Use Of Synthetic Pesticides Research Articles

Natural pesticides and pheromones for natural pest control in sustainable agriculture

The use of synthetic pheromones and natural pesticides has proven to be a viable alternative to the use of pesticides. The pest control technique using pheromones consists of interfering with the reproduction of insects through sexual confusion or attracting them to a trap through mass collection.

Modeling the effect of multiple pests on ecosystem services provided by fruit crops: Application to apple

CONTEXTIn agroecosystems, crop pests have long been controlled by the intensive use of synthetic pesticides. To lower the dependency on pesticides, alternative crop protection strategies such as Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and Agroecological Crop Protection (ACP) have been proposed. In this context, it is crucial to consider multiple pests and their effects on host plant functioning and, ultimately, on system performance. OBJECTIVEWe aim to develop a pest-crop model to account for the effect of multiple pests on fruit tree functioning and the resulting ecosystem services provided by an orchard, using apple as a case study. METHODSFirst, we identified possible mechanisms of pest disturbance on apple tree for ten major pests: rosy and woolly apple aphid, codling, oriental and tortrix moths, red mite, powdery mildew, European canker, fire blight and apple scab. We classified them into seven functional groups: resource stealers, leaf area reducers, assimilation rate reducers, water transport reducers, assimilate sappers, fruit senescence accelerators and fruit marketability depreciators. Second, we defined coupling functions for each functional group. These describe the reduction of target variables in an existing fruit tree model (QualiTree), i.e. the variables to which the pest disturbances directly apply, as a function of pest abundances. Parameter values of the coupling functions were estimated based on the literature. Third, we used simulations in standard cultural conditions and a Monte Carlo Bayesian Sensitivity Analysis to test and hierarchize the effect of pests on the variation of nine indicators of four classes of ecosystem services (namely fruit production, climate regulation, soil nitrogen availability and water cycle maintenance and regulation).RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSOnly four indicators were affected by the considered pests: refractometric index (measuring fruit sugar content), marketable yield, carbon sequestration and water drainage. The variations in refractometric index and in marketable yield were largely explained by the main effects of water transport reducers and fruit senescence accelerators, respectively. The latter also contributed the most to carbon sequestration variation. The variation in water drainage was largely explained by the main effect of mildew, an assimilation rate reducer. SIGNIFICANCEOur approach provides an operational tool to assess the impact of multiple pests on orchard ecosystem services. The model also opens up the possibility of studying the impact of pests in different ecological and technical contexts. For this, it must be coupled with models capable of predicting pest abundances as a function of cultivation practices and biotic and abiotic conditions.

Promising Larvicidal Effects of Nanoliposomes Containing Carvone and Mentha spicata and Tanacetum balsamita Essential Oils Against Anopheles stephensi.

The use of synthetic pesticides to control the spread of mosquito-borne diseases has causedenvironmental pollution and insecticide resistance in mosquitoes. Developments of new green insecticides havethus received more attention to overcome these problems. Nanoliposomes containing carvone and essential oils were first prepared. The nanoliposomephysicochemical characteristics (particle size, morphology, and successful loading) were then evaluated byDynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and the Attenuated Total Reflection-Fourier Transform InfraRed (ATR-FTIR) analyses. Larvicidal effects of carvone, Mentha spicata, and Tanacetumbalsamita essential oils were investigated against the main malaria vector, Anopheles stephensi, in non-formulatedand nanoformulated states. The larvicidal effects of nanoformulated states were significantly more potent (7.2 folds, 3.5 folds, and 8folds) than non-formulated states. Nanoliposomes containing M. spicata and T. balsamita essential oils with particlesizes of 175 ± 8 and 184 ± 5 nm showed the best efficacies (LC50 values = 9.74 and 9.36 μg/mL). The prepared samples could be used as new green potent larvicides against An stephensi mosquito infurther field trials. It is also recommended to investigate their efficacies against other mosquitoes.

