Pest Damage Research Articles

Population differentiation and intraspecific genetic admixture in two Eucryptorrhynchus weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) across northern China.

Increasing damage of pests in agriculture and forestry can arise both as a consequence of changes in local species and through the introduction of alien species. In this study, we used population genetics approaches to examine population processes of two pests of the tree‐of‐heaven trunk weevil (TTW), Eucryptorrhynchus brandti (Harold) and the tree‐of‐heaven root weevil (TRW), E. scrobiculatus (Motschulsky) on the tree‐of‐heaven across their native range of China. We analyzed the population genetics of the two weevils based on ten highly polymorphic microsatellite markers. Population genetic diversity analysis showed strong population differentiation among populations of each species, with F ST ranges from 0.0197 to 0.6650 and from −0.0724 to 0.6845, respectively. Populations from the same geographic areas can be divided into different genetic clusters, and the same genetic cluster contained populations from different geographic populations, pointing to dispersal of the weevils possibly being human‐mediated. Redundancy analysis showed that the independent effects of environment and geography could account for 93.94% and 29.70% of the explained genetic variance in TTW, and 41.90% and 55.73% of the explained genetic variance in TRW, respectively, indicating possible impacts of local climates on population genetic differentiation. Our study helps to uncover population genetic processes of these local pest species with relevance to control methods.

Effect of lime fertilizer on reducing the larvae harmfulness of the beetles of the Elateridae family and sunflower productivity

The article presents the research results on the effect of lime mud (lime fertilizer from sugar beet waste during processing) in doses of 3.9 and 5.9 t/ha on the yield and infestation of sunflower sowings with the beetle larvae of the Elateridae family. We carried out the research in 2016-2018 at V.S. Pustovoit All-Russian Research Institute of Oil Crops (Krasnodar, Russia). We established that lime mud applied 30 days before crop planting resulted in a significant decrease of wireworm population from 15-21 to 6-10 specimens/m2. Recording of plant density at the stage of full sprouts showed considerable thinning of sowings due to pest damage; in the control variant, it reached up to 80 % whereas plant death under fertilizer application at the doses of 3.9 and 5.9 t/ha was 42 and 32 %, respectively. The application of lime mud at a dose of 3.9 t/ha resulted in the highest increase in yield - 0.58 t/ha. The oil content of sunflower seeds in the experiment was 48.9-52.1 % but we noted the decrease of this indicator in the variant with the lime mud at a dose of 3.9 t/ha. Oil acid value was at the same level in both variants (3.9 and 5.9 t/ha) of lime application and reached 1.5 mg KOH.

Retrieving the Infected Area of Pine Wilt Disease-Disturbed Pine Forests from Medium-Resolution Satellite Images Using the Stochastic Radiative Transfer Theory

Pine wilt disease (PWD) is a global destructive threat to forests which has been widely spread and has caused severe tree mortality all over the world. It is important to establish an effective method for forest managers to detect the infected area in a large region. Remote sensing is a feasible tool to detect PWD, but the traditional empirical methods lack the ability to explain the signals and can hardly be extended to large scales. The studies using physically-based models either ignore the within-canopy heterogeneity or rely too much on prior knowledge. In this study, we propose an approach to retrieve PWD infected areas from medium-resolution satellite images of two phases based on the simulations of an extended stochastic radiative transfer model for forests infected by pests (SRTP). A small amount of prior knowledge was used, and a change of background soil was considered in this approach. The performance was evaluated in different study sites. The inversion method performs best in the three-dimensional model LESS simulation sample plots (R2 = 0.88, RMSE = 0.059), and the inversion accuracy decreases in the real forest sample plots. For Jiangxi masson pine stand with large coverage and serious damage, R2 = 0.57, RMSE = 0.074; and for Shandong black pine stand with sparse and a small number of single plant damage, R2 = 0.48, RMSE = 0.063. This study indicates that the SRTP model is more feasible for pest damage inversion over different regions compared with empirical methods. The stochastic radiative transfer theory provides a potential approach for future monitoring of terrestrial vegetation parameters.

