Shifting focus from the population to the individual as a way forward in understanding,predicting and managing the complexities of evolution of resistance to pesticides

The evolution of resistance to pesticides is often conceptualised and modelled at a population level, but population‐based approaches ignore important aspects of variability between individuals within populations that may be essential drivers of resistance. Here it is argued that individual‐based modelling has the potential to generate new insights and perspectives, thus deepening our understanding of the complexities of the evolutionary dynamics of resistance to pesticides. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

水稻黑条矮缩病暴发流行原因分析——以河南开封为例

水稻黑条矮缩病最早于1963年在浙江省余姚的早稻上发现,1964-1966年在浙江、江苏和上海等地流行或局部危害,1967年后华东地区发病迅速减轻,20世纪70年代在浙江病区难以找到病株,但1991-2002年浙江杂交稻区水稻黑条矮缩病又再次流行成灾,随后发病面积下降。2006年以来在江苏、浙江、山东等稻区大面积发生,并迅速上升为当地水稻主要病害之一,给水稻生产造成了巨大的经济损失。2013-2014年,水稻黑条矮缩病在河南沿黄部分稻区严重发生。本文从稻-麦连作的耕作制度,介体灰飞虱的越冬基数大、带毒率高,田间毒源丰富、易感水稻品种多,介体灰飞虱发生高峰与秧苗敏感期高度重合等方面,分析了水稻黑条矮缩病间歇性暴发流行的原因,以期为该病科学防控提供理论依据。     

Computer-simulated evaluation of insect phenology models developed in the tropics: Chilo suppressalis (Walker) as an example

For beneficial insects--predators and parasitoids--to be used effectively within pest control scenarios, it is often necessary to have fundamental as well as more applied information about them, including data on population dynamics, host switching and breeding systems. In recent years, such information has been gained by the use of molecular DNA markers. In this article, we briefly discuss the range of molecular markers available and their potential uses, concentrating on how particular markers have been employed to unravel different patterns of behaviour. Whilst alternative methods of tracking insects have proved highly informative when applied over small geographical scales (e.g., fluorescent dyes and radar transponders as attached to bees, etc), these approaches tend to be confined to studies of movement rather than other potentially important behaviours.     

Simulation of hydrological processes of mountainous watersheds in inland river basins: taking the Heihe Mainstream River as an example

The hydrological processes of mountainous watersheds in inland river basins are complicated.It is absolutely significant to quantify mountainous runoff for social,economic and ecological purposes.This paper takes the mountainous watershed of the Heihe Mainstream River as a study area to simulate the hydrological processes of mountainous watersheds in inland river basins by using the soil and water assessment tool(SWAT)model.SWAT simulation results show that both the Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency and the determination coefficient values of the calibration period(January 1995 to December 2002)and validation period(January 2002 to December 2009)are higher than 0.90,and the percent bias is controlled within±5%,indicating that the simulation results are satisfactory.According to the SWAT performance,we discussed the yearly and monthly variation trends of the mountainous runoff and the runoff components.The results show that from 1996 to 2009,an indistinctive rising trend was observed for the yearly mountainous runoff,which is mainly recharged by lateral flow,and followed by shallow groundwater runoff and surface runoff.The monthly variation demonstrates that the mountainous runoff decreases slightly from May to July,contrary to other months.The mountainous runoff is mainly recharged by shallow groundwater runoff in January,February,and from October to December,by surface runoff in March and April,and by lateral flow from May to September.     

Evaluation of the combination of 1,3-dichloropropene and dazomet as an efficient alternative to methyl bromide for cucumber production in China

