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The weevil Scyphophorus acupunctatus Gyllenhal causes damage and losses in agave crops and has traditionally been controlled using contact and systemic agrochemicals. Implementing microbial control strategies is proposed as an alternative to mitigate the environmental impact associated with agrochemicals. The objective of this study was to determine the survival of entomopathogenic nematodes in oil emulsions for the control of adult S. acupunctatus. Three species of entomopathogenic nematodes were evaluated: Steinernema carpocapsae, S. glaseri, and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora. We used two concentrations (50 ± 5 and 100 ± 10 infectious juvenile nematodes), and oil emulsions derived from Salvia hispanica, Triticum vulgare, and Olea europea with oil purity of 20% and 40%. The effectiveness of these treatments was assessed by determining the mortality rate of S. acupunctatus. The results indicate that the combination of S. glaseri and H. bacteriophora, at concentrations of 50 ± 5 and 100 ± 10 nematodes, respectively, with T. vulgare and O. europea oils, achieved a mortality rate of 85.76% in S. acupunctatus adults at 24 h. At 120 h, a mortality rate of 100% was achieved with specific formulations, such as S. glaseri with 100 ± 10 nematodes + O. europea, and H. bacteriophora with 100 ± 10 nematodes + O. europea. Consequently, we conclude that oil formulations combined with nematodes show potential as an effective and environmentally friendly alternative for the control and management of S. acupunctatus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study objective was to investigate the influence of microbiologically obtained surfactin on the feeding and development of Oulema melanopus and Oulema gallaeciana on spring wheat ( Triticum aestivum) and spring barley ( Hordeum vulgare). The purified bioproduct was applied to the leaves of cereal plants at a concentration of 660.5 mg · l –1. The tests were conducted as a no-choice test and a choice test. Pest feeding and egg-laying were analyzed. The addition of surfactin to the food reduced the feeding of female and male tested insects as compared to controls. Male pests caused less damage to plants than females. Insect feeding on surfactin-treated plants was low in the first days of the experiment. The tested insects laid fewer eggs on plants treated with the biosurfactant. In terms of food selection, both female and male Oulema spp. were much more likely to choose food to which surfactin had not been applied. It can thus be concluded that surfactin can contribute positively to the biological control of beetles of the genus Oulema under natural conditions. However, further research is needed to better understand the mechanisms by which analogues of this compound limit the development of this cereal pest in its natural environment.

The study objective was to investigate the influence of microbiologically obtained surfactin on the feeding and development of Oulema melanopus and Oulema gallaeciana on spring wheat (Triticum aestivum) and spring barley (Hordeum vulgare). The purified bioproduct was applied to the leaves of cereal plants at a concentration of 660.5 mg · l-1. The tests were conducted as a no-choice test and a choice test. Pest feeding and egg-laying were analyzed. The addition of surfactin to the food reduced the feeding of female and male tested insects as compared to controls. Male pests caused less damage to plants than females. Insect feeding on surfactin-treated plants was low in the first days of the experiment. The tested insects laid fewer eggs on plants treated with the biosurfactant. In terms of food selection, both female and male Oulema spp. were much more likely to choose food to which surfactin had not been applied. It can thus be concluded that surfactin can contribute positively to the biological control of beetles of the genus Oulema under natural conditions. However, further research is needed to better understand the mechanisms by which analogues of this compound limit the development of this cereal pest in its natural environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper presents an effective approach based on combining possibility theorywith the concepts of the ideal/non-ideal points. • The major technique usestheconcept ofMarkowitz's portfolio mean–variance methodology. • Through empirical examples, comparative studies, and sensitivity analysis, this study demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed approach in selecting and evaluating aMCDM problemof pest control methods. The study presents the effective approach that combines the ideal with non-ideal points, GRA, and possibility theory to handle uncertain information in selecting pest control methods within an MCDM problem. The proposed approach for selecting pest control methods can incorporate uncertainty information expressed by fuzzy numbers, possibilistic mean, and possibilistic variance. Decision-maker can comprehend the gaps between alternative solutions and the aspired outcomes, and it allows for the consideration of decision-making risks under a fuzzy environment. The study establishes an evaluation framework for selecting pest control methods by using the empirical study, and one obtains an appropriate pest control method for managing Tessaratoma papillosa in Taiwanese crops. Through the practical example, the proposed approach can be demonstrated the feasibility and efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The weevil Scyphophorus acupunctatus Gyllenhal causes damage and losses in agave crops and has traditionally been controlled using contact and systemic agrochemicals. Implementing microbial control strategies is proposed as an alternative to mitigate the environmental impact associated with agrochemicals. The objective of this study was to determine the survival of entomopathogenic nematodes in oil emulsions for the control of adult S. acupunctatus. Three species of entomopathogenic nematodes were evaluated: Steinernema carpocapsae, S. glaseri, and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora. We used two concentrations (50 ± 5 and 100 ± 10 infectious juvenile nematodes), and oil emulsions derived from Salvia hispanica, Triticum vulgare, and Olea europea with oil purity of 20% and 40%. The effectiveness of these treatments was assessed by determining the mortality rate of S. acupunctatus. The results indicate that the combination of S. glaseri and H. bacteriophora, at concentrations of 50 ± 5 and 100 ± 10 nematodes, respectively, with T. vulgare and O. europea oils, achieved a mortality rate of 85.76% in S. acupunctatus adults at 24 h. At 120 h, a mortality rate of 100% was achieved with specific formulations, such as S. glaseri with 100 ± 10 nematodes + O. europea, and H. bacteriophora with 100 ± 10 nematodes + O. europea. Consequently, we conclude that oil formulations combined with nematodes show potential as an effective and environmentally friendly alternative for the control and management of S. acupunctatus.

The aim of this study was to provide necessary agricultural extension support while carrying out agricultural activities by revealing the production patterns and farmer profiles in the villages of the Kartepe district of the Kocaeli province. The farmers registered in the Farmer Registration System (FRS) were taken into account. A total of 260 farmers participated in a two-month study, answering a questionnaire during face-to-face interviews, and the data obtained were evaluated through performing statistical analyses. The data were interpreted by applying frequency tables and the Kruskal-Wallis test. A total of 89.6% of the farmers are male, 10.4% are female, 40.8% are 56 years old and over, and 34.6% are between 45 and 55 years old. In terms of education levels, 61.9%, the highest proportion, graduated from primary school, followed by 15.8% who graduated from secondary and high schools, those who graduated from university with a Bachelor/Associate Degree, and, finally, those who graduated with a postgraduate degree as well as those who are illiterate. A total of 69.2% of the farmers are retired, and 24.7% are workers. The land of 68.8% of the respondents is their own property, and the land of 11.9% of them is common land. This land ranges as follows: 32.7% consists of 1–10 acres and 11–20 acres, and 17.3% consists of 21–30 acres. More than half of the participants (51.9%) produce 4 tons or more of their product annually. The social security coverage of the respondents is as follows: 42.7% SSK, 21.2% Bagkur, and 16.5% Pension Fund. The analyses show that the differences in terms of occupation, land size, property status, number of workers and worker status, social security, the fight against diseases and pests, and the relationships between them are important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expanding global population and the use of conventional agrochemical pesticides have led to the loss of crop yield and food shortages. Excessive pesticide used in agriculture risks life forms by contaminating soil and water resources, necessitating the use of nano agrochemicals. This article focuses on synthesis moiety and use of nanopesticides for enhanced stability, controlled release mechanisms, improved efficacy, and reduced pesticide residue levels. The current literature survey offered regulatory frameworks for commercial deployment of nanopesticides and evaluated societal and environmental impacts. Various physicochemical and biological processes, especially microorganisms and advanced oxidation techniques are important in treating pesticide residues through degradation mechanisms. Agricultural waste could be converted into nanofibers for sustainable composites production, new nanocatalysts, such as N-doped TiO 2 and bimetallic nanoparticles for advancing pesticide degradation. Microbial and enzyme methods have been listed as emerging nanobiotechnology tools in achieving a significant reduction of chlorpyrifos and dimethomorph for the management of pesticide residues in agriculture. Moreover, cutting-edge biotechnological alternatives to conventional pesticides are advocated for promoting a transition towards more sustainable pest control methodologies. Application of nanopesticides could be critical in addressing environmental concern due to its increased mobility, prolonged persistence and ecosystem toxicity. Green synthesis of nanopesticides offers solutions to environmental risks associated and using genetic engineering techniques may induce pest and disease resistance for agricultural sustainability. Production of nanopesticides from biological sources is necessary to develop and implement comprehensive strategies to uphold agricultural productivity while safeguarding environmental integrity., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

