Long-term Pest Management Research Articles

Innovative Approaches for Sustainable Greenhouse Pest Management: Integrating Advanced Diagnostics and Preventive Strategies for Optimal Crop Health

Sustainable greenhouse pest management is critical for achieving good crop yields while reducing environmental impact. This paper investigates novel ways that incorporate improved diagnostic tools and preventive tactics into the framework of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in greenhouse ecosystem. Understanding pest life cycles and utilizing cutting-edge tools such as DNA barcoding and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) might help greenhouse managers achieve precise pest diagnosis and early responses. Preventive measures, such as tight cleanliness protocols, quarantine techniques, and the use of physical barriers, are critical in lowering pest incidence. Furthermore, biological controls, cultural methods such as crop rotation and intercropping, and the selective use of insecticides and biopesticides collectively help to ensure long-term pest management. This complete approach not only reduces insect damage but also creates a healthier, more resilient agricultural ecology. Furthermore, traditional diagnostic and preventive measures were also discussed in the article. The and recommendations are validated by recent studies and data, demonstrating the success of these integrated tactics in modern greenhouse operations.

Disease Occurrence, Incidence and Severity in Vegetable Gardens of Green-the-Home Project Beneficiaries in Baybay City and Hilongos, Leyte, Philippines

This survey aimed to identify the major diseases affecting the Green-the-Home (GTH) vegetable gardens project beneficiaries in Barangays Guadalupe and Marcos in Baybay City, Leyte, and Barangay Liberty, Hilongos, Leyte, Philippines. The study documented the occurrence, incidence, and severity of various vegetable diseases, including the existing pest management practices of vegetable growers. Disease incidence and severity observed in vegetable gardens varied depending on the type of disease, crop, and site. The surveyed crops included okra, upo, ampalaya, tomato, string beans, sweet pepper, chili, eggplant, and cucumber, which are common in the sampling areas. The most common diseases found within the three project sites were okra leaf mold, Cercospora leaf spot of ampalaya, Cercospora leaf spot of sweet pepper, and Cercospora leaf spot of chili. The majority of vegetable growers employed physical and cultural pest management approaches, such as weeds removal (66.6%), the use of nets (63.3%), intercropping (60%), tillage (50%) and bagging (46.6%). Disease occurrence in the areas was influenced by environmental factors such as rainfall, temperature, humidity, and poor management practices of vegetable gardens. Since Baybay and Hilongos have the same climatic pattern, such environmental factors are consistent in both areas. It is recommended that the Government and other lead agencies, such as the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), assist GTH in promoting pests and diseases literacy programs among vegetable growers. They should also provide adequate access to extension services and disseminate appropriate, safe, and long-term pest management strategies to vegetable growers.

Phytochemical analysis and insight into insecticidal and antifungal activities of Indian hawthorn leaf extract

Fungicides or insecticides are popular means of controlling a variety of pathogens and insect pests; however, they can cause harmful effects on both human health and the environment. Different researchers have suggested using plant extracts, which have shown promise in managing fungi and insects. The purpose of this investigation was to explore the antifungal activities of an acetone extract made from the leaves of Indian Hawthorn (HAL) against phytopathogens that are known to harm maize crops, Fusarium verticillioides (OQ820154) and Rhizoctonia solani (OQ820155), and to evaluate the insecticidal property against Aphis gossypii Glover aphid. The HAL extract demonstrated significant antifungal activity against the two fungal pathogens tested, especially at the high dose of 2000 µg/mL. Laboratory tests on the LC20 of HAL extract (61.08 mg/L) versus buprofezin 25% WP (0.0051 mg/L) were achieved on A. gossypii Glover. HAL extract diminished the nymph's production over 72 h and their total reproductive rate. This extract was like buprofezin 25% WP in decreasing the daily reproductive rate, reproductive period, and mean survival percentage. Nevertheless, the newly-born nymphs of treated females with HAL extract attained the highest reduction in survival percentage at 46.00%. Equalized prolongations on the longevity of nymphs to 9.33, 8.33, and 7 days and the total life cycle to 15.00, 14.00, and 12.67 days were realized by HAL extract, buprofezin 25% WP, and the control, respectively. The olfactory choice test on the aphids showed the minimum attraction rate to HAL extract. The HPLC of HAL extract comprised an abundance of phenolic compounds (ferulic acid, gallic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, salicylic acid, ellagic acid, and pyrogallol), and the concentrations of these compounds vary widely, with salicylic acid being the most concentrated at 25.14 mg/mL. Among the flavonoids, epicatechin has the highest concentration at 11.69 mg/mL. The HAL extract GC–MS consists of various organic compounds, including sesquiterpenes, cyclopropenes, fatty acids, steroids, alcohols, ketones, esters, bufadienolides, opioids, and other organic compounds. The most abundant compounds in the sample are n-hexadecanoic acid (12.17%), followed by 5α, 7αH, 10α-eudesm-11-en-1α-ol (9.43%), and cis-13-octadecenoic acid (5.87%). Based on the findings, it can be inferred that the HAL extract may be a viable option for plants to combat both fungal and insect infestations. This presents an encouraging prospect for utilizing a natural and sustainable approach toward long-term pest management in plants.

