•Fluralaner can be successfully microencapsulated in yeast for use as a larvicide, despite its molecular weight approaching the maximum for encapsulation.•The novel larvicide formulation is effective ...against late stage Musca domestica, Aedes albopictus, and Culicoides sonorensis larvae in laboratory-based dose response assays.•A single application of microencapsulated fluralaner controlled Ae. albopictus for five weeks and C. sonorensis for eight weeks.
Fly control for any species is most effectively implemented in the immature stages when insects can be eliminated before emerging as adults capable of transmitting pathogens or becoming nuisance pests. Yet a limited number of insecticide classes are available for treating larval development sites for dipteran pest species. The most recently introduced class of insecticides in the United States (US) is the isoxazolines, including fluralaner. In the US, fluralaner is currently exclusively labeled for use against ectoparasites in companion animals. However, research has shown that it has a wider effective target range beyond ectoparasites and could be developed as an insecticide for vector control. Here we tested a novel, proprietary, yeast microencapsulated (YME) formulation of fluralaner against the larvae of three pest species: Musca domestica L. (Diptera: Muscidae), Aedes albopictus Skuse (Diptera: Culicidae), and Culicoides sonorensis Wirth and Jones (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). These species all naturally consume microorganisms as larvae, including yeasts. Fluralaner was successfully microencapsulated in Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast. YME fluralaner was reconstituted in water at concentrations of 0.00001–0.1 mg/mL (Aedes and Culicoides) or 1–50 mg/mL (Musca) for use in dose-response assays. For each species, the LC50 at 24 h was estimated using probit analyses. YME fluralaner was highly effective against all species tested (Ae. albopictus LC50 = 0.000077 mg/mL; C. sonorensis LC50 = 0.00067 mg/mL; M. domestica LC50 = 2.58 mg/mL). Additionally, laboratory assays were conducted to determine product reapplication rates using LC50 rates. Reapplication rates to maintain <50 % emergence were five weeks (Ae. albopictus) and greater than eight weeks (C. sonorensis). The results presented here indicate YME fluralaner is a promising candidate for controlling larval insects that naturally feed on detritus, thereby bypassing cuticular penetration barriers and safely delivering the active ingredient to the target species.
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Sustainable agriculture aims to meet the food needs of the growing world population while ensuring minimal impact on the environment and humans as well as productivity. Although pesticides represent ...the backbone of the agri-food sector in its endeavor to secure food production their application is perceived by many as an obstacle towards the achievement of sustainability; the main concerns are linked with their adverse effects on human health and the environment. Τhis review aims to present the status of chemical plant protection and provide insights into the use of pesticides within the context of sustainable agriculture. It mainly focuses on the strengthened legislation frameworks, which especially in the European Union and the United States of America ensure the placement in the market of pesticides with acceptable toxicological and environmental profiles without compromising crop production. Furthermore, the implementation of Integrated Pest Management principles plays a key role in the sustainable use of pesticides. The stringent regulatory requirements have resulted in the dramatic increase of the associated effort and costs in pesticide research and development (R&D) of improved products. Nevertheless, the investment of leading agrochemical companies in the R&D of new pesticides remains high. All the above set the ground for the sustainable use of pesticides in crop production while their successful application remains a challenge.
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•Sustainable use of pesticides is one way concerning anthroposphere and biosphere.•Pesticide authorization verifies an acceptable risk to humans and environment.•Management of pesticides can corroborate sustainability in agriculture.•The investment in pesticide R&D remains high.•Co-operation of all stakeholders is essential for the sustainable food production.
Fall armyworm (FAW, Spodoptera frugiperda J.E. Smith) is an invasive lepidopteran pest established in most of sub-Saharan Africa since 2016. Although the immediate reaction of governments has been to ...invest in chemical pesticides, control methods based on agronomic management would be more affordable to resource-constrained smallholders and minimize risks for health and the environment. However, little is known about the most effective agronomic practices that could control FAW under typical African smallholder conditions. In addition, the impact of FAW damage on yield in Africa has been reported as very large, but these estimates are mainly based on farmers' perceptions, and not on rigorous field scouting methods. Thus, the objectives of this study were to understand the factors influencing FAW damage in African smallholder maize fields and quantify its impact on yield, using two districts of Eastern Zimbabwe as cases. A total of 791 smallholder maize plots were scouted for FAW damage and the head of the corresponding farming household interviewed. Grain yield was later determined in about 20% of these fields. FAW damage was found to be significantly reduced by frequent weeding operations and by minimum- and zero-tillage. Conversely, pumpkin intercropping was found to significantly increase FAW damage. FAW damage was also found to be higher for some maize varieties, although these varieties may not be the lowest yielding. If the incidence of plants with FAW damage symptoms recorded in this research (32–48%, depending on the estimate used) is commensurate with what other studies conducted on the continent found, our best estimate of the impact of FAW damage on yield (11.57%) is much lower than what these studies reported. Although our study presents limitations, losses due to FAW damage in Africa could have been over-estimated. The threat that FAW represents for African smallholders, although very real, should not divert attention away from other pressing challenges they face.
•The incidence of fall armyworm damage symptoms was 32–48%.•Frequent weeding and zero-tillage reduced fall armyworm damage.•Pumpkin intercropping increased fall armyworm damage.•The impact of fall armyworm damage on yield was estimated at 11.57%.•Previous studies may have over-estimated yield losses due to fall armyworm.
•Transinfected endosymbiotic bacteria can be a useful pest management tool.•Infections can spread rapidly and reduce field populations of aphid pests.•The EndoSim R package can be used to simulate ...population dynamics of infected pests.
