An Enhanced Insect Pest Counter Based on Saliency Map and Improved Non-Maximum Suppression

Accurately counting the number of insect pests from digital images captured on yellow sticky traps remains a challenge in the field of insect pest monitoring. In this study, we develop a new approach to counting the number of insect pests using a saliency map and improved non-maximum suppression. Specifically, as the background of a yellow sticky trap is simple and the insect pest object is small, we exploit a saliency map to construct a region proposal generator including saliency map building, activation region formation, background–foreground classifier, and tune-up boxes involved in region proposal generation. For each region proposal, a convolutional neural network (CNN) model is used to classify it as a specific insect pest class, resulting in detection bounding boxes. By considering the relationship between detection bounding boxes, we thus develop an improved non-maximum suppression to sophisticatedly handle the redundant detection bounding boxes and obtain the insect pest number through counting the handled detection bounding boxes, each of which covers one insect pest. As this insect pest counter may miscount insect pests that are close to each other, we further integrate the widely used Faster R-CNN with the mentioned insect pest counter to construct a dual-path network. Extensive experimental simulations show that the two proposed insect pest counters achieve significant improvement in terms of F1 score against the state-of-the-art object detectors as well as insect pest detection methods.

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Insect pest monitoring with camera-equipped traps: strengths and limitations

Journal of Pest Science ◽

10.1007/s10340-020-01309-4 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Michele Preti ◽

François Verheggen ◽

Sergio Angeli

Keyword(s):

Data Transfer ◽

Control Method ◽

Insect Pests ◽

Insect Pest ◽

Labor Cost ◽

Image Resolution ◽

Pest Monitoring ◽

Human Labor ◽

Distant Location ◽

Human Operators

AbstractIntegrated pest management relies on insect pest monitoring to support the decision of counteracting a given level of infestation and to select the adequate control method. The classic monitoring approach of insect pests is based on placing in single infested areas a series of traps that are checked by human operators on a temporal basis. This strategy requires high labor cost and provides poor spatial and temporal resolution achievable by single operators. The adoption of image sensors to monitor insect pests can result in several practical advantages. The purpose of this review is to summarize the progress made on automatic traps with a particular focus on camera-equipped traps. The use of software and image recognition algorithms can support automatic trap usage to identify and/or count insect species from pictures. Considering the high image resolution achievable and the opportunity to exploit data transfer systems through wireless technology, it is possible to have remote control of insect captures, limiting field visits. The availability of real-time and on-line pest monitoring systems from a distant location opens the opportunity for measuring insect population dynamics constantly and simultaneously in a large number of traps with a limited human labor requirement. The actual limitations are the high cost, the low power autonomy and the low picture quality of some prototypes together with the need for further improvements in fully automated pest detection. Limits and benefits resulting from several case studies are examined with a perspective for the future development of technology-driven insect pest monitoring and management.

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Incidence of Major Insect Pests and Natural Enemies in Three Rice Growing Seasons of Bangladesh

Bangladesh Rice Journal ◽

10.3329/brj.v23i1.46079 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 23 (1) ◽

pp. 35-43

Author(s):

S Afrin ◽

M N Bari ◽

M M M Kabir ◽

A B M A Uddin ◽

S S Haque

Keyword(s):

Natural Enemies ◽

Insect Pests ◽

Insect Pest ◽

The Other ◽

Major Peak ◽

Pest Population ◽

Growing Seasons ◽

Pest Monitoring ◽

Reliable Source ◽

Rice Pest

Incidence of insect pests and their associated natural enemies was investigated from July 2017- June 2018 at six locations (Gazipur, Rajshahi, Barishal, Sonagazi, Rangpur, Cumilla) of Bangladesh to identify their major occurrence period as well as their incidence in three rice growing seasons, (Aus, T. Aman, and Boro). Among the tested locations, marked differences were found in the composition of insect pest and natural enemies. Higher number of pest population was found at Gazipur with 80,000 individuals for insect pest and 40,000 individuals for natural enemies. At least one peak for major insect pest and natural enemies suggested their specific occurrence period across the locations. Among the insect pests, major peak of GLH was found at Gazipur and Rajshahi during T. Aman season with 4,000 individuals for each location. In contrast, BPH population was as high as 10,000 individuals for Gazipur in October during T. Aman season. Additionally, it was high at Rajshahi in October and November with around 2,000 individuals of BPH. For WBPH, one major peak was found in October at Gazipur and Rajshahi with 10,000 and 2,000 individuals respectively. For YSB, it was higher at Rajshahi in October with over 6,000 individuals during T. Aman season. Moreover, one major peak also observed in Barishal with over 2,000 individuals in November. Among natural enemies, CDB population was observed mainly at three locations in between October and November with 900 individuals for Gazipur, 400 individuals for Rajshahi and 200 individuals for Barishal during T. Aman season. In contrast, for STPD population, two major peaks were found in Barishal with 6,000 and 5,000 individuals in December and March respectively during Boro season. For GMB population, it was observed at Gazipur in November with more than 20,000 individuals during T. Aman season whereas Rajshahi had around 2,000 individuals in the same month. However, higher incidence of GLH, BPH, and WBPH at Gazipur and Rajshahi suggested availability of insect pests during T. Aman season. In contrast, higher YSB incidence at Barishal and Rajshahi indicated their abundance in those areas. On the other hand, incidence of natural enemies at Gazipur indicated presence of greater biological control compared with other locations. In future, this information could serve as a reliable source in strengthening rice pest monitoring services as well as effective pest control in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Rice j. 2019, 23(1): 35-43

