Abstract: The inoculation methods, the fungal strains, and several other factors are known to influent the success of fungal entomopathogens colonization in plants. The physiological status of the plant could also be another determinant. In the present study, the ability of three strains of Beauveria bassiana and one strain of Metarhizium anisopliae to successfully colonize Citrus limon plants and the influence of seedling age on endophytic colonization success was examined. Three, 4, and 6 ...
Abstract: Campylobacter species have developed resistance to existing antibiotics. The development of alternative therapies is, therefore, a necessity. This study evaluates the susceptibility of Campylobacter strains to selected natural products (NPs) and frontline antibiotics. Two C. jejuni strains (ATCC® 33560TM and MT947450) and two C. coli strains (ATCC® 33559TM and MT947451) were used. The antimicrobial potential of the NPs, including plant extracts, essential oils, and pure phytochem...
Abstract: Utilization of Ruspolia differens Serville as functional food ingredient is rapidly gaining popularity. This study evaluated the nutrient quality, microbial safety and consumers’ acceptability of cereal-based cookies fortified with various processed products of R. differens meals. Cookies fortified with blanched, boiled, and toasted R. differens meals had higher protein, fat and energy levels, respectively, than the control cookies. Enrichment of cookies with differentially proce...
Abstract: Despite the discovery of the tubercle bacillus more than 130 years ago, its physiology and the mechanisms of virulence are still not fully understood. A comprehensive analysis of the proteomes of members of the human-adapted Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) lineages 3, 4, 5, and 7 was conducted to better understand the evolution of virulence and other physiological characteristics. Unique and shared proteomic signatures in these modern, pre-modern and ancient MTBC lineages...
Abstract: Microorganisms and their natural products are potentially important for the biological control of crop diseases without detrimental effects to the environment. In this study, acetonitrile-methanol extracts of 361 actinobacterial isolates obtained from Aberdares, Arabuko Sokoke, Lake Bogoria, Mt Kenya,Kakamega, Ruma, Shimba Hills and Imenti forest national parks in Kenya were screened for antagonism against Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium spp and Colletotrichum kahawae, which are impor...
Abstract: Millions of smallholder farmers in low-income countries are highly vulnerable to food-supply shocks, and reducing this vulnerability remains challenging in view of climatic changes. Restrictions to limit the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic produced a severe supply-side shock in rural areas of Sub-Saharan Africa, including through frictions in agricultural markets. We use a large-scale field experiment to examine the effects of improved on farm storage on household food security dur...
Abstract: Soybean (Glycine max L.) is among the most economically important legumes that provide more than 1/4 of food (for man) and animal feed. However, its yield is comparatively low, most especially under drought stress. The aim of this study therefore was to assess the ability of Rhizobium spp. and mycorrhizal fungi to enhance the yield, seed size and fatty acid content of soybean grown under semi-arid environment. Rhizobium sp. strain R1 was found to possess nitrogen-fixing gene conife...
Abstract: Kairomones are chemical signals that mediate interspecificinteractions beneficial toorganisms that detect the cues. These attractants can be individual compounds ormixtures of herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) or herbivore chemicals such aspheromones, i.e., chemicals mediating intraspecific communication between herbivores.Natural enemies eavesdrop on kairomones during their foraging behaviour, i.e., locationof oviposition sites and feeding resources in nature. Kairomone mi...
Abstract: Megathyrsus maximus is nonnative in the neotropics, with a tall form that is commonly used as a forage grass and a smaller-statured form that is considered invasive in south Texas, USA. Biological control researchers are challenged to find an agent that will attack the short form, but not the desirable tall form in other parts of the neotropics. We conducted molecular analyses on 155 Megathyrsus maximus samples from its native range in Africa and compared them with U.S. short-form ...
Abstract: RNA interference (RNAi) is a phenomenon through which double stranded RNA (dsRNA) induces potent sequence-specific degradation of homologous transcripts. Besides its function in cellular defense and developmental regulation, it has emerged as an invaluable tool for elucidation of gene function and drug target validation. This is particularly useful when substantial genome sequence data are available. Gene silencing using RNAi can aid translation of raw genomic sequence data into bi...
Abstract: The present study aimed at investigating the susceptibility of the microorganisms Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus subtilis to ethanolic extracts of propolis (EEP) from three regions of Kenya (Taita, Tana and Samburu). Propolis was extracted using four different concentrations of ethanol: pure, 70%, 50%, and 30%. Ethanol (70%) and Streptomycin were used as controls. The agar diffusion method using filter paper disks was...
Abstract: Temperature critically affects the performance of entomopathogenic fungi (EPF). Mathematical models are critical tools used in predictive microbiology but are less adopted for EPF. We selected eight nonlinear models to describe thermal biology; minimum (Tmin), optimal (Topt) and maximum (Tmax) thresholds; and maximal growth (Pmax) of EPF. Conidial germination and mycelial growth of Metarhizium anisopliae (ICIPE 7, ICIPE 20, ICIPE 62, ICIPE 69, ICIPE 78) and Beauveria bassiana (ICIP...
Abstract: Many species of thrips (Thysanoptera) in the family Thripidae form mating aggregations, but the adaptive significance of these aggregations and the extent of male and female mate choice is poorly understood. We studied the mating behaviour of the bean flower thrips Megalurothrips sjostedti (Trybom) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), which forms male aggregations and occurs across sub-Saharan Africa. We tested whether males choose mates by female age or mating status. No-choice mating bioas...
Abstract: The invasion of Africa by the South American leafminer, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) has caused a severe threat to the production of tomato, Solanum lycopersicum L. (Solanaceae) crops. The excessive use of pesticides for controlling this pest has increased, together with the associated environmental and human health risks. The parasitoid, Dolichogenedia gelechiidivoris Marsh. (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), has been imported into Africa for classical biological con...
Abstract: Selection of oviposition substrate is critical in holometabolous insects. Female stable fies, Stomoxys calcitrans, locate and select vertebrate herbivore dung in which they lay their eggs. However, the preference for vertebrate herbivore dung by S. calcitrans females, its ftness consequences for ofspring,and the semiochemicals used to locate and select oviposition substrates remain unclear. Using oviposition choice tests and life table bioassays we found that gravid female S. calci...