Benefits of a maize–bean–weeds mixed cropping system in Urubamba Valley,Peruvian Andes

Abstract

In the Urubamba Valley, Peruvian Andes, we evaluated the abundance of insect pests and natural enemies in experimental plots where maize was grown either as monoculture, intercropped with beans, or intercropped with beans plus associated weeds. We also assessed the consequences of the cropping system for maize yield. The main insect pests recorded were Diabrotica spp. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), Carpophilus sp. (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) and Pagiocerus frontalis (Coleoptera: Scolytidae), and their overall abundance did not differ among crop diversity treatments. However, there was a significant adverse effect of crop diversity on the maximum abundance of both Carpophilus and Pagiocerus. The main beneficial arthropods were Paratriphleps sp. (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae), ladybirds and spiders, and their density did not differ among treatments. Maize yield did not decrease with increasing plant diversity. The reported benefits of intercropping, together with the associated efficiency in land use, make this traditional agricultural practice a valuable alternative to the use of pesticides, particularly for resource-poor Andean farmers.     

The organisation and practice of vertebrate pest control,Elvetham Hall,Hampshire, August–September 1982

Abstract

The evaluation of an electrostatic sprayer developed by ICI, the Electrodyn® sprayer, for use in the residual treatment of dwellings for the control of malaria vectors is detailed, and the advantages of using an ultra‐low volume technique for this type of mosquito control are discussed. The impact of this new technology on malaria control programmes is also considered.     

Impact of push–pull cropping system on pest management and occurrence of ear rots and mycotoxin contamination of maize in western Kenya

Push–pull involves intercropping of cereals with Desmodium as a “push” crop and planting Napier grass/Brachiaria as the “pull” crop at the border. The technology has been reported to effectively control stemborers, striga weed, and fall armyworm (FAW), and to improve soil nutrition, resulting in increased grain yield. This study evaluated the impact of stemborer and FAW management using this technology on incidence of maize ear rots and preharvest contamination of grains with aflatoxin and fumonisin in western Kenya. The study was conducted during three cropping seasons on maize grown under the push–pull system and as a monocrop. Incidence of stemborer and FAW damage was determined as percentage of damaged plants, while incidence of ear rots was determined as percentage of ears with symptoms. At harvest, fungi were isolated from kernels and aflatoxin and fumonisin were quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Stemborer and FAW damage was significantly (p = .001) reduced by over 50% under the push–pull system. There was also a significant (p < .001) reduction in the incidence of Fusarium verticillioides (60%) and Aspergillus flavus (86%), which was reflected in a reduced incidence of ear rots (50%) with the push–pull system (p = .001). Fumonisin in maize from push-pull farms was significantly (p = .048) reduced (39%) but the technology had no significant (p > .05) effect on aflatoxin. The study showed that push–pull is an effective strategy for managing maize ear rots and fumonisins, and therefore could play a role in improving food safety among smallholder maize farmers in the region.     

The efficacy of Vespex® wasp bait to control Vespula species (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) in New Zealand

ABSTRACT

Transitioning from trials to pest control tool, the efficacy of controlling wasps Vespula vulgaris and V. germanica using Vespex® wasp bait was tested in 2015. Vespex® is a protein-based bait matrix with 0.1% fipronil. Five sites ranging <300 to >2000 ha and over 5500 ha in total had bait stations placed 300 × 50 m apart and received one application of Vespex®. Wasp nest traffic rates declined 93% in four days at one site, and over 97% after 20–38 days at all other sites. Measured honeydew availability also improved post wasp control. Further demonstrating feasibility, five different agencies worked closely with government leading many programme aspects. Vespex® was made more widely available in New Zealand towards the end of 2015. Web page information showed ～30% of all territorial authorities nationally are engaging in pest wasp problems. This signals a future potential in the way that pest wasps might be managed in a community context for social, economic and biodiversity conservation objectives.