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Keragaman Serangga Hama pada Tanaman Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) di Sentra Budidaya Tanaman Agroduta Lembang Jawa Barat

Agrikultura ◽

10.24198/agrikultura.v29i1.17869 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 29 (1) ◽

pp. 48

Author(s):

Agus Susanto ◽

Yadi Supriyadi ◽

Tohidin Tohidin ◽

Mohammad Iqbal

Keyword(s):

Insect Pests ◽

Diversity Index ◽

Survey Methods ◽

Insect Pest ◽

Pitfall Trap ◽

Asparagus Officinalis ◽

West Java ◽

Plant Cultivation ◽

Yellow Sticky Trap ◽

Land Size

ABSTRACTVariety of Insect Pest on Asparagus Plant (Asparagus officinalis L.) in Agroduta Plant Cultivation Center Lembang West JavaAgroduta Plant Cultivation Center Lembang West Java is facing some constraints in increasing asparagus production; one of them is the presence of plant pest organisms. Asparagus is a subtropical plant rarely cultivated in Indonesia and may have different types of pests. Therefore, information on the presence and diversity of pests on asparagus planting is important to be assessed. This research aimed to study the diversity of insect pests on the land of asparagus plants in the Agroduta Cultivation Center Lembang, West Java. This study used survey methods where the collected data included the number and type of insects caught that the diversity index then were calculated. The samplings were using adhesive yellow trap and pitfall trap, carried out 6 times a week. The experiments were conducted on a land size of 12 x 6.5 m with an altitude of 1273 meters above sea level (masl). The results showed that the insects caught during the experiment were 7 insects, consisting of 17 families and 21 species, while the number of individual insects was 9.643. The index diversity of insects was categorized low because of the diversity index <1.Keywords: Asparagus, Diversity, Insect PestABSTRAKSentra Budidaya Tanaman Agroduta Lembang Jawa Barat menghadapi kendala dalam peningkatan produksi asparagus yaitu adanya gangguan organisme pengganggu tanaman tanaman (OPT). Asparagus merupakan tanaman subtropis yang jarang dibudidayakan di Indonesia dan kemungkinan memiliki perbedaan jenis OPT. Oleh karena itu informasi keberadaan dan keragaman hama pada tanaman asparagus perlu diketahui. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mempelajari keragaman serangga hama pada lahan tanaman asparagus di sentra budidaya tanaman Agroduta Lembang, Jawa Barat. Penelitian ini mengguanakan metode survey. Data yang dikumpulkan meliputi jumlah dan jenis serangga yang tertangkap yang kemudian dihitung indeks keragamannya. Pengambilan sampel dilakukan dengan menggunakan perangkap kuning berperekat (yellow sticky trap) dan perangkap jebakan (pitfall) dilakukan selama 6 kali pegamatan dalam setiap minggunya. Percobaan dilakukan pada luas lahan berukuran 12 x 6,5 m dengan ketinggian 1273 meter di atas permukaan laut (mdpl). Hasil pengamatan menunjukkan bahwa serangga yang tertangkap selama percobaan sebanyak 7 ordo serangga, yang terdiri atas 17 famili dan 21 spesies, jumlah individidu serangga sebanyak 9.643. Indeks keragaman serangga dikatagorikan rendah karena indeks keragaman <1.Kata Kunci: Asparagus, Keragaman, Serangga Hama

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Insect Pest Management in Stored Products

Outlooks on Pest Management ◽

10.1564/v31_feb_05 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 31 (1) ◽

pp. 24-35 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Somiahnadar Rajendran

