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Safeguarding production—losses in major crops and the role of crop protection

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... From an economic point of view, preventing yield and quality losses is most important in intensive crops, such as vegetables, fruit, and grapes. The profitability of an operator can crucially depend on pest management [12,13]. An increasingly effective agriculture to keep pace with population growth and to protect crops against diseases has turned the pesticide market into one of the most lucrative playfields in the world [14]. ...
... The implementation of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is central to modern pest control in viticulture. By combining chemical, biological, and cultural methods, IPM aims to reduce pesticide use and mitigate environmental impacts while ensuring crop protection [13]. Viticulture, however, remains one of the agricultural sectors with the highest pesticide dependency, which entails economic, societal, and environmental costs [14,22,25]. ...
... Material costs reflected the farm-specific plant protection products used. In addition, the yields served to also cover the output variable (potential revenues) [2,3,12,13,17,32,150]. ...
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This study investigates the sustainability impact of fungus-resistant grape varieties within viticulture, addressing economic, ecological, and social dimensions. Pesticide management is of paramount importance for wineries but causes additional costs, impairs sustainability, and faces societal non-acceptance. Digital monitoring of four German wineries for two consecutive years allowed us to compare treatments of traditional and robust varietals. The results demonstrate that the latter enables a significant reduction in pesticide treatments, can be key for copper reduction, and is of paramount importance for organic winemaking. By reducing pesticide dependency, lowering operational costs, hedging risks, and improving labor efficiency, FRW present a key to sustainable viticulture. The results suggest that robust varietals present a means to comply with societal pressure and to meet EU Green Deal ambitions. This paper contributes new, practice-oriented knowledge on FRW's role in sustainable viticulture, confirming both the ecological and economic advantages in real-world settings, alongside unique insights into social sustainability and market positioning strategies. Sustainability impact is quantified, and a newly introduced productivity metric allows for the orchestration of resilience. The findings contribute to the discourse on sustainable agriculture by validating FRW as a strategic response to climate and regulatory pressures, resilience, and competitive positioning.
... Ensuring food security while conserving resources and protecting the environment requires improving nutrient uptake and use efficiency (NUE) [2] and reducing crop losses caused by stress, for example, through pests and phytopathogen control agents [3][4][5]. Sustainable solutions include eco-smart biocontrol agents [6], crop genetic resistance to pathogens [7], and enhancing the tolerance to drought, high temperatures, waterlogging, and soil salinization [8], respectively. These approaches are essential for meeting future food demands while mitigating climate impacts. ...
... An estimation of sensor selectivity [104] among the tested VOCs was described by the selectivity index (SI; Equation (4)): SI(%) = (Rtarget/∑RVOCs) × 100 (4) where Rtarget is the sensor response to a defined concentration of the analyte and RVOCs is the sensor response to the other chemicals within the measured pattern. The selectivity index of the MIP-NF sensor was 73% for S(-)-limonene when mixed with other terpenes, as depicted in the pie chart of Figure 8B, and it was a little higher than the one of the MINF sensor for the same monoterpene (72%), as reported by Macagnano et al. (2024) [101]. ...
Article
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As population growth and climate change intensify pressures on agriculture, innovative strategies are vital for ensuring food security, optimizing resources, and protecting the environment. This study introduces a novel approach to predictive agriculture by utilizing the unique properties of terpenes, specifically S(-)-limonene, emitted by plants under stress. Advanced sensors capable of detecting subtle limonene variations offer the potential for early stress diagnosis and precise crop interventions. This research marks a significant leap in sensor technology, introducing an innovative active sensing material that combines molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) technology with electrospinning. S(-)-limonene-selective MIP nanoparticles, engineered using methacrylic acid (MAA) and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA), were synthesized with an average diameter of ~160 nm and integrated into polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) nanofibers reinforced with mul-tiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). This design produced a conductive and highly responsive sensing layer. The sensor exhibited rapid stabilization (200 s), a detection limit (LOD) of 190 ppb, and a selectivity index of 73% against similar monoterpenes. Optimal performance was achieved at 55% relative humidity, highlighting environmental condi-tions' importance. This pioneering use of polymeric MIP membranes in chemiresistive sensors for limonene detection opens new possibilities for monitoring VOCs, with applications in agricultural stress biomarkers, contaminant detection, and air quality monitoring , advancing precision agriculture and environmental protection.
... However, many challenges remain. For many years, pests have been a persistent problem in the field, resulting in severe economic losses (He et al. 2021;Oerke and Dehne 2004). Insect pests cause significant crop damage, with annual losses estimated at about US$100 billion (Carlini and Grossi-De-Sá 2002), which is equivalent to approximately 18% of global agricultural production (Oerke and Dehne 2004). ...
... For many years, pests have been a persistent problem in the field, resulting in severe economic losses (He et al. 2021;Oerke and Dehne 2004). Insect pests cause significant crop damage, with annual losses estimated at about US$100 billion (Carlini and Grossi-De-Sá 2002), which is equivalent to approximately 18% of global agricultural production (Oerke and Dehne 2004). Additionally, they contribute to almost 20% of stored food losses (Bergvinson and García-Lara 2004). ...
Chapter
Pest management in agriculture is facing a tough challenge due to the ineffectiveness of synthetic chemicals. Therefore, eco-friendly alternatives are urgently needed. One of the promising options is the utilization of entomopathogenic fungi (EPF), especially those of the genus Metarhizium. These fungi use two primary mechanisms to target their hosts: (1) mechanical pressure to rupture membranous or slightly sclerotic areas and (2) biochemical degradation of the cuticle, such as proteins, chitin, and lipids, through the use of extracellular hydrolytic enzymes such as proteases, chitinases, and lipases. Metarhizium secretes several enzymes, including metalloproteases, subtilisin (Pr1), trypsin (Pr2), and cysteine proteases (Pr4), during the infection process. Additionally, the chitinase-encoding genes chit1, chi2, and chi3 are activated. This chapter centers on EPF belonging to the genus Metarhizum, their utilization as biocontrollers, their enzymes, and the potential future use of these enzymes as biopesticides.
... Thus, to achieve the maximum benefits from applied inputs and high yields from maize crop, management of weeds is inevitable. The yield losses in maize due to weeds are estimated to be around 37 percent ~ 357 ~ worldwide (Oerke and Dehne, 2004) [4] . Under such a situation, use of herbicides is an obvious choice because manual weeding is always difficult, labour intensive and costlier. ...
... Thus, to achieve the maximum benefits from applied inputs and high yields from maize crop, management of weeds is inevitable. The yield losses in maize due to weeds are estimated to be around 37 percent ~ 357 ~ worldwide (Oerke and Dehne, 2004) [4] . Under such a situation, use of herbicides is an obvious choice because manual weeding is always difficult, labour intensive and costlier. ...
... Production levels are dwindling due to various biotic and abiotic stressors. Biotic factors contribute to approximately 40% of these losses, with 15% attributed to insects, 10% to weeds, and 15% to other diseases and pathogens (Oerke and Dehne, 2004) [28] . Biotic stressors encompass fungi, bacteria, viruses, weed plants, parasites, nematodes, and insects. ...
... Production levels are dwindling due to various biotic and abiotic stressors. Biotic factors contribute to approximately 40% of these losses, with 15% attributed to insects, 10% to weeds, and 15% to other diseases and pathogens (Oerke and Dehne, 2004) [28] . Biotic stressors encompass fungi, bacteria, viruses, weed plants, parasites, nematodes, and insects. ...
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Vegetables are regarded as protective foods and play a vital role in human nutrition. The vegetable sector has shown significant progress in production and productivity, emerging as a promising avenue to diversify agriculture, create employment opportunities, and bolster farmer's incomes. India holds the second position globally in vegetable production, trailing only behind China. Major vegetables cultivated in India include potato, tomato, chilly, and pepper, all belonging to the Solanaceous family. However, these crops are susceptible to various viral diseases due to their sensitive nature. Employing resistance breeding is crucial to mitigate losses. The backcross method stands out as the most effective conventional breeding approach for transferring resistance genes. Screening, such as the sap inoculation method used in tobacco for detecting Tomato spotted wilt virus by Mandal et al. (2008), is a pivotal technique. Hanson et al. (2016) conducted experiments on molecular marker-assisted selection and gene pyramiding for multiple disease resistance in tomatoes. Rai et al. (2014) employed molecular marker-assisted selection in interspecific crosses of Capsicum to confirm the presence of viruses. Biotechnological methods offer expedited solutions for developing disease-resistant varieties of Solanaceous crops, circumventing the lengthy duration required by conventional breeding methods. These non-conventional approaches facilitate the direct transfer or manipulation of specific genes enhancing efficiency. Gene pyramiding, coupled with marker technology enables the integration of desired traits into breeding programs mitigating the issue of linkage drag. Biotechnological interventions including gene cloning and transgene techniques enable the engineering of individual genes into commercial cultivars further enhancing disease resistance.
... The diverse weed flora under transplanted conditions (grasses, sedges and broad-leaved weeds) can cause yield reduction up to 76% (Singh et al., 2004) [4] . Globally, about 10% of the total production of rice is lost due to weed infestation (Oerke and Dehne, 2004) [5] . Weeds are the universal pests in rice that exceed tolerable levels in all seasons. ...
... The diverse weed flora under transplanted conditions (grasses, sedges and broad-leaved weeds) can cause yield reduction up to 76% (Singh et al., 2004) [4] . Globally, about 10% of the total production of rice is lost due to weed infestation (Oerke and Dehne, 2004) [5] . Weeds are the universal pests in rice that exceed tolerable levels in all seasons. ...
... Weed management is challenging in agricultural production. Weeds produce a higher yield loss potential than pests and pathogens in major crops, as they compete with the crop for resources and may carry crop pests (Gharde et al., 2018;Oerke & Dehne, 2004). Integrated Weed Management (IWM) gains importance given the increasingly stringent regulations on the use of chemical herbicides in the European Union and the rise of herbicide-resistant weeds (Akhter et al., 2023). ...
