Verticillium wilt and seedling damping-off are cotton important diseases in the cotton fields of Iran. Currently, these diseases are controlled by using resistance cultivars and chemical fungicides such as carboxintiram. These compounds contaminate environment and result in new races of pathogens that are resistance to chemical pesticides. The search for alternative control strategies is therefore clearly obvious. 25 In this study, the effect of using antagonistic fungi and herbicides on two cotton diseases, Verticillium wilt and seedling damping-off and several cotton growth characteristics were investigated separately in Neishaboor and Moghan cotton fields . Each experiment was performed as a split plot arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replications. The main factor was using herbicides at three levels ( treflan, solanan and non herbicide ) and the subfactor was using antagonistic fungi at ten levels (1- soil and seed without inoculum, 2,3,4-soil without inoculum and seed coated with one of two antagonistic fungi, Trichoderma harzianum or Talaromyces flavus or both antagonistic fungi, 5,6,7- soil contained one of two antagonistic fungi or both antagonistic fungi and seed without inoculum, 8,9,10- soil and seed treated with one of two antagonistic fungi or both antagonistic fungi ). Results of Moghan field experiment showed that regardless of main factor, there were maximum pre-maturing percent and minimum Verticillium wilt disease percent in treatment contained seed coated with both antagonistic fungi. In this experiment, minimum seedling damping-off percent in treatment contained soil and seed contained both antagonistic fungi and minimum Verticillium wilt index as well as maximum yield in treatment affected with soil contained T. harzianum were observed. Regardless of subfactor, effect of main factor on total parameters was not significant. Results of intraction effects among main factor and subfactor showed that maximum significant disease decrease has been occurred in treatment affected with treflan herbicide and soil and seed contained T. flavus. Results of Neishaboor field experiment indicated that effect of main factor and subfactor was significant on yield and disease respectively. Result of effect of main factor on yield showed that there was maximum yield when solanan was used. However, result of effect of subfactor on disease showed that minimum percent of each disease occurred when soil was treated with T. flavus. Results of intraction effects among main factor and subfactor on percent of each disease and total yield was significant. In this experiment, minimum disease percent and maximum total yield were observed in treatment affected with solanan herbicide and soil contained T. harzianum.

In order evaluation boll rot disease in Karkandeh and Moghan station, 6 genotypes were selected from elementary research design "Preliminary evaluation of some cotton genotypes for infection to air born diseases…", were tested in Randomized Complete Block Design(RCBD) with 4 replications in cotton research stations(Karkandeh and Moghan) in 1384 and 1385. In Karkandeh, results showed genotypes were in one group for boll rot per cent, however Deltapine (6.28%) had the least boll rot per cent. In Moghan, results determinated that Gokroba (15.75%) was the lowest boll rot per cent and Deform leaf (48.58%) was the highest boll rot per cent Gokroba was recorded low boll rot per cent and good yield , so that this cultivar can use in future breeding progamme and extension designs.

Fabric quality and durability are a concern with fibers that contain natural antibacterial properties or are treated to provide antibacterial properties. The textile industry has developed antibacterial fabric to address the public's desire for improved sanitation and personal protection against disease transmission. The approach has been to attach biocidal or some bacteriostatic groups to the fabric surface. In this study, well described antibacterial drugs were attached to cotton fabric with the goal that if this could be accomplished easily, treated fabric could act as barriers against specific diseases or wound infections. Trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole were modified to act as reactive dyes and were covalently bonded to the surface of cotton in order to impart antibacterial properties. Some of the treated fabric was subjected to multiple washings to determine durability. The treated fabrics were then assayed for antibacterial properties. The preliminary results suggest that the antibacterial compound trimethoprim is tightly bound to the cotton fabric and imparts to the fabric antibacterial properties, which are durable through multiple washes. The results show that both trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole impart antibacterial properties to cotton fabric. These results indicate that other compounds may be used to attach specific antibacterial compounds to fabric to create specific usage, designer, or tailored fabrics to meet specialized needs.

