江苏、河南、安徽和山东四省小麦纹枯病菌对井冈霉素的敏感性监测

采用菌丝生长速率法监测了1984、2001和2010年江苏省小麦纹枯病菌Rhizoctonia cerealis对井冈霉素的敏感性变化趋势,以及2010年河南、安徽和山东3省小麦纹枯病菌对井冈霉素的敏感性现状。结果表明:1984、2001和2010年江苏省小麦纹枯病菌对井冈霉素的EC50值范围分别为0.31~0.87、0.05~1.21和0.20~1.09 μg/mL,26年间江苏省小麦纹枯病菌对井冈霉素的敏感性未发生显著性变化;2010年河南、安徽和山东3省小麦纹枯病菌对井冈霉素的EC50值范围分别为0.15~1.16、0.43~0.90和0.09~1.33 μg/mL,4省小麦纹枯病菌对井冈霉素的敏感性相互间差异不显著。井冈霉素仍然可以作为防治小麦纹枯病的主要药剂。     

华北和新疆棉铃虫对三类农药抗性发展趋势分析

1996－1999年监测了河北冀州,河南西华,山东高密和新疆库尔勒棉铃虫对氯氟氰菊酯,久效磷和灭多威的抗性动态变化,结果表明,新疆棉铃虫抗性水平变化很少,尚处于敏感状态或低抗水平,而华北棉铃虫已处于中到高抗水平,不同年份比较,对氯氟氰菊酯,冀州棉铃虫抗性呈下降趋势,而西华和高密棉铃虫在1996－1998年呈上升趋势,但自1998年起华北地区大量种植Bt棉,使得1999年棉铃虫抗性有所下降,对久效磷和灭多威,华北各地棉铃虫的抗性在1996－1999年均呈上升趋势。棉铃虫抗性个体频率变化趋势与上述结果基本一致。     

Management of insecticide resistance in Oriental fruit moth (Grapholita molesta; Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) populations from Ontario

The development of resistance in the Oriental fruit moth, Grapholita molesta (Busck) to organophosphorus (OP) insecticides (azinphos-methyl and phosmet) is a serious threat to the tender fruit industry in Ontario (50% crop losses in 1994). Resistance to carbamate insecticides and increased survival of field-collected moths at diagnostic concentrations of pyrethroids were widespread. As a result, four different treatment regimes were tested to manage resistance in G molesta, and the changes in resistance frequencies under each treatment regime were monitored from 1996 to 1999. The data indicated that the levels of resistance were significantly influenced by the various treatment regimes. The seasonal pattern of resistance was similar for all treatment regimes, in that resistance peaked in mid-season and declined in the late season. Levels of resistance in G molesta to OPs decreased from 55% to 14% and that to pyrethroids declined from 30% to 10% from 1996 to 1999 under a treatment regime consisting of endosulfan-organophosphate-pyrethroid rotation. Similarly, under a treatment regime implemented in commercial orchards (organophosphate-pyrethroid rotation), resistance to OP insecticides declined from 50% to 12% and resistance to pyrethroids evolved to around 16%. The overall data indicated that resistance was unstable; a strategy based on rotation of insecticides by class for each generation of G molesta was successful in managing resistance to both OP and pyrethroid insecticides. The rotational strategy has been widely adopted by growers and is applied to ca 85% of the acreage.     

Species differences in the in vitro inhibition of brain acetylcholinesterase and carboxylesterase by mipafox,paraoxon, and soman

Acute intraperitoneal toxicity of mipafox, paraoxon, and soman was highest in chicken, followed by rat, and lowest in frog. Species differences in organophosphorus toxicity were not related to differences in the specific activities of either acetylcholinesterase or carboxylesterase in brain. The sensitivity to inhibition of brain acetylcholinesterase in vitro by the organophosphorus compounds was closely related to the susceptibility of the species to acute organophosphorus poisoning. Both the acute toxicity and the sensitivity of brain acetylcholinesterase to inhibition in vitro by organophosphorus compounds in all the species were in the following order of increasing activity: mipafox < paraoxon < soman. The sensitivity of brain carboxylesterase to inhibition by the organophosphorus compounds were less than that of acetylcholinesterase and it could not be related to species susceptibility to acute organophosphorus toxicity. Paraoxon-insensitive phenyl valerate hydrolase in chicken brain was more sensitive to inhibition by mipafox and soman compared to rat; in chicken the sensitivity of paraoxon-insensitive phenyl valerate hydrolase to inhibition by soman was 9000 times more than that by mipafox, while in rat it was 100 times more. Frog brain had no paraoxon-insensitive phenyl valerate hydrolase activity. No evidence of age dependence was noticed in the specific activities of brain acetylcholinesterase, carboxylesterase, neurotoxic esterase, and paraoxon-insensitive phenyl valerate hydrolase or in the sensitivity of these enzymes to in vitro inhibition by organophosphorus compounds in both rats and chickens.     

