scholarly journals Molecular Rationale of Insect-Microbes Symbiosis—From Insect Behaviour to Mechanism

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 2422
Author(s):  
Sujata Singh ◽  
Archana Singh ◽  
Varsha Baweja ◽  
Amit Roy ◽  
Amrita Chakraborty ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Insect Pests ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Molecular Networks ◽  
Insect Brain ◽  
Ecological Specialization ◽  
Insect Behaviour ◽  
Insect Nutrition ◽  
Host Fitness ◽  
Brain Functions ◽  
Microbial System

Insects nurture a panoply of microbial populations that are often obligatory and exist mutually with their hosts. Symbionts not only impact their host fitness but also shape the trajectory of their phenotype. This co-constructed niche successfully evolved long in the past to mark advanced ecological specialization. The resident microbes regulate insect nutrition by controlling their host plant specialization and immunity. It enhances the host fitness and performance by detoxifying toxins secreted by the predators and abstains them. The profound effect of a microbial population on insect physiology and behaviour is exploited to understand the host–microbial system in diverse taxa. Emergent research of insect-associated microbes has revealed their potential to modulate insect brain functions and, ultimately, control their behaviours, including social interactions. The revelation of the gut microbiota–brain axis has now unravelled insects as a cost-effective potential model to study neurodegenerative disorders and behavioural dysfunctions in humans. This article reviewed our knowledge about the insect–microbial system, an exquisite network of interactions operating between insects and microbes, its mechanistic insight that holds intricate multi-organismal systems in harmony, and its future perspectives. The demystification of molecular networks governing insect–microbial symbiosis will reveal the perplexing behaviours of insects that could be utilized in managing insect pests.

Impact of intercropping system to minimise the sucking pests incidence in groundnut (Arachis hypogaea Linnaeus)

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Parthiban ◽  
C. Chinniah ◽  
R. K. Murali Baskaran ◽  
K. Suresh ◽  
A. Ravi Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Arachis Hypogaea ◽  
Tamil Nadu ◽  
Insect Pests ◽  
Pennisetum Glaucum ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Scirtothrips Dorsalis ◽  
Aphis Craccivora Koch ◽  
Tagetes Erecta L

Field experiment was carried out during 2014 – 2015 at DARS, Chettinad, Sivagangai district of Tamil Nadu to find out cost-effective groundnut based inter-cropping system for the management of key insect pests. Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea Linnaeus; Variety: VRI II) when intercropped with bajra (Pennisetum glaucum L.; Variety: Co 7), maize (Zea mays L.; Variety; Co 6) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.; Variety: Co 30) 4:1 ratio harboured significantly less mean population of sucking pests viz. leafhopper, Empoasca kerri Pruthi, Aphids, Aphis craccivora Koch and Thrips, Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood recording 23.05, 24.81 and 25.47 nos./10 plants, 21.27, 23.52 and 22.44 nos./2.5 cm shoot and 11.15, 12.62 and 12.19 nos./5 leaflet respectively, whereas intercropping with redgram (Cajanus cajan L.; Variety: VBN (Rg) 3), marigold (Tagetes erecta L.; Variety: MDU 1), sesame (Sesamum indicum L.; Variety: Co 1) and onion (Allium cepa L.; Variety: Co 1) recorded high mean population as compared to other cropping systems while groundnut as pure crop recorded the highest mean population of 33.14 nos./10 plants, 33.22 nos./2.5 cm shoot and 19.00 nos./5 leaflet respectively.

scholarly journals Natural occurrence of the entomopathogenic fungi Beauveria bassiana as a vertically transmitted endophyte of Pinus radiata and its effect on above- and below-ground insect pests

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie-Caroline Lefort ◽  
Aimee C McKinnon ◽  
Tracey L Nelson ◽  
Travis R Glare
Keyword(s):  
Beauveria Bassiana ◽  
Pinus Radiata ◽  
Insect Pests ◽  
Insect Pest ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Natural Occurrence ◽  
Monterey Pine ◽  
Molecular Approaches ◽  
Below Ground ◽  
Mode Of Transmission

