The antifungal effectiveness of essential oils (EOs) and their predominant components were tested on 14 phytopathogenic fungi isolated from olive trees. Commercial EOs from holy basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum L.), Chinese cinnamon (Cinnamomum aromaticum Ness), lemon (Citrus × limon), peppermint (Mentha × piperita L.), oregano (Origanum compactum Benth), and thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) and components eugenol, e-cinnamaldehyde, limonene, menthol, carvacrol, and thymol were used. Antifungal efficacy was tested on six species from the Botryosphaeriaceae family: Botryosphaeria dothidea (Moug. ex Fr.) Ces. & De Not.; Diplodia mutila (Fr.) Fr.; D. seriata De Not.; Dothiorella iberica A.J.L. Phillips, J. Luque & A. Alves; Do. sarmentorum (Fr.) A.J.L. Phillips, Alves & Luque; and Neofusicoccum parvum (Pennycook & Samuels) Crous, Slippers & A.J.L. Phillips. Other tested species included Biscogniauxia mediterranea (De Not.) Kuntze, B. nummularia (Bull.) Kuntze; Cytospora pruinosa Défago; Nigrospora gorlenkoana Novobr.; N. osmanthi Mei Wang & L. Cai; N. philosophiae-doctoris M. Raza, Qian Chen & L. Cai; Phaeoacremonium iranianum L. Mostert, Grafenhan, W. Gams & Crous; and Sordaria fimicola (Roberge ex Desm.) Ces. & De Not. The results show that Chinese cinnamon and oregano EOs, along with their components, completely inhibited the growth of all tested fungi, indicating their potential as biological control agents in sustainable agriculture. In contrast, the least effective treatments were the EOs derived from lemon and peppermint, as well as the components limonene, menthol, and thymol. Notably, the fungi Do. iberica and N. gorlenkoana were among the most sensitive to all the treatments applied.

Wilted hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) plants were observed in August 2019 in commercial fields around Osijek, Croatia. Plants and roots with disease symptoms were collected. The single-spored isolates produced septate cottony white to light pink aerial mycelium and purple undersurface on potato dextrose agar (PDA). Smooth and hyaline hyphae were branched and septate. Macroconidia were fusiform to sickle-shaped with foot-shaped basal cells, elongated apical cells and three to five septa. Sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer and the partial elongation factor 1-α gene identified the species as Fusarium oxysporum. Artificial infection fulfills Koch’s postulates, producing plants which show stunted growth and wilt symptoms similar to those observed in the commercial fields. Control seedlings remained symptomless and healthy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of hemp Fusarium wilt causing F. oxysporum in Croatia. Considering that F. oxysporum has been reported in main field crops in Croatia, the presence of this pathogen could cause economically significant hemp production decreases, especially in humid and cold springs and susceptible varieties.

Eleven pyridine derivatives were prepared by quaternization reactions by different synthetic routes: conventional, microwave, and ultrasound. Since acetone and other solvents used in conventional quaternization reactions are harmful, attempts were ma...

Wilted hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) plants were observed in August 2019 in commercial fields around Osijek, Croatia. Plants and roots with disease symptoms were collected. The single-spored isolates produced septate cottony white to light pink aerial mycelium and purple undersurface on potato dextrose agar (PDA). Smooth and hyaline hyphae were branched and septate. Macroconidia were fusiform to sickle-shaped with foot-shaped basal cell, elongated apical cell and three to five septa. Sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer and the partial elongation factor 1-α gene identified species as Fusarium oxysporum. Artificial infection fulfills Koch’s postulates, producing plants which showed stunted growth and wilt symptoms similar to those observed in the commercial fields. Control seedlings remained symptomless and healthy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of hemp Fusarium wilt causing F. oxysporum in Croatia. Considering that F. oxysporum has been reported in main field crops in Croatia, the presence of this pathogen could cause economically significant hemp production decreases, especially in humid and cold springs and susceptible varieties.

Charcoal rot, caused by Macrophomina phaseolina, is an increasingly important constraint in soybean, particularly under hot and dry conditions. While heat and drought are known to favor disease development, short early-season cold spells—common in temperate regions—may predispose soybean to subsequent infection, yet this interaction remains poorly quantified. It was evaluated whether transient chilling increases charcoal rot severity and whether cultivar-specific differences modulate this predisposition. Nine commercial cultivars spanning MG 00, 0, and 0–I were grown in a controlled walk-in chamber under either optimal conditions (control) or a three-day cold spell initiated at the first fully expanded trifoliate (20–23 days after sowing, DAS). Standardized cut-stem inoculation was performed at 26 DAS, and stem lesion length was recorded every 3–4 days across five assessments at 3, 7, 10, 14, and 21 DPI. Two-way ANOVA (treatment, genotype, treatment × genotype) with Tukey’s HSD tested effects. Cold stress significantly increased lesion lengths at all assessments, with the strongest divergence at the earliest measurement. Genotype and treatment × genotype were also significant, revealing differential responses among cultivars; notably, one line (G9) showed consistently small treatment-induced increases. These results indicate that brief early-season cold exposure can predispose soybean to more severe charcoal rot, with the magnitude dependent on genotype and timing. Incorporating cold-stress predisposition into screening and breeding should enhance resilience under increasing climate variability.

Zbog stalnog povećanja upotrebe kemijskih pesticida i njihovog štetnog djelovanja na ljudsko zdravlje i okoliš, sve veće zanimanje pobuđuju metode biološke kontrole uzročnika biljnih bolesti. Biološka kontrola je mjera koja podrazumijeva korištenje mikroorganizama koji smanjuju populaciju štetnika i patogena i na taj način štite biljku i kontroliraju razvoj bolesti. U Hrvatskoj je trenutno na tržištu prisutan samo jedan biofungicid, na bazi bakterije iz roda Pseudomonas, za suzbijanje uzročnika bijele noge (Rhizoctonia solani) na krumpiru, batatu, čičoki i kineskom jamu te uzročnika srebrolikosti gomolja (Helminthosporium solani) na krumpiru. Vrste Bacillus thuringiensis, Bacillus subtilis i Pseudomonas fluorescens su najvažniji predstavnici bakterija uključenih u biokontrolu protiv uzročnika biljnih bolesti. Do danas je na svjetskom tržištu prisutno ili je u procesu registracije 28 sredstava na bazi različitih vrsta roda Trichoderma, koji većinom djeluju protiv fitopatogenih gljiva iz rodova Pythium, Rhizoctonia i Fusarium. Najzastupljenije vrste roda Trichoderma koje se koriste u biološkoj kontroli su Trichoderma harzianum, Trichoderma viride i Trichoderma koningii. Upotreba antagonističkih gljiva i bakterija u biološkoj kontroli brojnih uzročnika bolesti predstavlja važnu alternativu kojom bi se mogli zamijeniti kemijski pesticidi ili u što većoj mjeri smanjiti njihova primjena. Cilj rada je prikazati antagonističke gljive i bakterije koje se koriste u biološkoj kontroli te opisati njihove složene mehanizme djelovanja.