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Mario Masiello
National Research Council, Institute of Sciences of Food Production, Bari, Italy

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Journal article
Published: 27 August 2021 in International Journal of Molecular Sciences
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The contamination of maize by Fusarium species able to produce mycotoxins raises great concern worldwide since they can accumulate these toxic metabolites in field crop products. Furthermore, little information exists today on the ability of Fusarium proliferatum and Fusarium graminearum, two well know mycotoxigenic species, to translocate from the seeds to the plants up to the kernels. Marketing seeds coated with fungicide molecules is a common practice; however, since there is a growing need for reducing chemicals in agriculture, new eco-friendly strategies are increasingly tested. Technologies based on ionized gases, known as plasmas, have been used for decades, with newer material surfaces, products, and approaches developed continuously. In this research, we tested a plasma-generated bilayer coating for encapsulating prothioconazole at the surface of maize seeds, to protect them from F. graminearum and F. proliferatum infection. A minimum amount of chemical was used, in direct contact with the seeds, with no dispersion in the soil. The ability of F. graminearum and F. proliferatum species to translocate from seeds to seedlings of maize has been clearly proven in our in vitro experiments. As for the use of plasma technology, the combined use of the plasma-generated coating with embedded prothioconazole was the most efficient approach, with a higher reduction of the infection of the maize seminal root system and stems. The debated capability of the two Fusarium species to translocate from seeds to seedlings has been demonstrated. The plasma-generated coating with embedded prothioconazole resulted in a promising sustainable approach for the protection of maize seedlings.

ACS Style

Mario Masiello; Stefania Somma; Chiara Lo Porto; Fabio Palumbo; Pietro Favia; Francesco Fracassi; Antonio Francesco Logrieco; Antonio Moretti. Plasma Technology Increases the Efficacy of Prothioconazole against Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium proliferatum Contamination of Maize (Zea mays) Seedlings. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2021, 22, 9301 .

AMA Style

Mario Masiello, Stefania Somma, Chiara Lo Porto, Fabio Palumbo, Pietro Favia, Francesco Fracassi, Antonio Francesco Logrieco, Antonio Moretti. Plasma Technology Increases the Efficacy of Prothioconazole against Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium proliferatum Contamination of Maize (Zea mays) Seedlings. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2021; 22 (17):9301.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mario Masiello; Stefania Somma; Chiara Lo Porto; Fabio Palumbo; Pietro Favia; Francesco Fracassi; Antonio Francesco Logrieco; Antonio Moretti. 2021. "Plasma Technology Increases the Efficacy of Prothioconazole against Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium proliferatum Contamination of Maize (Zea mays) Seedlings." International Journal of Molecular Sciences 22, no. 17: 9301.

Journal article
Published: 24 August 2021 in Microbiological Research
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Sugarcane is an important crop in Southern Iran for agri-food, energy, and pharmaceutical industries. Among the pathogens that colonize sugarcane, mycotoxigenic Fusarium species are reason of serious concern for both their pathogenicity on plants and ability to produce harmful mycotoxins to humans and animals. We studied 104 Fusarium strains, selected within a wider Fusarium set isolated from sugarcane in Southern Iran, for molecular identification, phylogeny and mycotoxin analyses. Most of Fusarium strains belonged to Fusarium fujikuroi Species Complex (FFSC) and identified mainly as F. proliferatum, at minor extent as F. sacchari, and rarely as F. thapsinum, and F. verticillioides. Moreover, 14 strains identified as FFSC could not be assigned to any known species, although they were phylogenetically closely related to F. andiyazi, likely representing a new phylogenetic species. A subset of FFSC strains were analyzed for in vitro production of fumonisins (FBs), beauvericin (BEA), and enniatins (ENNs). Fusarium proliferatum strains produced FBs at high amount, and, at a lesser extent, BEA, and ENNs; F.sacchari produced only BEA and B ENNs at very low level; Fusarium sp. strains produced only B ENNs. The paper provides new insights on the genetic diversity of Fusarium species and their mycotoxin profile occurring on sugarcane in Iran.

ACS Style

Maryam Tavakol Noorabadi; Mario Masiello; Kourosh Taherkhani; Rasoul Zare; Mohsen Torbati; Miriam Haidukowski; Stefania Somma; Antonio Francesco Logrieco; Antonio Moretti; Antonia Susca. Phylogeny and mycotoxin profile of Fusarium species isolated from sugarcane in Southern Iran. Microbiological Research 2021, 252, 126855 .

AMA Style

Maryam Tavakol Noorabadi, Mario Masiello, Kourosh Taherkhani, Rasoul Zare, Mohsen Torbati, Miriam Haidukowski, Stefania Somma, Antonio Francesco Logrieco, Antonio Moretti, Antonia Susca. Phylogeny and mycotoxin profile of Fusarium species isolated from sugarcane in Southern Iran. Microbiological Research. 2021; 252 ():126855.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Maryam Tavakol Noorabadi; Mario Masiello; Kourosh Taherkhani; Rasoul Zare; Mohsen Torbati; Miriam Haidukowski; Stefania Somma; Antonio Francesco Logrieco; Antonio Moretti; Antonia Susca. 2021. "Phylogeny and mycotoxin profile of Fusarium species isolated from sugarcane in Southern Iran." Microbiological Research 252, no. : 126855.

