Herbivore-Induced Rice Volatiles Attract and Affect the Predation Ability of the Wolf Spiders, Pirata subpiraticus and Pardosa pseudoannulata

Spiders are important natural enemies of rice pests. Studying the effects of herbivore-induced rice volatiles on spider attraction and predation ability may lead to safer methods for pest prevention and control. In this study, four-arm olfactometer, predation ability experiment, and field trapping experiment were used to evaluate the effects of herbivore-induced rice volatiles on Pirata subpiraticus Bösenberg et Strand (Araneae: Lycosidae) and Pardosa pseudoannulata Bösenberg et Strand (Araneae: Lycosidae). The 0.5 μg/μL linalool concentration was attractive, and also shortened the predation latency in male P. subpiraticus and female P. pseudoannulata. The 0.5 μg/μL linalool concentration increased the daily predation capacity of female P. pseudoannulata. Male P. pseudoannulata were attracted to 1.0 g/L methyl salicylate, which also shortened their predation latency. In field experiments, methyl salicylate and linalool were effective for trapping spiders. Herbivore-induced rice volatiles attract rice field spiders and affect their predatory ability. These results suggest that herbivore-induced rice volatiles can be used to attract spiders and provide improved control of rice pests.

Weather – based crop protection stewardship at Pattambi, Kerala

Kerala, a bowl of rice is continuously facing problem of using maximum pesticide for controlling outbreak of major rice pests. Weather data, synoptic conditions have been used to predict outbreaks of certain important tropical rice pests. Weather influences on the bionomics of pests is examined the context of forecasting outbreaks. The synoptic situations as well as weather based indices are considered to forewarn the outbreaks of stem borer and leaf folder at and around Pattambi, Kerala. An attempt is made to work out optimal time of pesticide application using weather based forewarning system approach with an aim to reduce the pesticide consumption and environmental pollution.

A New Mitochondrial Genome of Sogatella furcifera (Horváth) (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) and Mitogenome-Wide Investigation on Polymorphisms

White-backed planthopper (WBPH), Sogatella furcifera (Horváth), is one of the major sap-sucking rice pests in East Asia. We have determined a new complete mitochondrial genome of WBPH collected in the Korean peninsula using NGS technology. Its length and GC percentages are 16,613 bp and 23.8%, respectively. We observed one polymorphic site, a non-synonymous change, in the COX3 gene with confirmation heteroplasmy phenomenon within individuals of WBPH by PCR amplification and Sanger sequencing, the first report in this species. In addition, this heteroplasmy was not observed in wild WBPH populations, suggesting that it may be uncommon in fields. We analyzed single nucleotide polymorphisms, insertion, and deletions, and simple sequence repeats among the three WBPH mitogenomes from Korea and China and found diverse intraspecific variations, which could be potential candidates for developing markers to distinguish geographical populations. Phylogenetic analysis of 32 mitogenomes of Delphacidae including the three WBPH mitogenomes suggested that Delphacinae seems to be monophyletic and Sogatella species including WBPH are clearly formed as one clade. In the future, it is expected that complete mitogenomes of individuals of geographically dispersed WBPH populations will be used for further population genetic studies to understand the migration pathway of WBPH.

ETNOZOOLOGI: STUDI KEARIFAN LOKAL MASYARAKAT ADAT KAMPUNG NAGA TASIKMALAYA

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; tab-stops: 18.0pt;"><em><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;" lang="EN-US">Ethnozoological study is a study that examines the relationship between humans and animals in traditional studies. People's knowledge in relation to these animals has been passed down from generation to generation to become local wisdom. This ethnozoology includes the matter of raising animals, managing animals for medicine, food and customary and ritual activities, as well as the reciprocal relationship between humans and surrounding animals. The people of Kampung Naga are indigenous people located in Tasikmalaya who still adhere to the local wisdom they have today. Due to the absence of a study on ethnozoological studies in the Kampung Naga community, research was carried out on animal maintenance and control of rice pests which were included in the study of ethnozoological studies. The data collection techniques in this study were interview techniques and documentation with qualitative research methods. The results of the study found that the people of Kampung Naga have local wisdom regarding the control of agricultural pests, the main pests are brown planthopper, walang sangit, rats and birds as well as animal maintenance including chickens, goats, fish, guinea pigs and rabbits. This study aims to describe the study of ethnozoological studies of the people of Kampung Naga, Neglasari Village, Salawu District, Tasikmalaya Regency as a source of learning biology in the form of a booklet.</span></em></p><p class="E-JOURNALTitle" style="text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Arial Unicode MS'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;" lang="EN-US">ETNOZOOLOGI: STUDI KEARIFAN LOKAL MASYARAKAT ADAT KAMPUNG NAGA TASIKMALAYA</span></p>

