Fruit Damage Research Articles

Study of hybrid fund of domestic apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.) by winter hardiness and scab resistance

The paper presents a comparative description of hybrid apple seedlings in terms of winter hardiness and resistance to scab. The study focused on 9 families from the 2008 hybrid apple tree fund. The fi eld study revealed diff erences in the levels of winter hardiness and scab resistance among apple seedlings of various origins. The conditions during the autumn-winter-spring period of 20232024 and the growing season of 2024 were found to be optimal for assessing the studied traits. The highest proportion of winter-hardy genotypes was observed in the hybrid families Valyuta × Vasyugan (20.6 %), Lukomor × Valyuta (18.9 %), and Vasyugan × Triumph (18.2 %). The most scab-resistant hybrids (with a tissue, leaf, and fruit damage score of no more than 1.0) were identifi ed in the families Lukomor × Valyuta (56.6 %) and Senator × Podarok Grafskomu (51.6 %). Each of the 9 studied hybrid families contained samples exhibiting a high level of expression of two valuable selectable traits. The highest proportion of seedlings with a combination of high winter hardiness and scab resistance was found in the Lukomor×Valyuta family (16.9 %).

Vacuum suction end-effector development for robotic harvesters of fresh market apples

Timely harvesting of fresh apples faces challenges due to labour shortage, and the modern approach of robotic harvesting has the potential to address this issue. The prevailing process of apple harvest robotics could not meet the demands of practical applications, mainly due to the lack of a suitable manipulator, because the existing ones are associated with low picking rates, fruit damage, and high costs. A prototype apple harvesting manipulator was developed, which includes a vacuum three-revolute-degrees-of-freedom end-effector, a three-prismatic-degrees-of-freedom Cartesian system, an RGB-D camera, and system integration. The vision positioning system and controller were designed to realise precise positioning and detachment of the manipulator. The major contribution of the current study is the three-revolute-degrees-of-freedom vacuum suction end-effector, whose performance evaluation was conducted in a commercial apple orchard. Experimental results showed that a 33ϕ mm diameter suction cup achieved superior performance over a 43ϕ mm cup. The method of rotation followed by pull proved to be more effective than only pulling for apple detachment. The results indicated that the apple’s equatorial region was the optimal area for suction. Furthermore, the vacuum pressure should be at least −65 kPa to guarantee successful detachment. Experimental results showed that 83.1% of harvested apples had stems intact. For the developed manipulator, a 33ϕ mm diameter suction cup, a rotate-and-pull separation method, and −65 kPa were recommended for practical applications. With the integrated new manipulator, the developed apple harvest robot has been demonstrated to have the potential to realise robotic apple harvesting.

Blueberry Harvest Mechanisms

Blueberry (Vacciniumcorymbosum L.) is a perennial plant that shed leaves in winter. It is from Ericaceae family and it is in the form of bushes. It grows in temperate climates and its motherland is America. It spread from American culture 110 years ago. It can grow in lightly textured and acidic soil. For this reason, the areas where agriculture can be done are limited. Because the production quantities are not enough, the selling prices are also high (Çelik H., 2008). Grape berries can be harvested by hand and machine. For the Blueberry harvest, harvesters with three different types of harvesting mechanisms were produced. The first blueberry harvester was manufactured in 1956, adapted from a mechanical cranberry picker. This machine had a mechanism consisting of a six-row scraper stick (Farooque A., 2014). These machines with high collection capacity reduce the need for labor and the cost of harvest. Blueberry manual harvesting hectare requires 1300 h of labor, while single row harvesting machine requires 25 h of labor/hectare. Thus, the cost of harvest falls from $ 2.8 per kg to $ 0.26 per kg (Takeda F. et.al., 2017). These machines are not economical for medium and small sized farms. In machine harvest, there are some problems for this plant. These problems are fruit falling on the ground during fruit harvest, the harvest of fruit that has not reached sufficient maturity, fruit and plant damage during picking. A lot of work has been done and continues to be done. However, sufficient harvesting efficiency has not yet been achieved. Blueberry should be harvested with a high quality and long shelf life that will appeal to the consumer.