Do Farmers Participating in Short Food Supply Chains Use Less Pesticides? Evidence from France

Proponents of short food supply chains (SFSC) have lauded their environmental benefits. Nevertheless, most studies on SFSCs have focused on their climate impact, while the synthetic pesticide use by farmers participating in SFSCs has received little research attention. In this study, we investigate the effect of farmers' involvement in different SFSC channels on synthetic pesticide use and crop yields. This study relies on data obtained from the 2020 French agricultural census and a 2018 French national survey on the phytosanitary practices of representative market gardeners. This paper uses a multinomial endogenous treatment effect model in order to account for endogeneity. We demonstrate that the effect of SFSC participation on farmers' synthetic pesticide use varies depending on the type of SFSC channel employed. Farmers who sell part of their vegetable crops through direct-to-consumer (DTC) channels use significantly fewer synthetic pesticides than those who only sell their crops through long food supply chains (LFSC). However, there is no evidence that farmers involved in direct-to-retailer (DTR) channels use significantly fewer synthetic pesticides. In addition, we have not found any evidence that SFSC participation decreases crop yields.

Agricultural input shocks affect crop yields more in the high-yielding areas of the world

The industrialization of agriculture has led to an increasing dependence on non-locally sourced agricultural inputs. Hence, shocks in the availability of agricultural inputs can be devastating to food crop production. There is also a pressure to decrease the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides in many areas. However, the combined impact of the agricultural input shocks on crop yields has not yet been systematically assessed globally. Here we modelled the effects of agricultural input shocks using a random forest machine learning algorithm. We show that shocks in fertilizers cause the most drastic yield losses. Under the scenario of 50% shock in all studied agricultural inputs, global maize production could decrease up to 26%, and global wheat production up to 21%, impacting particularly the high-yielding ‘breadbasket’ areas of the world. Our study provides insights into global food system resilience and can be useful for preparing for potential future shocks or agricultural input availability decreases at local and global scales.

Review of Energy-Efficient Embedded System Acceleration of Convolution Neural Networks for Organic Weeding Robots

The sustainable cultivation of organic vegetables and the associated problem of weed control has been a current research topic for some time. Despite this, the use of chemical and synthetic pesticides increases every year. This is to be solved with the help of an automated robot system. The current version of the weeding robot uses GPUs to execute the inference phase. This requires a lot of energy for an 8-track robot. To enable autonomous solar operation, the system must be made more energy efficient. This work aims to evaluate possible approaches and the current state of research on implementing convolution neural networks on low power embedded systems. In the course of the work, the technical feasibility for the implementation of CNNs in FPGAs was examined, in particular, following the example of a feasibility analysis. This paper shows that the acceleration of convolution neural networks using FPGAs is technically feasible for use as detection hardware in the weeding robot. With the help of the current state of research and the existing literature, the optimization possibilities of the hardware and software have been evaluated. The trials of different networks on different hardware accelerators with diverse approaches were investigated and compared.

Potential of Artemisia dubia Wall Biomass for Natural Crop Protection.

The Green Deal strategy has the very ambitious goal of transforming the European Union into the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. For the agricultural sector, one of the main challenges is to reduce the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Crop protection measures aim to maintain and ensure certain standards of yield and quality, which are generally achieved by the control of pests, diseases, and weeds. One of the possibilities to reduce the use of pesticides could be allelopathic plants, which are not only potential sources of allelochemicals but also renewable biomass sources. The aim of this study was to analyze the productivity of Artemisia dubia Wall and evaluate the allelopathic effects of biomass on crops and weeds. It was determined that the biomass productivity of A. dubia varied from 2 to 18 t ha-1, depending on how many times it is cut during the growing season and the fertilizer rate. A. dubia has allelopathic properties, which were verified using an aqueous extract and can completely suppress the germination of Taraxacum officinale seeds. Young plants harvested in the middle of summer were characterized by the highest number of phenolic compounds. This shows the strong allelopathic effect of A. dubia biomass on other plants.

