Browsing by Author "Merin Babu"
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Item Bio- cleansing of coconut palms infested by Rugose spiralling whitefly(2018-01) Josephrajkumar, A.; Chandrika Mohan; Poorani, J; Merin Babu; Krishnakumar, V.Item Community-level management of bio-resources for augmenting income from coconut-based farming systems in Kerala state, India(2020) Kalavathi, S.; Jeena Mathew; Indhuja, S.; Merin Babu; Muralidharan, K.Item Comparative Secretome Prediction and Analysis of Two Phytophthora spp(2017) Kumar Arvind; Rahul C.U; Merin Babu; Tony Grace; Rajesh, M.K.Item Conservation of Biological Control and Bioscavenging: in Rugose Spiralling Whitefly Management in Coconut(2019) Joseph Rajkumar, A.; Chandrika Mohan; Merin Babu; Krishnakumar, V.Item Diagnosis of invasive whitefly species co-occurring on coconut(2020-10) Joseph Rajkumar, A.; Chandrika Mohan; Merin Babu; Prathibha, P.S.; Vinayaka HegdeItem Discovery of a new Steinernema sp. (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae) with higher shelf life and better efficacy against red palm weevil under laboratory conditions(2020) Anes, K.M.; Merin Babu; Jinu Sivadasan; Joseph Rajkumar, A.Item Discovery of a sooty mould scavenging beetle, Leiochrinus nilgirianus Kaszab (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) on coconut palms infested by the invasive rugose spiralling whitefly, Aleurodicus rugioperculatus Martin (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae)(2018) Josephrajkumar, A.; Chandrika Mohan; Poorani, J; Merin Babu; Daliyamol; Krishnakumar, V.; Vinayaka Hegde; Chowdappa, P.Item Discovery of Aleuroclava canangae (Corbett) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) on Coleus in India and the establishment and review of the Aleuroclava canangae species group(2024) Arulappan Josephrajkumar; Gregory Evans; Merin Babu; Kakkanattu Meerasahib Anes; Jilu V. Sajan; Vinayaka HegdeAleuroclava canangae (Corbett, 1935) was discovered on an ornamental Coleus species in Kerala, India, and represents the first occurrence of this species in India and on this plant host. The species is redescribed and illustrations of the puparium and adult males and females are provided along with morphometric data. A molecular analysis of the species using the COI gene was conducted to characterise it, determine its genetic lineage and compare it to seven other species of Aleuroclava Singh, 1931 and those of other whitefly genera. Results of the DNA analysis indicate that A. canangae forms a clade with Aleuroclava indica (Singh, 1932) which also has two pairs of very elongate, tuberculate setae which appear two-jointed because they have a wider basal part separated from a long slender apical part by a fine suture. The Aleuroclava canangae species group is established and an illustrated key is provided for the 12 species in the group, all of which were once placed in the genus Martiniella Jesudasan and David, 1990, now a synonym of Aleuroclava. The molecular analysis indicates that A. psidii (Singh, 1931), A. guyavae (Takahashi, 1932), A. montanus (Takahashi, 1939) and A. gordoniae (Takahashi, 1932) form a clade within the genus Aleuroclava and share similar morphological characters. Based on the results of the molecular and morphological analyses, Aleurothrixus trachoides (Back, 1912) is transferred back to Aleurotrachelus trachoides (Back, 1912) based on its morphology and the results of the DNA analysis.Item Domestic quarantine umbrella to prevent spread of root (wilt) disease to be strengthened(2015-08) Regi J. Thomas; Joseph Rajkumar, A.; Shareefa, M.; Merin BabuItem Euwallacea perbrevis (Schedl, 1951) and associated novel fungal symbiont, Fusarium sp.: A potential cause of wilting in cocoa, Theobroma cacao in India(2024) Shivaji Hausrao Thube; R Thava Prakasa Pandian; Rajkumar; Merin Babu; Josephrajkumar, A.; Santhoshkumar P; B.J. Nirmal Kumara; Vinayaka Hegde; Balanagouda Patil; H. Rajashekara; T. Prabhulinga; Babasaheb B. F; Shailesh Gawande; Dipak Nagrale; M. Devindrappa; Rajesh, M.K.Cocoa is a commercially important beverage crop that faces new challenges in the context of climate change, which can alter pest and disease dynamics in cocoa plantations. In the Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka, India, an abrupt increase in cocoa wilt was observed during the 2017–18 and 2018–19 seasons. Systematic examination of affected trees revealed consistent attacks of Euwallacea perbrevis (Schedl, 1951; Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae). In-depth studies of the wilted trees revealed the association of the plant pathogenic fungus Fusarium sp. with Euwallacea perbrevis. The identity of the obtained pure culture from the insect and infected tree was confirmed as Fusarium sp. using amplification of ribosomal DNA, RNA polymerase II largest subunit (RPB1) and translation elongation factor 1 (Tef1) genes. Notably, this study reports a remarkable case of mutualistic association between ambrosia beetles and Fusarium sp., belonging to the Fusarium solani species complex (FSSC), rather than the Ambrosia Fusarium clade (AFC). This finding highlights the intriguing diversity of mutualistic relationships in nature and sheds new light on the complex interactions between organisms. The present study also investigated the impact of rainfall on the colonization and spread of the Euwallacea-Fusarium complex. The findings revealed that rainfall was identified as a predisposing factor for the incidence and spread of attacks. Additionally, the study conducted a comprehensive analysis of the modeling of Euwallacea-Fusarium complex spread over a specific period of time.Item Evaluation of a native isolate of Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschn.) Sorokin TMBMA1 against tea mosquito bug, Helopeltis theivora infesting cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.)