The effects of repeated applications of the molluscicide metaldehyde and the biocontrol nematode Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita on molluscs, earthworms, nematodes, acarids and collembolans: a two-year study in north-west Spain

Over two years, six consecutive field experiments were done in which the chemical molluscicide metaldehyde and the nematode biocontrol agent Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita (Schneider) were applied at the standard field rates to replicated mini-plots successively planted with lettuce, Brussels sprouts, leaf beet and cabbage, to compare the effectiveness of different treatments in reducing slug damage to the crops. Soil samples from each plot were taken prior to the start of the experiments, and then monthly, to assess the populations of slugs, snails, earthworms, nematodes, acarids and collembolans. The experiments were done on the same site and each plot received the same treatment in the six experiments. The six treatments were: (1) untreated controls, (2) metaldehyde pellets, (3 and 4) nematodes applied to the planted area 3 days prior to planting without or with previous application of cow manure slurry, (5) nematodes applied to the area surrounding the planted area 3 days prior to planting, and (6) nematodes applied to the planted area once (only in the first of the six consecutive experiments). Only the metaldehyde treatment and the nematodes applied to the planted area at the beginning of each experiment without previous application of manure significantly reduced slug damage to the plants, and only metaldehyde reduced the number of slugs contaminating the harvested plants. The numbers of slugs, snails and earthworms in soil samples were compared among the six treatments tested: with respect to the untreated controls, the numbers of Deroceras reticulatum (Müller) were significantly affected only in the metaldehyde plots, and the numbers of Arion ater L only in the plots treated with nematodes applied to the planted area 3 days prior to planting without previous application of manure; numbers of snails (Ponentina ponentina (Morelet) and Oxychilus helveticus (Blum)) were not affected by the treatment. The total numbers of all earthworm species and of Lumbricus spp were unaffected by the treatment, but Dendrobaena spp increased significantly in the plots treated with manure. The numbers of nematodes, acarids and collembolans in soil samples were compared between the untreated controls and the treatments with nematodes applied 3 days prior to planting to the planted area or to the surrounding area, without previous application of manure: the treatment had a significant effect on the number of nematodes in soil samples, but acarids and collembolans were unaffected.     

Seed dressings to control slug damage in oilseed rape

Slugs are major pests of oilseed rape that are poorly controlled by conventional bait pellets. A series of laboratory experiments investigated the potential of seed-dressings to control slug damage in this crop. Four compounds: metaldehyde, methiocarb, cinnamamide and 3,5-dimethoxycinnamic acid (DMCA) were tested at a range of doses for phytotoxicity and ability to reduce damage by Deroceras reticulatum (Müller). Metaldehyde and methiocarb were not phytotoxic at any doses, whereas all doses of cinnamamide and DMCA were. All compounds reduced slug damage, but metaldehyde and methiocarb consistently performed better than cinnamamide and DMCA. Metaldehyde and methiocarb seed-dressings were compared with baited pellets containing the same active ingredients at recommended field doses. The seed-dressings protected plants from damage by D reticulatum and Arion subfuscus (Draparnaud) as well as, or better than, baited pellets. We therefore recommend that metaldehyde and methiocarb should be field-tested as seed dressings to control slugs in oilseed rape.     

Effects of the nematode Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita and of venom from the endoparasitic wasp Pimpla hypochondriaca on survival and food consumption of the pest slug Deroceras reticulatum; implications for novel biocontrol strategies

BACKGROUND: Controlling pests through disruption of biochemical pathways by physiologically active compounds/factors from animals and plants represents an expanding field of research. The authors investigated whether such factors in venom from the wasp Pimpla hypochondriaca (Retzius) can affect the viability and food consumption of the slug Deroceras reticulatum (Müller), and whether they can improve the efficacy of nematode-induced slug mortality. RESULTS: Exposure of slugs to 4 mL of water containing 500, 1000 and 5000 Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita (Schneider) resulted in significant increases in mortality (with hazard ratios of 3.5, 3.9 and 5.8 respectively) and significant reductions in total food consumption and mean food consumption each day for 21 days. Injection of slugs with 4, 8 or 12 microL of P. hypochondriaca venom resulted in significant increases in mortality (with hazard ratios of 3.3, 4.5 and 9.0 respectively) and significant reductions in total food consumption compared with the controls. However, there was no significant effect of venom on the mean food consumption on individual days of the 21 day assay period, although significant reductions occurred for the 8 and 12 microL doses up to day 10. Injecting slugs with 4 microL of venom prior to exposure to 500 nematodes had no synergistic effect on either mortality or food consumption compared with either of the individual treatments. CONCLUSIONS: Pimpla hypochondriaca venom contains factors capable of killing and reducing food consumption by D. reticulatum. The utilization of these factors as components of integrated pest management strategies is discussed.     