Pedestrian sprayers: equipment for ultra-low and very-low volume spraying1

Plant protection products often need to be applied to small areas, inaccessible to vehicular equipment, hence the need for manually carried equipment. While there are lever-operated knapsack and compression sprayers using conventional hydraulic nozzles, reduced-volume applications have been developed in combination with the use of rotary atomizers to provide a narrow droplet spectrum. Most of the initial development of these hand-carried battery-operated spinning disc sprayers was for their use in the semi-arid tropics to apply insecticides to cotton in the absence of plentiful water supplies. This continues to be the main market for these sprayers, although the trend recently has been away from oil-based ultra-low volume formulations to very-low volume spraying (typically 5-1 5 litre ha¹) of water-based formulations to reduce costs and allow greater flexibility in choice of insecticide in integrated pest management programmes. Changes in equipment design have been made to suit this change in spray volume and formulation. Air-assisted sprayers have also been used in glasshouses. Subsequent development of rotary atomizers operated at slower speeds has led to the equipment being used for herbicide application. especially in forestry and urban situations where low weight of equipment and drift reduction have been important considerations. Formulations prepacked in containers to connect directly to the sprayers have been used to reduce operator contamination.     

Tolerance to paraquat-mediated oxidative and environmental stresses in squash (Cucurbita spp.) leaves of various ages

Paraquat is labeled for row-middle application on cucurbits, but drift to crop foliage is inevitable. Experiments were conducted to determine whether differential tolerance to paraquat existed among leaves of various ages in Cucurbita spp. (squash) and other plants, and to examine whether leaves tolerant to paraquat are also tolerant to other herbicides and abiotic stresses. Physiological responses to paraquat, including antioxidant activity, were investigated in squash leaves to identify mechanisms of paraquat tolerance. Although the level of paraquat tolerance differed by leaf age, cultivar, and species, the level of paraquat injury was lower in younger leaves than in older leaves in 14 of 18 squash cultivars and 5 of 12 other species tested. Cellular leakage and lipid peroxidation were consistently lower in the youngest leaf (leaf 4) than in the older leaves. Quantum yield and relative chlorophyll content were the same in all leaves of nontreated plants. Epicuticular wax content was higher in the youngest leaf than in leaves 1, 2, and 3 of cv. ‘Joongangaehobak’ and ‘Wonbiaehobak’. However, leaf cuticle content was not consistent with leaf ages. Differential leaf response to paraquat was partially correlated with the change in catalase, peroxidase, ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and glutathione reductase activities in nontreated and treated leaves. The APX activity in the youngest leaf was generally 2 times higher than in leaves 1-3 in both nontreated and treated plants. Ascorbate antioxidant levels were also higher in the youngest leaf than those in leaves 1-3. Leaves tolerant to paraquat were also tolerant to diquat and to abiotic stresses, low temperature and drought. However, tolerance to oxyfluorfen, which has a different mode of action than paraquat and diquat, was higher in older than in younger leaves. Higher tolerance to paraquat-mediated oxidative and abiotic stresses in young leaves of most squash cultivars might contribute to the differential prevention of oxidative damage in leaves of various ages.     

Enhanced Resistance to Sclerotium rolfsii in Populations of Alfalfa Selected for Quantitative Resistance to Sclerotinia trifoliorum