PEMANFAATAN TANAMAN REFUGIA MENGENDALIKAN HAMA PADI (Oryza nivara L) DI SOPORARU TAPANULI UTARA

The refugia plant is one of the flowers that can be used as a shelter for natural enemies and as a feed sources for insects. The purpose of this study was to compare the use of refugia and without refugia plants in controlling environmentally friendly red rice pests in Soporaru Hamlet, Sigotom JuluVilalge, Pangaribuan District, North of Tapanuli Regency, North of Sumatra Province. This study uses a purposive sampling method with 3 types of traps, namely: yellow traps, fall traps and net traps. The samples was identified in the Plant Disease Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, University of North Sumatra in July 2020 until February 2021. The results showed that 8 orders of refugia were caught on land using refugia, 23 families, and 1,952 individuals, while on land without refugia there were 8 orders, 22 families and 1,807 individuals. On land using refugia (r) compared to land without refugia (k) it is known that the Species Richness Index (R) (Rr=2.9 and Rk=2.8), Diversity Index (H) (Hr=2.67 and Hk= 2.19), and Evenness Index (E) (Er=0.85 and Ek=0.71). Function status identified on land using refugia and without refugia as many as 5 species, namely herbivores, pollinators, predators, parasitoids and scavengers.

Cooperative herbivory between two important pests of rice

Normally, when different species of herbivorous arthropods feed on the same plant this leads to fitness-reducing competition. We found this to be different for two of Asia’s most destructive rice pests, the brown planthopper and the rice striped stem borer. Both insects directly and indirectly benefit from jointly attacking the same host plant. Double infestation improved host plant quality, particularly for the stemborer because the planthopper fully suppresses caterpillar-induced production of proteinase inhibitors. It also reduced the risk of egg parasitism, due to diminished parasitoid attraction. Females of both pests have adapted their oviposition behaviour accordingly. Their strong preference for plants infested by the other species even overrides their avoidance of plants already attacked by conspecifics. This cooperation between herbivores is telling of adaptations resulting from the evolution of plant-insect interactions, and points out mechanistic vulnerabilities that can be targeted to control these major pests.

Interpretation of Agricultural Pest Problem Handling System in Usada Wisada Pari Scripture

The knowledge of cultivation and the methods of treating and solving pest problems naturally without neglecting the local culture has been an inseparable aspect of Balinese agricultural life, which is known for its irrigation system called subak. This study aims to examine agricultural scripture named Usada Wisada Pari from two perspectives. First, this study examines the types of pests and its countermeasure. Secondly, it is important to study the lexicon form of these pests. This study shows that the types of rice pests in the Usada Wisada Pari text are categorized into two types, namely animals and plants. The countermeasure consists of natural ritual elements from plants and incantations. Furthermore, this research also shows that all kinds of plague and agricultural pests, along with ways to overcome them, reflect the very strong Shivaistic teachings. All kinds of diseases, countermeasures and prevention are described as the authority of Lord Shiva as the god of destruction in the Hindu concept. It can be concluded that the scripture of Usada Wisada Pari is a text that provides knowledge about rice pest antidotes in an environmentally friendly and holistic manner because it involves natural and religious elements. This study is expected to contribute both to academics or future researchers as well as to the public. It is hoped that academics and researchers can use this present study as a source and expand as well as deepen the object of study based on ethnoagriculture. Meanwhile, the general public can increase their knowledge regarding alternative management of agricultural epidemics in synergy with nature and local wisdom.

Nitrogen Supply Alters Rice Defense Against the Striped Stem Borer Chilo suppressalis

Plant nutrition status is closely associated with plant defense against insect herbivores. However, the way nitrogen supply regulates rice anti-herbivore is not clear. This study investigated the effects of low (LN, 0.3 mM) and high (HN, 3 mM) nitrate levels on rice resistance against the striped stem borer Chilo suppressalis (SSB), one of the major destructive rice pests. Seven-day-old rice seedlings were cultured with different nitrate levels for 30 days and then inoculated with third instars of SSB. LN significantly enhanced rice anti-herbivore defense and lowered the total nitrogen content in the plants, but increased the content of free amino acids after SSB infestation. Additionally, LN significantly increased the accumulation of phenolic acids and flavonoids, especially lignin, resulting in enhanced constitutive defense in SSB-infested plants. SSB feeding led to a rapid accumulation of secondary metabolites. HN application led to the accumulation of metabolites derived from cinnamic acid, p-coumaric acid, p-coumaric CoA, feruloyl CoA, and apigenin, while LN led to the accumulation of metabolites derived from 3-dehydroquinic acid, phenylalanine, acetyl CoA, and aspartic acid. Collectively, our finding suggests that nitrogen deficiency enhances rice anti-herbivore defense via constitutive defense by the accumulation of phenolic acids and flavonoids.