Ecological Aspects as a Basis for Future Pest Integrated Management

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Pest and Disease Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2024) | Viewed by 5037

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia, Zoologia e Genética, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas 96010900, RS, Brazil
Interests: fruit flies; natural enemies; biological control; ecology of insects; agriculture entomology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Laboratorio de Investigaciones Bioecoetológicas de Moscas de la Fruta y sus Enemigos Naturales (LIEMEN), División Control Biológico de Plagas, PROIMI Biotecnología, CCT NOA Sur-CONICET, Avda, Belgrano y Pje, Caseros, San Miguel de Tucumán T4001MVB, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina
Interests: fruit flies; parasitoids; insect biology and ecology; biological control; integrated pest management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Knowledge of the ecology of insects, mites, vertebrate and invertebrate pests, weeds, and phytopathogens is one of the pillars of integrated pest management. Pests should be understood as populations that are out of balance and cause economic losses. Ecological knowledge about these populations is crucial for longer-lasting pest management with reduced environmental and social impact. The diversification of agroecosystems, agroforests, biological control, the push–pull technique, the sterile insect technique, and the search for selective agrochemicals within an area-wide approach depend significantly on this ecological knowledge. This Special Issue invites the submission of original research articles and reviews to deepen ecological aspects as a basis for future integrated pest management, such as demographic traits, ecology and evolution of behavioral patterns, population dynamics, diversity, abundance, trophic relationships, host range and status, natural enemies, niche, distribution modeling, phytosociology, allelopathy, competition, absent quarantine pests, and epidemiology.

Dr. Flávio Roberto Mello Garcia
Dr. Sérgio M. Ovruski
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • plant–insect interaction
  • population dynamics
  • diversity
  • host range
  • natural enemies
  • trophic relationships
  • competition
  • epidemiology
  • phytosociology
  • absent quarantine pests
  • epidemiology

