Use Of Chemical Pesticides Research Articles

EFEKTIVITAS EKSTRAK TANAMAN HUTAN RAWA SEBAGAI BIOINSEKTISIDA DALAM MENGENDALIKAN Spodoptera litura F. PADA SKALA LABORATORIUM

To overcome the emergence of environmental pollution due to the control of pests and plant diseases from the use of chemical pesticides, preventive measures are needed by exploring the potential of endemic and non-endemic plants as the main ingredients for making organic insecticides. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of extracts from plant materials from Tanjung, Belimbing Wuluh, Jingah, Jelatang, Gambir, Ketapang, Kemang, and Pulai to be used as the main ingredients of insecticides to control the mortality of armyworm (Spodoptera litura F.) in vivo in the laboratory of Balai Penelitian Lahan Rawa. To obtain the purpose of this study, the data were analyzed by means of variance to determine the significance of the value of the treatment, if there were at least two pairs of different treatments, then it was continued with the mean difference test using the BNJ 5% model. The results showed that the 8 types of swamp plant extracts were effective in controlling armyworm pests because their mortality was above 60% in a period of ≤ 48 hours. The highest pest mortality occurred in the application of feed with Pulai plant extract, which was around 84.0% after 60 hours of application.

Bt maize can provide non-chemical pest control and enhance food safety in China.

China is the world's second-largest maize producer and consumer. In recent years, the invasive fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) has adversely affected maize productivity and compromised food security. To mitigate pest-inflicted food shortages, China's Government issued biosafety certificates for two genetically modified (GM) Bt maize hybrids, Bt-Cry1Ab DBN9936 and Bt-Cry1Ab/Cry2Aj Ruifeng 125, in 2019. Here, we quantitatively assess the impact of both Bt maize hybrids on pest feeding damage, crop yield and food safety throughout China's maize belt. Without a need to resort to synthetic insecticides, Bt maize could mitigate lepidopteran pest pressure by 61.9-97.3%, avoid yield loss by 16.4-21.3% (range -11.9-99.2%) and lower mycotoxin contamination by 85.5-95.5% as compared to the prevailing non-Bt hybrids. Yield loss avoidance varied considerably between experimental sites and years, as mediated by on-site infestation pressure and pest identity. For either seed mixtures or block refuge arrangements, pest pressure was kept below established thresholds at 90% Bt maize coverage in Yunnan (where S. frugiperda was the dominant species) and 70% Bt maize coverage in other sites dominated by Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) and Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenée). Drawing on experiences from other crop/pest systems, Bt maize in se can provide area-wide pest management and thus, contribute to a progressive phase-down of chemical pesticide use. Hence, when consciously paired with agroecological and biodiversity-based measures, GM insecticidal crops can ensure food and nutrition security, contribute to the sustainable intensification of China's agriculture and reduce food systems' environmental footprint.

Screening Winter Wheat Genotypes for Resistance Traits against Rhizoctonia cerealis and Rhizoctonia solani Infection

Rhizoctonia cerealis and Rhizoctonia solani are considered to be among the most harmful soil-borne pathogens for crop plants globally. The lack of effective protection and the requirement to minimize the use of chemical pesticides necessitate the need to develop alternative protective methods. One such method is resistance breeding against biotic and abiotic stresses. Here, we present studies on the presence of resistance traits in winter wheat genotypes that evaluate the plants’ resistance to the above two pathogens, in both field and laboratory environments. In the field environment, the incidence and severity of sharp eyespot were studied using 132 winter wheat cultivars, where random samples at the BBCH 75–77 were collected for analysis. The degree of the intensity of sharp eyespot was determined, applying the 0–4° scale. The susceptibility of the 132 cultivars of winter wheat to R. cerealis (AG-D subgroup I) and R. solani (AG-5) was also studied under laboratory conditions. In the laboratory, test pieces of potato dextrose agar colonized by the test isolates were placed onto filter paper soaked with distilled water and then placed into Petri dish. Infection on the roots, coleoptiles and leaves was then assessed after 15 days for R. cerealis and after 10 days for R. solani. None of the tested winter wheat genotypes were found to be asymptomatic to the pathogens. A moderate susceptibility was observed for such genotypes as Anthus, Baryton, Bellenus, Borderland Benatka, Blonde, Cubus, Estero, and Flairway. However, the classification of those associated with moderate susceptibility in laboratory tests resulted in severe symptoms in field tests. Hence, field experiments provide the most reliable measurements to determine the effects of pathogens on the plants.