Article
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Mechanical weeding is an important part of integrated weed management. It destroys weeds between (interrow) and in (intrarow) crop rows. Preventing crop damage requires precise detection and tracking of the plants. In this work, a detection and tracking algorithm was developed and integrated on an intrarow hoeing prototype. The algorithm was developed and validated on 12 rows of 950 cauliflower plants. Therefore, a methodology was provided to automatically generate a label based on the crop plants’ Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) position during data collection with a robot platform. A CenterNet architecture was adjusted for plant centre detection by comparing different encoder networks and selecting the optimal hyperparameters. The monocular camera projection error of the plant centre detections in pixel to 3D coordinates was evaluated and used in a position- and velocity-based tracking algorithm to determine the timing for intrarow hoeing knife actuation. A dataset of 53k labelled images was created. The best CenterNet model resulted in an F1 score on the test set of 0.986 for detecting cauliflower centres. The position tracking had an average variation of 1.62 cm. Velocity tracking had a standard deviation of 0.008 ms1\mathrm {m\,\,s^{-1}} with respect to the robot’s operational target velocity. Overall, the entire integration showed effective actuation of the prototype in field conditions. Only one false positive detection occurred during operation in two test rows of 135 cauliflowers.
... and it is stated that 7-15% of agricultural production is reduced due to diseases [8]. In this situation, diseases affect the quality and quantity of turmeric production, further reducing income. ...
Article
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In turmeric cultivation, the timely identification and precise recognition of disease severity play an essential role in maintaining the economic sustainability of this crop. This study addresses the critical need for accurate recognition of rhizome rot disease severity in turmeric cultivation, which is a pivotal factor in sustaining economic viability. The efficiency of deep learning algorithms, including Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), VGG19, and a hybrid CNN-SVM, is explored for disease severity recognition. A comprehensive dataset of 4591 images covering a range of disease severity from healthy plants to advanced rhizome rot stages (10% to 100%) was meticulously prepared for this study. This dataset was utilized to train the deep learning models to predict the disease severity accurately, and the performance of each model was assessed using evaluation metrics. Among the algorithms, CNN showed the most promising performance with an accuracy of 91.78%, while CNN-SVM also demonstrated competitive results. The VGG19 model, however, struggled with overfitting issues, resulting in lower accuracy. The results of this study demonstrate the potential of using deep learning approaches for reliable disease severity recognition, which can be further extended for other diseases and crops to develop an effective tool for agricultural disease management.
... These diseases have the potential to drastically impair maize crop productivity. According to reports from [15], disease-causing bacteria ruined 4-14% of the total maize production. To tackle this phenomenon effectively, maize diseases must be characterised and identified as soon as possible before any crop management practices can be implemented. ...
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Disease attacks on crops like maize pose a significant threat to the global food supply chain in Africa, particularly in West Africa. Maize is a staple food source and the economic backbone of the population and farmers in West Africa. In recent years, maize yields have declined due to diseases. Systematic solutions, such as visual inspection through laboratory experiments for disease diagnosis, have not led to a significant improvement in production or ensured sustainable food security in Africa. In response to this challenge, we introduce a lightweight deep-learning ensemble model for early disease detection in maize plants. The study focuses on developing and validating a model specifically designed to identify and classify diseases in maize plants. We use computer vision technology to capture intricate patterns in maize leaf images. The model is trained to recognise six classes, with five representing different diseases and one representing a healthy state. In this paper, we explore the amalgamation of Residual Network (ResNet9) and Efficient-Net-b4 (ENetb4) as a pre-training model built on convolutional neural networks (CNN) to improve accuracy and robustness in maize disease detection and prediction. The results of the study indicate significant opportunities for improvement in agricultural technology in West Africa. For instance , the ResNet9 model accurately identified diseased images of maize crops with a performance accuracy of 98.2%, while the (ENetb4) model achieved a performance accuracy of 94.3% in the same task.
... The negative effects of annual and perennial weed species on maize yield have been documented in many studies previously (Absy, 2019;Idziak et al., 2022;Mhlanga et al., 2016;Samant et al., 2015;Tesfay et al., 2014;Zhang et al., 2013). Reports have estimated around a 37% global loss in total maize production due to weeds (Oerke & Dehne, 2004;Sharma and Rayamajhi, 2022). It's possible that the maize plants won't be able to grow enough roots in weedy fields, but the main obstacle to increased maize yields is related to managing and controlling weed growth (Güncan & Karaca, 2014). ...
Article
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Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the most versatile multi-purpose crop used as feed and food crop beside other no-food uses. During 2023 year a field experiment in a randomized complete block design with three replications and fourteen treatments was carried out in the Agricultural and Research Station Caracal with the aim of evaluation of weed control in maize, using new generation herbicides. The treatments were composed of isolated and associated herbicides and all were considered selective in maize via pre-emergence (PRE) and post-emergence (POST) applications. The efficacy evaluation was done at 7, 14, 21 and 28 days since each treatment targeting CHEAL, HIBTR, DATST, POLSS, CONAR, ECHCG, SETVI, SORHA, CYNDA, DIGSA, MATSS, AMBEL, GALPA, POROL, SOLNI. Results revealed that, among the herbicidal treatments, the best efficacy was recorded by SAE 053 H/01 + Baracuda doze p.c. 1.2 + 0.5; SAE 053 H/01 + Nico 40 OD doze p.c. 1.2 + 0.5; SAE 053 H/01 + Baracuda +Nico 40 OD doze p.c. 1.2 + 0.5 + 0.5.
... During 1999During -2000 and 2000-01 the avoidable losses due to all major pests were 32.3% and 26.2%, respectively. In cotton, the losses caused by insect pests were reported to be 16% by Cramer (1967), 15.4% by Oerke et al. (1994) and 37% by Oerke and Dehne (2004). However, the introduction of Bt cotton led to a precipitous decline in yield losses with only a 12.3% loss reported by Oerke (2006). ...
Book
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Standard operating Protocols for drone based pesticide application in Cotton Bio efficacy of pesticides applied through drone against pests and diseases of Cotton Studies on Phytotoxicity of pesticides on cotton applied through drone Pesticide residue and microbial population studies after drone spray
... Los mencionados cambios, y en particular las emergencias, re-emergencias y el Cambio Climático, son considerados factores clave en el estancamiento de las pérdidas globales de cosecha ocasionadas por plagas, enfermedades y malas hierbas, que se han mantenido en torno al 32% de la cosecha anual media alcanzable durante el periodo 1967-2019 en un grupo de cultivos relevantes para la alimentación y la industria en los que se venían aplicando determinadas medidas de control (Oerke y col., 1994;Oerke y Dehne, 2004;Oerke, 2006;Savary y col., 2019). Ello parece indicar que los avances en conocimientos y tecnologías en Sanidad Vegetal producidos por la investigación científica en dicho periodo de tiempo, no han sido suficientes para compensar la velocidad con que han surgido nuevas problemáticas fitosa-nitarias, o nuevas plagas, enfermedades y malas hierbas, y para reducir las pérdidas que ocasionan a nivel global. ...
Article
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Durante los últimos años se vienen produciendo cambios relevantes en el panorama internacional de la Sanidad Vegetal cuya significación, desde nuestro punto de vista, no es siempre apreciada por el amplio sector concernido con ella, ni objeto de reflexión respecto de las repercusiones que esos cambios pueden llevar consigo y las oportunidades que pueden ofrecer. En este artículo planteamos algunas de dichas reflexiones y oportunidades, basadas en el análisis realizado en Jiménez Díaz et al. (2023) y presentaciones en foros nacionales e internacionales (Albajes y Jiménez Díaz, 2024; Jiménez Díaz, 2024), con la esperanza de que sirvan para promover un debate sobre los retos y oportunidades de la Sanidad Vegetal, en el futuro más inmediato, entre los concernidos con esta disciplina en España
... Despite the widespread use of chemical control methods for disease management, overall crop losses have not decreased over the past fifty years. Instead, the use of pesticides has increased significantly, allowing farmers to intensify their production systems without suffering greater losses (Oerke and Dehne, 2004). ...
Book
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This book deals with the novel perspectives and various Phyto-pathological challenges in the umbrella of sustainable agriculture and emphasizes the need of holistic approaches. Plant-Pathogen interactions play a pivotal role in agricultural ecosystems and understanding these interactions provide insights into the evolutionary biology as well as deciphering the effective crop protection strategies. Biological control is proving to be a great alternative to chemicals. Omics along with the use of artificial intelligence (AI) are the recent high throughput techniques that can be applied to various aspects of plant pathology like sequencing of microbes, detection of toxins and metabolites, gene expression studies, etc.
... They found that unchecked weed growth in sandy loam soils reduced maize yield by 61.3% compared to a weed free check. Worldwide, yield losses in maize due to weeds are estimated to be around 37% (Oerke & Dehne, 2004). Fodder maize suffers from a serious weed problem as a result of most farmers not using any weed management techniques, which reduces the amount of green and dry fodder produced per unit area. ...
Article
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Effective agricultural practices are pivotal for ensuring optimal crop yields and sustainable farming. Two critical factors that significantly influence crop productivity are the date of planting and the weeding regime. An experiment was carried out to investigate how the timing of planting and the frequency of weeding impact the growth characteristics and fodder yield of maize. The study involved three planting dates viz. 15 November (D 1), 15 December (D 2) and 14 January (D 3) along with five different weeding regimes viz. no weeding (W 0), two hand weedings at 15 and 30 days after sowing (DAS) (W 1), pre-emergence herbicide (pendimethalin) + one hand weeding at 30 DAS (W 2), post-emergence herbicide (pyrazosulfuran-ethyl) + one hand weeding at 30 DAS (W 3), and pre-emergence herbicide (pendimethalin) + post-emergence (pyrazosulfuran-ethyl) herbicide (W 4). The growth characteristics and the amount of dry fodder produced were notably affected by the timing of planting , the method of weeding and how these factors interacted. At harvest, the tallest plant (138.48 cm) and total dry matter production plant-1 (37.32 g) were recorded in the plants sown on 15 November with the application of pre-emergence herbicide (pendimethalin) + one hand weeding at 30 DAS. The maximum number of leaves plant-1 (13.33) and leaf chlorophyll content (116.60) were obtained from15 November with the application of pre-emergence herbicide (pendimethalin) + post-emergence (pyrazosulfuran-ethyl) herbicide and 14 January with the application of pre-emergence herbicide (pendimethalin) + one hand weeding at 30 DAS. The highest dry fodder yield (4.14 t ha-1) was achieved with maize planted on 15 November and treated with pre-emergence herbicide (pendimethalin) + one hand weeding at 30 days after sowing. Based on the study, it can be concluded that planting on November 15 using a pre-emergence + one hand weeding 30 days after sowing may result in the tallest plants, maximum total dry matter production and the maximum dry fodder yield of maize.
