Looking at Neonicotinoid Insecticides: Environmental Perspective

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (02) ◽  
pp. 97-101
Author(s):  
Monika Koul ◽  
Netra Bhandari
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Crop Protection ◽  
Plant Diseases ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Variable Response ◽  
Irreversible Damage ◽  
Daunting Task ◽  
The Impact

The recent “Global report on Food Crises” published by Food Security Information Network (FSIN, 2017) calls for intervention in methods and technologies to improve the quality and timeliness of food security and tackle the present food crises. India has a huge challenge to feed 1.32 billion and it is a daunting task. Droughts and other meteorological phenomena including, climate change, increase in pollution levels and spread of plant diseases and pests are some of the most common problems that continue to have an impact on food production. In order to manage crop diseases and reduce crop losses, low cost broadspectrum insecticides have been synthesized. Farmers are using these both in situ and ex situ to save the crops and minimize the losses. However, all major pesticides have been found to have detrimental effects on social insects, and insects develop resistance to these after consistent and rampant use. Prolonged residence time of these in the environment also have harmful health implications and sometimes cause irreversible damage to human health. Therefore, time and again scientists are at look out for novel products and chemicals that can help in managing pests. The use and discovery of neonicotinoids proved to be a novel innovative method in diseases management of major crops. The newly discovered family of pesticides is attributed with various properties that are inherently different from other pesticides, and have the potential to kill a bouquet of crop pests including those that affect fruits, vegetables, fish and veterinary without conferring any resistance to them. However, the rampant use of neonicotinoids for crop protection has resulted in many unforeseen environmental problems. It is important to look for alternatives for the existing ones to tackle the human health problems. Scientists are also looking at decreasing the doses and treatment methods to reduce the impact on agro-ecosystems. A paradigm shift is required in crop management practices and indiscriminate use has to be stopped. Discovery of new generation neonicotinoids with interdisciplinary approach is one of the ways to tackle the present problems and meet the future challenges. Though, there are evidences that these novel formulations show developmental neurotoxicity, the dosage and frequency of applications show variable response. Research in this field is further required to substantiate the evidences of these insecticides to be safe to environment.

Soil seed bank and vegetation dynamics in Sahelian fallows; the impact of past cropping and current grazing treatments

2004 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 683-691 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno Hérault ◽  
Pierre Hiernaux
Keyword(s):  
Seed Bank ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Soil Seed Bank ◽  
Residual Effects ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Phosphorus Fertilizer ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Seed Extraction ◽  
The Impact

The soil seed bank in a 5-y-old Sahelian fallow was studied through seed extraction and compared with germinations recorded either in controlled conditions, ex situ in a glasshouse, or in the field. The influence of phosphorus fertilizer and mulch application during the preceding crop period, and that of seasonal grazing regimes applied the last 2 y of fallowing, were assessed on the composition of the seed stock. Ctenium elegans, Fimbristylis hispidula, Merremia pinnata and Phyllanthus pentandrus accounted together for 75% of extracted seeds, 72% of ex situ, and 62% of in situ seedlings. Mulch treatment was correlated with the first axis of the canonical correspondence analyses performed on the seedling datasets. Mulch and phosphorus fertilizer treatments held similar responses, as they both favoured the seed bank of erect dicotyledons such as P. pentandrus and Cassia mimosoides. On the whole, the effects of grazing remained modest compared with the residual effects of past crop management practices. However, seedling densities increased as a result of dry-season grazing, while the soil seed bank decreased with wet-season grazing. Grazing also reduced the spatial heterogeneity of the seed bank rather than the overall number of species.

scholarly journals The Influence of Human Interference on Zooplankton and Fungal Diversity in Poyang Lake Watershed in China

Diversity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 296
Author(s):  
Haiming Qin ◽  
Xinyi Cao ◽  
Lanyue Cui ◽  
Qian Lv ◽  
Tingtao Chen
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Fungal Diversity ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
High Throughput Sequencing ◽  
Poyang Lake ◽  
Jiangxi Province ◽  
Human Interference ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Beneficial Fungi