MOF Hybrid for Long-Term Pest Management and Micronutrient Supply Triggered with Protease.

Advanced intelligent systems for delivery of pesticides or fertilizers require formulations that allow for long-term efficacy. In this work, a metal-organic framework (MOF) hybrid was developed for long-term pest management and micronutrient supply. Zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 was fabricated for crop micronutrients (Zn2+) supply and insecticide dinotefuran (DNF) encapsulation. Polymethylmethacrylate was polymerized in situ to impart the MOF hybrid with sustained cargo delivery. Then, zein was introduced to facilitate protease-triggered cargo release associated with the microenvironment of pests and targeted release. The resulting MOF hybrid exhibited stimulus-responsive, slow-release behaviors. Sustained DNF delivery was achieved over a period of at least 32 days in soil. Compared with that of free DNF, the UV resistance of DNF in the MOF hybrid increased by nearly 10 times, and the insecticidal efficiency increased 33.3% with leaching treatment and 40.1% after incubating in a greenhouse for 14 days. This MOF hybrid provides a controlled, targeted, and sustained delivery formulation for long-term pest management and crop micronutrient supply and has huge application prospects in sustainable agriculture.

The Efficiency of The Parasitoid, Trichogramma sp. Against Some Date Pests

The date palm tree and its fruits are attacked by several pests that are well adapted to the Egyptian environment that can cause a loss in yield ranged between 30-70%. To control these pests, chemical insecticides were intensively used. However, using chemical insecticides cannot be reliable and safe for long-term pest management solutions because of many serious problems, such as high economic cost, negative impact on the environment and human health, and some pests develop resistance towards them. Therefore, the present study was carried out to investigate the effectiveness of releasing the egg parasitoid, Trichogramma evanescenes, against some date palm fruits at Al Mansoureyah, Imbaba, Giza Governorate, Egypt during two successive growing season, 2018 and 2019. Two traditional chemicals were also used, Pyriban and sulfur. The results showed the successful release of the parasitoid as the high reduced infestation rate observed during the growing seasons 2018 and 2019 compared to conventional methods. So, T. evanescenes is a successful and reliable control method to be used on long- and short-term strategy.

Role of Pheromones and its Antioxidants in IPM

Pheromone technology has potential to add value in long-term pest management of many economically important pests.Inclusion of insecticides or sterilant in pheromone formulations may not be major obstacles to public acceptance in urban areas. Pheromone technology is cost effective and applicable in area wide pest management approach.

Linking risk and efficacy in biological control host–parasitoid models

Exotic invasive arthropods present an increasing threat to native species, ecosystem function, crop production, forests, and other natural resources. Importation (‘classical’) biological control can be a cost-effective tactic for long-term pest management that reduces insecticide use. However, while importation of biological control agents has great potential benefits, it also entails risks to non-target native species. Therefore, candidate biological control agents are studied prior to release to predict safety. Little is known, however, about how traits affecting the safety of biological control agents may impact their efficacy in terms of reducing pest populations. We use a difference equation model to simulate a one-parasitoid two-host system and evaluate conditions under which biological control safety and efficacy interact. We vary the search efficiency and resistance to parasitism of both host species and interpret the results from the standpoint that one host is a target pest and the other a non-target species. We find that apparent competition can have important benefits for increasing biological control efficacy, even at low levels of non-target impact. However, under conditions of parasitoid egg limitation, high attack rates on resistant non-target hosts can dramatically decrease biological control efficacy while concurrently increasing non-target risk. These findings are discussed in the context of biological control agent pre-release risk–benefit assessment.