... In the agriculture industry, crops are affected by different types of pests and abiotic stress factors, such as pathogens, insects, and nutrition deficiencies (Mahlein et al., 2012). A study by Oerke and Dehne (2004) estimated that the actual loss of agricultural production due to fungi, bacteria, and viruses was 13 % of the production potential. Therefore, timely identification and diagnosis of diseases are crucial for maintaining product quality and increasing yield. ...
Article
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Effective disease management in tree fruit cultivation is essential for ensuring crop health, improving yield, and minimizing economic losses. In recent years, the adoption of advanced technologies has revolutionized the approach to managing tree fruit diseases. This review explores the integration of precision agriculture tools, such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs), and various sensor technologies, alongside sophisticated machine learning algorithms and predictive models. The effectiveness of these tech­ nologies in disease scouting, monitoring, detection, and prediction is evaluated, emphasizing their potential to enhance crop health, reduce economic losses, and minimize environmental impacts. Despite the promising ad­ vancements, challenges such as data quality, computational demands, and the need for robust, generalizable models persist. This review underscores the transformative potential of these technologies in promoting a resilient, efficient, and sustainable tree fruit industry, highlighting the need for continued research and devel­ opment to fully realize their benefits.
... Pesticides are crucial for increasing agricultural productivity and protecting crops against pest infestations [61,62]. However, the application of pesticides must be managed carefully based on the observations of pest-related issues. ...
Article
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Pesticide use in Bangladesh is disproportionately high in vegetable farming compared to other crops like cereals, pulses, and cash crops. This study delves into the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding pesticide use among vegetable farmers, focusing on the impact of a digital aggregation service implemented by Digital Green. Based on interviews with 120 vegetable farmers in the LOOP aggregation scheme and 120 non-LOOP vegetable farmers this study indicates that the farmers using the aggregation service have a moderately higher level of food safety knowledge. LOOP farmers scored higher in pesticide safety knowledge (67.83 %) compared to non-LOOP farmers (55 %). Regarding pesticide safety attitudes, LOOP farmers scored 17.39 %, while non-LOOP farmers 4.17 %, reflecting a generally poor attitude toward pesticide application. Regarding practices, 65.55 % of LOOP farmers adhered to scientifically sound methods, compared to 43.10 % of non-LOOP farmers. Although participation in the LOOP program significantly influenced farmers’ pesticide-related knowledge, attitudes, and practices, this study still identifies the need for targeted interventions and training to improve food safety practices among both groups.
... Notwithstanding this, several constraints such as abiotic (drought, heat, salinity, waterlogging) and biotic stresses (diseases and insects/pests) hinder its productivity to meet the global demand for maize production. Among these constraints, viral diseases cause a 3 % drop in maize production annually, resulting in a loss of 26 billion tonnes grain worth around 4.5 billion USD [4,5]. The incidence of viral diseases is becoming severe due to the lack of effective control measures, exacerbated by the changing climates. ...
Article
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Viral diseases severely impact maize yields, with occurrences of maize viruses reported worldwide. Deployment of genetic resistance in a plant breeding program is a sustainable solution to minimize yield loss to viral diseases. The meta-QTL (MQTL) has demonstrated to be a promising approach to pinpoint the most robust QTL(s)/candidate gene(s) in the form of an overlapping or common genomic region identified through leveraging on different research studies that independently report genomic regions significantly associated with the target traits. Here, we employed an MQTL approach by targeting 39 independent research investigations aimed at genetic dissection of the resistance in maize against 14 viral diseases. We could project 27 % (53) of the total 196 QTLs onto the maize genome. Our analysis found a robust set of 14 MQTLs on chromosomes 1, 3 and 10 that explain significant proportion of the variations for resistance against 11 viral diseases. Marker trait associations (MTAs) identified from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) provide evidence in support of the two MQTLs (MQTL3_2 and MQTL10_2) playing crucial roles in viral disease resistance (VDR) in maize. A total of 1,715 candidate genes underlie the identified MQTL regions, of which, we further examined the constitutively-expressed genes for their involvement in various metabolic pathways. The involvement of the identified genes in the antiviral resistance mechanism renders them a valuable genomic resource for allele mining and elucidating plant-virus interactions for maize research and breeding.
... A population of this size will require a 70 % increase in agricultural output to satisfy food requirements [2,3]. Improving and conserving agricultural productivity requires high input of synthetic pesticides, chemical fertilisation and the use of high-yielding genetic lines [4]. Since 1990 better understanding of the use of pesticides has increased the productivity and efficiency of farming [5,6,3,7]; however numerous studies have highlighted the significant damage pesticide pollution can have on non-target species [8][9][10][11][12][13]. ...
Article
In this study, Corbicula fluminea (Asian clam) were exposed to binary pesticide mixtures commonly found in two rivers in the South of England. The exposures involved individual pesticides and mixtures at a concentration of 0.1μg/L per pesticide. Selected molecular markers were targeted and proved to be impacted by the timing and the pesticide mixture; an Integrated Biomarker Response (V2) value was also calculated. Our results show that both seasonality and the chemicals characteristics of the pesticides may significantly modulate their toxicity, both individually and in a mixture. When put into the context of catchment management this data combined with pesticide monitoring could improve estimating ecological risk. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to assess the molecular responses of these mixtures in bivalve molluscs using the IBRv2 value following exposure to combined pesticides.
... SER´s restoration suggestions for agricultural and horticulture lands: Full Restoration: Native ecosystem recovery (out of use) (complete 5-star column -chemical inputs both positively and negatively; costs are lower due to reduced investment in chemical inputs and microbial nutrient cycling may be more efficient, but there may also be more labour needed for increased weed management 75 . It is noteworthy that replacement of chemical fertilizers and pest control by biological alternatives offers a solution to diminish these trade-offs with productivity and resource efficiency; this is a strategy already applied in some sustainable agricultural systems (e.g. ...
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Soils are the backbone of terrestrial ecosystems, underpinning their biodiversity and functioning. They are also key to agricultural production and ecosystem development. Although focus on effective and profitable food production has led to severely degraded soils, the tools and standards for restoration strategies in agricultural soils are still largely underdeveloped. In this review, we summarize recent developments in ecological restoration practice for soils, evaluate whether these are in line with ecological theory, identify where they could be improved, and contextualize these to agricultural soil restoration. We identify restoration actions and success indicators that may best foster sustainable use of agricultural soils while also increasing their multifunctionality, that is their ability to simultaneously supply multiple ecosystem services including provisioning food and feed. Lastly, we explore actions available to improve soil health and focus on tool and indicator implementation. Calls for reductions in provisioning services, such as yield production, commonly used in ecological restoration practices conflict most directly with wider soil-ecosystem-service-focused restoration actions, including supporting and regulating services. Comprehensive restoration actions harnessing the interdependence of multiple soil properties, including contribution to vegetative yield, appear to be most efficient in agricultural settings with a central role of soil biodiversity in ecosystem service provisioning.
... Additionally, the vulnerability to various pests and diseases such as soybean rust (Phakopsora pachyrhizi), stem canker and root rot (Rhizoctonia solani), and pod borer (Etiella zinckenella) [34], which make effective pest management practices are crucial to minimize such crop losses. Weed competition for nutrients, water, and sunlight poses another challenge that necessitates proper weed management techniques [29,40,41]. Due to the limited availability of cultivated land in Egypt, soybean cultivation faces strong competition from rice, corn, and cotton, which are planted in similar agro-climatic conditions [22]. ...
Article
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Soybean cultivation has emerged as a viable agricultural solution in Egypt, addressing challenges such as food security, import reliance, and economic diversification. This comprehensive review examines the current status, potential, and future perspectives of the soybean industry in Egypt. It traces the historical evolution of soybean farming, from its introduction in the twentieth century to its establishment as a prominent crop, particularly in the Nile Delta and Valley regions. The multifaceted applications of soybeans in Egypt, spanning animal feed, human food products, and industrial sectors, are highlighted. An in depth analysis of the harvested area, production, yield, and import dynamics reveals both progress and constraints. The review delves into the climatic suitability of Egypt for soybean cultivation, identifying favorable temperature ranges, sunlight exposure, and strategic irrigation practices. It also examines the challenges faced by Egyptian soybean farmers, including water scarcity, pest infestations, and competition from other crops. Strategies to enhance Egypt's soybean agriculture are proposed, emphasizing breeding programs focused on high yields, disease resistance, and abiotic stress tolerance. The pivotal role of genetic diversity in sustainable agriculture is underscored, and the strategic introduction of soybean varieties through international collaborations is advocated. The maturity group system is presented as a crucial tool for facilitating germplasm exchange and adaptation, enabling the importation of suitable varieties from major soybean-producing countries like China, the United States, Canada, Brazil, and Argentina. The review concludes by outlining future perspectives, emphasizing the need for continued research and development, water management solutions, innovative pest control strategies, sustainable agricultural practices, and market diversification to strengthen Egypt's soybean sector and ensure global competitiveness.
... The agriculture sector is the most important economic hub of any country as it provides food security, employment and brings economic profit to any country (Azam and Shafique, 2017). But many insect pests are competing with human beings for food resources and among them larval stages of Lepidoptera are most pronounced (Oerke and Dehne, 2004). Larvae of Lepidoptera called as caterpillar have chewing mouth parts and eat gregariously almost every part of plant (Krenn, 2010). ...
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Agriculture is the baseline for uplift of economic sources for any country. But every year many hectares of the cropland area are damaged by herbivore insects. Among these herbivore insects, Spodoptera exigua is a serious pest of agricultural land. It damages almost 90 plant species. In the present study analysis of each life stage of S. exigua was carried out by providing four host plants namely, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Brassica and Turnip. Experiment was conducted at 20 ±5˚C temperature, 60±5 relative humidity and 16:8 light and dark duration. Total food consumption was 14.01 ± 0.61 g on cauliflower, 11.65±0.07g on Cabbage, 5.41±0.19 on Brassica and 4.92±0.5 on turnip. Maximum larval duration was also recorded on cauliflower (14.00±0.47 days). The longest pupal duration was recorded for the larvae fed on turnip (14.00±0.82 days). Overall cauliflower was significantly preferred food (p0.001) for S. exigua. The current study is a prerequisite for establishing effective control measure against this serious pest.
