scholarly journals The Economic Impacts and Management of Spotted Wing Drosophila (Drosophila Suzukii): The Case of Wild Blueberries in Maine

2020 ◽  
Vol 113 (3) ◽  
pp. 1262-1269 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Adeline Yeh ◽  
Francis A Drummond ◽  
Miguel I Gómez ◽  
Xiaoli Fan
Keyword(s):  
Economic Impacts ◽  
The United States ◽  
Spotted Wing Drosophila ◽  
Yield Reduction ◽  
Drosophila Suzukii ◽  
Case Scenario ◽  
Worst Case ◽  
Risk Scenarios ◽  
Wild Blueberry ◽  
Early Harvest

Abstract Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura), or spotted wing drosophila, has become a major pest concern for berry growers in the United States. In this study, we evaluated the economic impacts of D. suzukii on the Maine wild blueberry industry from two perspectives. The first analysis estimated the state-level economic impacts of D. suzukii on the wild blueberry industry in Maine in the absence of control. We found that D. suzukii could result in drastic revenue losses to the industry, which could be over $6.8 million under the worst-case scenario (assuming a 30% yield reduction). In the second analysis, we used Monte Carlo simulation to compare the expected revenues under different management strategies for a typical wild blueberry farm in Maine. The analysis focused on a decision-making week during the harvesting season, which the grower can choose in between three control strategies: no-control, early harvest, or insecticide application. The results suggested that insecticide applications are not economically optimal in most low infestation risk scenarios. Furthermore, although the early harvest strategy is one of the strategies to avoid D. suzukii infestations for wild blueberry production in Maine, the tradeoff is the revenue loss from the unripe crop. Using the simulation results, we summarized optimal harvest timing regarding the fruit maturity level under different D. suzukii infestation risk scenarios, which can minimize the revenue loss from adopting the early harvest management strategy.

scholarly journals Octabor (boron) as a Low Toxicity Control Tactic for the Spotted Wing Drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura)

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 63
Author(s):  
Troy Cloutier ◽  
Francis Andrew Drummond ◽  
Judith Collins
Keyword(s):  
Field Study ◽  
The United States ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Spotted Wing Drosophila ◽  
Drosophila Suzukii ◽  
Delayed Effect ◽  
Control Fruit ◽  
Small Fruit ◽  
Sugar Addition ◽  
Wild Blueberry

The recently introduced spotted wing drosophila is one of the most serious pests in small fruit production in the United States and Europe. Most control relies upon multiple applications of synthetic insecticides. In an effort to find less-toxic insecticides to consumers, farm workers, and wildlife, we conducted two laboratory trials and a semi-field trial in order to assess the potential for disodium octaborate tetrahydrateformulated and sold as Octabor®(U.S. Borax, Inc.) as a control for spotted wing drosophila in wild blueberry. We found that Octabor at 0.6 and 1.0% (w/v) applied to wild blueberry fruit resulted in higher mortality of flies than non-treated control fruit. Addition of sugar to Octabor enhanced mortality in one of the two trials, with an interaction between sugar addition and Octabor rate suggesting that the addition of sugar provided the greatest enhancement at the low rate. Our semi-field study showed that an apparent repellency effect of Octabor provided protection of fruit from infestation for up to 3 days. Also in the semi-field study, we observed a delayed effect on fly mortality. Increased fly mortality occurred over time, relative to the non-treated control fruit. The greatest fly mortality, relative to the non-treated control, resulted from flies being exposed to fruit treated 3 and 7 days prior to fly exposure, but not immediately after the treatment of Octabor. We speculate on why this type of delay in mortality might have occurred.    

scholarly journals Trissolcus japonicus (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) Causes Low Levels of Parasitism in Three North American Pentatomids Under Field Conditions

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua M Milnes ◽  
Elizabeth H Beers
Keyword(s):  
North American ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Classical Biological Control ◽  
The United States ◽  
Host Finding ◽  
Pest Species ◽  
Case Scenario ◽  
Worst Case ◽  
Egg Masses ◽  
Trissolcus Japonicus

Abstract Trissolcus japonicus (Ashmead), an Asian parasitoid of Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), was first detected in North America in 2014. Although testing in quarantine facilities as a candidate for classical biological control is ongoing, adventive populations have appeared in multiple sites in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Extensive laboratory testing of T. japonicus against other North American pentatomids and H. halys has revealed a higher rate of parasitism of H. halys, but not complete host specificity. However, laboratory tests are necessarily artificial, in which many host finding and acceptance cues may be circumvented. We offered sentinel egg masses of three native pentatomid (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) pest species (Chinavia hilaris (Say), Euschistus conspersus Uhler, and Chlorochroa ligata (Say)) in a field paired-host assay in an area with a well-established adventive population of T. japonicus near Vancouver, WA. Overall, 67% of the H. halys egg masses were parasitized by T. japonicus during the 2-yr study. Despite the ‘worst case’ scenario for a field test (close proximity of the paired egg masses), the rate of parasitism (% eggs producing adult wasps) on all three native species was significantly less (0.4–8%) than that on H. halys eggs (77%). The levels of successful parasitism of T. japonicus of the three species are C. hilaris > E. conspersus > C. ligata. The potential impact of T. japonicus on these pentatomids is probably minimal.

