Animal Pests Research Articles

The first rodent behavioral study (1822) and the diffusion of human-bred albino rats and mice in the 19th century

Rodents, in particular rats and mice, are currently the most widely employed animal models in psychology and behavioral neuroscience. Nevertheless, an interesting historical question is: when was the first rodent behavioral study performed and by whom? The current article presents the first rodent behavioral study in the history of science: a case of interspecies social bonding between a rat and a dog, observed in 1822 by the British chemist Samuel Moss (1794–1868) and subsequently described by the same in a scientific article in 1836. In the present article, after a biographical sketch of Samuel Moss, I examine in detail the notable case of interspecies bonding observed by Moss. This case is notable under several points of view. First, Moss’s rat was an albino, a variety which at that time was extremely rare. Moreover, at that time, in the Western world rats were mostly seen as pest animals or baits for rat-catching sports, and were not kept as pets. The color of the rat played a key role in its fate, being the reason for which it was originally brought to Moss and for which Moss decided to keep it under his care. Third, the relationship that arose between the rat and the dog is even more surprising if we consider that the dog was a trained rat-catcher. Importantly, this rat-dog bonding case, which showcased the tameness of Moss’s albino rat in both lay and scientific publications, represented the first popularization of the docility of albino rats. After having outlined Moss’s case, considering the importance of albino rats in our current society, both in scientific research (where the albino rat has become the prototype of the laboratory rat) and as pets, I provide an historical contextualization regarding albino rodents, starting from the 17th century, and I then trace the history of the post-Moss diffusion of human-bred albino rats and mice in the 19th century.

Unleashing Nature’s Pesticide: A Systematic Review of Schinus molle Essential Oil’s Biopesticidal Potential

The past decade has witnessed an increase in scientific publications investigating the potential of essential oils as alternatives to synthetic pesticides for the control of plant and animal pests and disease vectors. The essential oil of Schinus molle has been the subject of various studies aimed at describing its insecticidal, acaricidal, and repellent properties. S. molle, although native to South America, is also widely distributed in countries bordering the Mediterranean. The objective of this systematic review was to analyze existing information on S. molle essential oil as a raw material for novel biopesticides and nanobiopesticides. We searched articles from PubMed, Scopus, and MDPI databases, and from 194 reports, we critically selected 33 articles produced between 2005 and 2024, representing all of the studies that aimed to evaluate the properties of the essential oil of this species as an insecticide, acaricide, and pesticide. The chemical composition varies significantly depending on origin, although two chemotypes associated with α-phellandrene and limonene appear to emerge. Data on adulticide activity and repellency are promising, and there are preliminary studies of microencapsulated forms of the essential oil that represent contemporary research trends currently under investigation. Furthermore, S. molle essential oil appears to demonstrate acetylcholinesterase inhibition effects that warrant further investigation. Finally, in this review, we have highlighted the potential of S. molle essential oil as a biopesticide, emphasizing the need to progress from a preliminary study phase to research conducted in application contexts. The conclusions of this review indicate future research trends aimed at the development of commercial products for organic and regenerative agriculture.

Brighton v RSPCA NSW: Appeals and Lessons Four Years On.

Animal law has the potential to initiate improvements for animal wellbeing. However, this largely depends on how effectively the law bridges the legal chasm between animal welfare and animal suffering, a chasm the authors refer to as the welfare gap. When the law does not adequately address this gap, where regulation subordinates animal interests to human interests, it results in weak animal protection that does little more than regulate to a standard that avoids a life not worth living. The authors analyse a series of cases involving the RSPCA and Brighton, in which Brighton was charged with serious animal cruelty pursuant to s 530 of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW). He stabbed a dog with a pitchfork; after failing to kill the dog, he suspended it from a tree branch by a leash attached to its collar and struck the dog several times on the head with a mallet, finally killing him. Brighton was found guilty in the NSW Local Court and appealed to the NSW Supreme Court, where Rothman J allowed the appeal, holding that Brighton had exterminated a pest animal. This led to protracted litigation, including to the NSW Court of Appeal, a second hearing in the Local Court and a further appeal to the Supreme Court. In August 2020, Sophie Riley published a case note and commentary on the litigation up to the Rothman J appeal. This paper evaluates the litigation that followed, identifying how regulatory failures have entrenched the welfare gap. Regulatory failures include inadequate and aged legislative protections for a confined subset of animals. In NSW, animal sentience is not enshrined in legislation; the law limits the types of animals protected by anti-cruelty law; fundamental statutory language remains undefined, for example terms such as "pest animal" and "exterminate"; and challenges abound for adducing sufficient evidence to prove subjective criminal intent. These deficiencies pose significant challenges for practitioners and judicial officers, particularly when complex statutory interpretation is required in the busy and fast-paced summary jurisdiction. This paper concludes that legislators should consider modernising the law, removing ambiguity, and settling minimum standards for a good life for animals, taking into account the welfare aspects described in Mellor's Five Domains model.

