Plant Insect Research Articles

Application of deep ensemble learning for palm disease detection in smart agriculture

Agriculture has notably become one of the fields experiencing intensive digital transformation. Leveraging state-of-the-art techniques in this domain has provided numerous advantages for agricultural activities. Deep learning (DL) algorithms have proven beneficial in addressing various agricultural challenges. This study presents a comprehensive investigation into applying DL models for palm disease detection and classification in the context of smart agriculture. The research aims to address the limitations observed in previous studies and improve the robustness and generalizability of the results. To achieve this, a two-stage optimization methodology is employed. First, transfer learning and fine-tuning techniques are applied using various pre-trained deep neural network models. The experiments show promising results, with all models achieving high accuracy rates during training and validation. Furthermore, their performance on unseen test data is also assessed to ensure practical applicability. The top-performing models are MobileNetV2 (92.48 %), ResNet (92.42 %), ResNetRS50 (92.30 %), and DenseNet121 (92.01 %). Second, a deep ensemble learning approach is applied to enhance the models' generalization capability further. The best-performing models with different criteria are combined using the ensemble technique, resulting in remarkable improvements in disease detection tasks. DELM1 emerges as the most successful ensemble model, achieving an ROC AUC Score of 99 %. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of deep ensemble learning models in palm disease detection and classification for smart agriculture applications. The findings contribute to advancing disease detection systems and emphasize the potential of ensemble learning. The study provides valuable insights for future research, guiding the application of DL techniques to address critical agricultural challenges and improve crop health monitoring systems. Another contribution is combining various plant diseases and insect pest classes using diverse datasets. A comprehensive classification system is achieved by considering different disease classes and stages within the white scale category, improving the model's robustness.

Diversity, Stability, and the Forecast Challenge in Forest Lepidopteran Predictive Ecology: Are Multi-Scale Plant–Insect Interactions the Key to Increased Forecast Precision?

I report on long-term patterns of outbreak cycling in four study systems across Canada and illustrate how forecasting in these systems is highly imprecise because of complexity in the cycling and a lack of spatial synchrony amongst sample locations. I describe how a range of bottom-up effects could be generating complexity in these otherwise periodic systems. (1) The spruce budworm in Québec exhibits aperiodic and asynchronous behavior at fast time-scales, and a slow modulation of cycle peak intensity that varies regionally. (2) The forest tent caterpillar across Canada exhibits eruptive spiking behavior that is aperiodic locally, and asynchronous amongst regions, yet aggregates to produce a pattern of periodic outbreaks. In Québec, forest tent caterpillar cycles differ in the aspen-dominated northwest versus the maple-dominated southeast, with opposing patterns of cycle intensity between the two regions. (3) In Alberta, forest tent caterpillar outbreak cycles resist synchronization across a forest landscape gradient, even at very fine spatial scales, resulting in a complex pattern of cycling that defies simple forecasting techniques. (4) In the Border Lakes region of Ontario and Minnesota, where the two insect species coexist in a mixedwood landscape of hardwood and conifers, outbreak cycle intensity in each species varies spatially and temporally in response to host forest landscape structure. Much attention has been given to the effect of top-down agents in driving synchronizable population cycles. However, foliage loss, tree death, and forest succession at stem, stand, and landscape scales affect larval and adult dispersal success, and may serve to override regulatory processes that cause otherwise top-down-driven periodic, synchronized, and predictable population oscillations to become aperiodic, asynchronous, and unpredictable. Incorporating bottom-up effects at multiple spatial and temporal scales may be the key to making significant improvements in forest insect outbreak forecasting.

Aspects of the ecology of Leporinus striatus Kner 1858 as a support for its conservation in a Federal Conservation Unit

This work describes aspects of the ecology and feeding of Leporinus striatus to fill the gap in information about the species in Brazilian rivers. The study area is in the Ipanema National Forest, Iperó/São Paulo, with the Ipanema River as the place where the specimens were collected in its middle and lower reaches. The size ranged from class 9.0 - 9.5 cm to class 11.5 - 12.0 cm, with females being found in all classes. Class 10 - 10.5 was the one with the highest relative frequency, with males being most abundant in the 9.5-10.0 cm length class and females in the 10-10.5 cm length class. The species' diet was composed of autochthonous species, with the most frequent items being insect fragments and plant material. Based on this information, the species was classified as omnivorous. Underwater observations made it possible to verify that the species is gregarious, inhabiting the water column between midwater and the bottom, preferring stretches with currents and rocky substrate. It performs foraging by leaning its body close to the substrate and biting food on solid surfaces. Small groups made up of at least six individuals shared the areas between rocks and branches. We conclude that, to guarantee the preservation of the species, it is crucial to recognize the significant role played by Conservation Units. However, given the aquatic nature of the species studied, its life cycle is intrinsically linked to stretches that extend beyond the limits of the UC. Additionally, the ecological analyses presented in this study reveal that the species relies on the preservation of a healthy river environment that transcends the boundaries of the conversational unit.