The Effects of Cultural Measures on Cereal Pests and Their Role in Integrated Pest Management

The influences of cultural control measures on invertebrate pests and their natural enemies in cereals (wheat, barley and oats) are described and discussed, with emphasis on the major pests in north-west Europe. Possibilities for additive and synergistic combinations of cultural measures are identified, together with opportunities for integrating cultural measures with chemical and biological control where appropriate. Recent studies confirm the central role of cultural control measures in integrated pest management and integrated production of cereal crops. However, cultural measures often have opposing effects on different pests as well as diseases and weeds, so that appropriate measures must be selected on the basis of an assessment of the risks from key pests, diseases and weeds. Crop rotation is not an important means of controlling cereal pests, but its use is recommended for control of cereal diseases and weeds, as well as pests of crops grown in rotation with cereals. Diversification of crops and non-crop habitats in predominantly cereal growing areas is thought to increase numbers of certain parasitoids and polyphagous predators of cereal pests. The presence of weeds or an intercrop in a field together with cereals may reduce the severity of aphid and slug damage to cereals. Trap cropping has not yet been adequately tested in wheat, barley or oats. Cover crops reduce damage by wheat bulb fly in a following wheat crop, but increase the risk of slug damage. Resistance to a wide range of cereal aphid species has been identified in wheat and barley, but in Europe, more emphasis is placed on selecting cultivars with resistance to cereal diseases rather than pest resistance. Resistance in wheat to wheat bulb fly and wheat blossom midge is recorded, and resistance to slug damage has been reported in some laboratory studies. Early sowing of winter cereals results in more damage by certain dipterous pests and increased numbers of the aphid vectors of barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV), but early sowing results in less damage by wheat bulb fly and slugs in autumn/winter and by late infestations of aphids in summer. Avoidance of ploughing results in reduced incidence of wheat bulb fly, yellow cereal fly and aphids, but increased numbers of slugs, wheat blossom midge and bibionid larvae. Avoidance of ploughing can result in greater numbers of certain polyphagous predators, particularly in the first weeks following crop establishment. The presence of straw residues results in increased slug populations, but reduced incidence of yellow cereal fly and wheat blossom midge. Preparation of fine, firm seedbeds discourages attack by slugs and wheat bulb fly on cereals. Drilling at slightly greater depth in rough cloddy seedbeds helps to protect wheat seeds from slug damage. Nitrogen fertiliser applied in spring can help cereal plants compensate for losses by wheat bulb fly or slugs. However, nitrogen applications tend to result in increased summer infestations of aphids.     

A laboratory evaluation of the palatability of legumes to the field slug,Deroceras reticulatum Müller

Slugs are major pests of many crops, including winter wheat, in temperate climates, yet current methods of control are often unreliable. The aim of this study is to investigate the potential for common legume species to act as an alternative source of food, or trap crop, for the most damaging agricultural pest species, the grey field slug, Deroceras reticulatum Müller, thereby reducing damage to the wheat crop. A series of three controlled-environment experiments were designed to assess this aim. Individual slugs were fed leaves of one of ten legume species together with winter wheat leaves for a 72-h period. A clear hierarchy of acceptability was shown, with red clover, lucerne, lupin and white clover showing significantly higher Acceptability Indices than the other six species tested. Red clover produced the greatest reduction in mean wheat consumption (78%) from day 1 to day 3. When species were fed individually, red clover was consumed in significantly greater quantities than any of the other treatments: 40% more than white clover and 56% more than wheat. Furthermore, when fed with red clover the amount of wheat consumed was some 50% less than when the latter was fed alone. The results indicate that legumes vary greatly in their acceptability to D. reticulatum and it is essential that a legume with a high Acceptability Index is chosen, which results in the least amount of wheat consumed.     

