Optimizing Western Flower Thrips Management on French Beans by Combined Use of Beneficials and Imidacloprid

Western flower thrips (WFT), Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), is an important pest of vegetable crops worldwide and has developed resistance to many insecticides. The predatory mites Neoseiulus (=Amblyseius) cucumeris (Oudemans), the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae (Metsch.), and an insecticide (imidacloprid) were tested for their efficacy to reduce WFT population density and damage to French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) pods under field conditions in two planting periods. Metarhizium anisopliae was applied as a foliar spray weekly at a rate of one litre spray volume per plot while imidacloprid was applied as a soil drench every two weeks at a rate of two litres of a mixture of water and imidacloprid per m(2). Neoseiulus cucumeris was released every two weeks on plant foliage at a rate of three mites per plant. Single and combined treatment applications reduced WFT population density by at least three times and WFT damage to French bean pods by at least 1.7 times compared with untreated plots. The benefit-cost ratios in management of WFT were profitable with highest returns realized on imidacloprid treated plots. The results indicate that M. anisopliae, N. cucumeris, and imidacloprid have the potential for use in developing an integrated pest management program against WFT on French beans.

Pesquisa de fungos endofíticos presentes em videira (Vitis vinifera L.) com capacidade para inibir o crescimento do agente causal da podridão negra (Guignardia bidwellii)

Neste trabalho testou-se o potencial antagonista de 16 fungos endofíticos isolados de videiras (Vitis vinifera L.), de castas representativas do Alentejo produzidas em modo de proteção integrada e em modo biológico, contra Guignardia bidwellii. Os isolados identificados após ITS-PCR e sequenciação pertencem aos géneros Epicoccum, Alternaria, Botrytis, Athelia, Phoma e Gibberella. Os isolados testados mostraram atividade antagonista contra G. bidwellii quer por inibição direta, quer através da produção de compostos voláteis, à exceção dos dois isolados de B. cinerea. No entanto, todos os isolados produziram alguns compostos voláteis com reconhecida atividade antimicrobiana, tais como benzaldeído, 3-metil-1-butanol e derivados de ácido propanoico. Foi ainda observado que seis dos isolados produziram também metabolitos não voláteis com capacidade de inibir o crescimento de G. bidwellii. Os resultados obtidos vêm mostrar o potencial dos fungos endofíticos como agentes de luta biológica no controlo de G. bidwellii, podendo constituir novas alternativas no âmbito de Proteção de Plantas; ABSTRACT: Endophytic fungi present in grapevines (Vitis vinifera L.) with the ability to inhibit the growth of the causal agent of black rot (Guignardia bidwellii) In this work the antagonistic potential of 16 endophytic grapevine fungi isolates (Vitis vinifera L.), from representative cultivars of the Alentejo region produced either under integrated pest management or organic mode, was tested against Guignardia bidwellii. Isolates were identified through ITS-PCR and sequencing, as belonging to the genera Epicoccum, Alternaria, Botrytis, Athelia, Phoma and Gibberella. Isolates showed antagonist activity against G. bidwellii either by direct inhibition or through the production of volatile compounds, with the exception of two isolates of B. cinerea. Nevertheless, all isolates produced volatile compounds with known antimicrobial activity such as benzaldehyde, 3-methyl-1-butanol and propionic acid derivatives. Additionally, six isolates produced non-volatile metabolites with the ability to inhibit G. bidwellii growth. These results show the potential that endophytic fungi have as agents for biological control of G. bidwellii, opening new options in the field of Plant Protection.

Quarantine facilities and legal issues of the use of biocontrol agents in Brazil.

The objective of this work was to address the classical biological control of pests in Brazil, regarding procedures to import and export native biological material. A brief introduction will be given on the current legal issues on the use of biocontrol agents, as well as some considerations on the existing quarantine pests and actions already carried out in the country. The safety in the introduction of exotic organisms is important for Brazilian phytosanitary defense and for a higher adoption of classical biocontrol, making it available for integrated pest management (IPM). Legal and normative aspects establish the procedures that must to be adopted, not only to protect bioprospecting and native organisms, but also to minimize risks to the national genetic patrimony associated with the introduction of exotic organisms. Furthermore, the import/export procedures adopted for vegetal and useful organisms for pest biological control and for other genetic material must be subjected to phytosanitary measures performed in government?certified quarantine facilities and diagnostic laboratories. Finally, the quarantine activities listed here are strategic for safeguarding the country from potential problems arising from border transit of living organisms.