Reduction of Mycotoxigenic Fungi Growth and Their Mycotoxin Production by Bacillus subtilis QST 713.

The use of chemical pesticides to control the occurrence of mycotoxigenic fungi in crops has led to environmental and human health issues, driving the agriculture sector to a more sustainable system. Biocontrol agents such as Bacillus strains and their antimicrobial metabolites have been proposed as alternatives to chemical pesticides. In the present work, a broth obtained from a commercial product containing Bacillus subtilis QST 713 was tested for its ability to inhibit the growth of mycotoxigenic fungi as well as reduce their mycotoxin production. Mass spectrometry analysis of Bacillus subtilis broth allowed to detect the presence of 14 different lipopeptides, belonging to the iturin, fengycin, and surfactin families, already known for their antifungal properties. Bacillus subtilis broth demonstrated to be a useful tool to inhibit the growth of some of the most important mycotoxigenic fungi such as Aspergillus flavus, Fusarium verticillioides, Fusarium graminearum, Aspergillus carbonarius, and Alternaria alternata. In addition, cell-free Bacillus subtilis broth provided the most promising results against the growth of Fusarium graminearum and Alternaria alternata, where the radial growth was reduced up to 86% with respect to the untreated test. With regard to the mycotoxin reduction, raw Bacillus subtilis broth completely inhibited the production of aflatoxin B1, deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, and tenuazonic acid. Cell-free broth provided promising inhibitory properties toward all of the target mycotoxins, even if the results were less promising than the corresponding raw broth. In conclusion, this work showed that a commercial Bacillus subtilis, characterized by the presence of different lipopeptides, was able to reduce the growth of the main mycotoxigenic fungi and inhibit the production of related mycotoxins.

Assessing climate change-related losses and damages and adaptation constraints to address them: Evidence from flood-prone riverine communities in Southern Nigeria

Rising evidence over the years reveal that reduction in greenhouse gases emission and adaptation to climate change effects have been unable to resolve the issue of climate change impacts, resulting to losses and damages. This has been attributed to natural, technical and economic constraints. In Nigeria, extreme climate events such as precipitation extremes and floods have been increasingly observed resulting in losses and damages in flood-prone communities. This study was aimed at assessing climate change-related losses and damages due to floods among farm households in riverine areas of Southern Nigeria. A multistage sampling procedure was utilized in selecting 240 households within eight riverine communities in Southern Nigeria. A mixed method research approach was used in eliciting responses from the respondents. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The market cost approach was used to value the losses and damages due to climate change. The respondents identified flooding as the major climate change hazard in the study location. The major effects of flooding on the livelihood of the respondents were loss of crops (98.6%), rise in food prices (92.8%) and poor health (75.6%). In response to increased climatic threats, farmers adopted various adaptation measures such as altering inputs such as varieties/species, income diversification and chemical fertilizer and pesticide use. The estimated average monetary value of losses and damages in community infrastructure, employment, personal properties, crops and livestock were $28,409.09, $3095.23, $1583.52, $824.60 and $224.16, respectively. Perceived barriers to the respondents’ taking adaptation actions in response to climate change-related losses and damages are inadequate government support, poor income of the respondents, high cost of transportation to purchase inputs for climate change adaptation and inadequate knowledge/information on climate change adaptation measures. We recommend that early warning mechanisms and alternative livelihood strategies should be promoted in vulnerable areas in order to reduce losses and damages due to climate change.

