Platynaspis luteorubra was identified in the Tunis region for the first time. This species was collected in July 2024 from a colony of aphids on Cestrum nocturnum and Nerium oleander in the National Agricultural Research Institute of Tunisia (INRAT) garden feeding on Aphis spiraecola, Aphis gossypii and Aphis nerii. An illustration and brief description are provided, including notes on its world distribution, biology, and host prey. Additionally, a fragment of mitochondrial DNA from the cytochrome c oxidase 1 (COI) gene was analyzed for species confirmation.

This study investigates the role of magnesium oxide nanoparticles (MgO-NPs) in improving the growth, yield, and biochemical characteristics of cowpea variety, revealing significant treatment effects on key physiological and biochemical parameters. MgO-NPs enhanced seed germination and increased plant biomass and moisture content at mainly 25 ppm, underscoring their potential to promote vegetative growth. Chlorophyll and protein content in leaves demonstrated a dose-dependent response, with NPK fertilizer achieving the highest values, while moderate MgO-NPs concentrations (40-80 ppm) provided slight improvements over the control. Biochemical yield parameters also showed notable variation, with sugar content peaking at 62.96% under 100 ppm MgO-NPs and lipid content reaching its highest value (49.23%) at 60 ppm, suggesting optimal dosages for sugar and lipid synthesis. Fiber content remainedconsistent across treatments, indicating no effect of MgO-NPs on structural carbohydrates. These findings highlight MgO-NPs as a promising tool for enhancing crop productivity, while further research is warranted to assess their long-term effects and environmental sustainability in agricultural practices.

Plant Parasitic Nematodes (PPNs) are tiny, pseudocoelomate, unsegmented, bilaterally symmetrical vermiform animals that attack plants. Nematicides are chemically synthesized substances that kill or harm nematodes. Between 1940 and 1950, three chemicals with nematicidal properties were discovered: methyl bromide (bromomethane), D-D mixture, and EDB (1, 2-dibromoethane; as ethylene dibromide) which were fumigants. When fumigant compounds are applied to soil, a gas moves through the open spaces between soil particles or into the water film that surrounds soil particles. Fumigants significantly decrease nematode respiration by oxidizing Fe2+ centers and alkylated proteins in the cytochrome-mediated electron transport chain. Despite the efficacy of fumigants in nematode, their use was lowered due to the high environmental risk of these products. A new generation of nematicides was introduced: carbamates and organophosphates that served as contact nematicides, which led to the testing and development of other non-fumigant nematicides such as aldicarb, carbofuran, ethoprop, and fenamiphos. The carbamates and organophosphates acetylcholinesterase inhibitory properties prevent normal nerve impulse transmission in the nematode nervous system. Nematicides are typically non-selective pesticides, and their use impacts non-target organisms, humans, and the environment. Since nematicides are toxic to humans, soil, groundwater, and non-target organisms, cautious nematicide selection and application are vital. New compounds that are less aggressive and more specific for PPNs have been developed, making them safer for the producer, consumer, and environment. Crop rotation, cover crops, organic manuring, use of resistant varieties, and other methods must be integrated with nematicides for increased effectiveness.

Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica) is one of the most important commodities that is cultivated in various agro-ecologies of Ethiopia. The perennial and evergreen nature of the coffee favors attack by several insects, diseases, mites, and some gastropods such as snails and slugs. All parts of the plants are susceptible to be attacked, and damage could appear at different crop growth stages. Coffee insects damage seedling, reduce coffee yield and quality. Many insects found in coffee agroforestry system are not pests; many are even beneficial as they feed upon the coffee pest species. Worldwide over 3000 insects and mites are associated with coffee. In Ethiopia, more than 59 arthropod pests have been identified and documented in coffee from 1966 till the present. From identified arabica coffee arthropods in the country around 30.51% are Hemiptera order whereas 28.81% are Lepidoptera order. Glasshouse orthezia (Insignorthezia insignis), mealybugs (Planococcus spp. and Pseudococcus spp.) and greenhouse whiteflies (Trialeurodes spp.) are the pest currently recorded in Ethiopia. Besides, due to changing farm dynamics from time to time and current climate change, some previously uncommon pests are appearing and discussed in this review. Coffee insect pests are more problematic in coffee plantation system. Pesticide-free pest management options under changing climatic conditions are crucial. As future prospective, it is very important to conserve natural enemies through the diversification in the coffee farms. In future, identifying the impacts of climate change on coffee associated insect species, and mass rearing and release of natural control agents could allow for the sustainable production in Ethiopia. Therefore, this review presents the past, current status of coffee arthropod pests and their management options in Ethiopia.

The potential impact of the new indaziflam pre-emergence herbicide on common plantation intercrops of amaranthus, maize, melon, and tomato, was assessed in a screenhouse study. The experimental treatments comprised the following inclusion of indaziflam to soil at sowing: 0, 0.15, 0.30, 0.45, 0.60, and 0.75 mg/kg. These treatments were laid out in a completely randomized design with four replications. The effect of indaziflam was evaluated through destructive sampling after 8 weeks of growth, and its residual effect was examined post-replanting after the same period, specifically at 16 weeks following indaziflam application. Data on plant height, number of leaves, leaf area, plant fresh weight, and plant dry weight were recorded in each planting instance. The collected data were subjected to analysis of variance, and the treatment means were separated using Duncan's New Multiple Range Test at a significance level of 5%. The study revealed significant reductions (p ≤ 0.05) in growth of the test crops due to indaziflam application, with the most pronounced effects at higher concentrations. Amaranthus and tomato seedlings failed to emerge at concentrations > 0.15 mg/kg and ≥ 0.15 mg/kg, respectively. Maize and melon exhibited reduced growth at concentrations > 0.3 mg/kg. Residual effects were significant, notably reducing plant growth parameters at higher indaziflam concentrations, particularly at 0.6 and 0.75 mg/kg. In conclusion, indaziflam at concentrations greater than 0.15 mg/kg significantly inhibits the growth of common plantation intercrops, with persistent residual effects, suggesting its limited suitability for use in such contexts.

