Search results for "pest"

Oils for weed control: Uses and mode of action

1993

The role of oils in herbicide treatments is reviewed, both in terms of their own intrinsic activity and of their enhancement of the performance of other herbicides. The phytotoxicity of oils can be related to their physical properties. Their efficacy as adjuvants can vary with the plant /pesticide combination involved, and differences may also be observed between oils of mineral and vegetable origin. The possible mechanisms involved in the enhancement of activity by oils are discussed and areas of work that might elucidate these further are indicated

2020

Necrobia rufipes (De Geer) (Coleoptera: Cleridae), also known as the red-legged ham beetle, is a newly emerging pest of pet food stores, causing apprehension among producers worldwide. Concerns about this pest are exacerbated by the lack of information about infestation modalities in pet food, while specific monitoring tools are missing. Considering that adequate pet food packaging could limit N. rufipes infestations, information about the penetration modalities in commonly used pet food packaging is needed. Moreover, the development of appropriate monitoring instruments is urgent to detect pest presence early and to reduce chemical treatments for its control. In this paper, the adults’ and…

Interspecific competition/facilitation among insect parasitoids.

2015

Competition for limited resources is a widespread ecological interaction in animals. In the case of insect parasitoids, species can compete for host resources both at the adult stage as well as at the larval stage. Interspecific competition can play a role in sizing and shaping community structures. In addition of being relevant for basic ecological studies, understanding how interspecific competition between parasitoids affects pest suppression is important for biological control. In this opinion paper we review recent advances in the field of interspecific competition among parasitoids in a biological control perspective. We first discuss adult competition, highlighting which factors are …

Insecticidal Activity of Bacillus thuringiensis Proteins against Coleopteran Pests

2020

Bacillus thuringiensis is the most successful microbial insecticide agent and its proteins have been studied for many years due to its toxicity against insects mainly belonging to the orders Lepidoptera, Diptera and Coleoptera, which are pests of agro-forestry and medical-veterinary interest. However, studies on the interactions between this bacterium and the insect species classified in the order Coleoptera are more limited when compared to other insect orders. To date, 45 Cry proteins, 2 Cyt proteins, 11 Vip proteins, and 2 Sip proteins have been reported with activity against coleopteran species. A number of these proteins have been successfully used in some insecticidal formulations and…

Chemical Composition and Broad-Spectrum Insecticidal Activity of the Flower Essential Oil from an Ancient Sicilian Food Plant, Ridolfia segetum

2021

Several species of the family Apiaceae are aromatic herbs that produce essential oils usable on an industrial scale for pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food purposes. In particular, some essential oils, such as green insecticides for example, may replace synthetic insecticides, keeping most of their efficacy and avoiding environmental pollution or human poisoning. In the present study, we explored the insecticidal potential of Ridolfia segetum (L.) Moris essential oil (EO) against three different pests: Culex quinquefasciatus Say, Musca domestica L., and Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval). For this purpose, the EO was obtained by hydrodistillation of flowers and its composition was achieved by…

Naturalization and spread of the alien species Ozognathus cornutus (LeConte, 1859) (Coleoptera: Ptinidae: Ernobiinae) in Italy

2021

AbstractOzognathus cornutus(LeConte, 1859) (Coleoptera: Ptinidae: Ernobiinae), species native to North America, is a saproxylophagous species and is known to feed on decaying tissues within conspicuous galls and on vegetal decaying organic material such as dried fruits or small wood shavings and insect excrements in galleries made by other woodboring species. A few years after the first record in 2011, its naturalization in Italy is here reported. The insect was found as successor in galls ofPsectrosema tamaricis(Diptera Cecidomyiidae),Plagiotrochus gallaeramulorum,Andricus multiplicatusandSynophrus politus(Hymenoptera Cynipidae).The galls seem to have played an important ecological role in…

Influence of pesticide use in fruit orchards during blooming on honeybee mortality in 4 experimental apiaries

2016

Samples of dead honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) were collected periodically from 4 different locations during citrus and stone fruit trees blooming season to evaluate the potential impact of agrochemicals on honey bee death rate. For the determination of mortality, dead honey bee traps were placed in front of the experimental hives entrance located in areas of intensive agriculture in Valencian Community (Spain). A total of 34 bee samples, obtained along the monitoring period, were analyzed by means of QuEChERS extraction method and screened for 58 pesticides or their degradation products by LC-MS/MS. An average of four pesticides per honey bee sample was detected. Coumaphos, an organophosph…

Bacillus subtilis BS-2 and Peppermint Oil as Biocontrol Agents Against Botrytis cinerea

2019

Abstract The purpose of this study was to assess the activity of Bacillus subtilis BS-2 and peppermint oil against Botrytis cinerea. In this study parameters such as the age and the density of the bacterial culture and the incubation temperature were taken into consideration. Furthermore, the cellulolytic activity of the bacterium was determined. The effect of peppermint oil was evaluated at a concentration range of 0.5-4.0 %. The research was conducted with a dual culture plate method. The influence of B. subtilis BS-2 and peppermint oil on the growth of B. cinerea was evaluated based on the growth rate index. It was noted that the bacterial culture occurred at an initial density of OD 560…

Use of solid state fermentation to produce Beauveria bassiana for the biological control of european corn borer

1993

The production process of a new bioinsecticide against european corn borer is described. The entomopathogenic fungus, Beauveria bassiana, is cultivated by Solid State Fermentation (SSF). The culture support chosen, clay microgranules, humidified with optimal nutritive solution, is incubated in optimal conditions during 48 hours, then dried for 5 days. The bioinsecticide can be directly used after harvesting, without formulation. This process is original for several reasons : - The granulometry (500 microm) and the bulk density (0.6) of the microgranules are compatible with the mechanical standard application of pesticides on corn. - The bioinsecticide could be produced in a pilot reactor of…

Mycelial development of Fusarium oxysporum in the vicinity of tomato roots

1999

The patterns of mycelial development (length and branching) of five strains of Fusarium oxysporum were measured in the vicinity of tomato and wheat roots. Two strains were of f. sp. lycopersici, two of f. sp. radicis-lycopersici and the fifth was a non-pathogenic strain currently used as a biocontrol agent. Hyphal extension and branching were measured microscopically using a CCD camera and an image analyser. Furthermore, the role of soluble root exudates, insoluble root materials, glucose supply, and nitrogen supply (casamino acids) on mycelial development was investigated. Each strain had its own pattern of development in the absence of a root. Fungal development of all five strains was st…