A Low-Cost Remotely Configurable Electronic Trap for Insect Pest Dataset Generation

The precise monitoring of insect pest populations is the foundation of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for pests of plants, humans, and animals. Digital technologies can be employed to address one of the main challenges, such as reducing the IPM workload and enhancing decision-making accuracy. In this study, digital technologies are used to deploy an automated trap for capturing images of insects and generating centralized repositories on a server. Subsequently, advanced computational models can be applied to analyze the collected data. The study provides a detailed description of the prototype, designed with a particular focus on its remote reconfigurability to optimize repository quality; and the server, accessible via an API interface to enhance system interoperability and scalability. Quality metrics are presented through an experimental study conducted on the constructed demonstrator, emphasizing trap reliability, stability, performance, and energy consumption, along with an objective analysis of image quality using metrics such as RMS contrast, Image Entropy, Image sharpness metric, Natural Image Quality Evaluator (NIQE), and Modulation Transfer Function (MFT). This study contributes to the optimization of the current knowledge regarding automated insect pest monitoring techniques and offers advanced solutions for the current systems.

Frequent Acquisition of Glycoside Hydrolase Family 32 (GH32) Genes from Bacteria via Horizontal Gene Transfer Drives Adaptation of Invertebrates to Diverse Sources of Food and Living Habitats.

Glycoside hydrolases (GHs, also called glycosidases) catalyze the hydrolysis of glycosidic bonds in polysaccharides. Numerous GH genes have been identified from various organisms and are classified into 188 families, abbreviated GH1 to GH188. Enzymes in the GH32 family hydrolyze fructans, which are present in approximately 15% of flowering plants and are widespread across microorganisms. GH32 genes are rarely found in animals, as fructans are not a typical carbohydrate source utilized in animals. Here, we report the discovery of 242 GH32 genes identified in 84 animal species, ranging from nematodes to crabs. Genetic analyses of these genes indicated that the GH32 genes in various animals were derived from different bacteria via multiple, independent horizontal gene transfer events. The GH32 genes in animals appear functional based on the highly conserved catalytic blades and triads in the active center despite the overall low (35-60%) sequence similarities among the predicted proteins. The acquisition of GH32 genes by animals may have a profound impact on sugar metabolism for the recipient organisms. Our results together with previous reports suggest that the acquired GH32 enzymes may not only serve as digestive enzymes, but also may serve as effectors for manipulating host plants, and as metabolic enzymes in the non-digestive tissues of certain animals. Our results provide a foundation for future studies on the significance of horizontally transferred GH32 genes in animals. The information reported here enriches our knowledge of horizontal gene transfer, GH32 functions, and animal-plant interactions, which may result in practical applications. For example, developing crops via targeted engineering that inhibits GH32 enzymes could aid in the plant's resistance to animal pests.

Biocontrol of Cocoyam (Colocasia esculenta) Spoilage Fungi by Trichoderma harzianum collected from Rivers and Abia State, Nigeria

Biocontrol is a technique of controlling pests, whether pest animals such as insects and mites, weeds, or pathogens affecting animals or plants by using other organisms. Hence, the objective of this paper as to investigate the biocontrol of Cocoyam (Colocasia esculenta) spoilage fungi by Trichoderma harzianum collected from Rivers and Abia States in Nigeria using standard microbiological methods. The results obtained show that the fungi isolated were Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Mucor sp and Penicillium and Trichorderma sp. Antagonistic fungi was identified molecularly as Trichoderma harzianum strain A0H287. The inhibitory effect of the biological antagonist T. harzianum showed that it reduced the growth of A. niger by 50%, Mucor sp by 34.1%, Penicillium sp by 70% and A. flavus by 63.7%. The study showed that the biological antagonist, Trichoderma showed effectiveness in the reduction of the growth of majority of the pathogenic fungi and could be recommended as alternative to chemical fungicides.