Integrated vegetation management within electrical transmission landscapes promotes floral resource and flower-visiting insect diversity.

Electrical transmission rights-of-way are ubiquitous and critical infrastructure across the landscape. Active vegetation management of these rights-of-way, a necessity to deliver electricity more safely, maintains these landscape features as stages of early successional habitat, a rarity in many regions, making these areas viable movement corridors for many taxa. The goals of this study were to (i) evaluate the effects of different electrical transmission landscape management practices on flowering plant and flower-visiting insect diversity parameters and (ii) generate conservation management inferences for these landscapes. In this study we tested the impact of three vegetation management levels across 18 electrical transmission sites. We evaluated the effects of treatment on bloom abundance and species richness as well as flower-visiting insect abundance and family richness. We identified 76541 flowers/inflorescences across 456 transects, including 188 species in 56 plant families. Additionally, we obtained data on 11361 flower-visitoring insects representing 33 families from 2376 pan trap sets. High vegetation management favored the reduction of coarse woody debris in the sites and harbored the highest level of abundance and richness of both floral resources and flower-visiting insects. We discuss that we can align social and ecological values of rights-of-way, ensuring their sustainability by applying regular and targeted integrated vegetation management. Thus, we can use rights-of-way landscapes not only as an effective management strategy for the delivery of essential human services, but also to provide conservation benefits for wild pollinators.

The quantity of deposited environmental DNA in plant–arthropod interactions depends on taxon, abundance and interaction time

Abstract Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding holds great promise as a simple and efficient tool to detect plant–insect interactions. However, the influence of both abiotic and biotic factors on eDNA deposition in these interactions is not well understood. It especially remains to be tested how much eDNA abundances reflect the frequency or intensity of interactions between insects and plants. We experimentally analysed the quantitative deposition of eDNA from three insect species (the southern green stink bug Nezara viridula, the mustard beetle Phaedon cochleariae and the fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda) on leaves of two host plants of varying attractiveness: savoy cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. sabauda, preferred host) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum, less preferred host). We tested for the effects of insect taxonomy, host plant, exposure time and abundances of interacting insects on the plant material. Our data show a clear quantitative ecological signal in eDNA deposition. Insect abundance and interaction time are reflected in the amount of deposited eDNA. Moreover, significantly more eDNA was deposited on cabbage, the preferred host plant. Besides these ecological drivers, a very strong taxonomic eDNA deposition bias between different insect taxa was observed. eDNA detection is strongly influenced by the ecological interactions of the targeted taxa, highlighting the utility of the tool to specifically detect trophic interactions between plants and arthropods. However, taxonomic biases in eDNA deposition preclude comparative analyses of interactions at the community level.

First Report of Impatiens Necrotic Spot Virus (INSV) Infecting Tomatoes in North Carolina.