Metal chelate molluscicides: The redistribution of iron diazaalkanolates from the gut lumen of the slug,Deroceras reticulatum (Müller) (Pulmonata: Limacidae)

Two related iron chelates, one toxic to slugs by ingestion, the other not, were introduced into the foregut of D. reticulatum. The subsequent movement and redistribution of the metal within the slug tissues was studied by labelling the chelates with the radioactive isotope ⁵⁵Fe. In slugs which survived treatment approximately half of the ⁵⁵Fe was voided in faeces. The iron retained became unevenly distributed, the highest concentration occurring in the digestive gland, irrespective of the chelate used. At high doses, slugs treated with tris(1-oxo-1,2-diazabutan-2-oxido)Fe(III) were fatally poisoned while those treated with the homologue, tris(1-oxo-1,2-diazaoctan-2-oxido)Fe(III) were not. Slugs killed by the toxic chelate consistently contained proportionally less iron in the digestive gland and proportionally more in the body wall and reproductive system. Dosing slugs already killed by carbon dioxide asphyxiation gave a similar pattern, suggesting that the greater mobility of the iron from the toxic chelate was not a function of the slugs' metabolism.     

Comparing the impact of conventional pesticide and use of a transgenic pest-resistant crop on the beneficial carabid beetle Pterostichus melanarius

The potential impact of a chemical pesticide control method has been compared with that of transgenic plants expressing a protease inhibitor conferring insect resistance by utilising a tritrophic system comprising the crop plant Brassica napus (L.) (Oilseed rape), the pest mollusc Deroceras reticulatum (Müller) and the predatory carabid beetle Pterostichus melanarius (Illiger). Cypermethrin, as the most widely used pesticide in UK oilseed rape (OSR) cultivation, was selected as the conventional treatment. OSR expressing a cysteine protease inhibitor, oryzacystatin-1 (OC-1), was the transgenic comparator. In feeding trials, D. reticulatum showed no significant long-term effects on measured life history parameters (survival, weight gain, food consumption) as a result of exposure to either the cypermethrin or OC-1 treatment. However, D. reticulatum was able to respond to the presence of the dietary inhibitor by producing two novel proteases following exposure to OC-1-expressing OSR. Similarly, P. melanarius showed no detectable alterations in mortality, weight gain or food consumption when feeding on D. reticulatum previously fed either pesticide-contaminated or GM plant material. Furthermore, as with the slug, a novel form of protease, approximately M(r) 27 kDa, was induced in the carabid in response to feeding on slugs fed OC-1-expressing OSR.     

Survival and food choice of the grey field slug (Deroceras reticulatum) on three different seed types under laboratory conditions

In Ireland, the grey field slug (Deroceras reticulatum) is the predominant slug pest species in arable crops. It can cause enormous damage, but the knowledge about its feeding biology is limited.Adult species were reared under laboratory conditions, and the survival, feeding activity, and weight change of slugs when feed on maize, peas, or wheat seeds were investigated. An especially high mortality was experienced in the wheat treatment. It was hypothesised that the high mortality was due to a Fusarium species, however, a Fusarium infection of the wheat seeds was not confirmed. The weight change of the slugs was very variable due to a high egg production of some slugs.     

The establishment of Taraxacum officinale plants in grassland

Factors involved in the establishment of Taraxacum officinale (dandelion) seedlings in grasslands and plant mortality in the first growing season were studied during 2008–2011. The study was conducted at 11 grassland sites that differed in the quantity of seed rain and the intensity of seedling predation by slugs. In April, of each study year, 10 plots open to the sedimentation of naturally dispersed seeds were established at each site, five plots of which were also sown with 250 T. officinale seeds each. The amount of natural seed rain, slug feeding activity and number of plants in each plot were then recorded at monthly intervals. Seed rain and seedling predation accounted for c. 50% of the variation in seedling establishment. Populations of established seedlings then declined through October, at which point they were at 25% of the original abundance on average. The percentage of plants that survived varied among sites and years. The temporal and spatial variation in T. officinale establishment and survival of young plants was enormous, even within a small area. Predation of seedlings by slugs can effectively prevent the establishment of T. officinale in grassland. This only occurred, however, at slug abundances not acceptable under conditions of public access.     

