Integrated Management Practices Research Articles

Changes in availability and uptake of soil phosphorus influenced by management practices and crop growth stages under peanut cultivation in medium black clay soil of Saurashtra region, Gujarat

Aim: To investigate efficient utilization of soil phosphorus for peanut nutrition through integration of management practices in medium black clay soils of Saurashtra region in Gujarat. Methodology: Soil phosphorus availability and uptake by peanut plants were assessed at five plant growth stages under six different management practices in Kharif season. The availability of soil P was estimated by Olsen P and Resin P extraction methods. The biomass production and phosphorus uptake at each growth stages were observed in order to draw the relationship between these parameters.? Results: The management practices like raised bed with polythene mulch, integrated and organic nutrient management was consistently found promising for enhanced availability and uptake of soil phosphorus under peanut cultivation. The Olsen P decreased with plant growth under all the management options, except organic and integrated nutrient management practices.? In contrary, the resin P generally increased with plant growth, especially under inorganic and organic nutrient management and raised bed with polythene mulch practices. Irrespective of growth stages, the phosphorus uptake by peanut plants was significantly and strongly correlated with biomass production (r=0.85, p<0.01) and Olsen P (r=0.41, P<0.05).? Interpretation: The results indicate that phosphorus requirement of peanut plants can be efficiently met by integrating land and nutrient management practices in these medium black clay soils.

Adaptation of food legumes to problem soils using integrated approaches

Problem soils impose various stresses on plants and significantly reduce crop yield. As a sizable area sown in food legume crops falls under the designation of problem soils, the development of tolerant varieties and appropriate agronomic practices to ameliorate problem soils is required to increase food legume production. With respect to food legume cultivation, research efforts focusing on the development of cultivars tolerant to problem soils and on integrated management practices for soil amelioration have been limited to date. Here we review the various types of problematic soils and recent efforts in the development of appropriate technologies, including high-throughput plant phenotyping, breeding of tolerant varieties, and innovations in agronomy, that are contributing to or potentially will contribute to the adaptation of food legume crops to problem soils. The significant points are: (1) recent advances in plant phenotyping platforms offer new suites of technologies that facilitate the rapid identification of new genes related to tolerance mechanisms and the rapid development of improved cultivars better adapted to adverse soil conditions; (2) advances in plant genomics and recent developments in plant phenomics contribute towards more precise measurements of plant traits of interest; and (3) improved agronomic practices with appropriate amelioration measures would help to bring about changes in the soil conditions, improving them for cultivation and also providing a practical solution for problem soils. Integrated approaches, including tolerant varieties, amelioration measures, and improved agronomic practices suitable for the region, have the potential to be a sustainable approach by which food legumes could be adapted to problem soils.

Identification of Races of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciceris, Inciting Wilt of Chickpea in Andhra Pradesh and Parts of Telangana

Background: Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciceris (Foc) is one of the most important pathogen, causing wilt of chickpea. It is soil and seed borne pathogen. A serious threat in Foc is the evolution of new races, which reduces exploitation of wilt resistance in the crop in a particular area. Eight races (race 0, 1A, 1B/C, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6) were reported in the world and among them four races (race 1, 2, 3, 4) were from India. Race 1 was reported from Andhra Pradesh. It is very important to monitor the variation regularly in new isolates collected from different varieties or genotypes and different geographical regions to identify the racial pattern. Development of SCAR markers for identification of Foc isolates is also important as they are highly reliable. Methods: Twenty isolates of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciceris were obtained from wilt infected plants of chickpea covering different places of Andhra Pradesh including two isolates from Telangana and confirmed the pathogen based on pathogenicity test. They were tested on host differentials of chickpea for races identification. Among these twenty isolates five most virulent isolates (Foc-6, Foc-10, Foc-12, Foc-17 and Foc-24) were selected for RAPD based on pathogenicity test and SCAR marker was developed based on DNA banding pattern during RAPD for one isolate.Result: Based on the disease reaction on differentials, concluded that 17 of them out of 20 were matched with race-1 reaction. Two isolates were matched with race-6 reaction and one is not matched with none of the races. An amplified product of polymorphic band of approximately 700 bp in the isolate Foc-12, obtained during RAPD analysis was selected for SCAR marker development and two SCAR markers were developed and validated. Identification of races mainly helps in development of resistant cultivars to specific races and might be contributed to development of integrated disease management practices for Fusarium wilt.

