Effect of compost and casing treatments of insecticides against the sciarid Bradysia ocellaris (Diptera: Sciaridae) and on the total yield of cultivated mushrooms,Agaricus bisporus

BACKGROUND: Bradysia ocellaris (Comstock) is one of the major pests of cultivated mushrooms, Agaricus bisporus (Lange) Imbach. The feeding of sciarid fly larvae causes damage to the cultivation substrates, compost and casing. A comparative study of insecticidal treatments incorporated into compost and casing against B. ocellaris was conducted during 2003–2004. Treatments with an organophosphate, diazinon, a pyrazole, fipronil, and an insect growth regulator (IGR), triflumuron, were incorporated into casing. Another IGR, cyromazine, was incorporated into compost. Insecticidal incorporation into compost and casing has been associated with reductions in mushroom yield. Therefore, the effect of these insecticidal treatments on the overall yield was evaluated. RESULTS: A combined treatment, incorporation of cyromazine at 10 mg kg^?1 into compost and of triflumuron at 20 mg kg^?1 into casing, provided 100% control against B. ocellaris. There was no apparent reduction in yield as a result of incorporation of the tested chemicals into either compost or casing. CONCLUSION: The results obtained from this study suggest that incorporation of insecticides into both compost and casing is required to control a moderate to high pressure of insect pests. There were no significant yield reductions as a result of the incorporation of pesticides in the Australian mushroom‐growing system. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Integrated crop management, the basis for environment friendly crop protection of potatoes

Relatively large amounts of pesticides are needed to control diseases and pests in modern, intensive potato production. Integrated crop management offers a way of reducing the need for pesticides. It aims to reduce costs and improve the quality of the product and of the production methods, while maintaining soil fertility and the quality of the environment. The components of integrated crop management are described. Prevention of diseases and pests has high priority. If diseases or pests are present, non-chemical control methods are preferred and chemical control is based on economic criteria and the monitoring of the soil and crops. The contribution of integrated crop management to the control of two important fungal diseases, late blight (Phytophthora infestans), and stem canker (Rhizoctonia solani) and of one pest, potato cyst nematode (Globodera spp..) is described. The prospects for further development of integrated crop protection are discussed.     

Note: First record ofGaleruca tanaceti in organicOriganum vulgare in Crete

The tansy leaf beetleGaleruca tanaceti (L.) is recorded for the first time in Crete as a pest of oreganoOriganum vulgare (L.). Oregano is an important herb extensively cultivated both in Crete and mainland Greece. The absence of serious pests due to the production of phenolic compounds and essential oils in the plant tissue has promoted the organic cultivation of oregano.G. tanaceti is a pest of herbaceous plants that has developed appropriate behavioral and biochemical strategies to circumvent host plant defences. In addition, the tansy leaf beetle has very few natural enemies and may pose a serious threat to the organic oregano crops, unless extensive studies of the biology and integrated control of the pest are undertaken. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting Sept. 18, 2006.     

Pest control in coffee

Coffee pests have been estimated to cause losses of about 13% of the world yield but are most serious in Africa, particularly where Arabica coffee is grown. Coffee pests are normally indigenous and except for the berry borer beetle (Hypothenemus hampei Ferrari) there has been little movement between the main production areas. There is a great variety of pests but because the crop is perennial, evergreen and only grown in areas without climatic extremes, pest populations only rarely become intolerable, being held in check for most of the time by parasites, predators and diseases. Routine spraying of insecticides in coffee plantations is undesirable for these kill parasites and predators and often result in pest outbreaks. An effective but simple integrated control system has been evolved over many decades in East Africa, using a combination of cultural, biological and chemical control. Pest numbers are monitored continuously by growers and insecticides are used as selectively as possible. The system is ideally suited to areas where labour is cheap but technology is expensive.     