安徽省小麦孢囊线虫田间分布及危害调查

在田间用涕灭威作播前土壤处理抑制土壤中线虫虫口,测定分析田间小麦孢囊线虫对3个小麦品种分蘖期和孕穗期的生长影响。结果表明：小麦孢囊线虫田间分布模型为聚集分布,土壤中其卵密度范围为0～42．8粒／g土,平均密度为6．5粒／g土,已达到危害水平以上。小麦中前期生长调查表明,小麦孢囊线虫没有对分蘖期小麦生长造成显著影响;孕穗期小麦孢囊线虫的危害能造成小麦每株穗数减少13．8％、鲜重降低14．5％,但对株高没有影响;孕穗期小麦品种对孢囊线虫的反应差异显著,受小麦孢囊线虫危害后,新麦12和皖麦50的单株鲜重量分别降低23．3％和22．5％,孕穗数分别减少了25．9％和11．1％,但徐州8562孕穗数减少不显著。     

安徽省小麦胞囊线虫田间分布及危害调查

在田间用涕灭威作播前土壤处理抑制土壤中线虫虫口,测定分析田间小麦孢囊线虫对3个小麦品种分蘖期和孕穗期的生长影响。结果表明：小麦孢囊线虫田间分布模型为聚集分布,土壤中其卵密度范围为0～42.8粒/g土,平均密度为6.5粒/g土,已达到危害水平以上。小麦中前期生长调查表明,小麦孢囊线虫没有对分蘖期小麦生长造成显著影响;孕穗期小麦孢囊线虫的危害能造成小麦每株穗数减少13.8%、鲜重降低14.5%,但对株高没有影响;孕穗期小麦品种对孢囊线虫的反应差异显著,受小麦孢囊线虫危害后,新麦12和皖麦50的单株鲜重量分别降低23.3%和22.5%,孕穗数分别减少了25.9%和11.1%,但徐州8562孕穗数减少不显著。     

Survival and food choice of the grey field slug (Deroceras reticulatum) on three different seed types under laboratory conditions

In Ireland, the grey field slug (Deroceras reticulatum) is the predominant slug pest species in arable crops. It can cause enormous damage, but the knowledge about its feeding biology is limited.Adult species were reared under laboratory conditions, and the survival, feeding activity, and weight change of slugs when feed on maize, peas, or wheat seeds were investigated. An especially high mortality was experienced in the wheat treatment. It was hypothesised that the high mortality was due to a Fusarium species, however, a Fusarium infection of the wheat seeds was not confirmed. The weight change of the slugs was very variable due to a high egg production of some slugs.A second experiment examined the food choice and feeding activity of D. reticulatum when offered a choice of the three seed types. Most of the slugs preferred to feed on a mixture of seeds, but the highest feeding activity was recorded on the pea seeds.     

Effects of depth of seed burial and soil aggregate size on seedling emergence of Alopecurus myosuroides, Galium aparine, Stellaria media and wheat

Seedling emergence of Alopecurus myosuroides Huds., Stellaria media L. (Vill.), Galium aparine L. and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was compared at a range of depths of soil cover from 2 to 11 cm. The covering soil was a fertile agricultural soil with 60% clay content which had been sieved into four aggregate sizes. The aggregate sizes used were 26-50 mm. 14-25 mm. 6-13 mm and below 6 mm. Total emergence of all species was reduced with increased depth of sou cover. With A. myosuroides and S. media, total emergence was lowest in fine soil conditions. Alopecurus myosuroides showed a marked interaction whereby response to depth of sowing was least with fine tilth. The time to 50% emergence showed a similar response. With all four species, seedling emergence was slowest at greater depths of sowing and with the finest tilth, the differences tending to increase with increasing depth of sowing. A vert high proportion of the time to 50% emergence was accounted for by the lag time between sowing and the first recorded emergence.     