The MacArthur Maze Fire and Roadway Collapse: A “Worst Case Scenario” for Spent Nuclear Fuel Transportation?

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher S. Bajwa ◽  
Earl P. Easton ◽  
Harold Adkins ◽  
Judith Cuta ◽  
Nicholas Klymyshyn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Steel Structure ◽  
Nuclear Regulatory Commission ◽  
The United States ◽  
Severe Accident ◽  
Case Scenario ◽  
Worst Case ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Regulatory Commission

In 2007, a severe transportation accident occurred near Oakland, California, at the interchange known as the “MacArthur Maze.” The accident involved a double tanker truck of gasoline overturning and bursting into flames. The subsequent fire reduced the strength of the supporting steel structure of an overhead interstate roadway causing the collapse of portions of that overpass onto the lower roadway in less than 20 minutes. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has analyzed what might have happened had a spent nuclear fuel transportation package been involved in this accident, to determine if there are any potential regulatory implications of this accident to the safe transport of spent nuclear fuel in the United States. This paper provides a summary of this effort, presents preliminary results and conclusions, and discusses future work related to the NRC’s analysis of the consequences of this type of severe accident.

Postharvest Burial of Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) Infested Fruit Waste Reduces Adult Emergence

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Holly Hooper ◽  
Matthew J Grieshop
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Control ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Adult Emergence ◽  
The United States ◽  
Spotted Wing Drosophila ◽  
Burial Depth ◽  
Lipid Concentration ◽  
Drosophila Suzukii ◽  
Fruit Waste ◽  
Fruit Wastes

Abstract The arrival of spotted wing Drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura), to the United States has caused many berry and cherry growers to replace IPM programs with calendar-based broad-spectrum insecticide programs. Alternative management tactics are urgently needed to mitigate the current dependency on chemical control. Postharvest burial is a cultural crop sanitation strategy that has the potential to reduce D. suzukii reproductive habitat and eliminate infested fruit wastes. This study revealed that D. suzukii rarely pupate on the soil’s surface or below 1 cm, but are capable of unburying themselves from depths up to 48 cm. Although zero emergence was not obtained in the field, adult emergence decreased exponentially with deeper burial depths. A burial depth of 24 cm reduced D. suzukii emergence by 97%, although soil texture may influence this optimal burial depth. Soils that had a higher concentration of sand had a negative impact on D. suzukii survival at shallower burial depths. The mechanism behind the reduction in adult emergence from differing burial depths remains unclear as the lipid concentration between emerging D. suzukii was the same regardless of burial depth.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Exclusion Netting for Spotted-Wing Drosophila (Diptera: Drosophilidae) Management in Minnesota Wine Grapes

2019 ◽  
Vol 112 (5) ◽  
pp. 2287-2294 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominique N Ebbenga ◽  
Eric C Burkness ◽  
William D Hutchison
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
Field Trials ◽  
Spotted Wing Drosophila ◽  
Wine Grape ◽  
Fruit Crops ◽  
Drosophila Suzukii ◽  
Wine Grapes ◽  
High Fecundity ◽  
Untreated Check ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Spotted-wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura), an economically damaging invasive species of numerous fruit crops, was first detected in Minnesota in 2012. High fecundity, and short generation times facilitated a rapid rise in the global pest status of D. suzukii, particularly in North America and Europe. To date, the majority of crop injury research has focused on fruit crops such as blueberries, raspberries, and cherries. However, little is known regarding the impact of D. suzukii on the wine grape industry in the upper Midwest region of the United States. Field trials were conducted in Minnesota during the summers of 2017–2018 to examine season-long phenology of D. suzukii in wine grape vineyards and wineries, and to assess the efficacy of exclusion netting for control of D. suzukii. Four treatments were evaluated, 1) open plot check (control), 2) open plot treated with an insecticide, 3) exclusion netting, and 4) exclusion netting, with artificial infestations of D. suzukii adults. Exclusion netting was applied at véraison and removed at harvest. On each sample date, 20 berries (10 intact and 10 injured) were collected from each plot for dissection. The number of larvae and adults were recorded for each berry to determine infestation levels. As shown by mean larval infestations and injured berries across treatments, exclusion netting provided a significant reduction in the level of D. suzukii infested berries when compared with the untreated check. These results indicate that exclusion netting could provide an effective alternative management strategy for D. suzukii in wine grapes.

scholarly journals Potential spread and economic impact of invasive Drosophila suzukii in Brazil

2016 ◽  
Vol 51 (5) ◽  
pp. 571-578 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norton Polo Benito ◽  
Marcelo Lopes-da-Silva ◽  
Régis Sivori Silva dos Santos
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Stress ◽  
Economic Impact ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Invasive Pest ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Drosophila Suzukii ◽  
Case Scenario ◽  
Worst Case ◽  
Thermal Requirements ◽  
Production Areas

