High Incidence Of Pest Research Articles

Tithonia diversifolia (Asteraceae) as a reservoir of natural enemies to promote pest control and improve development of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) in open conditions

ABSTRACT Tithonia diversifolia has the potential for use as a reservoir for entomophages in pest control, as it attracts and preserves natural enemies before migrating to the target crop, where a high incidence of pests occurs. For example, in tomato crop production one of the limiting factors, under field condition, is the incidence of phytophagous insects. We determined the effects of Tithonia diversifolia on species assemblage structure of natural enemies and pest insects (abundance and diversity), plant growth (leaf area, stem length and diameter, number of leaves, flowers and fruits, and fruits weight/per plant), plant defense (leaf thickness and hardness) and fruit colouration on tomato plants in open conditions. Through direct and indirect samplings, a total of 456 insects were collected, comprising 76 natural enemies, 269 pests and 111 belonging other guilds. Length, stem diameter, number of flowers, leaf thickness, and hardness increased, while the number of leaves decreased. T. diversifolia plants increased natural enemies but not pest abundance in tomato plants, demonstrating that this plant can alter the structure of the insect community associated with tomato.

Identification and Analysis of Constraints Faced by Organic Vegetable Growers

"Organic agriculture is a low-cost, sustainable farming method that contributes to increased food and financial security. The current study was carried out to investigate the various obstacles faced by organic vegetable growers in Himachal Pradesh. The sampled households were chosen using a multistage random sampling procedure. A total of 120 organic vegetable growers were comprising 56 marginal, 41 small, and 23 medium farmers. Garrett’s ranking technique was used to prioritise imminent constraints. Small land holdings, a higher incidence of pests and diseases, a decline in crop productivity, a lack of minimum support prices for organic products, non-availability of the marketplace, less erratic monsoon, temperature and humidity fluctuations, and the threat of wild animals were revealed as the most severe constraints faced by farmers in the study area."

Assessing the impact of off-season vegetable farming on farmers in the Savelugu Municipality in the Northern Region of Ghana

The purpose of the study is to assess the impact of off-season vegetable farming on farmers in the Savelugu Municipality in the Northern Region. The study population consisted of respondents who were into off-season vegetable farming in the Savelugu Municipality in five selected communities in the Municipality. Purposive sampling technique was used for a sample size of fifty (50) off season farmers in the selected communities. Interview guide and questionnaire were used to solicit data for the study. The data were analyse in a step-by-step thematic analysis that included reading the transcriptions, coding, reviewing and naming themes. Thereafter, descriptive statistics namely frequency, means, and percentages were used to analyze the data in MS-Excel. Off-Season vegetable production technology can be practiced by maintaining or adjusting planting time, selecting of varieties, creating artificial and controlled environment through use of tunnels, polytene house, glass houses, hot bed etc. Moreso, Off-Season vegetable helps to get income showed the highest rank with the overall mean score of 1. Nearly all the trained farmers said that their main constraint was the high incidence of pests and diseases. It is evident that off-season cultivation is profitable and has significant impact on the consumption expenditure and food security status of the farmers. The policy implication of this study is that providing improved and modern agricultural inputs to off season farmers is essential in agriculture for rural development.

Cowpea cropping systems, traits preference and production constraints in the upper west region of Ghana: farmers' consultation and implications for breeding

BackgroundCowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp) is used primarily as food for humans and feed for animals. It is also used for soil management within a cropping system. However, cowpea production is confronted with numerous challenges. As such farmers and consumers alike have certain preferences in terms of production and utilization. This present study investigated cowpea cropping systems, traits preference and production constraints among farmers in the Nandom, Lambusie and Lawra districts in the northern part of the Upper West Region of Ghana. A total of 306 farming households were sampled from the 3 chosen districts. Questionnaires and interviews were used for data collection. The IBM SPSS software, version 22, was employed to analyze the data using descriptive statistics, specifically frequencies, percentages and crosstabulations.ResultsThe study’s results indicated that a majority (58.5%) of the cowpea farmers practice intercropping, whereas a minority (41.5%) practice sole cropping. The farmers intercropped cowpea with maize, millet, sorghum and yam. Farmers preferred cowpea varieties with the following traits: high yield, drought tolerance, early maturing, pest resistance, improve soil fertility, high price, high demand, better taste, less cooking time, storage quality, palatability and fast growing. Farmers indicated that susceptibility to storage pests, high pest incidence, late maturity, difficulty in harvesting, high input cost, small grain size, low yield, high disease incidence, poor colour, lack of improved variety, and drought are some constraints that hinder cowpea production.ConclusionResults indicate a need for behavioural change communication to assist cowpea farmers to adopt improved and appropriate cropping systems. Farmers should be involved in cowpea technology development in order to understand their preferences and constraints to enable subsequent adoption of such technologies. The results from this study call for an interdisciplinary committee to plan and breed cowpea varieties that meet the needs of the farmers.

Aphid Cerosipha forbesi control using Piper macedoi Yunck essential oil in strawberry crop

Strawberry is a food rich in bioactive compounds with great antioxidant potential. However, due to the high incidence of pests that affect crop cultivation, phytosanitary management still lacks control methods for agroecological cultivation. Thus, the present research aimed to evaluate the chemical composition and the potential of the essential oil of the leaves of Piper macedoi in the control of Cerosipha forbesi in laboratory and semi-field conditions. The concentration of essential oil in the leaves of P. macedoi that showed the highest mortality was 2.0 ml/L of oil, with a mortality above 91% under laboratory conditions. A mortality rate of 80% for all concentrations tested was observed after 24 h in all conditions tested. Thus, using essential oil from the leaf of P. macedoi can be a highly viable strategy in managing the aphid C. forbesi since it showed high mortality rates with small doses of oil.

Independent and interactive effects of eCO2 and eTemp. on Spodoptera frugiperda (J E Smith) on Maize-A major input for prediction of future pest scenario

Climate change is now unequivocal and influences crops and the incidence of insect pests. Understanding the spatially variable, species-specific, and complex effects of climate change is essential in developing an appropriate pest management strategy. The two dimensions of climate change i.e., elevated temperature (eTemp.) and elevated CO2 (eCO2) influence insect herbivores. In the present study, the growth and development of an invasive insect pest, fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J E Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on maize at eCO2 and eTemp conditions using CO2 and temperature Gradient Chambers (CTGC) was estimated. Dilution of bio-chemical constituents was noted with lower leaf nitrogen (9%–14%), higher carbon (3%–11%), higher C : N (18%–26%), and higher tannins (13%) in maize foliage at eCO2+eTemp levels. A significant influence on primary parameters of insect viz., higher total consumption by larvae (38%), extended larval duration (13%) with increased larval weights (17%), and differential pupal weights (14%) in successive generations was recorded at eCO2 + eTemp compared to ambient. Their effect was continued on various insect performance indices also, with higher relative consumption rate, RCR (40%), lower relative growth rate, RGR (11%), and varied approximate digestibility (AD), the efficiency of conversion of ingested food (ECI) and digested food (ECD) of S frugiperda larvae. The interactive effect of eCO2 and eTemp led to a higher Potential Population Increase Index (PPII) (19%) due to higher fecund adults. The effect of eCO2 offsets the impact of eTemp when interacting together on some of the insect parameters. The present results indicate that eCO2 and eTemp play a key role in influencing the growth and development of S frugiperda indicating higher pest incidence in future climate change periods.

