Optimizing diquat efficacy with the use of adjuvants

Optimizing diquat efficacy with the use of adjuvants may broaden the spectrum of weed control, but relevant research towards this direction is limited. Field and greenhouse experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of diquat applied alone and with six commercial adjuvants (surfactants and oil-based adjuvants) on various weed species. Diquat effect was evaluated in two field experiments on natural populations of common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album L.), prostrate knotweed (Polygonum aviculare L.) and burning nettle (Urtica urens L.) along with two greenhouse trials on rigid ryegrass (Lolium rigidum L.). In field or greenhouse experiments, all the adjuvants significantly increased the control of C. album, P. aviculare, and L. rigidum, from 48, 42 and 7%, up to 82, 74 and 67%, respectively, in terms of fresh weight reduction, but to a different extent for each adjuvant. U. urens was totally (100%) controlled in terms of visual estimation either with diquat or with diquat plus any adjuvant. The differences in the effect of diquat applied with adjuvants mainly depended on the weed species examined and they were not proportional to the surface tension reduction of the spray solution caused by the adjuvants. Overall, the surfactants and the oil-based adjuvants examined in this study considerably enhanced the effect of diquat; this can broaden the spectrum of weed control against broadleaf and grass weeds in orchards and non-crop areas. The results are discussed in relation with the classification of the adjuvants.     

Evaluation of a multisurface trap for the capture ofEphestia kuehniella in stored wheat

An experiment was conducted to assess the use of a multisurface trap for the capture ofEphestia kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in a horizontal-type warehouse in southern Greece, filled with approx. 200 tons of wheat. This type of trap consists of five white rectangular adhesive cardboard strips, suspended vertically from a cruciform apparatus. Four different types of traps were placed in the warehouse, one at each corner (pheromonebaited multisurface, unbaited multisurface, pheromone-baited single, and unbaited single trap). Traps were checked at 15-day intervals from July to November 2000. Approx. 85% of the total number of captured adults were recorded by late August. The highest numbers of moths were observed from mid-July until mid-August. As compared with the unbaited multisurface trap, the baited single and the unbaited single, the baited multisurface traps caught approximately 4.2, 4.8 and 41.2 times moreE. kuehniella adults, respectively. For all trap types, significantly higher numbers of adults were captured at the lower part of the sticky surface, as compared with the central and upper parts (P<0.05). A considerable percentage of the moths captured was found at the edges of the trapping surfaces, especially on the unbaited traps, where the figure exceeded 36%. With the exception of the unbaited single trap, significantly more adults were recorded at the lower edge of the trap (P<0.001), while the upper edge — as compared with the other edges — captured the fewest adults. Exposure of the trapping surface to illuminated areas of the warehouse, or location of the trapping surfaces close to walls, had no significant effect on captures. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting Dec. 16, 2002.     

Business model for developing strategies of forest cooperatives. Evidence from an emerging business environment in Greece

ABSTRACT

Forest cooperatives are essentially a form of entrepreneurship. However, they are confronted by various problems and they cannot pay enough attention to value creation. The aim of this paper is twofold: (a) the identification of the structural factors supporting the function of Greek forest cooperatives and the exploration of the possibilities of applying business model innovation to them; (b) the investigation of how the development of an integrated business model can help cooperatives stay ahead in the innovation game, while securing sustainability. By applying business modeling procedures to the forest cooperatives of the Region of Thessaly (Greece) this paper presents, the implementation of innovative development strategy, within the current legislative framework. Results show that the business model approach gives them the ability to develop a shared vision for value creation and delivering through the establishment of a framework related to sustainable forest management based on creation of bonds for achieving a win-win strategy, satisfying the increasing needs for innovative forest-based products, which constitutes a challenge for the sustainable management of forests. We argue that this is the first time this approach has been made regarding forest cooperatives in Greece in relation to the emerging parameters of the general business environment.     

Herbicide-resistant barnyardgrass (Echinochloa crus-galli) in global rice production

Barnyardgrass (Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) Beauv.), an annual species of the family Poaceae, is a major weed problem in rice-producing countries throughout the globe. Synthetic herbicides can effectively control this grass in rice paddies, but the development of resistant biotypes after the continuous use of the same active ingredients has led to low herbicide efficacy and yield losses. In this review, a summary of resistant-barnyardgrass cases in global rice production is reported based on data from the International Herbicide-Resistant Weed Database. The first case of resistant barnyardgrass in rice paddies was to the photosystem-II inhibitor propanil in the late 1980s. Eighty-five (85) out of 116 cases in the period from 1986 to 2022 refer to resistant barnyardgrass (E. crus-galli var. crus-galli, E. crus-galli var. formosensis and E. crus-galli var. zelayensis) in 16 countries. Barnyardgrass has been found resistant to acetolactate synthase (ALS) inhibitors (34 cases), acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase) inhibitors (23 cases), photosystem-II inhibitors (11 cases), auxin mimics/cellulose biosynthesis inhibitors (9 cases), very long chain fatty acid inhibitors (6 cases), and microtubule assembly inhibitors (1 case). The majority of all resistance cases reported to the active ingredients penoxsulam, bispyribac-sodium, and imazamox (ALS inhibitors), cyhalofop-butyl and fenoxaprop-ethyl (ACCase inhibitors), propanil (photosystem-II inhibitors), and quinclorac (auxin mimics/cellulose biosynthesis inhibitors). Although target-site resistance with specific mutations has been identified, non-target site resistance mainly through herbicide detoxification is also of great concern increasing the chance of multiple herbicide resistance evolution. Rotation of herbicides should be adopted concerning the modes of action used as well as the application methods to mitigate resistance evolution of this weed in rice paddies.     