Abstract: The objective of this work was to outline the potential distribution and economic impact of Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae), a recent invasive pest, in Brazil. Two maps of the potential establishment of the species were drawn based on the ecoclimatic index (EI), which uses the following thermal requirements for the species: with thermal stress, most restrictive scenario for spread; and without thermal stress. The EI was classified into four ranges: unfavorable, ≤25%; less favorable, >25 to ≤50%; favorable, >50 to ≤75%; and highly favorable, >75%. Economic losses were estimated based on the most restrictive map. The highly favorable areas were overlapped with those of the maps of production data for each possible host (apple, grape, peach, persimmon, fig, and pear). Considering these six hosts, the overlap between the highly favorable and the production areas varied from 45.5% (grape) to 98.3% (apple). However, the monetary estimation of the potential losses in the worst case scenario (no control measures) was possible only for figs and peaches. Southern Brazil is the most climatically favorable area for D. suzukii development and where potential economic losses are expected to be the greatest. Maximum average temperatures (>30°C) are the main ecological factor to limit D. suzukii spread in Brazil.

Venezuela: Political Confrontation and the World Community

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 71-111
Author(s):  
Z. W. Iwanowski ◽  
D. M. Rozental
Keyword(s):  
Latin American ◽  
Hot Spot ◽  
The United States ◽  
World Politics ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Case Scenario ◽  
Worst Case ◽  
Systemic Crisis ◽  
The Government ◽  
External Forces

The paper examines a complex web of domestic and external issues which have both provoked a systemic crisis in Venezuela and, at the same time, determined its specificity in comparison with the wave of protests sweeping across Latin America in 2019.The authors conclude that the escalation of the conflict in Venezuela was caused not only by the standoff between the legislative and the executive branches of the government, but also by the split of the whole society into proponents and opponents of ‘socialism of the 21st century’. The contradictions have led to the formation of the parallel branches of power: two presidents, two parliaments and two supreme courts (one of them in exile) which de facto coexist in the country and each claims exclusive rights and legitimacy.The authors also stress that the situation in Venezuela has obvious regional consequences. The miscalculations of the incumbent president were used in election campaigns in other Latin American countries and became one of the reasons for the defeat of left candidates, the subsequent ‘right drift’ leading to the isolation of the republic. The new political landscape has also affected the architecture of integration associations, which failed to develop a unified position toward the Bolivarian regime.Furthermore, in a current heightened state of international tensions Venezuela has turned into a theatre of international rivalry and conflict involving all the key subjects of world politics. The United States, China, Russia and the European Union compete for the energy resources of the country and pursue their own strategic interests. The inability or unwillingness of external forces to reach compromise and to bring the parties to the negotiating table can pose a threat to peace and international security.As a result, Venezuela has become one of the most turbulent countries in the region. At the same time, the repeated outbursts of protest waves are significantly different from popular uprisings in other Latin American states. In the worst-case scenario, a constantly worsening situation may result in a social explosion which threatens to make the Bolivarian Republic another hot spot of the planet.

scholarly journals Generating unfavourable VaR scenarios under Solvency II with patchwork copulas

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 327-346
Author(s):  
Dietmar Pfeifer ◽  
Olena Ragulina
Keyword(s):  
Value At Risk ◽  
Insurance Industry ◽  
Solvency Ii ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Insurance Companies ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Case Scenario ◽  
Worst Case ◽  
Risk Scenarios ◽  
Copula Approach

Abstract The central idea of the paper is to present a general simple patchwork construction principle for multivariate copulas that create unfavourable VaR (i.e. Value at Risk) scenarios while maintaining given marginal distributions. This is of particular interest for the construction of Internal Models in the insurance industry under Solvency II in the European Union. Besides this, the Delegated Regulation by the European Commission requires all insurance companies under supervision to consider different risk scenarios in their risk management system for the company’s own risk assessment. Since it is unreasonable to assume that the potential worst case scenario will materialize in the company, we think that a modelling of various unfavourable scenarios as described in this paper is likewise appropriate. Our explicit copula approach can be considered as a special case of ordinal sums, which in two dimensions even leads to the technically worst VaR scenario.

scholarly journals Evaluating the Impact of the Registered Provisional Immigrant Program: A Cost-Benefit Analysis

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 ◽  
pp. 20
Author(s):  
Odia Bintou Cissé
Keyword(s):  
Undocumented Immigrants ◽  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
The United States ◽  
Base Case ◽  
Benefit Analysis ◽  
Case Scenario ◽  
Base Case Scenario ◽  
Worst Case ◽  
The Impact

On June 27, 2013, the Senate passed the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013 (referred to as S.744). The bill addresses key elements of the immigration process through five sections. This analysis serves as an ex-ante Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) of the proposed Registered Provisional Immigrant (RPI) program under Section II of S.744, which would allow undocumented immigrants in the US to obtain legal status. The CBA looks at a 10-year timeframe from 2015 through 2025 and estimates the costs and benefits to four groups: undocumented immigrants, US taxpayers, employers of undocumented immigrants, and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) under a base case scenario, a distributional weight scenario, and a worst-case scenario. Given the positive net benefits observed under the three scenarios, significant evidence recommends the implementation of the RPI program.

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