With the increasing pressure on global food security, the effective detection and management of rice pests have become crucial. Traditional pest detection methods are not only time-consuming and labor-intensive but also often fail to achieve real-time monitoring and rapid response. This study aims to address the issue of rice pest detection through deep learning techniques to enhance agricultural productivity and sustainability. The research utilizes the IP102 large-scale rice pest benchmark dataset, publicly released by CVPR in 2019, which includes 9,663 images of eight types of pests, with a training-to-testing ratio of 8:2. By optimizing the YOLOv8 model, incorporating the CBAM (Convolutional Block Attention Module) attention mechanism, and the BiFPN (Bidirectional Feature Pyramid Network) for feature fusion, the detection accuracy in complex agricultural environments was significantly improved. Experimental results show that the improved YOLOv8 model achieved mAP@0.5 and mAP@0.5:0.95 scores of 98.8% and 78.6%, respectively, representing increases of 2.8% and 2.35% over the original model. This study confirms the potential of deep learning technology in the field of pest detection, providing a new technological approach for future agricultural pest management., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Xiong et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background: Ensuring the efficient recognition and management of crop pests is crucial for maintaining the balance in global agricultural ecosystems and ecological harmony. Deep learning-based methods have shown promise in crop pest recognition. However, prevailing methods often fail to address a critical issue: biased pest training dataset distribution stemming from the tendency to collect images primarily in certain environmental contexts, such as paddy fields. This oversight hampers recognition accuracy when encountering pest images dissimilar to training samples, highlighting the need for a novel approach to overcome this limitation., Results: We introduce the Decoupled Feature Learning (DFL) framework, leveraging causal inference techniques to handle training dataset bias. DFL manipulates the training data based on classification confidence to construct different training domains and employs center triplet loss for learning class-core features. The proposed DFL framework significantly boosts existing baseline models, attaining unprecedented recognition accuracies of 95.33%, 92.59%, and 74.86% on the Li, DFSPD, and IP102 datasets, respectively., Conclusion: Extensive testing on three pest datasets using standard baseline models demonstrates the superiority of DFL in pest recognition. The visualization results show that DFL encourages the baseline models to capture the class-core features. The proposed DFL marks a pivotal step in mitigating the issue of data distribution bias, enhancing the reliability of deep learning in agriculture. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Background: Rodent management with lethal methods (e.g., rodenticides) comes with downsides for rodent welfare, the environment and non-target species. To reduce chemical use and prevent rodent nuisance, pest controllers in the Netherlands must work according to the principles of integrated pest management (IPM). A condition for the success of IPM is that there is sufficient engagement of all parties involved, including clients of pest controllers. The aim of this study was to gain insight into the attitudes of clients regarding rodent control, IPM and the application of preventive measures. Insight into their attitudes may contribute to a better implementation of IPM and with that to a more sustainable rodent management based on more effective prevention. An online survey among 248 clients of Dutch pest controllers from both the agricultural and other sectors was carried out., Results: Respondents from the agricultural sector had a relatively negative attitude towards IPM, the new IPM regulations in the Netherlands and had little confidence in prevention. In other sectors, respondents were more positive about IPM and had more confidence in prevention. The respondents from the latter subgroup had a similar attitude compared to Dutch pest controllers who participated in a previous survey., Conclusion: The findings of the study provide information for the further development and practical implementation of IPM and preventive measures and with that a more sustainable and animal friendly rodent management. They can also be helpful for a better communication and cooperation between pest controllers and their clients. © 2024 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2024 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.)

The growing global food demand, coupled with the limitations of traditional pest control methods, has driven the search for innovative and sustainable solutions in agricultural pest management. In this review, we highlight polymeric nanocarriers for their potential to deliver double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) and control pests through the gene-silencing mechanism of RNA interference (RNAi). Polymer-dsRNA systems have shown promise in protecting dsRNA, facilitating cellular uptake, and ensuring precise release. Despite these advances, challenges such as scalability, cost-efficiency, regulatory approval, and public acceptance persist, necessitating further research to overcome these obstacles and fully unlock the potential of RNAi in sustainable agriculture., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Integrated pest management (IPM) is a sustainable approach for minimizing the negative impacts of pests on crops while reducing reliance on synthetic pesticides. This study was conducted in Kwara State Nigeria in 2023, to investigate the effects of implementation of IPM practices on the occurrence of pesticide residues in okra cultivated by the farmers in Kwara State, Nigeria, and identify the factors affecting the use of IPM practices for pest control in okra production. A sample of 245 okra farmers was selected across 4 agricultural zones of Kwara State using a multistage sampling technique. Additionally, okra samples were collected from the farmers of each community of the local government areas. The data collected from the farmers were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics including frequency count, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and Pearson product moment correlation (PPMC). The collected okra samples were taken to the laboratory for pesticide residue extraction and analysis was performed using gas chromatography (GC)-mass spectrometer (MS). The results showed that most okra producers in Kwara State were smallholder farmers who, despite practicing IPM, had limited knowledge of the technology. Some pesticide residues were detected in okra, out of which two were present in quantities above the maximum residue limit, while others were below the maximum residue limit. Therefore, this study recommends that the government should improve extension services in the State by providing adequate funds and training extension agents who can provide comprehensive training to farmers on the types and application of IPM as an eco-friendly technology for preventing pesticide residue in okra., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Heavy metal contamination represents a critical global environmental concern. The movement of heavy metals through the food chain inevitably subjects insect natural enemies to heavy metal stress, leading to various adverse effects. This review assesses the risks posed by heavy metal exposure to insect natural enemies, evaluates how such exposure impacts their pest control efficacy, and investigates the mechanisms affecting their fitness. Heavy metals transfer and accumulate from soil to plants, then to herbivorous insects, and ultimately to their natural enemies, impeding growth, development, and reproduction of insect natural enemies. Typically, diminished growth and reproduction directly compromise the pest control efficacy of these natural enemies. Nonetheless, within tolerable limits, increased feeding may occur as these natural enemies strive to meet the energy demands for detoxification, potentially enhancing their pest control capabilities. The production of reactive oxygen species and oxidative damage caused by heavy metals in insect natural enemies, combined with disrupted energy metabolism in host insects, are key factors contributing to the reduced fitness of insect natural enemies. In summary, heavy metal pollution emerges as a significant abiotic factor adversely impacting the pest control performance of these beneficial insects., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Integrated pest management (IPM) plays a crucial role in protecting agricultural environments and enhancing the quality of agricultural products. However, a major challenge in China is the conflicting understanding of IPM among farmers, leading to low adoption rates. This undermines farmers' ability to control pests and diseases while increasing risks to agricultural quality and safety. This study aimed to investigate the impact of cognitive conflicts on farmers' adoption of IPM in kiwifruit farms in Shaanxi and Sichuan provinces. Additionally, the study explored the moderating role of internet use in the relationship between cognitive conflicts and farmer adoption of IPM. Data were collected from 686 kiwifruit farms through field surveys in 2018. The binary Probit model and moderating effect models were used to assess the influence of internet use and cognitive conflict on farmer adoption of IPM., Results: The study found that cognitive conflicts significantly hindered farmers' adoption of IPM. Higher levels of cognitive conflict were associated with lower likelihoods of adopting IPM. Internet use and frequency had positive effects on farmer adoption of IPM, promoting its implementation. Moreover, internet use and frequency helped alleviate the inhibitory effect of cognitive conflicts on farmer adoption IPM., Conclusion: This research enhances our understanding of cognitive conflicts among farmers when promoting IPM and provides viable strategies to improve the effectiveness of public sector promotion and stimulate farmers' willingness to adopt IPM. It emphasizes the importance of addressing cognitive conflicts and utilizing internet resources to enhance IPM adoption among kiwifruit growers in China. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Background: Environmentally-friendly crop protection practices are needed to enhance the sustainability of current agricultural systems. This is crucial in orchards which are extensively treated to impair various pests, at the expense of natural enemies. However, the effect of a shift towards softer pest management on the beneficial arthropod community is poorly documented. Earwigs (Dermaptera: Forficulidae) and spiders (Araneae) are relevant groups to assess such effects because they are highly sensitive to agricultural practices. They were monitored for 6 and 4 years, respectively, in apple orchards under three pest management regimes: Organic, Low-input and Conventional, with pest management being switched during the survey from a broad-spectrum insecticide schedule to mating disruption in the latter one, and more selective compounds in all orchards., Results: The survey displayed that earwig abundance (mainly Forficula auricularia) that was initially very low in the Conventional orchard (annual mean 0.5-1.7 earwigs per shelter in the 2010-2012 period) increased to the same level as that of Low-input and Organic orchards (over 10 earwigs per shelter) in the same year that changes in pest management occurred. The epigeal and arboreal spider communities were not responsive, and no recovering was observed 4 years after change in practices., Conclusion: Predatory arthropod communities are differently affected over time by changes in pest management, most probably due to their biology (dispersion, reproduction rate, susceptibility to pesticides etc.). This outlines the importance of documenting the time required to recover after perturbations and build a natural enemy community to enhance pest control in a win-win perspective. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.)

