In 2012 the evaluation on the development and spread of phytopathogens, causing wilt in pepper was conducted. The observations were carried out under field conditions and natural infectious background in the Plovdiv region. In laboratory conditions were isolated and identified four phytopathogenic fungi of the genus Rhizoctonia, Fusarium, Verticillium and Phytophthora. The results of the analysis showed that the highest percentage of pepper wilt was caused by the fungus - Rhizoctonia solani.

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is a major fodder crop whose productivity is often reduced by phytopathogens, especially during early growth. Understanding how soil fertility management and microbial communities influence disease outcomes is critical for developing sustainable strategies that reduce fungicide dependence and enhance crop resilience. This study evaluated the resistance of the winter barley cultivar “Zemela” to powdery mildew (Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei), brown rust (Puccinia hordei), and net blotch (Pyrenophora teres f. maculata). The crop was cultivated under two soil management systems—green manure and conventional—and five fertilisation regimes: mineral, vermicompost, combined, biochar, and control. Phytopathological assessment was integrated with functional predictions of soil microbial communities. Field trials showed high resistance to powdery mildew (RI = 95%) and brown rust (RI = 82.5%), and moderate resistance to net blotch (RI = 60%). While ANOVA indicated no significant treatment effects (p > 0.05), PCA explained 82.3% of the variance, revealing clear clustering of microbial community functions by soil management system and highlighting the strong influence of fertilisation practices on disease-related microbial dynamics. FAPROTAX analysis suggested that organic amendments enhanced antifungal functions, whereas conventional systems were dominated by nitrogen cycling. FUNGuild identified higher saprotrophic and mycorrhizal activity under organic and combined treatments, contrasting with greater pathogen abundance in conventional plots. Overall, results demonstrate that soil fertilisation practices, together with microbial functional diversity, play a central role in disease suppression and crop resilience, supporting sustainable barley production with reduced reliance on chemical inputs.

Seeds from four landraces of dry beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L. and Phaseolus coccineus L.) from the National Collection of Bulgaria were analyzed for their chemical and lipid composition. The chemical analysis revealed that protein ranged from 24.4% to 31.5%, carbohydrates from 53.1% to 56.1%, fat from 0.9% to 1.4%, fiber from 2.6% to 2.8%, and ash from 3.9% to 4.7%, indicating their high nutritional and caloric value. The seed oils contained significant levels of bioactive compounds, including tocopherols (3483–3809 mg/kg), carotenoids (1664–2049 mg/kg), and phospholipids (24.6–62.2%), which contribute to their health-promoting properties. In the Phaseolus vulgaris accessions, the oil was primarily composed of linolenic (n-3) and linoleic acids (n-6), followed by palmitic and oleic acids, whereas in the Phaseolus coccineus accession, linoleic acid (n-6) predominated, followed by linolenic (n-3) acid. β-Sitosterol was the major sterol, followed by stigmasterol, while the tocopherol fraction was mainly composed of γ-tocopherol (88.2–95.0%), with δ-tocopherol as a secondary component. Phosphatidylcholine was the predominant phospholipid, accounting for 33.1–51.7%. These findings underscore the potential of Bulgarian bean landraces as functional ingredients in health-oriented food products due to their balanced nutritional profile and presence of bioactive lipids.

Rice is a main food crop being a host to various pests and diseases that pose a threat to production. Its seeds represent a rich substrate for the development of a number of fungal pathogens. During the period 2023 – 2024, research was conducted on the territory of Maritsa Vegetable Crops Research Institute – Plovdiv, in order to isolate and identify seed-borne phytopathogens causing rice diseases, as well as to establish the degree of natural attack on Bulgarian and introduced varieties and lines. As a result, it was found that rice seeds collected from different samples in the Plovdiv region were infected with fungal pathogens of 5 genera: Alternaria spp., Cladosporium spp., Fusarium spp., Drechslera spp. and Sclerophthora spp. Six types of fungi were identified, among which Fusarium culmorum and Alternaria alternata were predominant. The species were identified in both years of the study, which was a confirmation for the economic importance and the widespread distribution of the phytopathogens. The current state of resistance to seed-borne pathogens under the conditions of a natural infectious background was determined. Differences in variety susceptibility were established. 23.3% of the studied samples had high and stable field resistance. The lowest attack index is reported for Bogdan and Avalya varieties and line 131 originating in Bulgaria. Pamety Tychina and Fujisaka varieties stand out as the most sensitive when grown in the Plovdiv region. The most variable reaction and unstable resistance were established in Deneb and TR 1759 Turkish varieties.

Lettuce drop caused by Sclerotinia minor Jagger is among the most economically important diseases affecting lettuce production worldwide. The present study aimed to evaluate the response of 51 lettuce genotypes originating from the gene banks of the Institute of Plant Genetic Resources, Sadovo, Bulgaria, and the Centre for Genetic Resources (CGN), Wageningen, the Netherlands, to artificial infection with S. minor. Field experiments were conducted during 2025 and 2026 under open-field conditions. Plants were inoculated with isolate 35A of S. minor, and survival rates were assessed 30 days after inoculation. Significant differences among genotypes were observed regarding their response to pathogen infection. No immune genotypes were identified. The highest survival rates were recorded for the genotypes Lollo Rossa, Bianka, Belokriska-16260 and Therna Gyumurdjaska-13312, which were classified as slightly susceptible. These accessions may serve as valuable sources of partial resistance in future breeding programs. The results confirm the scarcity of highly resistant lettuce germplasm and emphasize the necessity of integrating genetic resistance with other disease management strategies.