Integrated Pest Management in Cocoa Agroforests in Southern Cameroon: Constraints and Overview

Imports of pesticides have long been subsidised for use in the cocoa agroforests of the humid forest zone of southern Cameroon. With the liberalisation of the cocoa and pesticides sectors and the devaluation of the local currency (CFA franc), farmers are facing fluctuations in the price paid for cocoa and the high cost of farm inputs. Without the support of the extension services, they themselves have developed traditional integrated control methods based on the use of plant extracts mixed with conventional pesticides. From a survey of 300 cocoa farmers, the study assesses the farmers' command of these methods, the pests controlled, the problems encountered and the institutional constraints in the definition and dissemination of integrated control methods. The study concludes with recommendations for research and development towards the better definition and dissemination of integrated control methods. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Responding to Economic Crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa: New Farmer-Developed Pest Management Strategies in Cocoa-Based Plantations in Southern Cameroon

Cocoa is a key or source of income and poverty reduction in the humid forest of Southern Cameroon. Cameroon like other African countries went through a major economic crisis in the early 1980s with a decline in international commodity prices and significant changes in macroeconomic policies. Structural adjustment reforms following the economic crisis led to removal of fertilizers and pesticides subsidies, cocoa price liberalization and the overall withdraw of Government interventions from the cocoa sub-sector. Cocoa input price increases have been compounded by the devaluation of the CFA Franc, which doubled the prices of the imported pesticides which were considered key to the control of cocoa pests. This overall economic shock led to changes in cocoa producer's production decisions as a response to minimize cost. Among the changes the use of alternatives to imported chemicals for cocoa pest control. Farmers responded to the high prices of pesticides by developing, from local botanical knowledge and pest management strategies, which include plant extracts and plant extracts mixed with pesticides at different proportions. This is a major decision given the importance of imported chemical in the cost of production of cocoa. Valuable indigenous knowledge from farmers could be used also as an effective support system for communicating and diffusing modern knowledge and technologies to farmers. The paper describes the farmer knowledge-based alternatives to chemical pesticides for pest control in cocoa fields as a response to high pest control costs. Pest management specialists are urged to take advantage of this shift in practice and assess their effectiveness for further use. Two sets of questions are posed: (1) were the conventional insecticides, with all their problems, really necessary? and (2) are the materials derived from locally grown plants effective pest management agents or are they, in some way, placebos?     

农作物病虫预报可视化发展与应用前景

农作物病虫预报可视化具有形象生动、信息传递快捷、覆盖面广等优点,是更好发挥预报作用的最佳方式。大范围实施这种预报发布形式的条件,目前已基本成熟,经过努力,必然会在不长的时间内取得长足进展。     

香菇杂交新菌株1363号的选育研究

采用单孢杂交的方法培育出香菇新菌株 136 3号。它具有产量高 ,质量好 ,遗传性状稳定 ,抗逆性状强等优点。     

中国的一个新记录属——冠生刺菌属

基于采自滇中哀牢山区的标本 ,报道我国的一个新记录属———冠生刺菌属CreolophusP .Karst.,并根据其主要特征把齿耳属SteccherinumGray的肉齿耳S .cir rhatum (Pers.exFr .)Teng归并到Creolophus属中。同时对有争议的相似种C .cirrhatus (Pers .exFr .)Karst.和C .corrugatum (Fr.)P .Karst.(=HydnumcorrugatumFr.)进行了比较研究 ,根据盖缘是否具有生殖能力的菌刺 ,提出两者应作为不同的种来处理。     

甲胺磷对褐飞虱酯酶时序变化的影响

褐飞虱经甲胺磷处理后 ,酯酶活性首先表现为受到抑制 ,然后上升 ,到达最大值后再下降并停留在一个相对对照较高的水平。在 1次处理的基础上 ,第 3天和第 7天再次处理 ,酯酶的变化进程与 1次处理相同 ,但最后的停留水平均高于 1次处理 ,分别为 1次处理的 1.35倍和 1.63倍左右。敏感性测定同样表明再次处理可以导致敏感性进一步下降 ,第 3天和第 7天再次处理 ,敏感性分别比 1次处理下降了0.35 1、0.696倍。     

笋用竹害虫天敌资源研究

本文报道了浙江省笋用竹害虫天敌资源调查的结果，共查明天敌资源44种，经鉴定属于螳螂目1科2种，半翅目1科2种，蛇蛉目1科1种，脉翅目1科2种，鞘翅目2科9种，双翅目2科2种，膜翅目9科22种；蛛形纲蜱螨目1科1种，蜘蛛目3科3种，指出了天敌的寄主和分布。     

磷化氢熏蒸处理对嗜卷书虱不同虫态的致死作用

实验室条件下系统研究了磷化氢(PH3)对储物害虫嗜卷书虱Liposcelis bostrychophila卵、各龄若虫和成虫的致死作用,并选用PH3间歇熏蒸以及PH3与气调交替处理等措施对嗜卷书虱进行处理,比较了不同处理措施对嗜卷书虱种群的控制效果。结果表明,PH3熏蒸处理对嗜卷书虱各虫态有不同的致死效果。对卵而言,24、72和120 h熏蒸处理的LC50分别为0.137、0.045和0.035 mg/L;而24 h熏蒸处理对若虫的LC50在4.285~7.364 μg/L之间,对成虫的LC50为20.404 μg/L;采用25 μg/L的PH3进行24 h熏蒸处理,间隔10 d后再分别进行第2次和第3次熏蒸处理,可以完全控制嗜卷书虱的发生。采用PH3 (12 μg/L)和气调(体积比例为35% CO2,1% O2,64% N2)交替处理能够延缓嗜卷书虱种群抗性的发展,交替处理3~5次可以完全控制嗜卷书虱的发生。     

昆虫神经肽类激素的研究及应用前景

由昆虫脑神经内分泌细胞分泌的神经肽类激素 ,咽侧体活化激素 (allatotropin ,AT)和咽侧体抑制激素 (al latostatin ,AS) ,分别刺激或抑制咽侧体的保幼激素的生物合成 ,从而控制昆虫的生长、发育和变态。利用昆虫神经内分泌的失调 ,使其体内激素水平失调 ,来达到控制害虫的目的。     

哈茨木霉对水稻恶苗病菌的拮抗作用

PDA平板拮抗试验表明 ,哈茨木霉对水稻恶苗病菌有强烈的拮抗作用 ,其孢子悬浮液的含孢量为 10⁶～10⁷个 /mL时 ,对恶苗病菌的抑制力达 92.33%。通过哈茨木霉菌液和 3种药剂对水稻恶苗病菌抑制效果的比较 ,哈茨木霉孢子悬浮液含孢量为 10⁷个 /mL与施保克质量浓度 1μg/mL的抑菌效果接近 ,分别为 76.7%、75.4%。显微摄影结果显示 ,哈茨木霉以附着胞附着在恶苗病菌菌丝上 ,然后穿透菌丝在其内生长 ,或与恶苗病菌的菌丝平行生长 ,然后再侵入病菌内寄生。