Impatiens necrotic spot virus (INSV) (Orthotospovirus impatiensnecromaculae) is a virus in the Order Bunyavirales and Family Tospoviridae. The virus is vectored by several species of thrips and is a serious pathogen of ornamentals and lettuce in the United States (Hasegawa & Del Pozo-Valdivia 2023; Daughtrey, M. L., et al. 1997; Webster, C. G., et al. 2015). In January 2023, tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum,'Big Dena') with viral symptoms of reduced vigor, wilting, necrotic spots on leaves, and sunken lesions on the stem were observed in one greenhouse in Guilford County, North Carolina (NC) (Figure 1A-C). Disease incidence was low (2%), with only three symptomatic plants in the single greenhouse. Affected plants also had signs of thrips feeding (dead thrips, frass, and feeding scars) present across the whole plant (Figure 1D). Samples were submitted to the NC State Plant Disease and Insect Clinic and tested positive for INSV, but negative for TSWV, using Agdia ImmunoStrips®. RNA was extracted from symptomatic leaf tissue using the IBI Total RNA Mini kit (Plant), and complementary DNA (cDNA) was generated using the ThermoFisher Verso cDNA synthesis kit. A reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR with INSV nucleocapsid (N) primers (F:5'-ATGAACAAAGCAAAGATTACC-3' and R:5'- TTAAATAGAATCATTTTTCCC-3') was used to confirm INSV presence (Hassani-Mehraban et al. 2016). Full length N cDNA amplicon sequencing [GenBank No. PP658213] revealed 99.62% nucleotide identity to NCBI GenBank accessions KF926828 (orchid in California), MH453554.1 (hosta from NY), and MH453552.1 (foxglove from NY), all of which are INSV N sequences. The infected leaf samples were used to mechanically inoculate Emilia sonchifolia and tomato (cv.'Moneymaker') using standard virological methods. We successfully infected E. sonchifolia with INSV (confirmed with visual mosaic symptoms and positive INSV ImmunoStrip). However, mechanical inoculation of the tomato plants proved unsuccessful. Using the INSV infected E. sonchifolia leaves as an inoculum source, we generated a viruliferous Frankliniella occidentalis (Western flower thrips) cohort and challenged three week old tomatoes using thrips mediated inoculation (adapted from Aramburu et al. 2009 and Rotenberg et al., 2009). Twenty days post-inoculation, tomatoes with thrips feeding scars were symptomatic for INSV infection with chlorotic and necrotic spots, stunting, and reduced vigor. INSV infection of these tomato plants was verified with a positive INSV ImmunoStrip® result, two-step RT-PCR amplification of N, and Sanger sequencing of N. Samples from thrips-inoculated tomato plants did not test positive for TSWV. Sequence alignment showed that the recovered virus sequence was 99.85% identical to the original INSV sequence from the diagnostic sample (a single nucleotide difference). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first instance of INSV infecting tomato in NC production systems. Although TSWV is more common in vegetable production in NC (253 cases of TSWV compared to 1 case of INSV in vegetable crops based on NC State Plant Disease and Insect Clinic records since 2008), INSV incursion into tomato producing areas is concerning and should be closely monitored, especially at the transplant stage. This report also underscores the importance of using thrips vectors to transmit virus in screening for susceptibility to orthotospoviruses.

Densovirus infection facilitates plant-virus transmission by an aphid.

The interactions among plant viruses, insect vectors, and host plants have been well studied; however, the roles of insect viruses in this system have largely been neglected. We investigated the effects of MpnDV infection on aphid and PVY transmission using bioassays, RNA interference (RNAi), and GC-MS methods and green peach aphid (Myzus persicae (Sulzer)), potato virus Y (PVY), and densovirus (Myzus persicae nicotianae densovirus, MpnDV) as model systems. MpnDV increased the activities of its host, promoting population dispersal and leading to significant proliferation in tobacco plants by significantly enhancing the titer of the sesquiterpene (E)-β-farnesene (EβF) via up-regulation of expression levels of the MpFPPS1 gene. The proliferation and dispersal of MpnDV-positive individuals were faster than that of MpnDV-negative individuals in PVY-infected tobacco plants, which promoted the transmission of PVY. These results combined showed that an insect virus may facilitate the transmission of a plant virus by enhancing the locomotor activity and population proliferation of insect vectors. These findings provide novel opportunities for controlling insect vectors and plant viruses, which can be used in the development of novel management strategies.

English

Oilseed cultivation is the major source of energy that fulfills the cooking oil requirements of large masses across the globe. Mustard is one of the important members of the brassica family, which is attacked by an aphid, Lipaphis erysimi. This research investigated the field population fluctuations of L. erysimi on different mustard varieties for two growing years. L. erysimi population reached to peak (171.3 nymphs and 141.6 adults) in the Mustard-early variety in early March. Based on Mustard Resistance Index (MRI), the Mardan-Local variety is highly resistant having an Aphid Population Score (APS) and Leaf Damage (LD) of 1 with a pooled annual mean of 1.85 aphids. The varietal preference test results indicated that the highest L. erysimi (8.0 adults) were attracted to the Mustard-early variety while the least (2.80 adults) were attracted to Mardan-local. In the In-vitro bioassay, Lefenuron and Pyriproxyfen caused 100 and 70.4% mortality, respectively. In the field, synchronized experiment, Imidochloprid (control positive) and Lefenuron showed the highest mortalities (100%), respectively. The Pyriproxefen and Runner (Methoxyfenoxid) treated plots had caused 77 and 70.3% mortalities, respectively. The present research is the first attempt to investigate the synchronized effects of Host Plant Resistance and Insect Growth Regulators for the L. erysimi management in Mustard. It is concluded that Mardan-Local variety alongside lefenuron application provides an effective IPM for L. erysimi. These outcomes will help the farmers better understand and manage aphids; it will help the researcher to explore further management tools of Aphids in oilseed crops.

