Chilli Fruits Research Articles

Safety Assessment and Bioefficacy of Fluopyram 20 %+Tebuconazole 20 %-40 SC in Chilli, Capsicum annum L. Against Anthracnose Disease

The present paper reports the in vitro and in vivo bioefficacy of different doses of a combination of fungicide, fluopyram 20 %+tebuconazole 20 %-40 SC against anthracnose disease of chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) and their pre-harvest intervals pertaining to two different application rates. In vitro bioefficacy studies revealed the best control (79.3 %) at 250 mg kg−1 against 68.4 % control under field conditions. A sample preparation method based on ethyl acetate extraction and estimation by LC–MS multiple reaction monitoring was validated in chilli fruits. Residue dissipation studies were conducted in field at single and double doses. The residues of both fluopyram and tebuconazole on all the sampling days were below the maximum residue limit (European Union) and maximum permissible intake estimated on the basis of the prescribed acceptable daily intakes. The combined bioefficacy and residue dynamics information will support label-claim of this combination of fungicide for the management of anthracnose in chilli and facilitate its inclusion in good agricultural package of practices.

Growth promotion effect of Pichia guilliermondii in chilli and biocontrol potential of Hanseniaspora uvarum against Colletotrichum capsici causing fruit rot

In the present investigation, we have attempted to identify the potential two epiphytic yeast strains for growth promotion and management of chilli fruit rot. Seed treatment with Pichia guilliermondii showed increased seedling vigour index (55%), fresh weight (96%) and dry weight (45%) over untreated control. Furthermore, P. guilliermondii showed higher root colonisation ability, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) production and phosphate solubilisation ability. On the other hand, seedling dip with Hanseniaspora uvarum induced higher levels of defence-related compounds in chilli seedlings challenge-inoculated with Colletotrichum capsici under glasshouse conditions. Among the different media tested, higher biomass of P. guilliermondii and H. uvarum was obtained in pine juice broth and sugarcane juice broth, respectively. Glycerol buffer formulation showed viability (>70%) of P. guilliermondii up to 4 months and H. uvarum up to 9 months when stored at ambient conditions. Seedling dip and foliar sprays with H. uvarum showed 37– 40% reduction in chilli fruit rot incidence under field conditions. It also showed higher (cumulative) accumulation of defence-related compounds in chilli leaves and ripe fruits under field conditions. The results of current investigation indicated a clear difference among the two epiphytic yeast strains. P. guilliermondii was identified as growth promoter of chilli and H. uvarum as antagonist of chilli fruit rot pathogen, C. capsici.

Irrigation Volume Based on Pan Evaporation and Their Effects on Water Use Efficiency and Yield of Hydroponically Grown Chilli

This study was conducted to determine irrigation volume based on pan evaporation and their effects on growth, yield, irrigation water use efficency (IWUE) of chilli grown in sandponic system in the greenhouse. The amount of water used was based on pan evaporation. Irrigation treatments consisted of four coefficients, i.e. 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2 Epan. Plants were watered daily until soil reached field capacity during the first week. Irrigation treatments were applied on the second week until four months later. Total irrigation quantities varied from 9.4 to 37.8 L. plant-1. Chilli fruit yield varied from 3.98 to 90.51 g.plant-1. The highest total fruit yield and IWUE was obtained from 2 Epan treatment. Irrigation treatment had significant effects (P<0.01) on yield and there were positive linear relations between the yield and the amount of irrigation water applied. Irrigation volume significantly increased plant height, number of lateral branches, and number of leaves (P<0.01).Keywords: plant height, lateral branches, fruit

English

Chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) fruit rot disease caused by Colletotrichum capsici under tropical and subtropical conditions, results in qualitative and quantitative yield losses. Twenty (20) isolates of C. capsici were collected from conventional chilli growing areas of Tamil Nadu. In culture, most of the isolates produced cottony, fluffy or suppressed colonies. However, no significant differences were noticed in shape and size of conidia. The reaction of the 20 isolates on an indigenously developed differential set of Capsicum cultivars indicated the existence of different virulences in Tamil Nadu chilli populations. The genetic relationship between 20 morphological groups recognized within C. capsici was investigated using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. Molecular polymorphism generated by RAPD confirmed the variation in virulences of C. capsici and different isolates were grouped into two large clusters. The pathological and RAPD grouping of isolates suggested no correlation among the test isolates. Key words: Chilli, Colletotrichum capsici, variability, RAPD.

