scholarly journals Comprehensive Transcriptome of the Maize Stalk Borer, Busseola fusca, from Multiple Tissue Types, Developmental Stages, and Parasitoid Wasp Exposures

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 2554-2560
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Target Genes ◽  
Developmental Stages ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Busseola Fusca ◽  
Parasitoid Wasp ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Biological Research ◽  
Parasitoid Wasps ◽  
Pest Species ◽  
Stalk Borer

Abstract Busseola fusca (Fuller) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), the maize stalk borer, is a widespread crop pest in sub-Saharan Africa that has been the focus of biological research and intensive management strategies. Here, we present a comprehensive annotated transcriptome of B. fusca (originally collected in the Western Province of Kenya) based on ten pooled libraries including a wide array of developmental stages, tissue types, and exposures to parasitoid wasps. Parasitoid wasps have been used as a form of biocontrol to try and reduce crop losses with variable success, in part due to differential infectivities and immune responses among wasps and hosts. We identified a number of loci of interest for pest management, including genes potentially involved in chemoreception, immunity, and response to insecticides. The comprehensive sampling design used expands our current understanding of the transcriptome of this species and deepens the list of potential target genes for future crop loss mitigation, in addition to highlighting candidate loci for differential expression and functional genetic analyses in this important pest species.

scholarly journals Draft Genome of Busseola fusca, the Maize Stalk Borer, a Major Crop Pest in Sub-Saharan Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 2203-2207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kayla M Hardwick ◽  
Awino Maureiq Edith Ojwang' ◽  
Francesca Stomeo ◽  
Solomon Maina ◽  
Gladys Bichang’a ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Feeding Activity ◽  
Draft Genome ◽  
Busseola Fusca ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Comparative Approach ◽  
Pest Species ◽  
Management Tools ◽  
Stalk Borer ◽  
Genomic Resources ◽  
Repeat Content

Abstract The maize stalk borer, Busseola fusca, is an important Lepidopteran pest of cereal crops in Central, East, and Southern Africa. Crop losses due to B. fusca feeding activity vary by region, but can result in total crop loss in areas with high levels of infestation. Genomic resources provide critical insight into the biology of pest species and can allow for the development of effective management tools and strategies to mitigate their impact on agriculture. To this end, we sequenced, assembled, and annotated the genome of B. fusca. The total assembled genome size was 492.9 Mb with 19,417 annotated protein-coding genes. Using a comparative approach, we identified a putative expansion in the Chorion gene family, which is involved in the formation of the egg shell structure. Our analysis revealed high repeat content within the B. fusca genome, with LTR sequences comprising the majority of the repetitive sequence. We hope genomic resources will provide a foundation for future work aimed at developing an integrated pest management strategy to reduce B. fusca’s impact on food security.

scholarly journals Biocidal Activities of Seed Oils of Jatropha curcas and Moringa oleifera on Development of African Maize Stalk borer, Busseola fusca Fuller (Lepdoptera: Pyralidae)

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-53
Author(s):  
H. Sule
Keyword(s):  
Jatropha Curcas ◽  
Moringa Oleifera ◽  
Developmental Stages ◽  
Crop Protection ◽  
Busseola Fusca ◽  
Adult Emergence ◽  
Seed Oils ◽  
Plant Seed ◽  
Stalk Borer ◽  
Randomized Design

Laboratory experiment was conducted at the Department of Crop Protection Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, Bayero University, Kano, in order to assess the effect of oils obtained from the seeds of Jatropha curcas and Moringa oleifera on African Maize Stalk Borer (Busseola fusca Fuller). The effects of the plant seed oils on larvae mortality, pupae and adult emergence were tested on freshly cut leaves/stem of maize 3-4 cm long) and treated with the prepared plant oils at various concentrations (10, 20, and 30%) and control (0%). The experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design and replicated four times. The results showed that both plant seeds oils were lethal to the developmental stages of B. fusca, causing mortality (21%) to the larvae, and subsequently preventing and/or suppressing pupae (2.08) and adult emergence (1.95). Treatment at 30% concentration was found to be more lethal to all the developmental stages of the test insect. Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended that any of the plant seed oils at 30 % concentration could be used to manage B. fusca.

