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?     

农作物病虫预报可视化发展与应用前景

农作物病虫预报可视化具有形象生动、信息传递快捷、覆盖面广等优点,是更好发挥预报作用的最佳方式。大范围实施这种预报发布形式的条件,目前已基本成熟,经过努力,必然会在不长的时间内取得长足进展。     

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.     

磷化氢熏蒸处理对嗜卷书虱不同虫态的致死作用

实验室条件下系统研究了磷化氢(PH3)对储物害虫嗜卷书虱Liposcelis bostrychophila卵、各龄若虫和成虫的致死作用,并选用PH3间歇熏蒸以及PH3与气调交替处理等措施对嗜卷书虱进行处理,比较了不同处理措施对嗜卷书虱种群的控制效果。结果表明,PH3熏蒸处理对嗜卷书虱各虫态有不同的致死效果。对卵而言,24、72和120 h熏蒸处理的LC50分别为0.137、0.045和0.035 mg/L;而24 h熏蒸处理对若虫的LC50在4.285~7.364 μg/L之间,对成虫的LC50为20.404 μg/L;采用25 μg/L的PH3进行24 h熏蒸处理,间隔10 d后再分别进行第2次和第3次熏蒸处理,可以完全控制嗜卷书虱的发生。采用PH3 (12 μg/L)和气调(体积比例为35% CO2,1% O2,64% N2)交替处理能够延缓嗜卷书虱种群抗性的发展,交替处理3~5次可以完全控制嗜卷书虱的发生。     

根结线虫的研究现状

概述了根结线虫的发生分布和传统分类鉴定,以及分子生物学技术(同工酶电泳技术、DNA重组技术、PCR技术)在根结线虫种和生理小种鉴定中的运用及其防治,并对生物防治及抗根结线虫育种、转基因工程在植物线虫学研究领域上的应用前景作了展望。     

检疫害虫稻水象甲的控制技术研究进展

稻水象甲(Lissorhoptrus。oryzophilus Kuschel)是一种毁灭性的水稻害虫，也是一种重要的检疫害虫。近年来在很多省市发生为害，且发生程度不断加重并呈扩大蔓延趋势。本文概述了近年来稻水象甲大发生危害的情况及原因，深入分析了其发生规律，提出了加强植物检疫、农业防治、化学防治、生物防治、物理防治等综合治理的措施。     

半自然条件下几种赤眼蜂及品系对亚洲玉米螟卵寄生能力比较

在半自然条件(田间网罩)下,将人工饲养的玉米螟卵按4、8、16块/株3个处理分别固定在网罩内的玉米植株中上部叶片上,然后每网罩分别引入供试赤眼蜂20头,24 h后更换玉米螟卵块,连续3 d。7 d后调查供寄生的玉米螟卵被寄生率及羽化率。结果表明:在半自然条件下广赤眼蜂伊朗1-1品系虽寄生能力高于其他供试品系,但到第2、3天明显降低;玉米螟赤眼蜂北京6-2-2品系每天均维持一个较平稳的寄生能力,产卵量在时间上的分配比较分散,并在第2、3天显示出比其他品系较高的寄生潜能。广赤眼蜂伊朗1-1品系的卵块寄生数量可随卵块密度的增加而增加,而其他品系则在各处理密度下,寄生数量基本没有变化;从卵粒寄生率看,广赤眼蜂伊朗1-1和吉林1-2两个品系的寄生数量随卵块密度的增加而大幅度提高,其他品系增加幅度较小。     

采收时间对蜡蚧轮枝菌分生孢子的萌发及致病力的影响

将蜡蚧轮枝菌Vp菌株在PDA培养基上23℃黑暗培养,分别于第5、15、20、25、30天后采收。将不同时间采收的分生孢子置于2％葡萄糖培养液内培养,16 h后检测其萌发率,结果表明,采收于第5天和第15天的分生孢子萌发率分别达到89.76％和94.98％,显著高于采收于第25天(30.27％)和第30天(6.12％)的孢子的萌发率;在PDA培养基培养5 d和15 d的分生孢子在相同浓度下对温室白粉虱的致病力分别达到83.40％和74.44％,显著高于培养了30 d的分生孢子的致病力(8.76％)。     

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.