Modeling the Integration of Parasitoid, Insecticide, and Transgenic Insecticidal Crop for the Long-Term Control of an Insect Pest

The tools of insect pest management include host plant resistance, biological control, and insecticides and how they are integrated will influence the durability of each. We created a detailed model of the population dynamics and population genetics of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella L., and its parasitoid, Diadegma insulare (Cresson), to study long-term pest management in broccoli Brassica oleracea L. Given this pest's history of evolving resistance to various toxins, we also evaluated the evolution of resistance to transgenic insecticidal Bt broccoli (expressing Cry1Ac) and two types of insecticides. Simulations demonstrated that parasitism provided the most reliable, long-term control of P. xylostella populations. Use of Bt broccoli with a 10% insecticide-free refuge did not reduce the long-term contribution of parasitism to pest control. Small refuges within Bt broccoli fields can delay evolution of resistance > 30 generations if resistance alleles are rare in the pest population. However, the effectiveness of these refuges can be compromised by insecticide use. Rainfall mortality during the pest's egg and neonate stages significantly influences pest control but especially resistance management. Our model results support the idea that Bt crops and biological control can be integrated in integrated pest management and actually synergistically support each other. However, the planting and maintenance of toxin-free refuges are critical to this integration.

Organizmy pożyteczne w strategiach biologicznego zwalczania – grzyby owadobójcze

Fungal entomopathogens are widespread in nature and contribute to the natural regulation of insects. They can be exploited for pest management as biological control agents of pests in attempts to improve the sustainability of crop protection. Four types of biological control are recognized: classical, inoculation, inundation, and conservation biological control. Classical biological control is the intentional introduction and permanent establishment of an exotic biological agent for long-term pest management. Inoculation biological control is the intentional release of a living organism as a biological control agent with the expectation that it will multiply and control the pest for an extended period, but not permanently. Inundation biological control is the release of large numbers of mass-produced biological control agents to reduce a pest population without necessarily achieving continuing impact or establishment. Conservation biological control is a modification of the environment or existing practices to protect and enhance specific natural enemies or other organisms to reduce the effect of pests. The traditional and the most popular approach in biological control with entomopathogenic fungi has been to apply the fungal material to the cropping system (as biopesticide), using an inundation biological control strategy. The term biopesticide is used for microbial biological pest control agents that are applied in a similar manner to chemical pesticides. The use of biopesticides can substitute for some (but not all) chemicals and provide environmentally safe and sustainable control of pests but EU legislation and prohibitive registration costs are discouraging the development and commercialization of many promising new products.

Assessment of infective behaviour and reproductive potential over successive generations of entomopathogenic nematodes, Steinernema glaseri (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae), reared within radiosterilized host larvae, towards Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

The infective behaviour of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs), Steinernema glaseri (Steiner), reared within radiosterilized host larvae of the tropical pest, Spodoptera litura (Fabricius), was ascertained towards the unirradiated same host (S. litura) for successive generations and compared with the infectivity of controls (EPNs derived from unirradiated host larvae). A primary goal was to establish a safe mode of transport and dispersal of EPNs without concern that uninfected, reproductively competent hosts would be inadvertently released. Based on prior studies on radiation-mediated effects, two gamma doses (40 and 70 Gy), were used for radiosterilization of last instar S. litura larvae. Tests were performed using the following parameters: Regimen I (Control) with normal infective juveniles (N-IJs) vs. normal (N) hosts; Regimen II with N-IJs vs. Irradiated hosts; Regimen III with F1 IJs (harvested from Regimen II) vs. N-hosts; and Regimen IV with F2 IJs (harvested from Regimen III) vs. N-hosts. The infective performance of F1 IJs was affected more at 70 Gy than at 40 Gy, but the effect was not great enough to nullify the infective efficiency of IJs emerged from irradiated hosts; thus, these IJs could be effectively utilized in pest biocontrol. Furthermore, the infective performance of F2 IJs was almost equivalent to that of the controls, especially at 40 Gy. Hosts radiosterilized at 70 Gy could be considered safer than those exposed to 40 Gy for inundative release of EPNs as biocontrol agents. Hosts radiosterilized at 40 Gy or 70 Gy could be conveniently used, with greater efficiency at 40 Gy, for inoculative release of EPNs for long-term pest management.