Background. The New Zealand forest industry would greatly benefit from a successful way of controlling insect pests. The entomopathogenic fungus, Beauveria bassiana could hold such potential and has previously been shown to be capable of endophytic colonisation of the Monterey pine Pinus radiata. Nevertheless clarifications on its mode of transmission, persistence and action in this plant are required. In this study we investigated B. bassiana transmission and persitence in P. radiata and whether this fungus is beneficial to P. radiata by testing its effect as a plant endophyte on the fitness performance of above and belowground insect feeders. Methods. Both culturing and molecular approaches were used to detect the occurrence B. bassiana in pines. Transmission electron microscopy of positive germinating seeds was also used to locate the fungus. Bioassays were conducted on root and needle feeding insects using Beauveria positive and endophyte free pine seedlings. Results. Beauveria bassiana was detected in seedlings which had not previously been exposed to the fungus, indicating a vertical mode of transmission. The fungus could colonise all parts of the pines, but did not always persist. We found that the presence of the fungus negatively affects the fitness of the below-ground insect feeding on the plant by reducing their survival by over 10% and their weight by 5%. This study also showed that the mode of action of endophytic B. bassiana in pine is likely to be by feeding deterrence of insects induced locally by fungal metabolites, rather than by direct fungal infection of the insects. Discussion. A vertically transmitted beneficial endophyte of pine could be used as a cost effective approach to control insect pest in these commercially grown trees.

scholarly journals Post-Harvest Loss and Grain Storage Technology- A Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-83
Author(s):  
Bayode Julius Olorunfemi ◽  
Sunday Emmanuel Kayode
Keyword(s):  
Insect Pests ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Human Consumption ◽  
Grain Storage ◽  
Post Harvest ◽  
Storage Technology ◽  
Technological Developments ◽  
The Moment ◽  
Post Harvest Loss

The aim of this write up is to explore technological developments in the area of post-harvest grain storage techniques. Post-harvest losses occur between harvest and the moment of human consumption. They include on-farm losses, such as when grain is threshed, winnowed, and dried, as well as losses along the chain during transportation, storage, and processing. Use of traditional grain storage facilities such as cribs, improved rhombus, and brick bins are ineffective against mold and insects already present in the grain before storage. While plastic bins reduce insect pests’ infestation, Purdue Improved crop storage bags and wooden silo were proved to be a viable management tool for preventing aflatoxin accumulation in storage and moisture migration. The metal silo still remains an effective grain storage technology for reducing post-harvest insect and pathogen losses if the challenges of moisture and temperature can be adequately managed. An effective grain storage technology would be the ones that can sustain quality of grain stored for a long period (≥5 years), durable, cost-effective, and be managed scientifically, possibly by computer-aided grain management system.

scholarly journals Chitinases from Bacteria to Human: Properties, Applications, and Future Perspectives

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abhishek Singh Rathore ◽  
Rinkoo D. Gupta
Keyword(s):  
Cell Walls ◽  
Insect Pests ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Pathogenic Fungi ◽  
Effective Field ◽  
Plant Diseases ◽  
Steady Increase ◽  
Future Perspectives ◽  
Laboratory Evolution ◽  
Chemical Pesticides

Chitin is the second most plenteous polysaccharide in nature after cellulose, present in cell walls of several fungi, exoskeletons of insects, and crustacean shells. Chitin does not accumulate in the environment due to presence of bacterial chitinases, despite its abundance. These enzymes are able to degrade chitin present in the cell walls of fungi as well as the exoskeletons of insect. They have shown being the potential agents for biological control of the plant diseases caused by various pathogenic fungi and insect pests and thus can be used as an alternative to chemical pesticides. There has been steady increase in demand of chitin derivatives, obtained by action of chitinases on chitin polymer for various industrial, clinical, and pharmaceutical purposes. Hence, this review focuses on properties and applications of chitinases starting from bacteria, followed by fungi, insects, plants, and vertebrates. Designing of chitinase by applying directed laboratory evolution and rational approaches for improved catalytic activity for cost-effective field applications has also been explored.

scholarly journals Opportunities and challenges of entomopathogenic nematodes as biocontrol agents in their tripartite interactions

2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tarique H. Askary ◽  
Mahfouz M. M. Abd-Elgawad
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Entomopathogenic Nematodes ◽  
Insect Pests ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Biocontrol Agents ◽  
Main Body ◽  
Application Technology ◽  
Tripartite Interactions ◽  
Biological Control Of Insects