Keyword(s):

Pest Management ◽

Insect Pests ◽

Insect Pest ◽

Control Measures ◽

Stored Products ◽

Insect Pest Management ◽

Insect Infestation ◽

Combination Treatments ◽

Agricultural Produce ◽

Food Commodities

Insects are a common problem in stored produce. The author describes the extent of the problem and approaches to countering it. Stored products of agricultural and animal origin, whether edible or non-edible, are favourite food for insect pests. Durable agricultural produce comprising dry raw and processed commodities and perishables (fresh produce) are vulnerable to insect pests at various stages from production till end-use. Similarly, different animal products and museum objects are infested mainly by dermestids. Insect pests proliferate due to favourable storage conditions, temperature and humidity and availability of food in abundance. In addition to their presence in food commodities, insects occur in storages (warehouses, silos) and processing facilities (flour mills, feed mills). Insect infestation is also a serious issue in processed products and packed commodities. The extent of loss in stored products due to insects varies between countries depending on favourable climatic conditions, and pest control measures adopted. In stored food commodities, insect infestation causes loss in quantity, changes in nutritional quality, altered chemical composition, off-odours, changes in end-use products, dissemination of toxigenic microorganisms and associated health implications. The insects contribute to contaminants such as silk threads, body fragments, hastisetae, excreta and chemical secretions. Insect activity in stored products increases the moisture content favouring the growth of moulds that produce mycotoxins (e.g., aflatoxin in stored peanuts). Hide beetle, Dermestes maculatus infesting silkworm cocoons has been reported to act as a carrier of microsporidian parasite Nosema bombycis that causes pebrine disease in silkworms. In dried fish, insect infestation leads to higher bacterial count and uric acid levels. Insects cause damage in hides and skins affecting their subsequent use for making leather products. The trend in stored product insect pest management is skewing in favour of pest prevention, monitoring, housekeeping and finally control. Hermetic storage system can be supplemented with CO2 or phosphine application to achieve quicker results. Pest detection and monitoring has gained significance as an important tool in insect pest management. Pheromone traps originally intended for detection of infestations have been advanced as a mating disruption device ensuing pest suppression in storage premises and processing facilities; pheromones also have to undergo registration protocols similar to conventional insecticides in some countries. Control measures involve reduced chemical pesticide use and more non-chemical inputs such as heat, cold/freezing and desiccants. Furthermore, there is an expanding organic market where physical and biological agents play a key role. The management options for insect control depend on the necessity or severity of pest incidence. Generally, nonchemical treatments, except heat, require more treatment time or investment in expensive equipment or fail to achieve 100% insect mortality. Despite insect resistance, environmental issues and residue problems, chemical control is inevitable and continues to be the most effective and rapid control method. There are limited options with respect to alternative fumigants and the alternatives have constraints as regards environmental and health concerns, cost, and other logistics. For fumigation of fresh agricultural produce, new formulations of ethyl formate and phosphine are commercially applied replacing methyl bromide. Resistance management is now another component of stored product pest management. In recent times, fumigation techniques have improved taking into consideration possible insect resistance. Insect control deploying nanoparticles, alone or as carriers for other control agents, is an emerging area with promising results. As there is no single compound with all the desired qualities, a necessity has arisen to adopt multiple approaches. Cocktail applications or combination treatments (IGRs plus organophosphorus insecticides, diatomaceous earth plus contact insecticides, nanoparticles plus insecticides/pathogens/phytocompounds and conventional fumigants plus CO2; vacuum plus fumigant) have been proved to be more effective. The future of store product insect pest management is deployment of multiple approaches and/or combination treatments to achieve the goal quickly and effectively.

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A generalised approach for high-throughput instance segmentation of stomata in microscope images

Plant Methods ◽

10.1186/s13007-021-00727-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Hiranya Jayakody ◽

Paul Petrie ◽

Hugo Jan de Boer ◽

Mark Whitty

Keyword(s):