IDM practices for the management of foliar diseases of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.)

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is the most ancient and important oilseed crop, with rich source of protein, high quality seed oil and many antioxidant properties is extensively grown in India. Occurrence of foliar diseases are Alternaria leaf spot and powdery mildew become a major constraint in recent years for successful and profitable cultivation of sesame. Field experiment was conducted on integrated disease management practices to combat foliar diseases and to increase the seed yield of sesame during two consecutive years (2015 and 2016) at Regional Research Station, Vridhachalam, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Tamil Nadu. Integrated management of Alternaria leaf spot and powdery mildew of sesame were conducted with eight treatments. Among the different treatments tested in field condition, the minimum incidence of Alternaria leaf spot (15.14 % and 13.72%) with higher yield of 642 kg/ha and 657 kg/ha were recorded in seed treatment with T. viride @ 10 g/kg + furrow application of T. viride (2.5 kg/ha enriched in 100 kg of FYM) @ 250 kg/ha + foliar spray of myclobutanil @ 1 g/l during Kharif 2015 and 2016.The reduction of Alternaria leaf spot was also directly associated with an increase in seed yield. In case of powdery mildew, the minimum incidence 5.83 and 9.65 PDI with higher yield of 642 kg/ha and 657 kg/ha were recorded in Kharif - 2015 and 2016 with spray of myclobutanil 10% WP @ 1 g/l.

Connecting the Dots: Integrating Cultural and Natural Resource Management in the United States

Landholding agencies in the United States are under increasing pressure to integrate cultural and natural resource management approaches at a landscape level and to do so earlier and more comprehensively in planning processes. How to integrate management practices is poorly understood, however. An impediment to integration is that the laws, methods, and tools used in cultural and natural resource management differ significantly. Natural resource management protects or rehabilitates habitats and ecosystems that support endangered species, while cultural resource management focuses on identification and protection of individual sites. Agencies need to shift the focus from managing sites to defining cultural landscape elements and their relationship to natural resource management units and concerns. We suggest that agencies use archaeological predictive modeling, resource classes, and paleoenvironmental and cultural historical information to geospatially define cultural landscapes, predict resource distributions and values, and identify opportunities and protocols for collectively managing cultural and natural resources. As the United States faces increasing deregulation and limited preservation funding, we believe an integrated approach will be critical in preserving and protecting both cultural and natural heritage.

Integrating Management Practices to Decrease Deoxynivalenol Contamination in Soft Red Winter Wheat.

Fusarium graminearum, the major causal agent of Fusarium head blight (FHB) of wheat (Triticum aestivum) in the U.S., can produce mycotoxins, such as deoxynivalenol (DON), during infection. Contamination of wheat grain with DON is a major concern for wheat producers and millers, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has set advisory levels for DON in finished wheat products for human and animal consumption. Practices utilized to manage FHB and DON contamination include planting wheat cultivars with moderate resistance to FHB and applying efficacious fungicides at the beginning of anthesis. Under severe epidemics, DON contamination can exceed FDA advisory levels despite implementation of these measures. Additionally, fungicide efficacy can be limited when anthesis is not uniform among plants in the field, which can occur when planting is delayed or if there is non-uniform seedling establishment. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effect of (1) in-furrow phosphorus application at planting and seeding rate on heading and anthesis uniformity, FHB symptomology, DON contamination, grain yield, yield components, and test weight; and (2) harvesting at different grain moisture concentrations on FHB symptomology, DON contamination, grain yield and test weight. Field trials were established in Princeton, Kentucky, from 2017 to 2019, to evaluate in-furrow phosphorus application at planting (0 kg P2O5 ha-1 and 47 kg P2O5 ha-1); seeding rate (377 live seeds m-2 and 603 live seeds m-2); and grain moisture at harvest (20 to 22% and 13 to 15%). In-furrow phosphorus increased grain yield and spikes m-2, but had no effect on heading and anthesis uniformity or DON contamination. The 603 live seeds m-2 seeding rate decreased the number of days to Zadoks 60 for the November planted wheat, and decreased FHB incidence, but did not decrease DON contamination. Harvesting at 20 to 22% grain moisture decreased Fusarium damaged kernel ratings and percent kernel infection but increased DON contamination in the harvested grain. Although in-furrow phosphorus, seeding rate, and harvesting 20 to 22% grain moisture did not decrease DON contamination, there is potential for these treatments to alleviate negative effects of late planted wheat grown in stressful environments.