The development of smart systems for pesticidal delivery presents a significant advancement in enhancing the utilization efficiency of pesticides and mitigating environmental risks. Here an acid-responsive pesticidal delivery system using microspheres formed by the self-assembly of halloysite clay nanotubes (HNTs) is proposed. Insecticide avermectin (AVM) and herbicide prometryn (PMT) are used as two models of hydrophobic pesticide and encapsulated within the porous microspheres, followed by a coating of tannic acid/iron (TA/Fe III ) complex films to generate two controlled-release pesticides, named as HCEAT and HCEPT, resulting in the loading capacity of AVM and PMT being 113.3 and 120.3 mg g -1 , respectively. Both HCEAT and HCEPT exhibit responsiveness to weak acid, achieving 24 h-release ratios of 85.8% and 80.5% at a pH of 5.5. The experiment and simulation results indicate that the coordination interaction between EDTA 2- and Ca 2+ facilitates the spherical aggregation of HNTs. Furthermore, these novel pesticide formulations demonstrate better resistance against ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, higher foliar affinity, and less leaching effect, with negligible impact of the carrier material on plants and terrestrial organisms. This work presents a promising approach toward the development of efficient and eco-friendly pesticide formulations, greatly contributing to the sustainable advancement of agriculture., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Pest arthropods cause significant crop damage or are vectors of pathogens for both plants and animals. The current standard of pest management prevents against crop losses and protects human and animal health, but shortcomings exist, such as insecticide resistance and environmental damage to nontarget organisms. New management methods are therefore needed. The development of new tools, such as site-specific gene editing, has accelerated the study of gene function and phenotype in nonmodel arthropod species and may enable the development of new strategies for pathogen and arthropod control. Here, the most recent developments in gene editing in arthropod pests are briefly reviewed. Additionally, technological advances that could be applicable to new species or enhance the success rates of gene editing in species with already established protocols are highlighted., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no conflict of interest. This work has not been previously published and has not been submitted to another journal for publication. No artificial intelligence tools have been used in the generation of this manuscript. All authors have provided their approval for this submission., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: In order to address the issues of uneven pesticide deposition and low pesticide utilization in rubber gardens caused by the traditional diffuse plant protection spraying method, this study focuses on the air-assisted powder sprayer and proposes a variable pesticide application control system. A variable pesticide application decision-making model integrating the leaf area index (LAI) was designed based on powdery mildew control standards and individual rubber tree information. According to the target powder spraying accuracy requirements, a control model of the air velocity adjustment device was established and a fuzzy proportional-integral-differential (PID) air velocity control system was developed., Results: The simulation results indicate that the wind speed control system exhibits a maximum overshoot of 2.18% and an average response time of 1.48 s. The field experiment conducted in a rubber plantation revealed that when the air-assisted powder sprayer operates in the variable powder spraying mode, the average response time of the control system is 2.5 s. The control accuracy of each executive mechanism exceeded 95.9%. The deposition coefficient of variation (CV) at different canopy heights was relatively consistent, with values of 35.38%, 36.26% and 36.90%. In comparison to the quantitative mode, the variable mode showed a significant 20.03% increase in the effective utilization rate of sulfur powder., Conclusion: These research findings provide valuable technical support for the advancement of mechanized variable powder spraying equipment in rubber tree cultivation. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) is a prominent vegetable crop in Asia, confronting persistent threats from pests such as leafhoppers, whiteflies, and shoot and fruit borers. Conventional chemical control methods, despite their adverse ecological effects, remain the primary approach for pest management. Indiscriminate chemical use has led to reduced biodiversity among natural predators and the disruption of food webs in ecosystems. To address these challenges, this study assessed the efficacy of integrated (IM) and biointensive (BM) pest management modules in comparison to conventional chemical methods (CM) for mitigating insect damage to okra leaves and fruits, and subsequently, their impact on okra yield. Our result revealed that the BM exhibited the least effectiveness but outperformed untreated control plots significantly. In contrast, both IM and CM significantly reduced damage from sap-sucking insects and borer pests. Notably, plots treated with the chemical module found decreased populations of natural enemies. The IM demonstrated the lowest fruit infestation rate (5.06%), yielding the highest crop production (8.97 t ha -1 ), along with the maximum net return (Indian Rupees: 44,245) and incremental cost-benefit ratio (3.31). Thus, the study suggested that the implementation of integrated pest management practices can result in higher okra yields and greater economic benefits. These findings shed light on the potential of sustainable agricultural practices as a safer and more economically viable alternative to chemical-intensive pest control in okra cultivation., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