‘Plug and Play’ assembly of a low-temperature plasma ionization mass spectrometry imaging (LTP-MSI) system

Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) is of high and growing interest in life science research, but the investment for necessary equipment is often prohibitive for small research groups. Therefore, we developed a basic MSI system from low cost 'Plug and Play' components, which are connected to the Universal Serial Bus (USB) of a standard computer. Our open source software OpenMZxy (http://www.bioprocess.org/openmzxy) enables automatic and manual sampling, as well as the recording of position data. For ionization we used a low-temperature plasma probe (LTP), coupled to a quadrupole mass analyzer. The current set-up has a practical resolution of 1mm, and a sampling area of 100×100mm, resulting in up to 10,000 sampling points. Our prototype is easy and economical to adopt for different types of mass analyzers. We prove the usability of the LTP-MSI system for macroscopic samples by imaging the distribution of metabolites in the longitudinal cross-cut of a chili (Capsicum annuum, 'Jalapeño pepper') fruit. The localization of capsaicin in the placenta could be confirmed. But additionally, yet unknown low molecular weight compounds were detected in defined areas, which underline the potential of LTP-MSI for the imaging of volatile and semi-volatile metabolites and for the discovery of new natural products. Biological significance Knowledge about the spatial distribution of metabolites, proteins, or lipids in a given tissue often leads to novel findings in medicine and biology. Therefore, mass spectrometry based imaging (MSI) is becoming increasingly popular in life science research. However, the investment for necessary equipment is often prohibitive for small research groups. We built a prototype with an ambient ionization source, which is easy and economical to adopt for different types of mass analyzers. Therefore, we hope that our system contributes to a broader use of mass spectrometry imaging for answering biological questions.

Quick Detection and Diagnosis of Chilli Fruit Rot Pathogens

Chilli (Capsicum annuum L.), an important economic crop worldwide, is severely infected by fruit rot which may cause yield losses of up to 50%. The disease has been reported in all the chilli producing regions of the world and has become a serious constraint in chilli production. Different species of Colletotrichum, (C. capsici, C. gloeosporioides, C. acutatum), Alternaria alternata and Fusarium spp. are known to cause fruit rot in chilli. In the present study detection of pathogens from different plant parts was carried out by standard isolation method and PCRwas done by using specific primers. The C. capsici was amplified as single band at 450bp whereas C. gloeosporioides and C. acutatum were amplified at 450 and 490bp respectively, Alternaria alternata amplified at 390bp and Fusarium sp. amplified at 550 – 570bp.

INCREASED NUTRIENT SOLUTION CONCENTRATION DURING EARLY FRUIT DEVELOPMENT STAGES ENHANCES PUNGENCY AND PHENYLALANINE AMMONIA-LYASE ACTIVITY IN HOT CHILI (<i>CAPSICUM ANNUUM</i> L.)

The effect of increased nutrient concentration during different fruit development stages on the yield, pungency and PAL enzyme activity in hot chili cv. ‘Super hot’ was studied during August 2009-January 2010. The seedlings were planted in plastic containers containing 20 L of coconut-coir-dust substrate placed inside a plastic-roofed net house and received Resh’s Tropical Dry Summer nutrient solution at a constant concentration (measured by Electrical Conductivity, EC) of 1.2 mS cm during the vegetative stage and 2.4 mS cm during the first week of blooming. Then, they were divided into treatments: Treatment 1 (control), plants continuously received nutrient solution at a constant concentration of 2.4 mS cm until end of harvest, while treatments 2-6 received nutrient solution with a change in concentration from EC 2.4 to 3.6 mS cm at 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 weeks after the week of first bloom, respectively. The results showed that the increase in nutrient concentration at different fruit development stages did not significantly influence chili fruit characteristics and yield. However, the oleoresin, capsaicin, dihydrocapsaicin and capsaicinoid contents increased significantly when hot chili plants received the nutrient concentration increase at the 1st and 2nd week after first bloom. Phenylalanine ammonia lyase activity in the full-ripening fruits increased significantly when the nutrient solution concentration increase occurred at 1st and 2nd weeks after first bloom. The highest PAL activity of 827.48 mmole mg protein was recorded in full-ripened fruits, when the nutrient concentration increase occurred at the 2nd week after bloom.