Identifying Races of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum in South Carolina Recovered From Watermelon Seedlings, Plants, and Field Soil.

Fusarium wilt of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), caused by the soilborne fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum, is the most serious disease of watermelon in South Carolina and other southeastern U.S. states. Isolates of F. oxysporum collected from field-grown plants, greenhouse-grown seedlings, and field soil between 1999 and 2018 were inoculated onto three differential watermelon cultivars to identify races. Of 197 isolates obtained from plants, 12% were nonpathogenic, 2% were race 0, 23% were race 1, and 63% were race 2. One collection of isolates from greenhouse seedlings was exclusively race 1 and the other was exclusively race 2. Seventeen of 81 soil isolates were pathogenic: five were race 1 and 12 were race 2. Reactions of C. amarus PI 296341-FR, Carolina Strongback, and SP-6, cultigens with resistance to race 2, did not differ significantly among five highly virulent race 2 isolates and a standard race 2 isolate, indicating a lack of a race 3 phenotype. Forma specialis-specific primers matched phenotypic race identification for 74% of the isolates. Race-specific primers based on a secreted-in-xylem elicitor present in race 0 and 1 isolates matched phenotypic race identification for 66% of the isolates. Because a majority of the F. oxysporum f. sp. niveum isolates from South Carolina were race 2, integrated management practices should be used until commercial cultivars with resistance to race 2 are available.

Impact of STCR based long term integrated management practices on soil chemical properties and yield attributing parameters of wheat and pearl millet in semi-arid North-West India

The present investigation was carried out on the ongoing long term experiment of STCR initiated originally in 2009 to study the maintenance of soil fertility and yield sustainability at Research Farm of Department of Soil Science, CCS, HAU, Hisar. The experiment was planned in a randomized block design with four replication and seven treatments viz. T1-control, T2- FYM @ 15 t ha-1, T3-RDN & P, T4-STCR with TY 5.5/3.3 t ha-1, T5-STCR with TY 6.0/3.5 t ha-1, T6-STCR-IPNS with TY 5.5/3.0 FYM and T7-STCR-IPNS with 6.0/3.5 FYM yield targets. FYM @ 15 t ha-1 were applied in rabi and kharif season in T2, T6 & T7 plots. The treatments where FYM @ 15 t ha-1 was applied approximately 22 kg N & 15 t ha-1 was reduced from fertilizer nutrients. The results of the experiment revealed that the chemical and biological properties of the soil such as organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon, available NPK and micronutrients increased significantly with addition in FYM @ 15 t ha-1 in rabi and kharif both at surface and subsurface soils. Chemical and biological properties of the soil improved with addition of FYM continuously on long term basis which is due to improvement of physical structure of the soil that may results in more uptakes of nutrients by plants, thus improved the yield attributing parameters of wheat and pearl millet.

