Changing rainfall patterns and farmers’ adaptation through soil water management practices in semi-arid eastern Kenya

There is limited documentation of soil and water management technologies that enhance adaptation to climate change in drylands of Kenya. Rainfall patterns were analyzed in the semi-arid Machakos and Makueni counties of eastern Kenya using historical data. A total of forty-three smallholder farmers implementing soil water management practices were sampled, and an estimate of the seasonal water budget for current crop and livestock production systems computed. Analysis of rainfall amounts and distribution shows increasing variability, with the average annual total amounts decreasing over the past 50 years. Furthermore, the number of rainy days within the March-April-May season that can support crop growth is gradually decreasing. These decreases are however not significant at P < 0.05. There were more seasons with low rainfall amounts compared to those with high rainfall amounts. All these subject the smallholder crop and livestock production system to limited soil moisture. Farmers address the risk by harnessing and utilizing green (rainfall stored in soil) and blue (rainfall collected into storage tanks) water technologies. The study found that farmers in these semi-arid counties practice fifteen diverse soil and water management interventions on their farms. The most popular practices are cut-off drains, retention ditches, terracing, run-off harvesting, and agroforestry. The estimated seasonal water budget indicates the need for integrated soil and water management interventions to address the crop and livestock production constraints.     

Biological control of the millet head miner Heliocheilus albipunctella in the Sahelian region by augmentative releases of the parasitoid wasp Habrobracon hebetor: effectiveness and farmers’ perceptions

On-farm augmentative releases of the parasitoid Habrobracon hebetor (Say) for controlling the millet head miner (MHM) Heliocheilus albipunctella (de Joannis) were tested in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from 2007 to 2009. In addition, a survey of farmers’ perceptions of insect pests, with particular focus on MHM, and the biological control program (BCP) was carried out. There was a significant increase of MHM parasitization rate after the releases, with up to 97% mortality. The survey on farmers’ perceptions revealed a fair knowledge of the MHM and the ability of farmers to describe the pest and the damage it caused. Farmers claimed that the biocontrol agent H. hebetor is effective and perceived a significant gain in grain yield due to this control strategy. Implications of these findings for a large extension of the MHM biocontrol program are discussed.     

Can climate change influence agricultural GTFP in arid and semi-arid regions of Northwest China?

There are eight provinces and autonomous regions (Gansu Province, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Tibet Autonomous Region, Qinghai Province, Shanxi Province, and Shaanxi Province) in Northwest China, most areas of which are located in arid and semi-arid regions (northwest of the 400 mm precipitation line), accounting for 58.74% of the country's land area and sustaining approximately 7.84×10⁶ people. Because of drought conditions and fragile ecology, these regions cannot develop agriculture at the expense of the environment. Given the challenges of global warming, the green total factor productivity (GTFP), taking CO₂ emissions as an undesirable output, is an effective index for measuring the sustainability of agricultural development. Agricultural GTFP can be influenced by both internal production factors (labor force, machinery, land, agricultural plastic film, diesel, pesticide, and fertilizer) and external climate factors (temperature, precipitation, and sunshine duration). In this study, we used the Super-slacks-based measure (Super-SBM) model to measure agricultural GTFP during the period 2000-2016 at the regional level. Our results show that the average agricultural GTFP of most provinces and autonomous regions in arid and semi-arid regions underwent a fluctuating increase during the study period (2000-2016), and the fluctuation was caused by the production factors (input and output factors). To improve agricultural GTFP, Shaanxi, Shanxi, and Gansu should reduce agricultural labor force input; Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia, Gansu, and Shanxi should decrease machinery input; Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, and Shanxi should reduce fertilizer input; Shaanxi, Xinjiang, Gansu, and Ningxia should reduce diesel input; Xinjiang and Gansu should decrease plastic film input; and Gansu, Shanxi, and Inner Mongolia should cut pesticide input. Desirable output agricultural earnings should be increased in Qinghai and Tibet, and undesirable output (CO₂ emissions) should be reduced in Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Gansu, and Shaanxi. Agricultural GTFP is influenced not only by internal production factors but also by external climate factors. To determine the influence of climate factors on GTFP in these provinces and autonomous regions, we used a Geographical Detector (Geodetector) model to analyze the influence of climate factors (temperature, precipitation, and sunshine duration) and identify the relationships between different climate factors and GTFP. We found that temperature played a significant role in the spatial heterogeneity of GTFP among provinces and autonomous regions in arid and semi-arid regions. For Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, and Tibet, a suitable average annual temperature would be in the range of 7°C-9°C; for Gansu, Shanxi, and Ningxia, it would be 11°C-13°C; and for Shaanxi, it would be 15°C-17°C. Stable climatic conditions and more efficient production are prerequisites for the development of sustainable agriculture. Hence, in the agricultural production process, reducing the redundancy of input factors is the best way to reduce CO₂ emissions and to maintain temperatures, thereby improving the agricultural GTFP. The significance of this study is that it explores the impact of both internal production factors and external climatic factors on the development of sustainable agriculture in arid and semi-arid regions, identifying an effective way forward for the arid and semi-arid regions of Northwest China.     