In the realm of disease vectors and agricultural pest management, insecticides play a crucial role in preserving global health and ensuring food security. The pervasive use, particularly of organophosphates (OPs), has given rise to a substantial challenge in the form of insecticide resistance. Carboxylesterases emerge as key contributors to OP resistance, owing to their ability to sequester or hydrolyze these chemicals. Consequently, carboxylesterase enzymes become attractive targets for the development of novel insecticides. Inhibiting these enzymes holds the potential to restore the efficacy of OPs against which resistance has developed. This study aimed to screen the FooDB library to identify potent inhibitory compounds targeting carboxylesterase, Ha006a from the agricultural pest Helicoverpa armigera. The ultimate objective is to develop effective interventions for pest control. The compounds with the highest scores underwent evaluation through docking studies and pharmacophore analysis. Among them, four phytochemicals-donepezil, protopine, 3',4',5,7-tetramethoxyflavone, and piperine-demonstrated favorable binding affinity. The Ha006a-ligand complexes were subsequently validated through molecular dynamics simulations. Biochemical analysis, encompassing determination of IC 50 values, complemented by analysis of thermostability through Differential Scanning Calorimetry and interaction kinetics through Isothermal Titration Calorimetry was conducted. This study comprehensively characterizes Ha006a-ligand complexes through bioinformatics, biochemical, and biophysical methods. This investigation highlights 3',4',5,7-tetramethoxyflavone as the most effective inhibitor, suggesting its potential for synergistic testing with OPs. Consequently, these inhibitors offer a promising solution to OP resistance and address environmental concerns associated with excessive insecticide usage, enabling a significant reduction in their overuse., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Globodera pallida, an obligate sedentary endoparasite, is a major economic pest that causes substantial potato yield losses. This research aimed to study the effects of gene silencing of three FMRFamide-like peptides (FLPs) genes to reduce G. pallida infestation on potato plants by using kaolinite nanoclay as a carrier to deliver dsRNAs via drenching. A dsRNA dosage of 2.0 mg/ml silenced flp-32c by 89.5%, flp-32p by 94.6%, and flp-2 by 94.3%. J2s incubated for 5 and 10 h showed no phenotypic changes. However, J2s of G. pallida efficiently uptake dsRNA of all targeted genes after 15 h of incubation. On the other hand, J2s that had been kept for 24 h had a rigid and straight appearance. Under fluorescence microscopy, all dsRNA-treated nematodes showed fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) signals in the mouth, nervous system, and digestive system. The untreated population of J2s did not show any FITC signals and was mobile as usual. The drenching of potato cultivar Kufri Jyoti with the dsRNA-kaolinite formulations induced deformation and premature death of J2s, compared with untreated J2s that entered J3 or J4 stages. This study validates that the nanocarrier-delivered RNAi system could be employed effectively to manage G. pallida infestations., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: The grey garden slug (Deroceras reticulatum) is considered the most damaging slug pest in global agriculture. Control methods primarily rely on chemical pesticides, which pose environmental risks and potential hazards to human health. There is a need for sustainable management alternatives such as biologically-based slug control options. However, the efficacy of nonchemical measures for controlling pest slug populations remains limited, particularly in the context of variable outdoor conditions. Neuropeptides and their corresponding receptors have been proposed as promising biological targets for the development of new pest management strategies., Results: A total of 23 bioactive peptides belonging to the PRX family, previously identified from the grey garden slug, D. reticulatum, were injected into or fed to this species. The detrimental effects of these peptides, including a reduction in body weight and an inhibition of feeding activity, were evaluated in feeding choice tests with D. reticulatum. Furthermore, the bioactive peptide formulated with a lipid particle demonstrated a feeding deterrent effect. One of the myomodulin (MM) peptides, APPLPRY, demonstrated a significant reduction in feeding activity, resulting in a reduction in slug weight or mortality in just 30 min., Conclusion: The results represent the first evidence of a bioactive peptide having detrimental effects on D. reticulatum including causing feeding deterrent for this slug pest. The in vivo results provide insights into the potential development of active ingredients for managing slugs in the field. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Background: Integrated pest management (IPM) is recognized as a sustainable approach to pest control. However, adoption rates among farmers in Iran have been observed to be low. This study investigates the adoption of IPM practices among citrus farmers in Iran and assesses the applicability of the protection motivation theory (PMT) in explaining farmers' behavior towards IPM., Results: Overall, farmers reported poor levels of IPM use, paying attention only to monitoring practices among the three groups of IPM practices examined (prevention, monitoring, and suppression). The perceived severity of the consequences of chemical pest control (β = 0.389, P < 0.001), the response efficacy of IPM practices (β = 0.254, P < 0.001), and the perceived self-efficacy of using IPM practices (β = 0.199, P < 0.001) positively predicted adoption of IPM practices, while response cost/barriers of IPM practices (β = -0.355, P < 0.001) negatively predicted adoption of IPM practices., Conclusion: The PMT model presents a unique and interesting perspective to understand if and how IPM practices against the threat of pests are motivated. The perceived severity of the consequences of chemical pest control showed the strongest positive effect, whereas the response cost/barriers of IPM practices showed the strongest negative effect on IPM adoption. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Background: The accurate recognition and early warning for plant diseases and pests are a prerequisite of intelligent prevention and control for plant diseases and pests. As a result of the phenotype similarity of the hazarded plant after plant diseases and pests occur, as well as the interference of the external environment, traditional deep learning models often face the overfitting problem in phenotype recognition of plant diseases and pests, which leads to not only the slow convergence speed of the network, but also low recognition accuracy., Results: Motivated by the above problems, the present study proposes a deep learning model EResNet-support vector machine (SVM) to alleviate the overfitting for the recognition and classification of plant diseases and pests. First, the feature extraction capability of the model is improved by increasing feature extraction layers in the convolutional neural network. Second, the order-reduced modules are embedded and a sparsely activated function is introduced to reduce model complexity and alleviate overfitting. Finally, a classifier fused by SVM and fully connected layers are introduced to transforms the original non-linear classification problem into a linear classification problem in high-dimensional space to further alleviate the overfitting and improve the recognition accuracy of plant diseases and pests. The ablation experiments further demonstrate that the fused structure can effectively alleviate the overfitting and improve the recognition accuracy. The experimental recognition results for typical plant diseases and pests show that the proposed EResNet-SVM model has 99.30% test accuracy for eight conditions (seven plant diseases and one normal), which is 5.90% higher than the original ResNet18. Compared with the classic AlexNet, GoogLeNet, Xception, SqueezeNet and DenseNet201 models, the accuracy of the EResNet-SVM model has improved by 5.10%, 7%, 8.10%, 6.20% and 1.90%, respectively. The testing accuracy of the EResNet-SVM model for 6 insect pests is 100%, which is 3.90% higher than that of the original ResNet18 model., Conclusion: This research provides not only useful references for alleviating the overfitting problem in deep learning, but also a theoretical and technical support for the intelligent detection and control of plant diseases and pests. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Traditional chemical pesticide dosage forms and crude application methods have resulted in low pesticide utilization, increased environmental pollution, and the development of resistance. Compared to traditional pesticides, nanopesticides enhance the efficiency of pesticide utilization and reduce the quantity required, thereby decreasing environmental pollution. Herein, Cry1Ac insecticidal crystal protein from Bacillus thuringiensis Subsp. Kurstaki HD-73 was encapsulated in a metal-organic framework (zeolite imidazolate framework-8, ZIF-8) through biomimetic mineralization to obtain Cry1Ac@ZIF-8 nanopesticides. The Cry1Ac@ZIF-8 nanopesticides exhibited a dodecahedral porous structure, and the introduction of Cry1Ac did not affect the intrinsic crystal structure of ZIF-8. The indoor toxicity analysis revealed that the toxicity of Cry1Ac towards Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenée), Helicoverpa armigera Hubner, and Spodoptera litura Fabricius was not affected by ZIF-8 encapsulation. Surprisingly, Cry1Ac@ZIF-8 still exhibited excellent pest management efficacy even after exposure to heat, UV irradiation, and long-term storage. More importantly, the encapsulation of ZIF-8 significantly enhanced the internal absorption performance of Cry1Ac in maize leaves and extended its persistence period. Thus, ZIF-8 could potentially serve as a promising carrier for the preparation of nanopesticides with enhanced applicability, stability, and persistence period, providing a powerful strategy to improve the application of Cry1Ac in future agricultural pest management., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: In India, agriculture is the backbone of economic sectors because of the increasing demand for agricultural products. However, agricultural production has been affected due to the presence of pests in crops. Several methods were developed to solve the crop pest detection issue, but they failed to achieve better results. Therefore, the proposed study used a new hybrid deep learning mechanism for segmenting and detecting pests in crops., Method: Image collection, pre-processing, segmentation, and detection are the steps involved in the proposed study. There are three steps involved in pre-processing: image rescaling, equalized joint histogram based contrast enhancement (Eq-JH-CE), and bendlet transform based De-noising (BT-D). Next, the pre-processed images are segmented using the DenseNet-77 UNet model. In this section, the complexity of the conventional UNet model is mitigated by hybridizing it with the DenseNet-77 model. Once the segmentation is done with an improved model, the crop pests are detected and classified by proposing a novel Convolutional Slice-Attention based Gated Recurrent Unit (CS-AGRU) model. The proposed model is the combination of a convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and a Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU). In order to achieve better accuracy outcomes, the proposed study hybridized these models due to their great efficiency. Also, the slice attention mechanism is applied over the proposed model for fetching relevant feature information and thereby enhancing the computational efficiency. So, pests in the crop are finally detected using the proposed method., Result: The Python programming language is utilized for implementation. The proposed approach shows a better accuracy range of 99.52%, IoU of 99.1%, precision of 98.88%, recall of 99.53%, F1-score of 99.35%, and FNR of 0.011 compared to existing techniques., Discussion: Identifying and classifying pests helps farmers anticipate potential threats to their crops. By knowing which pests are prevalent in their region or are likely to infest certain crops, farmers can implement preventive measures to protect their crops, such as planting pest-resistant varieties, using crop rotation, or deploying traps and barriers. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.)

