Integrated Pest Management in Cocoa Agroforests in Southern Cameroon: Constraints and Overview

Imports of pesticides have long been subsidised for use in the cocoa agroforests of the humid forest zone of southern Cameroon. With the liberalisation of the cocoa and pesticides sectors and the devaluation of the local currency (CFA franc), farmers are facing fluctuations in the price paid for cocoa and the high cost of farm inputs. Without the support of the extension services, they themselves have developed traditional integrated control methods based on the use of plant extracts mixed with conventional pesticides. From a survey of 300 cocoa farmers, the study assesses the farmers' command of these methods, the pests controlled, the problems encountered and the institutional constraints in the definition and dissemination of integrated control methods. The study concludes with recommendations for research and development towards the better definition and dissemination of integrated control methods. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Responding to Economic Crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa: New Farmer-Developed Pest Management Strategies in Cocoa-Based Plantations in Southern Cameroon

Cocoa is a key or source of income and poverty reduction in the humid forest of Southern Cameroon. Cameroon like other African countries went through a major economic crisis in the early 1980s with a decline in international commodity prices and significant changes in macroeconomic policies. Structural adjustment reforms following the economic crisis led to removal of fertilizers and pesticides subsidies, cocoa price liberalization and the overall withdraw of Government interventions from the cocoa sub-sector. Cocoa input price increases have been compounded by the devaluation of the CFA Franc, which doubled the prices of the imported pesticides which were considered key to the control of cocoa pests. This overall economic shock led to changes in cocoa producer's production decisions as a response to minimize cost. Among the changes the use of alternatives to imported chemicals for cocoa pest control. Farmers responded to the high prices of pesticides by developing, from local botanical knowledge and pest management strategies, which include plant extracts and plant extracts mixed with pesticides at different proportions. This is a major decision given the importance of imported chemical in the cost of production of cocoa. Valuable indigenous knowledge from farmers could be used also as an effective support system for communicating and diffusing modern knowledge and technologies to farmers. The paper describes the farmer knowledge-based alternatives to chemical pesticides for pest control in cocoa fields as a response to high pest control costs. Pest management specialists are urged to take advantage of this shift in practice and assess their effectiveness for further use. Two sets of questions are posed: (1) were the conventional insecticides, with all their problems, really necessary? and (2) are the materials derived from locally grown plants effective pest management agents or are they, in some way, placebos?     

Simulating evolution of glyphosate resistance in Lolium rigidum II: past, present and future glyphosate use in Australian cropping

Glyphosate is a key component of weed control strategies in Australia and worldwide. Despite widespread and frequent use, evolved resistance to glyphosate is rare. A herbicide resistance model, parameterized for Lolium rigidum has been used to perform a number of simulations to compare predicted rates of evolution of glyphosate resistance under past, present and projected future use strategies. In a 30‐year wheat, lupin, wheat, oilseed rape crop rotation with minimum tillage (100% shallow depth soil disturbance at sowing) and annual use of glyphosate pre‐sowing, L. rigidum control was sustainable with no predicted glyphosate resistance. When the crop establishment system was changed to annual no‐tillage (15% soil disturbance at sowing), glyphosate resistance was predicted in 90% of populations, with resistance becoming apparent after between 10 and 18 years when sowing was delayed. Resistance was predicted in 20% of populations after 25–30 years with early sowing. Risks of glyphosate resistance could be reduced by rotating between no‐tillage and minimum‐tillage establishment systems, or by rotating between glyphosate and paraquat for pre‐sowing weed control. The double knockdown strategy (sequential full rate applications of glyphosate and paraquat) reduced risks of glyphosate and paraquat resistance to <2%. Introduction of glyphosate‐resistant oilseed rape significantly increased predicted risks of glyphosate resistance in no‐tillage systems even when the double knockdown was practised. These increased risks could be offset by high crop sowing rates and weed seed collection at harvest. When no selective herbicides were available in wheat crops, the introduction of glyphosate‐resistant oilseed rape necessitated a return to a minimum‐tillage crop establishment system.     

