Article
Agronomy
Claudia Maria Justus, Silvana Vieira Paula-Moraes, Amarildo Pasini, W. Wyatt Hoback, Rafael Hayashida, Adeney de Freitas Bueno
Summary: This study analyzed the feeding of Spodoptera eridania larvae on leaves, pods, and flowers of soybean, as well as the tolerance of soybean to these feeding injuries. The results showed that the larvae can feed on pods during the early reproductive stage of soybean, although their larval stage is lengthened compared to feeding on leaves. Soybean has a high tolerance to pod and flower injuries, even when they occur in combination with defoliation.
Article
Agronomy
Rafael Hayashida, Claudia Godoy, William W. Hoback, Adeney de Freitas Bueno
Summary: The study found differences in LAI among soybean cultivars during plant development, with increasing defoliation intensity leading to reductions in LAI. Continuous defoliation from V2 to R6 stages reduced seed weight and yield, but had no impact on oil or protein content. The current ETs for defoliators in soybeans are valid, but continuous defoliation can impact the plant's ability to respond to injury and should be further evaluated for refinement in future research.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Petros Damos, Fokion Papathanasiou, Evaggelos Tsikos, Thomas Kyriakidis, Malamati Louta
Summary: This study presents a novel approach using non-parametric Bayesian methods and degree-day risk thresholds to analyze phenology data and provide precise pest management for dry bean production. The risk thresholds were computed by replicating temperature-driven pest phenology and estimating percentiles for each flight generation peak. The thresholds were evaluated by comparing predicted and observed phenology metrics, and showed acceptable levels of accuracy. This method allows for tailored pest forecasts without parametric assumptions, and was integrated into a real-time decision support system for dry bean crops.
Article
Agronomy
Diego F. Rincon, Hugo Fernando Rivera-Trujillo, Felipe Borrero-Echeverry
Summary: The onset of digital information and computing power provides an opportunity to optimize agricultural inputs and transition to an information-based agriculture. This study presents a decision-making system for managing tomato leafminer, which dynamically adjusts decision thresholds throughout the crop cycle. By modeling the variation in produce losses due to the pest, the decision-making system provides management recommendations and sampling timing based on ecological and economic factors.
Article
Agronomy
Johnnie van den Berg, Carmen Britz, Hannalene du Plessis
Summary: This study investigated the control of fall armyworm in maize through four field trials, finding that plants protected in early growth stages experienced lower yield losses compared to those protected in later stages. Multiple insecticide applications did not lead to further yield gains.
Article
Agronomy
Paulo R. da Silva, Ademar Novais Istchuk, Josemar Foresti, Thomas E. Hunt, Tamiris Alves de Araujo, Flavio Lemes Fernandes, Ernandes Rodrigues de Alencar, Cristina Schetino Bastos
Summary: Early infestations of Diceraeus melacanthus in maize during vegetative stages can lead to significant economic losses. Decision-making for controlling the pest should be based on the number of insects found on the plants, rather than damage rating, with economic thresholds ranging from 3-46 insects per 100 plants depending on plant stage and maize market value. Insecticides registered for seed treatment and foliar application do not prevent economic loss due to the pest, likely due to rapid reduction in concentration after treatment. Other effective management methods for D. melacanthus should be explored.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Gianluigi Cardone, Michele Digiaro, Khaled Djelouah, Michel Frem, Cosimo Rota, Alessia Lenders, Vincenzo Fucilli
Summary: Xf, the causal agent of devastating plant diseases, is posing threats to new countries in the Euro-Mediterranean, Balkans, Middle East, and North Africa regions. A study was conducted to explore the potential spread and losses caused by Xf in these countries, assess its introduction in other regions, and project its socio-economic impacts on specific crops. The study developed a novel socio-economic risk assessment technique and found that Albania had the highest risk for Xf dispersal.
Article
Agronomy
Rafael Hayashida, W. Wyatt Hoback, Adeney de Freitas Bueno
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the interaction effects of stink bug damage and defoliation on soybean yield and quality. Field trials were conducted, and it was found that although there were some observed effects on soybean yield and quality, the currently established economic thresholds are still valid for assessing the damage severity.
Article
Agronomy
Lei Xu, Tong-Hua Zhao, Xing Xing, Guo-Qing Xu
Summary: This study proposes an improved integrated pest management strategy for soybean aphid, utilizing an early-stage economic threshold and seed treatment, which achieved the highest cost-benefit probabilities.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Anaz Nasiri, Morteza Sam-Daliri, AmirHossein Shirani-Rad, AmirAbbas Mousavi, Hamid Jabbari
Summary: The study investigated the impact of plant density and humic acid on canola yield through a field experiment. Optimal plant density and improved soil nutrition can enhance canola yield.