Cover plants as a suppression and increasing tool to hairy fleabane control

Integrated management practices should be recommended to avoid damage of glyphosate-resistant hairy fleabane [Conyza bonariensis (L.) Cronquist] on the soybean. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of soil cover plants and chemical control on the glyphosate-resistant hairy fleabane. Field experiment was performed in a randomized block design, with treatments arranged in a factorial scheme (3x10), using subdivided plots and four replicates. The main factor was composed by three types of soil cover (black oat, wheat and fallow), and on the subplots were evaluated the glyphosate+2,4-D amine in a tank-mix applied at 14 DBS (days before sowing) with sequential application of paraquat+diuron at 01 DBS; burndown performed at 07 DBS using glyphosate alone or applied in a tank-mix with clorimuron-ethyl, diclosulan, imazethapyr, sulfentrazone, and flumioxazine; glyphosate alone applied at the V4 phenological development stage of the soybean, and control without application on Roundup Ready® soybean. The hairy fleabane sensitivity to glyphosate was previously evaluated by the dose-response curve. Hairy fleabane demonstrated low sensibility to glyphosate, with 17,280 g a.e. ha-1 needed for a 90% reduction of dry weight. Wheat or black oat reduced the hairy fleabane population density by 95% and its plants height by 90% when compared to fallow, allowing the increased herbicide efficacy, regardless of the tank-mix. For the fallow, the tank-mix of glyphosate+2,4-D amine (1,080+1,340 g a.e. ha-1) herbicides with a sequential application of paraquat+diuron (200+100 g a.i. ha-1) provided a better control level during the evaluated period, protecting the yield potential.

Status of pests and diseases of sorghum and their management practices by Fadama III participating farmers in Abuja, Nigeria

A diagnostic survey was carried out at the end of 2018 and early 2019 to assess the status of sorghum pests, diseases and their management strategies by the “Fadama” III participating farmers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Nigeria. Data were collected from the 28 production clusters in 10 Fadama Development Areas in the six Area Councils. Instruments used were semi-structured interview, farm visits and the diagnosis of collected specimens from infested and diseased sorghum. The results indicated that up to 97.95% of the farmers had one form of formal education. On sorghum farms, corn rootworms (Diabrotica virgifera), Striga spp. weed and straying cattle were the major pests encountered. The incidence of Striga weed was 20.97%, while that of anthracnose disease was 76.84% though often left uncontrolled. Indigenous knowledge used for managing sorghum pests included field spraying with goat faeces slurry and placement of neem and Blumea leaves in corn granaries. Sorghum seeds were locally dressed with berry bark exudate, neem extract + pepper pre-planting. Due to the high severity of anthracnose on sorghum in the FCT, Abuja, there is need to embrace integrated disease management practices against this endemic disease. Routine monitoring of sorghum pests and disease prevalence, incidence and severity at different growth stages and implementation of sorghum pests management plan emanating from this study across Fadama Development Areas in Guinea Savannah agro-ecological zone is expected to enable the attainment of sustainable sorghum productivity. Key words: Abuja-Nigeria, Fadama, incidence, insects, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), sorghum, weeds.

Causes and Control Measures of Apple Replant Problem

Replant problem is a situation resulting in suppression of growth and poor productivity of the trees planted on old orchard sites and makes the plantations un-economical. It is a serious malady throughout the world in some fruit crops where the new plantations are done at the old orchard sites. Although replant problem is known to exist for many decades but greater attention was paid to this phenomenon only when Thompson (1959) while working at East Malling Research Station, United Kingdom observed poor growth of apple and cherry on old plantation sites. This observation strongly stimulated replant research in different parts of the world. Western Himalayan states of India are also facing the replant problem where majority of apple orchards have out lived their economic life and new plantations are being done at the same site. The incidence of apple replant disease on various sites has been observed 25–70 per cent. It is comparatively easy to prevent the replant problem than to control it because of unknown exact etiology and complex nature of malady due to the presence of different biotic and abiotic factors associated with the problem. Nature and intensity of the incidence is highly variable from country to country and even region to region and there is lack of quick diagnostic methods. The problem is difficult to control with one method and require integrated management practices for effective control.