... Furthermore, potential solutions to improve food security should also address equal distribution of food, thus avoiding increasing poverty. Among the factors that can impact crop productivity (soil fertility, fertilizers, soil degradation, drought, water management, credit ac-cess…), pre-and post-harvest losses due to pests are significant, ranging from 25 to over 50 %, with differences among crops and geographical areas, as clearly documented in accurate surveys that were carried out at different times [9][10][11][12]. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic had impacts on crop protection, increasing crop losses and, consequently, reducing yields [13]. ...
Article
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The evolution of the global scenario, which involves such converging crises as the climate crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath, and the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Palestine wars, has underscored the fragility of the current food systems and the interdependence of human, animal, plant, and environmental health. Plant health is an important element in all these crises as plants provide food and feed, fix CO2, produce oxygen, and stabilize the soil. As a result of the Covid 19 pandemic, the One Health concept has finally obtained the attention of scientists and funding agencies. However, despite their role in global nutrition, the economy, and in climate crisis, plants are often excluded from the One Health efforts and funding streams. This paper advocates the need for an updated and more holistic view of plant health as public goods within the context of the evolving global challenges and explores opportunities within the Circular Health paradigm.
... In general, potential crop losses without crop protection for the above mentioned five crops are estimated to be in the range of 20 to 30% [2,3]. Moreover, documented worldwide yield loss in cereals caused by microbial pathogens despite using crop protection accounted for~10% in wheat and~9% in barley for the time period 1996-1998 [4]. ...
Article
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The objective of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial effect of direct cold atmospheric plasma (CAPP) treatment for pre-harvest application using four different crop species: Hordeum vulgare L. (barley), Triticum aestivum L. (wheat), Brassica napus L. (rapeseed) and Lupinus angustifolius L. (lupine). The model bacterium Bacillus atrophaeus served as a proxy for spore-forming plant pathogens on the seed surface. After semi-dry inoculation of spores onto the seeds, treatment with two different plasma sources, a volume-dielectric barrier discharge and a corona discharge, and different exposure times was carried out. Subsequently, recovery of viable spores from the seeds’ surfaces was performed. Moreover, seed viability was determined based on maximum germination, as well as water contact angle as a measure for seed surface hydrophilicity. Direct CAPP treatment was efficient in reducing viable spores of B. atrophaeus with no significant differences between the plasma sources, reaching a mean inactivation of 1 log10 CFU/mL across all treatment times and crops species. Maximum germination of seeds was not negatively affected under any treatment condition. Seed hydrophilicity was increased for both plasma sources tested. Overall, this study provides valuable information on the efficiency of direct CAPP treatment of seeds with the purpose of seed hygienization with the premise of unaltered seed vitality and evaluates the potential application in comparison with previous investigated CAPP methods.
... Oerke, 2006;Savary et al., 2019). The majority of animal pest losses come from insects, followed by rodents (Oerke, 2006;Oerke & Dehne, 2004;Savary et al., 2019). Birds and larger mammals, such as deer and elephants, can also consume or damage crops or and significantly reduce yields. ...
Technical Report
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"This report comprises two parts. Part I, the bulk of the report, assesses the relationships between nature conservation and agriculture in our globalised world, drawing from data, publications, and expertise from IUCN and beyond. Chapter 1 provides definitions and framing of ‘agriculture’, ‘nature’, and associated terms. Chapter 2 uses both synthesis of the evidence and empirical analysis to explore how agriculture affects nature. Chapter 3, conversely, explores the impacts that nature, mediated by ecosystem services and disservices, has on agriculture. Drawing from these, Chapter 4 harnesses integrated assessment modelling to examine the prospects for simultaneous achievement of global goals for both agriculture and conservation. Chapter 5 then examines a range of realistic policy scenarios currently under discussion in the agriculture and conservation sectors and beyond. Chapter 6 concludes with key messages emerging from the report. Finally, Part II documents four key indicators of nature and conservation, drawing in part from data based on IUCN standards for countries across the world."
... Without effective crop protection, these losses would amount to 22-53% for the most economically important crops worldwide. 5,6 Effective crop protection strategies, mostly chemical products but increasingly also biological products, used in major crops such as soybeans, maize, cotton, rice, wheat, potatoes, and perennials, are available to growers to safeguard their yields. However, the emergence of resistance in these harmful organisms has become a significant challenge for farmers and researchers alike. ...
Article
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As the world's population continues to grow and demand for food increases, the agricultural industry faces the challenge of producing higher yields while ensuring the safety and quality of harvests, operators, and consumers. The emergence of resistance, pest shifts, and stricter regulatory requirements also urgently calls for further advances in crop protection and the discovery of new innovative products for sustainable crop protection. This study reviews recent highlights in innovation as presented at the 15th IUPAC International Congress of Crop Protection Chemistry held in New Delhi, in 2023. The following new products are discussed: the insecticides Indazapyroxamet, Dimpropyridaz and Fenmezoditiaz, the fungicides Mefentrifluconazole and Pyridachlomethyl, the nematicide Cyclobutrifluram, the herbicides Rimisoxafen, Dimesulfazet, and Epyrifenacil as well as the abiotic stress management product Anisiflupurin. In addition, the latest innovative research areas and discovery highlights in all areas of crop protection will be presented, including insecticidal alkyl sulfones and 1,3,4‐trisubstituted pyrazoles, fungicidal picolinamides, herbicidal ketoenols, and trifluoromethylpyrazoles, as well as the latest advances in crop enhancement and green pest control research. © 2024 The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
... Plant diseases are essential obstacles to agricultural production. According to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports, plant diseases and pests cause a loss of 20-40% in global food production (Oerke and Dehne 2004;Loey et al. 2020). Generally, the severity of plant diseases can be reduced by early detection, but manual methods do not easily achieve this. ...
Article
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Agriculture is one of the most crucial sectors, meeting the fundamental food needs of humanity. Plant diseases increase food economic and food security concerns for countries and disrupt their agricultural planning. Traditional methods for detecting plant diseases require a lot of labor and time. Consequently, many researchers and institutions strive to address these issues using advanced technological methods. Deep learning-based plant disease detection offers considerable progress and hope compared to classical methods. When trained with large and high-quality datasets, these technologies robustly detect diseases on plant leaves in early stages. This study systematically reviews the application of deep learning techniques in plant disease detection by analyzing 160 research articles from 2020 to 2024. The studies are examined in three different areas: classification, detection, and segmentation of diseases on plant leaves, while also thoroughly reviewing publicly available datasets. This systematic review offers a comprehensive assessment of the current literature, detailing the most popular deep learning architectures, the most frequently studied plant diseases, datasets, encountered challenges, and various perspectives. It provides new insights for researchers working in the agricultural sector. Moreover, it addresses the major challenges in the field of disease detection in agriculture. Thus, this study offers valuable information and a suitable solution based on deep learning applications for agricultural sustainability.
... The commonly faced challenges across the globe include the destruction of a major part of production due to pests (Singh et al., 2020). Insect infestation in crops leads to reduced yield, increase control cost, and the risk of environmental damage from insecticides (Oerke & Dehne, 2004). The presence of various pests in a plant is a major concern among farmers ( Lamichhane et al., 2016). ...
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Atshan, L.A., H.A. Ibrahim, K.J. Abdulrazzaq and K.A. Atshan. 2024. Hyperspectral Imaging for Determining Reflection Variables in Chilli Leaves Infested with Green Peach Aphid. Arab Journal of Plant Protection, 42(3): 299-305. https://doi.org/10.22268/AJPP-001256 Aphid infestations cause a physiological response detectable by a remote leaf reflectance sensor. Changes in the spectral signature of specific wave bands, measured with hyperspectral imagery (HI), may also relate to the absence, presence and/or level of infestation of aphids. Aphids cause significant damage to crops and yields in the field as well as in greenhouses. Green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer) destroy chloroplast cells; this damage can be spectrally detected in the reflectance of the visible and near-infrared (NIR) regions. The spectral curve showed that the aphid-infested chili leaves reflectance in the NIR, decreased in time with the increase of aphid population. Although the aphid’s activity occurred on the leaves underside, their damage can be spectrally detected by reflection data from the upper side. Early aphid damage was identified in limited areas of chili leaf and this damage showed to be the only harm inflicted on the plant, also proven by the HI data obtained. Surface reflectance (%) from un-infested chili was lower in the visible and higher in the NIR light 90A spectrum when compared with aphids-infested chili. The overall classification accuracies of 89% for damage detection were achieved. These results indicated that HI can be effectively used to accurately detect and quantify aphid infestation in chili for site-specific aphid management. It can be potentially applied for limited areas as well as fields as an early detection tool for aphid management. This study aimed to spectrally explore the ability to assess the level of aphids damage in a limited area grown with the chili crop. Keywords: Hyperspectral imagery, aphids, chilli pepper, near-infrared
... Through gene editing, researchers have introduced resistance genes from wild potato species into cultivated varieties, creating potatoes that are resistant to late blight. These gene-edited potatoes offer a promising solution to a long-standing agricultural problem, reducing the need for chemical fungicides and lowering the risk of crop failure [63,88]. ...