Determinants of farmers’ decisions on pesticide use in oriental tobacco: a survey of common practices

Information about pesticide use and perceptions of their risks among farmers is important for identifying problems associated with pest-control decisions and developing appropriate management practices in given crops. In tobacco, a plant sensitive to many pests and diseases, such information is lacking. The patterns of pesticide use in oriental tobacco, as well as the most important factors for farmers’ decisions relating to chemical pest control were studied among randomly selected farmers in northern Greece on the basis of self-reported information acquired through a pre-tested questionnaire. High reliance of farmers on pesticides and field use of all well-known classes of chemical pesticides were reported. While all the active ingredients reported were registered for pest control in tobacco, they differed considerably in terms of toxicity. A normal cropping season received at least 14–16 pesticide applications for soil disinfection, pest control, and weed control. Most farmers stated that they usually spray chemicals on a calendar basis or on the first appearance of a pest. Efficacy on target pests and market price of the pesticide products to be used were the most important criteria for selection of pesticides, i.e. products that are considered to be highly effective and/or that are cheap are more likely to be selected. Better-educated and more experienced farmers were found to pay more attention to environmental safety and pesticide toxicity. Most farmers felt that pesticide use can reduce crop damage by more than 75%, assuring high yields. Main determinants of pesticide use were primarily the fear of severe yield and economic losses and the doubts about the effectiveness and the correct implementation of alternative pest-control methods. Pesticide use could be reduced by exposing farmers to improved pest-control practices such as site-specific integrated pest management.     

Response mechanisms of nitrate and ammonia nitrogen concentrations to hydrological processes in the riparian hyporheic zone of pastoral areas北大核心CSCD

