中国农作物有害生物监控信息系统的建立与应用

中国农作物有害生物监控信息系统将计算机网络技术和植物保护专业技术相结合,构建了我国农作物病虫害监测预警和控制体系基础平台,实现了全国主要病虫害监控信息的网络传输、分析处理和资源共享,推进了我国农作物病虫害监测预警信息化进程。     

Structure and organization of warning services in Rheinland‐Pfalz (Germany)*

Rheinland‐Pfalz, a federal state in the south‐western part of Germany, is an agricultural region with high crop diversity. For each branch of agriculture (arable, fruits, vegetables and ornamental plants), specific warning and information services have been installed. Advisory work, including warning services, is done by a central (LPP) and eight regional state institutions (SL V As). LPP provides the infrastructure for information dissemination, organizes data acquisition and supplies the farmers with general information on crop protection (availability of plant protection products, control strategies, etc.), SL V As collect data on current pest development and elaborate regional recommendations on field assessments and control measures to be taken by the farmers. Warning service information is transmitted to the farmers by info post (periodic letters), telephone‐answering machines, fax services and, lately, via the Internet. Farmers are mainly interested in current disease and pest severity data, preferably on a local basis, to aid their decision‐making in crop protection. The forecasting models and computer‐aided decision‐support systems run by the state crop protection service have become essential tools during the last four years. Their results, supplemented by field‐monitoring data, serve as the main input for the warning services. The Internet, in conjunction with computerized decision‐support systems, provides the means of ensuring an adequate supply of warning service information at a time when crop protection services are undergoing severe staff reductions.     

Applying weather index insurance to agricultural pest and disease risks

In this paper, we explore the application of weather index insurance to plant pest and disease management strategies using two distinct models: (1) insuring crop loss due to disease incidence (“Crop Insurance”) and (2) insuring the use of pesticides (“Pesticide Insurance”). We find that despite the seeming ease of applying weather-based pest incidence models to an insurance product, insuring plant disease incidence models is presently unsuitable for the insurance market for both scientific and behavioral reasons. However, derivative-like applications of weather index insurance to insure pesticide use offer a means to introduce financial leverage into pesticide usage decisions. Risk management with weather index insurance would thus function as a complement to existing risk management strategies using pesticides, and offer a market-based mechanism for pesticide abatement. We conclude that more interdisciplinary collaboration is needed to develop weather index insurance for remuneration of losses due to plant pests and diseases, but weather index insurance offers a potential mechanism to reduce inefficiencies and negative externalities in agricultural markets if pesticide expenditures are insured instead of crop losses.     

Role and exploitation of underground chemical signaling in plants

The soil ecosystem is composed of a mixture of living organisms and non‐living matter as well as the complex interactions between them. In the past 100 years or so, agricultural soil ecosystems have been strongly affected by agricultural practices such as tillage and the use of pesticides and fertilizers, which strongly affect soil nutrient composition, pH and biodiversity. In modern pest management, however, the focus is gradually shifting from crop production through agricultural practices to soil ecosystem protection. In this review we discuss how the underground chemical signals secreted by plant roots play a role in keeping the soil ecosystem in balance and how they affect plant fitness by shaping the root biome, increasing nutrient availability, promoting symbiosis, and attracting beneficial organisms and repelling harmful ones, including other plants. We review a number of fascinating cases, such as signaling molecules with dual, positive and negative, functions and bacterial quorum sensing mimicking molecules. Finally, examples of how these compounds can be exploited in modern pest management are reviewed, and the prospects for future developments discussed. © 2019 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.     

Common vole (Microtus arvalis) ecology and management: implications for risk assessment of plant protection products

Common voles (Microtus arvalis) are common small mammals in some European landscapes. They can be a major rodent pest in European agriculture and they are also a representative generic focal small herbivorous mammal species used in risk assessment for plant protection products. In this paper, common vole population dynamics, habitat and food preferences, pest potential and use of the common vole as a model small wild mammal species in the risk assessment process are reviewed. Common voles are a component of agroecosystems in many parts of Europe, inhabiting agricultural areas (secondary habitats) when the carrying capacity of primary grassland habitats is exceeded. Colonisation of secondary habitats occurs during multiannual outbreaks, when population sizes can exceed 1000 individuals ha^?1. In such cases, in‐crop common vole population control management has been practised to avoid significant crop damage. The species' status as a crop pest, high fecundity, resilience to disturbance and intermittent colonisation of crop habitats are important characteristics that should be reflected in risk assessment. Based on the information provided in the scientific literature, it seems justified to modify elements of the current risk assessment scheme for plant protection products, including the use of realistic food intake rates, reduced assessment factors or the use of alternativee focal rodent species in particular European regions. Some of these adjustments are already being applied in some EU member states. Therefore, it seems reasonable consistently to apply such pragmatic and realistic approaches in risk assessments for plant protection products across the EU. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry     