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

10 pages, 2021 KiB  
Article
Effect of Trap Type and Height on the Captures of the Pink Bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), in Pheromone-Baited Traps in Cotton
by Georgios C. Katranas, Thomas N. Vassilakos, Christos I. Rumbos and Christos G. Athanassiou
Agronomy 2024, 14(4), 656; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14040656 - 24 Mar 2024
Viewed by 683
Abstract
The impact of trap type and height on the captures of adults of the pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), was assessed in cotton fields in three experimental sites (Nikaia, Nees Karyes, and Koilada) in Central Greece. Initially, the effectiveness of three [...] Read more.
The impact of trap type and height on the captures of adults of the pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), was assessed in cotton fields in three experimental sites (Nikaia, Nees Karyes, and Koilada) in Central Greece. Initially, the effectiveness of three different traps (white Delta, red Delta, and green Funnel) was compared. Subsequently, white Delta traps were positioned at three heights, i.e., 30, 60, and 90 cm, above ground level. Overall, captures notably increased in all traps from late July to mid-September. Funnel traps had poor performance for the captures of P. gossypiella adults, as compared with the respective figures for the other two Delta traps. Specifically, in two experimental sites (Nikaia and Koilada), both Delta traps cumulatively captured significantly more adults than the Funnel trap throughout the monitoring period. In the third site (Nees Karyes), the red Delta trap captured in total significantly more adults than the other two tested traps. Moreover, we found that traps in Nikaia placed at 90 cm captured significantly less adults as compared with the other two trap heights. The same trend was observed in Koilada; however, differences were significant only between traps at 30 and 90 cm. No significant differences were determined among different heights in the third site (Nees Karyes). These findings offer valuable insights for the monitoring protocols of P. gossypiella in cotton fields, on the basis of a standardized trapping strategy, that can take into account a wide range of factors, such as trap design and trap height. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecological Aspects as a Basis for Future Pest Integrated Management)
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13 pages, 962 KiB  
Article
Trichopria anastrephae: A Promising Neotropical-Native Parasitoid for Drosophila suzukii Control
by María Josefina Buonocore-Biancheri, Lorena del Carmen Suárez, Segundo Ricardo Núñez-Campero, Marcos Darío Ponssa, Flávio Roberto Mello Garcia, Daniel Santiago Kirschbaum and Sergio Marcelo Ovruski
Agronomy 2024, 14(3), 520; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14030520 - 2 Mar 2024
Viewed by 777
Abstract
Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) is an invasive pest mainly affecting berry and stone fruit crops worldwide. In Argentina, it inhabits fruit-growing regions. An eco-friendly management strategy involves biological control by using resident natural enemies, such as the Neotropical-native pupal parasitoid Trichopria anastrephae Lima ( [...] Read more.
Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) is an invasive pest mainly affecting berry and stone fruit crops worldwide. In Argentina, it inhabits fruit-growing regions. An eco-friendly management strategy involves biological control by using resident natural enemies, such as the Neotropical-native pupal parasitoid Trichopria anastrephae Lima (Ta). The study compared the host-killing capacity and the offspring reproductive success of two Ta lineages on the puparia of both D. suzukii (Ds) and D. melanogaster (Dm) in no-choice and choice tests under laboratory conditions. The host preference and host-switching behaviors were also assessed. One parasitoid lineage was reared on Ds (TaDs), and the second on Dm (TaDm). In no-choice tests, both Ta lineages performed similarly on both hosts regarding the percentage of killed hosts and parasitoid offspring survival. The host-killing ability of TaDm was only significantly lower when Ds was offered as a host, relative to Dm. In choice tests, Ta attacked mainly Ds at a 4–9 times Ds to Dm ratio, but at a 1.5–2 times Ds to Dm ratio, the host-killing ability was similar between both drosophilids. At an equal host ratio or higher Dm ratios, Ta preferred the native host. However, it was determined that Ta has the potential to parasitize the recently-introduced pest. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecological Aspects as a Basis for Future Pest Integrated Management)
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11 pages, 1476 KiB  
Article
Low-Temperature-Induced Winter Dormancy in a Predatory Stink Bug Eocanthecona furcellata (Wolff) in the Subtropics
by Yongji Zhu, Jian Wen, Qinglan Luo, Zhaolang Kuang and Kewei Chen
Agronomy 2023, 13(10), 2573; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13102573 - 7 Oct 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 824
Abstract
Insects have developed dormancy mechanisms to survive coldness in winters. The specific forms of winter dormancy, however, vary among different geographical and climatic zones and species. While there is extensive research on winter dormancy in insect pests and parasitoids in temperate zones, our [...] Read more.
Insects have developed dormancy mechanisms to survive coldness in winters. The specific forms of winter dormancy, however, vary among different geographical and climatic zones and species. While there is extensive research on winter dormancy in insect pests and parasitoids in temperate zones, our understanding of how predatory insects, such as predatory stink bugs in subtropical regions, cope with cold winters and the specific forms of dormancy they undergo remains limited. The effects of winter temperatures on the population dynamics, development, and reproduction of the predatory stink bug Eocanthecona furcellata in the subtropics were investigated through greenhouse and laboratory experiments. E. furcellata exhibits two distinct peaks in population distribution throughout the year: one in April–May and another in October–November. Interestingly, the proportions of adults show an opposite pattern to the population dynamics, with the highest proportions of adults observed during the winter and summer seasons, when temperatures are the lowest and the highest, respectively. Laboratory studies showed that E. furcellata reared at lower temperatures (16 °C, 18 °C, and 20 °C) experienced prolonged development and higher mortality rates for eggs and nymphs compared to higher temperatures (22 °C and 26 °C). Further experiments observed that E. furcellata adults reared at 16 °C, 18 °C, and 20 °C entered into winter dormancy, where ovarian development was either completely halted or slowed down. The observed high proportion of E. furcellata adults and low proportion of nymphs during the cold winter months align well with the dormancy period. This study sheds light on the underlying mechanisms driving the population dynamics of E. furcellata during the subtropical winter. These findings have significant implications in accurately predicting the population dynamics of E. furcellata, implementing effective field release strategies, and optimizing cold storage techniques in the context of biological control programs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecological Aspects as a Basis for Future Pest Integrated Management)
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23 pages, 2733 KiB  
Article
Population Dynamics and Effect of Seed Treatment on Plutella xylostella Control in Romania
by Emil Georgescu, Maria Toader, Ioan Sebastian Brumă, Lidia Cană, Luxița Rîșnoveanu, Cristina Fătu and Roxana Zaharia
Agronomy 2023, 13(5), 1236; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13051236 - 27 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1829
Abstract
This paper presents a three-year study concerning the effectiveness of the OSR seed treatment with the cyantraniliprole active ingredient in controlling the DBM larvae attack in autumn and four-year monitoring of the DBM flight pattern, using pheromone sticky traps. The experiment and the [...] Read more.
This paper presents a three-year study concerning the effectiveness of the OSR seed treatment with the cyantraniliprole active ingredient in controlling the DBM larvae attack in autumn and four-year monitoring of the DBM flight pattern, using pheromone sticky traps. The experiment and the monitoring were conducted at the experimental field from the National Agricultural Research and Development Institute (NARDI) Fundulea in Southeast Romania. For the field assessments, each OSR sampled plant was photographed in macro mode, and then images were downloaded and magnified on the PC screen to determine the DBM larva attack. The traps were placed in the OSR crop from mid-March till December and checked twice weekly. Data from the field assessment revealed a higher pest attack on OSR plants on 11 November 2020, when the DBM larvae attack degree was 16.26% in the untreated variant and 11.24% in the variant with treated seeds. The results evidenced unusually higher activity for the diamondback moths during November 2019, 2020, and 2022; the beginning of December 2020 and 2021; and mid-December 2022. This is the first report from the Romanian scientific literature concerning higher DBM attacks at OSR plants in autumn and high moth activity during November and December. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecological Aspects as a Basis for Future Pest Integrated Management)
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