Phylogeography and population genetics of the maize stalk borer Busseola fusca (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) in sub-Saharan Africa

2006 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 407-420 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. SEZONLIN ◽  
S. DUPAS ◽  
B. LE RÜ ◽  
P. LE GALL ◽  
P. MOYAL ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Population Genetics ◽  
Busseola Fusca ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Stalk Borer ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Lepidoptera Noctuidae

scholarly journals Precision Agriculture for Resource Use Efficiency in Smallholder Farming Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1158
Author(s):  
Cecilia M. Onyango ◽  
Justine M. Nyaga ◽  
Johanna Wetterlind ◽  
Mats Söderström ◽  
Kristin Piikki
Keyword(s):  
Resource Use ◽  
Precision Agriculture ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
English Language ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Smallholder Farming ◽  
Sub Saharan

Opportunities exist for adoption of precision agriculture technologies in all parts of the world. The form of precision agriculture may vary from region to region depending on technologies available, knowledge levels and mindsets. The current review examined research articles in the English language on precision agriculture practices for increased productivity among smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa. A total of 7715 articles were retrieved and after screening 128 were reviewed. The results indicate that a number of precision agriculture technologies have been tested under SSA conditions and show promising results. The most promising precision agriculture technologies identified were the use of soil and plant sensors for nutrient and water management, as well as use of satellite imagery, GIS and crop-soil simulation models for site-specific management. These technologies have been shown to be crucial in attainment of appropriate management strategies in terms of efficiency and effectiveness of resource use in SSA. These technologies are important in supporting sustainable agricultural development. Most of these technologies are, however, at the experimental stage, with only South Africa having applied them mainly in large-scale commercial farms. It is concluded that increased precision in input and management practices among SSA smallholder farmers can significantly improve productivity even without extra use of inputs.

scholarly journals Mitogenomic analysis of diversity of key whitefly pests in Kenya and its implication to their sustainable management

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fathiya M. Khamis ◽  
Fidelis L. O. Ombura ◽  
Inusa J. Ajene ◽  
Komivi S. Akutse ◽  
Sevgan Subramanian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Management ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Spatial Models ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Plant Viruses ◽  
Pest Species ◽  
Agricultural Pests ◽  
Protein Coding ◽  
Aleyrodes Proletella ◽  
Aleurodicus Dispersus

AbstractWhiteflies (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) are devastating agricultural pests of economic importance vectoring pathogenic plant viruses. Knowledge on their diversity and distribution in Kenya is scanty, limiting development of effective sustainable management strategies. The present study is aimed at identifying whitefly pest species present in Kenya across different agroecological zones and establish predictive models for the most abundant species in Africa. Whiteflies were sampled in Kenya from key crops known to be severely infested and identified using 16S rRNA markers and complete mitochondrial genomes. Four whitefly species were identified: Aleyrodes proletella, Aleurodicus dispersus, Bemisia afer and Trialeurodesvaporariorum, the latter being the most dominant species across all the agroecology. The assembly of complete mitogenomes and comparative analysis of all 13 protein coding genes confirmed the identities of the four species. Furthermore, prediction spatial models indicated high climatic suitability of T. vaporariorum in Africa, Europe, Central America, parts of Southern America, parts of Australia, New Zealand and Asia. Consequently, our findings provide information to guide biosecurity agencies on protocols to be adopted for precise identification of pest whitefly species in Kenya to serve as an early warning tool against T. vaporariorum invasion into unaffected areas and guide appropriate decision-making on their management.