Tratamento de sementes para manejo do percevejo-barriga-verde na cultura de soja e milho em sucessão.

RESUMO: O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito do tratamento de sementes com inseticidas sobre o manejo de Dichelops melacanthus e a produtividade da soja e do milho, cultivados em sucessão. O estudo foi realizado em campo, nas safras 2012/2013 (I) e 2013/2014 (II). Avaliaram-se os inseticidas imidacloprido, tiametoxam, tiodicarbe, fipronil e abamectina. Determinaram-se: a densidade populacional do percevejo, a produtividade de soja e milho, e a intensidade da injúria em milho. A densidade do percevejo permaneceu abaixo de um inseto por metro quadrado, na maior parte do ciclo da soja. Os picos populacionais foram observados nas primeiras semanas, após a emergência do milho, e atingiram 2,2 (safra I) e 6,7 (safra II) percevejos por metro quadrado. Na cultura da soja, os inseticidas não reduziram a densidade populacional do percevejo. Na cultura do milho, o imidacloprido reduziu a densidade do percevejo em 23,2% (safra I) e 38,8% (safra II), e a injúria em 61,8% (safra I) e 26,4% (safra II). O tiametoxam reduziu a densidade dos insetos em 27,8% (safra II) e a injúria em 42,7% (safra I). O tratamento de sementes com inseticidas não proporciona aumento de produtividade à soja e ao milho, portanto, não se justifica sua utilização nas condições deste estudo. ABSTRACT: The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of seed treatment with insecticides on the management of Dichelops melacanthus on the yield of soybean and corn, grown in succession. The study was carried out in a field, in the 2012/2013 (I) and 2013/2014 (II) crop seasons. The evaluated insecticides were: imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, thiodicarb, fipronil, and abamectin. The following were determined: stink bug population density, soybean and corn yield, and corn injury. Population density remained below one stink bug per square meter, in most of the soybean cycle. Population peaks were observed in the first weeks, after corn emergence, and they reached 2.2 (crop season I) and 6.7 (crop season II) stink bugs per square meter. In the soybean crop, the insecticides did not reduce the stink bug population density. In the corn crop, imidacloprid reduced the stink bug density in 23.2% (crop season I) and 38.8% (crop season II), and injury in 61.8% (crop season I) and 26.4% (crop season II). Thiamethoxam reduced the insect population density in 27.8% (crop season II) and injury in 42.7% (crop season I). Seed treatment with insecticides does not provide increase for soybean and corn yields, therefore, their use is not justified in this study's conditions.

Suscetibilidade de populações de Noctuideos ao inseticida indoxacarbe.

2016

O que muda em seletividade de inseticidas a Trichogramma pretiosum após a detecção de Helicoverpa armigera no Brasil?

2016

Herbicidas e reguladores de crescimento de plantas utilizados na cana-de-açúcar e sua ação sobre adultos de Trichogramma galloi Zucchi (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae).

2016

Selectivity of pesticides used in rice crop on Telenomus podisi and Trichogramma pretiosum¹.

2016

Beyond compliance : project on an integrated systems approach for pest risk management in South East Asia

The Beyond Compliance project, which began in July 2011 with funding from the Standards and Trade Development Facility for 2 years, aims to enhance competency and confidence in the South East Asian sub-region by applying a Systems Approach for pest risk management. The Systems Approach involves the use of integrated measures, at least two of which are independent, that cumulatively reduce the risk of introducing exotic pests through trade. Although useful in circumstances where single measures are inappropriate or unavailable, the Systems Approach is inherently more complicated than single-measure approaches, which may inhibit its uptake. The project methodology is to take prototype decision-support tools, such as Control Point-Bayesian Networks (CP-BN), developed in recent plant health initiatives in other regions, including the European PRATIQUE project, and to refine them within this sub-regional context. Case studies of high-priority potential agricultural trade will be conducted by National Plant Protection Organizations of participating South East Asian countries in trials of the tools, before further modifications. Longer term outcomes may include: more robust pest risk management in the region (for exports and imports); greater inclusion of stakeholders in development of pest risk management plans; increased confidence in trade negotiations; and new opportunities for trade.