In pastoral and irrigated agricultural areas, nitrogen-containing livestock, poultry manure, and nitrogen fertilizers can enter the surface water and groundwater from the soil, and this is the main source of non- point source pollution in basins. The riparian hyporheic zone acts as an effective barrier to reduce the nitrogen pollution load. Understanding the mechanisms of the migration, transformation, and removal of nitrogen in riparian hyporheic zones is key to controlling nitrogen pollution in the whole basin. In this study, an upper reach of the Xilin River, located in typical pastoral areas, was selected and its water levels, ammonia (NH+4) and nitrate (NO-3) concentrations, as well as the related environmental factors of the river water and riparian groundwater during the summer flood season, were continuously monitored. Based on the high- solution measurements, a water flow and nitrogen reactive transport model of the riparian hyporheic zones was established using FEFLOW. The model fitted using the measured data was found to accurately reproduce the water level dynamics and two main nitrogen concentrations in the riparian hyporheic zone. The results indicate that there is a high risk of nitrogen pollution in the riparian zones during the summer flood season. The NH+4concentration in the riparian zones can increase from 0.2 mg · L − 1before rainfall events to 7.23 mg · L − 1after rainfall events, and the NO-3concentration can increase from 1 mg · L − 1to 8.27 mg · L − 1. Both measured and simulated results show that the nitrogen dynamics in the hyporheic zone are closely related to hydrological processes such as rainfall events and groundwater-surface water exchange. During rainfall events, NO-3with high mobility was found to infiltrate from the river and the ground surface into the riparian zone due to the leaching effect, resulting in a significant increase in the concentration. Meanwhile, the groundwater- river water exchange enhanced by rainfall events can further regulate NO-3and NH+4concentrations in the riparian hyporheic zone by controlling the input of nutrients and affecting the biogeochemical nitrogen cycles. This study preliminarily reveals the buffering mechanisms of pastoral riparian zones in the hydrological and biogeochemical processes involving nitrogen and provides scientific references for the nitrogen pollution control in pastoral areas. © 2023 Editorial office of Arid Zone Research. All rights reserved.     

Detection of the Phoma pathogens Plenodomus biglobosus subclades ‘brassicae’ and ‘canadensis’ on wasabi,and ‘canadensis’ in Europe

European Journal of Plant Pathology - Phoma stem canker / blackleg is an internationally important disease of Brassicas including B. napus (oilseed rape, OSR), caused by multiple genetic subclades...     

Root lesion nematode,Pratylenchus penetrans,in ‘Fire King’ lilies: attack and control with aldicarb

In field trials on fumigated sandy soil planted with stock of Fire King lilies lightly infested withPratylenchus penetrans, nematode control with aldicarb did not influence growth and yield of the lilies in the first growing season, perhaps because of the low initial number of nematodes. In the second season, however, a clear relation appeared between yield and nematode control by aldicarb.In such a biennial crop, yields after aldicarb treatment at planting were almost as good as after treatment in both years, 3 kg aldicarb a.i./ha (1.6 mmol.m^–2) being optimum.Samenvatting Bij de bestrijding van wortellesieaaltjes moet niet alleen rekening worden gehouden met de in de grond aanwezige aaltjes maar ook met die in de wortels van het plantgoed. Aan de wortels van het plantgoed is de aanwezigheid van deze aaltjes niet altijd duidelijk te zien. In als goed gekwalificeerd plantmateriaal van de leliecultivar Fire King werden gemiddeld 15Pratylenchus penetrans per bol gevonden en in slecht plantgoed 9.De aaltjes in de grond kunnen effectief worden bestreden door toepassing van grondontsmetting met een aaltjesdodend middel. In een tweejarige teelt van licht besmet plantmateriaal is dit echter onvoldoende om schade te voorkomen. Dit bleek uit een proef met Fire King in vooraf ontsmette zandgrond op de proeftuin Ens. In het tweede jaar was de groei van de lelies na toepassing van aldicarb ongeveer drie maal beter dan zonder dit middel. In de wortels van de onbehandelde lelies werden ongeveer twintig keer zoveel wortellesieaaltjes gevonden als in die van de behandelde planten.Om dit tweedejaarseffect nader te analyseren en de toepassing van aldicarb beter te preciseren werd het onderzoek op de proeftuin in 1975 en 1976 voortgezet, waarbij vooral aandacht werd besteed aan de dosering en de toedieningswijze van aldicarb in de vorm van Temik 10 G.Uit het pouplatieverloop van de wortellesieaaltjes gedurende de tweejarige teelt (Fig. 3) kan worden afgeleid dat pas merkbare schade optreedt bij meer dan 300P. penetrans per 10 g wortels en meer dan 20P. penetrans per 100 ml grond in mei, wanneer de ontwikkeling van de stengelwortels plaats vindt. De gevonden besmettingen blijven in het eerste jaar in alle objekten beneden deze schadegrens en komen in het tweede jaar daarboven in de objekten waar minder dan 3 kg aldicarb a.i./ha (1,6 mmol.m^–2) is toegediend in het eerste jaar. Dit is in overeenstemming met de opbrengstresultaten (Tabel 2).Uit het verband tussen de toegediende hoeveelheid aldicarb en de relatieve opbrengst blijkt eveneens dat een hogere dosering dan 1,6 mmol.m^–2 nog slechts weinig effectiever is en mogelijk zelfs groeiremmend kan werken. Het maakt daarbij weinig verschil of de toediening plaats vindt bij het planten in de vore of kort voor de opkomst van de lelies in de rug (Tabel 1). Uit praktische overwegingen moet de voorkeur worden gegeven aan de toediening in de plantvoor.De toediening van aldicarb in beide jaren had slechts een geringe produktieverhogend effect boven toediening uitsluitend in het eerste jaar (Tabel 2). Blijkbaar is de effectiviteit van dit nematicide veel groter tegen de lichte aanvangsbesmetting met aaltjes in de wortels van het plantgoed dan wanneer het in de rug wordt toegediend aan de veel hogere, verspreide besmetting aan het begin van het tweede jaar.Wat betreft de bewortelingskwaliteit van de bollen valt het op (Tabel 3) dat ook hogere doseringen dan 1,6 mmol.m^–2 nog verbetering geven en dat toediening in beide jaren een betere bewortelingskwaliteit geeft dan wanneer alleen in het eerste jaar aldicarb wordt toegediend. Het nematicide aldicarb heeft slechts een werkingsduur van 1 à 2 maanden, zodat de aaltjes zich later in het seizoen weer sterk kunnen vermeerderen waardoor de kwaliteit van de wortels snel kan teruglopen. Om een betere bewortelingskwaliteit te bereiken wordt dan ook een veel effectievere bestrijding van de wortellesieaaltjes gevraagd dan voor het veiligstellen van de groei en de opbrengst van lelies.Aangezien de bolwortels van ondergeschikte betekenis zijn voor de groei en de opbrengst van deze lelies lijkt het niet verantwoord hogere doseringen dan 1,6 mmol.m^–2 toe te passen.     