Potential of “Lure and Kill” in Long-Term Pest Management and Eradication of Invasive Species

"Lure and kill" technology has been used for several decades in pest management and eradication of invasive species. In lure and kill, the insect pest attracted by a semiochemical lure is not "entrapped" at the source of the attractant as in mass trapping, but instead the insect is subjected to a killing agent, which eliminates affected individuals from the population after a short period. In past decades, a growing scientific literature has been published on this concept. This article provides the first review on the potential of lure and kill in long-term pest management and eradication of invasive species. We present a summary of lure and kill, either when used as a stand-alone control method or in combination with other methods. We discuss its efficacy in comparison with other control methods. Several case studies in which lure and kill has been used with the aims of long-term pest management (e.g., pink bollworm, Egyptian cotton leafworm, codling moth, apple maggot, biting flies, and bark beetles) or the eradication of invasive species (e.g., tephritid fruit flies and boll weevils) are provided. Subsequently, we identify essential knowledge required for successful lure and kill programs that include lure competitiveness with natural odor source; lure density; lure formulation and release rate; pest population density and risk of immigration; and biology and ecology of the target species. The risks associated with lure and kill, especially when used in the eradication programs, are highlighted. We comment on the cost-effectiveness of this technology and its strengths and weaknesses, and list key reasons for success and failure. We conclude that lure and kill can be highly effective in controlling small, low-density, isolated populations, and thus it has the potential to add value to long-term pest management. In the eradication of invasive species, lure and kill offers a major advantage in effectiveness by its being inverse density dependent and it provides some improvements in efficacy over related control methods. However, the inclusion of insecticides or sterilants in lure and kill formulations presents a major obstacle to public acceptance.

Incorporating natural enemies in an economic threshold for dynamically optimal pest management

The control of pests by their natural enemies represents an important regulating ecosystem service that helps maintain the stability of crop ecosystems. These services, however, are often ignored in pest management decision making. In addition, the use of broad-spectrum insecticides can damage the populations of natural enemies, reducing the cost-effectiveness of insecticide investment if unaccounted for in treatment decisions. The existing literature on modeling of biological control of insect pests has generally focused on simulations of the population dynamics of pest and natural enemy species and the processes underlying pest control. But agriculture is a managed ecosystem where predator–prey relationships are heavily influenced by human managers. In modeling managerial choices, this study develops an intra-seasonal dynamic bioeconomic optimization model for insecticide-based pest management that explicitly takes into account both the biological control effect of natural enemies on pest density and the nontarget mortality effect of insecticides on the level of natural pest control supplied. The model captures predator–prey interactions, linking them to crop growth and yield damage functions, which in turn are evaluated in a dynamic optimization framework. We introduce a new decision rule for judicious insecticide decisions using a natural enemy-adjusted economic threshold. This threshold represents the pest population density at which insecticide control becomes optimal in spite of the opportunity cost of injury to natural enemies of the target pest. Using field data from Michigan, the model is applied to the case of soybean aphid ( Aphis glycines, Matsumura), a recent invasive pest of soybean ( Glycine max), whose management is of both economic and environmental importance to the North Central region of the United States. As illustrated by the numerical examples, such natural enemy-adjusted threshold is likely to lead to fewer recommendations for insecticide use than naïve models that ignore natural enemies, resulting in less insecticide use, while maintaining profitability for farmers that rely on chemical pest control methods. The bioeconomic model developed in this study can be used to conduct a wide variety of analyses such as identifying dynamically optimal spray strategies and estimating the implied economic value of natural control services. Furthermore, with the incorporation of inter-year carry-over factors, such as overwintering of pests and natural enemies, the current model can contribute to building multi-year models for studying long-term pest management.

Potential of Mass Trapping for Long-Term Pest Management and Eradication of Invasive Species

Semiochemical-based pest management programs comprise three major approaches that are being used to provide environmentally friendly control methods of insect pests: mass trapping, "lure and kill," and mating disruption. In this article, we review the potential of mass trapping in long-term pest management as well as in the eradication of invasive species. We discuss similarities and differences between mass trapping and other two main approaches of semiochemical-based pest management programs. We highlight several study cases where mass trapping has been used either in long-term pest management [e.g., codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.); pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders); bark beetles, palm weevils, corn rootworms (Diabrotica spp.); and fruit flies] or in eradication of invasive species [e.g., gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.); and boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis grandis Boheman). We list the critical issues that affect the efficacy of mass trapping and compare these with previously published models developed to investigate mass trapping efficacy in pest control. We conclude that mass trapping has good potential to suppress or eradicate low-density, isolated pest populations; however, its full potential in pest management has not been adequately realized and therefore encourages further research and development of this technology.

