scholarly journals Agri-environment nectar chemistry suppresses parasite social epidemiology in an important pollinator

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arran J. Folly ◽  
Hauke Koch ◽  
Iain W. Farrell ◽  
Philip C. Stevenson ◽  
Mark J.F. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Disease Management ◽  
Social Epidemiology ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Infection Intensity ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Infection Prevalence ◽  
Disease Epidemiology ◽  
Nosema Bombi ◽  
First Time

Emergent infectious diseases are a principal driver of biodiversity loss globally. The population and range declines of a suite of North American bumblebees, a group of important pollinators, have been linked to emergent infection with the microsporidian Nosema bombi. Previous work has shown that phytochemicals in pollen and nectar can negatively impact parasites in individual bumblebees, but how this relates to social epidemiology and by extension whether plants can be effectively used as disease management strategies remains unexplored. Here we show that caffeine, identified in the nectar of Sainfoin, a constituent of agri-environment schemes, significantly reduced N. bombi infection intensity in individual bumblebees and, for the first time, that such effects impact social epidemiology, with colonies reared from wild caught queens having lower prevalence and intensity of infection. Furthermore, infection prevalence was lower in foraging bumblebees from these colonies, suggesting a likely reduction in population-level transmission. Our results demonstrate that phytochemicals can impact pollinator disease epidemiology and that planting strategies, which increase floral abundance to support biodiversity could be co-opted as disease management strategies.

scholarly journals Agri-environment scheme nectar chemistry can suppress the social epidemiology of parasites in an important pollinator

2021 ◽  
Vol 288 (1951) ◽  
pp. 20210363
Author(s):  
Arran J. Folly ◽  
Hauke Koch ◽  
Iain W. Farrell ◽  
Philip C. Stevenson ◽  
Mark J. F. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Disease Management ◽  
Social Epidemiology ◽  
Bombus Terrestris ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Infection Intensity ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Infection Prevalence ◽  
Management Tools ◽  
Disease Epidemiology ◽  
Plant Families

Emergent infectious diseases are one of the main drivers of species loss. Emergent infection with the microsporidian Nosema bombi has been implicated in the population and range declines of a suite of North American bumblebees, a group of important pollinators. Previous work has shown that phytochemicals found in pollen and nectar can negatively impact parasites in individuals, but how this relates to social epidemiology and by extension whether plants can be effectively used as pollinator disease management strategies remains unexplored. Here, we undertook a comprehensive screen of UK agri-environment scheme (AES) plants, a programme designed to benefit pollinators and wider biodiversity in agricultural settings, for phytochemicals in pollen and nectar using liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. Caffeine, which occurs across a range of plant families, was identified in the nectar of sainfoin ( Onobrychis viciifolia ), a component of UK AES and a major global crop. We showed that caffeine significantly reduces N. bombi infection intensity, both prophylactically and therapeutically, in individual bumblebees ( Bombus terrestris ), and, for the first time, that such effects impact social epidemiology, with colonies reared from wild-caught queens having both lower prevalence and intensity of infection. Furthermore, infection prevalence was lower in foraging bumblebees from caffeine-treated colonies, suggesting a likely reduction in population-level transmission. Combined, these results show that N. bombi is less likely to be transmitted intracolonially when bumblebees consume naturally available caffeine, and that this may in turn reduce environmental prevalence. Consequently, our results demonstrate that floral phytochemicals at ecologically relevant concentrations can impact pollinator disease epidemiology and that planting strategies that increase floral abundance to support biodiversity could be co-opted as disease management tools.

scholarly journals Management of Botrytis Leaf Blight of Onion: The Québec Experience of 20 Years of Continual Improvement

Plant Disease ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 95 (5) ◽  
pp. 504-514 ◽  
Author(s):  
Odile Carisse ◽  
David-Mathieu Tremblay ◽  
Mary Ruth McDonald ◽  
Luc Brodeur ◽  
Neil McRoberts
Keyword(s):  
Disease Management ◽  
Research Effort ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Organic Soil ◽  
Management Program ◽  
Leaf Blight ◽  
Eastern Canada ◽  
Disease Epidemiology ◽  
Production Areas ◽  
North And South America

Botrytis leaf blight (BLB) of onion (Allium cepa) is caused by Botrytis squamosa. The disease has been reported on onion crops in several of the onion production areas of the world including North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, although it is not a problem in arid production regions such as the western United States. In eastern Canada, the disease is generally present every year and is especially severe on cultivars of yellow globe onion. The pathogen biology and disease epidemiology have been intensively researched. Over the last few decades, in the organic soil area of Quebec, extensive research effort has been devoted to the development and evaluation of predictive models and disease management strategies. There has been an active integrated pest management program for onions since the early 1980s, and scouting for disease has played a major role in disease management. In this article, the story of BLB management in eastern Canada over a period of two decades is summarized.