Article
Gene editing has emerged as a transformative tool in modern agriculture, offering new avenues for enhancing disease resistance in crops. By precisely modifying the DNA of plants, scientists can develop varieties that are better equipped to withstand the onslaught of pathogens, which pose significant threats to global food security. This article delves into the success stories and challenges associated with gene editing for disease resistance in crops, with a focus on technologies like CRISPR-Cas9, TALENs, and ZFNs. One of the major success stories in this field is the development of disease-resistant varieties of wheat, rice, and tomatoes. For instance, researchers have used CRISPR-Cas9 to create wheat varieties resistant to powdery mildew, a devastating fungal disease. Similarly, gene editing has enabled the development of rice strains with enhanced resistance to bacterial blight, a disease that can lead to significant yield losses. In tomatoes, gene editing has been employed to confer resistance against the Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus, which severely affects tomato production worldwide. These achievements underscore the potential of gene editing to create crops that are not only more resilient but also capable of maintaining high yields under disease pressure. However, the application of gene editing in crop disease resistance is not without challenges. One of the primary concerns is the regulatory landscape, which varies significantly across different countries. While some nations have embraced gene-edited crops, others have imposed strict regulations, treating them similarly to genetically modified organisms (GMOs). This inconsistency can hinder the global deployment of disease-resistant crops and create trade barriers. Additionally, there are concerns related to off-target effects, where unintended changes in the genome may occur, potentially leading to unintended consequences in the plant's growth or ecological interactions.
... Weed control programmes that rely mainly on herbicides are cost-effective, increasing yields of staple crops by an average of 25% to 33% (Oerke and Dehne 2004;Oerke 2006;Flessner et al. 2021), generally with a 2-4-fold economic return (Stephenson 2000). Yield increases as high as 45% have been reported in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in New Zealand (NZ) by effectively controlling Bromus diandrus Roth (ripgut brome) (Dastgheib et al. 2003). ...
Article
Background: Ripgut brome (Bromus diandrus Roth) is a problematic weed in New Zealand cereals and has developed resistance to various herbicides worldwide, including ACCase, ALS, and EPSPS inhibitors. A population in New Zealand's South Island from wheat recently showed resistance to the ALS-inhibitor pyroxsulam. This study investigates the resistance level in this population. Methods: The resistant ripgut brome population was compared to a susceptible population from a nearby organic farm. The level of resistance to pyroxsulam was determined using dose-response assays. The cytochrome P450 inhibitor malathion was used to evaluate the possible role of cytochrome P450 in herbicide metabolism. Results: The estimated LD 50 for pyroxsulam in the resistant population was significantly higher (126 g ai ha −1), suggesting a 20-fold reduction in sensitivity compared to the control (6 g ai ha −1). Malathion pre-treatment increased herbicide sensitivity in susceptible and resistant populations. Conclusions: This study confirms significant resistance to pyroxsulam in a New Zealand ripgut brome population and suggests that a target-site resistance mechanism is the most likely explanation. This research adds to global evidence that ripgut brome can become resistant to pyroxsulam and underscores the escalating issue of herbicide-resistant weeds in New Zealand agriculture.
... This competition with the crop usually results in reduced morphological, phenological and other developmental attributes of the crop. Severe effects of weeds on plant height and number of cobs per plot and number of grains per cob were reported (Oerke, Dehne, 2004;Naderi et al., 2024). Compared with a weed-free field, maize on weed infested land develops short plants, long days to 50% silking (Anorvey et al., 2018), long ASI and a reduced yield of 0.13 tha-1 (Reid et al., 2014). ...
... It also depends on the kind of weed flora. According to Pandey et al. [18], season-long weed infestation decreased the production of baby corn by 44.0%, while [19] estimated that weeds are responsible for roughly 37% of the yield losses in maize globally. Hand weeding may occasionally be challenging, labor-intensive, expensive and time-consuming yet incredibly effective in managing weeds. ...
Article
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A study was carried out to ascertain the impact of planting time and weeding schedule on the yield and quality of baby corn. The trial included three planting times viz. 15 November, 15 December and 14 January and five levels of weeding regime viz. no weeding, two hand weeding (HW) at 15 days after sowing (DAS) and 30 DAS, herbicide pendimethalin @ 2.5 L ha⁻¹ (pre-emergence) + one HW at 30 DAS, herbicide pyrazosulfuran-ethyl @ 2.0 L ha⁻¹ (post-emergence) + one HW at 30 DAS and combined herbicide of pendimethalin + pyrazosulfuran-ethyl. The maximum cob yield with husk (11.93 t ha⁻¹) and cob yield without husk (3.07 t ha⁻¹) were obtained from the 15 December sowing with the application of pendimethalin followed by pyrazosulfuran-ethyl. Plants sown on 15 December with the application pyrazosulfuran-ethyl with one HW at 30 DAS gave the highest protein content in cobs (20.20%), while the leaf protein content showed the highest result (18.70%) in the plants sown on 15 December with no weeding. Therefore, it can be concluded that the baby corn might be planted on December 15 with the combined application of pendimethalin + pyrazosulfuran-ethyl herbicides and pyrazosulfuran-ethyl + one HW at 30 DAS for maximum cob yield and protein content, respectively.
... 2,3 Worldwide, yield losses to rice caused by barnyardgrass after one season of competition range from as low as 1.2% to as high as 80%. [4][5][6] Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase)-inhibiting herbicides are mainly used for the control of E. crus-galli. 7 Current commercial ACCase-inhibiting herbicides target the plastidic ACCase isoform present in weed species within the Poaceae family, and are divided into three chemical families: aryloxyphenoxypropionate (APP), phenylpyrazolin (PPZ) and cyclohexanedione (CHD), 8 reliance on these herbicides has resulted in rapid increase in weed resistance worldwide. ...
Article
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BACKGROUND Echinochloa crus‐galli is the most troublesome and widespread weed of most rice‐growing regions of the world. Cyhalofop‐butyl, a herbicide within the acetyl‐CoA carboxylase (ACCase) chemical group, has been extensively used to control barnyardgrass in rice. The repeated exposure to cyhalofop‐butyl has led to resistance evolution in E. crus‐galli populations. RESULTS In this study, we identified a population of E. crus‐galli (R‐HN) in a rice field in Hunan, China, that developed resistance to cyhalofop‐butyl at 4.49‐fold the recommended field dose. No known target mutation was detected in the ACCase gene of the R‐HN population by ACCase sequencing compared to sensitive populations. Both cytochrome P450 (CYP450) and glutathione S‐transferase (GST) inhibitors could not significantly reverse the resistance to cyhalofop‐butyl. The nontarget‐site resistance (NTSR) mechanism was investigated by transcriptome sequencing. Validation of the screened candidate genes by quantitative real‐time (qRT)‐PCR revealed that six glycosyltransferases (GTs) and four ATP‐binding cassette (ABC) transporter genes were consistently upregulated in the R‐HN population. Five GTs and one ABC transporter genes were constitutively upregulated after cyhalofop‐butyl treatment in the R‐HN population. Molecular docking results showed that the significant binding energy of GT79, GT75L6 and GT74E among all candidate genes. CONCLUSION Thus, the GT genes appear to be directly implicated in NTSR to cyhalofop‐butyl in the R‐HN populations through metabolic enhancement, but their functional characterization needs to be studied. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.
... Pests such as aphids, whiteflies and mites, which feed on the leaves and stems of pepper plants, and fungal diseases such as anthracnose and blossom end rot, which are characterised by leaf and fruit discoloration, wilting and tissue necrosis, necessitate the use of these chemical agents [16]. Therefore, farmers often resort to insecticides and fungicides to increase the yield of peppers by containing pest infestations and thus improving overall profitability [45]. The non-detection of organophosphorus pesticides in the examined samples signifies their restriction in Saudi Arabia. ...
Article
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The Al-Qassim region, a prominent agricultural hub in Saudi Arabia, significantly contributes to the national production of vegetables and fruits. This study validated the standard EN-QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe) method in conjunction with liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) to determine 90 multiple pesticide residues in three categories of peppers: green bell, green hot and red chilli peppers. Validation criteria, including linearity range, accuracy, precision, limit of detection (LOD), and limit of quantification (LOQ), were within the acceptance range of the SANTE/11312/2021 guideline. The validated method was then used to analyse 536 pepper samples collected in 2023 from the Al-Qassim region of Saudi Arabia. The analysis of 536 pepper samples revealed that 394 samples (73.51 %) contained pesticide residues, with 126 (23.51 %) exceeding the established maximum residue limits (MRLs). The most frequently identified pesticide was imidacloprid (171 samples, 31.9 %) and acetamiprid (94 samples, 17.54 %), followed by bifenazate and difenoconazole, which were each detected in 66 samples (12.31 %). Among the remaining 32 pesticides, 24 were detected in 1%–10 % of the samples, whereas 8 were detected in <1 %. The 36 pesticides detected were classified into 14 insecticides (38.9 %), 14 fungicides (38.9 %) and 8 acaricides (22.2 %). Notably, the overall detection rate of the pesticides was relatively higher in red chilli peppers (232 %) compared with bell peppers (165 %), followed by green hot peppers (132 %). Red chilli peppers also showed the highest residue concentrations of various pesticides. Neonicotinoids and triazoles exhibited the highest detection rates in this study. The residue quality index (IqR) of the samples analysed fell into the categories excellent (26.49 %), good (31.72 %), and adequate (14.06 %), with 28.73 % of the samples deemed inadequate. Long-term dietary exposure was examined for adults and children. This study highlights the crucial role of continual observation in defending public health and securing the trade standardisation and safety.
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The soybean crop, known as a "miracle crop" for its versatility as an oilseed, legume, and protein-rich source, is facing yield curtailments due to fluctuating global temperatures, emphasizing a deeper understanding of its heat stress tolerance mechanisms ply both conventional and non-conventional methods. Cutting edges techniques such as CRISPR/Cas9, genetic engineering, QTL mapping, and transcriptome studies are in limelight. The core motif is to supercharge heat tolerance by manipulating heat shock proteins (HSPs), transcription factors, and epigenetic mechanisms. Soybean response to heat stress entails complex molecular and cellular processes including hormone signaling, ROS detoxification, antioxidant synthesis, and gene expression regulation. Additionally, transcriptome and proteome perusal has shown the significant role of transcriptional changes in heat stress response. Abiotic stresses, including drought and nutrient deficiencies, also pose risks to global food security by reducing crop yields. Advanced approaches that enhance stress resilience in soybean are critical for buoy future production amid unpredictable climate challenges.