Sustainable Management of Acacia auriculiformis Plantations for Wood Production over Four Successive Rotations in South Vietnam

Vietnam’s forestry sector is facing rising demands for wood to support national and rural economies, and rural livelihoods. A feasible option to meet this demand is to improve productivity in the current plantation estates, especially in those owned by thousands of small growers. Growers have invested in short-rotation acacia plantations primarily for the woodchip market, but are being urged through government policies and pressured by certification bodies and some NGOs to shift to longer rotations, preferentially, for growing saw logs. In this context, we examined the productivity of an Acacia auriculiformis plantation in South Vietnam, over four successive rotations, spanning 25 years. We show that it is possible to increase and sustain wood production in the long term, by applying simple but integrated management practices, recognizing that the conservation of site resources is critical for sustainability. Practices which depleted site organic matter and nutrients lead to a hidden, but high, cumulative loss of production. Given the site and soil damaging practices prevalent in the country, it is likely that production foregone in those sites may be equivalent to the yield from one in every four or five rotations harvested. With sound management including the conservation of site resources, planting the best germplasm, appropriate stocking and judicious use of herbicide, total wood production and the proportion of saw logs (50–70% of the commercial wood at about 7 years of age) can be increased substantially. At the same time, these practices also can promote understory development and diversity in the stand. Such holistic benefits are possible without extending the rotation length and/or thinning, which are likely to raise the levels of risks for small growers, who are not covered by any insurance. Investments and support for small growers to enable higher productivity and value per unit area in their holdings, through sustainable management, would offer practical and low-risk options for the benefits of growers, processors and ecosystems.

Use of Available Data To Inform The COVID-19 Outbreak in South Africa: A Case Study

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) in February 2020. Currently, there are no vaccines or treatments that have been approved after clinical trials. Social distancing measures, including travel bans, school closure, and quarantine applied to countries or regions are being used to limit the spread of the disease, and the demand on the healthcare infrastructure. The seclusion of groups and individuals has led to limited access to accurate information. To update the public, especially in South Africa, announcements are made by the minister of health daily. These announcements narrate the confirmed COVID-19 cases and include the age, gender, and travel history of people who have tested positive for the disease. Additionally, the South African National Institute for Communicable Diseases updates a daily infographic summarising the number of tests performed, confirmed cases, mortality rate, and the regions affected. However, the age of the patient and other nuanced data regarding the transmission is only shared in the daily announcements and not on the updated infographic. To disseminate this information, the Data Science for Social Impact research group at the University of Pretoria, South Africa, has worked on curating and applying publicly available data in a way that is computer readable so that information can be shared to the public – using both a data repository and a dashboard. Through collaborative practices, a variety of challenges related to publicly available data in South Africa came to the fore. These include shortcomings in the accessibility, integrity, and data management practices between governmental departments and the South African public. In this paper, solutions to these problems will be shared by using a publicly available data repository and dashboard as a case study. <strong>Dashboard:</strong> <a href="/jms/editor/viewMetadata/" target="_blank">https://dsfsi.github.io/covid19za-dash/</a>, <strong>Data repository:</strong> <a href="/jms/editor/viewMetadata/" target="_blank">https://github.com/dsfsi/covid19za</a><a href="/jms/editor/viewMetadata/" target="_blank">.</a>

A Review on the Current State of Knowledge of Growing Conditions, Agronomic Soil Health Practices and Utilities of Hemp in the United States

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is an emerging high-value specialty crop that can be cultivated for either fiber, seed, or cannabidiol (CBD). The demand for hemp and its products has been consistently on the rise in the 21st century. The United States of America (USA) has reintroduced hemp and legalized its production as an agricultural commodity through the 2018 Federal Farm Bill. Although there is a renewed interest in the adoption of hemp due to the emerging market, its production in the United States (US) remains limited partly because of unclear agronomic guidance and fertilization recommendations. This review article provides information on the current agronomic management practices that are available in the literature and identifies the future research needs for cultivating this multipurpose crop to address the growing market demands. Hemp production could be beneficial if managed properly. Hemp fertilizer requirements vary in accordance with the type of hemp grown (seed, fiber, or CBD), soil, environmental conditions and requires a wide range of macro- and micronutrients. Integrating management practices in hemp cultivation intended to build soil health is promising since the hemp cropping system is suitable for crop rotation, cover cropping, and livestock integration through animal waste applications. Hemp also has significant environmental benefits since it has the potential to remediate contaminated soils through phytoremediation, convert high amounts of atmospheric CO2 to biomass through bio-sequestration, and hemp biomass for bioenergy production. This review identifies that most of the agronomic research in the past has been limited to hemp fiber and, to some extent, hemp seed but not CBD hemp. With the increase in the global markets for hemp products, more research needs to be conducted to provide agronomic guidelines for sustainable hemp production.