Quantitative and qualitative analysis of accidental insect pest introduction into Switzerland and its implications for plant protection1

The purpose of this study is to assess the characteristics of accidental introduction of pest organisms into Switzerland by means of international plant trade, and to discuss its consequences for the development of plant protection strategies. We found substantial levels of infestation in samples of all producing countries included in the study. Since the use of synthetic pesticides is the main basis of pest control in the ornamental industry, the results of this study indicate that chemical pest control has reached a limit above which no further reduction of pest population levels is possible. The increased pesticide tolerance of many arthropod pests is mainly due to increased levels of resistance to pesticides caused by their excessive use. Therefore, alternative methods supplementing pesticide use are required to develop an optimal pest management strategy for the future. It is proposed that, in the Swiss ornamental production industry, pest monitoring should be the first step in this direction.     

Biological control and plant health in the UK1

The protected crop environment has long been recognized as offering particularly good opportunities for the application of biological control and this is reflected in the predominance of integrated pest management programmes and the wide range of biological control agents available. The introduction of new pest species of quarantine concern can often occur in glasshouse crops, as a result of international trade in plant material, and can have a highly disruptive impact upon well established, integrated pest management programmes. The use of biological control agents against quarantine pests is discussed, including both the use of exotic species and those established in the UK. The relevant legislation in the UK is outlined in relation to the introduction of non-native species, including both plant protection and conservation interests. Environmental safety aspects such as the impact of such introductions on non-target species and issues of quality control to prevent the introduction of contaminants are noted as of particular plant health interest.     

Products containing microorganisms as a tool in integrated pest management and the rules of their market placement in the European Union

Products containing microorganisms (bacteria, fungi and viruses) can be used in plant production as an intervention as well as a prevention method for pest control. Their utilisation is strictly in line with the principles of integrated pest management, provided that they are effective and safe. The rules of registration of microorganisms for crop production in the European Union differ, depending on whether they are placed on the market as plant protection products or not. For over 20 years, uniform rules for registration of plant protection products have been in force. Currently, 36 microorganisms marked up to the strain are approved for use in pest control in the Community. The decision concerning market placement of plant protection products containing approved microorganisms is issued for each member state separately. The approaches to market placement of other products with microorganisms differ within the EU, ranging from a complete lack of requirements to long and costly registration procedures. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry     

基于地理信息系统的全国主要粮食作物病虫害实时监测预警系统的研制

为提高病虫害防治的准确性和科学性，依据植保知识、专家经验，采用人工智能、自行开发的具地理信息系统基本功能及决策支持系统（DSS）的相关技术，研制了基于Internet网络传输的全国主要粮食作物病虫害实时监测预警系统。本系统能够对小麦、玉米、水稻、马铃薯、高粱和谷子6种主要粮食作物的60余种病虫害进行实时监测、预警、诊断、提供植保知识，能够对年度间同期病情、虫情做出图形比较，可将抽象的预警数据转化成清晰简明的点图式电子地图，直观明了地显示病虫害发生点数及地域分布，可根据品种的抗病虫性、病虫害发生基数和未来天气预报等信息对小麦白粉病、赤霉病、纹枯病、稻瘟病、稻曲病、马铃薯晚疫病、麦蚜、小麦吸浆虫和玉米螟9种重要病虫害做出短期防治决策，系统的运行有助于提高人们对主要粮食作物病虫害管理的科学水平。     

RNA interference technology in crop protection against arthropod pests,pathogens and nematodes

Scientists have made significant progress in understanding and unraveling several aspects of double‐stranded RNA (dsRNA)‐mediated gene silencing during the last two decades. Now that the RNA interference (RNAi) mechanism is well understood, it is time to consider how to apply the acquired knowledge to agriculture and crop protection. Some RNAi‐based products are already available for farmers and more are expected to reach the market soon. Tailor‐made dsRNA as an active ingredient for biopesticide formulations is considered a raw material that can be used for diverse purposes, from pest control and bee protection against viruses to pesticide resistance management. The RNAi mechanism works at the messenger RNA (mRNA) level, exploiting a sequence‐dependent mode of action, which makes it unique in potency and selectivity compared with conventional agrochemicals. Furthermore, the use of RNAi in crop protection can be achieved by employing plant‐incorporated protectants through plant transformation, but also by non‐transformative strategies such as the use of formulations of sprayable RNAs as direct control agents, resistance factor repressors or developmental disruptors. In this review, RNAi is presented in an agricultural context (discussing products that have been launched on the market or will soon be available), and we go beyond the classical presentation of successful examples of RNAi in pest‐insect control and comprehensively explore its potential for the control of plant pathogens, nematodes and mites, and to fight against diseases and parasites in beneficial insects. Moreover, we also discuss its use as a repressor for the management of pesticide‐resistant weeds and insects. Finally, this review reports on the advances in non‐transformative dsRNA delivery and the production costs of dsRNA, and discusses environmental considerations. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry     