The influence of plant extracts on root biostimulation in different strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duchense) cultivars

The use of botanical extracts is considered an important tool to stimulate plant growth, reduce the use of synthetic pesticides, or both. The impact of hydro-alcoholic extracts of Calendula officinalis, Salvia officinalis, Tagetes sp., and Taraxacum officinale on growth and root development of plants of five strawberry cultivars (‘Albion’, ‘Florence’, ‘Magnum’, ‘Rumba’, and ‘San Andreas’) grown in semi-field controlled conditions was tested in the present study. The vigor and growth of the five strawberry genotypes were significantly affected by the extracts, with cv. Florence consistently producing more biomass than any other variety compared to the untreated control. The extracts also impacted the root system differently depending on the specific genotype. However, the C. officinalis flower extract consistently improved the root architecture, increasing the value of five out of six parameters compared to the control. The genotype-related response points to the strong influence of the “variety factor” on the possible effect of plant extracts considered for biostimulation, plant protection purposes, or both, prompting the need for additional work to unravel the bottlenecks in using botanicals.

Seed fungal endophytes as biostimulants and biocontrol agents to improve seed performance

Seed germination is a major determinant of plant development and final yield establishment but strongly reliant on the plant’s abiotic and biotic environment. In the context of global climate change, classical approaches to improve seed germination under challenging environments through selection and use of synthetic pesticides reached their limits. A currently underexplored way is to exploit the beneficial impact of the microorganisms associated with plants. Among plant microbiota, endophytes, which are micro-organisms living inside host plant tissues without causing any visible symptoms, are promising candidates for improving plant fitness. They possibly establish a mutualistic relationship with their host, leading to enhanced plant yield and improved tolerance to abiotic threats and pathogen attacks. The current view is that such beneficial association relies on chemical mediations using the large variety of molecules produced by endophytes. In contrast to leaf and root endophytes, seed-borne fungal endophytes have been poorly studied although they constitute the early-life plant microbiota. Moreover, seed-borne fungal microbiota and its metabolites appear as a pertinent lever for seed quality improvement. This review summarizes the recent advances in the identification of seed fungal endophytes and metabolites and their benefits for seed biology, especially under stress. It also addresses the mechanisms underlying fungal effects on seed physiology and their potential use to improve crop seed performance.’

Lemon peel essential oil and its nano-formulation to control Agrotis ipsilon (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Due to excessive use of synthetic pesticides the pest resistance developed along with pesticide residues accumulation in crops. Therefore, many nations are switching from chemical-based agriculture to “green” agriculture for pest control. The destructive pest black cutworm, Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a polyphagous species that economically lead to extensive loss of a broad range of crops including corn, cotton, wheat, and many vegetables through the damage of foliar and roots. In this study, lemon peel essential oil (LPEO) was subjected to nano-formulation using polyethylene glycol as nanocarrier. The lethal activity of LPEO and its nano-form (LPEO-NPs) were tested against A. ipsilon second larval instar using feeding bioassay at different concentrations. Growth and developmental parameters, including larval and pupal duration, larval and pupal mortality, malformations % and adult emergence were evaluated. Results showed that LPEO exhibited insecticidal activity and causes different levels of effects on the development of A. ipsilon according to its concentration and formulation. In addition, at 75 mg/ml LPEO and LPEO-NPs significantly increased the larval mortality to 80.00% and 90.00%, respectively. The overall data revealed that insecticidal toxicity of LPEO was increased by nano-formulation.

Edukasi Tentang Identifikasi Dan Pengendalian Hama Dan Penyakit Tanaman Kelapa Sawit Menggunakan Pestisida Nabati Di Desa Bangun Sari, Kecamatan Kampar Kiri Hilir, Kabupaten Kampar, Riau

Bangun Sari Village is a village in Kampar Kiri Hilir District. Judging from its geographical location, Bangun Sari Village has great potential for development as an oil palm plantation business. Behind its potential, there are disturbances that can reduce oil palm productivity, namely plant pest organisms. One of the caterpillars that eat oil palm leaves is the fire caterpillar (setora nitens). Fire caterpillar attacks are generally treated by using synthetic chemical pesticides. However, the use of synthetic chemical pesticides can have negative effects. The best solution to overcome this is to use vegetable pesticides. Many plants can be used as raw materials for vegetable pesticides, such as babadotan plants, lemongrass leaves, neem leaves and others. Based on surveys and interview results, the PKM team received information that the community had no knowledge of identifying and controlling plant pests and diseases. Therefore, pest and disease control must be right on target and carried out with good and correct procedures. Control measures are expected to increase palm oil production and productivity.

