The nematicidal efficiency of two types of extracts (aqueous and methanolic) of 5 plants Peganum harmala L., Raphanus raphanistrum L., Taxus baccata L., Sinapis arvensis L., and Ricinus communis L. on second stage juveniles (J2s) of Meloidogyne incognita was evaluated at 4 doses in vitro (40, 50, 60 and 80%) at 4 exposure times (12, 16, 24, and 32 h). In a greenhouse, methanol extracts obtained from 0.75, 1.5, or 3 g of the dry matter of T. baccata, S. arvensis, and P. harmala were added in pots of tomato plants (Moneymaker cultivar) to test the effect of the extracts on the nematode, its reproduction, and the plant’s growth. After 32 h of exposure, the in vitro results on J2s showed that all the aqueous and methanolic extracts of the 5 plants had positive effects on J2 mortality compared to controls; water and DMSO (2%) (dimethyl sulfoxyde). In general, methanolic extracts were significantly more effective than the aqueous ones. Methanolic extracts of T. baccata, P. harmala, and S. arvensis had the highest mortality rates (100, 89.2, 86.6%), respectively, followed by the aqueous extract of T. baccata (73.8%). After 12 days, the hatching inhibition varies between (61.4%) for the aqueous extract of R. communis and (84.2%) for the methanolic extract of T. baccata. The average was significantly different from controls (DMSO 23.8 and water 21.8%) for all extracts. Methanolic extracts were not always significantly different than the aqueous ones. In vivo methanolic extracts of S. arvensis, P. harmala, and T. baccata reduced infestation than the controls. The gall index varied between 3.5 and 5.5 for the extracts than the positive control 6.5. The present study revealed the effectiveness of all tested plant extracts to root-knot nematodes without any chemical inputs.

Summary: Alkaloids and alkaloid-producing plants have the potential to reduce crop damage by plant-parasitic nematodes. In a series of in vitro experiments, the nematicidal activity of the tropane alkaloids, hyoscyamine and scopolamine, and a mixture of both on the root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita , was tested. Solutions of 16 mg of compound per ml of solvent were used in concentrations of 80-1280 μ g ml ⁻¹ of water. Inactivity of second-stage juveniles of M. incognita increased with increasing concentration and exposure time. Lethal concentrations (LC ₅₀ ) after 120 min of exposure ranged from 182.4 μ g ml ⁻¹ for scopolamine to 318.4 μ g ml ⁻¹ for hyoscyamine and 332.8 μ g ml ⁻¹ for the combination of both alkaloids. Similarly, the same concentrations of scopolamine inhibited hatching of M. incognita to a greater extent than hyoscyamine. In a glasshouse experiment, M. incognita was not able to penetrate the roots, induce galls and reproduce on Datura stramonium , D. innoxia and D. tatula . Results indicate that the tropane alkaloids hyoscyamine and scopolamine contained in Datura plants express a strong nematicidal activity against M. incognita and could possibly be used for an alternative and sustainable nematode management.

Honey bees are essential pollinators for the ecosystem and food crops. However, their health and survival face threats from both biotic and abiotic stresses. Fungi, microsporidia, and bacteria might significantly contribute to colony losses. Therefore, rapid and sensitive diagnostic tools are crucial for effective disease management. In this study, molecular assays were developed to quickly and efficiently detect the main honey bee pathogens: Nosema ceranae, Aspergillus flavus, Paenibacillus larvae, and Black queen cell virus. In this context, new primer pairs were designed for use in quantitative Real-time PCR (qPCR) reactions. Various protocols for extracting total nucleic acids from bee tissues were tested, indicating a CTAB-based protocol as the most efficient and cost-effective. Furthermore, excluding the head of the bee from the extraction, better results were obtained in terms of quantity and purity of extracted nucleic acids. These assays showed high specificity and sensitivity, detecting up to 250 fg of N. ceranae, 25 fg of P. larvae, and 2.5 pg of A. flavus DNA, and 5 pg of BQCV cDNA, without interference from bee DNA. These qPCR assays allowed pathogen detection within 3 h and at early stages of infection, supporting timely and efficient management interventions.