(2022) Shivaji Hausrao Thube; Thavaprakaash. N; Merin Babu; Josephrajkumar, A.; Priyank Hanuman Mhatre; P. Santhosh Kumar; B.J. Nirmal Kumar; Vinayaka Hegde; Satish Namdeo ChavanItem First report on the association of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris’ with lethal wilt disease of coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) in India(2020) Merin Babu; Thangeswari, S.; Joseph Rajkumar, A.; Krishnakumar, V.; Karthikeyan, A.; Selvamani, V.; Daliyamol; Vinayaka Hegde; Maheswarappa, H.P.; Anitha KarunItem From the discovery of a novel arepavirus in diseased arecanut palms (Areca catechu L.) in India to the identification of known and novel arepaviruses in bee and plant transcriptomes through data-mining(2024) R. Thava Prakasa Pandian; Bhavishya; V. Kavi Sidharthan; M.K. Rajesh; Merin Babu; Susheel Kumar Sharma; B.J. Nirmal Kumar; M. Chaithra; Vinayaka HegdeArecanut palm is a commercially important plantation crop valued for its nut. In this investigation, we report the discovery of a putative novel arepavirus, named areca palm necrotic ringspot virus 2 (ANRSV2), in necrotic ringspot diseased areca palms in Bantwal, Dakshina Kannada, Karnataka, India through RNA-sequencing and transmission electron microscopy. Further, the presence of ANRSV2 in the diseased samples was confirmed through reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction assays. In addition, by mining public domain transcriptome data for arepaviral sequences, we identified a putative novel arepavirus in Psychotria rubra, a non-palm host. We recovered the genome sequences of the areca palm necrotic ringspot virus in honey bees, tomato, Onobrychis viciifolia, and Rhamnus heterophylla. These findings broaden our comprehension of arepaviral diversity and host range, and suggest an intriguing possibility of pollen-mediated arepaviral transmission that necessitates empirical validation. Further studies are needed to understand the biology of identified putative novel arepaviruses.Item Global scenario on phytoplasmal diseases in palms(2022) Vinayaka Hegde; Merin Babu; Josephrajkumar, A.Item Good Management Practices for Pest and Disease Suppression in Coconut(2023) Josephrajkumar A; Anes K.M; Merin Babu; Jilu V. Sajan; Prathibha P.S; Indhuja S; Shareefa M; Manikantan, M.R.; Vinayaka Hegde; Anithakumari PItem Holistic Package to Mitigate Exotic Whiteflies on Coconut(2020-09) Joseph Rajkumar, A.; Anes, K.M.; Merin Babu; Prathibha, P.S.; Chandrika MohanItem Identification and confirmation of hotspot areas and management of root (wilt) disease in coconut(2019) Ramjegathesh Rajendran; Rajeswari Esakkimuthu; Venkatesan Kandasamy; Merin Babu; Maheswarappa, H.P.Item Identification of expressed resistance gene analog sequences in coconut leaf transcriptome and their evolutionary analysis(2015) Rajesh, M.K.; Rachana, K.E.; Naganeeswaran Sudalaimuthu Asari; Shafeeq Rahman; Regi J. Thomas; Shareefa, M.; Merin Babu; Anitha KarunCoconut, an important crop of the tropics and subtropics, is susceptible to a variety of diseases and enhancing disease resistance has been the major goal of coconut breeding programs all over the world. Information on the presence and distribution of disease resistance (R) genes, which play a primary role in the detection of pathogens and the initiation of specific plant defenses, is scarce in coconut. In this study, RNA-Seq was used to generate the transcriptome of leaf samples of coconut root (wilt) disease-resistant cultivar Chowghat Green Dwarf. Comprehensive bioinformatics analysis identified 243 resistance gene analog (RGA) sequences, comprising 6 classes of RGAs. Domain and conserved motif predictions of clusters were performed to analyze the architectural diversity. Phylogenetic analysis of deduced amino acid sequences revealed that coconut NBS-LRR type RGAs were classified into distinct groups based on the presence of TIR or CC motifs in the N-terminal regions. Furthermore, qRT-PCR analysis validated the expression of randomly selected NBS-LRR type RGAs. The results of this study provide a sequence resource for development of RGA-tagged markers in coconut, which would aid mapping of disease-resistant candidate genes. In addition, we hope that this study will provide a genomic framework for isolation of additional RGAs in coconut via comparative genomics and also contribute to the deciphering of mode of evolution of RGAs in Arecaceae.Item Inch of land with bunch of enterprises(2018) Anithakumari, P.; Merin Babu; Indhuja, SItem An Insight into the Regime of Soil Borne Plant Pathogens(2018) Daliyamol; Merin Babu; Rajeev, G.