Farmers’ Awareness of Pesticide Use: Role of Public Library and Other Information Sources

ABSTRACT The paper highlights the source, resources, and information services for rural farmers’ communities to fulfill their information needs regarding chemical pesticides use. The main objective of this study is to determine the awareness and knowledge of farmers regarding pesticide use and its effect on their social life, society, and environment. The study also identifies their knowledge level about the source of information regarding pesticide use, storage, and disposal of pesticide containers. It highlights the farmers’ behaviors’, attitudes, and protective measures taken toward the negative effect of chemical pesticides on the environment. In this study, 110 farmer families have been randomly selected, 10 families each from 11 villages’ total of 110 families and also studied 7 public libraries and their resources and services to the farmers to help the collection of information regarding pesticide use from Narayangarh block of Paschim Medinipur district in West Bengal for sample study.

Upscaling farming operations, agricultural mechanization and chemical pesticide usage: A macro-analysis of Jiangsu Province, China

The upscaling of farming operations in China has been advancing rapidly in recent years. This trend is likely to increase the use of agricultural machinery inputs, and possibly also the use of chemical pesticides, which is already extremely high. The relationship between farm size and the intensity of chemical pesticide usage is a subject of debate, and little is known about the mechanisms that might underlie this relationship. In this paper, we apply an integrated framework of larger-scale farming, agricultural mechanization and the intensity of chemical pesticide usage to examine and quantify the mediating effect of agricultural mechanization on the relationship between larger-scale farming and the use of chemical pesticides. Results obtained by applying seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) considering two-way fixed-effects and mediation analysis to county-level data for Jiangsu Province (2002–2019) suggest that an increase of 1% in the ratio of scale of farming is related to a total decline of 0.070% in chemical pesticide usage per hectare of land. Mediation analysis subsequently identifies mechanical sowing/transplanting is the only mediating variable, through which an increase of 1% in the ratio of scale of farming reduces the unit consumption of chemical pesticides by 0.017%.

Biostimulation can prime elicitor induced resistance of grapevine leaves to downy mildew.

Using plant defense elicitors to protect crops against diseases is an attractive strategy to reduce chemical pesticide use. However, development of elicitors remains limited because of variable effectiveness in the field. In contrast to fungicides that directly target pathogens, elicitors activate plant immunity, which depends on plant physiological status. Other products, the biostimulants, can improve certain functions of plants. In this study, the objective was to determine whether a biostimulant via effects on grapevine physiology could increase effectiveness of a defense elicitor. A new methodology was developed to study biostimulant activity under controlled conditions using in vitro plantlets. Both biostimulant and defense elicitor used in the study were plant extracts. When added to the culture medium, the biostimulant accelerated the beginning of plantlet growth and affected the shoot and root development. It also modified metabolomes and phytohormone contents of leaves, stems, and roots. When applied on shoots, the defense elicitor changed metabolite and phytohormone contents, but effects were different depending on whether plantlets were biostimulated or controls. Defense responses and protection against Plasmopara viticola (downy mildew agent) were induced only for plantlets previously treated with the biostimulant, Therefore, the biostimulant may act by priming the defense elicitor action. In this study, a new method to screen biostimulants active on grapevine vegetative growth was used to demonstrate that a biostimulant can optimize the efficiency of a plant defense elicitor.