Journal article
Published: 29 July 2021 in Fungal Genetics and Biology
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Fusarium verticillioides is one of the most important fungal pathogens of maize since it causes severe yield losses and produces the mycotoxins fumonisins that represent a major concern for human and animal health. Information about genetic diversity and population structure of fungal pathogens is essential for developing disease management strategies. The aim of this research was to investigate the genetic structure of F. verticillioides isolated from different provinces of Iran through determination of mating type idiomorphs, phylogenetic analyses based on translation elongation factor-1 alpha (EF-1α), RNA Polymerase II Subunit (RPB2), beta-tubulin (tub2) and Calmodulin (cmdA) genes and genetic diversity analyses based on 6 simple-sequence repeats (SSRs). Both mating types were detected in Iranian populations of F. verticillioides, particularly in Qazvin and Khuzestan, with equal frequency, which highlighted that sexual reproduction is favorable under field conditions. However, the linkage disequilibrium indices did not support the hypothesis of random mating in Khuzestan and Fars. Although assessment of nucleotide diversity based on housekeeping genes showed low level of variation among strains, genotype diversity based on SSRs revealed a high level of genetic diversity within Iranian populations. AMOVA analysis highlighted that the genetic variation of F. verticillioides in Iran was mainly distributed within population of a single area (97%), while a small proportion of genetic variation (3%) resided among populations. These patterns of variation are likely explained by the continuous gene flow among populations isolated from different areas. On the other hand, principal coordinate analysis indicated that the distribution of genetic variation among populations could be explained by the geographical distances. Consequently, to reduce pathogen gene flow among regions, the quarantine processes in Iran should be intensified.

ACS Style

Maryam Fallahi; Stefania Somma; Mohammad Javan-Nikkhah; Hossein Saremi; Gaetano Stea; Mario Masiello; Antonio F. Logrieco; Antonio Moretti. Genetic structure of Fusarium verticillioides populations from maize in Iran. Fungal Genetics and Biology 2021, 103613 .

AMA Style

Maryam Fallahi, Stefania Somma, Mohammad Javan-Nikkhah, Hossein Saremi, Gaetano Stea, Mario Masiello, Antonio F. Logrieco, Antonio Moretti. Genetic structure of Fusarium verticillioides populations from maize in Iran. Fungal Genetics and Biology. 2021; ():103613.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Maryam Fallahi; Stefania Somma; Mohammad Javan-Nikkhah; Hossein Saremi; Gaetano Stea; Mario Masiello; Antonio F. Logrieco; Antonio Moretti. 2021. "Genetic structure of Fusarium verticillioides populations from maize in Iran." Fungal Genetics and Biology , no. : 103613.

Journal article
Published: 22 July 2021 in Toxins
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The tomato is one of the most consumed agri-food products in Lebanon. Several fungal pathogens, including Alternaria species, can infect tomato plants during the whole growing cycle. Alternaria infections cause severe production and economic losses in field and during storage. In addition, Alternaria species represent a serious toxicological risk since they are able to produce a wide range of mycotoxins, associated with different toxic activities on human and animal health. Several Alternaria species were detected on tomatoes, among which the most important are A. solani, A. alternata, and A. arborescens. A set of 49 Alternaria strains isolated from leaves and stems of diseased tomato plants were characterised by using a polyphasic approach. All strains were included in the recently defined phylogenetic Alternaria section and grouped in three well-separated sub-clades, namely A. alternata (24 out of 49), A. arborescens (12 out of 49), and A. mali morpho-species (12 out of 49). One strain showed high genetic similarity with an A.limoniasperae reference strain. Chemical analyses showed that most of the Alternaria strains, cultured on rice, were able to produce alternariol (AOH), alternariol methyl ether (AME), altenuene (ALT) and tenuazonic acid (TA), with values up to 5634, 16,006, 5156, and 4507 mg kg−1, respectively. In addition, 66% of the strains were able to co-produce simultaneously the four mycotoxins investigated. The pathogenicity test carried out on 10 Alternaria strains, representative of phylogenetic sub-clades, revealed that they were all pathogenic on tomato fruits. No significant difference among strains was observed, although A. alternata and A. arborescens strains were slightly more aggressive than A. mali morpho-species strains. This paper reports new insights on mycotoxin profiles, genetic variability, and pathogenicity of Alternaria species on tomatoes.

ACS Style

Wassim Habib; Mario Masiello; Romy El Ghorayeb; Elvis Gerges; Antonia Susca; Giuseppe Meca; Juan Quiles; Antonio Logrieco; Antonio Moretti. Mycotoxin Profile and Phylogeny of Pathogenic Alternaria Species Isolated from Symptomatic Tomato Plants in Lebanon. Toxins 2021, 13, 513 .

AMA Style

Wassim Habib, Mario Masiello, Romy El Ghorayeb, Elvis Gerges, Antonia Susca, Giuseppe Meca, Juan Quiles, Antonio Logrieco, Antonio Moretti. Mycotoxin Profile and Phylogeny of Pathogenic Alternaria Species Isolated from Symptomatic Tomato Plants in Lebanon. Toxins. 2021; 13 (8):513.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Wassim Habib; Mario Masiello; Romy El Ghorayeb; Elvis Gerges; Antonia Susca; Giuseppe Meca; Juan Quiles; Antonio Logrieco; Antonio Moretti. 2021. "Mycotoxin Profile and Phylogeny of Pathogenic Alternaria Species Isolated from Symptomatic Tomato Plants in Lebanon." Toxins 13, no. 8: 513.

Journal article
Published: 30 June 2021 in Toxins
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In 2017–2018, extensive symptoms of sudden decline and fruit rot were observed on date palms in southern Tunisia. Samples of diseased plants were randomly collected in six localities. Based on morphological identification, Fusarium was the most frequent fungal genus detected. A sequencing of translation elongation factor, calmodulin, and second largest subunit of RNA polymerase II genes was used to identify 63 representative Fusarium strains at species level and investigate their phylogenetic relationships. The main species detected was Fusarium proliferatum, and at a much lesser extent, Fusarium brachygibbosum, Fusarium caatingaense, Fusarium clavum, Fusarium incarnatum, and Fusarium solani. Pathogenicity on the Deglet Nour variety plantlets and the capability to produce mycotoxins were also assessed. All Fusarium species were pathogenic complying Koch’s postulates. Fusarium proliferatum strains produced mainly fumonisins (FBs), beauvericin (BEA), and, to a lesser extent, enniatins (ENNs) and moniliformin (MON). All F. brachygibbosum strains produced low levels of BEA, diacetoxyscirpenol, and neosolaniol; two strains produced also T-2 toxin, and a single strain produced HT-2 toxin. Fusarium caatingaense, F. clavum, F. incarnatum produced only BEA. Fusarium solani strains produced MON, BEA, and ENNs. This work reports for the first time a comprehensive multidisciplinary study of Fusarium species on date palms, concerning both phytopathological and food safety issues.