scholarly journals Report of presumptive Perkinsus sp. hypnospores in Megapitaria squalida of the Gulf of California with the thioglycollate staining technique

2020 ◽  
pp. e1805
Author(s):  
Manuel Garcia-Ulloa Gomez ◽  
Lizeth C. Villanueva-Fonseca ◽  
Pedro Sandoval-Rivera ◽  
Juan A. Hernández-Sepúlveda ◽  
Ana L. Domínguez-Orozco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Annual Cycle ◽  
Gulf Of California ◽  
Wild Population ◽  
Infection Intensity ◽  
Staining Technique ◽  
Infection Prevalence ◽  
New Host ◽  
Tissue Samples ◽  
Water Parameters ◽  
First Time

Objective. To detect the presence of presumptive hypnospores of the protozoan Perkinsus sp. in a wild population of the Mexican chocolata clam Megapitaria squalida in the southeastern Gulf of California, using Ray´s fluid thioglycollate medium (RFTM). Material and methods. Thirty specimens with size between 56.17 and 69.04 mm were captured each month, during an annual cycle. Infection prevalence and intensity and water parameters were recorded monthly from September 2012 to September 2013. Results. Perkinsus sp. was detected in tissue samples from the Mexican chocolate clam using the RFTM test by the presence of dark round corpuscles that represent parasite´s hypnospores. Monthly samplings revealed a prevalence of 0-43.33% and an infection intensity ranging from 1 to 4 (no infection = 0 hypnospores/entire preparation, to moderate = 34 hypnospores/entire preparation). Conclusions. Perkinsus sp. is reported for the first time in a wild population of M. squalida in the southesternmost Gulf of California. The results indicate that this protozoan is dispersed intraspecifically and would now, potentially, parasiting a new host in the region.

scholarly journals Fusarium basal rot: profile of an increasingly important disease in Allium spp.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dung Le ◽  
Kris Audenaert ◽  
Geert Haesaert
Keyword(s):  
Disease Management ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Basal Rot ◽  
Major Constraint ◽  
Fusarium Basal Rot ◽  
Chemical Pesticides ◽  
Important Disease

AbstractFusarium basal rot (FBR) is a soil-borne disease that affects Allium species worldwide. Although FBR has long been recognized as a major constraint to the production of economically important Allium species, information that could support disease management remains scattered. In this review, the current knowledge on the causal agents, symptomology and epidemiology, impact, and management strategies of FBR is synthesized. We highlight that FPR is associated with different complexes of several Fusarium species, of which Fusarium oxysporum and F. proliferatum are the most prevalent. These pathogenic complexes vary in composition and virulence, depending on sites and hosts, which can be challenging for disease management. Research to improve disease management using chemical pesticides, resistance cultivars, biocontrol agents, and cultural practices has achieved both promising results and limitations. Finally, research needs and future directions are proposed for the development of effective FBR management strategies.

scholarly journals Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation: Where are We Now?

2012 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. CMC.S8976 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yousif Ahmad ◽  
Gregory Y.H. Lip
Keyword(s):  
Atrial Fibrillation ◽  
Stroke Prevention ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Bleeding Risk ◽  
Long Term Study ◽  
Risk Patients ◽  
First Time ◽  
Major Progress ◽  
Made In

Atrial fibrillation is the commonest arrhythmia worldwide and is a growing problem. AF is responsible for 25% of all strokes, and these patients suffer greater mortality and disability. Warfarin has traditionally been the only successful therapy for stroke prevention, but its limitations have resulted in underutilisation. Major progress has been made in AF research, leading to improved management strategies. Better risk stratification permits identification of truly low-risk patients who do not require anticoagulation and we are able to simplify ourevaluation of a patient's bleeding risk. The advent of novel anticoagulants means warfarin is no longer the only choice for stroke prophylaxis. These drugs circumvent many of warfarin's inconveniences, but only long-term study and use will conclusively demonstrate how they compare to warfarin. The landscape of stroke prevention in AF has changed with effective alternatives to warfarin available for the first time in 60 years—but each new option brings new considerations.

Physician-related predictors of referral for multidisciplinary paediatric obesity management: a population-based study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole D Gehring ◽  
Maryam Kebbe ◽  
Sarah Rathwell ◽  
Arnaldo Perez ◽  
Chenhui Peng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Management Strategies ◽  
Family Physicians ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Obesity Management ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Physician Characteristics ◽  
Paediatric Obesity ◽  
Multivariable Regression