An improved YOLOv5-based apple leaf disease detection method

The effective identification of fruit tree leaf disease is of great practical significance to reduce pesticide spraying, improve fruit yield and realize ecological agriculture. Computer vision technology can be effectively identifying and prevent plant diseases and insect pests. However, the lack of consideration of disease diversity and accuracy of existing detection models hinders their application and development in the field of plant pest detection. This paper proposes an efficient detection model of apple leaf disease spot through the improvement of the traditional Yolov5 detection network called A-Net. In order to significantly increase the A-Net's detection speed and accuracy, the A-Net model applies the loss function Wise-IoU, which includes the attention mechanism and the dynamic focusing mechanism, to the Yolov5 network model. The RepVGG module is then used to replace the original model's convolution module. The experimental results show that the improved model effectively suppresses the growth of some error weights. Compared with several object detection models, the improved A-Net model has a Mean Average Precision across IoU threshold 0.5 and an accuracy of 92.7%, which fully proves that the improved A-Net model has more advantages in detecting apple leaf diseases.

Insect herbivory on ferns from a midland Atlantic Rainforest locality, southern Brazil: implications for interpreting fossil plant–insect interaction

ABSTRACT This work contains the results of fern–arthropod interactions from a midland Atlantic Rainforest locality and addresses the taphonomic, morphological and ecological implications of insect damage on ferns to interpret them on fossil plant assemblages. Six functional feeding groups – margin feeding, hole feeding, surface feeding, piercing and sucking, mining and galling – are present on the three fern species inhabiting the understory of an Araucaria Forest in the Atlantic Forest biome, southern Brazil. We recognised 19 damage types (DTs), including 14 arthropod-induced DTs, three of which are newly proposed herein. Five of the DTs found were first recorded on ferns. Of the DTs found, the proportion of guilds such as mining and galling shows a significant similarity with those of an upland locality. Products of arachnids and insect behaviour on ferns made up 25% of all fern–arthropod interactions in the midland locality, which included dead bodies and byproducts from processes of arthropod life cycle, which are unlikely to be preserved in the fossil record. This rate of arthropod products consists of significant evidence of interactions to unveil deep-time relationships between arthropods and plants. Lastly, leaf damage on living ferns is more frequent than those occurring in fossil plant assemblages.

Insects' perception and behavioral responses to plant semiochemicals.

Insect-plant interactions are shaped by the exchange of chemical cues called semiochemicals, which play a vital role in communication between organisms. Plants release a variety of volatile organic compounds in response to environmental cues, such as herbivore attacks. These compounds play a crucial role in mediating the interactions between plants and insects. This review provides an in-depth analysis of plant semiochemicals, encompassing their classification, current understanding of extraction, identification, and characterization using various analytical techniques, including gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and infrared (IR) spectroscopy. The article also delves into the manner in which insects perceive and respond to plant semiochemicals, as well as the impact of environmental factors on plant odor emission and insect orientation. Furthermore, it explores the underlying mechanisms by which insects perceive and interpret these chemical cues, and how this impacts their behavioral responses, including feeding habits, oviposition patterns, and mating behaviors. Additionally, the potential applications of plant semiochemicals in integrated pest management strategies are explored. This review provides insight into the intricate relationships between plants and insects mediated by semiochemicals, highlighting the significance of continued research in this field to better understand and leverage these interactions for effective pest control.