While the overuse of classical chemical pesticides has had a detrimental impact on the environment and human health, the discovery of RNA interference (RNAi) offered the opportunity to develop new and sustainable approaches for pest management. RNAi is a naturally occurring regulation and defense mechanism that can be exploited to effectively protect crops by silencing key genes affecting the growth, development, behavior or fecundity of pests. However, as with all technologies, there is a range of potential risks and challenges associated with the application of RNAi, such as dsRNA stability, the potential for off-target effects, the safety of non-target organisms, and other application challenges. A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in RNAi and in-depth discussion and analysis of these associated safety risks, is required to limit or mitigate potential adverse effects. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Background: Pests and diseases are a major contributor to yield losses in sub-Saharan Africa, prompting smallholder farmers to seek cost-effective, accessible and ecologically friendly alternatives for crop protection. This study explored the management of pests and diseases affecting crops across eight selected villages in Ehlanzeni District, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa., Methods: A total of 120 smallholder farmers were purposefully selected utilising the snowball technique. Information on the management of plant pests and diseases was collected through interviews and focus group discussions using semi-structured interview schedules. Ethnobotanical indices, including relative frequency of citation (RFC), use-value (UV) and informant consensus factor (Fic), were used to quantify and rank the plants used for crop protection in the study area., Results: Twenty-three plant species (16 naturalised exotics and seven indigenous plants) belonging to 16 families were used for managing pests (vertebrates and invertebrates) and diseases (fungal and bacterial related) affecting crops in the study area. The dominant (100%) crops cultivated by the participants were Allium cepa L., Mangifera indica L., Solanum lycopersicum L. and Zea mays L. The RFC value ranged from 0.08 to 0.83 and the three most popular plants for crop protection were Capsium annuum L. (0.83), A. cepa (0.63) and Dichrostachys cinerea (L.) Wight & Arn. (0.43). In terms of the UV, the five most promising plants used as biocontrol were Tulbaghia violacea (0.13), A. cepa (0.12), C. annuum L. (0.09), Solanum campylacanthum Hochst. Ex A.Rich.(0.09) and Pinus pinaster (0.08). Based on the Fic, four categories were established and dominated by fungal diseases (0.64). Furthermore, T. violacea and A. cepa were the most often mentioned plants used against fungal conditions. Other categories cited were bacterial diseases (0.3), invertebrate pests (0.11) and vertebrate pests (0.14), an indication that smallholder farmers had limited agreement or common knowledge about the plants used for their management. The preparation methods included maceration (38%), decoction (38%) and burning (24%). Foliar application (67%) and soil drenching (33%) were used for administering plant extracts during the management of crop pests and diseases., Conclusion: The study highlights the importance of botanicals and associated indigenous knowledge among smallholder farmers in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. It is pertinent to explore the valorisation of these botanicals by generating empirical data on their biological efficacies and phytochemical profiles., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

As climate change continues to modify temperature and rainfall patterns, risks from pests and diseases may vary as shifting temperature and moisture conditions affect the life history, activity, and distribution of invertebrates and diseases. The potential consequences of changing climate on pest management strategies must be understood for control measures to adapt to new environmental conditions. The redlegged earth mite (RLEM; Halotydeus destructor [Tucker]) is a major economic pest that attacks pastures and grain crops across southern Australia and is typically controlled by pesticides. TIMERITE® is a management strategy that relies on estimating the optimal timing (the TIMERITE® date) for effective chemical control of RLEM populations in spring. In this study, we assessed the efficacy of control at the TIMERITE® date from 1990 to 2020 across southern Australia using a simulation approach that incorporates historical climatic data and field experimental data on life history, seasonal abundance, and population level pesticide responses. We demonstrate that moisture and temperature conditions affect the life history of RLEM and that changes in the past three decades have gradually diminished the efficacy of the TIMERITE® strategy. Furthermore, we show that by incorporating improved climatic data into predictions and shifting the timing of control to earlier in the year, control outcomes can be improved and are more stable across changing climates. This research emphasises the importance of accounting for dynamic environmental responses when developing and implementing pest management strategies to ensure their long-term effectiveness. Suggested modifications to estimating the TIMERITE® date will help farmers maintain RLEM control outcomes amidst increasingly variable climatic conditions., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) poses a challenge in determining the optimal timing of pesticide sprays to ensure that pest populations remain below the Economic Injury Level (EIL), due to the long-term residual effects of many pesticides and the delayed responses of pest populations to pesticide sprays. To address this issue, a specific pesticide kill-rate function is incorporated into a deterministic exponential growth model and a subsequent stochastic model. The findings suggest the existence of an optimal pesticide spraying cycle that can periodically control pests below the EIL. The results regarding stochasticity indicate that random fluctuations promote pest extinction and ensure that the pest population, under the optimal cycle, does not exceed the EIL on average, even with a finite number of IPM strategies. All those confirm that the modeling approach can accurately reveal the intrinsic relationship between the two key indicators Economic Threshold and EIL in the IPM strategy, and further realize the precise characterization of the residual effect and delayed response of pesticide application., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Wild pigs (Sus scrofa) are an invasive and destructive species throughout many regions of the world. A sodium nitrite (SN) toxic bait is currently used in Australia and being developed for use in the US and other countries to combat the increasing populations of wild pigs. In the US, efforts to modify the Australian SN-toxic bait and baiting strategy have focused on reducing issues with non-target animals accessing the SN-toxic bait spilled outside of bait stations by wild pigs. We tested and compared modifications for efficacy (with wild pigs) and hazards (with non-targets) in north-central Texas, US during summer (July 2021) and winter (March 2023) seasons., Results: During both seasons we found that visitation to the bait sites declined 94-99% after deploying the SN-toxic bait, and we found a total of 106 dead wild pigs, indicating considerable lethality for the local population. Prior to deploying the SN-toxic bait, Global Positioning System (GPS)-collared wild pigs were more likely to cease visiting bait sites during summer when foraging resources were abundant. Farrowing decreased visitation to bait sites during the winter. We observed no dead non-targets during summer; winter results showed an average of 5.2 dead migrating birds per bait site (primarily Dark-eye juncos [Junco hyemalis]) from consuming SN-toxic bait spilled by wild pigs. The presence and winter-foraging behaviors of migrating birds appeared to increase hazards for those species., Conclusion: The current formulation of SN-toxic bait was effective at removing wild pigs during both seasons, however it is clear that different baiting strategies may be required in winter when migrating birds are present. Baiting wild pigs prior to farrowing during the winter, and during drier summers, may further improve efficacy of the bait. Reducing hazards to non-targets could be achieved by refining the SN-toxic bait or modifying bait stations to decrease the potential for spillage, decreasing environmental persistence if spilled, or decreasing attractiveness to migrating birds. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. This article has been contributed to by U.S. Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA., (© 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. This article has been contributed to by U.S. Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.)

