scholarly journals Biological Control beneath the Feet: A Review of Crop Protection against Insect Root Herbivores

Insects ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan Kergunteuil ◽  
Moe Bakhtiari ◽  
Ludovico Formenti ◽  
Zhenggao Xiao ◽  
Emmanuel Defossez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Crop Protection ◽  
Root Herbivores

scholarly journals Compatibility of fungal bioagent for bacterial leaf blight of rice with chemical pesticides, commonly used in rice cultivation

2013 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 378-381 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gokil Prasad Gangwar
Keyword(s):  
Adverse Effect ◽  
Biological Control ◽  
Chemical Control ◽  
Mycelial Growth ◽  
Crop Protection ◽  
Leaf Blight ◽  
Rice Cultivation ◽  
Bacterial Leaf Blight ◽  
Copper Oxychloride ◽  
Chemical Pesticides

Though the pesticides have adverse effects but they still are very important in crop protection. Hence, present study on compatibility of fungal bioagent (Trichoderma harzianum) of bacterial leaf blight of rice with chemical pesticides which are commonly used in rice cultivation was carried out with aim to look the possibilities of integrating biological control with chemical control to manage bacterial leaf blight of rice effectively. All the chemical pesticides (fungicides, antibiotic, insecticides and herbicides) exhibited varying adverse effect on mycelial growth of T. harzianum but none of these was antisporulant. Among fungicides and antibiotic, copper oxychloride and streptocycline was compatible with T. harzianum at all concentrations (2000, 1000, 500 and 250 ppm) but mancozeb exhibited compatibility only on lower concentrations (500 and 250 ppm). All insecticides and herbicides were compatible with T. harzianum at all concentrations (2000, 1000, 500 and 250 ppm). Further studies are required in this area of research.

scholarly journals New Tools for Conservation Biological Control: Testing Ant-Attracting Artificial Nectaries to Employ Ants as Plant Defenders

Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 129
Author(s):  
Enrico Schifani ◽  
Cristina Castracani ◽  
Daniele Giannetti ◽  
Fiorenza Augusta Spotti ◽  
Roberto Reggiani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Cydia Pomonella ◽  
Crop Protection ◽  
Codling Moth ◽  
Conservation Biological Control ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Pear Fruit ◽  
Pear Trees ◽  
Venturia Pyrina

Knowledge of the role of ants in many agroecosystems is relatively scarce, and in temperate regions the possibility to exploit ants as biocontrol agents for crop protection is still largely unexplored. Drawing inspiration from mutualistic ant–plant relationships mediated by extrafloral nectaries (EFNs), we tested the use of artificial nectaries (ANs) in order to increase ant activity on pear trees and to evaluate the effects on the arthropods, plant health and fruit production. While EFNs secrete a complex solution mainly composed of sugars and amino acids, ANs were filled with water and sucrose only. The results suggest that ANs can be used as manipulative instruments to increase ant activity over long periods of time. High ant activity was significantly linked to lower incidence of the pathogen fungus Venturia pyrina (pear scab) on pear leaves, and of the presence of Cydia pomonella (codling moth) caterpillars on pear fruit production. These results further encourage exploring underrated possibilities in the development of new tools for conservation biological control (CBC).

Commercial application of biological control: status and prospects

1988 ◽  
Vol 318 (1189) ◽  
pp. 357-373 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Integrated Control ◽  
Crop Protection ◽  
Global Market ◽  
Genetically Engineered ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Commercial Application ◽  
Specific Chemical ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Bacteria And Fungi

The global market value of control agents used in crop protection and public health is approaching $16 000 million annually, but less than 1% of this market is penetrated by biological control agents (BCAs). This paper examines the suitability of different types of BCA to research and commercialization, bearing in mind the sharply targeted approach employed by much of the industry. Advantages and disadvantages are discussed along with examples of failures and successes with BCAs. Commercialized products described range from specific chemical control agents which have no adverse effects on beneficial organisms to true BCAs such as pheromones, mass-produced bacteria, and predatory mites. From a commercial viewpoint, greatest potential resides with the utilization of bacteria and fungi, particularly for insect control, but registerability (particularly for genetically engineered agents) patentability, reliability and cost-effectiveness must be achieved. Industry believes that biotechnology will increase the usefulness of BCAs and is therefore encouraging cooperation with academic researchers and performing in-house research to advance the technology. Even so, BCAs will not replace chemicals in the foreseeable future, but will complement them and allow the development of improved integrated control measures.