Price volatility spillovers among major wheat markets in the world

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench) yield is characterized by low productivity but may be increased through the adoption of new technology or the efficient allocation of existing resources. In addition, improving the level of resource allocation is important for improving productivity. This study investigated resource use efficiency in small-scale okra production. A multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 100 respondents. The primary data generated through the survey of 100 okra farmers were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the ordinary least squares regression model, and marginal value analysis. The average age of the respondents was 45 years, with 7 members in the household, and 2.8ha being farmed. The ordinary least squares regression estimate indicated age, labor, farm size, and herbicide and insecticide use that influenced okra production. Returns to scale was 2.09; resource use efficiency indicated the following values: farm size 0.343, herbicide application 0.857, insecticide application 0.75, and labor 4.80. The high cost of inputs (1.93), low numbers of extension contact with farmers (1.82), high incidence of pests and disease (1.49), non-access to credit (1.39), difficulty in obtaining labor (1.23), drought (1.15), and marketing problems (1.09) are constraints negatively affecting okra production. Although the positive and statistically significant effect of pesticides, farm size, and labor indicate these inputs can effectively improve okra production, small-scale okra production is inefficient because farmers use too many pesticides and farmland and less labor than is needed. The marginal product of inputs is not enough to offset the corresponding marginal cost. Therefore, small-scale farmers should operate on smaller farms than they currently do, apply pesticides at recommended rates, and spend more on labor. So, training should be organized through extension workers and agricultural research stations to improve scientific knowledge of farmers for efficient use of productive resources.

Assessing resource use efficiency and investment in small-scale okra production in Osun State, Nigeria

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench) yield is characterized by low productivity but may be increased through the adoption of new technology or the efficient allocation of existing resources. In addition, improving the level of resource allocation is important for improving productivity. This study investigated resource use efficiency in small-scale okra production. A multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 100 respondents. The primary data generated through the survey of 100 okra farmers were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the ordinary least squares regression model, and marginal value analysis. The average age of the respondents was 45 years, with 7 members in the household, and 2.8ha being farmed. The ordinary least squares regression estimate indicated age, labor, farm size, and herbicide and insecticide use that influenced okra production. Returns to scale was 2.09; resource use efficiency indicated the following values: farm size 0.343, herbicide application 0.857, insecticide application 0.75, and labor 4.80. The high cost of inputs (1.93), low numbers of extension contact with farmers (1.82), high incidence of pests and disease (1.49), non-access to credit (1.39), difficulty in obtaining labor (1.23), drought (1.15), and marketing problems (1.09) are constraints negatively affecting okra production. Although the positive and statistically significant effect of pesticides, farm size, and labor indicate these inputs can effectively improve okra production, small-scale okra production is inefficient because farmers use too many pesticides and farmland and less labor than is needed. The marginal product of inputs is not enough to offset the corresponding marginal cost. Therefore, small-scale farmers should operate on smaller farms than they currently do, apply pesticides at recommended rates, and spend more on labor. So, training should be organized through extension workers and agricultural research stations to improve scientific knowledge of farmers for efficient use of productive resources.

Understanding the constraints and reasons to adopt natural farming - a study on rice growing farmers of Andhra Pradesh, India

ABSTRACT The study analyzed the reasons and constraints for adopting natural farming (NF) by ricegrowing farmers in Andhra Pradesh, India, using participatory qualitative and quantitative analyses. A sample of 500 conventional ricegrowing and 500 natural rice-growing farmers are selected. The basis for qualitative research was developed during interviews, field visits, surveys to understand farmers' perceptions and knowledge on NF. Quantitative analysis was done by taking multiple responses to ascertain the constraints and reasons to adopt NF by using a pre-tested interview schedule. Garrett Ranking technique prioritized the reasons and constraints for adopting NF concerning ranks and Garrett mean score. The critical constraints found to adopt NF are higher labor costs, lack of experience in any of the agroecological techniques, low fertile soils, and higher incidence of pests and diseases. Awareness of the advantage of diversification of crops and staggered planting to arrive at different harvesting schedules are helpful. Detailed NF crop cultivation techniques, availability of NF input shops at the local level, soil testing, and soil treatment will boost farmer confidence to take up NF. Some of the significant reasons stated for adopting NF in the study are the lower production costs, lower farm size, debt reduction, and the farmers' health.