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The contribution of pesticides to food security from the 1960s and up to 2100, when the Earth’s population, according to United Nations forecasts, will reach a sustainable value of 10.2 billion people, is considered. There are presented international estimates of the effectiveness of pesticides for crop preservation, the economic feasibility of their use. Side effects of pesticide use, such as the development of resistance and non-target drift, are discussed. A brief description of the system developed in the Soviet Union for substantiating hygienic standards for maximum permissible levels of pesticide residues in food products of plant origin, carried out in accordance with the principle of integrated hygienic standardization, which consists in the fact that the possible intake of a drug into the human body with food products, water, and atmospheric air should not exceed the permissible daily dose for an average-sized person is provided. This approach, applied today in the post-Soviet space, is unique in world practice, since in other member countries of the World Health Organization, when establishing maximum permissible levels (MPLs), the potential intake of the active substance from the environment (water, air) is not taken into account. It is concluded that the use of chemical plant protection products will remain the basis for ensuring food security in the foreseeable future since it is not only cost-effective, but also necessary in the context of population growth and the impossibility of proportionally increasing the area of agricultural land. The material for this review was mainly data from foreign literature because such analyses have not been published in the domestic press before. One of the reasons for this is the methodological complexity in collecting and evaluating the necessary data for the Russian Federation. When searching for information, the SpringerLink, Scopus, Medline, Google Scholar, RINTS and CyberLeninka databases were used.
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The application of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi has been reported to confer multiple agronomic benefits to crop plants including cereals, vegetables, and fruit trees, as well as to improve soil structure and health. In this study, we conducted a meta-analysis to investigate whether AM fungal addition enhances potato yield. We further examined whether several experimental conditions (type of experiment, inoculation method, and source of AM fungi) and potato cultivar may explain the outcomes. We calculated the effect sizes of seven plant parameters by including a total of 106 independent pot and field experimental studies from 37 peer reviewed publications. Our results show that the addition of AM fungi has an overall positive effect on all potato plant parameters included in our analyses except for aboveground plant biomass. Potato cultivar was the main significant moderator explaining our findings, with some cultivars benefiting more from AM fungal presence than others. Our findings agree with several other global meta-analyses reporting positive effects of AM fungi on other important crops and highlights the potential application of these fungal symbionts in potato agro-ecosystems. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00572-024-01178-0.
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The article discusses the pivotal role of technology in modern agriculture, highlighting its transformative impact on farming practices. It explores various technological innovations such as precision agriculture, smart farming, genetic engineering, and automation, which have enabled farmers to boost productivity, optimize resource use, promote sustainability, and address global food security challenges. Technology provides small farmers with access to valuable information and knowledge. Through the internet, mobile applications, and online platforms, farmers can access weather forecasts, market prices, agricultural practices, and crop management techniques. This information enables them to make informed decisions, adopt best practices, and optimize their farming operations. Precision Farming: Precision farming technologies, such as Global Positioning System (GPS), Geographic Information System (GIS), and remote sensing, help small farmers optimize resource use and improve crop yields. These technologies enable precise field mapping, soil analysis, and monitoring of crop health, allowing farmers to apply fertilizers, water, and other inputs only where and when needed. This reduces resource wastage, enhances efficiency, and minimizes environmental impact. Technology has improved the availability and effectiveness of agricultural machinery and equipment, even for small-scale farmers. Small agricultural projects can benefit from compact and affordable machinery, such as mini-tractors, tillers, planters, and harvesters, which help increase productivity, reduce labor requirements, and improve overall efficiency.. Keywords: Technology, Agriculture, Ethiopia.
Chapter
In agriculture, to protect crops from insect and pests and for increasing crop yield and quality, the agrochemicals have been used, which implies ecological contamination and potential health risks. A novel line of research in the use of alternative of agrochemicals has been proposed, such as elicitors which are eco-friendly and has less potential health risks. Elicitors, either chemicals or bio-factors, can stimulate plant secondary-metabolite synthesis and amplify the protective mechanisms against invading organisms both locally and systemically. These compounds include both exogenous substances, released by pathogens and endogenous elicitors, i.e., compounds secreted from plants. Some of the classes of endogenous elicitors are cell wall fragments, peptides, and phytohormones. Plant elicitor peptides (Peps) are widely distributed across the plant kingdom and play a role in signaling that contribute to broad-spectrum defense against biotic and abiotic factors. Certain ProPep genes are upregulated in response to insect oral secretions and pathogen invasion, and mature Peps attach with plant elicitor peptide receptors (PEPRs) to trigger calcium signaling, accumulation of reactive species, synthesis of defensive phytohormone, transcriptional reprogramming, and production of defensive proteins. Bioactive Peps are the long sequence of 23–36 amino acids, which are generated from the carboxyl termini of longer pro-peptide precursors (PROPEPs), and typically contain a glycine enriched motif: (S/G)(S)Gxx(G/P)xx(N). Peptides, recognized as important physiological regulator, have found applications in various fields including cosmetics, medicine, plant nutrition, and protection. Nowadays, application of plant elicitor peptides has become a popular research subject area in plant protection as immune inducer, plant growth regulator, insecticides, and herbicides for their excellent activity and ideal environmental compatibility.
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Bilim ve teknolojinin gelişmesi ile tarımda, birim alanda üretim verimlilik oranı giderek artırılmış ve artan dünya nüfusunun gıda ihtiyacının karşılanması hedeflenmiştir. Ayrıca toplumlarda sağlıklı ve kaliteli beslenme bilincinin oluşması tarımsal üretimin beklentilerini de değiştirmiş ve organik tarım, iyi tarım uygulamalarının yasal zeminin de oluşmasına sebep olmuştur. Araştırmada bölgenin organik tarıma bakış açısının ve tüketicilerin sağlıklı, kaliteli beslenme açısından davranışlarının belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Nicel araştırma yöntemi kullanılarak yürütülen çalışmada veri toplama aracı olarak anket yönteminden yararlanılmıştır ve Erzurum ili genelinde ikamet edip çalışamaya katılımı kabul eden 401 örneklemden faydalanılmıştır. Anket ifadeleri daha önce benzer çalışmalar incelenerek araştırmacı tarafından oluşturulmuştur. Anket çalışmasında Demografik ve betimsel sorular ile tüketici tutum ölçeğinden yararlanılmıştır ve anket formundan elde edilen bilgiler SPSS 25 paket programından yararlanılarak analizler elde edilmiştir. Elde edilen analizlerde korelasyon sınaması, bağımsız örneklem t testi ve tek yönlü varyans analizi yanı sıra tamamlayıcı istatistikler kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın popülasyonu, Erzurum ilinde gıda alışverişi yapan hane halkları arasından kolayda örneklem yöntemiyle seçilmiştir. Elde edilen bulgular üzerinde kapsamlı bir tartışma yapılarak, çıkan sonuçlar rapor olarak düzenlenmiştir. Hipotez sınamalarında, araştırmaya katılan tüketicilerin kimyasal girdi kullanımlarına olumsuz bakmadığı, bazı hipotez sınamalarında ise organik ürünlerin tüketiciler tarafından tercih edildikleri ve satın alındıkları sonuçlarına varılmıştır. Böylelikle elde edilen bilgiler ışığında öneriler sunulmuştur.
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The fungi kingdom consists of a vast group of macro- and microscopic eukaryotic organisms characterised by a heterotrophic mode of nutrition and sexual and asexual forms of reproduction. Their history dating back millions of years attests to their remarkable capacity for adaptation, their diversity and their evolutionary plasticity. They encompass an enormous variety of organisms ranging from unicellular yeasts to filamentous fungi which form extensive underground mycelial networks. Fungi are ubiquitous and play a key role in ecosystems as decomposers, symbionts and pathogens. Decomposers are essential for breaking down organic matter in the soil and recycling the nutrients. Symbiotic fungi such as the mycorrhizals establish beneficial mutual relationships with plants. They provide essential nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen and receive organic compounds produced by the plant in return. Pathogenic fungi can cause serious diseases in plants, animals and humans. The immense destructive power of phytopathogenic fungi requires effective control measures to minimise their impact on crops. Plants cohabit with a vast array of fungi which form the mycobiome either in (endophytic) or on (ectophytic) the vegetative tissue. These fungi play a vital role in plant health, growth and environmental adaptation. Depending on specific biotic and abiotic factors, some species within the mycobiome can change behaviour and switch from an endophytic to a pathogenic state. Understanding the diversity, role and interactions of the grapevine mycobiome provides new opportunities for sustainable vineyard management. Fungi and plants have cohabited for millennia in a relationship characterised by constantly shifting coevolutionary dynamics that have yet to be discovered.
Chapter
Despite the existence of a number of alternatives, pest control still generally relies on the use of pesticides. Insecticides have gained a lot of popularity, although there are still concerns about their effects on the environment. Along with this, the rising incidence of insect species developing resistance to many of the insecticides currently in use presents significant issues for agriculture. In order to solve these issues, new approaches to pest management are needed. In order to accomplish these goals, nanotechnology is quickly becoming a highly appealing study area. It offers new techniques for creating innovative active components with nanoscale dimensions. The extensive research on nanoparticles is anticipated to overcome the major drawbacks of current pest control methods and offer new, advanced nano-based formulations that are stable in the environment, penetrate the insect, and preferably have a novel mode of action. Nowadays, biosynthesized nanoparticles are gaining a lot of prominence due to their ecofriendly nature. Therefore, the current chapter focuses on the application of nanoparticles (NPs) to crop protection, with a focus on pest management in both urban and rural areas, along with the numerous types of biologically synthesized NPs that are currently employed for pest management.
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Fruit crops, more particularly the perennial fruit crops have always been challenged by different phytopathogens and the changing dynamics of pathogens and vectors in the backdrop of climate change has aggravated the disease scenario. The report of tropical race 4 of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense of banana in different parts of the world, citrus greening devastating the world citrus industry has raised the warning bells to search for novel and environmentally benign technologies. In recent times, several efforts have been made to address the pre and post harvest diseases to overcome or to bridge the gap for the failure of many conventional management approaches wherein, plant-associated microbes are considered as a potent candidate for next-gen technologies. The role of rhizospheric and endophytic microbes in disease management and abiotic stress resilience is undoubtedly accepted and broad-spectrum bio-formulations have shown their efficacy against a wide range of fruit crops. Understanding the tripartite interaction between pathogens, hosts, and bioagents in regulating defense arsenals and/or disrupting the invading pathogen is still an unresolved mystery. Post-harvest disease management using microbes is still in its infancy, although different groups of microbes viz., Bacillus spp, Pseudomonas spp., and some yeasts have shown promising results. Microbial secondary metabolite-based cell-free technologies, use of AMF and nano bio fungicides, etc. could sustain the fruit industry by preventing or managing the major phytopathogens bothering productivity and international trade.