Neue Ansätze zur frühzeitigen Erkennung und Lokalisierung von Zuckerrübenkrankheiten

Modern methods in plant production and crop protection are closely related to modern technologies. Near-range and remote sensing, like hyper- and multispectral sensors or thermography, in precision pest management possess multiple opportunities to increase the productivity of agricultural production systems and do them more environmentally acceptable. Experiments are carried out on sugar beet plants and their pathogens to investigate the use of imaging and non-imaging hyperspectral sensors referring to the following questions: Is early detection of infection by pathogens possible? What is the potential to differentiate damage causing organisms?     

Induced plant defences in biological control of arthropod pests: a double‐edged sword

Biological control is an important ecosystem service delivered by natural enemies. Together with breeding for plant defence, it constitutes one of the most promising alternatives to pesticides for controlling herbivores in sustainable crop production. Especially induced plant defences may be promising targets in plant breeding for resistance against arthropod pests. Because they are activated upon herbivore damage, costs are only incurred when defence is needed. Moreover, they can be more specific than constitutive defences. Nevertheless, inducible defence traits that are harming plant pest organisms may interfere with biological control agents, such as predators and parasitoids. Despite the vast fundamental knowledge on plant defence mechanisms and their effects on natural enemies, our understanding of the feasibility of combining biological control with induced plant defence in practice is relatively poor. In this review, we focus on arthropod pest control and present the most important features of biological control with natural enemies and of induced plant defence. Furthermore, we show potential synergies and conflicts among them and, finally, identify gaps and list opportunities for their combined use in crop protection. We suggest that breeders should focus on inducible resistance traits that are compatible with the natural enemies of arthropod pests, specifically traits that help communities of natural enemies to build up. © 2017 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.     

Prevention methods for pest control and their use in Poland

Prevention methods can still be a cost‐effective and efficient tool for pest control. Rational use of prevention methods is a feasible way to reduce dependency on chemical protection in agriculture. Costs, workload and farmers' awareness are key issues, however. In Poland, crop rotation is used as a method for pest control only to a limited extent owing to the high share of cereals in the crop structure. The choice of resistant varieties is satisfactory, but farmers should make use of qualified seed material more often. Liming is recommended on the majority of farms on account of widespread soil acidity. Favourable aspects as regards the prevention of pest development are biodiversity and the popularity of prevention cultivation techniques. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry     

Sensorik für einen präzisierten Pflanzenschutz

Precision agriculture is a management concept depending on information technologies related to within-field variability. Site-specific plant production requires the use of technologies, such as global positioning systems, sensors, and information management tools to assess variations in soil, crop canopy and micro-climate. Crop protection is an important production factor, which at present is applied in high-input cropping systems homogeneously in the field despite of site-specific heterogeneity in the incidence and distribution of weeds, pests and pathogens. The spatial and temporal heterogeneity of pests in the field is assessed using remote sensing techniques linked to global positioning systems. The generation and management of information on pest incidence with high spatial resolution and its conversion into precise control systems will enable a targeted and resource-preserving integrated pest management system under high productivity conditions, which is economically successful, environmentally sound and socially acceptable. The recording of disease-related weather data and the assessment of spatial heterogeneity of micro-climate in the field as well as the detection of disease specific symptoms with remote and near range sensors (multispectral and hyperspectral cameras, thermography, chlorophyll fluorescence etc.) have the potential to make crop protection more precise in space and time. Innovative approaches are discussed in detail.     

Instruments of the warning service for plant protection in Bayern (Germany)*

The warning service for plant protection in Bayern (Germany) obtains its information mainly from its own observations. The appearance of pests (including diseases and weeds) is investigated in cultivated areas and field trials. Weather data complementary to the pest enquiries can be made available from a measuring network of 116 field weather stations and is used to estimate the development of pests in relation to weather requirements. For several fungi and animal pests, computer‐based decision support systems (DSSs) and forecasting models are being used. The results are processed and passed on to farmers via circulars, branch reviews, public notices, telephonic announcement services, telefax services and the Internet.     