scholarly journals Organizmy pożyteczne w strategiach biologicznego zwalczania – grzyby owadobójcze

2010 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Augustyniuk-Kram
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Pest Management ◽  
Biological Control Agent ◽  
Crop Protection ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Extended Period ◽  
Conservation Biological Control ◽  
Biological Control Agents ◽  
Biological Pest Control ◽  
Fungal Entomopathogens

Fungal entomopathogens are widespread in nature and contribute to the natural regulation of insects. They can be exploited for pest management as biological control agents of pests in attempts to improve the sustainability of crop protection. Four types of biological control are recognized: classical, inoculation, inundation, and conservation biological control. Classical biological control is the intentional introduction and permanent establishment of an exotic biological agent for long-term pest management. Inoculation biological control is the intentional release of a living organism as a biological control agent with the expectation that it will multiply and control the pest for an extended period, but not permanently. Inundation biological control is the release of large numbers of mass-produced biological control agents to reduce a pest population without necessarily achieving continuing impact or establishment. Conservation biological control is a modification of the environment or existing practices to protect and enhance specific natural enemies or other organisms to reduce the effect of pests. The traditional and the most popular approach in biological control with entomopathogenic fungi has been to apply the fungal material to the cropping system (as biopesticide), using an inundation biological control strategy. The term biopesticide is used for microbial biological pest control agents that are applied in a similar manner to chemical pesticides. The use of biopesticides can substitute for some (but not all) chemicals and provide environmentally safe and sustainable control of pests but EU legislation and prohibitive registration costs are discouraging the development and commercialization of many promising new products.

scholarly journals Trichoderma Biological Control to Protect Sensitive Maize Hybrids Against Late Wilt Disease in the Field

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 315
Author(s):  
Ofir Degani ◽  
Shlomit Dor
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Growth Parameters ◽  
Crop Protection ◽  
Antagonistic Activity ◽  
Trichoderma Spp ◽  
Maize Crop ◽  
Trichoderma Species ◽  
Maize Cultivars ◽  
Pathogen Dna

Late wilt, a disease severely affecting maize fields throughout Israel, is characterized by the relatively rapid wilting of maize plants from the tasseling stage to maturity. The disease is caused by the fungus Magnaporthiopsis maydis, a soil and seed-borne pathogen. The pathogen is controlled traditionally through the use of maize cultivars having reduced sensitivity to the disease. Nevertheless, such cultivars may lose their immunity after several years of intensive growth due to the presence of high virulent isolates of M. maydis. Alternative effective and economical chemical treatment to the disease was recently established but is dependent on the use of a dripline assigned for two adjacent rows and exposes the risk of fungicide resistance. In the current work, eight marine and soil isolates of Trichoderma spp., known for high mycoparasitic potential, were tested as biocontrol agents against M. maydis. An in vitro confront plate assay revealed strong antagonistic activity against the pathogen of two T. longibrachiatum isolates and of T. asperelloides. These species produce soluble metabolites that can inhibit or kill the maize pathogen in submerged and solid media culture growth assays. In greenhouse experiments accompanied by real-time PCR tracking of the pathogen, the Trichoderma species or their metabolites managed to improve the seedlings’ wet biomass and reduced the pathogen DNA in the maize roots. A follow-up experiment carried out through a whole growth session, under field conditions, provided important support to the Trichoderma species’ beneficial impact. The direct addition of T. longibrachiatum and even more T. asperelloides to the seeds, with the sowing, resulted in a yield improvement, a significant increase in the growth parameters and crops, to the degree of noninfected plants. These bioprotective treatments also restricted the pathogen DNA in the host tissues (up to 98%) and prevented the disease symptoms. The results encourage more in-depth research to uncover such biological agents’ potential and the methods to implement them in commercial fields. If adequately developed into final products and combined with other control methods, the biological control could play an important role in maize crop protection against Late wilt.

