Botrytis cinerea poses severe postharvest losses in horticultural products, while synthetic fungicides raise food safety concerns. This study developed a GRAS-compliant antifungal strategy using vapor-phase Cymbopogon citratus essential oil (EO). GC-MS revealed citronellal (17.06%) as the dominant bioactive compound. The EO exhibited superior vapor-phase activity against B. cinerea, with EC₅₀ of 14.69 µg/mL (mycelial growth) and MIC of 7.81 µg/mL (spore germination), significantly lower than direct-contact efficacy (p < 0.05). Mechanistic analysis revealed a tripartite mode of action—rapid membrane disintegration (48% electrolyte leakage within 4 h), suppression of ROS defense enzymes (SOD/CAT/POD inhibition > 50%), and disruption of mitochondrial energetics (SDH activity reduced by 58.1%)—which induced irreversible cellular collapse. This multi-target strategy mitigates resistance development, a key limitation of single-mode fungicides. In commercial-scale trials, EO fumigation (125 µg/mL) reduced cherry tomato decay by 81.9–92.6% during 28-day storage, while maintaining firmness (15.9% higher than control) and nutritional quality (titratable acidity (TA) and total sugar content (TSC)). Notably, the vapor-phase EO also exhibited potent inhibitory activity against the spore germination of rubber tree powdery mildew (EC₅₀: 3.19 µg/mL), demonstrating its broad-spectrum antifungal potential. This finding significantly expands the application scope of C. citratus EO from postharvest preservation to preharvest crop protection. This work provides a scalable, residue-free alternative to synthetic fungicides for industrial postharvest applications.

Rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) anthracnose, caused by multiple species within the genus Colletotrichum, is a globally significant disease that seriously threatens the sustainable development of the natural rubber industry in China. Characteristic symptoms, including foliar necrosis, defoliation, and shoot blight, culminate in significant economic losses for producers. This review systematically summarizes the epidemiological patterns and damage, pathogen genetic diversity, the molecular pathological mechanisms underlying Colletotrichum–rubber tree interactions, and chemical and biological control strategies. Furthermore, an integrated disease management (IDM) framework is proposed, and key directions for future research are outlined to provide a theoretical foundation for the scientific prevention and control of rubber tree anthracnose in China.

Hevea brasiliensis (Willd. ex A.Juss.) Müll.Arg., the world’s primary source of natural rubber, faces increasing threats from emerging diseases in tropical cultivation regions. During recent field surveys in Yunnan and Hainan provinces of China, previously uncharacterized brown, water-soaked necrotic lesions were observed on tender stems and leaves of rubber trees. This study aimed to identify the causal pathogen, characterize its biological traits, and evaluate candidate fungicides for disease management. The pathogen was isolated via tissue explant methods and identified through morphological observation combined with multigene phylogenetic analyses based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, large subunit (LSU) ribosomal DNA, and cytochrome c oxidase subunits I and II (coxI and coxII) sequences. Pathogenicity was rigorously confirmed by fulfilling Koch’s postulates on rubber tree seedlings. The isolates produced spherical to ovoid, papillate sporangia, and phylogenetic reconstruction strongly supported clustering them with Phytopythium vexans. The pathogen grew optimally at 16–31 °C, with growth ceasing at 35 °C. Fungicide sensitivity assays revealed that metalaxyl exhibited the strongest inhibitory activity against mycelial growth, with half-maximal effective concentration (EC₅₀) values as low as 0.04 μg/mL. To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. vexans causing foliar and stem necrosis on H. brasiliensis. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for accurate disease diagnosis, epidemiological surveillance, and the development of effective chemical control strategies for rubber plantations.

TasA gene, encoding a functional amyloid protein critical for biofilm formation and antimicrobial activity, was cloned from the endophytic strain Bacillus amyloliquefaciens BS-3, isolated from rubber tree roots. This study identified the shortest functional TasA variant (483 bp, 160 aa) reported to date, featuring unique amino acid substitutions in conserved domains. Bioinformatics analysis predicted a signal peptide (1–27 aa) and transmembrane domain (7–29 aa), which were truncated to optimize heterologous expression. Two prokaryotic vectors (pET28a and pCZN1) were constructed, with pCZN1-TasA expressed solubly in Escherichia coli Arctic Express at 15 °C, while pET28a-TasA formed inclusion bodies at 37 °C. Purified recombinant TasA exhibited potent antifungal activity, achieving 98.6% ± 1.09 inhibition against Colletotrichum acutatum, 64.77% ± 1.34 against Alternaria heveae. Notably, TasA completely suppressed spore germination in C. acutatum and Oidium heveae Steinmannat 60 μg/mL. Structural analysis via AlphaFold3 revealed that truncation enhanced protein stability. These findings highlight BS-3-derived TasA as a promising biocontrol agent, providing molecular insights for developing protein-based biopesticides against rubber tree pathogens.