Bt maize and integrated pest management ‐ a European perspective

The European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis), the Mediterranean corn borer (Sesamia nonagrioides) and the western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera) are the main arthropod pests in European maize production. Practised pest control includes chemical control, biological control and cultural control such as ploughing and crop rotation. A pest control option that is available since 1996 is maize varieties that are genetically engineered (GE) to produce insecticidal compounds. GE maize varieties available today express one or several genes from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) that target corn borers or corn rootworms. Incentives to growing Bt maize are simplified farm operations, high pest control efficiency, improved grain quality and ecological benefits. Limitations include the risk of resistance evolution in target pest populations, risk of secondary pest outbreaks and increased administration to comply with licence agreements. Growers willing to plant Bt maize in the European Union (EU) often face the problem that authorisation is denied. Only one Bt maize transformation event (MON810) is currently authorised for commercial cultivation, and some national authorities have banned cultivation. Spain is the only EU member state where Bt maize adoption levels are currently delivering farm income gains near full potential levels. In an integrated pest management (IPM) context, Bt maize can be regarded as a preventive (host plant resistance) or a responsive pest control measure. In any case, Bt maize is a highly specific tool that efficiently controls the main pests and allows combination with other preventive or responsive measures to solve other agricultural problems including those with secondary pests. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

The Successful Development and Implementation of an Integrated Pest Management System for Oil Palm in Papua New Guinea

Production and trade in oil crops has expanded in response to an increasing world population and improved living standards. The global production of oil palm has increased rapidly over the last 30 years, and palm oil is now the world's second most important vegetable oil after soybean. Oil palm is an important cash crop in Papua New Guinea (PNG), with about 80,000ha in cultivation, grown both on large-scale plantations and by smallholders. The principal pests of oil palm in PNG are a group of insect species from the Tettigoniidae family (Orthoptera), known collectively as sexava. Three species of sexava are pests of oil palm in PNG, Segestes decoratus, Segestidea defoliaria and Segestidea novaeguineae. These insects cause damage by feeding on oil palm fronds and defoliation levels can be very severe where high populations occur. Severe defoliation causes reductions in photosynthesis resulting in yield loss from lower fruit production. During the last five years an integrated system has been developed for the management of sexava. This integrated pest management (IPM) system has the following components: (1) a knowledge of the biology and ecology of the pest, (2) economic thresholds, (3) monitoring system for the pest, (4) precise targeting of chemical control agents, (5) biological control, and (6) cultural control. The IPM system is sustainable and environmentally acceptable to the industry.     

Sublethal effect of Beauveria bassiana on feeding and fecundity of the sunn pest,Eurygaster integriceps Puton (Hemiptera: Scutelleridae)

The sunn pest, Eurygaster integriceps Puton, is a major pest of wheat in West and Central Asia. Studies were conducted to investigate the effect of Beauveria bassiana (teleomorph; Cordyceps bassiana) isolates on the sunn pest. Bioassays were done with adult insects collected from overwintering sites at three different times. The effect of sublethal doses of fungi on the insects’ feeding and fecundity was determined. When the sunn pest adults were treated with 2 × 10⁷ conidia mL^?1, all isolates caused significant sunn pest mortality varying between 24 and 100% 12 days after inoculation. There were significant differences between mortality, depending on the date of fungal application. Adult sunn pests treated with B. bassiana at sublethal concentrations caused significantly less damage to wheat leaves than sunn pests in the control. The number of eggs laid by the sunn pest was significantly fewer when wheat plots in plastic greenhouse and field cages were infested with adult sunn pests treated at sublethal concentrations, compared with sunn pests in control plots. Results show that sublethal dosages of B. bassiana reduced sunn pest feeding and fecundity. Applying B. bassiana in sunn pest overwintering sites minimizes the pest populations, which would move to wheat fields in spring.     

Phenology and impact of natural enemies associated with the hop looper (Hypena humuli) in Washington State,USA

The hop looper, Hypena humuli Harris (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is becoming an increasingly important pest of hops (Humulus lupulus L.) (Rosales: Cannabaceae) in western USA. Currently, control of this pest usually involves broad-spectrum pesticides that kill natural enemies and disrupt biological control of other hop pests. In order to develop better management strategies for H. humuli, field and laboratory studies were conducted over a four-year period to identify the pest's natural enemies and to investigate their phenologies and to assess their impact. Nine parasitoid species and assorted species of invertebrate predator were found to attack different life-stages of H. humuli. Levels of parasitism were consistently low throughout the study period and none of the parasitoids found was a specialist natural enemy of the pests. Exclusion cage studies showed, however, that the complex of natural enemies as a whole can significantly reduce larval densities of the pest, and laboratory studies confirmed successful predation of H. humuli larvae by several generalist predators including the European earwig (Forficula auricularia L.), the damsel bug Nabis alternatus Parshley and two species of the geocorid bug genus Geocoris.     