Abstract Background The complex including entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) of the genera Steinernema and Heterorhabditis and their mutualistic partner, i.e., Xenorhabdus and Photorhabdus bacteria, respectively possesses many attributes of ideal biological control agents against numerous insect pests as a third partner. Despite authenic opportunities for their practical use as biocontrol agents globally, they are challenged by major impediments especially their cost and reliability. Main body This review article presents major attributes of EPNs to familiarize growers and stakeholders with their careful application. As relatively high EPN costs and frequently low efficacy are still hindering them from reaching broader biopesticide markets, this is to review the latest findings on EPN strain/species enhancement, improvement of production, formulation and application technology, and achieving biological control of insects from the standpoint of facing these challenges. The conditions and practices that affected the use of EPNs for integrated pest management (IPM) are identified. Besides, efforts have been made to address such practices in various ways that grasp their effective approaches, identify research priority areas, and allow refined techniques. Additionally, sampling factors responsible for obtaining more EPN isolates with differential pathogenicity and better adaptation to control specific pest(s) are discussed. Conclusion Specific improvements of EPN production, formulation, and application technology are reviewed which may help in their broader use. Other diverse factors that optimize EPNs to constitute a cost-effective, value-added approach to IPM are also demonstrated.

scholarly journals Remote sensing of forest pest damage: a review and lessons learned from a Canadian perspective

2016 ◽  
Vol 148 (S1) ◽  
pp. S296-S356 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.J. Hall ◽  
G. Castilla ◽  
J.C. White ◽  
B.J. Cooke ◽  
R.S. Skakun
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Bark Beetles ◽  
Insect Pests ◽  
Forest Health ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Aerial Survey ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Pest Monitoring ◽  
Spatial Coverage ◽  
Canadian Perspective

AbstractOutbreaks of insect pests periodically cause large losses of volume in Canada’s forests. Compounded with climate change, outbreaks create significant challenges for managing the sustainable delivery of ecosystem services. Current methods to monitor damage by these pests involve both field and aerial surveys. While relatively cost effective and timely, aerial survey consistency and spatial coverage may be insufficient for detailed monitoring across Canada’s vast forest-land base. Remote sensing can augment these methods and extend monitoring capabilities in time and space by incorporating knowledge of pest-host interactions and of how damage translates into a remote sensing signal for detection and mapping. This review provides a brief introduction to major forest insect pests in Canada (two bark beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and six defoliators) and the damage they cause, a synthesis of the literature involving aerial survey and remote sensing, and a discussion of how these two approaches could be integrated into future pest monitoring from a Canadian perspective. We offer some lessons learned, outline roles that remote sensing could serve in a management context, and discuss what ongoing and upcoming technological advances may offer to future forest health monitoring.

Identifying Diagnostic Genetic Markers for a Cryptic Invasive Agricultural Pest: A Test Case Using the Apple Maggot Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae)

2020 ◽  
Vol 113 (4) ◽  
pp. 246-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meredith M Doellman ◽  
Glen R Hood ◽  
Jacob Gersfeld ◽  
Amanda Driscoe ◽  
Charles C Y Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Identification ◽  
Pacific Northwest ◽  
Insect Pests ◽  
Polymerase Chain Reaction Amplification ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Invasive Pest ◽  
Test Case ◽  
Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽  
Apple Maggot Fly ◽  
Apple Industry

Abstract Insect pests destroy ~15% of all U.S. crops, resulting in losses of $15 billion annually. Thus, developing cheap, quick, and reliable methods for detecting harmful species is critical to curtail insect damage and lessen economic impact. The apple maggot fly, Rhagoletis pomonella, is a major invasive pest threatening the multibillion-dollar apple industry in the Pacific Northwest United States. The fly is also sympatric with a benign but morphologically similar and genetically closely related species, R. zephyria, which attacks noncommercial snowberry. Unambiguous species identification is essential due to a zero-infestation policy of apple maggot for fruit export. Mistaking R. zephyria for R. pomonella triggers unnecessary and costly quarantines, diverting valuable control resources. Here we develop and apply a relatively simple and cost-effective diagnostic approach using Illumina sequencing of double-digest restriction site-associated DNA markers. We identified five informative single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and designed a diagnostic test based on agarose gel electrophoresis of restriction enzyme-digested polymerase chain reaction amplification products (RFLPs) to distinguish fly species. We demonstrated the utility of this approach for immediate, 1-d species identification by scoring apple- and snowberry-infesting flies from known hosts, reared from fruit collected at 11 sites throughout Washington. However, if immediate diagnosis is not required, or hundreds to thousands of specimens must be assessed, then a direct Illumina-based sequencing strategy, similar to that used here for diagnostic SNP identification, can be powerful and cost-effective. The genomic strategy we present is effective for R. pomonella and also transferable to many cryptic pests.