Article
Entomology
K. Harrington, Y. Carriere, A. M. Mostafa
Summary: Research showed that the economic threshold for alfalfa weevil established in 1975 is too high for growers in the low desert of Western U.S., as one to three large larvae can significantly decrease yield, justifying the need for weevil control based on current hay prices and costs of insecticide application.
JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Maarten Van Helden, Thomas Heddle, Paul A. Umina, James L. Maino
Summary: This study conducted field trials to measure the pressure of Russian wheat aphid on barley, wheat, and durum wheat under different growing conditions. The percentage of tillers with Russian wheat aphid was found to be the best indicator for yield loss. The study also calculated the rate of increase in the percentage of tillers with Russian wheat aphid over time, which could be used to predict the maximum percentage and duration before reaching a certain growth stage.
JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Juan A. Sanchez, Aline Carrasco-Ortiz, Elena Lopez-Gallego, Maria J. Ramirez-Soria, Michelangelo La Spina, Maria C. Ortin-Angulo, Helena Ibanez-Martinez
Summary: The study establishes the Economic Injury Level (EIL) and Economic Threshold (ET) for optimizing insecticide use in controlling Cacopsylla pyri L. in pear orchards. The impact of spray intensity and ant exclusion on psyllid abundance and yield was significant, with yield negatively correlated to psyllid numbers. The use of low-toxicity products is expected to increase ET and reduce spraying intensity to conserve ant populations.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Wilfrid Calvin, Fei Yang, Sebe A. Brown, Angus L. Catchot, Whitney D. Crow, Donald R. Cook, Jeffrey Gore, Ryan Kurtz, Gustav M. Lorenz, Nicholas J. Seiter, Scott D. Stewart, Tyler Towles, David L. Kerns
Summary: The study found that a 6% fruiting form injury threshold significantly reduced the number of insecticide applications compared to preventive sprays, and all Bt technologies exhibited a positive increase in yield from insecticide application. Triple-gene Bt cotton had a lower frequency of yield increases from spraying compared to dual-gene Bt cotton.
JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Xue Dong Chen, Dara Stockton, Hunter Gossett, Jawwad A. Qureshi, Freddy Ibanez, Kirsten S. Pelz-Stelinski, Lukasz L. Stelinski
Summary: This study compares the effects of different economic thresholds and calendar-based application schedule on the incidence of D. citri and beneficial species in citrus plots. The results suggest that reducing spray frequency had little effect on insect counts, and implementing economic thresholds can lower management costs.
FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
James L. Maino, Joshua Thia, Ary A. Hoffmann, Paul A. Umina
Summary: Insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides are widely used in agriculture to increase yields but can have unintended consequences. Pesticide registration databases can help infer usage patterns, with increasing registrations associated with increased usage. However, there are still unexplained variations in pesticide usage patterns between different groups of active ingredients.
Article
Ecology
Veronique Paris, Rahul V. Rane, Peter T. Mee, Stacey E. Lynch, Ary A. Hoffmann, Thomas L. Schmidt
Summary: This study investigated the dispersal ecology and population structure of Aedes notoscriptus, an important disease transmitting mosquito, in the Mornington Peninsula, Australia. It found high mobility and low genetic structure of this mosquito species, which presents challenges for localized intervention strategies.
Article
Ecology
Joshua A. Thia, Pasi K. Korhonen, Neil D. Young, Robin B. Gasser, Paul A. Umina, Qiong Yang, Owain Edwards, Tom Walsh, Ary A. Hoffmann
Summary: Genomic data provides insights into pest management, resistance evolution, pest invasions, and population dynamics. The first reference genome for the redlegged earth mite, Halotydeus destructor, was assembled to study pesticide adaptation and population demographics using whole-genome pool-seq data. Genetic mutations have been identified that contribute to organophosphate and pyrethroid resistance. Population genomic analyses reveal regional structuring in H. destructor populations, while demographic analyses indicate reduced genetic diversity and smaller effective population sizes in eastern populations. These findings have important implications for genetic markers, understanding resistance mechanisms, and predictive modeling of resistance evolution and spread.
JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Xiu-Jing Shen, Yu-Jie Zhang, Shuai-Yu Wang, Jin-Cui Chen, Li-Jun Cao, Ya-Jun Gong, Bin-Shuang Pang, Ary Anthony Hoffmann, Shu-Jun Wei
Summary: This study reveals the high frequency of resistant mutations in two-spotted spider mite populations across China, indicating the urgency of managing multiple acaricide resistance.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2023)
Letter
Ecology
Ary A. Hoffmann, Jon Bridle
TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Xuefen Xu, Ary A. A. Hoffmann, Paul A. A. Umina, Samantha E. E. Ward, Marianne P. P. Coquilleau, Mallik B. B. Malipatil, Peter M. M. Ridland
Summary: Three polyphagous pest species have invaded Australia, causing damage to horticultural crops. This study identified 14 parasitoid species using molecular and morphological data, including five adventive eulophid wasps and two braconid species. The findings provide valuable information for controlling leafminers.