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[ Full text available at the DOI link above! ] Globally, research and policy groups often lack the expertise to develop appropriate models to analyze agroecological and invasive species problems holistically to inform management and quarantine policy development under extant and climate change over wide geographic landscapes. Off-the-shelf species distribution models (SDM) correlate weather and other variables to records of species presence and have become the mainstay for predicting the geographic distribution and favorability of invasive species (Elith 2017). However, SDM analyses lack the capacity to examine the underpinning dynamics of agroecosystems required to inform policy and develop management strategies. We propose that age-structured physiologically based demographic models (PBDMs) can solve important aspects of this challenge as they can be used to examine prospectively species dynamics locally as well as their potential geographic distribution and relative abundance across vast areas independent of presence records. PBDMs fall under the ambit of time-varying life tables (TVLTs; cf. Gilbert et al. 1976) and capture the weather driven biology, dynamics, and interactions of species, and can be used to examine the system from the perspective of any of the interacting species. Here, we use the PBDM structure to examine the dynamics across Africa of thirteen invasive species from various taxa having diverse biology and trophic interactions (see Gutierrez 1996, Gutierrez and Ponti 2013a). PBDMs are perceived to be difficult to develop, hence the raison d'etre is to show this is not the case and illustrate their utility invasive and endemic agricultural and medical/veterinary pest species at the local and the large geographic scale of Africa. We note that PBDMs provide a structure for continued model improvements. The development of open access software is proposed to facilitate PBDM development by non-experts emphasizing the crucial role of sound biological data on species responses to weather and to other species in a multi-trophic, interactions, and provide a guide for collecting the appropriate biological data. While the emphasis is on plant/arthropod interactions, models of diseases can be accommodated. The Supplemental Materials summarizes a large array of heritage PBDMs reported in the literature based on the methods outline herein, noting that the same model structure can be used to analyze and manage non pest species.
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The control of pests and weeds is an essential prerequisite for ensuring crop yields. Sugar beet varieties with resistance or tolerance properties to foliar diseases, nematodes, and soil-borne viruses (rhizomania) are an essential component of integrated pest management, which is decisive in the EU. Chemical plant protection continues to be of great importance in the control of plant diseases, pests, and weeds. A comprehensive situation analysis on plant protection in sugar beet cultivation in Germany was published in 2018. Since then, significant changes have occurred in this area, which present both challenges and opportunities for sugar beet cultivation. The availability of efficient chemical control measures has been further limited by the loss of important active substances, the reduced availability of active substances with different modes of action and the emergence of resistant pests (fungicide resistance). This requires the development of alternative control strategies for known pests such as the green peach aphid, the vector of virus yellows. The spectrum of harmful pests has also been expanded with the occurrence of Pentastiridius leporinus, a cicada transmitting the SBR disease (SBR = low sugar content syndrome). In contrast, there has been considerable progress in variety breeding, resulting in new variety traits that improve chemical control of weeds or reduce the need for fungicides. Significant efforts are also invested into research in the field of digital technologies or new cultivation systems. This article highlights the current developments in crop protection and discusses the consequences for sugar beet cultivation.
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A series of experiments was conducted where a range of injuries due to rice pests (pathogens, insects, and weeds) was manipulated simultaneously with a range of production factors (fertilizer input, water supply, crop establishment method, variety) in different seasons and years. These factors were chosen to represent lowland rice production situations characterized in surveys conducted in tropical Asia and their corresponding range of attainable yield. Experiments complemented one another in exploring the response surface of rich yields to yield-limiting and yield-reducing factors. The resulting experimental data base consisted of 445 individual plots and involved 11 manipulated injuries in a multiple regression model involving factors generated by principal component analysis on injuries that adequately described the variation in actual yield. One major finding was that some (attainable yield x injury factors) interactions significantly contributed to the description of variation in actual yield, indicating that some injuries (or their combinations) had a stronger or weaker yield-reducing effect, depending on the level of attainable yield. For instance, yield losses due to sheath blight, weed infestation, and rice tungro disease tend to increase, remain stable, and decrease, respectively, with increasing attainable yields. Back-computations using the principal component regression model estimated yield losses caused by individual injuries, using the mean injury levels in a population of farmers' fields surveyed across tropical Asia. The results indicate that sheath blight, brown spot, and leaf blast are diseases that cause important losses (between 1 10%) regionally. Among the insect injuries, only white heads caused by stem borers appear of relevance (2.3%) yield losses)... (D'après résumé d'auteur)
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Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), rice (Oryza sativa L.), and maize (Zea mays L.) provide about two-thirds of all energy in human diets, and four major cropping systems in which these cereals are grown represent the foundation of human food supply. Yield per unit time and land has increased markedly during the past 30 years in these systems, a result of intensified crop management involving improved germplasm, greater inputs of fertilizer, production of two or more crops per year on the same piece of land, and irrigation. Meeting future food demand while minimizing expansion of cultivated area primarily will depend on continued intensification of these same four systems. The manner in which further intensification is achieved, however, will differ markedly from the past because the exploitable gap between average farm yields and genetic yield potential is closing. At present, the rate of increase in yield potential is much less than the expected increase in demand. Hence, average farm yields must reach 70-80% of the yield potential ceiling within 30 years in each of these major cereal systems. Achieving consistent production at these high levels without causing environmental damage requires improvements in soil quality and precise management of all production factors in time and space. The scope of the scientific challenge related to these objectives is discussed. It is concluded that major scientific breakthroughs must occur in basic plant physiology, ecophysiology, agroecology, and soil science to achieve the ecological intensification that is needed to meet the expected increase in food demand.
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Pest management practices among rice and rice–fish farmers and their perception of problems related to pests and pesticides were surveyed in the Mekong Delta. A total number of 64 different pesticides were identified during the survey. Approximately 50% were insecticides, 25% were fungicides and 25% were herbicides. The main insecticides used were pyrethroids (42%) carbamates (23%) and cartap (19%). Non-IPM farmers used twice as many pesticides as IPM farmers. Their application frequency and the amount of active ingredient used were 2–3 times higher per crop, as compared to IPM farmers. During the last three years IPM farmers estimated that they had decreased the amount of pesticides used by approximately 65%, while non-IPM farmers said that they had increased the amount of pesticide used by 40%. Also, farmers growing fish in their rice fields used less pesticide than farmers growing only rice, as pesticides adversely affect cultures of fish. Taking a long-term perspective integrated rice–fish farming with IPM practices provides a sustainable alternative to intensive rice mono-cropping, both from an economic as well as an ecological point of view.
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This paper reviews food (especially cereal) production trends and prospects for the world and its main regions. Despite fears to the contrary, in recent years we have seen continued progress toward better methods of feeding humanity. Sub-Saharan Africa is the sole major exception. Looking to the future, this paper argues that the continuation of recent cereal yield trends should be sufficient to cope with most of the demographically driven expansion of cereal demand that will occur until the year 2025. However, because of an increasing degree of mismatch between the expansion of regional demand and the potential for supply, there will be a major expansion of world cereal (and noncereal food) trade. Other consequences for global agriculture arising from demographic growth include the need to use water much more efficiently and an even greater dependence on nitrogen fertilizers (e.g., South Asia). Farming everywhere will depend more on information-intensive agricultural management procedures. Moreover, despite continued general progress, there still will be a significant number of undernourished people in 2025. Signs of heightened harvest variability, especially in North America, are of serious concern. Thus, although future general food trends are likely to be positive, in some respects we also could be entering a more volatile world.
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The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) has the Parliamentary mandate `to operate and administer any astronomical observatories established by the Government of Canada'. NRC exercises this mandate through its HERZBERG INSTITUTE OF ASTROPHYSICS, which provides astronomical facilities, and related infrastructure and services to university scientists and their students. NRC also provides a...
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Genomics, and especially functional genomics, will prove to be one of the major keys in capturing the promising benefits of crop biotechnology. The world will need more food, and better quality food, than can be provided by the old crops of the 20th century. Genetic manipulation (alias plant breeding) has produced excellent results over the past 50 years. However, improvements have been linear and have often been limited to higher yields rather than improved nutritional quality. The use of new tools in crop breeding will allow more precise, more easily measured and more beneficial traits to be added to crops around the world. The application of genomics and use of transgenics must be regulated by sound scientific principles and not by amorphous ideological misinformation. Given a fair chance, genomics will improve crop production, crop protection and enhance the quality of life for billions of people.© 2000 Society of Chemical Industry
Chapter
Plant disease assessment, or phytopathometry (Large, 1966), involves the measurement and quantification of plant disease and is therefore of fundamental importance in the study and analysis of plant disease epidemics. The importance of accurate disease assessment methods was identified in early reviews on phytopathometry and crop loss assessment by Chester (1950) and Large (1966). Traditional methods of disease assessment, such as the use of pictorial keys derived from standard area diagrams to evaluate disease severity on a 0–100% scale, have now been joined by several new approaches made possible by rapid advances in computer technology. In addition, modern assays using immunological and molecular techniques for the identification, detection and quantification of plant pathogenic organisms are used. Other new approaches to phytopathometry have evolved in which remote sensing, image analysis and the detection of crop stress caused by disease (using changes in chlorophyll fluorescence and foliage temperature) are involved.
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The impact of integrated pest management (IPM) on pesticide use, toxicity and other environmental characteristics, yields, and farm profits is examined for grape growers. The method is generally applicable for technology adoption and accounts for self-selectivity, simultaneity, and theoretical consistency. IPM adopters apply significantly less insecticides and fungicides than nonadopters among grape producers in six states, accounting for most of the U.S. production. Both the average toxicity and the Environmental Impact Quotient decrease slightly with adoption of insect IPM, but remain about the same for adopters and nonadopters of IPM for diseases. The effect of IPM adoption on yields and variable profits is positive but only significant for the case of IPM for diseases, i.e., the adoption of IPM for diseases increases yields and profits significantly.