Economic impacts and management of fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) in smallholder agriculture: a panel data analysis for Ghana

BackgroundFall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda; FAW), a native pest of the Americas, invaded West Africa about 7 years ago and spread rapidly across the rest of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and several countries in Asia and Oceania. Early cross-sectional studies reported that the pest causes severe damage to maize, stimulating widespread use of synthetic pesticides in smallholder farming systems. Using panel data from Ghana, this paper assessed the impact of FAW on maize productivity and the changes in the strategies adopted by smallholder farmers for the management of the pest.MethodsHousehold data collected in two rounds (2018 and 2020) from 370 smallholder maize-growing households in Ghana were used. The dynamics of FAW infestation and the management practices applied by farmers were analysed descriptively, while panel data regression methods, such as fixed effects and correlated random effects models, were used to estimate the effect of FAW on maize productivity.ResultsWe found evidence of reduced intensity of pesticide use, increased use of protective equipment when spraying pesticides, increased adoption of biopesticides and cultural practices for FAW management, in line with recommended integrated pest management solutions. Results from panel data regression analysis showed that after controlling for other determinants of maize productivity and unobserved heterogeneity, the negative effect of FAW infestation on maize productivity is not statistically significant.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that with better knowledge of FAW and the use of more sustainable and environmentally-friendly solutions, the yield losses due to FAW are not as severe as initially reported.

Detection of bacterial pathogen on corn plants and test the potential of endophytic microbes to controlling stewart wilt disease in vitro

The use of synthetic pesticides to increase maize production sustainably contributes to increasing the development of pathogens and tends to be less effective in environmental conditions that support pathogens. In addition, the emergence of environmental pollution due to the use of chemicals causes the need for environmentally-friendly control technologies. Endophytic microbes are biological agents that can be used to plant disease control that is environmentally friendly and practical in their application. The study aimed to detect pathogenic bacteria that cause wilt and blight in maize and then examine the potential of several endophytic microbial isolates in controlling Stewart wilt pathogens in maize in vitro. The research was carried out from February to July 2021 at the Cereal Crop Research Institute Laboratory in Maros for morphological identification and microbial potential testing, while serological tests were carried out at the Makassar Plant Quarantine Laboratory, South Sulawesi. The study began with detecting pathogenic bacteria serologically using the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) method. The results showed that blight symptoms on corn isolated from the experimental garden of IP2TP Bajeng Gowa Regency PS-4 and PS-5 were detected as bacteria Pantoea stewartii subsp. stewartii. The antagonistic test of endophytic bacterial isolates I.A1, II.D1, III.A2, IV.B2, and endophytic fungi isolates AC-1, AC-3, and DC-5 was able to suppress the growth of pathogenic bacteria isolates PS-4 and PS-5 The growth suppression of pathogenic bacteria was observed by forming inhibitory zones of antibiosis compounds. Pathogenic bacteria Pantoea stewartii subsp. stewartii can be controlled using endophytic microbes.

COMPOSITION, MANUFACTURE AND APPLICATION PROCEDURES FOR COMPOST, VERMICOMPOST AND VERMIWASH IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF ORGANIC CROP PRODUCTION

Modern horticulture as well as agriculture involves usage of pesticides and chemical fertilizers with an Essence of increasing the worlds food production. But they also cause several health hazard, Researchers have found and suggested bio-fertilizers as an excellent alternative to chemical fertilizers.Vermicompost is considered as a high nutrient bio-fertilizer with diverse microbial communities. It plays a vital role in improving growth and yield of different field crops, vegetables, and flower and fruit crops. Vermiwash is rich in enzymes, plant growth hormones, and vitamins along with micro- and macro-nutrients. Vermicompost maintains the soil in a proper homeostatic state. Organic farming does not allow the use of synthetic chemical fertilizer, antibiotic, herbicides or pesticides. Thus the objective of organic farming is agriculture production of fibers, grains, vegetables, flowers, fruits, foods, and animal products such as milk, egg, and meat is the best natural way. Organic farming is a specific type of farming where no chemicals were added to the soil unless they are natural. The farmer must grow their crops naturally. India ranks 33 in world in terms of area under organic farming.

