and 91.85 %, respectively, contrasted to the control. Meanwhile, it significantly promoted the pod yield (>1.28-fold) and quality of continuous cropping peanut by improving the plant agronomic trait, photosynthetic capacity, intracellular water metabolism, nutrient transport capacity, and metabolic activity. This study provides a novel insight into the safe production of agri-products in continuous cropping soils con-contaminated by pesticides and heavy metals.

Top-rot disease (TRD) in Rosa roxburghii fruit is caused by Colletotrichum fructicola. TRD has emerged as a significant concern due to its frequent occurrence and causing substantial economic losses. To understand the transcriptome response to TRD infection and identify candidate genes involved in TRD resistance, four critical time points (0, 24, 72, and 120 h postinoculation) for fruit tissues inoculated with the TRD pathogen were selected for RNA sequencing. A total of 1,890 differentially expressed genes were identified from the transcriptome data, including 1,051 upregulated and 839 downregulated genes. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses revealed that they were primarily involved in oxidoreductase activity and the synthesis and metabolism of secondary metabolites. Many putative transcription factor families, such as MYB, bHLH, AP2-EREBP, NAC, and WRKY, were also identified as being positively responsive to TRD infestation. Among the upregulated genes, RrHSP18.1 exhibited the strongest response to TRD. Transient overexpression and gene silencing demonstrated that RrHSP18.1 positively regulated TRD resistance in R. roxburghii fruit, partially through promoting the expression of antioxidant-related genes and enhancing their enzyme activities. Collectively, the results facilitated a better understanding of the transcriptional response to TRD and offered candidate genes for developing an R. roxburghii germplasm resource with improved TRD resistance.

Understanding the migration and diffusion process of microplastics (MPs) in lakes is of great significance to the cumulative assessment of controlling land-based MP pollution. The MPs in the surface water of Poyang Lake were identified to be mainly composed of three representative particles (>91 %): polyethylene (PE) fiber, polypropylene (PP) fragment and PE film, and this study explored the migration process of different types of MPs in three flow regimes. The results show that MP particles migrate northward under the gravity flow and jacking flow. The average time required for MPs to reach the northern lakes in jacking flow was 21.29 % shorter than that in gravity flow. Instead, MPs undergo reverse movement driven by back flow. The difference in migration rates due to MPs physical properties can reach up to 36 % in the same flow regime. The average concentration of PE fiber in the lake area is 30.61 % and 68.68 % higher than both, PP fragment and PE film. In addition, the accumulation hotspots of MPs under three flow regimes were investigated, and MP monitoring in the corresponding areas based on the flow regime can effectively reduce the ecological risk. In terms of ecological risk, the PLI reached Level IV in hotspot areas, indicating severe ecological risk. If considering that the MP type of Poyang Lake is dominated by PE and PP, only the PSL of the Hukou area reaches level II. This study provides reference and warning for tracking the paths and risks of land-based MPs entering freshwater lakes.

Fruit spot, a newly identified fungal disease, has emerged in the major production areas of Rosa roxburghii in Guizhou Province, significantly reducing both fruit yield and quality. Based on pathogenicity, morphology, and multigene phylogenetic analysis, the causative agent of this disease was identified as Diaporthe cercidis strain LX13-the first report of this pathogen infecting R. roxburghii. Optimal growth conditions for D. cercidis LX13 on PDA medium were determined to be 28 degrees C, pH 7.0, full light, with glucose, peptone and yeast extract identified as favorable nutrient sources. In vitro mycelial growth inhibition assays revealed that four plant immunity inducers, ATaiLing (ATL), VDAL, Pulvtong and ProAct, exhibited limited direct antimicrobial activity (<50 %) against D. cercidis LX13. Among them, ATL (active ingredients: 3 % amino-oligosaccharides and 3 % PeaT1 protein) showed the strongest antifungal effect (20.05 %-49.02 %), significantly outperforming the other inducers (2.58 %-18.96 %). Field trials demonstrated ATL efficacy in controlling fruit spot in R. roxburghii. Its induced resistance peaked at 14 days after the third spray (91.54 % control efficacy), then gradually declined to its lowest level at 35 days (68.30 % control efficacy). Additionally, ATL enhanced fruit quality by elevating disease-resistance compounds (soluble sugars, proteins, lignin, flavonoids, and total phenols) and boosting antioxidant activity at maturity. This study provides the first evidence of D. cercidis LX13 as the causal agent of R. roxburghii fruit spot disease and highlights ATL as an eco-friendly plant immunity inducer for sustainable disease management, offering both theoretical insights and practical solutions for cultivation.

BACKGROUND:Rosa roxburghii produces a distinctive edible fruit renowned for its high vitamin C content and medicinal properties. Leaf brown spot is a newly identified fungal disease in R. roxburghii, causing considerable production losses in southwest China. RESULTS:In this study, the pathogenic fungus causing brown spot in R. roxburghii was identified as Neopestalotiopsis saprophytica (CXCHB-2). Carvacrol, among seven selected phytocompounds, demonstrated strong antifungal activity against N.  saprophytica with a 50% effective concentration (EC50) of 19.72 mg L-1. The mechanisms underlying the antifungal activity of carvacrol against N. saprophytica were investigated, and it showed that carvacrol disrupted N. saprophytica mycelium growth by inhibiting mycelial matrix, and compromising cell wall and membrane integrity. Moreover, the in vivo antifungal assays confirmed that carvacrol could inhibit the growth of N. saprophytica in R. roxburghii leaves with excellent therapeutic and protective effects (76.61% and 70.63%, respectively). Further investigations indicated that this phytocompound induced the upregulation of 24 differentially expressed genes related to the leaf hormone signal transduction of R. roxburghii, enhancing its resistance to N. saprophytica. CONCLUSION:Carvacrol exhibited potent antifungal activity against N. saprophytica, causing leaf brown spot in R. roxburghii by disrupting its cell walls and membranes. Moreover, carvacrol could enhance the resistance of R. roxburghii leaves to N. saprophytica. Findings of this study suggested that carvacrol may serve as a promising plant-derived fungicide for controlling leaf brown spot in R. roxburghii leaves, providing a serviceable reference for its application in the agroforestry system. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

Antibiotic resistance has emerged as a global threat to public health. However, the current information is insufficient to understand how other pollutants, such as fungicides and nanoplastics, affect the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) among bacteria in the soil. Here, our findings revealed that polyethylene nanoplastics (PENPs) prolonged the persistence of pyraclostrobin (PYR) in the soil by 13 days, increased PYR bioaccumulation in earthworm (Eisenia fetida) by 8.4

The study focused on identifying key pathogenesis-related proteins (PRs) that respond to Top -rot disease (TRD) in Rosa roxburghii fruit, which leads to significant yield losses. Fourteen out of the three hundred and twenty-five RrPRs were found to respond to the TRD based on transcriptome data. Subsequent qRT-PCR analysis demonstrated significant up-regulation of RrPR4 , RrPR5 and RrPR10-1/3 during disease infection. Exogenous SA and MeJA significantly enhanced resistance to TRD by promoting the expression of RrPR10-1 , RrPR4 and RrPR5 , along with enhancing antioxidase activities and flavonoid accumulation. These findings enhance our understanding of RrPRs and the roles of SA and MeJA in conferring TRD resistance.