Extracellular extracts of antagonistic fungi,Trichoderma longibrachiatum and Trichoderma viride, as larvicides against dengue vectors, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus

Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus are the responsible vectors of transmitting dengue in Sri Lanka. Excessive use of chemical pesticides causes insecticide resistance. Therefore, mosquito biolarvicides remain to be an important method for mosquito control. The use of fungal metabolites can be considered a tool to overcome the issues related to insecticide resistance and environmental pollution. The present study focused on the evaluation of the mosquito larvicidal efficacy of Trichoderma longibrachiatum and Trichoderma viride aqueous and crude extracellular metabolites against Ae.aegypti and Ae.albopictus under the laboratory conditions. Fungi were grown in Richards' broth medium for collection of fungal biomass. Eight test concentrations of extracellular aqueous and crude fungal filtrates in a range from 12.5 gL−1 to 175 gL−1 were prepared and batches of 25 laboratory-reared third instar larvae of Ae.aegypti and Ae.albopictus were exposed to each test concentration separately with three replicates. Control bioassays were conducted with distilled water and larval mortality was recorded after 24 hours and 48 hours of exposure periods.The study revealed that LC50 values and LC90 values for extracellular crude metabolites for two fungal species were lower than the values obtained for extracellular aqueous extracts. All the LC50 values obtained for Ae.albopictus were lower than that of Ae.aegypti. LC50 values obtained for T.viride aqueous extracellular metabolites were 81.46 gL−1 and 87.75 gL−1in 24 hours, 70.66 gL-1 and 77.93 gL−1 in 48 hours for Ae. albopictus and Ae. aegypti respectively. LC50 values obtained for T.longibrachiatum aqueous extracellular metabolites were recorded as 103.35gL−1 and 108.79gL−1 in 24 hours and 93.05gL−1 and 102.1gL−1 in 48 hours for Ae.albopictus and Ae.aegypti respectively. It was revealed that LC50 values obtained for T.viride crude extracellular metabolites were 34.42gL−1 and 47.27gL−1 in 24 hours, 30.29gL−1 and 41.56gL−1 in hours for Ae.albopictus and Ae.aegypti respectively. LC50 values obtained for T.longibrachiatum crude extracellular metabolites were 49.84gL−1 and 59.24gL−1 in 24 hours, 40.73gL−1 and 51.49gL−1 in 48 hours for Ae.albopictus and Ae.aegypti respectively. It can be concluded that there is a potential for using T.viride as an effective larvicide against dengue mosquitoes.

Pomelo seed oil: Natural insecticide against cowpea aphid.

Cowpea aphid (Aphis craccivora Koch) is a plant pest that causes serious damage to vegetable crops. Extensive use of synthetic chemical pesticides causes deleterious effects on consumers as well as the environment. Hence, the search for environmentally friendly insecticides in the management of cowpea aphids is required. The present work aims to investigate the aphicidal activity of pomelo seed oil (PSO) on cowpea aphids, the possible insecticidal mechanisms, its chemical constituent profile, as well as the toxicity of its primary compounds. The results of the toxicity assay showed that PSO had significant insecticidal activity against aphids with a 72-hour LC50 value of 0.09 μg/aphid and 3.96 mg/mL in the contact and residual toxicity assay, respectively. The enzymatic activity of both glutathione S-transferase (GST) and acetyl cholinesterase (AChE) significantly decreased, as well as the total protein content, after PSO treatment, which suggested that the reduction of AChE, GST, and the total protein content in aphids treated with PSO might be responsible for the mortality of A. craccivora. The GC-MS analysis revealed that PSO contained limonene (22.86%), (9Z,12Z)-9,12-octadecadienoic acid (20.21%), n-hexadecanoic acid (15.79%), (2E,4E)-2,4-decadienal (12.40%), and (2E,4Z)-2,4-decadienal (7.77%) as its five major compounds. Furthermore, (9Z,12Z)-9,12-octadecadienoic acid showed higher toxicity to aphids than both PSO and thiamethoxam (positive control). This study emphasized the potential of PSO as a natural plant-derived insecticide in controlling cowpea aphids and also provided a novel approach for the value-added utilization of pomelo seed.