Pomegranate heart rot (black heart) was observed in several pomegranate-growing areas of Algeria. From 2022 to 2025, surveys were conducted across 15 provinces (20 localities), and a total of 85 fruits (symptomatic and asymptomatic) were collected. Fruits were cut transversely to assess internal symptoms, ranging from early aril browning to dry black rot. Thirty Alternaria isolates were obtained and grouped into four morphotypes based on colony and conidial morphological traits. A subset of 18 isolates was analysed by multilocus phylogeny (ITS, EF-1α, GAPDH and OPA10-2); all analysed isolates clustered within the Alternaria alternata species complex, in the clade including the ex-type strain CBS 916.96. Fruit pathogenicity tests with Algerian isolate GA reproduced typical internal heart rot symptoms, and the pathogen was consistently re-isolated from symptomatic tissues. In fruit inoculations with isolate GA, cultivars differed in susceptibility, with mean disease severities of 94%, 62% and 9.5% in ‘Taferrante’, ‘Ikhessène’ and ‘Kares’, respectively, expressed as the percentage of the fruit section presenting rot symptoms. Detached leaf assays indicated isolate-dependent differences in aggressiveness, and ‘Kares’ showed the lowest susceptibility. Overall, the results confirm that A. alternata is the causal agent of pomegranate heart rot in Algeria and provide baseline information for disease diagnosis and management.

Honey bees (Apis mellifera) are key pollinators in agricultural ecosystems that face increasing pressure from pathogens and environmental change. However, how these environmental factors interact remains incompletely understood. To assess associations between climate, landscape composition, and pathogen occurrence in real agroecosystems, we monitored honey bee colonies across 30 apiaries in southern Italy over two years, in summer and autumn. Molecular screening revealed widespread multi-pathogen exposure, with two viruses, Black Queen Cell Virus (BQCV) and Deformed Wing Virus (DWV), and gut trypanosomatid parasite (Lotmaria passim) being the most frequently detected. In contrast, Nosema ceranae, along with Bee Macula-like Virus (BeeMLV) and Acute Bee Paralysis Virus (ABPV), occurred at lower but still notable frequencies. Infections were generally more frequent in adult foragers than in in-hive bees and larvae, and overall pathogen occurrence tended to be higher in summer than in autumn. Higher humidity was associated with higher overall pathogen occurrence and coinfection levels, whereas higher temperature showed a weaker association with these outcomes. Associations between landscape composition and pathogen occurrence differed across pathogens: a higher proportion of semi-natural habitats was associated with lower viral occurrence, particularly BQCV and DWV; however, N. ceranae was more frequently detected under the same landscape conditions. In contrast, L. passim showed context-dependent responses, with landscape effects emerging only through interactions with humidity and temperature. Pathogen coinfections were more occurrent under warm, humid conditions, although this pattern was partially buffered in landscapes richer in semi-natural habitats. Together, these results indicate that, within the studied apiaries, honey bee pathogen occurrence was associated with climate, season, and land use. These findings suggest that environmental context should be considered when interpreting honey bee health monitoring data in heterogeneous agricultural landscapes, with potential implications for apiary management.

In Algeria, several species of root-knot nematodes belonging to the genus Meloidogyne, including M. incognita, M. arenaria and M. javanica, have been identified. These parasites are widespread in coastal market gardening areas and Saharan regions, where they constitute a major phytosanitary constraint, particularly for tomato crops, due to the economic losses they cause. In this survey of 369 greenhouses Meloidogyne infestation was detected in 168 greenhouses , with infestation rates varying by region: 100 % in Beni Saf (Ain Temouchent) and 70 % in Tipaza, while some areas of Mostaganem, Oran and Biskra showed no infestation. Furthermore, a molecular analysis using the ITS rDNA marker identified the species Meloidogyne incognita with a similarity of 99.54 % compared to the NeMITG7 reference sequence deposited in the GenBank database. These results are reinforced by a statistical analysis revealing a highly significant negative correlation between the organic matter content and the gall index (Spearman's Rho = -0.651; P < 0.01). suggesting that soils rich in organic matter are less conducive to infestation. Moreover, soil type appears to be a determining factor: clay soils showed no infestation, unlike sandy soils which recorded the highest gall indices, with an average of 6.98. These results highlight the importance of soil type and its organic matter content in root-knot nematode management and provide a basis for developing control strategies adapted to local conditions.