Endosymbiotic bacteria are being increasingly considered in novel methods of suppressing pest populations and/or reducing their potential to vector viruses. Here, we develop a generic modelling approach to explore the potential impacts of endosymbionts on pest populations. The model is presented as a modular R package, EndoSim. We use it to model demographic changes in the green peach aphid (Myzus persicae), which has recently been transinfected with the facultative endosymbiont, Rickettsiella. This novel transinfection has deleterious fitness effects following transfer to M. persicae. We consider a range of scenarios including different temperatures, thermal response curves, plant-based transmission dynamics, introduction dates and initial introduction sizes to investigate conditions under which Rickettsiella is expected to suppress M. persicae populations. We show that impacts on field pest populations are influenced by endosymbiont transmission dynamics, which are temperature-dependent, as well as aphid population processes. Our modelling approach suggests Rickettsiella could be used as a potential biological control to suppress M. persicae in natural settings. Furthermore, it highlights critical information that is required to accurately estimate the likely efficacy of novel endosymbiont transinfections in aphid pest control.
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Several pests and diseases have grapevine as their favourite host and the vineyard as preferred environment, so an intensive pesticide schedule is usually required to meet qualitative and ...quantitative production standards. The need to prevent the negative impact of synthetic chemical pesticides on human health and the environment and the consumer expectations in term of chemical residues in food stimulated the research of innovative tools and methods for sustainable pest management. The research project PURE (www.pure-ipm.eu) was a Europe-wide framework, which demonstrated that several solutions are now available for the growers and evaluated several new alternatives that are under development or almost ready for being applied in practice. Although the use of resistant/tolerant varieties is not yet feasible in several traditional grape growing areas, at least part of the synthetic chemical pesticides can be substituted with biocontrol agents to control pests and pathogens and/or pheromone mating disruption, or the number of treatments can be reduced by the use of decision support systems, which identify the optimal timing for the applications. This review presents the state of the art and the perspectives in the field of grapevine protection tools and strategies.
•Several pests and diseases affect the grapevine.•IPM is mandatory to reduce pesticide risk.•A review on the state of the art and the perspectives on pest protection tools and strategies.
Western flower thrips,
, first arose as an important invasive pest of many crops during the 1970s-1980s. The tremendous growth in international agricultural trade that developed then fostered the ...invasiveness of western flower thrips. We examine current knowledge regarding the biology of western flower thrips, with an emphasis on characteristics that contribute to its invasiveness and pest status. Efforts to control this pest and the tospoviruses that it vectors with intensive insecticide applications have been unsuccessful and have created significant problems because of the development of resistance to numerous insecticides and associated outbreaks of secondary pests. We synthesize information on effective integrated management approaches for western flower thrips that have developed through research on its biology, behavior, and ecology. We further highlight emerging topics regarding the species status of western flower thrips, as well as its genetics, biology, and ecology that facilitate its use as a model study organism and will guide development of appropriate management practices.
Banana production is seriously threatened by Fusarium wilt (FW), a disease caused by the soil-borne fungus
f. sp.
(
). In the mid-twentieth century FW, also known as "Panama disease", wiped out the ...Gros Michel banana industry in Central America. The devastation caused by
race 1 was mitigated by a shift to resistant Cavendish cultivars, which are currently the source of 99% of banana exports. However, a new strain of
, the tropical race 4 (TR4), attacks Cavendish clones and a diverse range of other banana varieties.
TR4 has been restricted to East and parts of Southeast Asia for more than 20 years, but since 2010 the disease has spread westward into five additional countries in Southeast and South Asia (Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, India, and Pakistan) and at the transcontinental level into the Middle East (Oman, Jordan, Lebanon, and Israel) and Africa (Mozambique). The spread of
TR4 is of great concern due to the limited knowledge about key aspects of disease epidemiology and the lack of effective management models, including resistant varieties and soil management approaches. In this review we summarize the current knowledge on the epidemiology of FW of banana, highlighting knowledge gaps in pathogen survival and dispersal, factors driving disease intensity, soil and plant microbiome and the dynamics of the disease. Comparisons with FW in other crops were also made to indicate possible differences and commonalities. Our current understanding of the role of main biotic and abiotic factors on disease intensity is reviewed, highlighting research needs and futures directions. Finally, a set of practices and their impact on disease intensity are discussed and proposed as an integrative management approach that could eventually be used by a range of users, including plant protection organizations, researchers, extension workers and growers.
•Biological control is a key component of organic farming systems and IPM.•Organic agriculture incorporates IPM techniques.•While there are differences, both approaches seek to reduce pesticide ...risks.•Barriers to biological control adoption are obstacles to organic and IPM practices.•Organic and IPM practitioners stand to gain from collaboration.
More resilient and sustainable approaches are urgently needed to minimize crop yield losses resulting from pest activity and reduce impacts of pest management on human health and the environment. Increasing implementation of biological approaches, including biological control, biopesticides, biostimulants and pheromones is a mutual high priority for sustainable agriculture leaders and practitioners, including those working in organic agriculture and Integrated Pest Management (IPM). While market and regulatory forces, and pest resistance to conventional pesticides are contributing to growth in implementation of biological approaches, they remain a very small percentage of the overall global crop protection portfolio. Barriers to greater adoption include many of the same barriers to adopting IPM techniques or transitioning to organic. Improved awareness and understanding of the histories and benefits of organic and IPM, goals and priorities shared by organic and IPM proponents and practitioners, and opportunities for accelerating adoption of biological approaches have potential to improve our combined effectiveness in overcoming these barriers. Strategies to speed adoption include increased education and extension on proven, ready-to-use biological control options; full cost and benefit accounting for biologically-based alternatives to chemical controls; and public and private sector policies to encourage biological control and reduce reliance on chemical controls. Both the organic and IPM communities of practice stand to gain from collaboration on common interests and goals.
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