松口蘑的研究热点

揭开松口蘑与松科植物的共生关系，开发松口蘑的人工栽培技术已成为国际性的松口蘑研究课题。近年来，日本、瑞典、美国、韩国和新西兰等国的研究人员为鉴别松口蘑及其近缘种提供了有效的分子生物学手段，从形态解剖学、生理学上验证了松口蘑是典型的外生菌根菌的理论，同时也提出了松口蘑-宿主是一个动态的共生关系。松口蘑快速人工菌根的合成体系已经建立，为松口蘑人工子实体的诱导奠定了不可缺少的基础。这一领域的研究必将与植物学、菌物学和土壤学的研究紧密地结合起来，以共同开发松口蘑的人工栽培技术。     

长期施肥条件下菜田—蔬菜生态系统变化的研究( Ⅳ) 蔬菜生态系统的变化

 以2002 年设施番茄栽培为代表计算其N、P、K投入量与携出量之间的表观平衡状态, 其结果基本上和14.5 年后的土壤实测值与设施栽培本底值之间纵向比较的增长关系一致, 前者只能说明系统养分变化的趋势, 后者才是实际的养分盈亏状态, 养分盈亏主要取决于有机肥的施用与养分元素的供给。5个代表性处理模拟了蔬菜施肥的不同现状, 从土壤肥力及产量等方面的变化真实反映出各自的系统变化及发展趋势, 在本试验条件下以ANK施肥下的系统最优。对有机肥施用、化学肥料的配施以及测土施肥等问题进行了探讨。     

Improving management for higher reproduction accelerates genetic improvement in closed herd of swine

The present study compared responses to selection at different conception rates and litter sizes at weaning in a simulated closed herd in a swine breeding program. The base population consisted of 10 males and 50 females, and 10 generations of selection was practiced by using individual phenotype or best linear unbiased prediction of breeding values for a trait with heritability (h²) of either 0.2 or 0.5. The probability of conception in a single mating was assumed to be 0.8, 0.9 or 1.0. Litter size at weaning was sampled randomly from a normal distribution with mean 8, 10 or 12 and variance 8.1225. Genetic response increased by approximately 6% for h² = 0.2 and approximately 5% for h² = 0.5 at generation 10 when conception rate was increased from 0.8 to 1.0. However, litter size at weaning did not affect response to selection. In conclusion, improving conception rate by environmental management increases genetic response indirectly in a breeding program of a closed swine herd.     

The effect of sowing date, stale seedbed, row width and mechanical weed control on weeds and yields of organic winter wheat

Three field experiments were carried out in organically grown winter wheat in Denmark. The treatments were sowing time (normal or late sowing) and false seedbed, row width (12 and 24 cm) and weed control method [untreated; mechanical weed control (weed harrowing at 12 cm supplemented with inter‐row hoeing at 24 cm); and herbicide weed control]. Weed biomass in midsummer was greatest on plots sown at the normal sowing time (compared with delayed sowing) and was reduced by mechanical or chemical weed control (compared with untreated plots). Row width alone had no influence on weed biomass, but in the experiment with high weed pressure, the more intensive mechanical weed control used at a row width of 24 cm reduced weed biomass. Normal sowing time tended to give higher yields, but this was only statistically significant in one of the three experiments. Wide rows gave a yield decrease in the experiment with low weed pressure. The effect of weed control on yield was dependent on the weed pressure. At low weed pressure, mechanical weed control caused a yield decrease compared with untreated or herbicide treated. At intermediate weed levels there were no differences, whereas at high weed pressure, mechanical weed control and herbicide treatment caused a yield increase compared with untreated. False seedbeds were shown to contribute to a decrease in the soil seed reserve.     

高速公路边坡防护体系的建植养护

在对广东省普惠高速公路边坡生物防治体系——护坡草皮的建植和养护过程中，就草种选择、建植方式和质量监控等问题进行了讨论并提出建议，旨在提高我国高速公路边坡防护体系草皮的建植和养护水平。     

春季休牧对草原和家畜生产力的影响

从4月上旬到6月下旬,在内蒙古锡林郭勒典型草原,进行春季休牧试验,对休牧和非休牧的草原进行生产力监测.结果表明:春季休牧可以有效地保护草原生态环境,经过两个月休牧后,草原植被状况明显改善;休牧期间采用低投入维持性饲养,可以显著降低饲养成本.并对休牧措施的生态效益、生产实践可行性和经济合理性进行综合讨论和评价.