ABSTRACT Sclerotinia trifoliorum and Sclerotium rolfsii are pathogens for which similar mechanisms of parasitism have been proposed. This suggested that resistance to these pathogens may be related in a common host plant. This study was undertaken to determine whether selection for quantitative resistance to Sclerotinia trifoliorum in alfalfa also increases resistance to Sclerotium rolfsii as expressed in excised leaf tissues and whole plants. Resistance in excised leaf tissues was evaluated according to the rate of necrosis induced by Sclerotium rolfsii following inoculation with mycelium. Resistance to Sclerotium rolfsii in whole plants was evaluated according to their survival following crown inoculations. Three alfalfa populations previously selected from cv. Delta for quantitative resistance to Sclerotinia trifoliorum exhibited enhanced resistance to Sclerotium rolfsii, in comparison with Delta or with susceptible populations, in excised leaf tissues. When whole plants of Delta and two of these populations, Sclerotinia trifoliorum resistant (STR) and Mississippi Sclerotinia resistant (MSR), were inoculated with Sclerotium rolfsii at 3 to 8 weeks of age, significant (P = 0.01) differences in survival were attributed to plant age at inoculation and alfalfa populations. Survival of both MSR and STR was significantly (P = 0.05) greater than for Delta; the best differential results were obtained by inoculating plants 5 to 7 weeks old. To evaluate relationships of resistance to Sclerotinia trifoliorum and Sclerotium rolfsii over a broader genetic background, additional populations were selected for resistance to Sclerotinia trifoliorum from four other alfalfa cultivars by leaf-inoculation techniques, and this resistance was confirmed by whole-plant inoculations. In excised leaf tissues, all four of these populations also expressed enhanced resistance to Sclerotium rolfsii in comparison with either parent cultivars or populations of comparable size selected at random. These results establish that selection for quantitative resistance to Sclerotinia trifoliorum in alfalfa also confers enhanced resistance to Sclerotium rolfsii as expressed in excised leaf tissues and whole plants. Results suggest, therefore, that genes for quantitative resistance to Sclerotinia trifoliorum and Sclerotium rolfsii in alfalfa are likely to be synonymous, overlapping, or closely linked.     

小菜蛾对溴氰菊酯抗性选育及其机理

本研究用溴氰菊酯在室内以点滴法处理小菜蛾４龄幼虫，连续继代药剂淘汰选育其抗药性，至Ｆ６５代，抗药性提高到１１６３倍，已形成高抗生品系。其抗性的形成发展趋势为前期相对缓慢，中期较快，后期迅速增长。于１９９２、１９９３、１９９４年分别以氯氰菊酯、敌敌畏、杀虫双、灭虫剂有明显 正交互抗性，对其它非菊酯类杀虫虫没有产生交互抗性。用聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳地（ＰＡＧＥ）测定表明，小菜蛾对溴氰菊酯抗性的产生可能与非     

Glyphosate sustainability in South American cropping systems

South America represents about 12% of the global land area, and Brazil roughly corresponds to 47% of that. The major sustainable agricultural system in South America is based on a no-tillage cropping system, which is a worldwide adopted agricultural conservation system. Societal benefits of conservation systems in agriculture include greater use of conservation tillage, which reduces soil erosion and associated loading of pesticides, nutrients and sediments into the environment. However, overreliance on glyphosate and simpler cropping systems has resulted in the selection of tolerant weed species through weed shifts (WSs) and evolution of herbicide-resistant weed (HRW) biotypes to glyphosate. It is a challenge in South America to design herbicide- and non-herbicide-based strategies that effectively delay and/or manage evolution of HRWs and WSs to weeds tolerant to glyphosate in cropping systems based on recurrent glyphosate application, such as those used with glyphosate-resistant soybeans. The objectives of this paper are (i) to provide an overview of some factors that influence WSs and HRWs to glyphosate in South America, especially in Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay soybean cropped areas; (ii) to discuss the viability of using crop rotation and/or cover crops that might be integrated with forage crops in an economically and environmentally sustainable system; and (iii) to summarize the results of a survey of the perceptions of Brazilian farmers to problems with WSs and HRWs to glyphosate, and the level of adoption of good agricultural practices in order to prevent or manage it.     

四川省草地贪夜蛾世代区划

为明确草地贪夜蛾Spodoptera frugiperda在四川省不同地区的发生世代,本文根据四川省2019年、2020年草地贪夜蛾虫情及2010年-2019年近10年气温数据,利用有效积温法则对四川省草地贪夜蛾发生世代数进行预测,并运用ArcGIS进行Kriging插值分析,获得四川省草地贪夜蛾世代区划.结果表明,基...     

