The black weevil Aclees taiwanensis Kôno, 1933 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is a xylophagous insect native to Southeast Asia and introduced to Italy in 2005. Here, the species completes its entire ...life cycle on Ficus carica L., causing economic damage and leading to the plants’ death. Nowadays, there are no insecticides registered for its control. In this study, a commercial product based on Beauveria bassiana, Naturalis®, was associated with Rincotrap® tissue. Semi-field trials were carried out on fig seedlings by comparing two different concentrations (3% and 10%) of this entomopathogenic fungus distributed in suspension on Rincotrap® bands. The results showed that the fungal product had a biocidal effect in both treatments. Afterward, trials were conducted in a fig orchard in order to verify the effectiveness of this association in the field. The addition of Naturalis® at a 3% concentration to Rincotrap® bands did not alter the number of adults captured. The total mortality was 43.7% and 23.8%, respectively, in the treated and control plots. Among the total number of dead adults, only the mortality rates of B. bassiana exceeded 70% in both plots. Further long-term studies in several environments are necessary to improve this technique and create an integrated control system for the black fig weevil.
The natural presence of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) has been investigated in the Piedmont region (Northern Italy) in areas infested by the Japanese beetle Popillia japonica. Thirty-nine out of ...155 soil samples (25.2%) were positive for EPNs. Most of the samples contained only steinermatids (92.3%), 5.1% contained heterorhabditids, and one sample (2.6%) contained both genera. All the recovered isolates were identified at species level both morphologically and molecularly. Steinernema carpocapsae was the most abundant and it was mainly distributed in open habitats, such as perennial meadows, uncultivated soils, and cropland, characterized by sandy loam soil texture and acidic pH. Steinernema feltiae has been found associated mainly with closed habitats such as coniferous and deciduous woodland, characterized by sandy loam-texture and extremely acidic soil. The three isolates of Heterorhabditis bacteriophora were collected only in open habitats (perennial meadows and uncultivated fields) characterized by strongly acidic soils with sandy loam texture. The virulence of all EPN natural strains was evaluated by laboratory assays against P. japonica third-instar larvae collected during two different periods of the year (spring, autumn). The results showed that larval mortality was higher for pre-wintering larvae than post-wintering ones. The five more promising EPN isolates were tested in the semi-field assay in which H. bacteriophora natural strains have been shown to be more efficient in controlling P. japonica grubs. All of these results are finally discussed considering the use of these natural EPNs as biological control agents against P. japonica, within an eco-friendly perspective of management.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The increasing use of the super high-density (SHD) olive orchard system requires a careful assessment of its potential impact on the main olive pests. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the SHD ...effect on Bactrocera oleae and other harmful phytophagous species by assessing damages caused by each pest. For three years, in three different sites in Tuscany established with Italian selection or Spanish Arbequina cultivars, the SHD management system was compared to an adjacent traditional olive orchard system in which the same soil and phytosanitary management were applied. Samplings of twigs and fruits from spring to fall together with adult monitoring of B. oleae, Prays oleae, and Palpita vitrealis by pheromone traps were used to determine infestation percentages and insects’ population dynamics. Bactrocera oleae, Liothrips oleae, and Euphillura olivina were negatively affected by the SHD olive orchard system, while P. vitrealis and Otiorhynchus cribricollis were favoured by this management. Bactrocera oleae total infestation was reduced to almost 50 % in the SHD system. In contrast, Palpita vitrealis showed high infestation levels in more vigorous cultivars. Further studies are required for a complete evaluation of the impact of SHD management on olive pests.
●SHD olive orchard system requires agronomic practices influencing pest behaviour.●The Bactrocera oleae infestation percentage was reduced by SHD management.●SHD management might benefit Palpita vitrealis and Otiorhynchus cribricollis.●SHD management affected the minor pests Liothrips oleae and Euphillura olivina.
L. is one of the earliest cultivated fruit trees, and figs are a typical fruit of the Mediterranean diet and traditional medicine as well. In recent years, a new pest, the black weevil
Kȏno, 1933 ...(Coleoptera: Curculionidae) native to Asia, has been recorded in France and Italy.
