Search results for " pest"
showing 10 items of 253 documents
Susceptibility of Spodoptera frugiperda and S. exigua to Bacillus thuringiensis Vip3Aa insecticidal protein
2011
The Vip3Aa protein is an insecticidal protein secreted by Bacillus thuringiensis during the vegetative stage of growth. The activity of this protein has been tested after different steps/protocols of purification using Spodoptera frugiperda as a control insect. The results showed that the Vip3Aa protoxin was stable and retained full toxicity after being subjected to common biochemical steps used in protein purification. Bioassays with the protoxin in S. frugiperda and S. exigua showed pronounced differences in LC(50) values when mortality was measured at 7 vs. 10d. At 7d most live larvae were arrested in their development. LC(50) values of "functional mortality" (dead larvae plus larvae rem…
Confirmation of Fenthion Metabolites in Oranges by IT-MS and QqTOF-MS
2007
14 pages, 4 figures, 4 tables.-- PMID: 18020315 [PubMed].-- Printed version published Dec 15, 2007.
Evolutionary Considerations in Potato Pest Management
2013
Incorporating our knowledge of fundamental evolutionary processes into pest control practices is essential for maximizing their efficiency. The insect pest complex of potato is characterized by a high degree of plasticity and adaptability. In particular, the Colorado potato beetle quickly expanded its host range to include cultivated potato, and has shown a remarkable ability to evolve resistance to a wide variety of chemicals. Another major pest of potatoes, the green peach aphid, is also very adaptable to insecticides. Both of these insects can also develop resistance to non-chemical methods of their suppression, such as biological control and crop rotation. In addition, understanding ins…
Sustainable Weed, Disease and Pest Management in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants
2015
As for all other crops, in MAPs as well, weeds, diseases and pests are important yield-reducing factors, which may severely curtain biomass production and, that is maybe more important, may affect several qualitative aspects of production. Research about this topic is generally lacking, for two main reasons: the first is that MAPs are generally grown on rather limited areas, and the incidence of specific pests and diseases rarely takes a relevance outside rather narrow boundaries. The second reason is that the economical importance of MAPs is much lower than that ascribed to the “major” crops, which the bigger efforts of research are addressed to. In the changing scenario of latter years, h…
Insect pests of the Herbarium of the Palermo botanical garden and evaluation of semiochemicals for the control of the key pest Lasioderma serricorne …
2020
Abstract The herbaria are scientific tools of great importance that preserve extinct, rare, endemic, and common plant species and also have importance as Cultural Heritage for their historical and esthetical value. Herbaria can be infested by several insect pests feeding on dried plants, and their management is often complicated and difficult as the use of chemical insecticides can have negative drawbacks. This suggests a strong need for alternative control tools such as the use of semiochemicals to develop Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs. In order to identify the main insect pests that determine the damages on the exsiccata stored in the Palermo Botanical Garden's Herbarium, one …
Can herbivore-induced volatiles protect plants by increasing the herbivores’ susceptibility to natural pathogens?
2018
In response to insect herbivory, plants mobilize various defenses. Defense responses include the release of herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) that can serve as signals to alert undamaged tissues and to attract natural enemies of the herbivores. Some HIPVs can have a direct negative impact on herbivore survival, but it is not well understood by what mechanisms. Here, we tested the hypothesis that exposure to HIPVs renders insects more susceptible to natural pathogens. Exposure of the caterpillars of the noctuid Spodoptera exigua to indole and linalool, but not exposure to (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate, increased the susceptibility to Spodoptera exigua multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (SeMNPV). …
Toxics or Lures? Biological and Behavioral Effects of Plant Essential Oils on Tephritidae Fruit Flies.
2021
The family Tephritidae (Diptera) includes species that are highly invasive and harmful to crops. Due to globalization, international trade, and human displacement, their spread is continuously increasing. Unfortunately, the control of tephritid flies is still closely linked to the use of synthetic insecticides, which are responsible for detrimental effects on the environment and human health. Recently, research is looking for alternative and more eco-friendly tools to be adopted in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs. In this regard, essential oils (EOs) and their main compounds represent a promising alternative to chemical insecticides. EOs are made up of phytoconstituents formed fro…
Invasive Aliens in Italy: Enumeration, History, Biology and Their Impact
2021
Italy includes two large islands, Sardinia and Sicily, and a peninsula separated from the European continent by the Alpine Arch. At national level ISPRA (Instituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale, Higher Institute for Environmental protection and research) is the instrument of the Ministry of Environment and for the Protection of the Territory and the Sea to carry out its mission, including the study, monitoring, and control of invasive alien species. Universities, Scientific Societies, and ONGs play a vital role in basic research. The interest in the study of alien plants is of a theoretical nature, as regards the migrations of living beings and interactions with native…
Broad-spectrum cross-resistance in Spodoptera exigua from selection with a marginally toxic Cry protein.
2009
BACKGROUND:Spodoptera exigua (Hubner) has developed resistance to a wide range of chemical insecticides. Products based on Bacillus thuringiensis Cry toxins are used in integrated pest management as an ecologically friendly alternative for pest control. Since there are few B. thuringiensis Cry proteins highly active against S. exigua, it is desirable to apply appropriate resistance management strategies to prevent the evolution of resistance to these proteins. RESULTS:Spodoptera exigua larvae were selected with Cry1Ab, a protein with low activity against this pest. Selected larvae developed > 30-fold resistance to Cry1Ab in 13 generations, relative to an unselected strain. The estimated rea…
Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae): a decade of research towards a sustainable integrated pest management program
2021
Abstract Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae) also known as spotted-wing drosophila (SWD), is a pest native to Southeast Asia. In the last few decades, the pest has expanded its range to affect all major European and American fruit production regions. SWD is a highly adaptive insect that is able to disperse, survive, and flourish under a range of environmental conditions. Infestation by SWD generates both direct and indirect economic impacts through yield losses, shorter shelf life of infested fruit, and increased production costs. Fresh markets, frozen berries, and fruit export programs have been impacted by the pest due to zero tolerance for fruit infestation. As SWD co…