Note: Corn stalk borer (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Sesamia nonagrioides</Emphasis>) infestation on sorghum in central Greece

Sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) was introduced recently into Greece and is being cultivated experimentally for the production of liquid biofuel. A pilot survey was conducted in October 2005 to provide information on the species composition and density of its lepidopterous stem borers, which appear to cause severe losses in production. The dominant pest in that season wasSesamia nonagrioides Lefebvre, with a mean density of 1.41 larvae per plant. Larvae were sampled from various plant internodes and found to have a preference for the lower ones. Analysis of variance showed no significant effects on larval density of the irrigation levels or of the organic — conventional soil fertilization method. A significant negative correlation was found between the body length ofS. nonagrioides larvae and the internode from which they were retrieved. This is the first published report of sorghum borer pests in Greece. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting Feb. 7, 2007.     

The insecticidal and acaricidal actions of compounds fromAzadirachta indica (A. Juss.) and their use in tropical pest management

The pest control potential demonstrated by various extracts and compounds isolated from the kernels and leaves of the neem plant (Azadirachta indica) A. Juss. (Meliaceae) seem to be of tremendous importance for agriculture in developing countries. Laboratory and field trial data have revealed that neem extracts are toxic to over 400 species of insect pests some of which have developed resistance to conventional pesticides, e.g. sweet potato whitefly (Bemisia tabaci Genn. Diptera: Aleyrodidae), the diamond back moth (Plutella xylostella L. Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) and cattle ticks (Amblyomma cajennense F. Acarina: Ixodidae andBoophilus microplus Canestrini. Acarina: Ixodidae). The compounds isolated from the neem plant manifest their effects on the test organisms in many ways, e.g. as antifeedants, growth regulators, repellents, toxicants and chemosterilants. This review strives to assess critically the pest control potential of neem extracts and compounds for their use in the tropics. This assessment is based on the information available on the wide range of pests against which neem extracts and compounds have proven to be toxic, toxicity to non-target organisms, e.g. parasitoids, pollinators, mammals and fish, formulations, stability and phytotoxicity.     

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)‐based intercropping systems for biological pest control

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the most cultivated crops in temperate climates. As its pests are mainly controlled with insecticides that are harmful to the environment and human health, alternative practices such as intercropping have been studied for their potential to promote biological control. Based on the published literature, this study aimed to review the effect of wheat‐based intercropping systems on insect pests and their natural enemies. Fifty original research papers were obtained from a systematic search of the peer‐reviewed literature. Results from a vote‐counting analysis indicated that, in the majority of studies, pest abundance was significantly reduced in intercropping systems compared with pure stands. However, the occurrence of their natural enemies as well as predation and parasitism rates were not significantly increased. The country where the studies took place, the type of intercropping and the crop that was studied in the association had significant effects on these results. These findings show that intercropping is a viable practice to reduce insecticide use in wheat production systems. Nevertheless, other practices could be combined with intercropping to favour natural enemies and enhance pest control. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry     

EPIPRE: a Disease and Pest Management System for Winter Wheat,taking Account of Micrometeorological Factors1

EPIPRE (EPIdemic PREvention) is a cooperative project for supervised control of diseases and pests in wheat. It operates on a field by field basis. From every wheat field, basic data and field observations are stored in a data bank. Farmers send their field observations to the central team, which enters them in the data bank. Field data are updated daily by means of simplified simulation models. Expected damage and loss are calculated and used in a decision system, that leads to one of three major decisions: «treat», «don't treat», or «make another field observation». Exchange of information between farmers and central team is by mail. In 1978 EPIPRE started with Puccinia striiformis. Since then the number of pests and diseases which are considered have increased, so that in 1981 advice was given for P. striiformis, P. recondita, Erysiphe graminis, Septoria spp. and the cereal aphids, Sitobion avenae, Metopolophium dirhodum and Rhopalosiphum padi. For each of these pests and diseases predictive methods have been developed using explanatory simulation models as a tool. These explanatory models are based on knowledge of many input relations and some external factors (e.g. temperature) which govern most of the processes of the pest and disease population dynamics. On the basis of a sensitivity analysis with these models simplified decision rulés have been developed which are used in the advice system in which updating of the forcing variables is no longer needed.     

Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) integrated pest management programs for fruiting vegetables in Florida

BACKGROUND: The spread of the western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), resulted in the worldwide destabilization of established integrated pest management programs for many crops. Efforts to control the pest and the thrips‐vectored tospoviruses with calendar applications of broad‐spectrum insecticides have been unsuccessful. The result has been a classic ‘3‐R’ situation: resistance to numerous insecticides; resurgence of the western flower thrips populations as a result of natural predators and native competitor thrips being eliminated; replacement by various other pests. This paper reports on integrated pest management programs for fruiting vegetables that are effective, economical, ecologically sound and sustainable. RESULTS: The components include the following: define pest status (economic thresholds); increase biotic resistance (natural enemies and competition); integrate preventive and therapeutic tactics (scouting, ultraviolet‐reflective technologies, biological control, compatible insecticides, companion plants and fertility); vertically integrate the programs with other pests; continually communicate latest science‐based management tactics with end‐users. CONCLUSION: These programs have been widely implemented in Florida and have significantly improved the management of western flower thrips and thrips‐transmitted viruses. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Management strategies of mealybug pests of citrus in mediterranean countries

Six mealybug species have been reported as citrus pests in the Mediterranean Basin: the citrus mealybugPlanococcus citri (Risso), the citriculus mealybugPseudococcus cryptus Hempel, the longtailed mealybugPseudococcus longispinus (Targioni-Tozzetti), the citrophilus mealybugPseudococcus calceolariae (Maskell), the obscure mealybugPseudococcus viburni (Signoret) and the spherical mealybugNipaecoccus viridis (Newstead). Some of these species,e.g. N. viridis, have recently been introduced into the region and are still spreading. Mealybugs are usually occasional or minor pests of citrus, but some species can reach key pest status. Mealybug management strategies in citrus have been based mostly on classical biological control and, to a lesser extent, on augmentative releases. However, chemical control is widely used, mainly because of the poor adaptation of the principal natural enemies to the climatic conditions of the Mediterranean. The application of pheromones is still restricted to monitoring the citrus mealybug, whose sex pheromone is commercially available. Mass trapping and mating disruption should be considered for possible use in IPM programs as an alternative method to supplementary chemical treatments. Enhancement of biological control through management of ant populations is another promising tactic for control of mealybugs. Strategies for managing mealybug pests of citrus, and possible levels of integration of different tactics according to the pest status, are discussed. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting Oct. 3, 2004.     

Effect of reduced risk pesticides on greenhouse vegetable arthropod biological control agents

BACKGROUND: Arthropod biological control agents (BCAs) are commonly released for greenhouse vegetable insect pest management. Nevertheless, chemicals remain a necessary control tactic for certain insect pests and diseases and they can have negative impacts on BCAs. The compatibility of some formulated reduced risk insecticides (abamectin, metaflumizone and chlorantraniliprole) and fungicides (myclobutanil, potassium bicarbonate and cyprodinil + fludioxonil) used, or with promise for use, in Canadian greenhouses with Orius insidiosus (Say), Amblyseius swirskii (Athias‐Henriot) and Eretmocerus eremicus (Rose & Zolnerovich) was determined through laboratory and greenhouse bioassays. RESULTS: Overall, the insecticides and fungicides were harmless as residues to adult BCAs. However, abamectin was slightly to moderately harmful to O. insidiosus and A. swirskii in laboratory bioassays, whereas metaflumizone was slightly harmful to E. eremicus. CONCLUSIONS: In general, these products appear safe to use prior to establishment/release of these adult BCAs. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

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.     

