Paecilomyces lilacinus and P.variotii are molds that can control the parasitic worms for animals and plants. The molds have been used as biological control of plant nematodes and more commercialized, but for controlling animal trematode worm parasite has not been known. For the purposes of the experiments were tested in vitro the ability local isolates of P.lilacinus and P.variotii to reduce (predator) worm eggs of Meloidogyne sp and Fasciola gigantica. The tests carried out on the eggs of the two types of worms, by adding some eggs on P. lilacinus and P.variotii spores that have been inoculated in a petri dish. The experiments were performed during a specific time with the addition of isolates for a comparison test. The result of the test from this experiment was P. lilacinus is better than P. variotii to reduce types of those worms.

<p>ABSTRACT</p><p>South Sulawesi is known as one of national rice production centers. However, average productivity of rice varieties planted in that area (4.43 ton ha-1) is lower than those of rice productivity in Java (5.25 ton ha-1). The aims of this research were to evaluate agronomic characters and adaptation of 7 dihaploid mutant advanced lines of new plant type (DH-NPT) of rice at several locations in South Sulawesi. The research was conducted in 2012 at Maros, Gowa, Barru, and Pangkep. The experiments were conducted in randomized complete block design with 3 replications nested in locations. Treatment consisted of 7 DH-NPT of rice, i.e., BIO-MF115, BIO-MF116, BIO-MF125, BIO-MF130, BIO-MF133, BIO-MF151, BIO-MF153, and control varieties i.e., Fatmawati, Ciherang, and Inpari13. The results indicated that in general the lines had medium height (102.77-110.23 cm), moderate productive tiller (9-16 tiller per hill), moderate days to flower (50%), i.e., 73-76 days after sowing (DAS), earlier days to harvest (103-110 DAS), moderate panicle length (28.35-29.31 cm), large number of grain per panicle (&gt; 250 grains) with moderate panicle fertility (63-70%), moderate 1,000 grain weight, i.e., 26.51-27.75 g, and high yield (7.51-8.09 ton ha-1). Four lines, i.e., BIO-MF116, BIO-MF130, BIO-MF151, and BIO-MF153 were stable and had wide adaptability. Other lines, i.e., BIO-MF125 and BIO-MF133 were sensitive to environmental changes, therefore they were classified as specifically adapted to favorable environment; while BIO-MF115 was not sensitive to environmental changes, and therefore it was adapted to non-favorable environment.</p><p>Keywords: adaptation, agronomic characters, rice mutant</p>

Problem statement: Bacterial Leaf Blight (BLB) caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) is the most damaging disease in lowland rice growing areas in Indonesia. Streptomyces spp. have been known as a producer of antimicrobial compounds that can be used as biocontrol agents. This study examined the ability of three promising indigenous Streptomyces isolates which were previously selected from in vitro agar media and greenhouse test to suppress natural infection of Xoo during dry and wet season trials in 2009/2010 at the Muara Experimental Research Station, Bogor West Java, Indonesia. Approach: Streptomyces isolates (PS4-16, LBR-02 and LSW-05) were applied through seed coating in a peat-based carrier followed by seedling soaking, spray treatment, or combination of both methods, either singly or in combination of two or three isolates. The number of Streptomyces population in the peat carrier at the time of inoculation was above 10 7 cell g −1. The efficacy of Streptomyces was compared to that chemical spray using NORDOX 56 WP (a.i., zinc oxide 56%) and non-treatment. Treated and untreated seeds were grown in plots (5×5 m 2 ) and set in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Results: In the dry season experiment, application of Streptomyces spp. reduced BLB severity when compared to that of untreated plots, although did not reduce BLB incidence. PS4-16, applied singly through seed coating followed by seedling soaking, reduced the Area Under Disease Progress Curve (AUDPC) at 70 Days After Planting (DAP) to 1458, which was equally effective to the chemical spray (AUDPC value 1434) and simultaneously promoted plant height and gave the highest rice yield. In the wet season trial PS4-16 and LBR-02, applied singly or in dual combination through seed coating followed by seedling soaking, suppressed BLB severity, PS4-16 was confirmed as the most effective isolate by reducing the AUDPC to 1923, which was not significantly different to the AUDPC value obtained from chemical spray treatment (1934). Conclusion/Recommendations: All Streptomyces isolates had a tendency to increase plant and yield compared to the chemically-sprayed and non-treated plots. For successful biological control of rice BLB, further development of a better formulation for long-term storage with an effective population density of Streptomyces and an assessment of its field efficacy in multi-location trials are needed.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is susceptible to many fungal diseases, including early blight of foliage caused by the necrotroph fungus Alternaria solani. Frequent application of fungicide is the major component to keep the disease low. Resistant tomato cultivar is the most desirable as it can reduce the cost of disease control significantly. So far, sources of resistance to early blight can only be found in wild relative species of tomato, and few of them have been used in traditional breeding. Unfortunately, tomato lines bred from wild donor parent still exhibit poor horticultural performances like low yield, and late maturity, and indeterminate plant habit, which hinders the release of these lines directly as cultivars. The quantitative expression and polygenic control of the early blight resistance trait, as well as the influence of plant developmental stages and environmental conditions, complicate phenotypic selection in traditional breeding. Genotypic selection by using closely linked-markers to the resistance loci is thus preferred, but mapping of early blight resistance QTL in interspecific crosses of tomato have not obtained markers which are useful for marker-assisted breeding. This review presents sources of early blight resistance in wild species of tomato and efforts in dissecting early blight resistance QTL via linkage analysis with molecular markers. Strategies to obtain closely-linked markers and genomics-assisted breeding to facilitate the introgression of useful resistance genes to cultivated tomato are discussed.

Field application of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) is still hampered by inefficient mass production. The aim of this study was to compare three published in vitro media (medium Wouts, Bedding and Han) for mass propagation of three indigenous EPNs (Heterorhabditis indicus PLR2, H. indicus isolate 5, and Steinernema T96) and one commercial strain (S. carpocapsae #25). The media were impregnated in shredded polyurethane sponge, pre-inoculated with symbiotic bacteria of each nematode and inoculated with the respective infective juveniles (Ijs) of the nematode. Nematode yields at three weeks after nematode inoculation were inconsistent accross replications and experiments and generally not significantly influenced by the kind of media tested. Average yields showed that the highest IJ productions were obtained on medium Han for  H. indicus PLR2 (0,4×105 Ijs/g medium) and for S. carpocapsae #25  (2.2×105 IJs/g medium), and on  medium Wouts for H. indicus  isolate 5 (6.5×105 Ijs/g medium) and Steinernema T96 (1.5×105 IJs/g medium). The Ijs’ body were significantly shorter than those of in vivo propagated, which may impair the nematode pathogenicity. Modifications of the propagation technique and media formulation are needed to improve the quantity and quality of Ijs.