Synonymization of key pest species within the Bactrocera dorsalis species complex (Diptera: Tephritidae): Taxonomic changes based on a review of 20 years of integrative morphological, molecular, cytogenetic, behavioural and chemoecological data

Bactrocera papayae Drew & Hancock, Bactrocera philippinensis Drew & Hancock, Bactrocera carambolae Drew & Hancock, and Bactrocera invadens Drew, Tsuruta & White are four horticultural pest tephritid fruit fly species that are highly similar, morphologically and genetically, to the destructive pest, the Oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae). This similarity has rendered the discovery of reliable diagnostic characters problematic, which, in view of the economic importance of these taxa and the international trade implications, has resulted in ongoing difficulties for many areas of plant protection and food security. Consequently, a major international collaborative and integrated multidisciplinary research effort was initiated in 2009 to build upon existing literature with the specific aim of resolving biological species limits among B. papayae, B. philippinensis, B. carambolae, B. invadens and B. dorsalis to overcome constraints to pest management and international trade. Bactrocera philippinensis has recently been synonymized with B. papayae as a result of this initiative and this review corroborates that finding; however, the other names remain in use. While consistent characters have been found to reliably distinguish B. carambolae from B. dorsalis, B. invadens and B. papayae, no such characters have been found to differentiate the latter three putative species. We conclude that B. carambolae is a valid species and that the remaining taxa, B. dorsalis, B. invadens and B. papayae, represent the same species. Thus, we consider B. dorsalis (Hendel) as the senior synonym of B. papayae Drew and Hancock syn.n. and B. invadens Drew, Tsuruta & White syn.n. A redescription of B. dorsalis is provided. Given the agricultural importance of B. dorsalis, this taxonomic decision will have significant global plant biosecurity implications, affecting pest management, quarantine, international trade, postharvest treatment and basic research. Throughout the paper, we emphasize the value of independent and multidisciplinary tools in delimiting species, particularly in complicated cases involving morphologically cryptic taxa.

Root-lesion nematodes (Pratylenchus thornei and P. neglectus): A review of recent progress in managing a significant pest of grain crops in northern Australia

Two species of root-lesion nematode (predominantly Pratylenchus thornei but also P. neglectus) are widespread pathogens of wheat and other crops in Australia's northern grain belt, a subtropical region with deep, fertile clay soils and a summer-dominant rainfall pattern. Losses in grain yield from P. thornei can be as high as 70% for intolerant wheat cultivars. This review focuses on research which has led to the development of effective integrated management programs for these nematodes. It highlights the importance of correct identification in managing Pratylenchus species, reviews the plant breeding work done in developing tolerant and resistant cultivars, outlines the methods used to screen for tolerance and resistance, and discusses how planned crop sequencing with tolerant and partially resistant wheat cultivars, together with crops such as sorghum, sunflower, millets and canaryseed, can be used to reduce nematode populations and limit crop damage. The declining levels of soil organic matter in cropped soils are also discussed with reference to their effect on soil health and biological suppression of root-lesion nematodes.

Integrated viral disease management in vegetable crops

Integrated viral disease management in vegetable crops.

Northern Integrated Disease Management

This project has the overall aim of reducing the impacts of diseases of winter cereals, pulses, sunflower sorghum and nematodes on farming systems in the GRDC northern region. Integrated disease management packages which involve combinations of resistance, targeted fungicide applications, cultural practices such as rotations, and disease modelling will be developed and extended to clients. Structured surveillance activities will enable the monitoring of the distribution and importance of diseases and pathotypes, the early detection of significant outbreaks of endemic and exotic diseases, and a rapid and appropriate response to these outbreaks.