Cotton workers are recognized as being at risk of developing occupational lung diseases. Some researchers have identified endotoxins as being a potential etiologic agent for some of the respiratory problems. This study wants to document the concentration of endotoxins found in the ambient air of textile mills where cotton fibers are handled and to identify the processing steps where the highest endotoxins concentrations in the air were found and the one where the relative limit values (RLVs) are exceeded. The 4 mills studied process cotton fibers. All the air samples were analyzed using the chromogenic Limulus Amoebocytes lysate LAL method using a kinetic detection principle based on the IRSST’s standard method. In this study, a large variability in the concentrations of endotoxins in the air was observed, depending on the mill, the processing step, and the time. Despite these variations, some processes can be identified as being major generators of endotoxins in the ambient air of the mills. The highest concentrations were measured in the weaving and drawing processes and reached 10 000 EU m⁻³ of air. The opening, cleaning, carding, spinning and drawing processes are the other major endotoxins generating processes with concentrations from 24 to 8700 EU m⁻³ of air. The endotoxins concentrations exceeded the RLVs for 55% of the workstations in this project. This study demonstrated that endotoxins levels in the cotton industry are high and appropriate control measures are needed.

Coinfections within hosts present opportunities for horizontal gene transfer between strains and competitive interactions between genotypes and thus can be a critical element of the lifestyles of pathogens. Bartonella spp. are Alphaproteobacteria that parasitize mammalian erythrocytes and endothelial cells. Their vectors are thought to be various biting arthropods, such as fleas, ticks, mites, and lice, and they are commonly cited as agents of various emerging diseases. Coinfections by different Bartonella strains and species can be common in mammals, but little is known about specificity and coinfections in arthropod vectors. We surveyed the rate of mixed infections of Bartonella in flea vectors (Polygenis gwyni) parasitizing cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus) in which previous surveys indicated high rates of infection. We found that nearly all fleas (20 of 21) harbored one or more strains of Bartonella, with rates of coinfection approaching 90%. A strain previously identified as common in cotton rats was also common in their fleas. However, another common strain in cotton rats was absent from P. gwyni, while a rare cotton rat strain was quite common in P. gwyni. Surprisingly, some samples were also coinfected with a strain phylogenetically related to Bartonella clarridgeiae, which is typically associated with felids and ruminants. Finally, a locus (pap31) that is characteristically borne on phage in Bartonella was successfully sequenced from most samples. However, sequence diversity in pap31 was novel in the P. gwyni samples, relative to other Bartonella previously typed with pap31, emphasizing the likelihood of large reservoirs of cryptic diversity in natural populations of the pathogen.

Including only Persian abstract

The efficacy of newly introduced mixtures of metalaxyl M and thiamethoxam (Apron star 42% WS and Apron XL 350 FS/Cruiser 350 FS) and new formulations of an already recommended mixture of tebuconazole (Raxil 2% WS) and the insecticide imidacloprid (Gaucho 70% WS); namely Tebicon 2% WS/Catch 70% WS, Tebizol 2% WS /Goulish70% WP, Tebucal 2% WS /Licol 70% WS and Raxil 2% WS/Imidoc70% WS were evaluated against the pre- and post- emergence damping- off diseases, bacterial blight and flea beetles in the commercial cotton cultivars, Barac (67) B and Barakat 90. In both cultivars, all tested rates and mixtures of Apron star and Apron XL/Cruiser considerably reduced damping- off diseases. Apron Star at 5 and 6 g/kg seeds resulted in significant reduction of bacterial blight disease compared to the untreated control in both varieties and seasons. In field experiments, Apron Star and Apron XL/Cruiser gave erratic control of flea beetles in both varieties and seasons and they were consistently less efficient than the standard treatment in controlling the pest. Under laboratory conditions, in season 2005/06 Apron Star and Apron XL/ cruiser at all rates gave significantly lower flea beetles' damage than the untreated control. However, in season 2006/07 Apron Star at all rates significantly reduced the number of shot holes, while Apron XL gave significantly higher flea beetles' damage compared to the untreated control. All new formulations of imidacloprid/tebuconazole resulted in comparable disease and flea beetles control to that of the counterpart and significantly better results than the untreated control. All treatments resulted in comparable seed cotton yield to that of the standard treatment and the counterpart. However, the seed cotton yield was increased by all mixtures compared to the untreated control. The yields obtained by the Metalaxyl M/Cruiser mixtures were lower than that of the standard treatment. The yield of Barakat 90 was increased by 19-41% and 8-48% over the untreated control by imidacloprid/tebuconazole and Metalaxyl M/thiomethoxam mixtures, respectively. The yield increase in Barac (67) B was 17-30% and 8-42%, respectively