scholarly journals Enzyme and lateral flow monoclonal antibody-based immunoassays to simultaneously determine spirotetramat and spirotetramat-enol in foodstuffs

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramón E. Cevallos-Cedeño ◽  
Consuelo Agulló ◽  
Antonio Abad-Fuentes ◽  
Antonio Abad-Somovilla ◽  
Josep V. Mercader
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Insect Pests ◽  
Grape Juice ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Lateral Flow ◽  
Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽  
Good Precision ◽  
High Affinity ◽  
Chemical Contaminant

AbstractSpirotetramat is employed worldwide to fight insect pests due to its high efficiency. This chemical is quickly metabolized by plants into spirotetramat-enol, so current regulations establish that both compounds must be determined in foodstuffs for monitoring purposes. Nowadays, immunochemical methods constitute rapid and cost-effective strategies for chemical contaminant analysis at trace levels. However, high-affinity binders and suitable bioconjugates are required. In this study, haptens with opposite functionalisation sites were synthesized in order to generate high-affinity monoclonal antibodies. A direct competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with an IC50 value for the sum of spirotetramat and spirotetramat-enol of 0.1 μg/L was developed using selected antibodies and a novel heterologous bioconjugate carrying a rationally-designed hapten. Studies with fortified grape, grape juice, and wine samples showed good precision and accuracy values, with limits of quantification well below the maximum residue limits. Excellent correlation of results was observed with a standard reference chromatographic method. As a step forward, a lateral flow immunoassay was developed for onsite screening analysis of spirotetramat in wine. This assay was successfully validated according to Regulation 519/2014/EU for semi-quantitative methods at concentrations in line with the legal levels of spirotetramat and spirotetramat-enol in grapes, with a satisfactory false suspect rate below 2%.

scholarly journals Impact of plasma irradiation on Tribolium castaneum

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Waheed A. A. Sayed ◽  
Reda S. Hassan ◽  
Thanaa M. Sileem ◽  
Birgit A. Rumpold
Keyword(s):  
Tribolium Castaneum ◽  
Exposure Time ◽  
Adult Stage ◽  
Insect Pests ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Inert Gases ◽  
Reproduction Rate ◽  
Plasma Irradiation ◽  
Promising Tool ◽  
Food And Feed

AbstractRadio frequency plasma (RFP) could provide reliable, compact, cost-effective irradiation applications against insect pests of stored food and feed products. Sensitivity of red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum to RFP has been investigated using an irradiation applicator system with the two types of inert gases, argon (Ar) and helium (He), at 100 W for five exposure time levels of 0, 20, 40, 60 and 90 s, respectively. We demonstrated that He RFP was more efficient against T. castaneum than Ar RFP. In addition, a positive correlation was observed between mortality percentages of treated insect stages and exposure times for both He and Ar RFP. The adult stage showed the highest tolerance to RFP irradiation followed by larvae and pupae; however, it was more susceptible than larvae within 24 h after He RFP treatments. The optimum exposure time was 90 s with He RFP, where a full mortality at all tested stages was accomplished, while mortalities of 71.4, 65.3 and 36.7% were recorded for pupae, larvae and adult stage, respectively, after an Ar RFP treatment of 90 s. In case of treated adults, the reproduction rate was higher than treated larvae and pupae. Our findings indicated that He RFP was an effective method for inhibiting T. castaneum development and impacting the insect life cycle and could be considered a promising tool for pest control of stored food.

A chromatography-free synthesis of (2S,12Z)-2-acetoxy-12-heptadecene — The major sex pheromone component of the pistachio twig borer moth (Kermania pistaciella)

2009 ◽  
Vol 87 (2) ◽  
pp. 430-432 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Britton ◽  
Grigori Khaskin ◽  
Gerhard Gries
Keyword(s):  
Sex Pheromone ◽  
Insect Pests ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Pheromone Component ◽  
Attract And Kill

Recently, (2S,12Z)-2-acetoxy-12-heptadecene was identified as the major sex pheromone component of the pistachio twig borer moth, Kermania pistaciella , one of the most serious insect pests of pistachio plantations in Iran and Turkey. In field studies, an attract-and-kill formulation containing (2S,12Z)-2-acetoxy-12-heptadecene demonstrated efficacy in reducing damage caused by K. pistaciella and may become a widely-used, earth-friendly tactic for control of this insect in commercial pistachio production. To further develop this technology, a cost-effective, chromatography-free synthesis of (2S,12Z)-2-acetoxy-12-heptadecene was required and is described in this communication.

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