Detection and characterization of a phytoplasma associated with witches’-broom disease of Salvadora persica in India

Salvadora persica trees with symptoms of witches’-broom, little leaf and severe leaf curling were observed in the Biodiversity Park, North Delhi (India) during February 2010. Using a nested-PCR assay targeting two phytoplasma specific loci (16S ribosomal RNA and the ribosomal protein gene) and sequence analysis of the amplified products, we identified the associated phytopathogen as a phytoplasma of group 16SrI. RFLP-mediated characterization revealed that the phytoplasma belongs to subgroup 16SrI-B. Phylogenetic reconstruction also grouped the phytoplasma within group 16SrI. The study reports a new host of phytoplasma in India and worldwide.     

Molecular detection and identification of phytoplasma associated with pepper witches’ broom in China

Pepper witches’ broom (PWB) disease was observed in a field in Yangling, Shaanxi Province, China. The result of mechanical inoculation test for this disease was negative. Phytoplasma-like bodies were observed in ultrathin sections of petiole tissues of symptomatic samples. 16S rRNA gene and tuf gene of phytoplasma were amplified from the total DNA of symptomatic samples. Phylogeny analysis of the 16S rRNA gene and tuf gene suggested that the pepper witches’ broom associated phytoplasma belongs to the subgroup 16SrI-B, which was confirmed by the RFLP analysis of the 16S rRNA gene. The phytoplasma subgroup 16SrI-B was also detected in the vector Cicadella viridis trapped from the infected field. To our knowledge, this is the first report of 16SrI-B phytoplasma causing pepper witches’ broom in China.     

