scholarly journals Identifying Molecular-Based Trophic Interactions as a Resource for Advanced Integrated Pest Management

Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 358
Author(s):  
Jason M. Schmidt ◽  
Angelita Acebes-Doria ◽  
Brett Blaauw ◽  
Arash Kheirodin ◽  
Swikriti Pandey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Integrated Pest Management ◽  
Pest Management ◽  
Molecular Analysis ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Gut Content ◽  
Arthropod Communities ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Molecular Gut Content Analysis ◽  
Agricultural Food

Biodiversity is an essential attribute of sustainable agroecosystems. Diverse arthropod communities deliver multiple ecosystem services, such as biological control, which are the core of integrated pest management programs. The molecular analysis of arthropod diets has emerged as a new tool to monitor and help predict the outcomes of management on the functioning of arthropod communities. Here, we briefly review the recent molecular analysis of predators and parasitoids in agricultural environments. We focus on the developments of molecular gut content analysis (MGCA) implemented to unravel the function of community members, and their roles in biological control. We examine the agricultural systems in which this tool has been applied, and at what ecological scales. Additionally, we review the use of MGCA to uncover vertebrate roles in pest management, which commonly receives less attention. Applying MGCA to understand agricultural food webs is likely to provide an indicator of how management strategies either improve food web properties (i.e., enhanced biological control), or adversely impact them.

scholarly journals Efficacy of Phytoseiulus persimilis and Amblyseius swirskii for integrated pest management for greenhouse cucumbers under Mediterranean environmental conditions

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
André Abou-Haidar ◽  
Patil Tawidian ◽  
Hana Sobh ◽  
Margaret Skinner ◽  
Bruce Parker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Integrated Pest Management ◽  
Pest Management ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Phytoseiulus Persimilis ◽  
Amblyseius Swirskii ◽  
Biological Control Agents ◽  
Pest Population ◽  
Greenhouse Cucumber ◽  
Population Suppression

Abstract The greenhouse cucumber pests, Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), Frankliniella occidentalis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), and Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae), are major threats to the production of greenhouse cucumbers (Cucurbitaceae) in Lebanon. The development of insecticide resistance by these pests has prompted the use of alternative and sustainable pest management strategies. In this study, we used integrated pest management strategies, including the release of the biological control agents, Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot (Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae) and Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot (Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae), to control whitefly, thrips, and two-spotted spider mite populations on greenhouse cucumber plants in two commercial production sites (sites A and B). We also compared the efficacy of pest population suppression using the integrated pest management strategy with that of chemical pest control. Our results show that biological control effectively maintains the cucumber pest populations below the economic threshold when coupled with additional integrated pest management measures. In addition, we show that biological control agents were equally or more effective in pest population suppression compared to eight and 12 insecticidal and acaricidal sprays performed in the control greenhouses at sites A and B, respectively. Altogether, our results show the efficacy of adopting integrated pest management and biological control for pest population suppression in greenhouse cucumber production under Mediterranean environmental conditions.

Electron investigations of rhabdovirus-like particles in mexican bean beetles and crickets

1978 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 378-379
Author(s):  
J. R. Adams ◽  
G. J Tompkins ◽  
A. M. Heimpel ◽  
E. Dougherty
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Integrated Pest Management ◽  
Pest Management ◽  
Developmental Stages ◽  
Management Program ◽  
Acheta Domesticus ◽  
Epilachna Varivestis ◽  
House Cricket ◽  
Similar Morphology ◽  
Bean Beetle