High Throughput ◽

Imaging Techniques ◽

Detection Algorithm ◽

Input Image ◽

Detection Methods ◽

Sample Collection ◽

High Throughput Analysis ◽

General Applicability ◽

Additional Image ◽

Bounding Boxes

Abstract Background Stomata analysis using microscope imagery provides important insight into plant physiology, health and the surrounding environmental conditions. Plant scientists are now able to conduct automated high-throughput analysis of stomata in microscope data, however, existing detection methods are sensitive to the appearance of stomata in the training images, thereby limiting general applicability. In addition, existing methods only generate bounding-boxes around detected stomata, which require users to implement additional image processing steps to study stomata morphology. In this paper, we develop a fully automated, robust stomata detection algorithm which can also identify individual stomata boundaries regardless of the plant species, sample collection method, imaging technique and magnification level. Results The proposed solution consists of three stages. First, the input image is pre-processed to remove any colour space biases occurring from different sample collection and imaging techniques. Then, a Mask R-CNN is applied to estimate individual stomata boundaries. The feature pyramid network embedded in the Mask R-CNN is utilised to identify stomata at different scales. Finally, a statistical filter is implemented at the Mask R-CNN output to reduce the number of false positive generated by the network. The algorithm was tested using 16 datasets from 12 sources, containing over 60,000 stomata. For the first time in this domain, the proposed solution was tested against 7 microscope datasets never seen by the algorithm to show the generalisability of the solution. Results indicated that the proposed approach can detect stomata with a precision, recall, and F-score of 95.10%, 83.34%, and 88.61%, respectively. A separate test conducted by comparing estimated stomata boundary values with manually measured data showed that the proposed method has an IoU score of 0.70; a 7% improvement over the bounding-box approach. Conclusions The proposed method shows robust performance across multiple microscope image datasets of different quality and scale. This generalised stomata detection algorithm allows plant scientists to conduct stomata analysis whilst eliminating the need to re-label and re-train for each new dataset. The open-source code shared with this project can be directly deployed in Google Colab or any other Tensorflow environment.

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Methyl Benzoate Is Superior to Other Natural Fumigants for Controlling the Indian Meal Moth (Plodia interpunctella)

Insects ◽

10.3390/insects12010023 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 23

Author(s):

Md Munir Mostafiz ◽

Errol Hassan ◽

Rajendra Acharya ◽

Jae-Kyoung Shim ◽

Kyeong-Yeoll Lee

Keyword(s):

Insect Pests ◽

Insect Pest ◽

Plodia Interpunctella ◽

Methyl Benzoate ◽

Management Tool ◽

Contact Toxicity ◽

Fumigant Toxicity ◽

Indian Meal Moth ◽

Indian Meal ◽

Food Commodities

The Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), is an insect pest that commonly affects stored and postharvest agricultural products. For the control of insect pests and mites, methyl benzoate (MBe) is lethal as a fumigant and also causes contact toxicity; although it has already been established as a food-safe natural product, the fumigation toxicity of MBe has yet to be demonstrated in P. interpunctella. Herein, we evaluated MBe as a potential fumigant for controlling adults of P. interpunctella in two bioassays. Compared to the monoterpenes examined under laboratory conditions, MBe demonstrated high fumigant activity using a 1-L glass bottle at 1 μL/L air within 4 h of exposure. The median lethal concentration (LC50) of MBe was 0.1 μL/L air; the median lethal time (LT50) of MBe at 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, and 1 μL/L air was 3.8, 3.3, 2.8, and 2.0 h, respectively. Compared with commercially available monoterpene compounds used in pest control, MBe showed the highest fumigant toxicity (toxicity order as follows): MBe > citronellal > linalool > 1,8 cineole > limonene. Moreover, in a larger space assay, MBe caused 100% mortality of P. interpunctella at 0.01 μL/cm3 of air after 24 h of exposure. Therefore, MBe can be recommended for use in food security programs as an ecofriendly alternative fumigant. Specifically, it provides another management tool for curtailing the loss of stored food commodities due to P. interpunctella infestation.

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Comparative Experimental Effects of Intercropping and Cypermethrin on Insect Pest Infestation and Yield of Maize, Cowpea and Okra in Two Cameroonian Agro-Ecological Zones

AgriEngineering ◽

10.3390/agriengineering3020025 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 383-393

Author(s):

Patient Farsia Djidjonri ◽

Nukenine Elias Nchiwan ◽

Hartmut Koehler

Keyword(s):