Is there need for leaf-galling grape phylloxera control? Presence and distribution of Dactulosphaira vitifoliae in Swiss vineyards

Grape phylloxera (Dactulosphaira vitifoliae, FITCH) was a major pest in Vitis vinifera grape production in the late 19th and early 20th century in Europe. Roots of V. vinifera varieties are susceptible to D. vitifoliae attack whereas the leaves are not affected. The pest has been controlled by using American grapevine varieties as rootstocks. However, in recent years, grape producers have reported higher incidences of leaf galls induced by D. vitifoliae on V. vinifera leaves. Research on the occurrence of D. vitifoliae on grapevine leaves and roots has shown that D. vitifoliae is present in all wine-growing regions of Switzerland. In more than 80% of vineyards claiming to be infested, D. vitifoliae was found on leaves of varieties with interspecific crosses in their parentage. Three locations with leaf-galling individuals on V. vinifera were detected. D. vitifoliae individuals were found emerging from soil potentially associated with the commonly used rootstock varieties, which are assumed to be phylloxera tolerant. As climate change may necessitate the relocation of some viticultural areas to new wine-growing regions, there will be a greater need to control D. vitifoliae on leaves of interspecific crosses and the inspected planting material to limit further spread of the pest.     

Evidence for the involvement of Aphanomyces cochlioides and Pythium spp. in ‘girth scab’ disease of sugar beet in Bavaria

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - The term ‘girth scab’ describes a chronic disease of sugar beet roots (Beta vulgaris ssp. vulgaris) for which the causes still remain unclear....     

Small-scale vegetable producers’ perception of pests and pesticide uses in East Shewa zone,Ethiopia

Vegetable growers’ knowledge of pest and their control method was assessed in 2014 in East Shewa zone, Ethiopia. Vegetable growers were well aware of key pests of vegetables, although some of them did not consider pests as constraint to vegetable production. All respondents scouted their vegetables for pests and used presence or absence of pest as criterion for spraying. About 76% of the respondents read pesticide label before buying pesticides, while the rest 24% of the respondents did not read pesticide labels. All vegetable growers sprayed insecticide, whereas fungicides and herbicides were applied by 90% and 7% of the respondents, respectively. About 72% of the respondents washed their sprayer after each application day and discharged the washings onto the soil. Moreover, the majority (62%) of the respondents threw empty pesticide containers around the field. Also, it was found that 71% of the respondents did not use personal protective equipment (PPE) while spraying pesticides, but a few used one or two types of PPE. More than half of the respondents sprayed pesticides on mature crops and sold the produce within three to five days.     

Detection of ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’ in citrus by concurrent tissue print-based qPCR and immunoassay

‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’ (CLas) is associated with the most destructive disease of citrus, huanglongbing (HLB). The most widely used methods for detection of CLas are PCR-based and require purification of DNA from plant samples. Elution of DNA from tissue prints made on nitrocellulose membranes followed by qPCR (TPE-qPCR) was compared to DNA extraction of plant tissue followed by PCR (X-PCR) by testing the same tissue samples. The former estimated a higher CLas population in tissue prints than the latter (t-test; P = 0.009). All extracts prepared for TPE-qPCR throughout the experiment were also tested by conventional PCR and 80.8% were identified as positive. A similar set of stem and petiole tissue samples was tested by TPE-qPCR and immunoassay. Although the detection rate by TPE-qPCR was higher than by immunoassay, about 6% of tissue prints were positive by immunoassay but not by TPE-qPCR. Thus, a higher detection rate would be achieved by combining TPE-qPCR with immunoassay. Significant differences were observed in the performance of nitrocellulose membranes from different manufacturers in these assays. Immunotissue prints showed that the spatial distribution pattern of CLas infection varied widely from one sample to another, but the patterns were highly correlated among serial sections from the same sample, suggesting that CLas preferentially colonizes adjacent phloem cells in a vertical rather than horizontal direction.