Community Assistance in Preparing Local Resources-Based Organic Agricultural Production Facilities

The decreased soil carrying capacity is due to reduced soil organic matter content, caused by disproportionally larger use of inorganic fertilizers and synthetic chemical pesticides in farming activities than organic fertilizers and environmentally friendly weeds, disease, and insect pests control materials. Reducing the use of inorganic fertilizers and synthetic chemical pesticides could be done by using production facilities of organic agriculture in the form of organic fertilizers and synthetic non-chemical pesticides on a larger scale, which base materials are available in nature. The problem faced by farmers in using these inputs is the lack of awareness and skills in producing organic inputs. This community service program with competitive schematics aims to assist the community in preparing local resource-based organic production inputs in Uwe Nuni Village, Palolo District. Specifically, to increase the awareness and skills of farmers in producing organic inputs based on local resources. The method used for counselling and training is Focus Group Discussion (FGD) approach, as well as practice and demonstration plots, which also provide technical guidance on making compost and botanical pesticides, and organic-based plant cultivation techniques. The results of the community service program show that the implementation of counselling and training increases the community’s awareness, skills, and attitudes by 38%, 56% and 54%, respectively. The compost made during the technology training was made from cow and goat manure, while the botanical insecticides were made from quickstick (Gliricidia sepium) plant leaves, papaya leaves, and soursop leaves. These plants are potential resources in Uwe Nuni Village, Palolo District.

BioClay: next-generation crop protection strategy.

Whitefly and the viruses they transmit pose a serious threat to crops globally. Recently, Jain et al. showed that BioClay-mediated double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) spray provides an eco-friendly approach to controlling whitefly. This 'transgene-free next-generation' insect-specific crop protection strategy may help to reduce the use of chemical pesticides for controlling whitefly.

Effects of Trichoderma harzianum biofertilizer on growth, yield, and quality of Bupleurum chinense.

The use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides led to a decline in the quality and yield of Bupleurum chinense. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of Trichoderma harzianum biofertilizer on the growth, yield, and quality of radix bupleuri and microbial responses. The results showed that T. harzianum biofertilizer promoted the growth of B. chinense and increased the yield and quality of radix bupleuri. In addition, it increased the contents of NH4 +-N, NO3 --N, available K, and available P and increased the activities of sucrase and catalase in the rhizosphere soil. High-throughput analysis showed that the dominant bacteria in the rhizosphere were Proteobacteria (28%), Acidobacteria (23%), and Actinobacteria (17%), whereas the dominant fungi were Ascomycota (49%), Zygomycota (30%), and Basidiomycota (6%). After the application of T. harzianum biofertilizer, the abundance of Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria (relative to total bacteria) and Ascomycota and Basidiomycota (relative to total fungi) increased, but the relative abundance of Acidobacteria decreased. Canonical correlation analysis (CCA) showed that the relative abundance of Pseudarthrobacter, Streptomyces, Rhizobium, Nocardioides, Minimedusa, and Chaetomium were positively correlated with NO3 --N, NH4 +-N, available K, available P, sucrase, and catalase in microbial communities, whereas Aeromicrobium and Mortierella were positively correlated with soil organic matter and urease. These results suggest that T. harzianum biofertilizer could significantly improve the yield and quality of radix bupleuri by changing the structure of soil microbial flora and soil enzyme activity. Therefore, it could be recommended for commercial scale production of Bupleurum.

Use of Hazardous Chemical Pesticides in India: A Review

Use of Hazardous Chemical Pesticides in India: A Review

Changes of Antioxidant Defense Related Enzymes of Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek in Response to Salicyclic Acid and Jasmonic Acid Against M. phaseolina