Future trajectories of agricultural productivity need to incorporate environmental targets, including the reduction of pesticides use. Landscape features supporting natural pest control (LF-NPC) offer a nature-based solution that can serve as a partial substitute for synthetic pesticides, thereby supporting future productivity levels. Here, we introduce a novel approach to quantify the contribution of LF-NPC to agricultural yields and its associated economic value to crop production in a broad-scale context. Using the European Union as case study, we combine granular farm-level data, a spatially explicit map of LF-NPC potential, and a regional agro-economic supply and market model. The results reveal that farms located in areas characterized by higher LF-NPC potential experience lower productivity losses in a context of reduced synthetic pesticides use. Our analysis suggests that LF-NPC reduces yield gaps on average by four percentage points, and increases income by a similar magnitude. These results highlight the significance of LF-NPC for agricultural production and income, and provide a valuable reference point for farmers and policymakers aiming to successfully invest in landscape features to achieve pesticides reduction targets., (© 2024. European Union, Peter Witzke.)

Agricultural practitioners, researchers and policymakers are increasingly advocating for integrated pest management (IPM) to reduce pesticide use while preserving crop productivity and profitability. Using selective pesticides, putatively designed to act on pests while minimising impacts on off-target organisms, is one such option - yet evidence of whether these chemicals control pests without adversely affecting natural enemies and other beneficial species (henceforth beneficials) remains scarce. At present, the selection of pesticides compatible with IPM often considers a single (or a limited number of) widely distributed beneficial species, without considering undesired effects on co-occurring beneficials. In this study, we conducted standardised laboratory bioassays to assess the acute toxicity effects of 20 chemicals on 15 beneficial species at multiple exposure timepoints, with the specific aims to: (1) identify common and diverging patterns in acute toxicity responses of tested beneficials; (2) determine if the effect of pesticides on beetles, wasps and mites is consistent across species within these groups; and (3) assess the impact of mortality assessment timepoints on International Organisation for Biological Control (IOBC) toxicity classifications. Our work demonstrates that in most cases, chemical toxicities cannot be generalised across a range of beneficial insects and mites providing biological control, a finding that was found even when comparing impacts among closely related species of beetles, wasps and mites. Additionally, we show that toxicity impacts increase with exposure length, pointing to limitations of IOBC protocols. This work challenges the notion that chemical toxicities can be adequately tested on a limited number of 'representative' species; instead, it highlights the need for careful consideration and testing on a range of regionally and seasonally relevant beneficial species., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Agricultural pests and diseases pose major losses to agricultural productivity, leading to significant economic losses and food safety risks. However, accurately identifying and controlling these pests is still very challenging due to the scarcity of labeling data for agricultural pests and the wide variety of pest species with different morphologies. To this end, we propose a two-stage target detection method that combines Cascade RCNN and Swin Transformer models. To address the scarcity of labeled data, we employ random cut-and-paste and traditional online enhancement techniques to expand the pest dataset and use Swin Transformer for basic feature extraction. Subsequently, we designed the SCF-FPN module to enhance the basic features to extract richer pest features. Specifically, the SCF component provides a self-attentive mechanism with a flexible sliding window to enable adaptive feature extraction based on different pest features. Meanwhile, the feature pyramid network (FPN) enriches multiple levels of features and enhances the discriminative ability of the whole network. Finally, to further improve our detection results, we incorporated non-maximum suppression (Soft NMS) and Cascade R-CNN's cascade structure into the optimization process to ensure more accurate and reliable prediction results. In a detection task involving 28 pest species, our algorithm achieves 92.5%, 91.8%, and 93.7% precision in terms of accuracy, recall, and mean average precision (mAP), respectively, which is an improvement of 12.1%, 5.4%, and 7.6% compared to the original baseline model. The results demonstrate that our method can accurately identify and localize farmland pests, which can help improve farmland's ecological environment., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Xu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background: Pest infestation is one of the primary causes of decreased cotton yield and quality. Rapid and accurate identification of cotton pest categories is essential for producers to implement effective and expeditious control measures. Existing multi-scale cotton pest detection technology still suffers from poor accuracy and rapidity of detection. This study proposed the pruned GBW-YOLOv5 (Ghost-BiFPN-WIoU You Only Look Once version 5), a novel model for the rapid detection of cotton pests., Results: The detection performance of the pruned GBW-YOLOv5 model for cotton pests was evaluated based on the self-built cotton pest dataset. In comparison with the original YOLOv5 model, the pruned GBW-YOLOv5 model demonstrated significant reductions in complexity, size, and parameters by 68.4%, 66.7%, and 68.2%, respectively. Remarkably, the mean average precision (mAP) decreased by a mere 3.8%. The pruned GBW-YOLOv5 model outperformed other classic object detection models, achieving an outstanding detection speed of 114.9 FPS., Conclusion: The methodology proposed by our research enabled rapid and accurate identification of cotton pests, laying a solid foundation for the implementation of precise pest control measures. The pruned GBW-YOLOv5 model provided theoretical research and technical support for detecting cotton pests under field conditions. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Background: Practical resistance of Helicoverpa zea to Cry proteins has become widespread in the US, making Vip3Aa the only effective Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) protein for controlling this pest. Understanding the genetic basis of Vip3Aa resistance in H. zea is essential in sustaining the long-term efficacy of Vip3Aa. The objectives of this study were to characterize the inheritance of Vip3Aa resistance in four distinct field-derived H. zea strains (M1-RR, AC4-RR, R2-RR and R15-RR), and to test for shared genetic basis among these strains and a previously characterized Texas resistant strain (LT#70-RR)., Results: Maternal effects and sex linkage were absent, and the effective dominance level (D ML ) was 0.0 across Vip3Aa39 concentrations ranging from 1.0 to 31.6 μg cm -2 , in all H. zea resistant strains. Mendelian monogenic model tests indicated that Vip3Aa resistance in each of the four strains was controlled by a single gene. However, interstrain complementation tests indicated that three distinct genetic loci are involved in Vip3Aa resistance in the five resistant H. zea strains: one shared by M1-RR and LT#70-RR; another shared by R2-RR and R15-RR; and a distinct one for AC4-RR., Conclusion: Results of this study indicate that Vip3Aa resistance in all H. zea strains was controlled by a single, recessive and autosomal gene. However, there were three distinct genetic loci associated with Vip3Aa resistance in the five resistant H. zea strains. The information generated from this study is valuable for exploring mechanisms of Vip3Aa resistance, monitoring the evolution of Vip3Aa resistance, and devising effective strategies for managing Vip3Aa resistance in H. zea. © 2024 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2024 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.)