Watershed rehabilitation with forest gardens in Moneragala District, Sri Lanka

Forests in mountainous watersheds sustain water flows, providing a valuable lifeline in times of no rain. The clearance and destruction of forests, for plantations and modern chena cultivation, degrades watersheds, resulting in the loss of these ecosystem services, impoverishing people and diminishing watershed sustainability. The Neo Synthesis Research Centre (NSRC) has been involved in rehabilitating Sri Lankan watersheds for over 30 years, which has included implementing forest gardens (FGs) in Maragalakanda. The article describes the rehabilitation of one farmer's land (referred to as Rani), which resulted in increased household livelihood security, reversed forest loss, and sustained watershed health. The rehabilitation efforts followed a successional process, using regenerative agriculture, analog forestry, and conservation forestry. The landscape design divided Rani’s landholding into several land uses. In addition to the forest gardens which were modelled on the adjacent forest, there were paddy fields, chena and cash crop areas, and a buffer zone between the disturbed natural forest and the landholding. Comprised of 175 different species, the forest gardens provide various regulatory ecosystem services, and over half provide food, medicine, timber, firewood, ornamentals and biopesticides, which are either used for household consumption or sold to generate income. Monitoring and evaluation revealed positive impacts on biodiversity, soil fertility, and food and income security. By 2013, Rani's landholding had become a biodiversity corridor, attracting more birds and increasing her total income to USD 32 241, mainly thanks to her forest gardens. As a result, Rani achieved financial stability, enabling her to invest in and educate all five of her children, eliminating any need to clear forests for livelihood. Despite an average FG profit of USD 24 413, challenges of increased rainfall variability, animal pests, and rising costs of purchases stress her newfound livelihood. Nonetheless, watershed rehabilitation with forest gardens succeeded in reversing forest loss, restoring ecosystem services, and increasing livelihood security. To ensure more households benefit as Rani’s did, policymakers and planners must consider population growth and allocate new lands for expanding watershed populations while implementing laws to prevent forest destruction.

Scientism, trust, value alignment, views of nature, and U.S. public opinion about gene drive mosquitos.

Gene drive could be a powerful tool for addressing problems of conservation, agriculture, and human health caused by insect and animal pests but is likely to be controversial as it involves the release of genetically modified organisms. This study examined the social determinants of opinion of gene drive. We asked a representative sample of the U.S. public to respond to a description of a hypothetical application of a gene-drive mosquito to the problem of malaria and examined the relationship of these responses with demographic and ideological beliefs. We found strong general approval for the use of gene-drive mosquitos to address malaria, coinciding with the concern about a possible environmental impact of modified mosquitos and that gene drives represent "too much power over nature." Among the determinants we measured, respondent acceptance of scientism and trust that scientists are advancing the public's interest were the greatest predictors of views of gene drive.

Exploring Microeconomic Dynamics and Challenges in Vegetable-Based Farming System

Horticulture based farming could be one of the potential sources to increase the income of farmers and employment generation in agrarian agriculture, as well as meeting the demand for healthy foods with changing consumption habit of the growing population. Therefore, during 2020-21, present study was conducted in Nagaon district of Assam with a sample size of 100 farmers using multistage random sampling where pretested schedule was used by PRA and interview method to examine the status, income, employment, and problems associated with horticulture-based farming system. Arecanut and coconut are found to be the common crops grown by all the selected farmers and the highest net return of Rs.298480 per ha from Vegetables+ Livestock component+ Spices +Coconut/Arecanut farming system out of the 6 selected farming systems. The labour employment was highest in Rice +Vegetables +Toria +Fishery+ Coconut/Arecanut farming system. In order to prioritize the problem, Pareto analysis is done and it has been found that animal menace and pest and disease are the major production problems causing (› 80 %) out of total 10 production problems. Marketing problems like processing, assembling and storage facility are major problems causing (› 80 % problems) among the sample farmers. To deal with the problems these farmers should be given proper training on management of animal and pest menace, proper storage facilities and post-harvest management. This may be the best strategy to address the yield loss occurs due to spoilage.