Charcoal rot is a severe problem on mungbean, and its control is mostly dependent on the use of chemicalpesticides. However, this is not a long-term solution due to environmental concerns and the possibility ofresidues. Induced resistance is one of the most important mechanisms for treating disease under thesecircumstances, since it increases the activity of different defense-related enzymes and non-enzymaticantioxidants. The effects of inducers such as salicyclic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA) at low, medium,and high concentrations, viz. JA (1mM, 2.5 mM, 4 mM) and SA (0.5 mM, 1 mM, 2 mM), on the induction ofresistance to manage In a net house, the illness of mungbean charcoal rot was researched in three different varieties: resistant, moderately sensitive, and vulnerable. When compared to the water sprayed control onun-inoculated plants, elicitor treatments had the highest levels catalase and phenylalanine ammonialyasecontent SA@2 mM was the most effective treatment for raising catalase and phenylalanine ammonialyasecontent content, followed by JA for disease resistance. These modifications can be traced to the workof inducers, and it is a well-known fact that elicitors were utilised to help plants improve their defencemechanisms.

CURAHAN TENAGA KERJA PADA USAHATANI PADI ORGANIK DI PROVINSI LAMPUNG

One form of sustainable farming system is organic farming. Indonesian people are starting to realize the importance of a healthy lifestyle that starts with healthy food, making the need and demand for organic agriculture increase. Organic rice is rice produced through rice cultivation without the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Lampung Province is a province that has the potential to produce organic rice. The purpose of the study was to examine the labor outpouring of organic rice farmers in Lampung Province. The study was located in Beringin Kencana Village, Candipuro District, South Lampung Regency and Purwokencono Village, Sekampung Udik District, East Lampung Regency in July-August 2022. Sampling was carried out using the census method. The analytical method used is descriptive analysis. The results showed that the average labor force for organic rice farming was 184.11 HKP/Ha. The highest labor outpouring was in harvesting activities, which was 43.99 HKP/Ha or 24%. Then followed by planting activities as much as 21.36 HKP/Ha or 12%, and followed by land management activities as much as 18.66 HKP/Ha or 10%.

Exploring plant growth promoting rhizobacteria potential for green agriculture system to optimize sweet potato productivity and soil sustainability in northern Jiangsu, China

The beneficial effects of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) on crop growth and yield have been widely recognized. However, the application of PGPR in traditional planting systems is often restricted due to the concerns about the incompatibility between PGPR and chemical agricultural inputs. The aim of this study is to test whether the application of PGPR has a beneficial effect on the productivity and sustainability of the green planting system, where the use of low-toxic chemical pesticides and proper amount of chemical fertilizer is allowed. In the current study, field trials of four agriculture systems: green agriculture system, green agriculture system supplemented with beneficial microorganism consortium, organic agriculture system supplemented with the consortium and the control system, were carried out with white, yellow and purple flesh sweet potato varieties. The application of PGPR increased the plant growth and suppressed the stem nematode disease in green system. As a consequence, PGPR increased the yield by 26.44% and raised the farmers’ projected returns in green system on an average of the two-year assessment. Moreover, PGPR promoted the product nutritive quality by 7.51% in soluble sugar and 14.30% in vitamin C content, and also increased the anthocyanin content of the purple sweet potato by 10.73%. Exogenous PGPR significantly retarded the depletion of soil fertility during the crop cultivation, promoted the soil bacterial diversity and altered the bacteria community structure. PGPR treatment increased the relative abundances of Pseudomonas and Lysobacter in the rhizosphere soil, while reduced the amounts of Erwinia and Ralstonia. The changes of soil nutrient and microbes were correlated with the application of exogenous beneficial bacteria regardless of in organic or green agriculture system. Here, we showed the ability of PGPR to efficiently improve the productivity in green agriculture system under the tested condition, and provided evidence for the feasibility of using exogenous PGPR to achieve agricultural sustainability by constructing a positive feedback in crop-soil-microbe interactions.