Abstract Background It is recommended that primary care-based physicians refer children with overweight and obesity to multidisciplinary paediatric obesity management, which can help to improve weight and health. Objective To determine predictors of referral to multidisciplinary paediatric obesity management. Methods This retrospective, population-level study included physicians who could refer 2–17 years old with a body mass index ≥85th percentile to one of three multidisciplinary paediatric obesity management clinics in Alberta, Canada. Physician demographic and procedural data were obtained from Practitioner Claims and Provider Registry maintained by Alberta Health from January 2014 to December 2017. Physician characteristics were compared based on whether they did or did not refer children for obesity management. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models analysed associations between physician characteristics and referral making. Results Of the 3863 physicians (3468 family physicians, 395 paediatricians; 56% male; 49.3 ± 12.2 years old; 22.3 ± 12.6 years since graduation) practicing during the study period, 1358 (35.2%) referred at least one child for multidisciplinary paediatric obesity management. Multivariable regression revealed that female physicians (versus males) [odds ratio (OR): 1.68, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.46–1.93; P < 0.0001], paediatricians (versus family physicians) (OR: 4.89, 95% CI: 3.85–6.21; P < 0.0001) and urban-based physicians (versus non-urban-based physicians) (OR: 2.17, 95% CI: 1.79–2.65; P < 0.0001) were more likely to refer children for multidisciplinary paediatric obesity management. Conclusions Approximately one-third of family physicians and paediatricians referred children for multidisciplinary paediatric obesity management. Strategies are needed to improve referral practices for managing paediatric obesity, especially among male physicians, family physicians and non-urban-based physicians as they were less likely to refer children.

Contrasting research approaches to managing mistletoes in commercial forests and wooded pasturesThis minireview is one of a collection of papers based on a presentation from the Stem and Shoot Fungal Pathogens and Parasitic Plants: the Values of Biological Diversity session of the XXII International Union of Forestry Research Organization World Congress meeting held in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, in 2005.

Botany ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 87 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick Reid ◽  
Simon F. Shamoun
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Fungal Pathogens ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Classical Biological Control ◽  
Dwarf Mistletoe ◽  
Silvicultural Treatments ◽  
Inundative Biological Control

Many mistletoe species are pests in agricultural and forest ecosystems throughout the world. Mistletoes are unusual “weeds” as they are generally endemic to areas where they achieve pest status and, therefore, classical biological control and broad-scale herbicidal control are usually impractical. In North American coniferous forests, dwarf mistletoe ( Arceuthobium spp.) infection results in major commercial losses and poses a public liability in recreation settings. Hyperparasitic fungi have potential as biological control agents of dwarf mistletoe, including species which attack shoots, berries, and the endophytic systems of dwarf mistletoe. Development of an inundative biological control strategy will be useful in situations where traditional silvicultural control is impractical or undesirable. In southern Australia, farm eucalypts are often attacked and killed by mistletoes ( Amyema spp.) in grazed landscapes where tree decline and biodiversity loss are major forms of land degradation. Although long-term strategies to achieve a balance between mistletoe and host abundance are promoted, many graziers want short-term options to treat severely infected trees. Recent research has revisited the efficiency and efficacy of silvicultural treatments and selective herbicides in appropriate situations. The results of recent research on these diverse management strategies in North America and Australia are summarized.

scholarly journals High Genetic Differentiation among European White Oak Species (Quercus spp.) at a Dehydrin Gene

2015 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 582-588 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iacob CRĂCIUNESC ◽  
Barbara VORNAM ◽  
Ludger LEINEMANN ◽  
Reiner FINKELDEY ◽  
Neculae ȘOFLETEA ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Differentiation ◽  
Related Species ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Quercus Petraea ◽  
White Oak ◽  
Closely Related Species ◽  
Significant Differentiation ◽  
Dehydrin Gene ◽  
First Time ◽  
Two Populations

Dehydryn genes are involved in plant response to environmental stress and may be useful to examine functional diversity in relation to adaptive variation. Recently, a dehydrin gene (DHN3) was isolated in Quercus petraea and showed little differentiation between populations of the same species in an altitudinal transect. In the present study, inter- and intraspecific differentiation patterns in closely related and interfertile oaks were investigated for the first time at the DHN3 locus. A four-oak-species stand (Quercus frainetto Ten., Q. petraea (Matt.) Liebl., Q. pubescens Willd., Q. robur L.) and two populations for each of five white oak species (Q. frainetto Ten., Q. petraea (Matt.) Liebl., Q. pubescens Willd., Q. robur L. and Q. pedunculiflora K. Koch) were analyzed. Three alleles shared by all five oak species were observed. However, only two alleles were present in each population, but with different frequencies according to the species. At population level, all interspecific pairs of populations showed significant differentiation, except for pure Q. robur and Q. pedunculiflora populations. In contrast, no significant differentiation (p > 0.05) was found among conspecific populations. The DHN3 locus proved to be very useful to differentiate Q. frainetto and Q. pubescens from Q. pedunculiflora (FST = 0.914 and 0.660, respectively) and Q. robur (FST = 0.858 and 0.633, respectively). As expected, the lowest level of differentiation was detected between the most closely related species, Q. robur and Q. pedunculiflora (FST = 0.020). Our results suggest that DHN3 can be an important genetic marker for differentiating among European white oak species.

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