Field Experiments ◽

Insect Pests ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Insect Pest ◽

Maize Yield ◽

Ecological Zones ◽

Pest Infestation ◽

Final Yield ◽

Cropping Seasons ◽

Agro Ecological Zones

The present study investigates the effect of intercropping (maize-cowpea, maize-okra, maize-okra-cowpea, okra-cowpea) compared to insecticide application on the level of infestation of insect pests and the final yield of maize, cowpea and okra. Field experiments were conducted during the 2016 and 2017 cropping seasons in the Guinean Savannah (Dang-Ngaoundere) and Sudano Sahelian (Gouna-Garoua) agro-ecological zones in Cameroon. Our experimental design was a split plot arrangement in a randomized complete block with four replications. The main factor was assigned to the use of insecticide (Cypermethrin) and sub plots were devoted for cropping systems. We compared the efficiency of intercropping to that of Cypermethrin application on the Yield of maize, cowpea and okra as influenced by insect pest damages. The comparison of monocropped sprayed by Cypermethrin to unsprayed showed that, in Dang, insect pests reduced maize yield by 37% and 24% in 2016 and 2017, respectively, whereas in Gouna, it was lower than 8% during the both years. Reduction in seed yield by insect pests on cowpea in Dang represented 47% and 50% in 2016 and 2017, respectively, whereas in Gouna, it was 55% and 63% in 2016 and 2017, respectively. For okra, insect pests reduced okra fruit yield by 25% and 44% in Dang and 23% and 28% in Gouna, respectively, in 2016 and 2017. Crop yield was lower in intercropping compared to monoculture due to competition of plants in association on different resources. Considering the total yields obtained from each intercropping, intercropping trials resulted generally in higher yields compared to mono-culture (LER > 1) in both sites and years but the respective yields were quite different. On the basis of the results obtained, we recommend maize-cowpea intercropping as a sustainable solution to reduce the infestation level of their pest insects.

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Regulatory roles of microRNAs in insect pests: prospective targets for insect pest control

Current Opinion in Biotechnology ◽

10.1016/j.copbio.2021.05.002 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 70 ◽

pp. 158-166

Author(s):

Qiang Zhang ◽

Wei Dou ◽

Clauvis Nji Tizi Taning ◽

Guy Smagghe ◽

Jin-Jun Wang

Keyword(s):

Pest Control ◽

Insect Pests ◽

Insect Pest ◽

Insect Pest Control

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Myco-Biocontrol of Insect Pests: Factors Involved, Mechanism, and Regulation

Journal of Pathogens ◽

10.1155/2012/126819 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 2012 ◽

pp. 1-10 ◽

Cited By ~ 44

Author(s):

Sardul Singh Sandhu ◽

Anil K. Sharma ◽

Vikas Beniwal ◽

Gunjan Goel ◽

Priya Batra ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Biological Control ◽

Recent Progress ◽

Insect Pests ◽

Insect Pest ◽

Past Research ◽

Attractive Alternative ◽

Insect Pest Control ◽

Naturally Occurring ◽

Chemical Inputs ◽

Chemical Pesticides

The growing demand for reducing chemical inputs in agriculture and increased resistance to insecticides have provided great impetus to the development of alternative forms of insect-pest control. Myco-biocontrol offers an attractive alternative to the use of chemical pesticides. Myco-biocontrol agents are naturally occurring organisms which are perceived as less damaging to the environment. Their mode of action appears little complex which makes it highly unlikely that resistance could be developed to a biopesticide. Past research has shown some promise of the use of fungi as a selective pesticide. The current paper updates us about the recent progress in the field of myco-biocontrol of insect pests and their possible mechanism of action to further enhance our understanding about the biological control of insect pests.

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Application of Trap Cropping as Companion Plants for the Management of Agricultural Pests: A Review

Insects ◽

10.3390/insects9040128 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. 128 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Shovon Chandra Sarkar ◽

Endong Wang ◽

Shengyong Wu ◽

Zhongren Lei

Keyword(s):

Pest Management ◽

Natural Enemies ◽

Natural Enemy ◽

Insect Pests ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Insect Pest ◽

Critical Time ◽

Trap Crops ◽

Companion Plant ◽

Trap Cropping

Companion planting is a well-known strategy to manage insect pests and support a natural enemy population through vegetative diversification. Trap cropping is one such type of special companion planting strategy that is traditionally used for insect pest management through vegetative diversification used to attract insect pests away from the main crops during a critical time period by providing them an alternative preferred choice. Trap crops not only attract the insects for feeding and oviposition, but also act as a sink for any pathogen that may be a vector. Considerable research has been conducted on different trap crops as companion plant species to develop improved pest management strategies. Despite this, little consensus exists regarding optimal trap cropping systems for diverse pest management situations. An advantage of trap cropping over an artificially released natural enemy-based biological control could be an attractive remedy for natural enemies in cropping systems. Besides, many trap crop species can conserve natural enemies. This secondary effect of attracting natural enemies may be an advantage compared to the conventional means of pest control. However, this additional consideration requires a more knowledge-intensive background to designing an effective trap cropping system. We have provided information based on different trap crops as companion plant, their functions and an updated list of trap cropping applications to attract insect pests and natural enemies that should be proven as helpful in future trap cropping endeavors.

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