The year 2004 marked the Hundred Anniversary (Massey Jubilee) of the Cotton Research Program (CRP) with more than 50 varieties and improved lines being released, in addition to varying recommendations on cultural practices, pest management and fibre quality improvement. Nonetheless, implementation at the farm level is disappointing with an all time average yield of 400-450 kg lint/ha as compared to 1200-1500 kg lint/ha for research and a world average of 700 kg lint/ha. The stagnating low yield had been a normal course for the last 80 years, despite the variation in financial polices adopted throughout the years. To change the course of this long time stagnation, and to bridge the gap between research and farmers, future research and technology transfer should embark upon Precision Agriculture, where site specific approach is to be promoted rather than the general blanket recommendations. Cotton is a very inefficient crop, in terms of input utilization, due to its perennial and indeterminate growth habit, with priorities of diverting assimilates partitioning to vegetative growth. Therefore, under condition of poor input management, like improper timing of fertilizers and insecticides application, excessive growth (rank growth) is eminent. Accordingly, the recent release of the new early maturing varieties which are resistant to diseases and insects may be the way out for both, reverting the course of stagnating yields and lowering the cost of production. However, understanding of the physiology of the cotton plant as related to input use, coupled with: technical follow up, financial, social and policy measures that enhance tenants commitments to attended farming, should be emphasized

Concerns of entomopathogenic fungi as alternative pest control agents are increasing even though chemical pesticides have been used as the main control agents for pests and diseases in crop production. This study was conducted to test the influence of fungicides and insecticides on an isolate of Lecanicillium attenuatum that was reported to have the pathogenicity against cotton aphid, because fungicides and/or insecticides can apply with mycopesticides simultaneous, before and/or after. Fungicides fenbuconazole+thiram and propineb inhibited the spore germination and mycelial growth of L. attenuatum CS625; dimethomorph and procymidone did not affect spore germination or mycelial growth.

Rhizoctonia solani-induced sugar beet seedling damping off is one of the most important diseases of sugar beet in Iran. Since the causal agent of the disease is a soil borne fungus therefore, chemical control is not always effective. In addition, wide spread use of chemicals has resulted in pollution of the environment and appearance of resistant races of the pathogen. The need for the search of alternative methods to control this disease is therefore clearly obvious. Biological control could be a promising alternative method. In this study the possibility of biological control of the disease by bacterial antagonists was investigated. Fifty bacterial isolates, isolated from cotton and sugar beet field soil were first screened against Rhizoctonia solani in the laboratory using dual culture method. Ten isolates which showed highest effectiveness were selected for further evaluation in the green house experiments. In green house experiments the above isolates were tested against damping off disease caused by two isolates of R. solani using seed coating and soil drench methods. Analysis of the results showed that 5 out of 10 isolates were the most effective in reducing cotton seedling damping-off significantly (compared to the control). Of the above mentioned isolates, 4 isolates belonged to Bacillus spp. (B. subtilis and B. polymyxa each with two isolates) and the other isolate were identified as Pseudomonas fluorescense based on bacteriological identification tests.