Dynamics of the chili pepper transcriptome during fruit development

BackgroundThe set of all mRNA molecules present in a cell constitute the transcriptome. The transcriptome varies depending on cell type as well as in response to internal and external stimuli during development. Here we present a study of the changes that occur in the transcriptome of chili pepper fruit during development and ripening.ResultsRNA-Seq was used to obtain transcriptomes of whole Serrano-type chili pepper fruits (Capsicum annuum L.; ‘Tampiqueño 74’) collected at 10, 20, 40 and 60 days after anthesis (DAA). 15,550,468 Illumina MiSeq reads were assembled de novo into 34,066 chili genes. We classified the expression patterns of individual genes as well as genes grouped into Biological Process ontologies and Metabolic Pathway categories using statistical criteria. For the analyses of gene groups we added the weighted expression of individual genes. This method was effective in interpreting general patterns of expression changes and increased the statistical power of the analyses. We also estimated the variation in diversity and specialization of the transcriptome during chili pepper development. Approximately 17% of genes exhibited a significant change of expression in at least one of the intervals sampled. In contrast, significant differences in approximately 63% of the Biological Processes and 80% of the Metabolic Pathways studied were detected in at least one interval. Confirming previous reports, genes related to capsaicinoid and ascorbic acid biosynthesis were significantly upregulated at 20 DAA while those related to carotenoid biosynthesis were highly expressed in the last period of fruit maturation (40–60 DAA). Our RNA-Seq data was validated by examining the expression of nine genes involved in carotenoid biosynthesis by qRT-PCR.ConclusionsIn general, more profound changes in the chili fruit transcriptome were observed in the intervals between 10 to 20 and 40 to 60 DAA. The last interval, between 40 to 60 DAA, included 49% of all significant changes detected, and was characterized predominantly by a global decrease in gene expression. This period signals the end of maturation and the beginning of senescence of chili pepper fruit. The transcriptome at 60 DAA was the most specialized and least diverse of the four states sampled.

An amperometric biosensor utilizing a ferrocene-mediated horseradish peroxidase reaction for the determination of capsaicin (chili hotness).

Chili hotness is very much dependent on the concentration of capsaicin present in the chili fruit. A new biosensor based on a horseradish peroxidase enzyme-capsaicin reaction mediated by ferrocene has been successfully developed for the amperometric determination of chili hotness. The amperometric biosensor is fabricated based on a single-step immobilization of both ferrocene and horseradish peroxidase in a photocurable hydrogel membrane, poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate). With mediation by ferrocene, the biosensor could measure capsaicin concentrations at a potential 0.22 V (vs. Ag/AgCl), which prevented potential interference from other electroactive species in the sample. Thus a good selectivity towards capsaicin was demonstrated. The linear response range of the biosensor towards capsaicin was from 2.5–99.0 μM with detection limit of 1.94 μM. A good relative standard deviation (RSD) for reproducibility of 6.4%–9.9% was obtained. The capsaicin biosensor demonstrated long-term stability for up to seven months. The performance of the biosensor has been validated using a standard method for the analysis of capsaicin based on HPLC.

Biological control of anthracnose of chilli with rhizosphere and rhizoplane fungal isolates from grasses

The fungal species from rhizosphere and rhizoplane of perennial grasses of the Western Ghats of India were studied for their pathogenicity, antagonism in vitro, substrate and root colonization abilities, rhizosphere competence, growth in different soil pH and inoculum shelf-life. Out of 138 non-pathogenic fungal isolates tested, 85 were antagonistic in vitro to chilli anthracnose pathogen Colletotrichum capsici. Fifteen isolates with >60% inhibition zone to pathogen culture had saprophytic and root and rhizosphere colonization abilities. The sorghum grain inocula of test antagonistic fungi- Fusarium oxysporum, Chaetomium globosum and Trichoderma harzianum had the shelf-life of 90 days at 20 ± 2 °C and required optimum soil pH of 6.5. The above fungal isolates when tested for biocontrol of anthracnose disease in greenhouse and field caused reduction in seedling mortality and decreased disease incidence and severity at various plant growth stages and significant reduction in chilli fruit and seed infection. The test antagonistic fungi promoted seedling and mature plant growth and increased fruit and seed yield. Populations of these antagonistic fungi were fairly high in chilli rhizosphere at harvest. The present study indicated that antagonistic fungi from grass rhizosphere and rhizoplane could be used to control anthracnose and promote plant growth, and increase yield of chilli in field.