ACS Style

Amal Rabaaoui; Chiara Dall’Asta; Laura Righetti; Antonia Susca; Antonio Logrieco; Ahmed Namsi; Radhouane Gdoura; Stefaan Werbrouck; Antonio Moretti; Mario Masiello. Phylogeny and Mycotoxin Profile of Pathogenic Fusarium Species Isolated from Sudden Decline Syndrome and Leaf Wilt Symptoms on Date Palms (Phoenix dactylifera) in Tunisia. Toxins 2021, 13, 463 .

AMA Style

Amal Rabaaoui, Chiara Dall’Asta, Laura Righetti, Antonia Susca, Antonio Logrieco, Ahmed Namsi, Radhouane Gdoura, Stefaan Werbrouck, Antonio Moretti, Mario Masiello. Phylogeny and Mycotoxin Profile of Pathogenic Fusarium Species Isolated from Sudden Decline Syndrome and Leaf Wilt Symptoms on Date Palms (Phoenix dactylifera) in Tunisia. Toxins. 2021; 13 (7):463.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Amal Rabaaoui; Chiara Dall’Asta; Laura Righetti; Antonia Susca; Antonio Logrieco; Ahmed Namsi; Radhouane Gdoura; Stefaan Werbrouck; Antonio Moretti; Mario Masiello. 2021. "Phylogeny and Mycotoxin Profile of Pathogenic Fusarium Species Isolated from Sudden Decline Syndrome and Leaf Wilt Symptoms on Date Palms (Phoenix dactylifera) in Tunisia." Toxins 13, no. 7: 463.

Research article
Published: 01 April 2021 in Plant Disease
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Since 2017, a new leaf wilt syndrome was observed in plantations of date palm in Tunisia. Its incidence increases sharply from year to year, especially in ‘Deglet Nour’ trees, aged between 5 and 15 years. In severe cases, the large number of dried leaves per tree can lead to complete cessation of date production. Symptoms appear on one or more leaves in the center of the crown. Whitening and drying start at the top of the leaflets and proceed to their base, while the midrib remains green. Then the whole leaf dies. Small white-creamy leaflet fragments and roots were collected from five different regions in the Djerid Oases. They were disinfected with diluted bleach (0,8 % NaOCl) and ethanol (80%) (each 2 min), rinsed with sterile distilled water, dried and finally plated in Petri dishes containing Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) amended with 50mg/l neomycin. After incubation for 7 days at 25ºC±2, emerging fungal colonies were single-spored by serial dilution. They were transferred to PDA, Carnation Leaf Agar (CLA) and Spezieller Nahrstoffarmer Agar (SNA) for morphological identification. Based on the colony color on PDA, conidial morphology and phialide structures on CLA and/or SNA, of the 85 Fusarium isolates, around 90% were identified as F. proliferatum and around 10% as F. brachygibbosum (Leslie and Summerell, 2006). Fusarium proliferatum colonies rapidly developed white aerial mycelium that became purple in old cultures. Microconidia were abundant in the aerial mycelium and formed chains of variable length, on monophialides and polyphialids, a characteristic that distinguishes F. proliferatum from F. verticilloides. Less often, they were observed in false heads. Chlamydospores were absent. On CLA, microconidia were mostly 2 × 15 µm in size, a large number of sickle shaped macroconidia (2 × 25 µm) had one septum, some were larger (2 × 50 µm) with 3 septa and tips at both ends. Molecular identification was carried out based on elongation factor (EF-1α) gene sequencing. The region between the EF1 and EF2 primers (O’Donnell et al., 1998) was amplified and the sequences were compared to Fusarium reference sequences (GenBank). The sequences of the isolates Fus 1953 (539 bp), Fus 1962 (618 bp), and Fus 1965 (605 bp) shared respectively 100%, 99.51% and 99.51% homology with that of F. proliferatum JF740713.1 and were deposited in GenBank with the following accession numbers: MT630418, MT630419, and MT630420, respectively. The sequences of isolates 7F, 28F, Fus 1955 and Fus 1956 shared 100 % homology with that of F. brachygibbosum (GQ505418.1) while those of Fus 1955 and Fus 1956 showed 99.02 and 98.91 % identity, respectively, with F. brachygibbosum JX118981.1. The sequences of 7F (535 bp), 28F (535 bp), Fus 1955 (608 bp), and Fus 1956 (647 bp) were deposited in GenBank with the following accession numbers: MT630409, MT630410, MT630411, and MT630412, respectively. Two ml suspension of 106 conidia / ml of each isolate was sprayed separately or in combinations on in vitro cloned ‘Deglet Nour’ plants, placed in a greenhouse at 28°±2 °C and 70% R.H.. Isolates of F. proliferatum led to dryness and wilting leaflets after 3 weeks. Fusarium brachygibbosum only induced mild leaf yellowing, while in combination they were more virulent. Fungal isolates of both species were re-isolated and their identity confirmed to be the same of those isolated from leaflets infected in the open field, confirming Koch’s postulates. Control plants lacked symptoms. Fusarium proliferatum is known as date palm pathogen in many countries (Saleh et al. 2017), however, to our knowledge, this is the first report of F. proliferatum and also F. brachygibbosum causing Leaf Wilt symptoms on P. dactylifera in Tunisia.

ACS Style

Ahmed Namsi; A. Rabaaoui; Mario Masiello; Antonio Moretti; Ahmed Othmani; Samia Gargouri; Radhouane Gdoura; Stefaan P.O. Werbrouck. First Report of Leaf Wilt Caused by Fusarium proliferatum and F. brachygibbosum on Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera) in Tunisia. Plant Disease 2021, 105, 1217 .