Potential of Mass Trapping for Long-Term Pest Management and Eradication of Invasive Species

Semiochemical-based pest management programs comprise three major approaches that are being used to provide environmentally friendly control methods of insect pests: mass trapping, “lure and kill,” and mating disruption. In this article, we review the potential of mass trapping in long-term pest management as well as in the eradication of invasive species. We discuss similarities and differences between mass trapping and other two main approaches of semiochemical-based pest management programs. We highlight several study cases where mass trapping has been used either in long-term pest management [e.g., codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.); pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders); bark beetles, palm weevils, corn rootworms (Diabrotica spp.); and fruit flies] or in eradication of invasive species [e.g., gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.); and boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis grandis Boheman). We list the critical issues that affect the efficacy of mass trapping and compare these with previously published models developed to investigate mass trapping efficacy in pest control. We conclude that mass trapping has good potential to suppress or eradicate low-density, isolated pest populations; however, its full potential in pest management has not been adequately realized and therefore encourages further research and development of this technology.

Effect of the Insect Growth Regulator Novaluron (Pedestal) on Silverleaf Whitefly Reproduction

Insect growth regulators, which are primarily used to kill the larval stages of certain insect groups, have indirect effects on the adult stage of whiteflies. In this study, we assessed the effect of the insect growth regulator novaluron (Pedestal) on the reproduction of silverleaf whitefly (Bemisia argentifolii). Two experiments were conducted by exposing adult female silverleaf whiteflies to the low [0.47 mL·L-1 (6 floz/100 gal)] and high [0.63 mL·L-1 (8 floz/100 gal)] label-recommended rates of novaluron. There was also an untreated control. Infested plants [mist flower (Eupatorium coelenstinum) and transvaal daisy (Gerbera jamesonii) for Expt. 1 and Expt. 2, respectively] containing adult female silverleaf whiteflies were sprayed with novaluron using a carbon dioxide (CO2) backpack sprayer. Plants were immediately placed into cages covered with antivirus insect screening. After 24 hours, six adult female silverleaf whiteflies were aspirated from the treated plants, and immobilized with CO2 before being placed onto untreated plants [transvaal daisy for Expt. 1, and rose-of-china (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) for Expt. 2]. Three munger cells containing two adult female silverleaf whiteflies per cell were attached to leaves of each of the untreated plants. The number of live and dead eggs, and live nymphs per plant was assessed 4 and 8 days after treatment (DAT). In Expt. 1, the low rate of novaluron significantly reduced egg viability compared to the untreated control based on live nymphal counts 8 DAT. In Expt. 2, both rates of novaluron significantly reduced egg viability compared to the untreated control, based on live nymphal counts and number of dead eggs 8 DAT. The results from this study indicate that novaluron negatively affected female silverleaf whitefly reproduction by reducing egg viability, which may decrease the number of silverleaf whiteflies produced during a cropping cycle. This is an important long-term pest management strategy that may reduce the number of insecticide applications and decrease labor costs.

Reducing Aesthetic Injury or Controlling Insect Populations: Dilemma of Insecticide Use Against Cuban Laurel Thrips (Thysanoptera: Phloeothripidae) in Landscape-Grown Ficus

Aesthetic injury reduction may be the focus of insect management efforts in the urban landscape. However, the practice of integrated pest management must be based on understanding how control efforts affect insect populations. Insecticide applications against Cuban laurel thrips, Gynaikothrips ficorum (Marchal), were made to landscape-grown Ficus microcarpa var. nitida . The number of leaf curls caused by insect feeding and the number of thrips within the curls were followed for 12 wk after treatment. There was a reduction in leaf damage but not a reduction in thrips populations. Thus, insecticide treatments may improve the aesthetic quality of plants on a short-term basis, but long-term pest management of the thrips populations cannot depend on pesticides alone.

Predator and Parasitoid Interaction with Aphid-Resistant Potatoes to Reduce Aphid Densities: A Two-Year Field Study

Mechanical exclusion experiments demonstrated that Naturally occurring aphid predators (primarily Coccinellidae and Chrysopidae) and parasitoids (primarily Aphidiidae) produced >65% reduction in aphid densitieson Solanum tuberosum L. x S. berthaultii Hawkes, F3 hybrids bearing different densities of glandular trichomes. In the absence of natural enemies, aphid resistance was directly related to trichome densities. A similar relationship was observed when predator sand parasitoids were present, but aphid densities were lower on all potato clones. These results indicate that biological control and plant resistance are compatible and complementary tactics in integrated pest management on potatoes. Because of the action of predators and parasitoids, potato clones bearing moderate rather than high densities of glandular pubescence should be considered for long-term pest management.