Self-reported health effects of pesticides among cotton farmers from the Central-West region in Burkina Faso

Pesticides are chemicals used to control pests with sometime harmful effects on human health. This paper presents results of self-reported health effects experienced by cotton farmers in the Central-West region of Burkina Faso. It was a cross-sectional survey conducted from October to December 2021 among 585 consenting conventional and organic cotton farmers. Data collected included pesticides used, they use conditions, farming practices, experienced health effects. Binary logistic regression was used to find relationships between self-reported health effects and the type of cotton produced. Results showed that all conventional cotton farmers (100%) reported using synthetic pesticides compared to organic ones who using only natural insecticides. Both conventional and organic farmers reported health effects that occurred at least once since they started using pesticides, involving skin effects (85.27% conventional, 65.52% organic), nervous (88.95% conventional, 48,71% organic), respiratory (88.10% conventional, 67.67% organic) systems. 99.72% of conventional farmers vs 46.98% of organic ones reported skin irritation following pesticide use. 69.97% of conventional vs 35.34% of organic cotton farmers reported acute signs such as severe headaches. In univariate and multivariate logistic regressions, severe headaches, dizziness, skin, and ocular effects were significantly associated with conventional farmers compared to organic ones (p < 0.05). There was a significant relationship between vomiting (p = 0.014), diarrhea (p = 0.003) and experience in synthetic pesticide use among conventional farmers. Among organic farmers, there was no significant relationship between health effects reported and experience in organic insecticides use. there was a significant relationship between severe headaches (p = 0.01), rhinitis (p = 0.006), cough (p = 0.0001), skin and ocular irritations (p = 0.007) and the frequency of synthetic insecticides use per year by conventional farmers. Study showed that conventional and organic cotton producers experience the same types of health effects. However, these health effects were significantly associated with conventional farmers compared to organic ones.

Larvicidal and anti-termite activities of microbial biosurfactant produced by Enterobacter cloacae SJ2 isolated from marine sponge Clathria sp.

The widespread use of synthetic pesticides has resulted in a number of issues, including a rise in insecticide-resistant organisms, environmental degradation, and a hazard to human health. As a result, new microbial derived insecticides that are safe for human health and the environment are urgently needed. In this study, rhamnolipid biosurfactants produced from Enterobacter cloacae SJ2 was used to evaluate the toxicity towards mosquito larvae (Culex quinquefasciatus) and termites (Odontotermes obesus). Results showed dose dependent mortality rate was observed between the treatments. The 48 h LC50 (median lethal concentration) values of the biosurfactant were determined for termite and mosquito larvae following the non-linear regression curve fit method. Results showed larvicidal activity and anti-termite activity of biosurfactants with 48 h LC50 value (95% confidence interval) of 26.49 mg/L (25.40 to 27.57) and 33.43 mg/L (31.09 to 35.68), respectively. According to a histopathological investigation, the biosurfactant treatment caused substantial tissue damage in cellular organelles of larvae and termites. The findings of this study suggest that the microbial biosurfactant produced by E. cloacae SJ2 is an excellent and potentially effective agent for controlling Cx. quinquefasciatus and O. obesus.

Fatal Food: Silver-Coated Grain Particles Display Larvicidal Activity in Culex quinquefasciatus.

Mosquitoes pose a significant risk to millions of people worldwide since they can transmit pathogens. Current methods to control mosquito populations include the use of synthetic pesticides. Nanotechnology may be a solution to develop new mosquito control. However, one barrier to expanding the impact of nanomaterials is the ability to mass-produce the particles. Here, we report a novel hybrid particle synthesis combining micro- and nanoparticles using the coprecipitation technique with the potential for mass production. These particles may have applications as a mosquito larvacide. The particles reported here were designed using a microparticle zein polymer as the core and a nanoparticle silver as the active ingredient. The hybrid NPs reported here targeted a late-stage mosquito larvae and that resulted in a high larval mortality concentration (1.0 ppm, LC90) and suppression of pupal emergence at 0.1 ppm. This research demonstrates the efficacy of a plant-based core with a metal-based AI coating (AgNPs) against larval mosquitoes.