Exploring the Role of Chitosan: A Natural Solution for Plant Disease and Insect Management

Exploring the Role of Chitosan: A Natural Solution for Plant Disease and Insect Management

Smartphone-Based Citizen Science Tool for Plant Disease and Insect Pest Detection Using Artificial Intelligence

In recent years, the integration of smartphone technology with novel sensing technologies, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Deep Learning (DL) algorithms has revolutionized crop pest and disease surveillance. Efficient and accurate diagnosis is crucial to mitigate substantial economic losses in agriculture caused by diseases and pests. An innovative Apple® and Android™ mobile application for citizen science has been developed, to enable real-time detection and identification of plant leaf diseases and pests, minimizing their impact on horticulture, viticulture, and olive cultivation. Leveraging DL algorithms, this application facilitates efficient data collection on crop pests and diseases, supporting crop yield protection and cost reduction in alignment with the Green Deal goal for 2030 by reducing pesticide use. The proposed citizen science tool involves all Farm to Fork stakeholders and farm citizens in minimizing damage to plant health by insect and fungal diseases. It utilizes comprehensive datasets, including images of various diseases and insects, within a robust Decision Support System (DSS) where DL models operate. The DSS connects directly with users, allowing them to upload crop pest data via the mobile application, providing data-driven support and information. The application stands out for its scalability and interoperability, enabling the continuous integration of new data to enhance its capabilities. It supports AI-based imaging analysis of quarantine pests, invasive alien species, and emerging and native pests, thereby aiding post-border surveillance programs. The mobile application, developed using a Python-based REST API, PostgreSQL, and Keycloak, has been field-tested, demonstrating its effectiveness in real-world agriculture scenarios, such as detecting Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) infestation in tomato cultivations. The outcomes of this study in T. absoluta detection serve as a showcase scenario for the proposed citizen science tool’s applicability and usability, demonstrating a 70.2% accuracy (mAP50) utilizing advanced DL models. Notably, during field testing, the model achieved detection confidence levels of up to 87%, enhancing pest management practices.

Biocontrol potential of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria against plant disease and insect pest.

Biological control is a promising approach to enhance pathogen and pest control to ensure high productivity in cash crop production. Therefore, PGPR biofertilizers are very suitable for application in the cultivation of tea plants (Camellia sinensis) and tobacco, but it is rarely reported so far. In this study, production of a consortium of three strains of PGPR were applied to tobacco and tea plants. The results demonstrated that plants treated with PGPR exhibited enhanced resistance against the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae (PstDC3000). The significant effect in improving the plant's ability to resist pathogen invasion was verified through measurements of oxygen activity, bacterial colony counts, and expression levels of resistance-related genes (NPR1, PR1, JAZ1, POD etc.). Moreover, the application of PGPR in the tea plantation showed significantly reduced population occurrences of tea green leafhoppers (Empoasca onukii Matsuda), tea thrips (Thysanoptera:Thripidae), Aleurocanthus spiniferus (Quaintanca) and alleviated anthracnose disease in tea seedlings. Therefore, PGPR biofertilizers may serve as a viable biological control method to improve tobacco and tea plant yield and quality. Our findings revealed part of the mechanism by which PGPR helped improve plant biostresses resistance, enabling better application in agricultural production.

Anatomical Changes during Chestnut (Castanea mollissima BL.) Gall Development Stages Induced by the Gall Wasp Dryocosmus kuriphilus (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae).

This study delved into the larval development and the morphological and anatomical transformations that occur in the galls of chestnut trees (Castanea mollissima BL.) and are induced by the chestnut gall wasp Dryocosmus kuriphilus Yasumatsu (GWDK) across various stages: initial, growth, differentiation, maturity, and lignification. Chestnut galls in the five development stages were collected. Gall structural characteristics were observed with an anatomical stereomicroscope, and anatomical changes in galls were analyzed with staining and scanning electron microscope techniques. The chestnut gall wasp laid its eggs on young leaves and buds. Chestnut gall wasp parasitism caused plant tissues to form a gall chamber, with parenchyma, protective, and epidermal layers. The development of the gall structure caused by the infestation of the GWDK gall led to the weakening of the reactive oxygen species (ROS) elimination ability of the host. The accumulation of ROS led to cell wall peroxidation, resulting in structural damage and diminished host resistance, and the parenchyma layer exhibited significant nutrient supply and thickening. The thickness of the protective and epidermal layers varied notably across different growth stages. The oviposition of the chestnut gall wasp induced modifications in the original plant tissues, with gall formation being most favorable in young tissues, correlating with the maturity level of the host plant tissues. Variances in the internal structures of the galls primarily stemmed from nutrient supplementation, while those in the external structure were attributed to defensive characteristics. This research contributes a foundational understanding of gall development induced by the chestnut gall wasp in Chinese chestnut, offering valuable insights into the intricate interplay between insect infestation and plant physiology.