Pesticides are widely used for pest control to promote sustained and stable growth of agricultural production. However, indiscriminate pesticide usage poses a great threat to environmental and human health. In recent years, nanotechnology has shown the ability to increase the performance of conventional pesticides and has great potential for improving adhesion to crop foliage, solubility, stability, targeted delivery, and so forth. This review discusses two types of nanopesticides, namely, carrier-free nanopesticides and carrier-based nanopesticides, that can precisely release necessary and sufficient amounts of active ingredients. At first, the basic characterization and preparation methods of these two distinct types of nanopesticides are briefly summarized. Subsequently, current applications and future perspectives on scientific examples and strategies for promoting the usage efficacy and reducing the environmental risks of these nanopesticides were also described. Overall, nanopesticides can promote higher crop yields and lay the foundation for sustainable agriculture and global food security., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Despite the widespread usage to safeguard crops and manage pests, pesticides have detrimental effects on the environment and human health. The necessity to find sustainable agricultural techniques and meet the growing demand for food production has spurred the quest for pesticide substitutes other than traditional ones. The unique qualities of nanotechnology, including its high surface area-to-volume ratio, controlled release, and better stability, have made it a promising choice for pest management. Over the past ten years, there has been a noticeable growth in the usage of nanomaterials for pest management; however, concerns about their possible effects on the environment and human health have also surfaced. The purpose of this review paper is to give a broad overview of the worldwide trends and environmental effects of using nanomaterials in place of pesticides. The various types of nanomaterials, their characteristics, and their possible application in crop protection are covered. The limits of the current regulatory frameworks for nanomaterials in agriculture are further highlighted in this review. Additionally, it describes how standard testing procedures must be followed to assess the effects of nanomaterials on the environment and human health before their commercialization. In order to establish sustainable and secure nanotechnology-based pest control techniques, the review concludes by highlighting the significance of taking into account the possible hazards and benefits of nanomaterials for pest management and the necessity of an integrated approach. It also emphasizes the importance of more investigation into the behavior and environmental fate of nanomaterials to guarantee their safe and efficient application in agriculture., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Greenhouse ecosystem with more stable abiotic factors could affect the population and diversity of pests and diseases found on foxtail millet (Setaria italica L. Beauv.) compared to their natural ecosystems. We observed and identified pests and diseases in seven genotypes of foxtail millet namely “Toraja”, “ICERI 5”, “ICERI 6”, “Botok 4”, “Botok 10”, “Mauliru”, and “Hambapraing”; these activities are important for the formulation of appropriate integrated pest management techniques. Using plant samples that were at the end of their vegetative phase, we found white mycelia of Fusarium incarnatum (yellowish-white colonies) and F. verticilloides (violetish-pink colonies) covering the ear-tip of the seeds and developed rapidly leading to seed rotten symptoms in “Toraja”, “ICERI 5”, and “ICERI 6”. The disease severity remained constant after these integrated management techniques were put in place. However, abnormalities in leaves leading to failure of panicle emergence occurred in “Botok 4”, “Botok 10”, “Mauliru”, and “Hambapraing”. These were caused by the fungi Penicillium sp. Identical controlling techniques were applied to this incidence and the disease incidence was reduced. Corn leaf aphids (Rhophalosiphum maidis) and rice mealybugs (Brevenia rehi) were recorded as main insect pests with severe attack. The aphid, R. maidis, colonized the stems and were associated with the sooty mold (Capnodium sp.), resulting in wilting. The mealybugs, B. rehi, colonized the flag leaves resulting in leaf rotting. Insecticide and isolating the attacked plants were used as the controlling techniques. Red-mites (Tetranychus urticae) were also detected as indicated by chlorotic spots on the upper part of the leaves. Acaricide was used to reduce its population. The pests and diseases found in the seven genotypes of foxtail millet are commonly known to occur in Poaceae. In general, greenhouse ecosystem for foxtail millet facilitated planting with high population with lower diversity of pests and diseases compared to the open field planting.

This study analyzes arthropod biomass and abundance to track the changes in arthropod occurrence in relation to pesticide use in three winter wheat cropping systems managed at different intensities (organic, conventional, and hybrid). Arthropod occurrence was surveyed using three collection tools: sweeping nets, eclector traps, and yellow traps. Sampling was conducted over three years from 2020 to 2022 with 588 samples collected. The wet weight of the captured organisms was determined and arthropod abundance calculated. The application of a NOcsPS (no chemical-synthetic pesticides) strategy, a new hybrid cultivation method realized with optimized use of nitrogen fertilizers but without chemical-synthetic pesticides, showed a higher arthropod occurrence and performed more convincingly regarding produced arthropod biomass and abundance than the other cropping variants. The results also demonstrate a dependence of the obtained insect indices on the collection method. Although arthropod biomass and abundance correlated for all collection methods, the combination of various methods as well as multiple procedures of sample analysis gives a more realistic and comprehensive view of the impact of the wheat cultivation systems on the arthropod fauna than one-factor analyses., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: To examine the effect of ground cage use on Oncomelania hupensis spread, so as to provide insights into precision snail control., Methods: Twenty ground cages that were frequently used to capture rice field eels were purchased, including 11 packaging tape-made cages, 7 plastic cages and 2 nylon rope-made cages. The eel-capturing activity was mimicked, and 20 ground cages were assigned in settings with relatively high (1.00 snail/0.1 m 2 and higher) and low snail densities (< 1.00 snail/0.1 m 2 ) in Xindai Township, Pinghu City, Zhejiang Province during the period from 15 : 00 to 8 : 00 of the following day on April 13, 26 and 28. The numbers of snails carried by different types of ground cages were compared in settings with different types of snail densities using the rank-sum test., Results: A total of 11 cage-times were assigned in settings with a high snail density, and a total of 77 snails were captured, with a mean number of 7 snails in each cage-time and 2.15 snails in 0.1 m 2 ground cage. The mean numbers of snails carried by packaging tape-made and plastic cages were 2.47 snails/0.1 m 2 cage and 0.37 snails/0.1 m 2 cage, respectively. A total of 24 cage-times were assigned in settings with a low snail density, and a total of 8 snails were captured, with a mean number of 0.33 snails in each cage-time and 0.09 snails in 0.1 m 2 ground cage. The mean numbers of snails carried by packaging tape-made cages were 0.12 snails/0.1 m 2 cage; however, no snails were carried by plastic or nylon rope-made cages. The number of snails carried by ground cages was higher in settings with a high snail density than in settings with a low snail density ( Z = -4.019, P < 0.01), and the number of snails carried by packaging tape-made cages was higher in settings with a high snail density than in settings with a low snail density ( Z = -4.086, P < 0.01). No significant differences were found in the numbers of snails carried by different types of ground cages., Conclusions: The use of ground cage in snail habitats is a contributor to snail spread.