Perennial flower strips in apple orchards promote natural enemies in their proximity

Apple production across Europe is experiencing major yield losses due to pest damage, and the need for alternative production methods are growing. Ecological infrastructures are important to create resilient production systems and increase functional biodiversity. This study investigated perennial flower strips as a means of promoting natural enemies, thereby reducing infestation by the rosy apple aphid, Dysaphis plantaginea, and fruit damage caused by it. In 2016 and 2017, effects of perennial flower strips were assessed in eight organic apple orchards with and without flower strips. In orchards with flower strips, assessments were done in tree rows at two distances: 1st and 3rd row from the flower strip. Assessments included field samples of arthropods, visual observations of D. plantaginea symptoms and observations of predators, observations of predators directly associated with aphid colonies, and fruit damage. In 2016, significantly more symptoms of D. plantaginea were observed in the 3rd row from the flower strip compared to the 1st row from the flower strip. Both years, more predators were observed in the 1st row from the flower strip than in the 3rd row from the flower strip. In 2017, more predators were observed in orchards with a flower strip than in orchards with no flower strip, and more predators were observed inside the aphid colonies in trees in the 1st row from the flower strip than in the 3rd row from the flower strip. Predator diversity in apple trees was also positively affected by proximity to a flower strip. In conclusion, perennial flower strips consistently promote the occurrence of natural enemies in their proximity, while the effect decreases with distance. The correlation between aphid abundance and predators was not always consistent, likely because the majority of the observed predators were generalists and therefore contributing to the natural regulation of the entire herbivore complex in the apple orchards.

Insect pest damage increases faba bean (Vicia faba) yield components but only in the absence of insect pollination.

Identifying and quantifying crop stressors interactions in agroecosystems is necessary to guide sustainable crop management strategies. Over the last 50 years, faba bean cropping area has been declining, partly due to yield instabilities associated with uneven insect pollination and herbivory. Yet, the effect of interactions between pollinators and a key pest, the broad bean beetle Bruchus rufimanus (florivorous and seed predating herbivore) on faba bean yield has not been investigated. Using a factorial cage experiment in the field, we investigated how interactions between two hypothesized stressors, lack of insect pollination by bumblebees and herbivory by the broad bean beetle, affect faba bean yield. Lack of bumblebee pollination reduced bean weight per plant by 15%. Effects of the broad bean beetle differed between the individual plant and the plant‐stand level (i.e., when averaging individual plant level responses at the cage level), likely due to high variation in the level of herbivory among individual plants. At the individual plant level, herbivory increased several yield components but only in the absence of pollinators, possibly due to plant overcompensation and/or pollination by the broad bean beetle. At the plant‐stand level, we found no effect of the broad bean beetle on yield. However, there was a tendency for heavier individual bean weight with bumblebee pollination, but only in the absence of broad bean beetle herbivory, possibly due to a negative effect of the broad bean beetle on the proportion of legitimate flower visits by bumblebees. This is the first experimental evidence of interactive effects between bumblebees and the broad bean beetle on faba bean yield. Our preliminary findings of negative and indirect associations between the broad bean beetle and individual bean weight call for a better acknowledgment of these interactions in the field in order to understand drivers of crop yield variability in faba bean.

Management of Litchi Fruit and Shoot Borer (Conomorpha sinensis) in Three Litchi Varieties in Samtenling, Bhutan

In Bhutan, litchi production is constrained by insect pest damage. Among insect pests, the litchi fruit and shoot borer (Conopomorpha sinensis Bradley) is an emerging pest of economic importance in the subtropical regions of Bhutan. Up until now, there is documented research on its biology and management in Bhutan. Therefore, this study was undertaken to study the efficacy of two different management methods against litchi fruit borer infestation in three litchi varieties (Bhur litchi 1, Bhur litchi 2 & Hong houy). The management methods consisted of three treatments; T1-Azadirachtin followed by Imidacloprid, Azadirachtin and Cypermethrin; T2-Azadirachtin followed by Imidacloprid, Azadirachtin and Azadirachtin; T3-Untreated control. The result showed that the fruit infestation at harvest was significantly lower in management method T1 (34.74%) as compared to T2 (78.07%) and untreated control (89.98%). In terms of the variety, the lowest fruit infestation at harvest was observed for Hong houy (56.02%) as compared to Bhur Litchi 1 (73.28%) and Bhur Litchi 2 (73.45%). There were no significant differences in fruit drop percent and percent infestation of dropped fruits between the treatments and varieties tested. Heavy fruit drop was observed in the third week, due to unknown reasons, which then decreased over the fruit development stages. Fruit borer infestation seems to increase rapidly after the fifth and eighth weeks indicating that most of the fruit borer damage occurs at the fruit maturity stage after fruit colour break. Therefore, the last application of cypermethrin 10% EC at the fruit colour break stage was found necessary to reduce fruit infestation during this vulnerable pest infestation period besides scheduled application of Azadirachtin and Imidacloprid at the early fruit development period.