The Poyang water system in Jiangxi Province, China, is important for floodwater storage, diversity maintenance, and the economy of the Poyang Lake watershed. In recent years, pollution has destroyed the ecosystem and impacted human health and the related economy. The water quality of the Poyang Lake watershed and the impact of human interference must be assessed. Conventional analysis and high-throughput sequencing were used to evaluate the structure of both zooplankton and fungi in six sub-lakes of the Poyang Lake watershed under different anthropogenic influences. The sub-lakes included were Dahuchi Lake (in natural preserve, DHC), Shahu Lake (in natural reserve, SH), Nanhu Lake (out of natural preserve, NH), Zhelinhu Lake (artificial reservoir, ZLH), Sixiahu Lake (agricultural lake artificially isolated from Poyang Lake, SXH), and Qianhu Lake (urban lake, QH). The densities and biomass of the zooplankton in DHC, SH, NH were higher compared with those in SXH, ZLH and QH (p < 0.05). Zooplankton distribution of SXH was the most strongly associated with total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP) and chlorophyll a (Chl a), while QH was highly associated with pH, conductivity (Cond), and water temperature (WT). For fungal diversity, a large number of beneficial fungi, Basidiomycota (phylum level) and Massarina (genus level) were obtained from DHC (55.3% and 27.5%, respectively), SH (54.4% and 28.9%, respectively), and NH (48.6% and 1.4%, respectively), while a large number of pathogenic Chytridiomycota (at phylum level) were identified from SXH (21.0%), ZLH (5.5%), and QH (7.5%). Manmade pollutants have impacted the natural hydrology and water quality and promoted variation between the zooplankton and fungi in the six sub-lakes, reducing the relative abundance of beneficial fungi and increasing the number of pathogens in the environment, which threatens human health and economic production. Understanding the diversity among the zooplankton and fungi in the six sub-lakes of the Poyang Lake watershed may help guide future water management practices.

scholarly journals Suitability of the MODIS-NDVI Time-Series for a Posteriori Evaluation of the Citrus Tristeza Virus Epidemic

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 1965
Author(s):  
Daniela Vanella ◽  
Simona Consoli ◽  
Juan Miguel Ramírez-Cuesta ◽  
Matilde Tessitori
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Plant Pathogens ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Citrus Tristeza Virus ◽  
Plant Diseases ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Ndvi Time Series ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Tristeza Virus ◽  
Citrus Tristeza

The technological advances of remote sensing (RS) have allowed its use in a number of fields of application including plant disease depiction. In this study, an RS approach based on an 18-year (i.e., 2001–2018) time-series analysis of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data, derived from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and processed with TIMESAT free software, was applied in Sicily (insular Italy). The RS approach was carried out in four orchards infected by Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) at different temporal stages and characterized by heterogeneous conditions (e.g., elevation, location, plant age). The temporal analysis allowed the identification of specific metrics of the NDVI time-series at the selected sites during the study period. The most reliable parameter which was able to identify the temporal evolution of CTV syndrome and the impact of operational management practices was the “Base value” (i.e., average NDVI during the growing seasons, which reached R2 values up to 0.88), showing good relationships with “Peak value”, “Small integrated value” and “Amplitude”, with R2 values of 0.63, 0.70 and 0.75, respectively. The approach herein developed is valid to be transferred to regional agencies involved in and/or in charge of the management of plant diseases, especially if it is integrated with ground-based early detection methods or high-resolution RS approaches, in the case of quarantine plant pathogens requiring control measures at large-scale level.

scholarly journals Long-term experiments on chernozem soil in the University of Debrecen

2018 ◽  
pp. 357-369
Author(s):  
Péter Pepó
Keyword(s):  
Winter Wheat ◽  
Crop Rotation ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Crop Protection ◽  
Chernozem Soil ◽  
Wheat Varieties ◽  
Maize Production ◽  
Long Term Experiments ◽  
The Impact

The impact of agrotechnical management practices (nutrient and water supply, crop rotation, crop protection, genotype) on the yields of winter wheat and maize and on the soil water and nutrient cycles was studied in long-term experiments set up in 1983 in Eastern Hungary on chernozem soil. The long-term experiments have shown that nitrogen fertilizer rates exceeding the N-optimum of winter wheat resulted in the accumulation of NO3-N in the soil. Winter wheat varieties can be classified into four groups based on their natural nutrient utilization and their fertilizer response. The fertilizer responses of wheat varieties depended on crop year (6.5–8.9 t ha-1 maximum yields in 2011–2015 years) and the genotypes (in 2012 the difference was ~3 t ha-1 among varieties). The optimum N(+PK) doses varied between 30–150 kg ha-1 in different crop years. In maize production fertilization, irrigation and crop rotation have decision role on the yields. The efficiency of fertilization modified by cropyear (in dry 891–1315 kg ha-1, in average 1927–4042 kg ha-1, in rainy cropyear 2051–4473 kg ha-1 yield surpluses of maize, respectively) and crop rotation (in monoculture 1315–4473 kg ha-1, in biculture 924–2727 kg ha-1 and triculture 891–2291 kg ha-1 yield surpluses of maize, respectively). The optimum fertilization could improve the water use efficiency in maize production. Our long-term experiments gave important ecological and agronomic information to guide regional development of sustainable cropping systems.