AMA Style

Ahmed Namsi, A. Rabaaoui, Mario Masiello, Antonio Moretti, Ahmed Othmani, Samia Gargouri, Radhouane Gdoura, Stefaan P.O. Werbrouck. First Report of Leaf Wilt Caused by Fusarium proliferatum and F. brachygibbosum on Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera) in Tunisia. Plant Disease. 2021; 105 (4):1217.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ahmed Namsi; A. Rabaaoui; Mario Masiello; Antonio Moretti; Ahmed Othmani; Samia Gargouri; Radhouane Gdoura; Stefaan P.O. Werbrouck. 2021. "First Report of Leaf Wilt Caused by Fusarium proliferatum and F. brachygibbosum on Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera) in Tunisia." Plant Disease 105, no. 4: 1217.

Journal article
Published: 31 July 2020 in International Journal of Food Microbiology
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Aspergillus flavus is a common and ubiquitous fungal species able to colonize several agricultural commodities, in both pre- and post-harvest conditions. This species represents a very harmful plant pathogen for its ability to synthesize aflatoxin B1, responsible for human primary hepatocellular carcinoma and classified as a group I (human carcinogenic) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Several approaches have been proposed to control A. flavus development and related aflatoxin production in field and storage conditions. The Succinate Dehydrogenase Inhibitor (SDHI) fungicide boscalid has been shown to control A. flavus growth and aflatoxin contamination both in vitro and in field experiments. However, this compound is classified as medium-high risk fungicide for triggering fungal resistance and, indeed, resistant strains can occur on crops treated with boscalid. In this paper, we selected laboratory A. flavus strains resistant to boscalid grown on agar medium containing 50 mg/L of boscalid. In order to investigate the molecular mechanism responsible for the resistant phenotype, specific primer pairs were designed to amplify the whole SdhB, SdhC and SdhD genes. By amino acid sequence analysis, two point mutations, Tyrosine replacing Histidine at codon 249 of SdhB (H249Y) and Arginine replacing Glycine at codon 91 of SdhC (G91R), were identified. The effect of SDHI boscalid and isopyrazam on mycelial growth and conidial germination was evaluated. Both resistant genotypes showed high resistance (MIC and EC50 > 1000 mg/L) to boscalid. A positive cross-resistance was found between boscalid and isopyrazam. Specific sub-lethal doses of both fungicides (0.5 mg/L of boscalid and 0.01 mg/L of isopyrazam) interfered with the mechanisms associated to pigmentation of colonies. In particular, fungal colonies appeared depigmented lacking the typical A. flavus green colour shown on un-amended fungicide medium. A strict correlation between lack of pigmentation and increasing aflatoxin production was also observed.

ACS Style

M. Masiello; S. Somma; M. Haidukowski; A.F. Logrieco; A. Moretti. Genetic polymorphisms associated to SDHI fungicides resistance in selected Aspergillus flavus strains and relation with aflatoxin production. International Journal of Food Microbiology 2020, 334, 108799 .

AMA Style

M. Masiello, S. Somma, M. Haidukowski, A.F. Logrieco, A. Moretti. Genetic polymorphisms associated to SDHI fungicides resistance in selected Aspergillus flavus strains and relation with aflatoxin production. International Journal of Food Microbiology. 2020; 334 ():108799.

Chicago/Turabian Style

M. Masiello; S. Somma; M. Haidukowski; A.F. Logrieco; A. Moretti. 2020. "Genetic polymorphisms associated to SDHI fungicides resistance in selected Aspergillus flavus strains and relation with aflatoxin production." International Journal of Food Microbiology 334, no. : 108799.

Journal article
Published: 23 April 2020 in Toxins
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Black point is a fungal disease of wheat, mainly associated with mycotoxigenic Alternaria species. Affected wheat kernels are characterized by dark brown discolouration of the embryo region and reduction of grain quality. Potential risk is the possible accumulation of Alternaria mycotoxins, alternariol (AOH), alternariol-monomethyl ether (AME), tenuazonic acid (TA), and altenuene (ALT), provided by haemato-toxic, genotoxic, and mutagenic activities. One hundred and twenty durum wheat samples belonging to 30 different genotypes grown in Bologna and Modena areas, in Italy, showing black point symptoms, were analyzed for Alternaria species and their mycotoxin contamination. Alternariol was selected as an indicator of the capability of the Alternaria species to produce mycotoxin in vivo in field conditions. The data showed that Alternaria species occurred in 118 out of 120 wheat kernels samples, with the incidence of infected kernels ranging between 1% and 26%. Moreover, AOH was detected by using a HPLC with a diode array detector (LC-DAD) in 98 out of 120 samples with values ranging between 24 and 262 µg Kg−1. Ninety-two Alternaria representative strains, previously identified morphologically, were identified at species/section level using gene sequencing, and therefore were analyzed for their mycotoxin profiles. Eighty-four strains, phylogenetically grouped in the Alternaria section, produced AOH, AME, and TA with values up to 8064, 14,341, and 3683 µg g−1, respectively, analyzed by using a LC-DAD. On the other hand, eight Alternaria strains, included in Infectoriae Section, showed a very low or no capability to produce mycotoxins.

ACS Style

Mario Masiello; Stefania Somma; Antonia Susca; Veronica Ghionna; Antonio Francesco Logrieco; Matteo Franzoni; Stefano Ravaglia; Giuseppe Meca; Antonio Moretti. Molecular Identification and Mycotoxin Production by Alternaria Species Occurring on Durum Wheat, Showing Black Point Symptoms. Toxins 2020, 12, 275 .

AMA Style

Mario Masiello, Stefania Somma, Antonia Susca, Veronica Ghionna, Antonio Francesco Logrieco, Matteo Franzoni, Stefano Ravaglia, Giuseppe Meca, Antonio Moretti. Molecular Identification and Mycotoxin Production by Alternaria Species Occurring on Durum Wheat, Showing Black Point Symptoms. Toxins. 2020; 12 (4):275.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mario Masiello; Stefania Somma; Antonia Susca; Veronica Ghionna; Antonio Francesco Logrieco; Matteo Franzoni; Stefano Ravaglia; Giuseppe Meca; Antonio Moretti. 2020. "Molecular Identification and Mycotoxin Production by Alternaria Species Occurring on Durum Wheat, Showing Black Point Symptoms." Toxins 12, no. 4: 275.