Despite the high energetic cost of the reduction of sulfate to H 2 S, required for the synthesis of sulfur-containing amino acids, some wine Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains have been reported to produce excessive amounts of H 2 S during alcoholic fermentation, which is detrimental to wine quality. Surprisingly, in the presence of sulfite, used as a preservative, wine strains produce more H 2 S than wild (oak) or wine velum (flor) isolates during fermentation. Since copper resistance caused by the amplification of the sulfur rich protein Cup1p is a specific adaptation trait of wine strains, we analyzed the link between copper resistance mechanism, sulfur metabolism and H 2 S production. We show that a higher content of copper in the must increases the production of H 2 S, and that SO 2 increases the resistance to copper. Using a set of 51 strains we observed a positive and then negative relation between the number of copies of CUP1 and H 2 S production during fermentation. This complex pattern could be mimicked using a multicopy plasmid carrying CUP1, confirming the relation between copper resistance and H 2 S production. The massive use of copper for vine sanitary management has led to the selection of resistant strains at the cost of a metabolic tradeoff: the overproduction of H 2 S, resulting in a decrease in wine quality., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Managed honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies in North America and Europe have experienced high losses in recent years, which have been linked to weather conditions, lack of quality forage, and high parasite loads, particularly the obligate brood parasite, Varroa destructor. These factors may interact at various scales to have compounding effects on honey bee health, but few studies have been able to simultaneously investigate the effects of weather conditions, landscape factors, and management of parasites. We analyzed a dataset of 3,210 survey responses from beekeepers in Pennsylvania from 2017 to 2022 and combined these with remotely sensed weather variables and novel datasets about seasonal forage availability into a Random Forest model to investigate drivers of winter loss. We found that beekeepers who used treatment against Varroa had higher colony survival than those who did not treat. Moreover, beekeepers who used multiple types of Varroa treatment had higher colony survival rates than those who used 1 type of treatment. Our models found weather conditions are strongly associated with survival, but multiple-treatment type colonies had higher survival across a broader range of climate conditions. These findings suggest that the integrated pest management approach of combining treatment types can potentially buffer managed honey bee colonies from adverse weather conditions., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America.)

Sustainable agriculture relies on implementing effective, eco-friendly crop protection strategies. However, the adoption of these green tactics by growers is limited by their high costs resulting from the insufficient integration of various components of Integrated Pest Management (IPM). In response, we propose a framework within IPM termed Multi-Dimensional Management of Multiple Pests (3MP). Within this framework, a spatial dimension considers the interactive effects of soil-crop-pest-natural enemy networks on pest prevalence, while a time dimension addresses pest interactions over the crop season. The 3MP framework aims to bolster the adoption of green IPM tactics, thereby extending environmental benefits beyond crop protection., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Fertility-targeted gene drives have been proposed as an ethical genetic approach for managing wild populations of vertebrate pests for public health and conservation benefit. This manuscript introduces a framework to identify and evaluate target gene suitability based on biological gene function, gene expression and results from mouse knockout models. This framework identified 16 genes essential for male fertility and 12 genes important for female fertility that may be feasible targets for mammalian gene drives and other non-drive genetic pest control technology. Further, a comparative genomics analysis demonstrates the conservation of the identified genes across several globally significant invasive mammals. In addition to providing important considerations for identifying candidate genes, our framework and the genes identified in this study may have utility in developing additional pest control tools such as wildlife contraceptives., (© 2023 The Authors. Molecular Ecology Resources published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Only a few decades after its introduction to the United States in the mid-nineteenth century, the house sparrow was considered a pest that drove away native birds. Its downfall is representative of a story familiar to scholars of animals and technology who have studied the methods used to control or exclude unwanted species from both rural and urban areas. The case of the house sparrow, however, differs in a crucial respect: the birds made their homes in bird boxes, built technologies designed to attract avian species and bring them closer to humans. This article documents how bird boxes were used as tools to regulate avian life in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in the United States and argues that they should be seen as a technology that mediates and regulates our relationship with nature by promoting or controlling certain aspects of living organisms.

For a long time, electrical signaling was neglected at the expense of signaling studies in plants being concentrated with chemical and hydraulic signals. Studies conducted in recent years have revealed that plants are capable of emitting, processing, and transmitting bioelectrical signals to regulate a wide variety of physiological functions. Many important biological and physiological phenomena are accompanied by these cellular electrical manifestations, which supports the hypothesis about the importance of bioelectricity as a fundamental 'model' for response the stresses environmental and for activities regeneration of these organisms. Electrical signals have also been characterized and discriminated against in genetically modified plants under stress mediated by sucking insects and/or by the application of systemic insecticides. Such results can guide future studies that aim to elucidate the factors involved in the processes of resistance to stress and plant defense, thus aiding in the development of successful strategies in integrated pest management. Therefore, this mini review includes the results of studies aimed at electrical signaling in response to biotic stress. We also demonstrated how the generation and propagation of electrical signals takes place and included a description of how these electrical potentials are measured.

In order to evaluate the effect of different weed management treatments on weeds, pest and natural enemies populations in sesame (Sesamum indicum L.), a 2-year study was conducted in East Azarbaijan, Iran in 2020-2021. The study was conducted based on randomized complete block design with four replications. The weed management treatments consisted of trifluralin use (960 g ai ha -1 ), wheat straw mulch (WSM), living mulches of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) (FLM), bitter vetch (Vicia ervilia L.) (VLM), calendula (Calendula officinalis L.) (CLM) and one-time hand weeding (OHW). The effect of weed management treatment was significant on densities of insect pests, natural enemies and weed and also weed biomass and sesame seed yield. The lowest densities of insect pests including Myzus persicae, Brevicoryne brassicae, Helicoverpa armigera and Spodoptera exigua were observed in CLM treatment. Also, the highest densities of natural enemies Coccinella septompunctata, Coccinella undecimpunctata and Orius niger were observed in CLM treatment. The highest reductions in grass (51.0%), broadleaf (72.0%), and total (62.6%) weed biomasses and highest seed yield (1456 kg ha -1 ) were obtained in OHW. The seed yields in CLM and WSM treatments were not significantly different with trifluralin treatment and could be recommended in sustainable production of sesame., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

BACKGROUND: Honey bees are associated with gut microorganisms essential for their nutrition and health. The composition of the microbial community can be used as a biological health indicator and is characterized using biomarker fatty acids. Commonly, gut microorganisms are exposed to pathogens and to an array of chemical and biological pest control methods. RESULTS: We found a strong negative effect on microbial gut community composition when exposed to the bee pest control chemicals oxytetracycline, oxalic acid and imidacloprid, and when inoculated with the bee pest Nosema spp. and the potential bee pest biocontrol agent Lactobacillus plantarum. Results from the in vitro test with bee pest chemicals showed a differential response of Lactobacillus spp. At the community level, some taxonomic groups were more affected depending on treatment, but sharp changes in the microbial structure were caused by compounds generally considered as bee safe. CONCLUSION: Our results show that pests such as Nosema spp. and pest control methods alter the composition of bee gut microorganisms, which may have severe consequences for pathogen defense, physiology and general honey bee health. In addition, L. plantarum has potential as a biocontrol agent against Nosema spp. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry Pest control compounds cause sharp changes in honey bee gut microbial structure that may have severe consequences for pathogen defense, physiology and general honey bee health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]