scholarly journals Entomophages as a Perspective Direction of Plant Protection

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatiana Marinchenko
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Production Efficiency ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Plant Protection ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Plant Diseases ◽  
Green Economy ◽  
Increase Production Efficiency ◽  
Environmental Burden

Increased demand for food to feed the ever-growing population led to the development and adoption of synthetic chemicals as a quick and effective strategy of managing crop pests and diseases. Such agricultural practices have contributed to environmental pollution, which is further affecting food security, human health, and the climate. At the same time, up to 40% of crops die due to pests and plant diseases. Therefore, sustainable crop production and global food security depend on the timely implementation of the latest scientific projects in various fields of crop production including genetics, breeding, agronomy, crop physiology, crop management practices, biotechnology, and even entomology. The introduction of biological agents to protect, control and stimulate the development of agricultural crops is one of the ways of increasing the efficiency and profitability of production, reducing the environmental burden and increasing the competitiveness of producers. This is consistent with the concepts of a green economy and the sustainable development of agriculture. Since the unilateral use of chemicals does not meet today’s requirements, special attention must be paid to preventative, agrotechnical measures, as well as the use of natural factors for regulating the number of pests using parasitic and predatory insects. Domestic biotechnological developments for crop production which increase production efficiency and reduce the environmental burden are discussed. Keywords: plant growing, entomophages, protection, efficiency, ecology, ecology

scholarly journals Plant Disease Diagnostic Capabilities in Venezuela: Implications for Food Security

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edgloris Marys ◽  
Ligia Carolina Rosales
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Plant Disease ◽  
Crop Protection ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Rural Livelihoods ◽  
Plant Diseases ◽  
Humanitarian Crisis ◽  
Pests And Diseases ◽  
Protection Strategies ◽  
Diagnostic Capabilities

Venezuela is currently experiencing the most severe humanitarian crisis in the Americas of this century. Little food is being produced locally, despite the population's right to food. Plant disease outbreaks are causing substantial declines in major staple food and cash crops, and this impacts on rural livelihoods, and poses a significant and growing threat to the already complex food insecurity crisis in the country. Nonetheless, phytosanitary services and hence the control of plant pests and diseases have been substantially weakened over the recent years as a consequence of the collapse of the economy and the substantial deterioration of government services. Therefore, most of the pathogens associated with symptoms-causing diseases remain unidentified or uncharacterized, and no surveillance or crop protection strategies have been implemented. In this review, we address the country's issues and challenges in diagnosing, monitoring and managing plant diseases to restore national food security.

scholarly journals Influence of pasture feeding on milk and meat products in terms of human health and product quality

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Stanton ◽  
S. Mills ◽  
A. Ryan ◽  
D. Di Gioia ◽  
R.P. Ross
Keyword(s):  
Human Health ◽  
Nutritional Quality ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Meat Products ◽  
Beef Products ◽  
Feeding Regimes ◽  
Beef Herds ◽  
Animal Feeding ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Feeding Systems

Cows are fed either indoors on a diet of mixed ration or in areas with temperate climates, such as Ireland and New Zealand, the feeding regime of dairy and beef herds is almost entirely pasture-based. Animal feeding regimes and herd management practices are linked to differences in organoleptic and nutritional quality attributes of milk, dairy and meat/beef products, with pasture-based feeding systems being associated with superior quality produce. Consumers generally perceive that milk and meat products produced from outdoor grazing pastures are “healthier” than produce derived from indoor feeding systems, based on animals fed typical indoor rations and concentrates. However, while research has demonstrated differences in milk and meat quality, especially in terms of fatty acids, based on different feeding systems, data are limited on the impact of dairy and meat products produced from different feeding systems on human health.