causes the rapid death of the fig tree by its larvae that dig alimentation galleries in the trunk and surface roots, compromising the phloem flux. In Italy, from 2005, the year of the first detection of
, the fig production has nearly halved, decreasing from 20.09 t to 10.65 t. To date, no specific EU regulation has been applied to prevent the
spread, and we can reasonably expect a rapid diffusion of this pest all over the Mediterranean area. To avoid the loss of the Mediterranean fig orchards, effective strategies to detect and control the black weevil are required. Such strategies need a detailed knowledge of
distribution, biology, and physiology. This paper updates the known distribution of this species in Southern Europe, using a citizen science approach, and describes, under laboratory and field conditions, its main biological traits.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The soil nematode community plays an important role in ecosystem services. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of Super-high density (SHD) olive orchards on the nematode community in ...five sites with different soils, climates, and cultivars. At each site, the SHD management system was compared to the adjacent olive orchard traditional (TRAD) system, in which the same soil management and phytosanitary measures were applied. Soil management was assessed by total organic carbon content (TOC), while the soil nematode community was evaluated using the nematode taxa abundances and soil nematode indicators. TOC was significantly decreased in the SHD olive orchard system compared to TRAD in the sites characterized by conventional tillage and mineral fertilization. The two-way ANOSIM analysis on nematode abundance showed no difference between the two olive management methods, instead showing only a significant difference per site mainly due to variabilities in plant-parasitic nematode assemblage. However, a negative impact of SHD management was evident in environments stressed by summer droughts and conventional tillage: the ratio of obligate plant-parasites to bacterivores and fungivores (Pp/(B+F)) was significantly higher in SHD than in the TRAD olive orchard system, and the prey-to-predator θ mass ratio showed the lowest values in the sites under organic fertilization or green manure. The canonical correspondence analysis showed that the free-living nematodes were only slightly affected by SHD olive orchards; instead, the presence of plant-parasitic nematodes families such as Telotylenchidae, Paratylenchidae, Meloidogynidae, and Criconematidae was favored, in comparison to Longidoridae, Heteroderidae, and Pratylenchidae.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The Mediterranean region includes 13 countries among Europe, Near Orient, and Africa. This area is a huge “hot spot” of cultures, religions, socio-economical situations, and of habitats and ... biodiversity. The report illustrates the geographical and ecological features of the region. Forest ecosystems and vegetation traits, with particular focus on forest species growing at the edge of their distribution range, are here compiled. The accuracy of reports, shows the interest and attention that the Mediterranean countries have for the different and complex situations of marginality that characterizes the presence of many forest species in this region. In this area the occurrence of 166 marginal and peripheral (MaP) populations of different species has been detected. Most of populations are characterised by vulnerability and fragility. Many MaP survive in environmental refugia and /or in isolated stands. However, most of the MaP populations identified by FP1202 experts are located in protected areas and also sometimes registered as seed sources, although Mediterranean region appears heterogeneous with respect to protection measures.
A set of organic/inorganic layered materials was obtained by functionalizing a montmorillonite-containing bentonite natural clay with linear aliphatic C
or C
aldehydes through a cost-effective and ...technologically simple incipient-wetness deposition method. The solids were investigated by means of a multi-technique approach (X-ray powder diffraction, XRPD, scanning electron microscopy, SEM, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, FT-IR, thermogravimetric analysis, TGA, elemental analysis and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, ssNMR) to clarify the nature of the deposited organic species and the mode of interaction between the aldehyde and the clay. Since both natural clays and short-chain linear aldehydes find application as alternative strategies in the control of the olive fruit fly,
, the hybrid layered materials were tested under real-life conditions and their insect-inhibiting capability was evaluated in open-field trials on olive tree orchards in Tuscany, Central Italy. Specific tests were conducted to evaluate the resistance of the solids to weathering and their capability to provide a constant and long-lasting release of the bioactive ingredient. Aldehyde-containing bentonite clays have shown promising performance in controlling
infestation (with up to 86-95% reduction of affected olive fruits) in open-field trials across two years in two locations with different pedological and meteo-climatic characteristics.
A set of organic/inorganic layered materials was obtained by functionalizing a montmorillonite-containing bentonite natural clay with linear aliphatic C
6
or C
7
aldehydes through a cost-effective ...and technologically simple incipient-wetness deposition method. The solids were investigated by means of a multi-technique approach (X-ray powder diffraction, XRPD, scanning electron microscopy, SEM, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, FT-IR, thermogravimetric analysis, TGA, elemental analysis and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, ssNMR) to clarify the nature of the deposited organic species and the mode of interaction between the aldehyde and the clay. Since both natural clays and short-chain linear aldehydes find application as alternative strategies in the control of the olive fruit fly,
Bactrocera oleae
, the hybrid layered materials were tested under real-life conditions and their insect-inhibiting capability was evaluated in open-field trials on olive tree orchards in Tuscany, Central Italy. Specific tests were conducted to evaluate the resistance of the solids to weathering and their capability to provide a constant and long-lasting release of the bioactive ingredient. Aldehyde-containing bentonite clays have shown promising performance in controlling
B. oleae
infestation (with up to 86-95% reduction of affected olive fruits) in open-field trials across two years in two locations with different pedological and meteo-climatic characteristics.
Aldehyde-containing bentonite natural clays as a method for the long-term release of the bioactive ingredient, reducing the infestation by olive fruit fly.
Abstract In Europe, the recently reported plant pathogen Xylella fastidiosa subsp. multiplex affects several wild, ornamental, and cultivated trees causing scorch diseases. In 2018, the sequence type ...87 was reported in Tuscany on Mediterranean shrubs and trees. Although spittlebugs (Hemiptera: Aphrophoridae) were already identified as main vectors of this bacterium in Europe, their role in the transmission of this subspecies has not been ascertained yet. In this study the ability of Philaenus spumarius and Neophilaenus campestris to acquire and transmit Xylella fastidiosa subsp. multiplex sequence type 87 from and to Rhamnus alaternus was evaluated in two-year semi-field experiments. To acquire the bacterium, insects were confined on wild, naturally infected R. alaternus shrubs for 120 h. Then, they were transferred to healthy plants and maintained in cages for 96 h. To follow the infection, plant samples were collected every two months for three times. Tested plants were destroyed at the end of experiments and roots, twigs and leaves were analysed. Philaenus spumarius showed a significantly higher survival rate than N. campestris . The infection status of both insects and plants was assessed through molecular analysis. P. spumarius and N. campestris were able to infect healthy plants although the acquisition rate and the estimated probability of transmission appeared to be low. These findings provide new accounts on the role of two polyphagous insect vectors in spreading a quarantine organism, which is lethal to a huge number of plant species. However, further studies are needed to disclose more specific interactions within this complex pathosystem.
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