Journal article
Published: 18 March 2020 in Microbiological Research
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Strains of Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca characterized by a specific genotype, the so called sequence type “ST53”, have been associated with a severe disease named Olive Quick Decline Syndrome (OQDS). Despite the relevant research efforts devoted to control the disease caused by X. fastidiosa, so far there are no therapeutic means able to cure the infected host plants. As such, the aim of this study was the identification of antagonistic bacteria potentially deployable as bio-control agents against X. fastidiosa. To this end, two approaches were used, i.e. the evaluation of the antagonistic activity of: i) endophytic bacteria isolated from olive trees located in an infected area but showing mild or no symptoms, and ii) Bacillus strains, as they are already known as bio-control agents. Characterization of endophytic bacterial isolates revealed that the majority belonged to different species of the genera Sphingomonas, Methylobacterium, Micrococcus and Curtobacterium. However, when they were tested in vitro against X. fastidiosa ST53 none of them showed antagonistic activity. On the contrary, when strains belonging to different species of the genus Bacillus were included in these tests, remarkable antagonistic activities were recorded. Some B. velezensis strains also produced culture filtrates with inhibitory activity against X. fastidiosa ST53. Taking also into account that two of these B. velezensis strains (namely strains D747 and QST713) are already registered and commercially available as bio-control agents, our results pave the way for further studies aimed at the development of a sustainable bio-control strategy of the OQDS.

ACS Style

Stefania Zicca; Palmira De Bellis; Mario Masiello; Maria Saponari; Pasquale Saldarelli; Donato Boscia; Angelo Sisto. Antagonistic activity of olive endophytic bacteria and of Bacillus spp. strains against Xylella fastidiosa. Microbiological Research 2020, 236, 126467 .

AMA Style

Stefania Zicca, Palmira De Bellis, Mario Masiello, Maria Saponari, Pasquale Saldarelli, Donato Boscia, Angelo Sisto. Antagonistic activity of olive endophytic bacteria and of Bacillus spp. strains against Xylella fastidiosa. Microbiological Research. 2020; 236 ():126467.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Stefania Zicca; Palmira De Bellis; Mario Masiello; Maria Saponari; Pasquale Saldarelli; Donato Boscia; Angelo Sisto. 2020. "Antagonistic activity of olive endophytic bacteria and of Bacillus spp. strains against Xylella fastidiosa." Microbiological Research 236, no. : 126467.

Research article
Published: 01 November 2019 in Plant Disease
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Date palm cultivation constitutes the main horticultural activity in the southern region of Tunisia. In June 2017, an unknown disease caused spectacular damages and affected approximately 12,000 ha representing 30% of the total area, mainly planted with 'Deglet Nour'. The first symptoms appear in summer as a drying out of the apex of the leaflets. This zone spreads quickly and its front leaves behind a light brown, dry area. Forward of this area, small yellow spots appear on the remaining leaflet and spine surface. Finally, the affected leaflets become brown and completely wither. The number of dried leaflets per tree can exceed 60%, which has a negative influence on the photosynthetic activity and consequently on date production. Symptoms reappear in autumn as a dry leaf top and particularly dry margins, but evolve at a slower rate. Then a larger number of elongated, rectangular, reddish-brown, foliage spots with a burnt appearance, delineated by the veins, develop on the remaining portion of the leaflet and rachis. They show a rusty and dry center, and sometimes regroup. First the basal crown is infected, then the fungus colonizes leaflets of the middle crown. The youngest leaves of the erect crown are not affected. Small leaflet fragments, taken from infected tissue at the ‘burned’ margin, were cut and disinfected with diluted bleach (2%) and ethanol (80%) (2 min) and then rinsed with sterile distilled water, dried and finally plated in Petri dishes containing Potato Dextrose Agar. After 7 days at 30 °C, a thick, fluffy, cotton like mycelium developed. The color was olive to gray-black, the reverse side dark brown to black. The conidia were greenish brown, catenary, ovoid or obese, multicellular, and were 12-32 μm long x 6-12 μm wide, with 2-6 transverse and 1-2 longitudinal septa (n=40). Based on the symptoms and morphology, Alternaria mali (Roberts) (Woudenberg et al.,2013) was suspected. The ITS, gpd, calmodulin and Alt-1a regions of the three isolates were amplified with the primer pairs ITS1-ITS4, gdp1-gdp2, CALDF1-CALDR1 and Alt-for-Alt-Rev and sequenced. Multilocus sequence analyses proved that the strains belong to the Alternaria Section of Alternaria. Phylogenetic tree analysis showed that I10.1 and I3 share 100% of homology with A. arborescens (BMP 0308) and I20 showed 100% of homology with A. mali (BMP 3064). GenBank deposits: for I10 and I20: MG722800, MG744601 & MK430424 (ITS); for I10, I20 and I3; MK399416, MK399417 & MK399418 (Alt-1a); MK399419, MK399420 & MK399421 (gpd); MK399422, MK399423 & MK399424 (calmodulin). A suspension of 106 conidia/ml was each sprayed on 13 potted date palm seedlings which were enclosed in plastic bags for 3 weeks in a greenhouse. The plants showed similar symptoms as observed on infected date palms in June. The fungus was re-isolated and was identical to the one isolated from leaflets infected in the open field, confirming Koch's postulates. Control plants had no symptoms. Strains of Alternaria genus caused date palm fruit and inflorescence diseases in Spain, Saudi Arabia and Egypt (Palou et al. 2013; Al-Sheikh 2009; Farrag and Abo-Elyousr 2011). According to Woudenberg et al. (2012), A. mali belongs to the A. alternata species complex. While A. arborescens has been reported to be isolated from date palm root (Al-Sadi et al. 2012), to our knowledge, this is the first report of A. mali and A. arborescens causing "leaf blight" symptoms on P. dactylifera in Tunisia, threatening a quasi-monoculture of one sensitive variety.