Major Constraints in Production and Marketing of Onion in Haryana

Onion is an inevitable item in all Indian kitchens. As onion is an important and obligatory item of consumption basket, fl uctuation in its prices will have great impact on food consumption pattern of the Indian consumers. The present study was conducted to identify the major constraints in the production and marketing of onion in Haryana. Ambala and Mewat districts were selected purposively based on the largest area under onion in the state. In total 200 onion growers were randomly selected for collecting the required information. Garrett’s ranking technique was used to analyze the results. The study revealed that the high labour cost was the major constraint in the production of onion in Ambala district followed by high incidence of pest and disease and viability of seed. As regards to major constraints reported by the respondents during the marketing of onion were frequent price fl uctuation, non-availability of storage facility and lack of awareness of BBY/government procurement (NAFED). Regarding the production of onion in Mewat district, major constraints observed were poor quality and inadequate underground water, high cost of onion seed, non availability of quality seed, etc. The study further found that the major constraints observed during the marketing of onion in Mewat district were distance market, non-availability of storage facility, high transportation cost. Adequate storage facility needs to be created enabling the producers to spread the sale throughout the year. Eff orts may be made to supply quality seeds and also to safeguard the producers against the low prices during the peak season.

Almeria’s Green Pest Management Revolution: An Opportunity That Arose from a Food Safety Alert

Almería, a province of Spain, is the leader in horticultural production on a Spanish and European scale. The specific conditions of greenhouse cultivation favor plant development, but also the proliferation of pests. This high incidence of pests was controlled in the past mainly by means of chemical phytosanitary treatments. The aim of the present work has been to analyze the tools facilitated by the Andalusian Government (Junta de Andalucía) to replace the usual pest management process, taking advantage of the context of the food safety alert arising from the detection of isophenphos-methyl in peppers from the province of Almeria in December 2007. The results illustrate that, unlike many programs of public subsidies which involve long-term expenditure, the aid in question took advantage of the socioeconomic situation following the food safety alert. The program led to substantial economic savings and met its objectives swiftly, achieving excellent results in terms of removing most of the pesticides used in the “conventional production system”. In the 2006–2007 season, only 515 hectares in Almería used biological control organisms, four years later, it reached 20,081 hectares, and the average area during the last ten years was 24,953 hectares. This shows that Almeria’s green pest management revolution had been consolidated.

Occurrence of Fall Army Worm Spodoptera frugiperda (J E Smith) in Assam

The fall army worm (FAW) has spread to locations at 1222 masl in the northeast region of India. In Assam, its incidence was first noticed on the two banks of the Brahmaputra. In Biswanath district, infestation on maize was observed to be of 15.2-64.3% at farmers’ field and 2.15% in Biswanath College of Agriculture campus of the Assam Agricultural University. This variation might be attributed to the rich avian diversity in the college campus. No larval parasite was observed in the field collected larvae. A large section of farmers observed high pest incidence in maize as compared to previous years.

ANALYTICAL STUDY OF THE COLORED TRAPS EFFECTIVENESS IN MONITORING EPICOMETIS HIRTA (PODA, 1761) IN RAPESEED CROPS

In our country, the growing demand for rapeseed, both for the production of biodiesel, but especially for the food sector, together with the European Union's restrictions on genetically modified soybeans crops were the engine for the expansion of areas cultivated with rapeseed. The practice of super-intensive agriculture, together with farmers' orientation to profit, have had major consequences on biodiversity, causing a higher incidence of pests and an increased virulence of diseases. In this context, in recent years, in western Romania, where the rapeseed crops are extended over very large areas, an increase in pest populations was observed, mainly Epicometis hirta during the flowering period, producing great damage in years of invasion, reducing the crop yield. This paper presents the results of comparative studies regarding the effectiveness of different chromatic traps with attractant solution in monitoring the E. hirta species in 2021 in a rapeseed experimental field located at a farm in the Carani area (45°54′33″N/21°9′38″E), Timiș County. The number of individuals collected with blue colored traps was higher than in the case of those collected with white traps and statistically significant differences were found (p=0.009 < 0.05).