The behavioural response of slugs and snails to novel molluscicides, irritants and repellents

The behavioural response of the slug Deroceras panormitanum (Lessona and Pollonera) and the snail Oxyloma pfeifferi (Rossm?ssler) to novel molluscicides was investigated in choice and no-choice experiments. Low-light video-recording in combination with automated tracking and event recording was used to identify the repellent and irritant effects of (1) cinnamamide, (2) copper ammonium carbonate, (3) a mulch, (4) a horticultural ground-cover matting impregnated with a copper formulation and (5) urea/formaldehyde. In the no-choice experiments the products had a stronger irritant effect on the snails than on the slugs. All products tested except the mulch significantly reduced the locomotor activity of both the slugs and snails. The most effective product, cinnamamide, reduced snail locomotor activity by 94% and track length by 96%. The overall repellent effect of the treatments in the choice experiments was stronger in the slugs; where presence, locomotor activity and track length in the treated area were significantly reduced by all products. The avoidance of treated areas exceeded 95% with the mulch (for slugs) and with copper ammonium carbonate (for snails).     

氟吡菌酰胺不同施药方式对水稻拟禾本科根结线虫的防治效果

为评价41.7%氟吡菌酰胺悬浮剂防治水稻拟禾本科根结线虫Meloidogyne graminicola的应用潜力,将氟吡菌酰胺与吡虫啉种衣剂混合后采用种子包衣法及喷洒法研究其对水稻拟禾本科根结线虫的田间防效,并测定了不同施药方法对水稻生长和产量的影响。结果表明,氟吡菌酰胺4.2、8.3、12.5 g（a.i.）/kg种子与吡虫啉18.0 g（a.i.）/kg种子混合包衣处理,播种后35 d其根结抑制率和防效分别为41.0%~51.8%和47.4%~58.6%,土壤中2龄幼虫减退率为38.6%~40.4%,显著高于单施吡虫啉18.0 g（a.i.）/kg种子处理。水稻播种后连续3次以氟吡菌酰胺250.2、375.3、500.4 g（a.i.）/hm²进行土壤喷洒,最后1次施药后7 d,其根结抑制率和防效分别为81.0%~89.9%和65.9%~74.3%,土壤中2龄幼虫减退率为65.4%~73.4%,均显著高于对照药剂克百威1 800.0 g（a.i.）/hm²处理。氟吡菌酰胺各处理对水稻苗期生长均有较好的保护作用,能显著提高千粒重和有效穗数,产量比空白对照增加50.0%~61.2%,保产效果显著。水稻播种后35 d采用氟吡菌酰胺对稻田进行1次喷洒,对水稻具有一定的保护作用,保产效果不明显。表明采用氟吡菌酰胺与吡虫啉混合包衣种子处理及在水稻苗期进行喷洒处理对水稻拟禾本科根结线虫防效显著,具有显著的保产效果。     

A laboratory-based comparison of a molluscicide and an alternative food source (red clover) as means of reducing slug damage to winter wheat

Slugs are major pests of many crops in the UK, including winter wheat, yet current methods of control are often unreliable. This study investigates the potential use of red clover, as an alternative food source, to reduce the amount of damage caused to winter wheat by the field slug, Deroceras reticulatum (Müller). Two laboratory-based studies, each conducted over a 7-day period, investigated the effects of red clover seedlings and commercial metaldehyde pellets on damage to winter wheat seeds and seedlings. The results indicate that metaldehyde applications, in the form of commercially available pellets, resulted in significantly greater protection to wheat seeds compared with red clover, whereas metaldehyde and red clover were equally as effective in reducing damage to wheat seedlings. A further laboratory experiment investigated the effect of two slug population densities (48 and 16 adults m(-2)) and high and low red clover seed rates (125% and 75% of a standard rate) on damage to wheat seeds. Results showed that, at the highest slug population density, red clover sown at 125% of the standard rate gave 99% protection to wheat seeds, compared with the 75% seed rate which gave 55%. At the lower slug population density, both seed rates of red clover resulted in similar levels of protection. Implications for the potential use of red clover as an alternative food source for reducing damage to winter wheat in field conditions are discussed.     