A new record for Leptadenia arborea (Forssk.) Schweinf. is reported for the first time in the flora of Libya. This species was collected from Ariggiba region (110 km southwest Sabha city). A full description and habitat information on the plant are provided. A brief discussion about the most important traits of this species is presented.

The utilization of essential oils (EOs) as biofungicides holds paramount importance in sustainable agriculture, offering an eco-friendly alternative to synthetic fungicides. EOs, derived from plant sources, exhibit diverse and potent antifungal properties. This study presents a comprehensive analysis of EOs derived from Tunisian plants, focusing on their composition and antifungal properties against Botrytis cinerea. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis revealed diverse chemical profiles for each EO, with significant variations in major constituents. Laurel oil emerged as the most potent, exhibiting remarkable inhibitory effects ranging from 3.33% to 95.72% across different concentrations. Rosemary and sage oils demonstrated notable antifungal potential, especially at higher concentrations, while citrus oil displayed milder inhibitory effects. The hierarchical clustering of EOs based on inhibition percentages highlighted distinct clusters, emphasizing the superior antifungal properties of laurel, sage, and rosemary oils. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values further underscored the efficacy of rosemary, laurel, and sage oils, positioning them as promising agents for combating B. cinerea. Correlation analysis between volatile compounds and MIC values identified compounds with strong negative correlations, indicating potential key contributors to antifungal activity. This study contributes valuable insights into the antifungal potential of EOs, guiding future research on their mechanisms and applications in plant disease management.

Apple farmers in center-west of Tunisia are heavily dependent on pesticides to ensure the phytosanitary protection of their orchards. The present study was carried out among the apple growers of the delegation of Foussana using face-to-face interviews to determine socio- demographic characteristics, status of pest management, their levels of knowledge of pesticide handling, their ability to understand the displayed instructions on product labels and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). The results showed that farmers used 3 classes of pesticides in their orchards: insecticides (47.76%), fungicides (28.36%) and acaricides (23.88%) among them 96.3% were purchased from local retailers. About 25.61% of farmers declared reading always pesticide labels before application against 35.71% not reading it at all and 38.68% were indifferent. About 57.3% of interviewed farmers applied pesticides in mixture. Among them, 31.7% mix 2 pesticides, 20.7% mixed 1 to 3 products together and 4.9% mixed 3 products in one tank. When mixing pesticides, the majority of farmers do not respect the prescribed dose because of the lack of suitable graduate instrument. Only 3.7% of interviewed disposed and used full PPE during pesticide spraying against 89.9% of them who used partial PPE. Regarding how to dispose empty containers, 89.65% of farmers destroyed them by incineration against 11.2% who discard them in nature. These results indicated the unawareness of farmers about the hazard linked to pesticide use. For that, it is important to implement measures to support and raise farmer’s awareness.

Stored products are considered main food source for humans and domestic animals. They were always targeted by insects mainly moths and beetles. The use of natural substances such as essential oils and extracts of aromatic plants constituted an alternative to chemicals. This work aims to highlight the chemical profile of the dill, Anethum graveolens, seeds and study their toxicity against red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum. The essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed using the GC/MS technique. A total of 45 compounds are identified in which dillapiole (37.86%), carvone (22.59%), trans-isolimonene (10.01%), dihydrocarvone (6.85%), camphor (5.06%) and α-phellandrene (2.77%) are major compounds. Dill seed essential oils exhibited an insecticidal activity against adults of T. castaneum which increased proportionally with the applied dose and the time of exposure. Fumigant bioassays resulted in lethal doses LD50 of 232.89 µl/L air and LD90 of 328.28µl/L air after 12 h of exposure. These values decreased after 24 h of exposure to 132.57 and 202.01 µl/L air, respectively. The insecticidal activity of these essentials oil can be the result of the existence of dillapiole, carvone, isollimonene, and other compounds. Due to these promoting results, the essential oils of dill seeds may be used as a natural product to manage this pest in stored products.

In the frame to study the prevalence and the distribution of viruses associated with fig mosaic disease in Iraq, surveys were carried out in the main fig producing regions Al-Hashemiya, Al-Diwaniyah, AlSamawah and Al-Suwayrah. A total number of one hundred leaf samples were randomly collected from major cultivars Aswed Dyala, Waziri and Sultani. All collected samples were analyzed using molecular tests (RT-PCR) for detection of Fig mosaic virus (FMV), Fig leaf mottle associated virus 1 (FLMaV-1), Fig leaf mottle associated virus 2 (FLMaV-2), Fig mild mottle associated virus (FMMaV), Fig cryptic virus (FCV), Fig fleck associated virus (FFkaV) and Fig latent virus 1 (FLV-1). A wide range of foliar symptoms including mosaic, chlorotic mottling, vein banding, chlorotic ringspots and deformations, were observed on fig trees. Molecular analysis detected the presence of at least one virus in 81% of fig trees tested. FCV was the prevailing virus with an incidence of 45% followed by FLMaV-1 (39%), FMV (37%), FMMaV (28%), FFkaV (16%) and FLMaV-2 (10%). Regarding cultivars, the highest infection rate was recorded for cv. Waziri (100%), followed by cv. Sultani (82.2%) and finally cv. Aswed Diyala (74%). This study represents the first report of the presence of FLMaV-1, FLMaV-2, FMMaV and FFkaV in Iraq.