Safety behavior in pesticide use among farmers of northern Greece: the role of information sources

BACKGROUND

Farmers' compliance with common safety practices in pesticide use (i.e., keeping records of pesticide applications, reading the information of pesticide labels, and taking protective measures during pesticide handling) and the use of information sources about pesticides were studied in a simple random sample of farmers in Evros Province, northern Greece.

RESULTS

According to the three common safety practices considered in the study, most farmers (56.9%) complied with safety practices. Nevertheless, a noticeable proportion of the farmers never kept records of pesticide applications (33.9%), never read the information of pesticide labels (20.2%), and never took protective measures during pesticide handling (24.8%). Farmers reported using up to six different sources of information about pesticides, but the majority (51.4%) reported using up to one source and almost one-third (33.9%) relied on own sources. The most common information source about pesticides was the staff of the agricultural supply stores, used by 88.1% of the farmers. Safety behavior was positively correlated with total sources of information (P < 0.01) and information by the agricultural supply stores (P < 0.01). Multiple regression analysis showed that safety behavior was reduced in females, whereas it was increased in farmers with high education, high number of plots, and high level of information sources.

CONCLUSION

Despite good levels of safety behavior by most farmers, keeping records of sprayings should be improved. Using multiple information sources about pesticides is crucial to improve safety behavior of farmers. © 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.     

Genome scan for the possibility of identifying candidate resistance genes for goat lentiviral infections in the Italian Garfagnina goat breed

Tropical Animal Health and Production - Small ruminant lentiviruses (SRLVs) are a heterogeneous group of viruses of sheep, goat, and wild ruminants responsible of lifelong persistent infection...     

Efficacy of grain protectants against four psocid species on maize,rice and wheat

BACKGROUND: Psocids are emerging pests in stored products, particularly in amylaceous commodities such as grains. Currently, their control is based on the use of fumigants and contact insecticides; however, newer data indicate that psocids are tolerant to insecticides used to control other stored‐grain species. This study evaluated the insecticides registered in the USA for use on stored maize, rice and wheat for control of the psocid species Lepinotus reticulatus, Liposcelis entomophila, L. bostrychophila and L. paeta. Mortality of exposed adult females was recorded after 7 and 14 days of exposure, while progeny production was assessed after 30 days of exposure. RESULTS: On wheat and rice, chlorpyriphos‐methyl + deltamethrin was generally more effective against exposed parental adults than spinosad or pyrethrin, while pirimiphos‐methyl was more effective on maize than spinosad or pyrethrin. In most cases, progeny production was suppressed in the treated grains. Progeny production was consistently lowest on wheat and rice treated with chlorpyriphos‐methyl + deltamethrin and maize treated with pirimiphos‐methyl. CONCLUSIONS: Chlorpyriphos‐methyl + deltamethrin and pirimiphos‐methyl were the most effective insecticides for all species and commodities. Conversely, efficacy of spinosad or pyrethrum was highly dependent on the psocid species and commodity. Published in 2009 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Interrelationship among and repeatability of seven stability indices estimated from commercial cotton (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Gossypium hirsutum</Emphasis> L.) variety evaluation trials in three Mediterranean countries

Multi-environment trial data are required, to obtain variety stability performance parameters as selection tools for effective cultivar evaluation. The interrelationship among seven stability parameters and their association with mean yield, along with the repeatability of these parameters across consecutive years was the objective of this study. Cottonseed yield data of 31 cotton cultivars, proprietary of Delta and Pine Land Co and other companies, evaluated in 20 locations over the 1999–2005 year period in Greece, Spain and Turkey were used for combined analysis of variance in four datasets. Across locations in a single evaluation year (dataset A), across locations in each of two single consecutive evaluation year (dataset B), across locations and two consecutive years (dataset C) and across locations and three consecutive years (dataset D). For each dataset, cultivar phenotypic variance was appropriately partitioned in its components and the h² and component estimated. Furthermore, following the appropriate stability analysis and AMMI1 along with the GGE Biplot distance (GGED) and instability (GGEIN) parameters were obtained. The interrelationship among the parameters and their association with mean yield based on Spearman rank correlation was studied in each of the seven single evaluation years (dataset A). Rank correlation coefficients were also used as estimates of the repeatability of these stability parameters across consecutive year combinations (dataset B, C and D). The parameters GGED and YS_i were consistently highly correlated with each other and mean yield in five out of seven single evaluation years. The data provided evidence that single year evaluation across locations might be sufficient to reliably rank cotton cultivars, based on mean yield along with GGED and YS_i. Combined analysis across two consecutive years (dataset C) was more effective as compared to single year evaluation. GGED was relatively more repeatable than YS_i and mean yield in single (dataset B) and 2-year comparisons (dataset C). Although GGED is an index depended and proportional to yield, provides a superior way to integrate mean performance and stability into a single measure, which can be assessed visually on biplots. Regarding the other stability parameters, the results were contradicting and of low repeatability across single years and two consecutive years. Cultivar evaluation combined across locations in 3 years did not improve the repeatability of cultivar variance effects but resulted in very high repeatability of GGED, YS_i and mean yield.