Современное производство и особенности хранения томатов в России

Abstract. Tomato is a widely grown crop in Russia both in open and protected ground, has high gross harvest and yield capacity rates. During storage, being a climacteric culture, it matures quickly, which leads to accelerated breathing and evaporation of moisture, loss of the presentation of the product. The process of maturation and aging of tomatoes is associated with the peculiarity of biochemical processes inside the fruit during storage, while the content of biologically valuable substances decreases, the quality of stored products and organoleptic indicators deteriorate. The accelerated aging process is facilitated by the development of diseases caused by both the vital activity of pathogenic microorganisms (fungal, bacterial, viral) and those arising from non-infectious exposure (temperature, relative humidity, mechanical damage, etc.). In this regard, in order to preserve the quality and increase the duration of storage, it is relevant to search for domestic and foreign sources characterizing the features of tomato fruits as an object of storage, for further research and development in the field of storage technologies that reduce the rate of biochemical processes, prevent or reduce the intensity of fruit damage during storage. In the article the structural features of tomato fruits were studied, tomato varieties were described, and also data on production volume were provided. It is noted that over the past few years there has been an increase in gross harvest and yield capacity with a simultaneous decrease in acreage, the biochemical composition of tomato fruits and its changes occurring during maturation and storage are described, infectious (caused by pathogenic microorganisms) and non-communicable diseases that contribute to the rapid maturation and spoilage of tomato fruits during storage are described. Key words: tomato, classification, production, structure, storage biochemical processes, diseases

Design of and Experiment with a Dual-Arm Apple Harvesting Robot System

Robotic harvesting has become an urgent need for the development of the apple industry, due to the sharp decline in agricultural labor. At present, harvesting apples using robots in unstructured orchard environments remains a significant challenge. This paper focuses on addressing the challenges of perception, localization, and dual-arm coordination in harvesting robots and presents a dual-arm apple harvesting robot system. First, the paper introduces the integration of the robot’s hardware and software systems, as well as the control system architecture, and describes the robot’s workflow. Secondly, combining a dual-vision perception system, the paper adopts a fruit recognition method based on a multi-task network model and a frustum-based fruit localization approach to identify and localize fruits. Finally, to improve collaboration efficiency, a multi-arm task planning method based on a genetic algorithm is used to optimize the target harvesting sequence for each arm. Field experiments were conducted in an orchard to evaluate the overall performance of the robot system. The field trials demonstrated that the robot system achieved an overall harvest success rate of 76.97%, with an average fruit picking time of 7.29 s per fruit and a fruit damage rate of only 5.56%.

Functional Role of Odorant-Binding Proteins in Response to Sex Pheromone Component Z8-14:Ac in Grapholita molesta (Busck).

The plum fruit moth (PFM), Grapholita funebrana, and the oriental fruit moth (OFM), G. molesta, are closely related fruit moth species that severely damage fruit trees in Rosaceae. Both species share common primary sex pheromone components Z8-12:Ac and E8-12:Ac. The secondary sex pheromone components of PFMs consist of Z8-12:OH, Z8-14:Ac, and Z10-14:Ac, while those of OFMs include Z8-12:OH and 12:OH. Previous researchers have proved that the inclusion of Z8-14:Ac and Z10-14:Ac did not augment PFM catches but inhibited OFM catches in orchards in Europe, thereby maintaining the species-specificity of the PFM sex attractant. However, which of these components, Z8-14:Ac or Z10-14:Ac, plays the major role in inhibiting OFM attraction remains unclear. In the current study, electroantennogram (EAG) assays indicated that both OFM and PFM males exhibited a moderate EAG response to Z8-14:Ac and Z10-14:Ac. Rubber septa loaded with varying ratios of Z8-14:Ac (1% to 30%) or Z10-14:Ac (5% to 110%) combined with a constant dose of Z8-12:Ac and E8-12:Ac produced diverse trapping effects. Sex attractants containing Z8-14:Ac did not significantly affect the trapping of PFM males but drastically reduced the capture of OFM males, with the reduction reaching up to 96.54%. Attractants containing more than 10% of Z10-14:Ac simultaneously reduced the number of OFM and PFM males captured. Z8-14:Ac was indispensable for maintaining the specificity of sex pheromones. Fluorescence competitive binding assays of recombinant GmolPBP2 showed the lowest Ki value (0.66 ± 0.02 μM) among the PBPs/GOBPs from OFMs, suggesting that it is the most likely target for Z8-14:Ac. Molecular dynamic simulation and site-directed mutagenesis assays confirmed that the Phe12 residue, which forms a π-alkyl interaction with Z8-14:Ac, was crucial for GmolPBP2 binding to Z8-14:Ac. In conclusion, Z8-14:Ac is vital to the specificity of PFM sex pheromones inhibiting OFM attractants when added to Z8-12:Ac and E8-12:Ac. This could be potentially used to develop species-specific sex attractants for the PFM.