Insecticide resistance in the bollworm,Helicoverpa armigera from Indonesia

Helicoverpa armigera collected from cotton growing areas of South Sulawesi, Indonesia in 1987 and early 1988 were resistant to cypermethrin. It is suggested that the 86-fold resistance to cis-cypermethrin in 1987 and the 65-fold resistance to cis/trans-cypermethrin in 1988 are consistent with this being a major cause of failure to control the insects in cotton in this area. The second laboratory generation showed a 20-fold resistance to fenvalerate. The larvae collected in 1988 additionally had a 203-fold resistance to DDT and a 5.6-fold resistance to endosulfan. The results are discussed in relation to the fact that this is a further region in which Helicoverpa armigera has developed resistance to a number of pyrethroids.     

Survival of Phytophthora infestans in Surface Water

ABSTRACT Coverless petri dishes with water suspensions of sporangia and zoospores of Phytophthora infestans were embedded in sandy soil in eastern Washington in July and October 2001 and July 2002 to quantify longevity of spores in water under natural conditions. Effects of solar radiation intensity, presence of soil in petri dishes (15 g per dish), and a 2-h chill period on survival of isolates of clonal lineages US-8 and US-11 were investigated. Spores in water suspensions survived 0 to 16 days under nonshaded conditions and 2 to 20 days under shaded conditions. Mean spore survival significantly increased from 1.7 to 5.8 days when soil was added to the water. Maximum survival time of spores in water without soil exposed to direct sunlight was 2 to 3 days in July and 6 to 8 days in October. Mean duration of survival did not differ significantly between chilled and nonchilled sporangia, but significantly fewer chilled spores survived for extended periods than that of nonchilled spores. Spores of US-11 and US-8 isolates did not differ in mean duration of survival, but significantly greater numbers of sporangia of US-8 survived than did sporangia of US-11 in one of three trials.     

Sex-related differences in the tolerance of Oriental fruit moth (Grapholita molesta) to organophosphate insecticides

In vivo toxicity assays have shown that organophosphate insecticides are less toxic to male than to female Oriental fruit moths Grapholita molesta. While male moths have higher levels of acetylcholinesterase and general esterase activities, female moth acetylcholinesterase enzymes are less sensitive to aromatic and aliphatic organophosphates than male enzymes. Elevated esterase and acetylcholinesterase activities in male moths explain their greater tolerance to aromatic and aliphatic organophosphates. Male and female acetylcholinesterase enzymes are equally tolerant to heteroaromatic organophosphates, the most widely used of this class of insecticides in G molesta control. This observation, in contrast to the greater sensitivity of male acetylcholinesterases to aromatic and aliphatic organophosphates, shows the potential for the evolution of insensitive target sites in male moths, which would increase male G molesta tolerance to these insecticides. Significant sex-linked differences in insecticide tolerance have not been reported previously in lepidopterans. The practical implications of the observed differences in tolerance in male and female G molesta question the practice of using pheromone traps to monitor populations of these moths in orchards.     

Esterase-mediated tolerance to a formulation of the organophosphate insecticide monocrotophos in the entomopathogenic fungus, Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuill: a promising biopesticide

The use of biopesticides compatible with chemical pesticides is recommended in pest management as an effective and ecologically sound strategy. The entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuill, which is used as a biopesticide, was found to exhibit and lose tolerance to two organophosphorus insecticides widely used in Indian fields. The pattern of response is similar to the esterase-mediated organophosphate tolerance in aphids achieved through esterase gene duplication. Therefore the role of esterase in the tolerance exhibited by isolates of B. bassiana to the organophosphate, monocrotophos, was studied. Both the total soluble protein content and esterase activity were found to increase significantly in B. bassiana cultures that were able to grow in the presence of monocrotophos. With the hitherto established linkage between esterase overproduction and organophosphate tolerance in insects and the observed similarity in response of the insects and B. bassiana to the chemical, it is concluded that tolerance to monocrotophos in B. bassiana may be due to a mechanism similar to that operating in insects. Habituation of the fungus to monocrotophos to initiate expression of esterase gene may help in achieving compatibility between the two.     