BULLETIN OF ENTOMOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Paul. A. A. Umina, Leo McGrane, Joshua. A. A. Thia, Evatt Chirgwin, Ary. A. A. Hoffmann
Summary: Resistance to pesticides in the agricultural pest mite Halotydeus destructor has been validated through field experiments after being identified in laboratory bioassays. Results showed that resistance to the organophosphate chlorpyrifos was significantly higher than resistance to omethoate. While both chemicals effectively controlled pesticide-susceptible populations of H. destructor in field trials, chlorpyrifos was substantially less effective against a resistant mite population, while omethoate remained effective. Additionally, two non-pesticide treatments were found to be ineffective in controlling H. destructor in field conditions.
EXPERIMENTAL AND APPLIED ACAROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Paul A. Umina, James L. Maino, Owain Edwards, Xuan Cheng, Matthew Binns, Anthony van Rooyen, Sue Vern Song, Andrew Weeks, Aston L. Arthur, Olivia L. Reynolds, Ary A. Hoffmann
Summary: The redlegged earth mite, Halotydeus destructor, has developed resistance to pyrethroid chemicals, making it an economically important pest in Australia. This study investigated the rate of reversion to susceptibility in partially resistant populations of H. destructor in the absence of pesticide exposure. Fitness costs associated with pyrethroid resistance were identified, and it was found that resistance can rapidly increase after a single pyrethroid application. These findings emphasize the importance of preventing the evolution of resistance and understanding the field fitness costs associated with pesticide resistance.
JOURNAL OF PEST SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Yong-Fu Gao, Ya-Jing Ren, Jin-Cui Chen, Li-Jun Cao, Guang-Hang Qiao, Shi-Xiang Zong, Ary A. Hoffmann, Shu-Jun Wei, Qiong Yang
Summary: This study examined the effects of three fungicides on the cotton aphid. The results showed that two of the fungicides significantly reduced the lifespan and fecundity of the aphids, and increased the density of their endosymbiont. The study highlights the potential impact of non-insecticidal components of fungicides on aphids and their endosymbionts.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Joshua A. A. Thia, Paul A. A. Umina, Ary A. A. Hoffmann
Summary: Invasive Australian populations of redlegged earth mite have evolved increasing organophosphate resistance, which is associated with increased copy number and target-site mutations at the canonical ace gene.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kelly Richardson, Perran A. Ross, Brandon Cooper, William Conner, Tom Schmidt, Ary Hoffmann
Summary: MK Wolbachia was identified at a low frequency (around 4%) in natural populations of Drosophila pseudotakahashii. It had a stable density and transmission during laboratory culture, but the MK phenotype was lost rapidly. MK Wolbachia coexisted with another strain expressing a different reproductive manipulation. Genomic analysis revealed diverged Wolbachia regions involving 17 genes, and identification of the wmk and cif genes implicated in MK and CI. A dominant suppressor genetic element affecting MK was identified through backcrossing and genome analysis. These findings highlight the complexity of endosymbiont detection and dynamics, and the challenges of linking them to host phenotypes.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Meng-Jia Lau, Shuai Nie, Qiong Yang, Lawrence G. Harshman, Cungui Mao, Nicholas A. Williamson, Ary A. Hoffmann
Summary: We analyzed the lipid composition of female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes at different time points during feeding and reproduction. The abundance of lipids showed two temporal increases, with more than 80% of lipids identified during feeding and from 16 to 30 hours after blood meal. Certain lipids, such as phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, cardiolipin, hexosylceramide, and lyso-phosphatidic acid, exhibited a strong temporal pattern during the second peak. Different patterns of change were observed in lyso-glycerophospholipids, with some membrane lipids showing little change and signaling lipids showing a significant increase. Our findings suggest that specific lipids play a role in the reproductive process of Ae. aegypti, particularly in the formation and growth of ovarian follicles.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
John G. Black, Anthony R. J. van Rooyen, Dean Heinze, Robbie Gaffney, Ary A. Hoffmann, Thomas L. Schmidt, Andrew R. Weeks
Summary: Identifying and analysing isolated populations is crucial for conservation. This study investigates the genetic structure and individual heterozygosity patterns of the eastern barred bandicoot in Tasmania, Australia. The findings reveal isolated populations undergoing significant genetic drift and multiple fine-scale differentiation regions. The study also highlights variations in individual heterozygosity within populations and spatial patterns of heterozygosity.