scholarly journals Continental-scale suppression of an invasive pest by a host-specific parasitoid heralds a new era for arthropod biological control

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kris Wyckhuys ◽  
Prapit Wongtiem ◽  
Aunu Rauf ◽  
Anchana Thancharoen ◽  
George Heimpel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Crop Protection ◽  
Commodity Prices ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Invasive Pest ◽  
Phenacoccus Manihoti ◽  
New Era ◽  
Continental Scale ◽  
Parasitism Rates ◽  
Cassava Crop

Biological control constitutes one of the world’s prime ecosystems services, and can provide long-term and broad-scale suppression of invasive pests, weeds and pathogens in both natural and agricultural environments. Following (very few) widely-documented historic cases that led to sizeable environmental up-sets, the discipline of insect biological control has -over the past three decades- gone through much-needed reform. Now, by deliberately taking into account the ecological risks associated with insect biological control, immense environmental and societal benefits can be gained. In this study, we document and analyze a rare, successful case of biological control against the invasive mealybug, Phenacoccus manihoti (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) which invaded Southeast Asia in 2008, where it caused substantial crop losses and triggered 2- to 3-fold surges in agricultural commodity prices. In 2009, the host-specific parasitoid Anagyrus lopezi (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) was released in Thailand and subsequently introduced into neighboring Asian countries. Drawing upon continental-scale insect surveys, multi-year population studies and (field-level) experimental assays, we show how A. lopezi attained intermediate to high parasitism rates across diverse agro-ecological contexts. Driving mealybug populations below non-damaging levels at a continental scale, A. lopezi allowed yield recoveries up to 10.0 t/ha and provided biological control services worth several hundred dollars per ha (at local farm-gate prices) in Asia’s 4-million ha cassava crop. Our work provides lessons to invasion science and crop protection worldwide, heralds a new era for insect biological control, and highlights its potentially large socio-economic benefits to agricultural sustainability in the face of a debilitating invasive pest. In times of unrelenting insect invasions, surging pesticide use and accelerating (invertebrate) biodiversity loss across the globe, this study unequivocally demonstrates how biological control – as a pure public good – constitutes a powerful, cost-effective and environmentally-responsible solution for invasive species mitigation.

scholarly journals Natural Pest Regulation and Its Compatibility with Other Crop Protection Practices in Smallholder Bean Farming Systems

Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 805
Author(s):  
Baltazar J. Ndakidemi ◽  
Ernest R. Mbega ◽  
Patrick A. Ndakidemi ◽  
Philip C. Stevenson ◽  
Steven R. Belmain ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Natural Enemies ◽  
Insect Pests ◽  
Crop Protection ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Aphis Fabae ◽  
Sources Of Resistance ◽  
Resistant Varieties ◽  
Natural Pest Regulation ◽  
Cultural Tools

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) production and storage are limited by numerous constraints. Insect pests are often the most destructive. However, resource-constrained smallholders in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) often do little to manage pests. Where farmers do use a control strategy, it typically relies on chemical pesticides, which have adverse effects on the wildlife, crop pollinators, natural enemies, mammals, and the development of resistance by pests. Nature-based solutions —in particular, using biological control agents with sustainable approaches that include biopesticides, resistant varieties, and cultural tools—are alternatives to chemical control. However, significant barriers to their adoption in SSA include a lack of field data and knowledge on the natural enemies of pests, safety, efficacy, the spectrum of activities, the availability and costs of biopesticides, the lack of sources of resistance for different cultivars, and spatial and temporal inconsistencies for cultural methods. Here, we critically review the control options for bean pests, particularly the black bean aphid (Aphis fabae) and pod borers (Maruca vitrata). We identified natural pest regulation as the option with the greatest potential for this farming system. We recommend that farmers adapt to using biological control due to its compatibility with other sustainable approaches, such as cultural tools, resistant varieties, and biopesticides for effective management, especially in SSA.

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