First report of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lactucae causing wilt on greenhouse-grown lettuce in North Carolina.

In August 2023, butterhead lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) presented wilting, chlorosis, and about 2 cm of reddish-tan internal discoloration in the crown from a commercial greenhouse in Orange County, North Carolina. Plant collapse beginning with the outer leaves near the soil surface was observed with 25% disease incidence. Symptomatic lettuce plants were submitted to North Carolina State University's Plant Disease and Insect Clinic. Vascular tissue from symptomatic crowns were cut into pieces, and surface-sterilized in 10% NaOCl for two minutes. The tissue was rinsed in sterile deionized water three times, blotted dry, and placed on acidified potato dextrose agar (APDA). Three isolates, each from a different symptomatic plant, were transferred to APDA and Spezieller Nährstoffarmer agar (SNA) with pieces of sterile filter paper on the surface of the SNA media and incubated for 14 days at 23°C in the dark. Each isolate produced micro and macroconidia consistent with the morphological description of Fusarium oxysporum Schlechtendahl emend. Snyder & Hansen (Leslie and Summerell 2006). DNA was extracted from 15-day-old fungal colonies grown on APDA media using the DNeasy Plant Mini Kit (Qiagen, Germantown, MD, U.S.A.). The intergenic spacer locus was amplified using two primer pairs, iNL11/CNSa and iCNS1/NLa, and sequences were aligned together to form a single contig (O'Donnell et al., 2009). Primers EF1/EF2 were used to amplify the elongation factor 1-alpha region (O'Donnell et al., 1998). Each isolate was deposited into GenBank with accession numbers PP216479, PP216480, PP216481, PP235836, PP235837, and PP235838. Individual isolates revealed a 100% query cover and identity match with sequences of F. oxysporum f. sp. lactucae (FOL) and >99% identity with F. oxysporum CBS 144134 type material accessions in GenBank using BLASTn. A comparison with previously described lettuce isolates showed a homologous match with FOL race 1 isolates from California (MH412701), Arizona (DQ837658), and Greece (OQ466116), and race 4 isolates from Italy (MK801787) and Spain (OP903519). Each isolate was verified as FOL using specific primers FLA0001F/FLA0001R for FOL based on sequence tagged site markers designed by Shimazu et al. (2005). To confirm Koch's postulates, fifteen 21-day-old lettuce cv. Red Tide plants were inoculated with FOL (isolate FOLNC_660). During transplanting, lettuce roots were submerged in a 1 × 105 conidia/mL suspension for five minutes, following an inoculation protocol from Schmale and Gordon (2003). The lettuce plants were placed separately in 8.9 × 8.3 cm pots containing potting soil and maintained in a greenhouse with 31°C daytime and 25°C nighttime temperature, relative humidity of 60%, and 12-hour photoperiod. After 15 days, 80% and 86.7% of infected plants exhibited wilting, chlorosis, and vascular discoloration. The fifteen control plants remained symptomless for both experimental runs. FOL was recovered from the vascular tissue of all symptomatic plants. To our knowledge, this constitutes the first report of FOL infecting lettuce in North Carolina. Fusarium wilt of lettuce has been reported in California (Hubbard and Gerik 1993), Arizona (Matheron and Koike 2003), and most recently in Florida (Murray et al., 2020). The presence of FOL in North Carolina may result in significant crop loss for commercial growers. One of the most effective management strategies is to plant lettuce cultivars that are resistant against FOL.

Genetic diversity of phytoplasmas associated with flavescence dorée at vineyard scale on the Ischia Island (Campania, Italy)

Flavescence dorée (FD) is the most important grapevine yellows, constituting a great threat in all major viticultural areas in Europe. The FD causal agent is an incidentally cited phytoplasma species termed ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma vitis’ (FDp), listed as a quarantine organism in Europe and mainly transmitted from vine to vine by the monophagous leafhopper Scaphoideus titanus. In the present study, the genetic variability of FDp identified in symptomatic plants located in a vineyard cv. Biancolella on the Ischia Island (Campania, Italy) was investigated. Our results unveiled for the first time the presence of FDp strains belonging to the subgroup 16SrV–C with a low genetic variability within map and rp genetic markers, reflecting an homogeneous genetic lineage of phytoplasma population examined in the present study. Phylogeny and nucleotide sequence analyses can also suggest the possible involvement of other insect vectors and plant hosts in the FD epidemiology on the Island. Further investigation to ascertain the presence of putative vectors and plant hosts representing inoculum sources should be carried out to reinforce the preliminary results obtained in the present study.