A soft electronic skin simulating the multi-scale human touch for the detection of fruit freshness

Realizing biomimicry for human tactile perception is a meaningful challenge. In this work, a soft matter system with multi-scale energy dissipation structure is designed to realize flexible sensing and detection by biomimetic human touch. At the molecular scale, the supramolecular interactions are introduced into the hydrogel system, including the hydrophobic interaction and the ion attraction between macromolecular segments. At the micron scale, a system of “button” permeable macromolecules is constructed to absorb external forces and store energy through the sliding of macromolecules inside the “button”. By adjusting the molecular scale and micron scale structure, the obtained hydrogels demonstrate excellent mechanical properties, electrical conductivity and response sensitivity. This novel hydrogel withstands 200 compression cycles without creep deformation and outputs a stable response signal in terms of compression cycles with the signal volatility of around 1 %. Based on its good durability, this hydrogel, which simulates human multi-scale tactility, has outstanding application potential in detecting fruit damage that is difficult to observe. Notably, the construction of this multi-scale energy dissipation structure is universal for increasing the mechanical property of ACG hydrogels. The high-strength hydrogels adjusted by this strategy is significantly toughened, and the mechanical properties increased by 38 %. This work is of guiding significance for the preparation of high-performance hydrogels.

Multiscale Modeling and Simulation of Falling Collision Damage Sensitivity of Kiwifruit.

Falling damage is the most common form of damage sustained by kiwifruit during the process of picking and post-processing, and it is difficult to conduct a quantitative analysis of this phenomenon through traditional experimental methods. In order to deeply understand the sensitivity of kiwifruit to falling collision damage, the finite element numerical simulation method was used to evaluate and predict the sensitivity of kiwifruit to falling collision damage during harvesting. First, we obtained the appearance characteristics of kiwifruit through reverse engineering technology and determined the geometric and mechanical property parameters of kiwifruit through physical mechanics experiments. Then, according to the characteristics of fruit tissue structure, a multiscale finite element model, including the skin, pulp, and core, was constructed to simulate the effects of different falling heights, collision angles, and contact surface materials on fruit damage, and the accuracy of the model was verified through falling experiments. Finally, based on the simulation results, the Box-Behnken design was employed within the response surface methodology to establish a sensitivity prediction model for the drop damage sensitivity of kiwifruit across different contact materials. The results showed that the maximum relative error between the speed change obtained using finite element simulation and the speed obtained by the high-speed camera was 5.19%. The model showed high rationality in energy distribution, with the maximum value of hourglass energy not exceeding 0.08% of the internal energy. On the contact surface material with a large elastic modulus, a higher falling height and larger collision angle will significantly increase the risk of fruit bruise. When the contact surface material was a steel plate, the falling height was 1 m, and the collision angle was 90°; the maximum bruise sensitivity of kiwifruit reached 6716.07 mm3 J-1. However, when the contact surface material was neoprene, the falling height was 0.25 m, and the collision angle was 0°, the damage sensitivity was the lowest, at 1570.59 mm3 J-1. The multiscale finite element model of kiwifruit falling collision constructed in this study can accurately predict the damage of kiwifruit during falling collision and provide an effective tool for the quantitative analysis of kiwifruit falling collision damage. At the same time, this study can also provide guidance for the design and optimization of the loss reduction method of the harvesting mechanism, which has important theoretical significance and practical value.