BACKGROUND: The combination of 1,3‐dichloropropene (1,3‐D) and dazomet (DZ) offers a potential alternative to methyl bromide (MB) for soil disinfection. MB is scheduled to be withdrawn from routine use by 2015 in developing countries. Combination treatments of 1,3‐D + DZ were evaluated in a laboratory study and in two commercial cucumber fields. RESULTS: Laboratory studies found that nearly all of the tested combinations of 1,3‐D and DZ displayed positive synergistic activity on root‐knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.), two major soilborne fungi (Fusarium spp. and Phytophthora spp.) and the seeds of two major weed species (Digitaria sanguinalis and Abutilon theophrasti). Field trials revealed that the combination of 1,3‐D and DZ (at 10 + 25 g m^?2) successfully suppressed Meloidogyne spp. root galling, sharply reduced Fusarium spp. and Phytophthora spp. and maintained high cucumber yields. The combination treatment of 1,3‐D + DZ was more effective than 1,3‐D or DZ alone and provided results similar to methyl bromide with respect to pest control, plant mortality, plant height, yield and income. All of the treatments were significantly better than the non‐treated control. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that the tested combination of 1,3‐D and DZ offers an efficient alternative to methyl bromide for cucumber production. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Metabolomics - A robust bioanalytical approach for the discovery of the modes-of-action of pesticides: A review

The agrochemical industry is facing great undertaking that includes increasing demand for the development of new crop protection agents that are safe for the environment and the consumers, and at the same time combat the issue of the emergence of resistance pest strains. The mode-of-action (MoA) is among the features of a bioactive compound that largely determine whether the abovementioned issues are addressed or not, and subsequently whether its commercial development will be addressed. The early discovery of the MoA of bioactive compounds could accelerate pesticide research and development by reducing the required time and costs. Based on advances in synthetic and natural product chemistry, scientists have access to a vast number of compounds that could potentially be developed as crop protection agents. The screening of such compounds with respect to their MoA requires accurate and robust bioanalytical tools. Metabolomics is a powerful bioanalytical tool that will likely play a significant role in the acceleration of the discovery of MoA of bioactive compounds. In the present review, the capabilities and principles and applications of metabolomics for the study of the MoA of herbicides, insecticides, acaricides, fungicides, and antibiotics are discussed.     

浑善达克沙地东段风沙源治理模式初步研究——以内蒙古克什克腾旗为例

针对浑善达克沙地东段的自然经济条件和沙漠化危害特点,因地制宜地营建农防林与牧防林相结合,防护林与经济林相结合,沙漠化治理与沙产业开发相结合的综合防护体系6667hm2。防护体系建立后,区域内生态环境明显改善,维护了首都的生态安全。     

Required number of location-years for estimating functional lower developmental thresholds and required thermal summations of insects: The first emergence of adult Apthona nigriscutis Foudras as an example

Sampling theory was combined with resampling techniques to determine the number of location-years needed for estimating an insect's required thermal summation and lower developmental threshold from field-based studies. This was done by analysing 19 location-years of field observations on the first emergence of Apthona nigriscutis Foudras, an important biological control agent of the noxious weed, leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula L.). Results indicated that 5 - 7 location-years were needed to estimate that insect's mean required thermal summation and mean lower developmental threshold for predicting first adult emergence. However, if the wish was to estimate the median required thermal summation and median lower developmental threshold for that purpose, then 8 - 11 location-years were needed to obtain acceptable estimates of those parameters. The implications of these and other findings are discussed.     

Persistence and leaching of the herbicides acetochlor and terbuthylazine in an allophanic soil: comparisons of field results with PRZM‐3 predictions

Rates of degradation and adsorption of acetochlor [2‐chloro‐N‐ethoxymethyl‐6′‐ethylaceto‐o‐ toluidide] and terbuthylazine [N ²‐tert‐butyl‐6‐chloro‐N⁴‐ethyl‐1,3,5‐triazine‐2,4‐diamine] in a Horotiu sandy loam soil (Typic Orthic Allophanic) were determined under controlled temperature and soil moisture regimes. These were then combined with site‐specific soil properties and climatic conditions in the Pesticide Root Zone Model (PRZM‐3) to predict dissipation and leaching of the herbicides in the field. PRZM‐3 significantly under‐estimated dissipation of both herbicides in the field using parameters derived from the laboratory incubation studies. When these parameters were derived from the field trials, PRZM‐3 adequately predicted dissipation of both herbicides using a two‐rate dissipation sub‐model but under‐predicted the dissipation when a simpler single‐rate sub‐model was used. Earlier‐than‐expected appearance of both herbicides in sub‐soil layers were postulated to result from the non‐equilibrium adsorption/transport of the herbicides and preferential flow, which cannot be simulated by PRZM‐3. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry