A review of the pest management situation in mango agroecosystems

Integrated pest management programs for mango must be based on sampling and on economic thresholds, and must take into account the effects of cultural practices, horticultural sprays and disease control on pest and natural enemy interactions. An analysis of the mass of information available on the different mango pests,viz., fruit flies(Bactrocera sp.,Ceratitis sp.,Anastrepha sp.), mango seed weevil(Sternochetus mangiferae), thrips(Frankliniella spp.), gall midges(Procontarinia sp.), scales, mites and mealybugs is given, as well as different examples for future entomological research.     

Evaluation of Trichoderma spp. as a Biocontrol Agent Against Soilborne Fungi and Plant-parasitic Nematodes in Israel

The optimal conditions required to market Trichoderma as a biocontrol agent against soilborne fungi and nematodes are discussed. These include a proper formulation, an efficient delivery system, and alternative methods for Trichoderma's application.The implementation of Trichoderma in integrated pest management (IPM) can be achieved using a soil treatment which combines reduced amounts of biocides/fungicides and the Trichoderma preparation. Biocontrol activity can be increased by combining two (or more) types of biocontrol agents. Moreover, the construction of a genetically modified Trichoderma can lead to the improvement of certain traits which are absent or not highly expressed in the native microorganism isolated from its natural habitat.Different Trichoderma harzianum and T. lignorum isolates were tested for their nematicidal activity against the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne javanica. In short-term experiments, improved growth of nematode-infected plants and decreases in the root-galling index and the number of eggs per gram of root were achieved when nematode-infested soils were pre- exposed to the T. harzianum preparations. A long-term experiment resulted in improved growth and higher yield of nematode-infected plants, but no significant change in the galling index, either by pre-exposure of the fungus to the soil or by enrichment in the root-ball.As biocontrol is an integral part of the IPM philosophy, judicious use of Trichoderma against soilborne pathogens, when demonstrated to be consistently effective, practical and economic, can serve as a model for the introduction and implementation of other biocontrol means into IPM.     

Integrated management approaches for pink bollworm in the southwestern United States

The pink bollworm (PBW), Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is the key pest in cotton (Gossypium spp.) production areas in the southwestern United States and in many other cotton-producing areas of the world. The high costs of chemical control, continuing economic losses, secondary pest problems and environmental considerations suggest the need for ecologically oriented PBW management strategies. Extensive research has resulted in a broad array of monitoring, biological control, cultural, behavioural, genetic and host plant resistance methods that can serve as a base for the formulation of integrated PBW management systems. The life history characteristics of the PBW, in particular the high mobility of adults, indicate the need for combinations of selected integrated pest management (IPM) components implemented over large geographical areas. The areas involved present a wide range of PBW population densities, differences in cotton production methods and social and environmental considerations. The best option is tailor-made systems for targeted management areas with the selection of IPM components based on the PBW population density, crop production methods and economic feasibility. The unlikelihood of eradication indicates the need for long-term monitoring and programme maintenance following successful area-wide management. The success of area-wide PBW management is highly dependent on participation in the planning, site selection, implementation and assessment phases of the programme by all segments of the agricultural community. A highly effective extension--education communication programme is an essential component. Local uncoordinated efforts have not reduced the economic status of this pest in any area where it is an established pest. The potential long-term benefits of PBW population suppression on an area-wide basis appear to justify area-wide efforts in terms of reduced costs, more effective control, less environmental contamination and other peripheral problems associated with conventional control approaches.     

Integrated pest management in field vegetable crops in northern Europe — with focus on two key pests

Improvements in (1) insecticide application, (2) supervised control, and (3) pest forecasting systems have each helped to reduce considerably the amounts of insecticides required to control fly, caterpillar and aphid infestations in vegetable crops in northern Europe. By growing plants that are partially resistant to certain major pests, it is now possible to apply even less insecticide than the dose recommended for the crop. In crops where only small amounts of insecticides are applied, natural predators should prevent large increases in pest insect populations and natural parasitoids should reduce the numbers of pest insects entering subsequent generations. The possible impact of introducing transgenic plants and the use of physical (crop covers), cultural (crop rotation, undersowing) and microbial (e.g. fungi, bacteria and nematodes) methods of control are also discussed. The withdrawal of certain insecticides, as a result of environmental and commercial pressures, means that some crops may soon be without appropriate insecticides for controlling one or more of the major pest species. Whether such systems will be sustainable, remains to be seen.     