ACS Style

Ahmed Namsi; S. Gargouri; A. Rabaoui; N. Mokhtar; M. L. Takrouni; A. Moretti; M. Masiello; S. Touil; L. Dieb; S. P. O. Werbrouck. First Report of Leaf Blight Caused by Alternaria mali and A. arborescens on Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera) in Tunisia. Plant Disease 2019, 103, 2962 -2962.

AMA Style

Ahmed Namsi, S. Gargouri, A. Rabaoui, N. Mokhtar, M. L. Takrouni, A. Moretti, M. Masiello, S. Touil, L. Dieb, S. P. O. Werbrouck. First Report of Leaf Blight Caused by Alternaria mali and A. arborescens on Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera) in Tunisia. Plant Disease. 2019; 103 (11):2962-2962.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ahmed Namsi; S. Gargouri; A. Rabaoui; N. Mokhtar; M. L. Takrouni; A. Moretti; M. Masiello; S. Touil; L. Dieb; S. P. O. Werbrouck. 2019. "First Report of Leaf Blight Caused by Alternaria mali and A. arborescens on Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera) in Tunisia." Plant Disease 103, no. 11: 2962-2962.

Full paper
Published: 26 March 2019 in Plasma Processes and Polymers
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The aim of the research work here reported is to illustrate how to incorporate prothioconazole, a molecule with fungicide action, in plasma‐deposited polymeric coating, encapsulating maize seeds. With this approach, high fungicide effect with a small quantity of chemicals and less pollution of soil and water should be achieved. The fungicide composite coating is composed of three layers: a hydrophilic plasma deposited polymeric layer to increase the wettability of the seed surface; a layer of sprayed prothioconazole aqueous solution; and a hydrophobic plasma deposited barrier layer to limit leaching and mimic the natural seed wettability. The application of the composite coating is found not to interfere with the germination of the seeds, while the percentage of maize crowns infected by Fusarium graminearum was successfully reduced from 94% in the control to none in the coated seeds.

ACS Style

Chiara Lo Porto; Fabio Palumbo; Stefania Somma; Mario Masiello; Antonio Moretti; Francesco Fracassi; Pietro Favia. Plasma‐assisted deposition of fungicide containing coatings for encapsulation and protection of maize seeds. Plasma Processes and Polymers 2019, 16, e1900022 .

AMA Style

Chiara Lo Porto, Fabio Palumbo, Stefania Somma, Mario Masiello, Antonio Moretti, Francesco Fracassi, Pietro Favia. Plasma‐assisted deposition of fungicide containing coatings for encapsulation and protection of maize seeds. Plasma Processes and Polymers. 2019; 16 (6):e1900022.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Chiara Lo Porto; Fabio Palumbo; Stefania Somma; Mario Masiello; Antonio Moretti; Francesco Fracassi; Pietro Favia. 2019. "Plasma‐assisted deposition of fungicide containing coatings for encapsulation and protection of maize seeds." Plasma Processes and Polymers 16, no. 6: e1900022.

Journal article
Published: 03 January 2019 in International Journal of Food Microbiology
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Black point is one of the most important wheat disease and its incidence is increasing worldwide due to climate change too. Among the fungal genera that can cause black point, Alternaria is one of the predominant genus, often associated with mycotoxin contamination. The correct identification is the baseline for prevention and control of the disease. Taxonomy of the genus Alternaria is not completely clear yet, since its species can be differentiated for few morphological traits and, in some cases, also molecular phylogeny is not very effective in establishing species boundaries. In this study, one-hundred sixty-four strains, isolated from wheat kernels affected by black point sampled worldwide, were analyzed in order to assess their identity. Sequences of elongation factor, β-tubulin, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and allergen alt-a1 genes were used to identify the variability of this population and their phylogenetic relationships. Isolates were grouped in two main clades: the Alternaria section, including A. alternata, A. tenuissima and A. arborescens species, and the Infectoriae section, that includes the two species A. infectoria and A. triticina. Comparison of isolates according with their area of isolation did not show a correlation between phylogeny and geographic origin. Indeed, the isolates grouped on the base of only their phylogenetic relationship. Due to the data arisen by our study, we strongly recommend a multilocus sequence approach to define Alternaria species, based on common genes and procedures to be unanimously shared by scientific community dealing with Alternaria genus. Moreover, we suggest that A. alternata, A. tenuissima, A. turkisafria and A. limoniasperae species would be merged in the defined species A. alternata. Finally we recommend to consider a taxonomic re-evaluation of the Infectoriae section that, for the morphology, sexuality, genetic and mycotoxin profile of the species included, could be defined as different fungal genus from Alternaria.

ACS Style

Stefania Somma; Maria Teresa Amatulli; Mario Masiello; Antonio Moretti; Antonio Francesco Logrieco. Alternaria species associated to wheat black point identified through a multilocus sequence approach. International Journal of Food Microbiology 2019, 293, 34 -43.

AMA Style

Stefania Somma, Maria Teresa Amatulli, Mario Masiello, Antonio Moretti, Antonio Francesco Logrieco. Alternaria species associated to wheat black point identified through a multilocus sequence approach. International Journal of Food Microbiology. 2019; 293 ():34-43.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Stefania Somma; Maria Teresa Amatulli; Mario Masiello; Antonio Moretti; Antonio Francesco Logrieco. 2019. "Alternaria species associated to wheat black point identified through a multilocus sequence approach." International Journal of Food Microbiology 293, no. : 34-43.