Achieving Luminous Efficiency Enhancement and Near‐Infrared Emission in Moisture‐Stable 0D Zinc‐Based Halides

AbstractZero‐dimensional (0D) metal halides are attractive due to their structure‐dependent and tunable photoluminescence properties. Herein, a new 0D organic–inorganic hybrid Zn‐based halide, (C4H12N2)ZnBr4, featuring a long‐term stable crystal structure and moisture‐stable PL emission under various extreme conditions is reported. A strong electron–phonon coupling effect enables the Zn‐based halide to display highly efficient blue light at 472 nm with a large Stokes shift of 7385 cm−1. Intriguingly, heterovalent substitution of Cu+‐Zn2+ further enhances the photoluminescence quantum efficiency to 60% as the introduction of Cu+ effectively suppresses the nonradiative recombination process. Besides, the formation of twisted [SbBr4]− tetrahedra via Sb3+‐Zn2+ substitution help to achieve a broadband near‐infrared (NIR) emission (760 nm) with full width at half maxima (FWHM) of 203 nm, enabling the potential applications in night‐vision and nondestructive fruit damage inspection. Detailed structural and optical analyses are used to investigate the photophysical processes of different self‐trapped exciton (STE) emission for pristine and Cu+/Sb3+‐doped 0D metal halides. These findings advance the understanding of spectral regulation mechanism via heterovalent substitution and initiate more exploitation of luminescent metal halides for emerging applications.

Evaluation of IPM Module for the Management of Key Insect Pests in Chilli

Chilli is a crop cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions of India, and the crop is attacked by a multitude of pests at different crop stages. The present study revealed that field experiments were laid out with three treatments, viz., IPM module, farmer practice, and untreated control, at Kuttiyagoundanur village of Kolathur block of Salem District, Tamil Nadu. The results of the IPM capsule for the management practices of major pests and diseases, including viral diseases in chillies. The pre-treatment count on thrips/leaf was non-significant in all treatments, and it ranged from 7.20 to 8.40 thrips/leaf. Among the three treatments, farmers practice of chemical control recorded less infestation of 2.93 thrips/leaf, followed by the IPM module recording 3.60 thrips/leaf. Before adoption of treatment, the mite/leaf count was between 17.09 and 19.23 mite/leaf. The IPM module recorded less infestation of 5.32 mites/leaf, followed by farmers practice recording 12.90 mites/leaf. The pre-treatment count of Helicoverpa armigera larvae was between 3.20 and 3.72 larvae/plant. Among the treatments, chemical control recorded less infestation of fruit borer and fruit damage (0.17 larvae/plant) and 1.40 percent, followed by the IPM module, which is 1.17 larvae/plant and 4.91 percent. The leaf curl infection was low in farmers practices. 10.82 percent, followed by the IPM module recorded 15.26 percent. Maximum fruit yield of 11200 kg/ha with a comfortable B:C ratio of 2.96 was obtained in the IPM module, followed by farmer practice with a B:C ratio of 2.91.

Super protective effect, ultra-high juice absorption and long-term antibacterial of Ag-2MI@Chitosan biodegradable sponge for fruit preservation and transportation

Plastic foam packaging is often used for the transportation to avoid mechanical damage to the fruit, but it lacks antibacterial properties, water absorption and is non-degradable, leading to fruit decay and safety risks as well as serious environmental pollution. Herein, Ag-2-Methylimidazole@Chitosan (Ag-2MI@CS) was successfully synthesized by in situ synthesis at normal temperature and pressure, and improved the antibacterial performance of Ag-2MI@CS by using green solvent ethanol to adjust the solvent polarity. The results showed that the long-lasting inhibitory performance of Ag-2MI@CS was significantly improved, the long-lasting antibacterial time has been extended from 24 h to 96 h. Furthermore, Ag-2MI@CS can significantly protect fruits and reduce the damage of fruits, even when falling from a height of 60 cm or under extreme transportation conditions. Besides, Ag-2MI@CS had extremely high absorption rates of water and fruit juice, 1447.69 % and 1356.59 %, respectively, which was conducive to absorbing water generated by respiration and juice generated by damage during transportation, so as to avoid the growth of bacteria caused by water and fruit juice. Ag-2MI@CS can achieve fruit preservation in both indoor static and transportation dynamic conditions. This study offers novel insights into new biodegradable packaging material in fruit transportation.