A Health Status Update of Myocastor coypus in Northern Italy.

Myocastor coypus is a pest animal present in Africa, Europe, North America and Asia that causes agricultural and ecological damages. Moreover, it has to be considered as a potential risk for public health. Forty-four coypus from the "Parco Naturale La Mandria" (Piedmont region, Northwest Italy) have been analysed. A complete necropsy and a whole histological evaluation of the liver, kidney and lung have been carried out on all the animals. Moreover, the positivity to Hepatitis E Virus (HEV), Encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV), Francisella spp., Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum have been investigated. None of the animal were positive for HEV, EMCV, Francisella spp. or Neospora caninum. Two animals tested positive for Toxoplasma gondii. A high presence of histological lesions has been identified in different organs, suggesting that lesions could be induced by different pathogens. As previously reported, coypu can act as a host for several pathogens, including important agents for human and animal health, and surveillance is necessary to fully understand the biological role and the importance of coypu as a disease reservoir in our country.

On-Farm Local Rice Cultivars and Pest Diversity Identification of Kasepuhan Customary Communities in Banten Kidul

Local rice cultivars have distinct characteristics that are loved by the locals, e.g. taste, quality, and softness. Owing to years of adaptation, local rice cultivars are also more resistant to pests (animal pests, diseases, weeds). Nonetheless, the people of Kasepuhan Banten Kidul’s customary communities stay loyal to these cultivars. For decades, they have been practicing traditional farming. However, the varieties of local rice cultivars being planted are declining from year to year, prompting conservation efforts to be taken. This research aims to identify the types of local rice cultivars in Kasepuhan Banten Kidul and the pests associated with them. The research methods used are descriptive qualitative and quantitative. The qualitative method is used for the morphology of the cultivars, while the quantitative method is for the abundance or quantity of the pests. The quantity and diversity of the pests are subsequently analyzed using the Shannon-Wiener index (H’ index). The sampling method used in this research is systematic random sampling. The research findings show that there are 3 categories in general, i.e. pare, cere, and ketan, each of which demonstrates morphological diversity. To date, there are 11 types of local rice cultivars planted by the farmers of Kasepuhan customary communities, i.e. Tampey, Beureum, Sogleng, Srimahi, Srikuning, Kiara, Hurik, Kewal, Petay, Ketan White, and Cere. Additionally, there are 13 Arthropods species of pests and natural enemies identified in the rice field agroecosystem of Kasepuhan, i.e. Chanaphalocrosis medinalis, Dasychira inclusa, Leptocorisa acuta, Nilaparvata lugens, Zosteria sp., Munia sp., Pachydiplosis oryzae, Pomacea panaliculata, Nezara viridula, Harmonia octomaculata, Araneus diadematus, and Oxyopes lineatus. Meanwhile, in terms of pest diversity, only a few pests or diseases are found to be dominating. The reason is that farmers in these communities only plant rice once a year, thereby helping maintain the balance of nature. The dominant pest associated with the local rice plants is golden apple snails. A Shannon-Wiener analysis measures an index of 2.27, which indicates moderate pest species diversity and a stable ecosystem in the area being studied.

A Global Assessment of the State of Plant Health.