引进美国无芒雀麦栽培技术的研究

引进美国无芒雀麦(Bromus stam ineus Desv.)是农业部948项目"旱生灌草植物资源的引进及开发利用"的引进草种之一,为了合理开发和利用它,本实验采用田间实验对比设计方法,研究不同播种方式和播种密度对其生长指标的影响;利用方差分析,确定了引进美国无芒雀麦的合理播种方式和播种密度。结果表明:1)撒播时,在播种密度为549粒.m-2处理下单位面积出苗率最高,分蘖数最多,鲜重最大,单株最高,种子产量最大;生长速度在播种密度为412粒.m-2处理下生长最快,密度为549粒.m-2处理下稍次之,结合方差分析可以初步确定它在撒播时的播种密度为549粒.m-2;2)条播时,在行距为25cm、播种密度为412粒.m-2处理下单位面积分蘖数最多,鲜重最大,单株最高,生长速度最快;种子产量在行距为15cm、播种密度为824粒.m-2处理下最大,在行距为25cm、密度412粒.m-2处理下次之;结合方差分析,就3种规格的行距来说,引进美国无芒雀麦条播时的行距为25cm,播种密度为412粒.m-2;就这两种播种方式来说,应该选择撒播。     

Correlation between the soil seed bank and weed populations in maize fields

Annual weed populations establish every year from persistent seed banks in the soil. This 3 year study investigated the relationship between the number of weed seeds in the soil seed bank and the resultant populations of major broadleaf and grass weeds in 30 maize fields. After planting the crop, 1 m² areas were protected from the pre-emergence herbicide application. Soil samples were collected soon after spraying to a depth of 100 mm and the weed seeds therein were enumerated. The emerged weed seedlings in the field sampling areas were counted over the following 8 weeks. Up to 67 broadleaf species and five grass weeds were identified, although not all were found at every site and some were specific to a region or soil type. For the most abundant weeds in the field plots, on average 2.1–8.2% of the seeds of the broadleaf species and 6.2–11.9% of the seeds of the grass weeds in the soil seed bank emerged in any one year, depending on the species. Overall, the results showed a strong linear relationship between the seed numbers in the soil and the seedling numbers in the field for all the grasses and for most broadleaf weeds. For some species, like Trifolium repens , only a weak relationship was observed. In the case of Chenopodium album , which had the largest seed bank, there was evidence of asymptotic behavior, with seedling emergence leveling off at high seed numbers. An estimate of the soil seed bank combined with knowledge of the germination and behavior of specific weed species would thus have good potential for predicting future weed infestations in maize fields.     

Growth of Emex australis out-of-season: relevance to biological control of an annual weed

Populations of the winter annual Emex australis were established by initiating irrigation at monthly intervals, beginning in mid-summer. Natural seedling densities varied from 100 m^?2 when irrigation was begun during late January to almost 700 m^?2 when it began at the end of March. Densities were increased by sowing non-dormant seeds, but most sown seeds became dormant when introduced before autumn. Plants which emerged after the earliest irrigation grew most rapidly. Those originating from the latest irrigation grew most slowly, in association with vigorous growth of other annual species. Because it minimizes interspecific competition, early commencement of irrigation, coupled with sowings of nondormant seeds is the best method for establishing E. australis during summer. Maintenance of such populations may enhance the persistence of non-aestivating biological control agents and/or boost their numbers prior to the onset of mass germination. This approach could also prove useful for other winter annuals which are targeted for biological control.     

Population regulation of Galinsoga ciliata and G. parviflora

The population response of the two sympatric annual weeds, Galinsoga ciliata (Raf.) Blake and G. parviflora Cav., which occur abundantly in croplands and early secondary successional communities in the north-eastern hill region of India was studied in relation to sowing pattern (clump or scattered sowing), population density and soil moisture and texture. In a given sowing pattern, seed germination of both species declined with increase in sowing density and moisture stress. However, sowing of seeds in clumps and an increased proportion of sand in soil enhanced the germination, Fewer weeds died in the population raised from scattered sowing than from clumped distribution. Plants grown at high moisture level matured earlier, and fertility of the survivors was negatively correlated with both density and moisture stress in both species although G. ciliata was less affected. Seed output and dry matter yield per pot of both species increased with population density but the increase was not linearly related to the increase in plant numbers, and density-induced reduction in seed output was observed at high densities. Galinsoga ciliata appears to tolerate greater density-stress than G. parviflora. Asubstantial decrease in production of capitula, seeds and dry matter at low moisture level indicates the role played by soil moisture in regulating the population growth of the two weeds. An increased proportion of sand in soil resulted in significantly greater seed production in G. parviflora. Galinsoga ciliata also showed a similar trend although the differences were not statistically significant.