A modified method for mass production of generalist predatory edaphic mite Gaeolaelaps aculeifer as a candidate for biological control of the saffron corm mite

ABSTRACT Gaeolaelaps aculeifer (Canestrini) (Acari: Laelapidae) is an edaphic predator of several agricultural pests. Development of simple and low-cost innovative mass rearing techniques and the use of this predator to control soil pests have high importance. For the mass production of G. aculeifer, three growth environments were evaluated. Saffron corms and layered potatoes were used to feed mites, and the mixture of “cocopeat + perlite and saffron chaff” was used to maintain more moisture and to prepare the environment for more ventilation and more porosity, increase hiding places, and provide shelter for the predatory mites to lay eggs. In each treatment, 40 male and female adults of G. aculeifer were released. To feed the predators, approximately 500–800 bulb mites were added to each unit, weekly. The results showed a 27-fold increase in G. aculeifer populations within 30 days. After 60 days, the rate of predator population decreased. Saffron is an expensive plant with abundant benefits and diverse uses. The bulb mite Rhizoglyphus robini is a potentially serious pest damaging saffron corms. This method gives saffron growers the choice to improve the biological control of bulb mites in their saffron fields.

Mapping causal agents of disturbance in boreal and arctic ecosystems of North America using time series of Landsat data

The arctic and boreal biomes are changing as temperatures increase, including changes in the type, frequency, intensity, and seasonality of disturbances. However, our understanding of the frequency, extent, and causes of disturbance events remains incomplete. Disturbances such as fire, forest harvest, drought, wind, flooding, and insects and pathogens occur at different frequencies and severities, posing challenges to characterize and assess them under a single framework. We used the Continuous Change Detection and Classification (CCDC) algorithm on all available Landsat observations from 1984 to 2014 to detect land cover and land condition change. We mapped the following causes of disturbances annually across the study domain of NASA's Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE): fire, logging, and pest damage. Differences between Landsat Tasseled Cap (TC) values pre- and post-disturbance were used in a random forest classifier to map causal agents. For forested ecosystems, we mapped causal agents including fire, insect, and logging. In areas that were not forest before disturbance, only the fire class was mapped. The result shows that multidimensional spectral-temporal change information is useful for mapping the causes of disturbance in arctic and boreal biomes. We employed two rounds of post-processing and used the information obtained from the comparison between the map and reference data to improve the final map. The user's and producer's accuracies of an aggregated disturbance map were 94.6% (± 2.37%) and 89.3% (± 21.78%) (95% confidence intervals in parenthesis). When evaluating the causal agents, insect damage was found the most challenging to map and validate. We estimated that 10.8% of the ABoVE core domain was disturbed between 1987 and 2012, with a margin of error of 0.5% at the 95% confidence level. Rates of disturbance due to logging remained constant over time, while fires were more episodic, and insect damage was highest between 2005 and 2010. Overall, fires affected 8.8% of the study area, while logging was 1.4% and insect damage 0.6%. Our maps indicate that pest damage became a significant issue after 2000, but it was more severe for forest ecosystems in Western Canada than in Alaska.

Estimation of nutritional postharvest losses along food value chains: A case study of three key food security commodities in sub-Saharan Africa

Postharvest losses (PHLs) amplify food insecurity and reduce the amount of nutrients available to vulnerable populations, especially in the world's Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs). However, little is known about nutrient loss at the various postharvest stages. The objective of our study was to develop a methodology and a tool to estimate nutritional postharvest losses (NPHLs) along food value chains for three distinct food commodities in sub-Saharan Africa. The study used a combination of literature, laboratory and field data to investigate NPHLs caused by both changes in quantity and quality of food material (quantitative and qualitative NPHLs, respectively). The method can be expanded to various other food value chains. A user-friendly predictive tool was developed for case studies involving maize and cowpea in Zimbabwe, and for sweet potato in Uganda. Quantitative and qualitative NPHLs were combined and converted into predicted nutrient loss and nutritional requirement lost due to postharvest losses. The number of people who may not meet their daily nutritional needs, as a result of the food and nutrient losses at country level, was estimated. The estimates consider nutritionally vulnerable groups such as children under five years and pregnant women. The nutrient density of the harvested food material, the level of food production, the postharvest stages along the food value chain, the levels of pest damage along the value chain, and the susceptibility of the nutrients to degradation e.g. during storage, are all important factors that affect NPHLs. Our modelling work suggests that reducing PHLs along food value chains could significantly improve access to nutritious food for populations in LMICs.