The Global Plant Health Assessment (GPHA) is a collective, volunteer-based effort to assemble expert opinions on plant health and disease impacts on ecosystem services based on published scientific evidence. The GPHA considers a range of forest, agricultural, and urban systems worldwide. These are referred to as (Ecoregion × Plant System), i.e., selected case examples involving keystone plants in given parts of the world. The GPHA focuses on infectious plant diseases and plant pathogens, but encompasses the abiotic (e.g., temperature, drought, and floods) and other biotic (e.g., animal pests and humans) factors associated with plant health. Among the 33 (Ecoregion × Plant System) considered, 18 are assessed as in fair or poor health, and 20 as in declining health. Much of the observed state of plant health and its trends are driven by a combination of forces, including climate change, species invasions, and human management. Healthy plants ensure (i) provisioning (food, fiber, and material), (ii) regulation (climate, atmosphere, water, and soils), and (iii) cultural (recreation, inspiration, and spiritual) ecosystem services. All these roles that plants play are threatened by plant diseases. Nearly none of these three ecosystem services are assessed as improving. Results indicate that the poor state of plant health in sub-Saharan Africa gravely contributes to food insecurity and environmental degradation. Results further call for the need to improve crop health to ensure food security in the most populated parts of the world, such as in South Asia, where the poorest of the poor, the landless farmers, are at the greatest risk. The overview of results generated from this work identifies directions for future research to be championed by a new generation of scientists and revived public extension services. Breakthroughs from science are needed to (i) gather more data on plant health and its consequences, (ii) identify collective actions to manage plant systems, (iii) exploit the phytobiome diversity in breeding programs, (iv) breed for plant genotypes with resilience to biotic and abiotic stresses, and (v) design and implement plant systems involving the diversity required to ensure their adaptation to current and growing challenges, including climate change and pathogen invasions.

High‐resolution mapping of rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) densities for targeted conservation management

Abstract Despite the staggering economic and ecological impacts of invasive animals, maps of their distribution are often only broad generalisations. Detailed knowledge about the spatial distribution of pest animals is crucial to efficiently reduce their numbers in open landscapes where no conservation fencing, or natural boundaries exist. Our case study tests a random but spatially balanced transect design to collect data on the distribution of the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), a major destructive pest species in Australian ecosystems, and create distribution maps in relation to abiotic and biotic features. We surveyed an area of 650 km2 in the semi‐arid Flinders Ranges of South Australia using 95 transects (1.4 km length by 50 m width), that were placed with a method originally developed for surveying the ocean‐floor and applied for the first time in terrestrial ecosystems. According to a hurdle model fitted to our data set, the presence of rabbit warrens is influenced by geology, vegetation cover and the topographic wetness index, whereas the number of holes per warren depends on the ruggedness of the terrain, the vegetation cover and whether it has previously been destroyed. The model predicted the numbers of rabbit holes with up to 96.4% accuracy and at a previously unavailable resolution, providing a significant improvement in detail of the distribution of this feral animal. Synthesis and applications: A reliable, high‐resolution map of the distribution of rabbit densities was generated with surveying of less than 1% of the study area, information that can now be used to direct targeted conservation management efforts. This method is highly accurate and can still be improved in future studies.

Return to 1616: Multispecies Fauna Reconstruction Requires Thinking Outside the Box.

Conservation translocations have become increasingly popular for 'rewilding' areas that have lost their native fauna. These multispecies translocations are complex and need to consider the requirements of each individual species as well as the influence of likely interactions among them. The Dirk Hartog Island National Park Ecological Restoration Project, Return to 1616, aspires to restore ecological function to Western Australia's largest island. Since 2012, pest animals have been eradicated, and conservation translocations of seven fauna species have been undertaken, with a further six planned. Here, we present a synthesis of the innovative approaches undertaken in restoring the former faunal assemblage of Dirk Hartog Island and the key learnings gathered as the project has progressed.

Juridical Analysis Of The Authority Of Quarantine Officers In Handling Illegal Importation Of Caws On Batam Island

Quarantine is a system of preventing the entry, exit, and spread of quarantined animal pests and diseases, as well as supervision and control of food safety and food quality, feed safety and feed quality, Genetic Engineering products, Genetic Resources, Biological Agents, Invasive Foreign Species, Wild Plants and Animals, and Rare Animals that are introduced into, spread from one area to another area, and removed from the territory of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia. To maintain, protect, and improve the quality of animal/livestock resources, animal/livestock health, animal welfare, and the provision of safe, healthy, whole, and halal (ASUH) food of animal origin, as well as maintaining peace or eliminating/preventing public unrest, it is necessary to provide guidance, regulation, control, and supervision of livestock businesses and animal health services. To create a conducive business climate and legal certainty in animal husbandry and animal health, it is necessary to regulate the mechanisms and procedures for licensing livestock and animal health businesses in the regions. The problem faced by the Batam Class I Agricultural Quarantine Center is caused by cows entering Batam Island that do not have an entry permit and are not by Law Number 21 of 2019, which states that every entry or release must be carried out through a designated Place of Entry and Place of Expenditure.