Effect of Trichoderma on Seed Germination and Seedling Parameters of Chili

T. virens IMI-392430, T. pseudokoningii IMI-392431, T. harzianum IMI-392432, T. harzianum IMI-392433 and T. harzianum IMI-392434 were evaluated for their potentiality on seed germination and seedling parameters in chili both laboratory and field conditions. Chili seeds were coated with spore suspension of each test strains of Thichoderma supplemented with 2 % of starch (w/v) as an adhesive. Seed germination percentages and the vigour index were significantly affected by the application of different strains of Trichoderma. Among the five Trichoderma strains, T. harzianum IMI-3924332 gave the highest germination percentage followed by T. harzianum IMI-3924333, T. harzianum IMI-3924334, T. virens IMI-392430 and T. pseudokoningii IMI-392431 treatment both in laboratory and field conditions, respectively while control decrease these value. Chili seeds also gave the highest vigour index values with T. harzianum IMI-3924332 which confirmed to better germination. Seed treatment with T. harzianum IMI-3924332 can be useful to enhance the germination of chili seeds as well as reduce to delayed germination. Further investigations however are required to study in vivo effect of Trichoderma strains on morphological and physiological characteristics in chili plant and fruit production. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jsf.v8i1-2.14637 J. Sci. Foundation, 8(1&2): 141-150, June-December 2010

Screening and Potential for Biological Control of Anthracnose Disease (Colletotrichum capsici) on Chili Fruits by Yeast Isolates

 Abstract—Antagonistic yeasts to Colletotrichum capsici were isolated from rhizosphere soil, fruits and leaves of chili plants. The majority of yeast isolates (60 isolates; 31.09%) were isolated from rhizosphere soil. In dual culture tests, five of the isolates screened (HS6, SS11, SLD5, SS10 and PLN13) were found to inhibit C. capsici growth with biocontrol efficacies as 43.12%, 42.50%, 41.87, 41.25 and 40.62%, respectively. Morphological characteristics of them were examined by observing cell and colony patterns. They produced septate pseudohyphae, holoblastic budding and ascospore with two-layers. The colony of each antagonistic yeast was globose, mucoid, white, glistering, raised and smooth. Based on statistical analysis, these antagonistic yeasts (HS6, SS11, SLD5, SS10 and PLN13) could significantly control disease incidence in chili fruits when compared control. The most effective antagonistic isolate was PLN13, the percentage of survival in chili fruits being 60.00 %.

Comparative Study of Color, Pungency, and Biochemical Composition in Chili Pepper (Capsicum annuum) Under Different Light-emitting Diode Treatments

Color and pungency are the two main factors of chili peppers that determine their quality and final market price. In this study, we investigated the effect of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on fruit color and primary and secondary metabolites (capsaicinoids) in Capsicum annuum L. cv. Cheonyang. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis of acetonitrile extract of chili fruits revealed enhanced capsaicinoid contents in blue LEDs (180 ± 6.32 mg/100 g) when compared with fluorescent light (54 ± 3.12 mg/100 g). However, color of chili pepper was remarkably changed under different light treatments. Among these, high ASTA color values and chromatic parameters (L*, a*, b*, C*, and H°) were recorded under red plus blue LED, further indicating red plus blue LED is responsible for most vivid color development compared with monochromatic red or blue LEDs. In addition, we found total carbohydrate [22.32 mg·g−1 fresh weight (FW)], reducing sugars (8.27 mg·g−1 FW), starch (14.05 mg·g–1 FW), carotenoids (6.15 mg·g−1 FW), and protein (4.83 mg·g−1 FW) were significantly high under red plus blue LED. These results showed that there were significant differences of plant growth and production of various metabolites among the different LEDs. Furthermore, blue LED showed a relatively higher rate of capsaicinoid production and red plus blue LED produced striking color development in chili peppers. Therefore, the results presented here might serve as an alternative strategy for nutritional improvement (color, oleoresin, and pungency) of chili peppers.