近54年来晋陕蒙地区降水变化特征

以晋陕蒙地区60个气象站点1960—2013年逐日降水观测资料为基础,分析了晋陕蒙地区近54年来年均降水量和极端降水量的时空变化。研究发现,近54年来,晋陕蒙3个省(区):(1)年均降水量都在波动中呈缓慢的减少趋势,减少趋势均不显著,晋陕蒙三省(区)减少趋势分别为14.014、10.706 mm·10a-1和0.76 mm·10a-1;空间上内蒙古年均降水量呈现出明显的东西差异,由东部400~500 mm向西减少到200 mm以下,山西年均降水量由东南向西北递减,晋东南在500~800 mm,而晋西北在400~500 mm,陕西年均降水量表现为南多北少的特点,陕南地区大于800 mm,陕北下降到400~500 mm。(2)从变化趋势上来看,从东南向西北,降水出现由减少到增多的变化趋势,原来降水多的地区趋于减少,降水少的区域趋于增多,晋陕蒙地区内部降水量差异趋于减小。内蒙古东部减幅为0~1 mm·a-1,而西部增幅为0~1 mm·a-1。山西省南部最大减幅1~3 mm·a-1,而在晋东北减幅在3 mm·a-1以上。陕北和陕南地区减幅较小为0~1 mm·a-1,陕西中部大部分地区减幅较大为1~3 mm·a-1。(3)200 mm和400 mm降水等值线呈明显年代际波动,1970年代和1990年代偏西偏北,1980年代和2000年代偏东偏南。近年来夏季风影响范围缩小,内蒙古降水趋于减少,晋陕南部略有增加。(4)年均极端降水量呈不显著增加趋势,变化幅度大部分在0~1 mm·a-1,此时段内极端降水量未发生突变,极端降水量的增加,使本地区降水处于不稳定状态;极端降水强度方面,山西和陕西的极端降水强度明显大于内蒙古,山西和陕西极端降水强度由南向北依次递减,陕西南部大于50 mm·a-1,而北部降低到30~40 mm·a-1,山西省大部分地区在40~50mm·a-1,只有在北部为30~40 mm·a-1,内蒙古极端降水强度由东向西逐步减少,东部为30~40 mm·a-1,西部在20 mm·a-1以下,极端降水强度的变化趋势内部差异不大;极端降水日数呈弱增长,增长水平不显著,此时段内极端降水日数没有出现剧烈变化。     

Depth Distribution of Rotylenchulus reniformis Under Different Tillage and Crop Sequence Systems

ABSTRACT The population density of the reniform nematode, Rotylenchulus reniformis, was monitored at depths of 0 to 30, 30 to 60, 60 to 90, and 90 to 120 cm in a tillage and crop sequence trial in south Texas in 2000 and 2001. Main plots were subjected to three different tillage systems: conventional tillage (moldboard plowing and disking), ridge tillage, and no-tillage. Subplots were planted with three different crop sequences: spring cotton and fall corn every year; spring cotton and fall corn in one year, followed by corn for two years; and cotton followed by corn and then grain sorghum, one spring crop per year. The population density of R. reniformis on corn and grain sorghum was low throughout the soil profile. In plots planted with spring cotton and fall corn every year, fewer nematodes were found at depths of 60 to 120 cm in the no-tillage and ridge tillage systems than in the conventional tillage system. Population densities were lower at depths of 0 to 60 cm than at 60 to 120 cm. Soil moisture and cotton root length did not affect nematode population densities in the field. When soil was placed in pots and planted with cotton in the greenhouse, lower population densities developed in soil taken from depths of 0 to 60 cm than in soil from depths of 60 to 120 cm. Final nematode populations were similar in size in soil from the different tillage systems, but reproductive factors were higher in soil from plots with reduced-tillage systems than in soil from plots with conventional tillage. Reduced-tillage practices lowered the risk of increases in R. reniformis populations and reduced population densities following 2 years of non-hosts throughout soil depths, but population densities resurged to the same high levels as in soil planted with cotton every year during one season of cotton.     

基于改进相对资源承载力模型的天山北坡可持续发展研究

某一区域人口可持续发展的重要保障在于这一区域的自然资源及经济资源禀赋条件,特定区域人口和经济的双重合理布局是可持续发展的基础。利用改进的相对资源承载力模型,计算2000-2010年天山北坡的相对资源人口承载力和相对资源经济承载力,探讨天山北坡各县市相对资源承载力的时空演变及差异特征。研究表明：① 以新疆为参照区,近10 a来天山北坡处于人口非常富余、经济超载或严重超载阶段。② 与全疆相比,水资源是天山北坡的优势资源,土地资源是制约天山北坡人口、经济发展的劣势资源。③ 以天山北坡为参照区,相对资源人口承载力非常富余度最大的是克拉玛依市,超载最严重的是博乐市;相对资源经济承载力超载最严重的是克拉玛依市,非常富余度最大的是奇台县。④ 依据相对资源人口、经济承载力的超载或富余状态,将天山北坡各县市归为4类资源承载力匹配区。     

FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TOLERANCE OF BLACKCURRANTS TO SIMAZINE

Summary. Evidence is presented that blackcurrants show a considerable tolerance to simazine when the entire root system is exposed to a uniform concentration of the herbicide in sand and water culture. The tolerance of this species under field conditions does not therefore seem to be primarily due to root development being limited in the surface soil to which simazine is applied. Accordingly, experiments were carried out using simazine, labelled in the ring with ¹⁴C, to determine whether there were restrictions to the uptake of the herbicide by the roots and its translocation to the xylem sap and leaves, and whether there was extensive breakdown of simazine in the plant. The results of these experiments are compared with those on two susceptible species, barley and marrow.
Although simazine appeared to be metabolized to a greater extent in blackcurrants, and was less readily translocated from the roots, than in the susceptible species, a substantial proportion of the labelled material in the leaves was present as unchanged simazine. Studies on the effects of simazine on the rate of transpiration of detached leaves of the three species suggested that in blackcurrants there was a restriction to movement of the herbicide from the conducting tissue in the leaves to the mesophyll; this was confirmed by autoradiographs. It is suggested that this restriction, combined with partial breakdown of the herbicide in the leaves, may be responsible for the tolerance of blackcurrants to simazine.
Résistance du cassissier à la simazine     

Explaining variation in the effects of take-all (Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici) on nitrogen and water uptake by winter wheat

Two field experiments, in 1999 and 2000, were used to test whether reductions in root growth and function explained the effects of take-all on crop water and nitrogen uptake. The fungicide silthiofam was used to manipulate take-all independently of other factors. Soil water content was manipulated from heading to determine effects on disease progress and resource capture. Epidemic progress was significantly delayed in the presence of silthiofam, leading to reductions in disease in both experiments. Effects of silthiofam were reduced by increasing soil water late in the season, although only in 2000 did increased soil water content have a direct effect, leading to a higher rate of disease increase. Higher levels of disease in the absence of silthiofam did not affect root growth as measured by total root length density (TRLD), but did lead to significantly reduced healthy root length density (HRLD, a measure of functional roots) in both experiments. Only in 2000 were there any significant effects of increased take-all on water and nitrogen uptake. This was attributed to the higher TRLD in the (1999) crop, which allowed HRLDs to be maintained above a critical threshold (where water and nitrogen uptake start to be severely affected) despite loss of functional root to disease. The effects of take-all on nitrogen uptake were more likely to affect crop canopy size and duration than the relatively small effects observed on water uptake. Increasing soil water content allowed the crop to take up more water in absolute terms despite, in 2000, increasing levels of disease and reducing HRLD.     

Organophosphorus insecticides affect normal polyamine metabolism in amphibian embryogenesis

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the concentration- and time-dependent effects of the organophosphorus insecticides malathion and azinphos-methyl on polyamine metabolism, and relate them to normal and altered embryonic development of the common toad Rhinella arenarum. Control embryos showed that the higher polyamines spermidine and spermine acquired importance with respect to the diamine putrescine as embryonic development progressed. The activity of ornithine decarboxylase significantly decreased in complete operculum embryos. Continuous exposure to malathion caused a decrease in polyamine levels during embryonic development. However, there was an increase in putrescine levels in complete operculum embryos exposed to a sublethal concentration of the insecticide. Embryos exposed to malathion displayed a decrease in fresh weight and size, along with an increase in the number of malformed individuals. R. arenarum embryos exposed to a lethal concentration of azinphos-methyl showed an increase in putrescine levels and a decrease in spermidine and spermine levels, accompanied by an increase in ornithine decarboxylase activity. In conclusion, as the embryonic development of the toad R. arenarum progresses, polyamine metabolism shifts to higher polyamine levels with a more preponderant contribution of spermidine and spermine with respect to putrescine and involves a dramatic change in ornithine decarboxylase activity, one of the key regulatory enzymes of the pathway. Organophosphorus insecticides are capable of altering polyamine metabolism, slowing embryo development in parallel with a reduction in spermidine and spermine levels. An increase in the oxidative degradation of polyamines might be involved in the toxic action of organophosphorus insecticides and might also be related to other effects such as teratogenesis.