Fruit Distribution Density Estimation in YOLO-Detected Strawberry Images: A Kernel Density and Nearest Neighbor Analysis Approach

Precise information on strawberry fruit distribution is of significant importance for optimizing planting density and formulating harvesting strategies. This study applied a combined analysis of kernel density estimation and nearest neighbor techniques to estimate fruit distribution density from YOLOdetected strawberry images. Initially, an improved yolov8n strawberry object detection model was employed to obtain the coordinates of the fruit centers in the images. The results indicated that the improved model achieved an accuracy of 94.7% with an mAP@0.5~0.95 of 87.3%. The relative error between the predicted and annotated coordinates ranged from 0.002 to 0.02, demonstrating high consistency between the model predictions and the annotated results. Subsequently, based on the strawberry center coordinates, the kernel density estimation algorithm was used to estimate the distribution density in the strawberry images. The results showed that with a bandwidth of 200, the kernel density estimation accurately reflected the actual strawberry density distribution, ensuring that all center points in high-density regions were consistently identified and delineated. Finally, to refine the strawberry distribution information, a comprehensive method based on nearest neighbor analysis was adopted, achieving target area segmentation and regional density estimation in the strawberry images. Experimental results demonstrated that when the distance threshold ϵ was set to 600 pixels, the correct grouping rate exceeded 94%, and the regional density estimation results indicated a significant positive correlation between the number of fruits and regional density. This study provides scientific evidence for optimizing strawberry planting density and formulating harvesting sequences, contributing to improved yield, harvesting efficiency, and reduced fruit damage. In future research, this study will further explore dynamic models that link fruit distribution density, planting density, and fruit growth status.

Optimizing Olive Harvesting Efficiency Through UAVs and AI Integration

Olive harvesting, integral to global agriculture, faces challenges with traditional gathering methods which are labor-intensive and limited in precision, highlighting the need for innovative approaches. The study explores the application of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in olive harvesting, with the aim to enhance efficiency and sustainability. Traditional methods, employing wood rakes, sticks, and rudimentary mechanical devices, pose challenges with high labor intensity and potential tree damage. UAVs present a transformative solution, offering aerial surveying, high-resolution imaging, and harvest timing data collection. This study evaluates existing olive harvest technologies, illuminating the superior efficiency of UAVs in minimizing damage and maximizing yield. The Potohar region in Pakistan exemplifies one area of intensive olive production, emphasizing the need for precision Agri-techniques. This study introduces the conceptual design of olive harvesting using drones, demonstrating its potential to revolutionize traditional practices, provide real-time monitoring, and enhance environmental sustainability. Results indicate substantial reductions in non-harvestable fruit and wood damage with drone-based harvesting, underscoring its promise for increased yield and reduced environmental damage. In conclusion, this study advocates for the adoption of precision agriculture techniques, integrating Artificial Intelligence and aerial technologies, to propel the olive industry's productivity and environmental impact forward.

Impact of Aggregation Pheromone Traps on Spatial Distribution of Halyomorpha halys Damage in Apple Orchards.

Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) is an invasive pest causing significant damage to tree crops. Our study examined the impact of newly designed aggregation pheromone-baited 'mini-sailboat' (MSB) traps for controlling H. halys and its effect on the spatial distribution of fruit damage. Four replicates of four traps, with a total of 16 MSB traps, were placed along a 1.3 km border of apple orchards, concentrating the traps on one side of the orchards. A fruit damage assessment for incidence and severity was conducted at increasing distances from the orchard border where the traps were placed, encompassing 107 assessment points. Our study showed that deploying MSB traps along the orchard border significantly increased fruit damage within the first 45 m compared to control plots without traps. However, beyond the first 45 m from the border, there was a significant reduction in damage incidence. In the treated plots, 50% of the damage occurred within 26 m of the traps, while in control plots, within 85 m. Shifting the fruit damage pattern means restricting the pests lingering in a narrow strip near the MSB traps, which paves the way for improved techniques to restructure the crop perimeter.

