Secondary metabolites of a strain of Microcyclospora malicola (Capnodiales) were analyzed for the identification of potentially novel bioactive natural products. The fungus belongs to a group of slowly growing sooty blotch fungi that can survive in the wax layers of plant cuticles, specifically apple fruits, without causing significant fruit rot or plant diseases. Bioassay guided fractionation and subsequent structure elucidation by spectroscopic and spectrometric methods led to the identification of obionin A and additional derivatives (pyranonaphtoquinone metabolites) showing cytotoxic effects and antifungal activity. The compound, originally isolated from the marine ascomycete Leptosphaeria obiones, may account for the antagonism between M. malicola and other epiphytic fungi competing for the same ecological niche on fruit surfaces.
F.02 Acquisition of new scientific knowledge
COBISS.SI-ID: 4705128Agricultural Institute of Slovenia has organised an International Scientific Conference entitled “Plant health for sustainable agriculture” on current challenges in plant health, biotechnology and plant breeding (May 11th and 12th 2015, Ljubljana). Over 170 participants from 18 European countries attended this event organised within European project Cropsustain. Scientific part of the conference was composed of six sessions: Challenges in Plant Health, Plant Pests and Diseases Diagnostics, Nonchemical (Alternative) Control of Pests and Diseases, Biotechnology and Plant Breeding for Plant Protection, Prognosis and Decision Supporting Systems, and IPM and Good Agricultural Practice. Thirty contributions were presented in the form of lectures, and additional 65 contributions as presentations in poster session.
B.01 Organiser of a scientific meeting
In 2015 two scientific books in collection “Plant Protection” were published at Agricultural Institute of Slovenia. The publishing was financed within FP7 project CropSustaIn. The first book “Plant viruses and their names” contains five chapters with basic information on plant viruses including their economic importance and methods for their detection and identification. The last chapter set the rules for translating official plant virus names into Slovenian and is the first comprehensive list of Slovenian names of official plant viruses. The second book ‘Transmission of plant viruses 1’ in the first chapter introduces modes of transmission of plant viruses and in next chapters presents the most important and widespread plant virus vectors in Slovenia.
C.02 Editorial board of a national monograph
COBISS.SI-ID: 281246464Research programe members presented their research in invited talks on one scientific and one expert meeting. The first talk presented at 4th meeting on chemical safety where they presented plant protection products and their use in agriculture. The second talk on the meeting in Serbia (XIII savetovanje o zaštiti bilja) was about our experience with chlorotic mottling and leaf deformations, a new grapevine disease considered as the most devastating virus disease of grapevine in last years.
B.04 Guest lecture
COBISS.SI-ID: 4980584New potato variety KIS Slavnik, bred at the Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, was inscribed in to the Slovenian and the EU Common Variety List.
F.32 International patent
COBISS.SI-ID: 4892264