Integrated management of major diseases of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.)

Among fungal diseases, stem and root rot, Alternaria leaf spot and Cercospora leaf spot were become major constraints for cultivation of sesame in South 24-Parganas district of West Bengal, India. Considering the fact, the following investigation was carried out for this pathological problem. Field trials conducted on integrated disease management practices to combat major diseases and to increase the seed yield of sesame during summer, 2018 and 2019. Minimum incidence of stem and root rot (8.8% and 11.2%) with higher yield of 527 kg/ha and 577 kg/ha were recorded in summer, 2018 and 2019 with application of organic amendment with FYM and neem cake @ 150 kg/ha (1:1, T4). In case of foliar diseases of sesame, applications of FYM + NPK @ 60:30:30 (1:1, T3) was found to be significantly effective by recording minimum incidence of Alternaria leaf spot (6.3% and 8.4%) and Cercospora leaf spot (4.2% and 5.3%) coupled with maximum yield (512 kg/ha and 541 kg/ha) with higher cost benefit (C:B) ratio in summer, 2018 and 2019.

Impact of different pest management practices on natural enemy population in tea plantations of Assam special emphasis on spider fauna

Tea is a perennial monoculture crop infested by approximately thousand species of pests. Conserving natural enemies is an important practice under non-conventional pest management strategy. In the present study, occurrence of spider population on tea in three different pest management practices has been studied in three different agro climatic region of Assam. The three pest management practices include: 1. Ecological Crop Management (ECM: wherein pest management is achieved with cultural practices, mechanical practices and biopesticide excluding synthetic pesticides); 2. Integrated pest management (IPM: includes recommended IPM practices with use of only CIB recommended approved dose of synthetic pesticides); 3. Garden practice (GP: involves normal practices being followed in tea garden). During the study, very high incidence of natural enemy population was recorded under ECM followed by IPM and the least with GP. Spiders are the most common predators and constituted about 50–90% of the total natural enemy count. Number of spiders captured during monsoon was significantly higher than pre-monsoon and post monsoon. Family Salticidae was found to be the dominant group among the recorded spider taxa. The study inferred that though ecologically managed plantations encourage the spider diversity along with different natural enemies, integrated management practices can also be adopted by conventional garden for better natural enemy population if going to ECM is not at all been an option.

Compatibility of Trichoderma harzianum with different fungicides under In vitro

This study was undertaken to evaluate the compatibility of commonly used agrochemicals at recommended dosages with Trichoderma harzianum at 100, 250, 500, 750 and 1000 ppm concentrations by using poisoned food technique. All the fungicides found to be more compatible and safer to the Trichoderma harzianum (Th-8 isolate) isolate at all the concentration and these fungicides did not adversely affect the growth of test antagonist except Thiram. Metalaxyl was found to be least effective and best compatible with Trichoderma harzianum (Th-8 isolate), since the percent inhibition of Trichoderma (Th-8 isolate) was only 6.68 percent at 1000 ppm concentration. Present finding suggest that compatible fungicides can be used with Trichoderma harzianum in an integrated disease management practices for the control of soil born pathogen.