An Automated Early Warning Biosecurity Alert System for Finland

Effective and timely pest plant and animal control necessitates access to relevant biodiversity data as quickly as possible. For Finland, on Europe's frontier, biosecurity is of particular importance. The Natural Resources Institute Finland and the Finnish Food Authority are the organisations responsible for biosecurity in Finland. The Finnish Biodiversity Information Facility (FinBIF) is a data repository for researchers, government and the public. FinBIF consolidates datasets of living Finland from many providers at a single online source. The data held in FinBIF's data warehouse include the results of national monitoring programs, museum collections and citizen science platforms. On average, over the last five years more than 10,000 occurrence records have been collated by FinBIF per day. These records often include invasive taxa or pest plants and animals that require control. FinBIF acts as bridge between biodiversity data collectors, researchers, other government agencies and the two organisations responsible for Finnish biosecurity. An automated early warning system has been established to alert biosecurity coordinators at the Natural Resources Institute Finland and the Finnish Food Authority as soon an occurrence record of biosecurity concern enters the FinBIF data warehouse. We outline the development of the alert system, its implementation to date, and present some of the lessons learned so far and prospects for the future.

Effect of Spraying with Micro-Elements, Gibberellic Acid and Salicylic Acid on Some Yield Traits of Date Palm CV. Khastawi.

The study was conducted in one of the private palm orchards in the Euphrates district on date palm trees (CV. Khastawi) aged 30 years to find out the response of the date palm cultivar Khastawi to spraying with micro-elements at concentrations (0, 1 g L-1 ) and symbolized by (M0 and M1), and spraying with gibberellic acid at concentrations (0, 100, 200 mg L-1 ) and symbolized by (G0, G1, and G2) respectively, and spraying with salicylic acid in concentrations (0, 100, 200 mg L-1 ) and symbols symbolized by (S0, S1, S2) respectively. 54 trees were selected as homogeneous as possible, and the number of fronds for palms and fruit clusters was unified. All service operations of the orchard were carried out similarly to adding animal manure, pruning, pollination, watering, pest control and other service operations for all experimental units. The results showed that spraying with microelements at a concentration (M1) significantly affected all studied traits except for the non-reducing sugar content of the fruits. It amounted to (10.76 g, 15.63 kg cluster-1 , 125.03 kg palm-1 , 69.37%, 33.78%, 53.61%) this is for the traits (fruit weight, cluster weight, yield, total soluble solids, reducing sugars, total sugars), respectively. Also, spraying with gibberellin showed a significant effect on the traits (fruit weight, cluster weight, yield, total soluble solids), and the treatment (G2) gave the highest values for the traits (fruit weight, cluster weight, yield), with 10.53 g, 15.46 kg cluster-1 , 123.71 kg palm-1 , respectively. At the same time, treatment (G0) achieved the highest value of total soluble solids (67.50%). On the other hand, salicylic spraying did not significantly affect the studied traits, except total soluble solids and reducing sugars. The concentration (S2) showed the best values for the two traits, with 67.59% and 34.36%, respectively. The two-way interactions between the study factors showed a significant effect that varied according to the type of trait and the interaction factors. Whereas the three-way interaction between the study factors reached the level of significance in all the studied traits. The most significant effect of the interactions was achieved according to the type of trait and the interacting factors, while the control treatment showed the lowest values of most of the traits. Keywords: Date palm, Micro-elements, Gibberellic acid, Salicylic acid, yield.

The use of RNA interference for the management of arthropod pests in livestock farms.