Genetic Evaluation and Physico-chemical Properties of Chilies (Capsicum annuum L.)

Cytoplasmic male sterility of chilli cultivars was evaluated for their prospective genotypes. Fifteen pairs of F1 hybrids were evaluated for their male pollen viabilities in three natures. Hybrids which showed no pollen occurred in 9 varieties whose male parents should have the prospective genotypes of N rfrf or B line. Hybrids with fertile pollens in some plants and sterile ones on others appeared in 4 varieties whose male parents should have prospective genotypes of N/S Rfrf. Hybrids showing fertile pollens were found in 2 varieties whose male parents should have the male sterility controlling genes in the nucleus as N/S RfRf or C line. Horticultural characteristics of six accessions of chilies were recorded. Chilli fruits of the accessions were analyzed for the physico-chemical properties in terms of moisture content, total soluble solids, vitamin C, capsaicin content and skin color. Accessions CA1445, CA1449 and CA1450 were found to have suitable characteristics as maintainer lines.

HARVEST MATURITY INFLUENCES THE ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY IN JALAPEÑO CHILI

Chillies are good sources of phytochemical compounds. The concentration of these compounds varies depending on the genotype, harvest maturity, location within the fruit, the conditions during growth and postharvest handling. Commercially, chilli fruit are harvested by size, resulting in a high variation of fruit age and potentially phytochemical content. To control the maturity of chilli fruit, Jalapeno chillies were tagged at flowering and later harvested at different days after flowering to study the antioxidant capacity as a function of fruit development. Two assays, the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay and scavenging of diphenyl-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals were used to assess the antioxidant activity while the Folin-Ciocalteu assay was used to measure total polyphenol content (TPC). Two extraction solvents (water and 50% ethanol in water) were tested. The FRAP values significantly increased (P<0.01) in water extracts as the fruit matured on the plant from 1 to 6 weeks after flowering. In contrast, maturity had no influence on TPC or DPPH in either solvent. Both FRAP and TPC values were significantly lower (P<0.01) in ethanol extracts than in water extracts. The antioxidant activity as measured by FRAP assay correlated positively with the TPC in both extracts indicating that the polyphenols may be the major contributors of the antioxidant activity. Overall, maturity at harvest of Jalapeno chilli is an important factor for health-beneficial properties with fully mature fruit (i.e., 6 weeks after flowering) having the highest antioxidant activity measured by FRAP assay.

Capsaicin as a Deterrent Against Introduced Mammalian Nest Predators

Abstract We investigated use of capsaicin, a chemical that evolved as a mammal-directed fruit-consumption deterrent for chili (Capsicum annum) fruits as a nest-predation deterrent. Capsaicin is unpalatable to mammals, but apparently undetectable by birds, and has been used as a selective mammal-repellent in several commercial applications. We placed imitation thrush (Turdus spp.) nests containing model and real eggs in a suburban site near Auckland, New Zealand. The majority of observed predation attempts in our experiments were attributed to introduced rats (Rattus spp.) based on comparisons of tooth-marks on damaged plaster eggs and tooth-marks made with rat skulls. Predation rates on imitation eggs treated with adhesive chili powder were lower than predation rates on eggs in other treatments (W = 201, n = 60, P = 0.05), including non-adhesive chili, adhesive paprika (capsaicin-free chili powder), non-adhesive paprika, and untreated eggs. Successive replicates of the same experimental paradigm in ...

Influence of vacuum packaging and long term storage on quality of whole chilli (Capsicum annuum L.).

Investigations were carried out to study the influence of vacuum packaging and long term storage on quality in red chilli. Chilli fruits were stored in vacuum packed and jute bags at two moisture levels (10% and 12%) in room and cold environments under both light and dark conditions for a period of 24months. During storage period, average room and cool chamber temperatures were 25 ± 2°C and 4 ± 1°C, respectively. Changes of moisture (Halogen moisture analyzer), capsaicin (HPLC-UV), oleoresin and total extractable colour (spectrophotometer) were analyzed at 3months interval up to 12months and 6months interval from 12 to 24months. Statistical analysis (ANOVA) and Duncan's test were applied to the analytical data to evaluate the effect of treatments applied. It was observed that the vacuum packed chillies under cold storage were found to have the least per cent decline in various quality parameters. Chillies with 12% moisture and stored in vacuum packaged bags recorded better quality parameters over 10% moisture.