Management of Date Palm Pests: Lack of Commercial Input

According to Statista, the global date market was valued at about $13.4 billion in 2019 and is forecast to reach $16.25 billion by 2025. However, this valuable crop is threatened by numerous pests. In fact, the date palm is associated with 132 species of insect and mite pests, which feed on the leaves, roots, trunk, and fruits on the palm, as well as stored dates. The most economically important pests include the red palm weevil, (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus), old world date mite (Oligonychus afrasiaticus), lesser date moth (Batrachedra amydraula), Dubas date bug (Ommatissus lybicus), green pit scale (Palmaspis phoenicis), carob moth (Ectomyelois ceratoniae), date palm longhorn beetle (Jebusaea hammerschmidti) and almond moth (Cadra castellan). It has been estimated that effective curative approaches for red palm weevil infestations alone could result in savings as high as $104 million. Several research groups are working to find effective solutions to control these pests, but as yet no commercial biocontrol products are registered or available for curative control of the palm beetle and larvae. Therefore, a more robust Integrated Pest Management(IPM) system is needed to reduce the pest damage. Commercial formulations include root treatments, insecticide-based capsules that are injected into the trunk, or foliage/fruit sprays. However, chemical insecticides should not be the only solution to the management of date palm pests, especially those concealed inside the trunk or beneath palm tissues, making them difficult to target. This is primarily because chemical insecticides frequently just kill the target pest's natural enemies, while the pests themselves remain protected within the date palm. Several approaches are used but it has also been shown that resistance against a range of commonly used chemical insecticides (profenophos, imidacloprid, chlorpyrifos, cypermethrin, deltamethrin, spinosad, lambda-cyhalothrin, phosphine) develops after extensive use. Resistance ratios as high as 79-fold have been reported, compared with susceptible control pests. Researchers have reported significantly improved populations of natural enemies of target pests in date palm plantations when chemical insecticide use is reduced. Around 90 species of beneficial predators and parasitoids have so far been reported, suggesting that biological control with microbials could be incorporated into a synchronised IPM programme.

Modeling solar-induced fluorescence of forest with heterogeneous distribution of damaged foliage by extending the stochastic radiative transfer theory

Solar Induced chlorophyll Fluorescence (SIF) has been used as a novel proxy of photosynthetic activity, which carries information about plant physiological state from the remote sensing observations. It is of great interest and potential to use SIF to detect forest stresses, but the approach requires accurate modeling of the SIF emission within stressed forests. However, the existing radiative transfer approaches of SIF generally ignore the within-crown heterogeneity caused by pests. To account for within-canopy scattering with both high accuracy and efficiency, FluorESRT was proposed as a new model for simulating the SIF of forests with heterogeneous distribution of damaged foliage, which was the synergy of the SIF radiative transfer and the Stochastic Radiative Transfer (SRT) model for forest with vertical distribution of damage. The performance of FluorESRT for both homogeneous and heterogeneous cases were well validated not only by the one-dimensional (1D) model SCOPE but also by the three-dimensional (3D) model DART. As an analytically simple approach, FluorESRT can evaluate the sensitivity of canopy SIF and apparent reflectance to the level of pest damage. The impact of structural properties of damaged foliage on canopy fluorescence, as well as the response of hyperspectral signals on the pest damage was analyzed. According to our study, hyperspectral vegetation indices with the consideration of SIF showed higher sensitivity to pest damage in the early stage when the response of broad band vegetation indices was hardly detectable. The results indicated that the potential of FluorESRT to simulate SIF and hyperspectral apparent reflectance should play a critical role in early monitoring of pest damage.

Weight Gain of Spodoptera frugiperda Larvae (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on Leaf and Floral Tissues of Silphium integrifolium (Asterales: Asteraceae) Differs by Plant Genotype.