毛竹林主要害虫工程治理技术

竹产业是浙江省龙游县最具优势、最有发展潜力的支柱产业。全县现有毛竹(Phyl lostachyspubescensMazelexH.deLehaie)林面积21344hm2,占有林地面积的35 2%,竹业年产值达10亿余元。毛竹主要虫害是该产业发展的最大障碍之一。为寻求安全、有效的治理技术,实现毛竹林主要害虫的可持续控制,自1990年以来,结合竹林生产防护,作者开始对毛竹林主要害虫的综合治理技术进行研究,并于1998年正式立项实施毛竹林主要害虫工程治理。1　工程治理区概况工程治理区毛竹林面积19449.7hm2,占全县毛竹林面积的91 2%,涉及7乡1镇。竹林集中连片,单一纯林占88 7%…     

Development of a pheromone trap monitoring system for orange wheat blossom midge, Sitodiplosis mosellana, in the UK

Field-trapping experiments with synthetic 2,7-nonadiyl dibutyrate, the female-produced sex pheromone of the orange wheat blossom midge, Sitodiplosis mosellana (Géhin), demonstrated that pheromone traps were highly attractive to males and caught very few non-target organisms. Different formulations of pheromone were tested to identify the optimum release rate and dispenser type for use in pheromone traps in the UK. Key findings were that racemic pheromone was as effective as enantiomerically pure (2S,7R)-2,7-nonadiyl dibutyrate, that release rates higher than 0.5 microg day(-1) were not necessary and that the optimal formulation was a 1 mg pheromone loading in a rubber septum. Pheromone traps gave a reliable indication of peak midge emergence, onset of flight and abundance of midges throughout the season. A strong correlation between maximum trap catch and crop infestation levels was obtained.     

合作社社会化服务能促进农户病虫害综合防治技术的采纳吗——来自四川的经验证据

为探究合作社对农户病虫害综合防治技术采纳的影响,基于合作社社会化服务的视角,利用四川省810户农户的调研数据,运用倾向得分匹配法(PSM)考察了合作社及其社会化服务对农户病虫害综合防治技术采纳的影响。结果显示,加入合作社对农户病虫害综合防治技术的采纳具有显著的正向影响。合作社社会化服务方面,合作社农资供应服务和农产品销售服务可以显著提升农户病虫害综合防治技术的采纳可能性,前者的影响效应更大,而合作社生产培训服务对农户病虫害综合防治技术采纳的影响并不显著。同时,基于农户异质性视角进一步分析表明,加入合作社并出资、受教育水平较低、年龄偏大和进行土地流转的社员获得合作社社会化服务后,更倾向于采纳病虫害综合防治技术。     

虫生真菌研究展望

本文综述了生物工程技术在虫生真菌菌种选育工作中的作用,强调了制剂问题的意义及对剂型的具体要求,分析了虫生真菌在有害生物综合治理(IPM)系统中的地位及作用方式,评论了流行病学研究的动向及重要意义。     

Folk experiments

Folk experiments in agriculture are often inspired by new ideas blended with old ones, motivated by economic and environmental change. They tend to save labor or capital. These notions are illustrated with nine short case studies from Nicaragua and El Salvador. The new ideas that catalyze folk experiments may be provided by development agencies, but paradoxically, the folk experiments are so common that the agencies that inspire them usually pay little attention to them. Some folk experiments are original, but others simply copy innovations that farmers have seen somewhere else. Unlike formal scientific research, in which results are consistently written, folk experiments are rarely “inscribed,” because the results are for use by individual farmers and need not be shared with an audience.     

宁夏贺兰山农牧场温棚黄瓜根结线虫病综合防治对策

根据宁夏贺兰山衣牧场温棚黄瓜根结线虫痛防治现状的调查结果，分析了此病在该场严重危害的原因，并综合国内防治根结线虫病的技术和方法，结合农牧场的生产实际．时该场温棚黄瓜根结线虫病的综合防治提出了具体对策．