Post Harvest Fruit Bioassay of Phylloplane, Pomoplane and Endophytic Microbes against Chilli Anthracnose Pathogen, Colletotrichum capsici (Syd.) E. J. Butler&bisby

Two hundred and fifty eight phylloplane/endophytic bacterial isolated from chilli leaves/fruits and one hundred pomoplane yeast isolates from vegetable/fruits were screened against Colletotrichum capsici by fruit bioassay (post harvest) method. Among the pomoplane bacterial isolates tested, Bacillus tequilensis (PMB-185) gave highest reduction (67.84%) of lesion development, where as among the phylloplane bacterial isolates, PHB-25 exhibited highest (48.65%) suppression of lesion caused by C. capsici. Among the endophytes tested, B. megaterium (ENB-86) produced the highest suppression of lesion (59.66%) and rhizospheric bacterium Pseudomonas putida (PBA-5) showed 50.68% suppression. Six bacteria exhibiting significant suppression (50.29 to 67.84%) were identified by 16s rDNA analysis and all of them belonged to Bacillus spp. including B. tequilensis (PMB-185), B. pumilus (PMB- 183), two B. subtilis (PMB-123 and ENB-24) and two B. megaterium (PMB-53 and ENB-86). Among the yeast isolates tested, the maximum reduction (72.16%) of lesion development was observed with the yeast isolate, Hanseniaspora uvarum (Y-73) which was the highest among all the antagonists tested. The results indicated that spraying of H. uvarum (Y-73) or B. tequilensis (PMB-185) on freshly harvested chilli fruits reduced post harvest fruit damage by C. capsici in chilli.

Effect of sowing time and crop geometry on the Capsaicinoid content in Bhoot Jolokia (Capsicum chinense Jacq.).

Capsicum species are not only cultivated as vegetable and condiment crop but are also incorporated into a number of medicinal preparations in the ancient literature around the world. 'Naga chilli' or 'Bhoot Jolokia' (Capsicum chinense Jacq.) is a chilli variety indigenous to the northeast region of India and has been recognized as one of the hottest chilli in the world. It has also been used conventionally in treating various human ailments since time immemorial by the indigenous people of the northeast India. Capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin are the two major members of the so-called capsaicinoid family, which includes other minor analogues, and usually account for at least 90% of the pungency trait in chilli fruits. In the present study, determination of Capsaicinoid content of Bhoot Jolokia (Capsicum chinense Jacq.) under different sowing time and spacing was done. In the Scoville Organoleptic test, the highest Scoville Heat Unit (SHU) value was found in September 15 sowing fruits and the lowest in the February 15 sowing fruits. Fruit produced from spacing 105cm × 105cm showed highest Scoville Heat Unit. In High Performance Liquid Chromatography analysis, highest amount of capsaicinoid was also found in September 15 sowing while fruits produced from spacing 105cm × 105cm showed highest amount of capsaicinoid. Identification of Nordihydrocapsaicin, Capsaicin and Dihydrocapsaicin was done by comparing the retention time of sample with those of standard.

Studying how plants defend themselves: a chemical weapon produced by chilli fruit

Students often prefer to study animals rather than plants, because they see plants as passive, less interesting organisms. This paper proposes a simple hands-on laboratory exercise for high-school students (grade 12) to arouse their interest in learning about plants and to demonstrate to them that plants are active organisms capable of defending themselves. In this classroom exercise, students investigate how a plant responds to an invader. As a model for study, the exercise uses three organisms: red chilli fruit, the yeast biological control agent Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and the pathogenic fungus Rhizopus stolonifer. Students gain basic knowledge about how plants defend themselves against pathogens by observing the physical changes of an infected wound site and by investigating the chemical compounds produced by plants in response to pathogen invasion; they are also encouraged to think critically about using biological control as a means to promote environmentally friendly agricultural practices.