Future outlook on microbial bioprotectants in agriculture

2021 ◽  
pp. 669-690
Author(s):  
Willem J. Ravensberg ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Plant Growth ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Crop Protection ◽  
Microbial Interactions ◽  
Plant Diseases ◽  
Future Outlook ◽  
Regulatory Issues ◽  
The Future

Microbial bioprotectants have the potential to play a major role in the future of crop protection. Agriculture needs to become more sustainable and still provide food security within planetary borders. New technologies and scientific discoveries can unravel the interactions between the plant, the microbiome and the soil and provide new opportunities for crop protection and more resilient cropping systems. Regulatory issues delay and hamper exploitation and research of genetic resources. This chapter describes the factors that promote the use of microbial bioprotectants as well as those that hamper their further adoption. A sustainable and resilient agriculture depends on the microbial interactions between plants in promoting plant growth and combatting biotic and abiotic threats. The transition to a resilient agriculture requires big changes in policy, regulation and farming practices. This chapter assesses the future outlook for the methods for controlling plant diseases described in this book as well as the factors determining their uptake and success.

Adaptation and mitigation options to manage aflatoxin contamination in food with a climate change perspective

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 875-888 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.M. Wambui ◽  
E.G. Karuri ◽  
J.A. Ojiambo ◽  
P.M.K. Njage
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Food Safety ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Aflatoxin Contamination ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Mitigation Options ◽  
Impact Of Climate Change ◽  
Daunting Task ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Adaptation And Mitigation

Understanding the impact of climate change remains vital for food safety and public health. Of particular importance is the influence of climatic conditions on the growth of Aspergillus flavus and production of their toxins. Nevertheless, little is known about the actual impact of climate change on the issue. Setting up of relevant measures to manage the impact has therefore become a daunting task especially in developing nations. Therefore, this study aimed at providing adaptation and mitigation options to manage this risk with a special focus on Kenya where cases of aflatoxicosis have been recurrent. We used a systematic literature review of review and research articles, with limited searching but systematic screening to explore available qualitative and quantitative data. Projections from the data, showed that on average, a 58.9% increase of aflatoxin contamination in the Central and Western parts and a decrease of 44.6% in the Eastern and Southern parts is expected but with several possible scenarios. This makes the impact of climate change on aflatoxin contamination in Kenya complex. To protect the public and environment from the negative impact, a regulatory framework that allows for an integrated management of aflatoxins in a changing climate was proposed. The management practices in the framework are divided into agronomic, post-harvest and institutional levels. Given the multiple points of application, coordination amongst stakeholders along the chain is fundamental. We therefore proposed a complimentary framework that allows the food safety issues to be addressed in an integrated manner while allowing for transparent synergies and trade-offs (in implementing the measures). A policy-oriented foresight should be carried out to provide policy based evidence for the applicability of the proposed adaptation and mitigation measures.

scholarly journals Agro-Diversity in the Forest-Savannah Transition Zone of Ghana: A Strategy for Food Security against Climatic and Socio-Economic Stressors

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Jesse S. Ayivor ◽  
Opoku Pabi ◽  
Benjamin D. Ofori ◽  
Dzidzo R. Yirenya-Taiwiah ◽  
Chris Gordon
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Transition Zone ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Farm Productivity ◽  
The Impact

<p class="1Body">Food security is a major issue affecting about 239 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa. Therefore, local ecosystems-based adaptive strategies for reducing the impact of climate change and other stressors on food production systems are very relevant in the national food security agenda. This study assessed how farmers in communities of the environs of the Kogyae Strict Nature Reserves in the forest-savanna transition zone of Ghana exploit a range of options for food production that spread and reduce risks and ensure sustainability of the local environment. Through a cross-sectional survey involving focus group discussions, institutional data search and on-site observations, the study investigated different ways to which the natural diversity of the environment has been used by farmers to enhance farm productivity and farmer income. The study observed that climate variability, land expropriation for protected area establishment, inappropriate use of farm technology and low pricing for farm produce pose as major threats to sustainable agriculture in the area. These constraints have compelled farmers to adopt a range of agro-diversity practices for increased farm productivity and income. They include introduction of new crop varieties, adoption of innovative farm management practices, diversified farm fields and sequential cropping systems. The study noted that the diversified systems have boosted farmer productivity and incomes and contributed to their socio-cultural needs. The study recommends greater crop intensification through the use of appropriate technologies and improved access to markets to consolidate farmer gains and livelihoods as well as ensuring food and nutritional security.</p>

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document