Journal article
Published: 01 January 2019 in Toxins
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Aspergillus flavus, the main aflatoxin B1 producing fungal species, Fusarium graminearum, a deoxynivalenol producer, and the fumonisin-producing species F. proliferatum and F. verticillioides are the main toxigenic fungi (TF) that colonize maize. Several strategies are available to control TF and related mycotoxins, such as chemical control. However, there is poor knowledge on the efficacy of fungicides on maize plants since few molecules are registered. The sensitivity of F. graminearum, F. proliferatum, F. verticillioides, and A. flavus to eleven fungicides, selected based on their different modes of action, was evaluated in both in vitro assays and, after selection, in the field. In vitro, demethylation inhibitors (DMI) showed excellent performances, followed by thiophanate-methyl and folpet. Among the succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors (SDHI), isopyrazam showed a higher effectiveness against Fusarium species than boscalid, which was ineffective against Fusarium, like the phenyl-pyrrole fludioxonil. Furthermore, both SDHIs and fludioxonil were more active against A. flavus than Fusarium species. In field trials, prothioconazole and thiophanate-methyl were confirmed to be effective to reduce F. graminearum (52% and 48%) and F. proliferatum contamination (44% and 27%). On the other hand, prothioconazole and boscalid could reduce A. flavus contamination at values of 75% and 56%, respectively.

ACS Style

Mario Masiello; Stefania Somma; Veronica Ghionna; Antonio Francesco Logrieco; Antonio Moretti. In Vitro and in Field Response of Different Fungicides against Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium Species Causing Ear Rot Disease of Maize. Toxins 2019, 11, 11 .

AMA Style

Mario Masiello, Stefania Somma, Veronica Ghionna, Antonio Francesco Logrieco, Antonio Moretti. In Vitro and in Field Response of Different Fungicides against Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium Species Causing Ear Rot Disease of Maize. Toxins. 2019; 11 (1):11.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mario Masiello; Stefania Somma; Veronica Ghionna; Antonio Francesco Logrieco; Antonio Moretti. 2019. "In Vitro and in Field Response of Different Fungicides against Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium Species Causing Ear Rot Disease of Maize." Toxins 11, no. 1: 11.

Journal article
Published: 14 November 2018 in Toxins
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Wheat, the main source of carbohydrates worldwide, can be attacked by a wide number of phytopathogenic fungi, included Alternaria species. Alternaria species commonly occur on wheat worldwide and produce several mycotoxins such as tenuazonic acid (TA), alternariol (AOH), alternariol-monomethyl ether (AME), and altenuene (ALT), provided of haemato-toxic, genotoxic, and mutagenic activities. The contamination by Alternaria species of wheat kernels, collected in Tuscany, Italy, from 2013 to 2016, was evaluated. Alternaria contamination was detected in 93 out of 100 field samples, with values ranging between 1 and 73% (mean of 18%). Selected strains were genetically characterized by multi-locus gene sequencing approach through combined sequences of allergen alt1a, glyceraldeyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, and translation elongation factor 1α genes. Two well defined groups were generated; namely sections Alternaria and Infectoriae. Representative strains were analyzed for mycotoxin production. A different mycotoxin profile between the sections was shown. Of the 54 strains analyzed for mycotoxins, all strains included in Section Alternaria produced AOH and AME, 40 strains (99%) produced TA, and 26 strains (63%) produced ALT. On the other hand, only a very low capability to produce both AOH and AME was recorded among the Section Infectoriae strains. These data show that a potential mycotoxin risk related to the consumption of Alternaria contaminated wheat is high.

ACS Style

Francesca A. Ramires; Mario Masiello; Stefania Somma; Alessandra Villani; Antonia Susca; Antonio F. Logrieco; Carlos Luz; Giuseppe Meca; Antonio Moretti. Phylogeny and Mycotoxin Characterization of Alternaria Species Isolated from Wheat Grown in Tuscany, Italy. Toxins 2018, 10, 472 .

AMA Style

Francesca A. Ramires, Mario Masiello, Stefania Somma, Alessandra Villani, Antonia Susca, Antonio F. Logrieco, Carlos Luz, Giuseppe Meca, Antonio Moretti. Phylogeny and Mycotoxin Characterization of Alternaria Species Isolated from Wheat Grown in Tuscany, Italy. Toxins. 2018; 10 (11):472.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Francesca A. Ramires; Mario Masiello; Stefania Somma; Alessandra Villani; Antonia Susca; Antonio F. Logrieco; Carlos Luz; Giuseppe Meca; Antonio Moretti. 2018. "Phylogeny and Mycotoxin Characterization of Alternaria Species Isolated from Wheat Grown in Tuscany, Italy." Toxins 10, no. 11: 472.

Journal article
Published: 24 March 2014 in Pest Management Science
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Succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors (SDHIs), interfering with fungal respiration, are considered to be fungicides at medium to high risk of resistance. Boscalid was the first molecule belonging to the SDHIs that was introduced for the control of Botryotinia fuckeliana. A range of different target‐site mutations leading to boscalid resistance have been found in field populations of the fungus. The different types of mutation confer different cross‐resistance profiles towards novel SDHIs, such as the recently introduced fungicide fluopyram. This study combines the determination of cross‐resistance profiles and the setting‐up of methods for fast molecular detection of the mutations. By means of in vitro tests, a range of SdhB mutations were characterised for resistance levels towards boscalid and fluopyram. SdhB mutations conferring P225L and P225F substitutions conferred high resistance to boscalid and high or moderate resistance to fluopyram respectively. Mutants carrying the N230I replacement were moderately resistant to both SDHIs. Substitutions at position H272 responsible for a high level of resistance to boscalid conferred sensitivity (H272R), hypersensitivity (H272Y) or moderate resistance (H272V) to fluopyram. Allele‐specific (AS) PCR was developed and used for genotyping 135 B. fuckeliana isolates. The assay confirmed the strict association between resistance profiles and allelic variants of the SdhB gene. Real‐time AS‐PCR proved to be sensitive and specific for quantitative detection of different SDHI‐resistant genotypes. Fluopyram‐resistant mutants are currently rarely detected in the field sprayed with boscalid, but this may change with intensive exposure of the fungal population to fluopyram. PCR assays/methods developed in the study provide tools for fast monitoring of field populations and observing possible changes in population composition following fluopyram introduction, useful for the setting‐up of appropriate preventive measures. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry

ACS Style

Rita Milvia De Miccolis Angelini; Mario Masiello; Caterina Rotolo; Stefania Pollastro; Francesco Faretra. Molecular characterisation and detection of resistance to succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor fungicides in Botryotinia fuckeliana (Botrytis cinerea ). Pest Management Science 2014, 70, 1884 -1893.