Quantitative molecular diagnosis of levamisole resistance in populations of Haemonchus contortus

Parasitism by Haemonchus contortus is one of the main limiting factors in small ruminant production around the globe. Although several studies suggest the use of integrated management practices, these parasites have been controlled essentially with synthetic anthelmintic drugs. The resistance mechanism against the imidazothiazole derivative levamisole in Haemonchus contortus has not been fully described. Recently, resistance was associated with a 63bp deletion in the Hco-acr-8b gene that encodes a subunit for a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. This study aimed to standardize a real time PCR (qPCR) protocol for levamisole resistance diagnosis in H. contortus populations based on this polymorphism and use it to characterize 23 field H. contortus populations obtained from different localities of Ceará State, Northeast Brazil. In addition, two populations of H. contortus were used as a standard of susceptibility and resistance, Inbred Strain Edinburgh (ISE) and Kokstad, respectively. Larval development tests (LDT) were performed on five field isolates and both EC50 and EC95 were estimated. LDT EC95 values provided a wider interval between susceptible and resistant populations than EC50 values (EC95 = 1.96–57.93 μM; EC50 = 0.05–0.39 μM), and were found to be more appropriate for differentiating them. Real time PCR results showed resistance allele frequencies ranged from 20.9 to 76.7%. Our results suggest that levamisole resistance may be present in field populations but it is not as widespread as benzimidazole resistance. This methodology may be useful to monitor levamisole resistance in field populations of H. contortus.

Investigation of rangeland indicator species using parametric and non-parametric methods in hilly landscapes of central Iran

This study aimed to identify indicator species and explore the most important environmental and management variables contributing to vegetation distribution in a hilly upper dam landscape in Zagros Mountain chain, Iran. A stratified random sampling method was used to collect topographic, edaphic, management and vegetation data. The density and cover percentage of perennial species were measured quantitatively. Indicator species were identified using the two-way indicator species analysis. Besides calculating physiognomic factors in sample sites, 24 soil samples were collected from 0 to 30 cm of soil depth and analyzed in terms of gravel percentage, texture, saturation moisture, organic matter, pH and electrical conductivity in saturation extract, lime percentage, soluble calcium and magnesium, available phosphorus, Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) and soluble sodium and potassium. Multivariate techniques including Canonical Correspondence Analysis and Multi-Dimensional Scaling were used to explore the relationships of species with environmental and management variables. Seven plants were identified as indicator species due to being significantly correlated with management (grazing or non-grazing) and edaphic variables such as CEC, soil texture, pH, CaCO3 percentage and physiographic variable including slope, elevation, and convex and concave formations (p < 0.05). Overall, overgrazing and its subsequent effects on soil characteristics, loss of vegetation cover and trampling were found as the major causes of deterioration. Sustainable and integrated management practices such as the implementation of appropriate grazing systems were suggested to enhance soil quality and reduce the accelerated erosion in upper dam zones.

Integrated management of Mi-1 virulent Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid &amp; White, 1919) Chitwood, 1949 (Tylenchida: Meloidogynidae) in greenhouse tomatoes

The Mi-1 gene in tomato provides a safe and economical strategy for managing root-knot nematodes (RKN). However, the resistance conferred by the Mi-1 gene is not effective against virulent populations of RKNs. In this study, the efficacy of combining the dose effect of the Mi-1 gene with Bacillus firmus Bredemann & Wermer, 1933 (Bacillales: Bacillaceae) + fluopyram against Mi-1 -virulent Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid & White, 1919) Chitwood, 1949 (Tylenchida: Meloidogynidae) after soil solarization was assessed for tomatoes grown in a greenhouse. The study was conducted in a greenhouse in Kepez, Antalya between 2015 and 2016. The second-stage juveniles M. incognita were not detected in the soil for 2 months after solarization completed. The reactions of homozygous or heterozygous resistant tomato plants against Mi-1 -virulent populations were not statistically different under greenhouse conditions. Furthermore, B. firmus + fluopyram controlled the RKN population when applied to the soil both during the planting period and when J2 count in the soil started to increase. This study suggests that the soil solarization should be combined with other management methods, and the dose effect of the Mi-1 gene is not important against virulent RKN populations. Additionally, combined B. firmus + fluopyram have the potential to be used as a suitable management tool for RKN control in tomato production. These findings will help improve integrated management practices for controlling Mi-1 -virulent RKN populations.