Compost Tea as Organic Fertilizer and Plant Disease Control: Bibliometric Analysis

A variety of research reports that compost tea controls plant pathogens and improves plant nutrition and plant growth. Therefore, it can be used to reduce the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. The aim of the study was to characterize and quantify the scientific production in the SCOPUS database on compost tea using bibliometric indicators. A total of 285 published papers related to compost tea were identified. The results show a general increasing trend from 2001 to 2023, with the highest number of publications occurring in 2021. Most of the publications were in the form of original articles, and English was the main language of publication. The top 10 countries with the highest scientific productivity were the United States, Egypt, Spain, Canada, Italy, India, China, Australia, Iran and Malaysia. Zaccardelli, M. and Pane, C. were the authors with the highest productivity with nine articles. In the co-authorship networks, two main networks were registered: the first with Diáñez F., together with Gea F. J., Navarro M.Y. and Santo M., and the second with Zaccardelli M., Celono G., and Pane C. Therefore, the need to adapt more resilient agricultural production systems allows for the consideration of compost tea as an alternative to mitigate environmental problems and soil degradation.

Assistance in Proposing Prima3 Food Safety Certification to Business Actors and Farmers in the Sembalun Area

So far, in the Sembalun area, business actors or agribusinesses of fresh food from plants such as vegetables and fruit have not yet made maximum efforts to obtain safe products for consumption, because they are very dependent on excessive chemical inputs. Likewise, few people in general care about Prima3 or Prima2 certification, because there has not been any socialization of the importance of this certification. Therefore, in this activity, it is necessary to provide assistance in preparing applications for Prima 3 and Prima 2 PSAT food safety certification, so that the number of people doing PSAT and domestic product businesses (rice, corn and other foods in storage) increases. The method used in this activity is the Action Research Method by applying a Participatory Action Program approach from participants through discussion and group work in all activities. The stages in this activity include preparation stages, including problem identification, then a basic survey using exploratory descriptive methods. The activity results show that farmers' assistance in preparing to apply for PSAT, Prima3 and Prima2 food safety certification in the Sembalun area is felt to be very important. Farmers and business groups feel motivated to develop alternative techniques for healthy agricultural cultivation to obtain PSAT products that are safe for consumption. Good horticultural practices to produce safe PSAT products for consumption are considered very important in the Sembalun area. Farmers actually understand the need for efforts to reduce the use of synthetic chemical inputs, both fertilizers and pesticides, in horticultural cultivation to produce products that are safe for consumption. For the continuation of extension activities and its follow-up, it is necessary to continue to provide assistance to farmers and groups of fresh plant origin food (PSAT) entrepreneurs from the Food Security Service, so that the number of prima 3 and prima 2 certificates will increase in the Sembalun area.

Prospect of utilizing botanical pesticides for maize weevil Sitophilus zeamais (Motschulsky) management to preserve national maize production

Maize plays a strategic role in the national food map as well as a mainstay commodity in accelerating the realization of food self-sufficiency. It is because maize has wide adaptability and is relatively easy to cultivate. However, the attack of maize weevil obstructs the increase of maize productivity. This pest is the most destructive and reduces maize productivity as a national source of carbohydrates. The global policy of limiting the use of synthetic pesticides to control agricultural pests has become a topic of discussion in international forums today. It is due to the large number of deaths reported by synthetic pesticides. WHO reports that every year pesticide poisoning occurs between 44,000-2,000,000 people worldwide, and the highest poisoning rates occur in developing countries. In response to this, the government has made regulations through Government Regulation No.6 of 1995 concerning synthetic pesticides. It is contained in. Plant-based materials are very prospective to be used as active ingredients for environmentally friendly botanical pesticides. It has been identified that around 10,000 potential secondary metabolite components can be processed into active ingredients of botanical pesticides. This paper discusses the potential of botanical pesticides in Indonesia’s national plant treasures.