Silflower (Silphium integrifolium (Michaux)) is a native North American relative of sunflower that is undergoing domestication as a perennial oilseed crop. As silflower incurs pest damage from multiple insect species, it is necessary to screen genotypes for their effect on insect performance such that more pest tolerant/resistant accessions can be incorporated into future silflower breeding programs. We present a bioassay protocol for silflower using the generalist herbivore fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith)). In this study, fall armyworm larvae were placed on leaf and flower tissue from eleven silflower genotypes, one cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum (L.) (Asterales: Asteraceae)) genotype, and an inbred sunflower line (Helianthus annuus (L.) (Asterales: Asteraceae), HA89). Caterpillar weight gained during a 4-d feeding period significantly differed on leaf and floral tissue from different silflower genotypes, between the Silphium species (silflower and cup plant), and between Silphium genotypes and annual sunflower. Two wild silflower genotypes produced lower larval weight gain on both the floral and leaf tissue than all other genotypes, suggesting these genotypes have either lower nutrition or greater resistance to fall armyworm. However, nonsignificant correlations between larval growth on floral versus leaf tissue across all plant species tested and among all silflower accessions suggest insect performances on these tissue types in silflower are independent. Along with identifying germplasm of interest for silflower breeding programs, we established an easily replicable bioassay protocol using fall armyworm on silflower floral and leaf tissues.

Occurrence and distribution of lace bug, whitefly, and shoot fly pest species on cassava (Manihot esculenta) crops according to region in Paraná State, Brazil

The cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) crop is relevant for human livelihoods, particularly in poorer regions. It is consumed fresh or as industrialized flour, and the roots and aerial parts are also used to feed livestock. Pests may limit cassava production, which may endanger food security due to the socioeconomic importance of the crop. Reports of the occurrence of three insect guilds, lace bugs, shoot flies, and whiteflies have been recorded in Paraná State, Brazil, but the distinct species and their distribution are yet to be determined. This lack of information limits the development of strategies to mitigate pest damage. Surveys were conducted in 39 counties (four farms per county) distributed throughout the state that encompass the various socioeconomic regions. The collected material was properly packed and sent to the laboratory for identification, and the following species were identified: lace bugs Vatiga illudens Drake, 1922 and Vatiga manihotae Drake, 1922 (both Hemiptera: Tingidae); whiteflies Bemisia tuberculata (Bondar, 1923) and Aleurothrixus aepim (Goeldi, 1886) (both Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), and the cassava shoot fly Neosilba perezi Romero & Ruppel, 1973 (Diptera: Lonchaeidae) in Paraná State. Lace bugs were not found in the samples in the eastern and southern portions of the state. V. illudens was more widespread than V. manihotae. The whitefly A. aepim was not observed in three counties (eastern, southern, and central regions), whereas B. tuberculata and the cassava shoot fly were found in all regions sampled in Paraná State. Suggestions for future investigations of pest management are proposed.

Correlation-Based Network Analysis of the Influence of Bemisia tabaci Feeding on Photosynthesis and Foliar Sugar and Starch Composition in Soybean

Simple SummaryBemisia tabaci affects plant performance by feeding directly from its energy sources, making it difficult to quantify crop damage, which is indirectly assessed through losses in productivity. The goal of this study was to characterize the influence of B. tabaci feeding on soybean, an economically valuable crop, and attempt to identify the optimal parameter for direct quantification of crop damage. A correlation network was created to extract biological interactions between the plant and B. tabaci nymphs at different densities and plant stages. Nymphs were more abundant during the vegetative stage, and a strong correlation between the density of nymphs and starch and fructose content was observed. The photosynthetic parameter turn-over number N was positively correlated with nymph density at a low-infestation level and negatively correlated with nymphs when they occur at a high infestation level. This association between nymph density and N may allow for development of a ranking scale to predict pest density, representing a useful tool for evaluating the potential impact of B. tabaci on soybean, especially in large areas, where nymph monitoring can be time-consuming.Bemisia tabaci (MEAM1) represents a species of economic importance in soybean. One of the obstacles to the management of B. tabaci is the quantification of damage by the pest because damage is indirectly inferred through losses in productivity. The objective of this study was to characterize the influence of B. tabaci feeding on soybean by assessing effects on photosynthetic parameters and the sugar and starch content of soybean leaves. The goal was to identify the optimal parameter to directly quantify pest damage on crop yield. Correlation networks were created among data on sugar content (fructose, glucose, and sucrose), starch and photosynthetic parameters (initial fluorescence, performance index on absorption basis, and turn-over number), and the number of nymphs at each of three infestations level (low, medium, and high) during both the vegetative and reproductive stage of the crop. In general, nymphs were more abundant during the vegetative stage. Starch content was strongly correlated with nymph density. A strong positive correlation was observed between fructose and nymph density during the vegetative stage. Among the photosynthetic parameters, the turn-over number N was positively correlated with nymph density at a low-infestation level and negatively correlated with nymphs when they occurred at a high-infestation level. B. tabaci feeding affected the plant’s physiology and its interaction is reflected in part by the relationships among photosynthetic parameters as well as the levels of sugars and starch. This understanding might be useful in developing better monitoring tools for pest management.