Chemosensory genes in the head of Spodoptera litura larvae

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Lu-Lu Li ◽  
Ji-Wei Xu ◽  
Wei-Chen Yao ◽  
Hui-Hui Yang ◽  
Youssef Dewer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spodoptera Litura ◽  
Phylogenetic Trees ◽  
Target Genes ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Insect Pest ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Larval Feeding ◽  
Chemosensory System ◽  
Chemosensory Genes

Abstract The tobacco cutworm Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a polyphagous pest with a highly selective and sensitive chemosensory system involved in complex physiological behaviors such as searching for food sources, feeding, courtship, and oviposition. However, effective management strategies for controlling the insect pest populations under threshold levels are lacking. Therefore, there is an urgent need to formulate eco-friendly pest control strategies based on the disruption of the insect chemosensory system. In this study, we identified 158 putative chemosensory genes based on transcriptomic and genomic data for S. litura, including 45 odorant-binding proteins (OBPs, nine were new), 23 chemosensory proteins (CSPs), 60 odorant receptors (ORs, three were new), and 30 gustatory receptors (GRs, three were new), a number higher than those reported by previous transcriptome studies. Subsequently, we constructed phylogenetic trees based on these genes in moths and analyzed the dynamic expression of various genes in head capsules across larval instars using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Nine genes–SlitOBP8, SlitOBP9, SlitOBP25, SlitCSP1, SlitCSP7, SlitCSP18, SlitOR34, SlitGR240, and SlitGR242–were highly expressed in the heads of 3- to 5-day-old S. litura larvae. The genes differentially expressed in olfactory organs during larval development might play crucial roles in the chemosensory system of S. litura larvae. Our findings substantially expand the gene inventory for S. litura and present potential target genes for further studies on larval feeding in S. litura.

scholarly journals Sight of parasitoid wasps accelerates sexual behavior and upregulates a micropeptide gene in Drosophila

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shimaa A. M. Ebrahim ◽  
Gaëlle J. S. Talross ◽  
John R. Carlson
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Sexual Behavior ◽  
Behavioral Response ◽  
Mutational Analysis ◽  
Parasitoid Wasp ◽  
Parasitoid Wasps ◽  
Wasp Species ◽  
Defensive Responses ◽  
Vast Range

AbstractParasitoid wasps inflict widespread death upon the insect world. Hundreds of thousands of parasitoid wasp species kill a vast range of insect species. Insects have evolved defensive responses to the threat of wasps, some cellular and some behavioral. Here we find an unexpected response of adult Drosophila to the presence of certain parasitoid wasps: accelerated mating behavior. Flies exposed to certain wasp species begin mating more quickly. The effect is mediated via changes in the behavior of the female fly and depends on visual perception. The sight of wasps induces the dramatic upregulation in the fly nervous system of a gene that encodes a 41-amino acid micropeptide. Mutational analysis reveals that the gene is essential to the behavioral response of the fly. Our work provides a foundation for further exploration of how the activation of visual circuits by the sight of a wasp alters both sexual behavior and gene expression.

scholarly journals A system dynamics model for pests and natural enemies interactions

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bonoukpoè Mawuko Sokame ◽  
Henri E. Z. Tonnang ◽  
Sevgan Subramanian ◽  
Anani Y. Bruce ◽  
Thomas Dubois ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
System Dynamics ◽  
Spodoptera Frugiperda ◽  
Busseola Fusca ◽  
Fall Armyworm ◽  
Sesamia Calamistis ◽  
System Thinking ◽  
Pest Species ◽  
Causal Loop Diagram ◽  
System Dynamics Model ◽  
Dynamics Model