Post-harvest Management of Cowpea: A potential Cash Crop for the Western Coastal Ecosystem of Goa

Cowpea, popularly grown as Alsando (Red Bold Variety) or Chowli (the less bold cream colored variety) is a major pulse crop of the state of Goa cultivated in the rice fallows during rabi season under residual soil moisture conditions. Harvest and post harvest losses of Cowpea were estimated by primary and secondary data collected from 50 Cowpea farmers from five villages each in the two districts, North and South of Goa and 9 storage godowns in the year 2012-13. The results showed that in spite of the crop being highly remunerative, it was cultivated in only 40 % of the paddy area. The average losses on field were 10.84 % for harvest, followed by 6.96% for threshing and 4.34 % for storage as calculated from primary data collected on farm. Secondary data showed that the awareness of losses during harvest and post-harvest unit operations was very less as they reported zero losses. The pulse has a high storage insect pest, pulse borer (Callosobruchus maculatus, Callosobruchus chinensis)incidence and hence was stored only for seed purpose in some cases for a year and generally disposed of by the month of May in the godowns and by September at household level. In spite of having high returns, high local demand and nutraceutical value, the crop is not grown in large area due to labour intensive unit operations and high pest incidence. Sensitizing the farmers on good management practices and development of a drudgery free harvesting device can make this remunerative crop popular in the state.

Effects of climate change on pests and diseases, its awareness and adaptation strategies among Cocoa farmers in Abia State

The study was a survey aimed at understanding the awareness level among cocoa farmers in Abia state on climate change, its effects on Pests and Diseases of cocoa and how they adapt and mitigate the effects. A multi stage-sampling procedure was used to select 50 respondents from Bende local government area and 50 respondents from Ikwuano local government area of Abia State. Result showed that 96% of the respondents are aware that climate change has a negative effect on cocoa production as a result of high incidence of Pest and diseases and that the effect ranges from high to moderate. Majority of the respondent in the study area adopted various adaptation strategies to mitigate the effects of climate change on Pests and Diseases prevalence. High level of awareness, adaptation and coping strategies adopted by farmers, made them less vulnerable to the adverse effects of Pests and Diseases as a result of the change in climate has been currently experienced.

N, P, K nutrition differentially affects the incidence and severity of the attack of pests and diseases in plants

Objective: To document and analyze relevant results reported on the relationships kept by the essential elements, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) with biotic stress factors in higher plants.
 Design/methodology/approach: A bibliographic analysis was carried out using keywords related to the concepts of nutrient relationship with phytopathogens, plant fertilization and nutrition and biotic stress. Subsequently, the most relevant articles on N, P, and K and their relationship with pests and diseases were selected and analyzed.
 Results: The elements N, P, and K affect the development of pests on plants. Fertilization with N tend to increase the presence of pests, while fertilization with P and K decreases it. However, this cannot be generalized for all crops or pests.
 Limitations/implications of the study: Research on the effects of N, P, and K on the incidence of phytopathogens is limited and in most cases the mechanisms that determine such relashionship are not described.
 Findings/conclusions: Fertilization with N causes a higher incidence of pests and diseases in plants, while fertilization with P and K can contribute to reduce their incidence. However, due to the great diversity of responses, these statements are not applicable to all cases and depend on other factors such as the crop and the pest present in the agroecosystem. It is required to carry out studies that make it possible to clarify exactly how these essential elements influence the development of diseases in different crops, and thus be able to make nutrition recommendations in which limiting biotic factors are taken into account.

Incidence of potato green aphid and Lyriomiza sp. in radish plants grown on different levels of organic fertilizer

Radish is a short cycle horticultural product from family Brassicaceae. Between the insects found on radish leaves, potato green aphid (Myzus persicae Sulzer) is one of the main pests of this culture, causing economic damage. Synthetic fertilizers used in conventional crops can promote changes in the pattern of amino acids in plants, leading to a higher insect damage. The source of fertilization is one of the factors that could influence in the incidence of pests. The objective of the study was to evaluate the incidence of potato green aphid and other pests on radish plants grown with different doses of organic fertilizer. The experiment was carried under semi-field conditions, in Fortaleza (Ceará State). A completely randomized design was used, with six replicates. The treatments consisted of five doses of organic compost (0; 45; 60; 75; 90 t.ha-1). For the population survey of pests and natural enemies, counts were made in three evaluations (7, 14 and 21 days after sowing). The counting data were subjected to deviance analysis using a generalized linear model (GLM). It was observed significant differences in the number of adults M. persicae in the treatments of 75 and 90 t.ha-1. Presence of leafminer (Lyriomiza sp.) was observed on plants without and with the lower doses of organic fertilizer. Even using organic fertilizers that promote a slower liberation of nutrients, high incidence of pests (Mainly M. persicae) was observed on radish plants.