Farm-level Forecasting: its Role and Organization in Plant Protection1

Forecasting in plant protection has two principal objectives. It should support decision making both on the necessity of control measures and on the correct timing of their application. Regional forecasts may guide plant protection activities on farms, but they have to be supplemented by local observations on the key pests of the most important crops. It is concluded that the organization of farm-level forecasting is closely related to certain characteristics – degree of harmfulness and oligophagy – of pests and diseases. Regular control is necessary of the most harmful pests whose economic thresholds lie below the general ecological equilibrium, and the correct timing of treatments should be accurately determined by means of local forecasting techniques. On the other hand, the harmful organisms whose economic thresholds lie above the general ecological equilibrium require comparison between the economic thresholds and the actual local densities. These observations should be carried out either by individual workers or by temporary working groups, depending on objective and on the area to be controlled. La prevision phytosanitaire doit satisfaire aux deux exigences principales suivantes: determiner la necessite d'une intervention et en fixer la frequence. Les previsions regionales fournissent des indications aux producteurs, mais ceux-ci doivent assurer leurs propres observations locales sur les depredateurs les plus importants. La facon de concevoir les previsions au niveau du producteur depend de I'impact economique et de L'oligophagie des organismes nuisibles concernes. Si les seuils economiques de ceux-ci se situent en general au-dessous d'un certain equilibre ecologique, il faudra prendre les mesures de protection et les systemes de previsions locales serviront a determiner les dates precises des interventions. En revanche, lorsque les organismes nuisibles ont des seuils de tolerance economique depassant generalement I'equilibre ecologique, il faudra comparer les seuils economiques a la densite des populations enregistree. Suivant I'ampleur de la tiche, celle-ci pourra être accomplie individuellement ou par un groupe de travail.     

Perspective: service‐based business models to incentivize the efficient use of pesticides in crop protection

Several problems limit the productivity and acceptance of crop protection, including pesticide overuse, pesticide resistance, poor adoption of integrated pest management (IPM), declining funding for research and extension, and inefficiencies of scale. We discuss the proposition that alternative business models for crop protection can address these problems by incentivizing and benefiting from efficiency of pesticide use. Currently, business models are not linked to the adoption of IPM and are sometimes at odds with IPM practices. We explore a business model based on the provision of pest management adequacy through services rather than the sale of pesticide products. Specifically, we advocate for establishment of crop protection adequacy standards that would allow a market system to maximize efficiency. Changing some of the relationships between agricultural companies and producers from one based on products to one based on services is an idea worthy of debate and evaluation for improving the efficiency of pest management. Contemporary information technology enhancing monitoring and coordination warrants attention in this debate. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry     

Safe nanotechnologies for increasing the effectiveness of environmentally friendly natural agrochemicals

Natural compounds and living organisms continue to play a limited role in crop protection, and few of them have reached the market, despite their attractiveness and the efforts made in research. Very often these products have negative characteristics compared to synthetic compounds, e.g., higher costs of production, lower effectiveness, lack of persistence, and inability to reach and penetrate the target plant. Conversely, nanotechnologies are having an enormous impact on all human activities, including agriculture, even if the production of some nanomaterials is not environmentally friendly or could have adverse effects on agriculture and the environment. Thus, certain nanomaterials could facilitate the development of formulated natural pesticides, making them more effective and more environmentally friendly. Nanoformulations can improve efficacy, reduce effective doses, and increase shelf‐life and persistence. Such controlled‐release products can improve delivery to the target pest. This review considers certain available nanomaterials and nanotechnologies for use in agriculture, discussing their properties and the feasibility of their use in sustainable crop protection, in particular, in improving the effectiveness of natural bio‐based agrochemicals. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry     

The regulatory landscape for biological control agents

A biological control agent (BCA) has been defined as ‘an organism [used] to reduce the population density of another organism’. However, an organism which is a BCA may, in addition, fall within the regulatory definition of an invasive alien species, a plant pest, a quarantine plant pest, a harmful organism, a plant protection product, or any combination of these. Therefore the regulatory landscape which has to be navigated by applicants wishing to release BCAs is complex. Examples are given of this complexity, drawing on relevant international standards and European Union legislation. A clearer understanding of the regulatory landscape across the EPPO region is necessary for agreeing routes through it to facilitate rapid adoption of biological control options, where these are available, and to ensure that potential risks and benefits are assessed in a coherent and consistent way.