As part of a continual search for potential pathogens of insects for use in biological control or on an integrated pest management program, two bacilliform virus-like particles (VLP) of similar morphology have been found in the Mexican bean beetle Epilachna varivestis Mulsant and the house cricket, Acheta domesticus (L. ).Tissues of diseased larvae and adults of E. varivestis and all developmental stages of A. domesticus were fixed according to procedures previously described. While the bean beetles displayed no external symptoms, the diseased crickets displayed a twitching and shaking of the metathoracic legs and a lowered rate of activity.Examinations of larvae and adult Mexican bean beetles collected in the field in 1976 and 1977 in Maryland and field collected specimens brought into the lab in the fall and reared through several generations revealed that specimens from each collection contained vesicles in the cytoplasm of the midgut filled with hundreds of these VLP's which were enveloped and measured approximately 16-25 nm x 55-110 nm, the shorter VLP's generally having the greater width (Fig. 1).

scholarly journals “Predator-In-First”: A Preemptive Biological Control Strategy for Sustainable Management of Pepper Pests in Florida

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (18) ◽  
pp. 7816
Author(s):  
Vivek Kumar ◽  
Lucky Mehra ◽  
Cindy L. McKenzie ◽  
Lance S. Osborne
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Pest Management ◽  
Control Strategy ◽  
Frankliniella Occidentalis ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Control Program ◽  
Field Conditions ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Polyphagotarsonemus Latus ◽  
Consistent Performance

The early establishment of a biocontrol agent in the production system, whether in the greenhouse, nursery, or field, is essential for the success of the biological control program, ensuring growers’ profitability. In an effort to develop a sustainable pest management solution for vegetable growers in Florida, we explored the application of a preemptive biological control strategy, “Predator-In-First” (PIF), in regulating multiple pepper pests, Bemisia tabaci Gennadius, Frankliniella occidentalis Pergande, and Polyphagotarsonemus latus Banks under greenhouse and field conditions during different growing seasons. In these studies, two bell pepper cultivars (7039 and 7141) and the phytoseiid mite Amblyseius swirskii Athias–Henriot were used as a model system. Pepper seedlings (~8 week) of each cultivar were infested with varying rates of A. swirskii (20 or 40 mites/plant or one sachet/10 plant) and allowed to settle on plant hosts for a week before planting in pots or field beds. Results showed a comparative consistent performance of the treatment with the high rate of phytoseiids (40 mites/plant) in regulating B. tabaci and F. occidentalis populations in greenhouse studies, and B. tabaci and P. latus pests under field conditions. During two fall field seasons, higher marketable yields of 12.8% and 20.1% in cultivar 7039, and 24.3% and 39.5% in cultivar 7141 were observed in the treatment with the high rate of phytoseiids compared to the untreated control, indicating yield benefits of the approach. The outcome of the study is encouraging and demonstrates that PIF can be an important tool for organic vegetable growers and a potential alternative to chemical-based conventional pest management strategies. The advantages and limitations of the PIF approach in Florida pepper production are discussed.

scholarly journals Demonstrating an integrated pest management strategy in forage- and seed-brassica crops using a collaborative approach

2018 ◽  
Vol 71 ◽  
pp. 112-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abie Horrocks ◽  
Paul A. Horne ◽  
Melanie M. Davidson
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Integrated Pest Management ◽  
Pest Management ◽  
Management Strategy ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Collaborative Approach ◽  
Biological Control Agents ◽  
Brassica Crops ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Management Approaches

An integrated pest management (IPM) strategy was compared with farmers’ conventional pest management practices on twelve spring- and autumn-sown seed and forage brassica crops. Demonstration trials were conducted in Canterbury from spring 2015 to autumn 2017 by splitting farmers’ paddocks in half and applying the two management approaches side by side. A farmer participatory approach was used, with management decisions based on monitoring pests and biological-control agents. Farmer and adviser training with a focus on monitoring and identification was carried out. Biological-control agents capable of contributing to pest control were identified in all brassica crops. There was a 35% reduction in the number of insecticides applied under IPM compared with conventional management, negligible crop yield differences, and the type of insecticides applied was different. IPM adoption at these farms was high by the end of the 3-year project with 11 of the 12 farmers implementing IPM across 90—100% of their brassica crops. This project was a starting point for an industry-wide change of practice to IPM, which has become more widespread since its completion.

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