A Review on Options for Management of Cowpea Pests: Experiences From Uganda

More than 100 field pests of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) can be found in most of the crop production agroecologies in Africa, but four of these – aphids (Aphis craccivora Koch), flower thrips (Megalurothrips sjostedti Trybom), the legume pod borer (Maruca vitrata Fab. Syn. Maruca testulalis Geyer) and pod sucking bugs – are commonly encountered and are of economic importance in Uganda. The diverse cowpea pest complex dictates that a single control strategy is unlikely to produce satisfactory control.Earlier field studies done in eastern and northern parts of Uganda demonstrated that close spacing (30 × 20cm) effectively reduces aphid infestation (early season pest) but seems to promote thrips, legume pod borers and pod bugs infestation. The other option for management of early season pests and nematodes is seed dressing, especially with carbofuran (Furadan 5G). Late season pests are more effectively controlled by the use of foliar sprays, the type of pesticide depending on the pest profile. Intercropping also offers remedial control, but the crop combination must consider the pest profile, cowpea/sorghum intercrop being effective against aphids and thrips, and cowpea/greengram against legume pod borers and pod sucking bugs. Selected combinations of agronomic, chemical and cultural control measures (Integrated Pest Management), especially when combined with early planting, offer better management options than the use of sole treatments. The success of these packages is highly dependent on the degree and level of farmer involvement and to what extent they are tailored to meet his/her production goals.     

Temporal dynamics of the arthropod community in pear orchards intercropped with aromatic plants

BACKGROUND: Increasing attention has been paid to enhancing biological control through habitat management in agricultural systems for enhanced pest management. Pest management benefits can be realised by intercropping, which can increase natural enemy abundance and, in turn, reduce pest abundance. In this study, the composition and temporal dynamics of arthropod communities in pear orchards when intercropped with aromatic plants were investigated, and the effectiveness and applicability of aromatic plants as intercrops for enhancing insect control were assessed. RESULTS: When compared with natural grasses or clean tillage, intercropping significantly reduced pest abundance and increased the ratio of natural enemies to pests. Intercropping also shortened the occurrence duration and depressed the incidence peak in annual dynamics curves of the pest subcommunity and the arthropod community, mainly because of the repellent effects of aromatic plants. Equally important, intercropping significantly reduced the numbers of major pests, such as Psylla chinensis, Aphis citricola and Pseudococcus comstocki, while their incidence period was delayed to varying degrees, and the numbers of their dominant natural enemies (Coccinella septempunctata, Phytoseiulus persimilis and Chrysoperla sinica) increased. CONCLUSION: Intercropping with aromatic plants led to a considerable improvement in arthropod pest management by enhancing the activity of the beneficial arthropod community within the pear orchard ecosystem. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Comparative effect of integrated pest management and farmers' standard pest control practice for managing insect pests on cabbage (Brassica spp.)

BACKGROUND: Studies were conducted on experimental cabbage plantings in 2009 and on experimental and commercial plantings in 2010, comparing farmers' current chemical standard pesticide practices with an integrated pest management (IPM) program based on the use of neem (Aza‐Direct) and DiPel (Bacillus thuringiensis). In experimental plantings, the IPM program used six or eight applications of neem and DiPel on a rotational basis. The standard‐practice treatments consisted of six or eight applications of carbaryl and malathion or control treatment. RESULTS: The IPM treatments reduced pest populations and damage, resulting in a better yield than with the standard chemical or control treatment. When IPM treatment included three applications of neem plus three applications of DiPel (on a rotational basis in experimental fields), it again reduced the pest population and damage and produced a better yield than the standard practice. The lower input costs of the IPM program resulted in better economic returns in both trials. CONCLUSIONS: The IPM components neem and DiPel are suitable for use in an IPM program for managing insect pests on cabbage (Brassica spp.). Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Integrated pest management in groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) in India

A large number of pests are associated with groundnut but not all are economically important. The distribution of, losses and damage caused by groundnut pests are discussed, along with a variety of control measures and methods for their integration for effective pest management. Disease resistant/tolerant varieties, including Girnar 1, ALR 1, ICGV 87160, ICGV 86590, DH 8, TG 3, MH 16, ICGS 37 and TAG 24 from India have been released for general cultivation and could be used in integrated pest management (IPM) programmes. A large number of advanced breeding lines possessing resistance to major diseases and insect pests have been identified. Biocontrol agents have been used successfully for insect and disease control. Intercrops such as pearlmillet and soybean suppress thrips, jassids and leaf miner; castor suppresses jassids and Spodoptera, and pigeonpea suppress early leaf spot, late leaf spot and rust. These plants act as traps or barriers for reducing pest incidence. The use of pheromone traps for gram pod borers, tobacco caterpillars and leaf miners, and the use of neem products against major insect pests and diseases, are novel approaches that may reduce the cost of groundnut production. If pest control measures are integrated in an optimum proportion and pest surveillance activity is strengthened further, maximum returns could be realized