Maize is a crop important worldwide, but its production is limited to phosphorus availability in soil. Plants form a symbiotic association to improve their nutrition with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), which increase to absorption phosphorus (P) and the expression of transporters of the family Pht1. Few studies have focused on native maize plants and AMF. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine the morpho-physiological response and expression of phosphate Pht1 transporters in two native maize plants inoculated with Claroideoglomus etunicatum and P concentrations. The height, leaf area, dry biomass, CO₂ assimilation rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, intercellular CO₂, water potential, greenness index, total chlorophyll, and ZEAma; Pht1;3 and ZEAma; Pht1;6 transporter expressions in maize plants under P (0.01 and 1 mM) concentrations were evaluated. The results showed that each native maize plant had a differential response in morpho-physiology and transporter expressions when they were inoculated with AMF and P. The response of maize plant was related with its genotype and phenotype plus environmental factor that influenced the AMF-host interaction, mycorrhizal colonization and soil nutrient absorption.

In plants, pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) activate pattern-triggered immunity and can contribute to resistance against phytopathogenic infections. Identifying novel microbial elicitors is important for developing resistance-inducing strategies that reduce reliance on pesticides. This study evaluated BV801-derived protein preparations obtained from Xanthomonas euvesicatoria strain BV801 grown in host-associated media containing lyophilized Solanum lycopersicum or Capsicum annuum tissue. Six treatments were evaluated in C. annuum against bacterial spot caused by X. euvesicatoria (BSX) under in vitro conditions: SP-AWSL and SP-AWCA (obtained from BV801 grown in the host-associated AWSL and AWCA media), SP-NYGA and SP-M9 (obtained from BV801 grown in rich and minimal control media), and two commercial reference inducers, Actigard^® 50 GS (acibenzolar-S-methyl) and Messenger Gold^® (commercial harpin formulation). Plants were treated 48 h before pathogen inoculation. SDS-PAGE revealed protein bands in the 12–26 kDa range that were enriched in SP-AWSL and SP-AWCA relative to the control-media preparations. Several BV801-derived preparations produced localized necrosis in N. tabacum leaves consistent with a hypersensitive-response-like reaction. SP-AWSL and SP-AWCA reduced BSX severity in chili pepper by up to 67% compared with the diseased control (Kruskal–Wallis, p ≤ 0.05) and significantly reduced bacterial proliferation (Tukey, p ≤ 0.05). At the final sampling point, plants pretreated with BV801-derived protein preparations and subsequently challenged with X. euvesicatoria showed higher CaBPR1 expression than corresponding pretreated but unchallenged plants, a pattern consistent with a priming-like defense response. These findings support the potential of BV801-derived protein preparations obtained under putative Hrp-inducing conditions as candidates for sustainable resistance-inducing strategies against bacterial spot in chili pepper.