The tale of taro leaf blight: a global effort to safeguard the genetic diversity of taro in the Pacific

Hong

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

Recently, plant essential oils (EOs) have attracted special attention in plant disease control and food preservation. Since ancient times, essential oils extracted from plants have exhibited many biological characteristics, especially antimicrobial properties. Recent studies have described the potentials of EOs and derivatives to inhibit the growth and reproduction of microorganisms, mainly in response of overwhelming concerns of consumers about food safety. In the context of returning to nature, with the advancement of science and technology and improved living standards, people have begun to seek solutions for food hygiene without chemical additives. Therefore, biological pesticides and plant-oriented chemicals have received special attention from scientists because they are environmentally friendly and nonhazardous, sustainable, and effective alternatives against many noxious phytopathogens. Present study is intended to appraise the fungicidal properties of ginger EOs to combat leaf blight disease of taro, which threatens global taro production. Farmers often hinge on extremely toxic synthetic fungicides to manage diseases, but the residual effects and resistance of chemicals are unavoidable. The microwave-assisted hydrodistillation method was used for ginger EOs extraction and an FTIR (ATR) spectrometer was used to evaluate their chemical composition and citral was identified as most abundant compound (89.05%) in oil. The pathogen isolated from lesions of diseased taro plants was identified as Phytophthora colocasiae and used as test fungus in the present study. Ginger EO was evaluated in-vitro for antifungal properties against mycelium growth, sporangium production, zoospore germination, leaf, and corm necrosis inhibition. Repeated experiments have shown that the concentration of ginger essential oil (1250 ppm) proved to be the lowest dose to obtain 100% inhibition of fungal growth and spore germination, sporangia formation and leaf necrosis assessment. These results are derived from this fungal species and a hypothesis that involves further research on other plant pathogens to demonstrate the overall potency of essential oils. This study references the easy, economic, and environmental management and control of plant diseases using essential oils and byproducts.

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fungicidal properties of ginger (Zingiber officinale) essential oils against Phytophthora colocasiae

Hong

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

“…The study by Ocampo-Giraldo et al (2020) [56] highlighted the importance of combining ex situ and in situ approaches in a dynamic model of conservation. Alexandra et al (2020) [57] narrated the formation of Pacific Community's Centre for Pacific Crops and Trees (CePaCT) in Fiji and underscored the role of a global effort to collect, conserve, and breed taro in response to disease outbreaks.…”

Section: Genebank and Plant Genetic Resources Valuationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Germplasm Acquisition and Distribution by CGIAR Genebanks

Halewood

Jamora²,

Noriega

et al. 2020

Plants

Self Cite

The international collections of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA) hosted by 11 CGIAR Centers are important components of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s global system of conservation and use of PGRFA. They also play an important supportive role in realizing Target 2.5 of the Sustainable Development Goals. This paper analyzes CGIAR genebanks’ trends in acquiring and distributing PGRFA over the last 35 years, with a particular focus on the last decade. The paper highlights a number of factors influencing the Centers’ acquisition of new PGRFA to include in the international collections, including increased capacity to analyze gaps in those collections and precisely target new collecting missions, availability of financial resources, and the state of international and national access and benefit-sharing laws and phytosanitary regulations. Factors contributing to Centers’ distributions of PGRFA included the extent of accession-level information, users’ capacity to identify the materials they want, and policies. The genebanks’ rates of both acquisition and distribution increased over the last decade. The paper ends on a cautionary note concerning the potential of unresolved tensions regarding access and benefit sharing and digital genomic sequence information to undermine international cooperation to conserve and use PGRFA.

“…Resistant traditional cultivars are found in countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, India, Indonesia and Vietnam where TLB has occurred for a long period of time. In the Pacific region CePaCT, Fiji maintains a collection of TLB-resistant varieties developed through breeding programmes in Hawaii, PNG and Samoa (Singh et al 2012 ; Alexandra et al 2020 ). In order to improve commercial taro for disease resistance, including TLB, and to increase genetic diversity, crossing commercial taro with TLB-resistant varieties are viable strategies which can prevent expansion of the disease in the region and mitigate adverse impacts on the livelihoods of taro growing farmers (Hunter et al 2000 ).…”

Section: Impacts Of Climate Change On Some Major Pacific Crops and Brmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unlocking the inherent potential of plant genetic resources: food security and climate adaptation strategy in Fiji and the Pacific

Palanivel

Shah

2021

Environ Dev Sustain

Pacific Island Countries (PICs) are the center of origin and diversity for several root, fruit and nut crops, which are indispensable for food security, rural livelihoods, and cultural identity of local communities. However, declining genetic diversity of traditional food crops and high vulnerability to climate change are major impediments for maintaining agricultural productivity. Limited initiatives to achieve food self-sufficiency and utilization of Plant Genetic Resources (PGR) for enhancing resilience of agro-ecosystems are other serious constraints. This review focuses on the visible and anticipated impacts of climate ge, on major food and tree crops in agriculture and agroforestry systems in the PICs. We argue that crop improvement through plant breeding is a viable strategy to enhance food security and climatic resilience in the region. The exploitation of adaptive traits: abiotic and biotic stress tolerance, yield and nutritional efficiency, is imperative in a world threatened by climatic extremes. However, the insular constraints of Fiji and other small PICs are major limitations for the utilization of PGR through high throughput techniques which are also cost prohibitive. Crop Improvement programs should instead focus on the identification, conservation, documentation and dissemination of information on unique landraces, community seed banks, introduction of new resistant genotypes, and sustaining and enhancing allelic diversity.