AbstractStemborers (Busseola fusca, Sesamia calamistis and Chilo partellus), the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) and associated parasitoids constitute an interacting system in maize fields in Kenya. This work aims at developing and evaluating models that represent the evolution of those interactions by applying system thinking and system dynamics approaches with its archetypes [causal loop diagram (CLD), reinforcing (R) and balancing (B)] to analyse the population of these multi-species systems. The software Vensim PLE 8.0.9 was used to implement the models and carry out the simulations of single- and multi-species systems. The results showed that when a single pest species with its associated parasitoids interact with the host plant, the species was able to establish and sustain by cyclical relationship between populations of the pest and the associated parasitoids. However, in multi- pest species systems, dominance of S. frugiperda and C. partellus over B. fusca and S. calamistis was observed, but without extinction. However, there was a likelihood for B. fusca being displaced by C. partellus. Overall, the models predict the co-existence of fall armyworm with stemborer species as an additional pest of maize in Africa that need to be considered henceforth in designing IPM strategies in maize.

scholarly journals Assortments of Digestive Enzymes Induced in First Instar Larvae of Busseola fusca Feeding on Different Plants

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 117954331984352 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gérald Juma ◽  
Bruno Le Ru ◽  
Paul-André Calatayud
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Digestive Enzymes ◽  
Host Plants ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Busseola Fusca ◽  
Stem Borer ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Host Acceptance ◽  
First Instar ◽  
Sub Saharan

The stem borer Busseola fusca (Fuller) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is an important pest of maize and sorghum in sub-Saharan Africa. This insect has oligophagous feeding habits, feeding mostly on maize and sorghum with a narrow range of wild Poaceous plant species. We hypothesised that first instar B. fusca larvae, the critical stage for successful establishment on a host plant, can establish and then grow on a particular plant as a result of induction of a complement of digestive enzymes that mediates host acceptance at first instars. A fast semi-quantitative analysis of potentially digestive enzymatic activities present in the first larvae previously fed for 4 days on leaves of host and non-host plants was performed using the API-ZYM kit system able to detect a multiplex of enzyme activities. Regardless of the plant species, the larvae exhibited higher activities of the carbohydrate metabolising enzymes than of aminopeptidases and proteases. In addition, highest activities of carbohydrates degrading enzymes were exhibited by larvae that consumed leaves of the most preferred plant species of B. fusca. Conversely, esterases were only detected in neonate larvae that consumed leaves of the less preferred and non-host plants. No alkaline phosphatase and lipase activities were detected. The significance of these results was discussed in terms of food requirements of first instar larvae when settling on a plant.

scholarly journals Apomictic parthenogenesis in a parasitoid waspMeteorus pulchricornis, uncommon in the haplodiploid order Hymenoptera

2014 ◽  
Vol 104 (3) ◽  
pp. 307-313 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Tsutsui ◽  
K. Maeto ◽  
K. Hamaguchi ◽  
Y. Isaki ◽  
Y. Takami ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parasitoid Wasp ◽  
Parasitoid Wasps ◽  
Genetic Studies ◽  
Insect Order ◽  
Egg Maturation ◽  
Polar Bodies ◽  
Lepidopteran Larvae ◽  
Apomictic Parthenogenesis ◽  
Meteorus Pulchricornis ◽  
New Type

AbstractAlthough apomixis is the most common form of parthenogenesis in diplodiploid arthropods, it is uncommon in the haplodiploid insect order Hymenoptera. We found a new type of spontaneous apomixis in the Hymenoptera, completely lacking meiosis and the expulsion of polar bodies in egg maturation division, on the thelytokous strain of a parasitoid waspMeteorus pulchricornis(Wesmael) (Braconidae, Euphorinae) on pest lepidopteran larvaeSpodoptera litura(Fabricius) (Noctuidae). The absence of the meiotic process was consistent with a non-segregation pattern in the offspring of heterozygous females, and no positive evidence was obtained for the induction of thelytoky by any bacterial symbionts. We discuss the conditions that enable the occurrence of such rare cases of apomictic thelytoky in the Hymenoptera, suggesting the significance of fixed heterosis caused by hybridization or polyploidization, symbiosis with bacterial agents, and occasional sex. Our finding will encourage further genetic studies on parasitoid wasps to use asexual lines more wisely for biological control.

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