Bioassay of Plant-based and Synthetic Insecticides for the Management of Tomato Leaf Miner, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) in Open-field Conditions in Salyan, Nepal

The tomato leaf miner, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), has invaded most parts of Nepal and threatens tomato production. Their management primarily relies on insecticides in Nepal. Market-available and locally-madeplant-based pesticides are not equally effective in managingT. absoluta. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of such potential insecticides in managing T. absoluta in open-field conditions. This study was carried out in the Salyan district of Nepal in 2021 and treatments were designed in a randomized complete block design (RCBD)with seven treatments and three replications. All treatments were sprayed at12-dayintervalsfor two times. The treatments used were Emamect in benzoate 5% SC, Imidacloprid 17.8 SL, Jholmol (botanical mixture extract and urine mixture), Chlorantraniliprole 18.5 SC, Spinosad 45 SC, Azadirachtin 300ppm and Control. The results showed that the lowest percentage of leaves and fruit damage was recorded in Chlorantraniliprole 18.5 SC and Spinosad 45 SC sprayed plots. Insecticide efficiency was ranked as Chlorantraniliprole > Spinosad>Ema-mectin Benzoate > Azadirachtin >Imidaclroprid>Jholmol>Control. Marketable yield was obtained highest in Chlorantraniliprole (85.26 t/ha) treated plots followed by Spinosad (79.26 t/ha); both were not significantly different. This study provides an opportunity to select the most suitable and effective pesticides for the management of tomato leaf miners and can be used in integrated pest management strategies as a selective insecticides.

Efficacy of Intercropping, Botanicals and Insecticides Against Okra Shoot and Fruit Borer (Earias vittella F.) on Okra in Uttar Pradesh, India

This study assesses the effectiveness of intercrops, insecticides and botanicals against the okra shoot and fruit borer Earias vittella. The okra + marigold (1:1) and okra + coriander (1:1) intercropping had the least shoot damage (4.35 percent, respectively), according to the data (4.70 per cent). Okra + maize (1:1) saw the most shoot damage (5.51%) when compared to monoculture (6.68 per cent). Spinosad 45 SC 75 g a.i./ha (2.49%) had the lowest rate of shoot damage among the insecticides, followed by Abamectin 1.8 EC 25 g a.i./ha (3.12%) and botanical NSKE 5 per cent, which found that the per cent shoot damage (3.25) compared to sole crop (okra) was higher (6.68 per cent). The data showed that the least fruit damage (9.25 percent, respectively) occurred in the intercropping of okra + marigold (1:1) and okra + coriander (1:1) (11.59 per cent) weight basis. The fruit damage in okra + maize (1:1) was highest (15.37%) compared to monoculture (18.08 per cent). Among the insecticides, Spinosad 45 SC 75 g a.i./ha (1.73%) had the lowest rate of shoot damage, followed by Abamectin 1.8 EC 25 g a.i./ha (2.02%) and botanical NSKE 5%, which discovered that the percentage of shoot damage (2.76) compared to lone crop (okra) was higher (18.08 per cent ). The highest yield was observed when intercropping coriander and okra (1:1), whereas the lowest yield was recorded when intercropping maize and okra (23.28 q/ha) (1:1).

Influence of Weather Parameters on Abundance of Litchi Fruit Borer (Conopomorpha sinensis, Bradely, 1986)

Litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn) is a subtropical fruit belonging to family Sapindaceae. India is the second largest global producer of Litchi, next only to China. Litchi fruit borer (Conopomorpha sinensis Bradely,1986 (Lepidoptera: Gracillaridae), attacks Litchi plant during different seasons. Their seasonal abundance causes damage to different plant parts including the fruits and leaves throughout the year. Their abundance and therefore damaging potentialities are affected by different environmental factors such as temperature, relative humidity, seasonal variations etc. An attempt has been made through this research work to precisely ascertain the impact of some of these factors on the proliferation of this pest. The result obtained will help in devising their control measures. The correlation analysis revealed significant negative correlation between proliferation of pest and temperature, relative humidity, rainfall, wind velocity. Among various weather parameters average temperature and precipitation shows positive and significant correlation with fruit damage.