Dampak Penggunaan Jenis Pupuk Terhadap Pendapatan Petani Padi Sawah di Kabupaten Batanghari

Batanghari Regency is one of the regencies in Jambi Province that has a potential for the development of lowland rice commodities. Rice farming in Batanghari Regency consists of organic and inorganic rice. Organic rice is a farming technique using fertilizer (compost and organic fertilizers) that can be broken down by decomposer organisms. The continuous use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides on agricultural land results in a decrease in the structure and composition of nutrients and soil fertility which indirectly affects the level of production. The decrease in the level of production will be followed by a decrease in the level of farmers' income which will have an impact on the decrease in farmers' income. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of using organic fertilizers on lowland rice plants on farmers' income in Batanghari Regency. The results showed that simultaneously the independent variables had a significant effect on the income of lowland rice farmers. Partially, rice production, fertilizer costs, pesticide costs and types of fertilizers had a significant effect on the income of lowland rice farmers, while the level of education did not significantly affect the income of lowland rice farmers in Batanghari Regency. The type of fertilizer had a significant effect on the income of lowland rice farmers, so that the income of rice farmers who use organic fertilizers was higher than the income of rice farmers who used inorganic fertilizers.

Role of Intercropping in Sustainable Insect-Pest Management: A Review

Reduced soil fertility and rising pest and disease pressures are contributing to the already serious problem of global food insecurity. Monoculture is the most labour and resource-intensive form of crop production around the globe. Unfortunately, monocultures are more vulnerable to pests, diseases, and weeds, so the expansion of this system is accompanied by a host of biological issues. Negative effects on the environment, human health, and ecosystem stability are all associated with monocropping because it relies so heavily on the use of chemical plant protection products of all generations of pesticides. Although crop production strategies are important for overall enhancement in production, the intercropping can help farmers in attaining raised economic returns by taking multiple crops in a single season. Intercropping is an alternative strategy for improved resource use efficiency, environmental safety, and sustainable pest management without the use of chemical pesticides that can help mitigate these risks. Intercropping (two or more crop species coexisting) is a cultural practice in pest management that reduces insect pests by increasing ecosystem diversity. Intercropping and planting crops that kill or repel pests, attract natural enemies, or have antibacterial effects can reduce disease and pest damage and pesticide use. Intercropping, where crops grow between main crops, reduces the likelihood of pest infestation. Intercropping is a potential pest management practice because it diversifies crops in an agro-ecosystem to reduce insect populations and attacks. Intercropping relies on a deep understanding of insect ecology and crop traits. Intercropping can be used alone or in combination with host-plant resistance and biological control. Intercropping ensures crop yield stability, protects against crop failure, improves soil fertility, increases soil conservation, and reduces pesticide use, minimizing agriculture's environmental impact. The aim is to define the role and importance of intercropping as a strategy in crop pest management and as a boost for crop production vis-à-vis soil fertility.

Epidemiology of Yam Viruses in Guadeloupe: Role of Cropping Practices and Seed-Tuber Supply.

The epidemiology of yam viruses remains largely unexplored. We present a large-scale epidemiological study of yam viruses in Guadeloupe based on the analysis of 1124 leaf samples collected from yams and weeds. We addressed the prevalence of cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), Cordyline virus 1 (CoV1), Dioscorea mosaic associated virus (DMaV), yam asymptomatic virus 1 (YaV1), yam mosaic virus (YMV), yam mild mosaic virus (YMMV), badnaviruses, macluraviruses and potexviruses, and the key epidemiological drivers of these viruses. We provide evidence that several weeds are reservoirs of YMMV and that YMMV isolates infecting weeds cluster together with those infecting yams, pointing to the role of weeds in the epidemiology of YMMV. We report the occurrence of yam chlorotic necrosis virus (YCNV) in Guadeloupe, the introduction of YMMV isolates through the importation of yam tubers, and the absence of vertical transmission of YaV1. We identified specific effects on some cropping practices, such as weed management and the use of chemical pesticides, on the occurrence of a few viruses, but no crop-related factor had a strong or general effect on the overall epidemiology of the targeted viruses. Overall, our work provides insights into the epidemiology of yam viruses that will help design more efficient control strategies.