Environmental persistence of<Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus thuringiensis</Emphasis> products tested under natural conditions against<Emphasis Type="Italic">Thaumetopoea wilkinsoni</Emphasis>

Information on persistence ofBacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is needed to improve the microbial pest management programs against the pine processionary mothThaumetopoea wilkinsoni in pine forests in Israel. The persistence of the microbe under natural conditions of rain and sunlight was evaluated and is documented here for the first time. Pine saplings were sprayed with three commercialBt products, Foray 48B, Delfin WG and Dipel DF, all used at 32,000 IU mg⁻¹ in a formulation with 1% (w/v) of condensed milk. In experiments conducted in November and December of 2004, the saplings were either exposed to rain and sunlight or were sheltered to avoid these environmental factors. The lowest rainfall recorded in the 8-day experiments was 16.5 mm (test 2) and the heaviest was 71.1 mm (test 1). Solar irradiation ranged from 9.4 to 10.9 MJ m⁻². The minimum temperature was close to 10°C and the maximum was less than 23°C. Needles of the treated saplings and their controls were sampled after 0, 1, 5 and 8 days, and were fed to 1 ^st or 2 ^nd instar larvae. Dipel DF persisted better than Delfin WG and still retained its initial activity of 80–100% mortality on day 8 at low rainfall (test 2). Dripping ofBt from upper to lower branches was quantified with the larval bioassays. The milk formulation proved to be an effective rain-fasting adjuvant. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting May 4, 2007.     

Prospects for increasing the utilization of cattle embryo transfer by small-scale milk and meat producers in tropical regions

Small community cattle farmers in the tropics are facing challenges to deliver quality products whilst under pressure to increase milk and beef yields per cow. These challenges could be partially met by crossbreeding Bos taurus with Bos indicus (F1) cattle utilizing embryo transfer (ET) technology. The Bos taurus infusion would increase milk production, whilst the Bos indicus influence can improve resistance to the harsh environment of the tropics. Here, individuals from existing herds can be used to produce F1 embryos which benefit from hybrid vigour. Resultant female offspring would in turn receive an F1 embryo on reaching breeding maturity. This approach would help to provide a cost-effective, systematic approach to improve productivity in dairy and beef cattle in the tropics. However, full usage of ET, including in vitro applications, in the tropics will require improvements in procedures, resources and education.     

Biological activity of natural phytoecdysteroids from Ajuga iva against the sweetpotato whitefly Bemisia tabaci and the persea mite Oligonychus perseae

BACKGROUND: Ecdysteroids are steroid hormones that control moulting and govern several changes during metamorphoses in arthropods. The discovery of the same molecules (phytoecdysteroids) in several plant species displayed a wide array of rather beneficial agricultural impact. Many representatives of the genus Ajuga plants contain phytoecdysteroids with a 5β‐7‐ene‐6‐one system exhibiting physiological activities in insects. RESULTS: By means of chromatographic (silica gel column, TLC) and LC‐MS, two major ecdysteroids (20‐hydroxyecdysone and cyasterone) have been isolated and identified from Israeli carpet bugle Ajuga iva (L.) Schreber (Lamiales: Lamiaceae) plants. Ajuga iva extract fractionated on the silica gel column yielded two fractions that showed high activity against the sweetpotato whitefly Bemisis tabaci and the persea mite Oligonychus perseae. A dose of 5 mg AI L^?1 of the purely identified A. iva ecdysterone significantly reduced fecundity, fertility and survival of these pests, while commercial 20‐hydroxyecdysone at the same dose had lesser effects. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrate considerable efficacy of natural phytoecdysteroids against major agricultural pests, and suggests that these materials should be considered for potential development of friendly control agents. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Flufenerim, a novel insecticide acting on diverse insect pests: biological mode of action and biochemical aspects

A new chemical compound was tested for its insecticidal activity against several major insect pests. The compound, called "flufenerim", has a core pyrimidine structure and an unknown mode of action and showed potent activity against the sweet potato whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius), the green peach aphid Myzus persicae (Sulzer), and the African cotton leafworm Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval); however, it did not show any activity against two thrips species: western flower thrips Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) and tobacco thrips Thrips tabaci (Lindeman). The compound was relatively potent against the three tested pests and caused mortality rates that reached up to 100% at concentrations under 10 mg of active ingredient (ai) L(-1). The action of the compound was very fast, and mortality was observed within 48 h after exposure of the insects to treated leaves. A unique characteristic of this compound is its very short residual activity, which approximates to 4 days after application under laboratory conditions and to 2 days under outdoor conditions for both B. tabaci and S. littoralis. Although this new compound's mode of action is yet unknown, its rapid and potent action against sap-sucking pests suggests that it acts on a very important target site in the insect body and possibly could be applied very close to harvesting.     

Diversity and function of adaptive immune receptors in a jawless vertebrate

Instead of the immunoglobulin-type antigen receptors of jawed vertebrates, jawless fish have variable lymphocyte receptors (VLRs), which consist of leucine-rich repeat (LRR) modules. Somatic diversification of the VLR gene is shown here to occur through a multistep assembly of LRR modules randomly selected from a large bank of flanking cassettes. The predicted concave surface of the VLR is lined with hypervariable positively selected residues, and computational analysis suggests a repertoire of about 10(14) unique receptors. Lamprey immunized with anthrax spores responded with the production of soluble antigen-specific VLRs. These findings reveal that two strikingly different modes of antigen recognition through rearranged lymphocyte receptors have evolved in the jawless and jawed vertebrates.     

Microbial biomass and respiration in soils derived from lignite ashes: a profile study

Microbial biomass C and soil respiration measurements were made in 17–20 yr old soils developed on sluiced and tipped coal‐combustion ashes. Topsoil (0–30 cm) and subsoil (30–100 cm) samples were collected from three soil profiles at two abandoned disposal sites located in the city area of Halle, Saxony‐Anhalt. Selected soil physical (bulk density and texture) and chemical (pH, organic C, total N, CEC, plant available K and P, and total Cd and Cu) properties were measured. pH values were significantly lower while organic C and total N contents and the C : N ratio were significantly higher in the topsoil than in the subsoil indicating the effects of substrate weathering and pedogenic C accumulation. Likewise, microbial biomass C, K₂SO₄‐extractable C, and soil respiration with median values of 786 μg biomass C g^–1, 262 μg K₂SO₄‐C g^–1, and 6.05 μg CO₂‐C g^–1 h^–1, respectively, were significantly higher in the topsoil than in the subsoil. However, no significant difference was observed in metabolic quotient between the topsoil and the subsoil. Metabolic quotient with median values of 5.98 and 8.54 mg CO₂‐C (g biomass C)^–1 h^–1 for the 0–30 cm and 30–100 cm depths, respectively, was higher than the data reported in the literature for arable and forest soils. Microbial biomass C correlated significantly with extractable C but no relationship was observed between it and total N, Cd, and Cu contents, as well as plant‐available K and P. We conclude that the presence of the remarkable concentration of extractable C in the weathered lignite ashes allowed the establishment of microbial populations with high biomass. The high metabolic quotients observed might be attributed to the heavy‐metal contamination and to the microbial communities specific to ash soils.