Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) is a new damaging plant virus of great interest from both an economical and research point of view. ToBRFV is transmitted by contact, remains infective for months, and to-date, no resistant cultivars have been developed. Due to the relevance of this virus, new effective, sustainable, and operator-safe antiviral agents are needed. Thus, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid was identified as the main product of the alkaline autoxidation at high temperature of the methanolic extract of the leaves of C. micranthum, known for antiviral activity. The autoxidized extract and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid were assayed in in vitro experiments, in combination with a mechanical inoculation test of tomato plants. Catechinic acid, a common product of rearrangement of catechins in hot alkaline solution, was also tested. Degradation of the viral particles, evidenced by the absence of detectable ToBRFV RNA and the loss of virus infectivity, as a possible consequence of disassembly of the virus coat protein (CP), were shown. Homology modeling was then applied to prepare the protein model of ToBRFV CP, and its structure was optimized. Molecular docking simulation showed the interactions of the two compounds, with the amino acid residues responsible for CP-CP interactions. Catechinic acid showed the best binding energy value in comparison with ribavirin, an anti-tobamovirus agent.

Ocimum basilicum (sweet basil) is an economically important aromatic herb; in Italy, approximately 1000 ha of “Genovese-type” basil are grown annually in greenhouses and open fields and are subjected to Downy Mildew (DM) disease, caused by Peronospora belbahrii, leading to huge crop losses. Mutation of the Susceptibility (S) gene DMR6 (Downy Mildew Resistant 6) has been proven to confer a broad-spectrum resistance to DM. In this work, an effective Genome Editing (GE) approach mediated by CRISPR/Cas9 in O. basilicum ‘Italiko’, the élite cultivar used to produce “Pesto Genovese D.O.P”, was developed. A highly efficient genetic transformation method mediated by A. tumefaciens has been optimized from cotyledonary nodes, obtaining 82.2% of regenerated shoots, 84.6% of which resulted in Cas9+ plants. Eleven T0 lines presented different type of mutations in ObDMR6; 60% were indel frameshift mutations with knock-out of ObDMR6 of ‘FT Italiko’. Analysis of six T1 transgene-free seedlings revealed that the mutations of T0 plants were inherited and segregated. Based on infection trials conducted on T0 plants, clone 22B showed a very low percentage of disease incidence after 14 days post infection. The aromatic profile of all in vitro edited plants was also reported; all of them showed oxygenated monoterpenes as the major fraction.

In intensive strawberry production, monoculture is a common practice worldwide; however, prolonged replanting can cause plant disorders and jeopardize profitable cultivation of this highly valuable crop. To mitigate replanting problems, the strawberry industry is still highly dependent on chemical fumigation. Given the increasing regulatory restrictions and concerns about human and environmental risks from fumigants use, there is a growing interest in the adoption of effective, non-chemical alternatives. Two non-chemical soil fumigation practices, i.e., anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) and bio-fumigation with biocide plants (BIOFUM), were tested against chemical fumigation by chloropicrin + 1,3-dichloropropene mixture (STANDARD) and untreated (UNTREAT) control in a 2-year trial established in a commercial strawberry farm in Southern Italy (40°25′ N, 16°42′ E). Overall, the alternative practices provided consistently better results than UNTREAT; whereas, compared to STANDARD, their performance was significantly different in the two years: in 2018/19 season the alternative practices registered a 20% (ASD) and 39% (BIOFUM) marketable yield loss compared to STANDARD, while in the 2019/20 season yield differences were not significant. Although both practices appear promising as eco-friendly alternatives to chemical fumigation, in this short-term trial ASD performed better than BIOFUM both in terms of yield and fruit size, resulting in a more advanced stage for practical adoption.

The Italian garlic ecotype “Vessalico” possesses distinct characteristics compared to its French parent cultivars Messidor and Messidrôme, used for sowing, as well as other ecotypes in neighboring regions. However, due to the lack of a standardized seed supply method and cultivation protocol among farmers in the Vessalico area, a need to identify garlic products that align with the Vessalico ecotype arises. In this study, an NMR-based approach followed by multivariate analysis to analyze the chemical composition of Vessalico garlic sourced from 17 different farms, along with its two French parent cultivars, was employed. Self-organizing maps allowed to identify a homogeneous subset of representative samples of the Vessalico ecotype. Through the OPLS-DA model, the most discriminant metabolites based on values of VIP (Variable Influence on Projections) were selected. Among them, S-allylcysteine emerged as a potential marker for distinguishing the Vessalico garlic from the French parent cultivars by NMR screening. Additionally, to promote sustainable agricultural practices, the potential of Vessalico garlic extracts and its main components as agrochemicals against Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris, responsible for black rot disease, was explored. The crude extract exhibited a MIC of 125 μg/mL, and allicin demonstrated the highest activity among the tested compounds (MIC value of 31.25 μg/mL).

Phytopathogenic fungi and bacteria pose a serious threat to global agriculture, leading to significant economic losses and potential health risks. Consequently, the search for natural alternatives to synthetic agrochemicals has garnered increasing scientific attention, with plant extracts emerging as promising environmentally friendly solutions. In this context, the surface extract of Salvia discolor, obtained using dichloromethane, was analyzed for its bioactive potential. Chemical profiling revealed a rich composition of terpenoids and flavonoids. The antimicrobial potential of the ground extract was evaluated against nine phytopathogenic fungi (Alternaria solani, Botrytis cinerea, Colletotrichum lindemuthianum, Fusarium solani, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lactucae race 1, Phoma betae, Phaeomoniella chlamydospora, Pythium dissotocum, and Stemphylium sp.), and two phytopathogenic bacteria (Clavibacter michiganesis subsp. michiganesis and Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum), selected from common pathogens of agricultural interest. Complete inhibition of P. chlamydospora at 1000 µg mL⁻¹ and strong activity against P. dissotocum, F. solani and B. cinerea was observed, and low inhibition (<40%) against C. lindemuthianum and F. oxysporum f. sp. lactucae race 1. However, the extract showed promising results in the post-harvest protection of tomatoes against gray mold. Moderate antibacterial activity was seen against C. michiganensis subsp. michiganensis. These findings indicate that S. discolor extract has the potential to serve as an effective natural crop protection agent, though further optimization may be needed for broader application.

The tomato leaf miner (Tuta absoluta) is recognized as a highly destructive pest affecting members of the Solanaceae family, particularly tomato crops, where infestations may cause total crop loss. Its rapid spread and increasing resistance to chemical insecticides underscore the urgent need for innovative, environmentally compatible control strategies. In this context, the present study investigates the bioactivity of surface extracts derived from four Salvia species (S. buchananii, S. corrugata, S. discolor, and S. namaensis) against T. absoluta larvae, focusing on their insecticidal and feeding-deterrent effects. Chemical characterization through LC–MS analysis demonstrated that these Salvia species contain diverse secondary metabolites, including diterpenoids, triterpenoids, and flavonoids. Initial screening using a leaf-dip bioassay at a concentration of 2.50 mg/mL showed that S. discolor was particularly effective among the Salvia extracts tested. Subsequent dose–response assays with S. discolor extracts (0.16–5.00 mg/mL) confirmed strong larvicidal and feeding inhibitory effects, with LC₅₀ and FI₅₀ values of 0.12 and 0.13 mg/mL, respectively. Additionally, weak inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) was observed, suggesting a minor contribution of neurotoxic effects to the overall activity of the extract. The findings suggest that S. discolor extracts may be useful for managing T. absoluta infestations, pending evaluation of their effects on non-target organisms.