Pest management in farm animals is an important action to contain economic damage to livestock production and prevent transmission of severe diseases to the stock. The use of chemical insecticides is still the most common approach followed by farmers; however, avoiding possible toxic effects on animals is a fundamental task for pest control measures compatible with animal well-being. Moreover, legal constraints and insurgence of resistance by target species to the available insecticidal compounds are increasingly complicating farmers' operations. Alternatives to chemical pesticides have been explored with some promising results in the area of biological control or the use of natural products as sprays. The application of RNA interference techniques has enabled the production of new means of pest control in agriculture, and it is opening a promising avenue for controlling arthropod pests of livestock. Transcript depletion of specific target genes of the recipient organisms is based on the action of double-strand RNAs (dsRNA) capable of impairing the production of fundamental proteins. Their mode of action, based on the specific recognition of short genomic sequences, is expected to be highly selective towards non-target organisms potentially exposed; in addition, there are physical and chemical barriers to dsRNA uptake by mammalian cells that render these products practically innocuous for higher animals. Summarising existing literature on gene silencing for main taxa of arthropod pests of livestock (Acarina, Diptera, Blattoidea), this review explores the perspectives of practical applications of dsRNA-based pesticides against the main pests of farm animals. Knowledge gaps are summarised to stimulate additional research in this area.

Thermal aerial culling for the control of vertebrate pest populations

Helicopter-based shooting is an effective management tool for large vertebrate pest animals. However, animals in low-density populations and/or dense habitat can be difficult to locate visually. Thermal-imaging technology can increase detections in these conditions. We used thermal-imaging equipment with a specific helicopter crew configuration to assist in aerial culling for feral pigs (Sus scrofa) and fallow deer (Dama dama) in South Australia in 2021. Seventy-two percent of pigs and 53% of deer were first detected in dense canopy/tall forest habitat. Median time from the first impact shot to incapacitation was < 12 s. The culling rate (animals hour−1) doubled compared to visual shoots over the same populations and the wounding rate was zero resulting in a incapacitation efficiency of 100%. The crew configuration gave the shooter a wide field of view and the thermal operator behind the shooter provided essential support to find new and escaping animals, and to confirm species identification and successful removal. The crew configuration allowed for successful target acquisition and tracking, with reduced target escape. The approach can increase the efficiency of aerial culling, has the potential to increase the success of programs where eradication is a viable option, and can improve animal welfare outcomes by reducing wounding rates and the escape of target animals.

Exploiting volatile organic compounds in crop protection: A systematic review of 1‐octen‐3‐ol and 3‐octanone

AbstractThe 21st century has brought new challenges to the agri‐food industry due to population growth, global warming, and greater public awareness of environmental issues. Ensuring global food security for future generations is crucial. However, pests, weeds, and diseases still significantly contribute to crop losses, and the availability of effective conventional synthetic pesticides is decreasing. To address this, new and diverse pest management tools are needed. One pest management tool showing potential for invertebrate pest management is the exploitation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs)—in particular, the compounds 1‐octen‐3‐ol and 3‐octanone. This review aims to explore the extent to which 1‐octen‐3‐ol and 3‐octanone show potential in the future management of invertebrate crop and animal pests. A significant increase in the rate of publication of literature on the use of 1‐octen‐3‐ol and 3‐octanone in crop protection since 2018 is identified by this review, therefore, showing the potential importance of these compounds for use in future pest management. This review also identifies key interactions between naturally occurring biosynthesised 1‐octen‐3‐ol and 3‐octanone, and a range of invertebrate targets. Many of these interactions with key crop pests are sourced from the taxonomic families Lamiaceae, Fabaceae, and Trichomaceae. However, analysis of the practical application of these sources in an integrated pest management programme identifies clear limitations with the use of naturally occurring biosynthesised 1‐octen‐3‐ol and 3‐octanone. Rather, future focus should be placed on the development and exploitation of synthesised nature identical 1‐octen‐3‐ol and 3‐octanone for use as a biopesticide product. Overall, 1‐octen‐3‐ol and 3‐octanone show potential for exploitation in future crop protection, being abundant in source and diversity of invertebrate interactions. However, their use as a naturally occurring biosynthesised chemical is likely not practical for direct implementation in crop protection. Rather, focus should be placed on the development and exploitation of synthesised nature identical variants of these compounds for use as a biopesticide.