Geographic distribution, relative importance, and association of factors influencing fall armyworm [Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)] on maize (Zea mays L.) in Southern Ethiopia

Spodoptera frugiperda is considered the most severe maize pest in the world and Ethiopia as well. A survey was conducted during the 2017 and 2018 cropping seasons to determine the distribution, relative importance, and the association between S. frugiperda intensity and biophysical factors. A total of 375 maize fields were surveyed during the two cropping seasons. The spatiotemporal analysis revealed that there was a 100% prevalence of the S. frugiperda with various degrees in both cropping seasons. However, significant variations were observed in the pest incidence and plant damage severity of S. frugiperda among the surveyed districts in the two seasons. There were higher pest incidence and plant damage severity in 2017 than in the 2018 cropping season. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the association of S. frugiperda with biophysical factors. Higher (> 75% for both cropping seasons) S. frugiperda plant damage severity was highly associated with Denba Gofa, Zala, Arba Minch, cropping system, altitude, pest management, insecticide spray frequency, and weeding practice with variable levels of significance. Lower plant damage severity of S. frugiperda was highly associated with Burji, high intercropping, altitude, a cultural plus insecticide used in pest management, more than two times insecticide applications, and high weeding practice. The study suggests proper pest management practices should be carried out to reduce S. frugiperda damaged to the maize crop.

Copper and kaolin sprays as tools for controlling the olive fruit fly

The olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae (Rossi) (Diptera: Tephritidae), is the most damaging pest of olive crop in the main growing areas. The control of this pest is based on insecticides, but more sustainable strategies are needed to reduce negative impacts such as pesticide residues, development of insecticide resistance or effects on non-target organisms. In a three-year field study, the effectiveness of preventive kaolin and copper (Bordeaux mixture) applications were evaluated. Natural pest control in olive groves is very valuable and must be preserved, so the effects of these treatments on non-target arthropods were also investigated compared to conventional dimethoate bait sprays and paying special attention to natural enemies. Kaolin sprays reduced the damage of B. oleae to levels that allow high quality oil production, even with a very high pest incidence. Copper treatments provided a certain protection that was insufficient at high infestation levels. No significant changes in abundance and number of arthropod morphospecies were detected. However, the diversity of arthropods, measured by Shannon index, was reduced by dimethoate baits and kaolin sprays and fewer predators were found in dimethoate treated trees. A significant alteration of the natural enemies’ community was also detected by Principal Response Curve (PRC) analysis in plots sprayed with kaolin, in the second year, with the coccinellid beetle Scymnus marinus (Mulsant) particularly affected. Monitoring long-term effects of kaolin sprays on natural enemies is advisable, while environmentally-friendly measures are applied to favor their presence.

Farmers’ constraints and extension strategies for increasing the adoption of recommended plant protection practices in brinjal cultivation

Brinjal is a major vegetable crop grown in Tamil Nadu and it is one of the crops that uses the most chemicals for pest control. Though agricultural scientists and extension personnel are emphasizing on merits of Integrated Pest and Disease Management (IPDM) methods, the adoption of IPDM is limited among farmers as they faced with multi pronged challenges. The major constraints faced by farmers in adoption of the recommended practices and extension strategies to improve the adoption by the farmers are described in this study. Ex-post facto research design was adopted and the research was carried out with 120 brinjal growers purposively selected from two blocks of Salem district in Tamil Nadu. Nearly half of the brinjal growers (45.83%) felt that high incidence of pest and non-availability of predators, traps (45.00%) were the prime constraints. Multi disciplinary approach to research, educating people are some of the methods suggested.