In this study, five new recently described Monosporascus species, M. brasiliensis, M. caatinguensis, M. mossoroensis, M. nordestinus, and M. semiaridus, which were found on weeds collected from cucurbit cultivation fields in northeastern Brazil, are characterized regarding mycelial growth at different pH levels and salinity (NaCl) concentrations, their pathogenicity to selected cucurbit species, and their sensitivity to fungicides with different modes of action. Our results reveal great variability among the representative isolates of each Monosporascus spp. All of them showed a wide range of tolerance to different pH levels, and NaCl significantly reduced their in vitro mycelial growth, although no concentration was able to inhibit them completely. In pathogenicity tests, all seedlings of cucurbits evaluated, melon, watermelon, cucumber, and pumpkin, were susceptible to the five Monosporascus spp. in greenhouse experiments using artificial inoculation of roots. Moreover, all Monosporascus spp. were highly susceptible to the fungicides fludioxonil and fluazinam. Our findings provide relevant information about the response of these new Monosporascus spp. to environmental factors, plant genotypes and fungicides.

Plasma–liquid interaction research has developed substantially in recent years due, mostly, to the numerous applications of cold atmospheric plasma (CAP). Plasma–liquid interactions are influenced by the concentrations of the ionic species present in the liquid environment, and few studies have paid attention to saline water, which generally mediates the reactions in many plasma applications. Therefore, the present review aims to explore the main results and the influence of variables on the modification of properties of saline water by CAP sources following the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). The searches were carried out in the Scopus, Science Direct, and Web of Science databases, resulting in the inclusion of 37 studies. The main effects of the interaction between CAP and saline water are (i) the production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS); (ii) the increase in conductivity and decrease in pH, directly proportional to the increase in discharge voltage; (iii) and the effective area of interaction and the shortest distance between electrode and solution. Other effects are the localized evaporation and crystallization of salts, which make the interaction between plasma and saline water a promising field in the development of technologies for desalination and improvement of liquid properties.

-With the recent discovery of five new species of the Monosporascus genus, a fungal genus involved in "Monosporascus root rot and vine decline," pathogenicity studies have become important to understand the impact of these new species on cultivated plants, mainly on plant species used as an alternative for crop rotation. This study aimed to evaluate the pathogenicity of Monosporascus spp. in non-cucurbitaceous cultures. The tests were carried out in duplicate in a greenhouse in a completely randomized design, with the treatments: One isolate of each species of Monosporascus (M. brasiliensis, M. caatinguensis, M. cannonballus, M. mossoroensis, M. nordestinus, and M. semiaridus) and the absolute control, and five cultures (cowpea, jack bean, corn, sorghum, and bell pepper). Seeds of these cultures were sown in pots containing soil + Tropstrate HT (R) (ratio 2:1, v / v), previously inoculated with wheat seeds colonized with the species ofMonosporascus. After 50 days of sowing, plants were evaluated for incidence, disease severity, length of shoot and roots, fresh and dry weight of shoots and roots. All inoculated Monosporascus species were able to induce damage in cowpea and bell pepper cultures, with M. cannonballus being the most aggressive. Corn, jack beans, and sorghum presented few or no symptoms of the disease and may be indicated as alternative cultures to be used in crop rotation with cucurbits. Studies with a greater number of isolates and cultivars for each culture tested in this study should be carried out to strengthen the data obtained.

Biological control represents a sustainable alternative that can be used to reduce the impacts of soilborne diseases in melon cultivation, which are major constraints to productivity. This study evaluated the effectiveness of four biological products formulated with Bacillus and Trichoderma species in suppressing symptoms caused by root pathogens in melon crops, including Fusarium spp., Macrophomina phaseolina, Monosporascus cannonballus, and Rhizoctonia solani. Two greenhouse experiments were conducted to simulate successive crop cycles using two naturally infested soils (A and B). Bombardeiro/Lastro, Quality^®, TrichobiolMax, and TrichonemateMax were applied using two management strategies: (1) a tray application 8 days after sowing (DAS) + four pot applications at 7-day intervals, totaling five applications, and (2) a tray application 8 DAS + two pot applications at 14-day intervals, totaling three applications. The yellow melon cultivar ‘Goldex’ was used in the experiments. Forty-five days after transplanting, the treatments showed statistically significant differences compared to the positive control (naturally infested soil without products), both in disease incidence and severity and in plant growth parameters. In Soil A, three applications of Quality^® and TrichobiolMax resulted in 50% and 60% disease incidences, respectively. In Soil B, five applications of Lastro and TrichobiolMax led to 60% of plants showing disease symptoms. These products also reduced disease severity in both soils, and TrichonemateMax showed potential for nematode control. Additionally, these products resulted in a 21% reduction in the frequency of Fusarium spp. in Soil A. These findings are valuable for developing sustainable practices in melon cultivation, promoting more efficient and environmentally sound management of root diseases.

Macrophomina phaseolina is a major phytopathogen linked to root rot and vine decline in melon plants in northeastern Brazil. Managing this pathogen is difficult due to its polyphagous nature and adaptation to the semi-arid conditions of the region. In this study, we inoculated 10 isolates each of M. phaseolina (Ph) and M. pseudophaseolina (Ps) onto two melon hybrids, 'Beloro' and ‘Natal RZ’, to assess their pathogenicity. Sixty days post-planting, we measured disease incidence (INC) and severity (SEV), shoot (SL) and root length (RL), fresh shoot and root weight (FSW and FRW), and dry shoot and root weight (DSW and DRW). The hybrid 'Beloro' exhibited a 100% INC across all tested isolates. The ‘Natal RZ’ hybrid showed INC ranging from 14.3 to 100.0%, with the Ph-A6P5 and Ps-A10P16 isolates causing no disease (INC and SEV of 0.0). Average SEV indicated that Ph isolates were more aggressive, causing severe damage to both 'Beloro' (4.58) and ‘Natal RZ’ (3.18), compared to Ps isolates, which showed lower severity scores in 'Beloro' (2.56) and ‘Natal RZ’ (0.70). Given the limited information on the pathogenicity of Ps in melon, further research is essential to determine the infectious potential of this fungus.

Lithothamnium calcareum, a marine alga, can be used as a low-cost and eco-friendly tool to improve soil conditions, thereby enhancing crop development and meeting calcium requirements of plants grown in acidic soils. In this sense, the present study evaluated effects of different application rates, formulations, and application intervals of L. calcareum on development of watermelon plants, Citrullus lanatus cv. ‘Crimson Sweet.’ Two experiments were conducted in a completely randomized design. The first experiment evaluated different formulations and application rates of L. calcareum: micronized powder (MP: 50 Kg ha-1), concentrated suspension (CS: 10 L ha-1, 20 L ha-1, and 30 L ha-1), and nanoparticles (1 Kg ha-1, 5 Kg ha-1, and 10 Kg ha-1). In the second experiment, MP, CS, and nanoparticle formulations were assessed under three application intervals (7+7+7+7, 10+10+10, and 14+14 days). Results indicated that application of 5 L ha⁻1 increased shoot length, which was 45% higher than control. Moreover, Nano formulation (1 kg ha⁻1) promoted the best root system performance, showing root dry mass three times greater than control. In the second experiment, seven-day application intervals associated with Nano formulation provided the largest increase in root dry mass (0.42 g). In conclusion, the use of L. calcareum nanoparticles applied at 1 kg ha⁻1 and 7-day intervals represents the most efficient strategy to optimize watermelon root development, constituting a viable tool for organic production systems.