Sodium content in plant and insect food resources consumed by chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) in Gombe National Park, Tanzania.

Many nonhuman primate diets are dominated by plant foods, yet plant tissues are often poor sources of sodium-a necessary mineral for metabolism and health. Among primates, chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), which are ripe fruit specialists, consume diverse animal, and plant resources. Insects have been proposed as a source of dietary sodium for chimpanzees, yet published data on sodium values for specific foods are limited. We assayed plants and insects commonly eaten by chimpanzees to assess their relative value as sodium sources. We used atomic absorption spectroscopy to determine sodium content of key plant foods and insects consumed by chimpanzees of Gombe National Park, Tanzania. Dietary contributions of plant and insect foods were calculated using feeding observational data. On a dry matter basis, mean sodium value of plant foods (n = 83 samples; mean = 86 ppm, SD = 92 ppm) was significantly lower than insects (n = 12; mean = 1549 ppm, SD = 807 ppm) (Wilcoxon rank sum test: W = 975, p < 0.001). All plant values were below the suggested sodium requirement (2000 ppm) for captive primates. While values of assayed insects were variable, sodium content of two commonly consumed insect prey for Gombe chimpanzees (Macrotermes soldiers and Dorylus ants) were four to five times greater than the highest plant values and likely meet requirements. We conclude that plant foods available to Gombe chimpanzees are generally poor sources of sodium while insects are important, perhaps critical, sources of sodium for this population.

Ecotoxicity of Cadmium along the Soil-Cotton Plant-Cotton Bollworm System: Biotransfer, Trophic Accumulation, Plant Growth, Induction of Insect Detoxification Enzymes, and Immunocompetence.

Cadmium (Cd) is a hazardous element that may jeopardize environmental safety and human health through biotransfer and trophic accumulation. Here, we tested Cd toxicity on cotton plants, cotton bollworms, and their responses. Results demonstrated that Cd accumulated in plant roots, aerial parts, insect larvae, pupae, and frass in a dose-dependent pattern. The ∼9.35 mg kg-1 of Cd in plant aerial parts, ∼3.68 in larvae, ∼6.43 in pupae, and high transfer coefficient (∼5.59) indicate significant mobility. The ∼19.61 mg kg-1 of Cd in larvae frass suggests an effective detoxification strategy, while BAFcotton (∼1.14) and BAFworm (∼0.54) indicated low bioaccumulation. Cadmium exposure resulted in compromised plant growth and yield as well as alterations in photosynthetic pigment contents, antioxidant enzyme activities, and certain life history traits of cotton bollworms. Furthermore, carboxylesterase activity and encapsulation rates of insect larvae decreased with increasing Cd concentrations, whereas acetylcholinesterase, phenol oxidase, glutathione S-transferase, and multifunctional oxidase exhibited hormesis responses.

Review on Status of Tomato Leaf Miner and It’s Management Practices

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) is one of the most important edible and nutritious vegetable crops of the world. It is consumed as fresh table tomato and as raw material for food processing industries It grows both on a small and commercial large scale as cash crop. Tomato production is highly constrained by several factors including insect pests and disease. The most important insect pest that is constraining tomato production tomato leaf miner- Tuta absoluta (Meyrick). Tuta absoluta is one of the most devastating tomato leaf miner and it spreads extensively in almost all parts of the world. Tomato leaf miner is a pest of other Solanaceous crops in many vegetable crop growing areas around the world. It is a serious threat for tomato production and it results in highest damage. &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;T. absoluta&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt; has fast growth rate with developmental stages of egg, larvae, pupa, and adult and it adapts to different environmental conditions. A larva is the most destructive one that consumes preferably leaves stems and fruits of the tomato plant on which they develop creating mines and galleries. by hiding within mesophyll of the plant tissues. To control tuta absoluta focused on different environmental friendly approaches that inclusively termed as IPM strategies. These are cultural practices, biopesticides, and biological using parasitoids, predators, inheritance sterility development in insect and pest resistant plant cultivar production are considered as promising alternatives to control &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;T. absoluta&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;. Therefore, this review briefly describes the current status of these methods used to design suitable and sustainable management strategies against &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;T. absoluta&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;. The aim of this review paper is describing the status of the pest and its control methods.