First hostplant and last instar of Hydropionea fenestralis Barnes & McDunnough, 1914 in the Perote Valley, Mexico (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)

We identified Hydropionea fenestralis Barnes & McDunnough, 1914 feeding on seeds of fruits of Agave salmiana var. ferox (K. Koch) Gentry and A. salmiana subsp. salmiana (Asparagaceae), based on DNA barcode and adult-stage morphology. This is the first host plant record, the first record last instar, and also constitutes the first Lepidoptera seed borer associated with Agave species in Mexico. The Agave variety and subspecies are used for the production of traditional fermented beverages called pulque, the economic and cultural base of the region. The mean percentage of fruit damage ranges from 13.9±19.9% to 33.2±2% in A. salmiana var. ferox and A. salmiana subsp. salmiana, respectably. Molecular evidence confirms the distribution of H. fenestralis in central Mexico in the states of Veracruz and Puebla, expanding the known geographic range of the species. This record seems to be an unusual host plant for the current phylogenetic position of H. fenestralis within the Glaphyriinae subfamily, whose larvae feed preferably Brassicales plants.

The Functional Dilemma of Nectar Mimic Staminodes in Parnassia wightiana (Celastraceae): Attracting Pollinators and Florivorous Beetles.

While floral signaling plays a central role in the reproductive success of all animal-pollinated plants, it may also attract herbivores eager to feed on flowers. False nectaries with glossy surfaces reflecting incident light may produce signals that attract floral visitors guiding their movements to and within the flower. Whether false nectaries also attract herbivores that lower the reproductive success of natural populations requires attention. In this study, we focus on Parnassia wightiana, a subalpine species with a whorl of staminodes that act as false nectaries attracting bees, flies, and herbivorous beetles. We tested the functions of staminodes using controlled manipulative experiments under field and lab conditions. We found a significant decrease in pollinator visits, and subsequent seed set, in flowers in which we removed staminodes or staminode apices confirming the function of these organs. In our natural populations, we found that a beetle, Nonarthra variabilis (Alticinae; Chrysomelidae), chews first on staminode apices, then it eats the entire staminodes and other flower parts, but rarely feeds on ovaries. Additional experiments suggested these beetles preferred staminodes to ovaries. Our results suggest this is a case of selective florivory, in which staminodes play a dual role, attracting pollinators and herbivores at the same time causing the attractive dilemma. Although selective florivory by beetles did not directly damage fruits, it influenced plant-pollinator interactions, decreasing reproductive success in plant populations. Our study highlights the importance of plant-pollinator-herbivore interactions in selecting floral traits.

Efficacy of Biopesticides for controlling major pests of Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) in Surkhet District, Nepal

This study evaluated the efficacy of biopesticides against major insect pests of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) in Lekbeshi, Surkhet, Nepal. A randomized complete block design experiment was conducted with four treatments: Beauveria bassiana (1 ml/L), Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) (2 ml/L), Jholmol (1:5 concentration), and an untreated control. After the third spray, B. bassiana reduced red pumpkin beetle populations from 1.4 to 0.4 insects per plant, while Bt reduced fruit fly populations from 2.8 to 1.6 insects per plant, compared to the control (4.2 to 2.2). At 60 days after transplanting, Bt-treated plants were significantly taller (137.45 cm) than control plants (111.28 cm). Fruit damage was lowest in Bt-treated plots (1.8% and 0.69 kg damage weight) compared to the control (3.8% and 0.69 kg). While yield attributes showed no significant differences, total yield was highest in B. bassiana-treated plots (35.58 t/ha) compared to the control (17.8 t/ha). Economic analysis revealed that B. bassiana treatment had the highest benefit-cost ratio (4.19), followed by Bt (2.9), control (2.8), and Jholmol (2.3). These findings suggest that biopesticides, particularly B. bassiana and Bt, can effectively manage major cucumber pests while improving yield and economic returns, offering a sustainable alternative to chemical pesticides in subtropical regions.