AMA Style

Rita Milvia De Miccolis Angelini, Mario Masiello, Caterina Rotolo, Stefania Pollastro, Francesco Faretra. Molecular characterisation and detection of resistance to succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor fungicides in Botryotinia fuckeliana (Botrytis cinerea ). Pest Management Science. 2014; 70 (12):1884-1893.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Rita Milvia De Miccolis Angelini; Mario Masiello; Caterina Rotolo; Stefania Pollastro; Francesco Faretra. 2014. "Molecular characterisation and detection of resistance to succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor fungicides in Botryotinia fuckeliana (Botrytis cinerea )." Pest Management Science 70, no. 12: 1884-1893.

Journal article
Published: 24 January 2014 in Pest Management Science
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Botryotinia fuckeliana (Botrytis cinerea) is a pathogen with a high risk of development of resistance to fungicides. Fungicide resistance was monitored during 2008–2011 in B. fuckeliana populations from both table‐grape vineyards and greenhouse‐grown strawberries in southern Italy. Isolates showing different levels of resistance to anilinopyrimidines (APs) were detected at high frequency (up to 98%) in fields treated intensively with APs (4–7 sprays season−1). A slight decrease in sensitivity to fludioxonil, always combined with AP resistance, was generally found at lower frequencies. The repeated use of fenhexamid on grapevine (3–8 sprays season−1) led to a strong selection of highly resistant isolates (up to 100%). Boscalid‐resistant mutants were detected at very variable frequencies (0–73%). Occurrence of resistance to quinone outside inhibitors (QoIs) was also ascertained. Multiple fungicide resistance to 2–6 different modes of action were frequently recovered. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the target genes Erg27, SdhB and cytb were associated with resistance to fenehexamid, boscalid and QoIs respectively. Resistance to the fungicides commonly used against grey mould on table grape and strawberry is quite common in southern Italy. This is an outcome of the incorrect use of fungicides, often because of the maximum number of detectable residues of plant protection products imposed by big international retailers, and underlines the crucial role of antiresistance strategies in integrated pest management. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry

ACS Style

Rita Milvia De Miccolis Angelini; Caterina Rotolo; Mario Masiello; Donato Gerin; Stefania Pollastro; Francesco Faretra. Occurrence of fungicide resistance in populations of Botryotinia fuckeliana (Botrytis cinerea ) on table grape and strawberry in southern Italy. Pest Management Science 2014, 70, 1785 -1796.

AMA Style

Rita Milvia De Miccolis Angelini, Caterina Rotolo, Mario Masiello, Donato Gerin, Stefania Pollastro, Francesco Faretra. Occurrence of fungicide resistance in populations of Botryotinia fuckeliana (Botrytis cinerea ) on table grape and strawberry in southern Italy. Pest Management Science. 2014; 70 (12):1785-1796.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Rita Milvia De Miccolis Angelini; Caterina Rotolo; Mario Masiello; Donato Gerin; Stefania Pollastro; Francesco Faretra. 2014. "Occurrence of fungicide resistance in populations of Botryotinia fuckeliana (Botrytis cinerea ) on table grape and strawberry in southern Italy." Pest Management Science 70, no. 12: 1785-1796.

Research article
Published: 25 January 2012 in Pest Management Science
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BACKGROUND: QoI fungicides, inhibitors of mitochondrial respiration, are considered to be at high risk of resistance development. In several phytopathogenic fungi, resistance is caused by mutations (most frequently G143A) in the mitochondrial cytochrome b (cytb) gene. The genetic and molecular basis of QoI resistance were investigated in laboratory and field mutants of Botryotinia fuckeliana (de Bary) Whetz. exhibiting in vitro reduced sensitivity to trifloxystrobin. RESULTS: B. fuckeliana mutants highly resistant to trifloxystrobin were obtained in the laboratory by spontaneous mutations in wild‐type strains, or from naturally infected plants on a medium amended with 1–3 mg L−1 trifloxystrobin and 2 mM salicylhydroxamic acid, an inhibitor of alternative oxidase. No point mutations were detected, either in the complete nucleotide sequences of the cytb gene or in those of the aox and Rieske protein genes of laboratory mutants, whereas all field mutants carried the G143A mutation in the mitochondrial cytb gene. QoI resistance was always maternally inherited in ascospore progeny of sexual crosses of field mutants with sensitive reference strains. CONCLUSIONS: The G143A mutation in cytb gene is confirmed to be responsible for field resistance to QoIs in B. fuckeliana. Maternal inheritance of resistance to QoIs in progeny of sexual crosses confirmed that it is caused by extranuclear genetic determinants. In laboratory mutants the heteroplasmic state of mutated mitochondria could likely hamper the G143A detection, otherwise other gene(s) underlying different mechanisms of resistance could be involved. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry

ACS Style

Rita M De Miccolis Angelini; Caterina Rotolo; Mario Masiello; Stefania Pollastro; Hideo Ishii; Francesco Faretra. Genetic analysis and molecular characterisation of laboratory and field mutants of Botryotinia fuckeliana (Botrytis cinerea) resistant to QoI fungicides. Pest Management Science 2012, 68, 1231 -1240.

AMA Style

Rita M De Miccolis Angelini, Caterina Rotolo, Mario Masiello, Stefania Pollastro, Hideo Ishii, Francesco Faretra. Genetic analysis and molecular characterisation of laboratory and field mutants of Botryotinia fuckeliana (Botrytis cinerea) resistant to QoI fungicides. Pest Management Science. 2012; 68 (9):1231-1240.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Rita M De Miccolis Angelini; Caterina Rotolo; Mario Masiello; Stefania Pollastro; Hideo Ishii; Francesco Faretra. 2012. "Genetic analysis and molecular characterisation of laboratory and field mutants of Botryotinia fuckeliana (Botrytis cinerea) resistant to QoI fungicides." Pest Management Science 68, no. 9: 1231-1240.