Population dynamics of important insect pests of Black gram and their correlation with abiotic factors

Black gram is an important pulse crop, which observes 30-50 % losses in yield due to insect pest damage. It is crucial to understand the spectrum of pest damaging it in field, and their response to the prevailing environmental conditions. Population dynamics of important insect pests and their correlation with abiotic factors was studied at CCS HAU, Hisar during kharif 2020. The study was carried out from July, 2020 i.e., 30th standard meteorological week (SMW) to October 2020 (39th standard meteorological week). Insect pests whose infestation was recorded during this period includes Bemisia tabaci, Empoasca kerri, Clavigralla gibbosa, Riptortus pedestris, Maruca vitrata and Trichoplusia ni. No infestation of Helicoverpa armigera and Spodoptera litura was recorded. Natural enemies like Coccinella septumpuctata and spiders were also observed. Out of these, whitefly was observed as most important insect pest causing significant damage to crop. Whitefly incidence commenced in 30th-SMW (19.70 adult/cage) and continued till 39th-SMW (13.35 adult/cage) with its peak population in 31st-SMW (41.75 adult/cage). Rainfall was recorded to be the major factor affecting the population of whitefly adult as significant and negative correlation was reported between the two (r = -0.682*). Further highly significant and negative correlation was observed between spotted pod borer larvae and wind speed (r = -0.792**). This study provides basic understanding about the range of pests damaging crop, and their behavior towards various abiotic factors.

Effect of companion cropping on pest damage and natural enemy activity in mustard ecosystem

Effect of companion cropping on pest damage and natural enemy activity in mustard ecosystem

Pests associated with two brassicaceous oilseeds and a cover crop mix under evaluation as fallow replacements in dryland production systems of the northern Great Plains

Abstract Identifying pests associated with novel crops is important for forecasting impacts on their production and determining if they could be reservoirs of pests moving over onto cash crops. We carried out preliminary pest surveys in two bioenergy crops, carinata (Brassica carinata Alexander Braun (Brassicaceae)) and camelina (Camelina sativa (Linnaeus) Crantz (Brassicaceae)), and a cover crop mix under evaluation to replace fallow in rotations with wheat. Insect pests were sampled in each of the three crops over two years. Crucifer flea beetles, Phyllotreta cruciferae Goeze (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), dominated the pest complex associated with carinata and the cover crop mix, comprising more than 70% of the insects sampled. In contrast, the pest complex associated with camelina was dominated (40–91%) by generalist Lygus spp. (Heteroptera: Miridae). Crucifer flea beetles were 200–1000 times more abundant in carinata than in camelina, suggesting that they could be a serious pest of carinata. Camelina, in contrast, appears less likely to be attacked by, or serve as a reservoir for, crucifer flea beetles. Future work to assess feeding damage and population buildup of pests in these crops is needed to determine impacts on their production and the extent to which they may be reservoirs of canola pests over broader spatial scales.

Development and evaluation of a non-chemical pest management system for bitter gourd with emphasis on fruit fly

Some non-chemical pest management modules against fruit fly on bitter gourd were developed by incorporating natural components like plant fractions, barrier and trap crop, plant diversity, biopesticide, bait-traps, straw mulch, phytosanitation etc. and tried against the pest. The components of the modules effectively checked the infestation and damage of the important pests like fruit fly (8.8 - 9.2% infested fruit), white fly (0.3 - 0.7/leaf), jassid (1.1 - 1.4/leaf), aphid (3.2 - 3.7/leaf), thrips (1.4 - 1.8/leaf), leaf webber (6.2 -10.0% infested plant), red pumpkin beetle (0.5 - 0.7/plant) and epilachna (1.1 - 1.5/plant) and registered good yields. Results showed that the non-chemical modules effectively checked the growth and development of the pest populations and their subsequent damage. They were also cost-effective and safe to natural enemies and pollinators.

Multiclass Image Classification of Sugarcane Insect Pest Damage Using Deep Convolutional Networks Based on Transfer Learning

Multiclass Image Classification of Sugarcane Insect Pest Damage Using Deep Convolutional Networks Based on Transfer Learning

Multiclass Image Classification of Sugarcane Insect Pest Damage Using Deep Convolutional Networks Based on Transfer Learning

Multiclass Image Classification of Sugarcane Insect Pest Damage Using Deep Convolutional Networks Based on Transfer Learning