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Apple integrated pest management (IPM) research and the development of apple IPM programs through transfer technology activities of Extension and Advisory personnel and Crop Consultants has been intense and continuous for over 20 years, and current apple IPM programs vary largely from one country to another and even in different regions within a country. Factors that account for these differences include the number of major and minor pests, available technology, commitment to IPM approach, and financial and personnel support for IPM research, demonstration, and implementation. This short review discusses the basic approaches for managing arthropod pests and pathogens included in current apple IPM programs.
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Concerns over the effects of pesticide use in agriculture have led to several policy initiatives including the funding of research into pesticide-reduction technologies. The net present value of farm-level net returns were calculated for a sample of ten research projects funded by such a program. Three major findings were obtained. First, less than half of these applied research projects were adopted at the farm level. Second, while there were few successful projects in terms of adoption, the net returns to producers from these successful projects was greater than the research costs of all funded projects. The net farm-level returns was $6.16 for a dollar spent on research. These returns to research for pesticide reduction is in the range of estimated for other general research projects within agriculture. Third, the adoption rate of the successful projects tended to be immediate followed by a linear decline rather than typically assumed pattern of slow then rapid then slow adoption.
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Examples from perennial and annual crops in temperate and tropical conditions are used to illustrate the research and development approaches that have contributed to use and integration of host plant resistance and biological, cultural and chemical controls. The evidence shows how successes in IPM have depended upon classical experimental approaches continually responding to changing constraints and to novel discoveries, which are being applied increasingly efficiently and intelligently to farm practice. Future developments are discussed in the context of past experience and new technologies. Recent developments of important new approaches that could help revolutionize management of some pest complexes, in particular genetic engineering, semiochemicals and bioinsecticides, are discussed. Much attention has been devoted to strategic modelling in the IPM context which aims to provide novel insights, but there is little evidence of its value to practical IPM; instead it could be used unwisely to encourage accumulation of unnecessary information. In contrast, tactical models are proving increasingly valuable in forecasting the need for and timing of applied controls. Whilst there have been some outstanding developments in practical application of IPM in many developed countries where the ultimate goal is to decrease over-reliance on conventional insecticides, evidence shows that in many developing countries, where the goal is an ecologically sound mix of non-chemical and chemical methods, there remains a crucial need for much more appropriate research and implementation, especially in small farm conditions.
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The recent intensification of agriculture, and the prospects of future intensification, will have major detrimental impacts on the nonagricultural terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems of the world. The doubling of agricultural food production during the past 35 years was associated with a 6.87-fold increase in nitrogen fertilization, a 3.48-fold increase in phosphorus fertilization, a 1.68-fold increase in the amount of irrigated cropland, and a 1.1-fold increase in land in cultivation. Based on a simple linear extension of past trends, the anticipated next doubling of global food production would be associated with approximately 3-fold increases in nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization rates, a doubling of the irrigated land area, and an 18% increase in cropland. These projected changes would have dramatic impacts on the diversity, composition, and functioning of the remaining natural ecosystems of the world, and on their ability to provide society with a variety of essential ecosystem services. The largest impacts would be on freshwater and marine ecosystems, which would be greatly eutrophied by high rates of nitrogen and phosphorus release from agricultural fields. Aquatic nutrient eutrophication can lead to loss of biodiversity, outbreaks of nuisance species, shifts in the structure of food chains, and impairment of fisheries. Because of aerial redistribution of various forms of nitrogen, agricultural intensification also would eutrophy many natural terrestrial ecosystems and contribute to atmospheric accumulation of greenhouse gases. These detrimental environmental impacts of agriculture can be minimized only if there is much more efficient use and recycling of nitrogen and phosphorus in agroecosystems.
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While the last 50 years of agriculture have focused on meeting the food, feed, and fiber needs of humans, the challenges for the next 50 years go far beyond simply addressing the needs of an ever-growing global population. In addition to producing more food, agriculture will have to deal with declining resources like water and arable land, need to enhance nutrient density of crops, and achieve these and other goals in a way that does not degrade the environment. Biotechnology and other emerging life sciences technologies offer valuable tools to help meet these multidimensional challenges. This paper explores the possibilities afforded through biotechnology in providing improved agronomic "input" traits, differentiated crops that impart more desirable "output" traits, and using plants as green factories to fortify foods with valuable nutrients naturally rather than externally during food processing. The concept of leveraging agriculture as green factories is expected to have tremendous positive implications for harnessing solar energy to meet fiber and fuel needs as well. Widespread adaptation of biotech-derived products of agriculture should lay the foundation for transformation of our society from a production-driven system to a quality and utility-enhanced system.
Article
This paper reviews food (especially cereal) production trends and prospects for the world and its main regions. Despite fears to the contrary, in recent years we have seen continued progress toward better methods of feeding humanity. Sub-Saharan Africa is the sole major exception. Looking to the future, this paper argues that the continuation of recent cereal yield trends should be sufficient to cope with most of the demographically driven expansion of cereal demand that will occur until the year 2025. However, because of an increasing degree of mismatch between the expansion of regional demand and the potential for supply, there will be a major expansion of world cereal (and noncereal food) trade. Other consequences for global agriculture arising from demographic growth include the need to use water much more efficiently and an even greater dependence on nitrogen fertilizers (e.g., South Asia). Farming everywhere will depend more on information-intensive agricultural management procedures. Moreover, despite continued general progress, there still will be a significant number of undernourished people in 2025. Signs of heightened harvest variability, especially in North America, are of serious concern. Thus, although future general food trends are likely to be positive, in some respects we also could be entering a more volatile world.
Article
The world has been making progress in improving food security, as measured by the per person availability of food for direct human consumption. However, progress has been very uneven, and many developing countries have failed to participate in such progress. In some countries, the food security situation is today worse than 20 years ago. The persistence of food insecurity does not reflect so much a lack of capacity of the world as a whole to increase food production to whatever level would be required for everyone to have consumption levels assuring satisfactory nutrition. The world already produces sufficient food. The undernourished and the food-insecure persons are in these conditions because they are poor in terms of income with which to purchase food or in terms of access to agricultural resources, education, technology, infrastructure, credit, etc., to produce their own food. Economic development failures account for the persistence of poverty and food insecurity. In the majority of countries with severe food-security problems, the greatest part of the poor and food-insecure population depend greatly on local agriculture for a living. In such cases, development failures are often tantamount to failures of agricultural development. Development of agriculture is seen as the first crucial step toward broader development, reduction of poverty and food insecurity, and eventually freedom from excessive economic dependence on poor agricultural resources. Projections indicate that progress would continue, but at a pace and pattern that would be insufficient for the incidence of undernutrition to be reduced significantly in the medium-term future. As in the past, world agricultural production is likely to keep up with, and perhaps tend to exceed, the growth of the effective demand for food. The problem will continue to be one of persistence of poverty, leading to growth of the effective demand for food on the part of the poor that would fall short of that required for them to attain levels of consumption compatible with freedom from undernutrition.
Article
Onfarm field trials carried out with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton in different states of India show that the technology substantially reduces pest damage and increases yields. The yield gains are much higher than what has been reported for other countries where genetically modified crops were used mostly to replace and enhance chemical pest control. In many developing countries, small-scale farmers especially suffer big pest-related yield losses because of technical and economic constraints. Pest-resistant genetically modified crops can contribute to increased yields and agricultural growth in those situations, as the case of Bt cotton in India demonstrates.
Article
The results of field trials at nine locations with two wheat cultivars in each case demonstrated the practicability of the action threshold-based fungicide strategy of the IPM Wheat Model under the intensive wheat production conditions in the Rhineland. Action thresholds used and dosage of fungicides applied are outlined. Despite using reduced rates of fungicides the epidemic development of relevant pathogens--mainly Septoria tritici and Puccinia recondita--was controlled in early stages of disease development. In plots treated according to the IPM Wheat Model disease incidence and disease severity were reduced effectively compared to untreated plots with low and high disease incidence, respectively. The effective control of pathogens using pathogen-specific action thresholds resulted in yield levels very similar to those of disease-free plots simultaneously minimising the total amount of fungicides applied. Disease control according to the IPM Wheat Model raised yields by up to 25% with monetary benefits averaging more than [symbol: see text] 100 ha-1 in 2001.
Article
The overall goal of this study is to determine the extent by which genetically engineered (GE) crops in China can lead to reductions of pesticide use, the nature and source of the reductions, and whether or not there are any non-pecuniary externalities. One of the first studies of the effect of plant biotechnology on poor farmers, the study is based on a data set collected by the authors in 2000 in North China. The paper’s descriptive, budget and multivariate analysis find that Bt cotton significantly reduces the number of sprayings, the quantity of pesticides used and the level of pesticide expenditures. All Bt cotton varieties—both those produced by foreign life science companies and those created by China’s research system are equally effective. In addition to these input-reducing effects, the paper also demonstrates that such reductions in pesticides also likely lead to labour savings, more efficient overall production, as well as positive health and environmental impacts.
Article
Health and environmental concerns associated with pesticide use have motivated the development of integrated pest management (IPM) programs around the world. Little empirical work has been completed to estimate the value of the environmental benefits of IPM. This paper provides an approach to evaluate a broad set of such benefits for a vegetable program in the Philippines. Assessments were made of (1) IPM-induced reduction in environmental risks posed by pesticides in onion production in the Central Luzon and (2) willingness to pay to reduce those risks. The latter was based on a contingent valuation (CV) interview survey of 176 farmers. Risks to humans, birds, aquatic species, beneficial insects, and other animals were considered. IPM practices on onions reduced the use of specific pesticides from 25 to 65%, depending on the practice, and the projected adoption of IPM practices varied from 36 to 94%. Estimated economic benefits varied from 231 to 305 pesos per person per cropping season (40 pesos=1 US).TheaggregatevalueofenvironmentalbenefitsforthefivevillageswheretheIPMresearchprogramwascentredwasestimatedat150,000US). The aggregate value of environmental benefits for the five villages where the IPM research program was centred was estimated at 150,000 US for the 4600 local residents. Assessment of environmental benefits can help in designing public policies and regulations, and in justifying support for publicly funded IPM programs.
Article
Previous studies on the environmental impacts of pesticide use have tended to focus either on measuring damages through changes in relative risks to various environmental categories or examining the trade-off between pesticide use levels and abatement costs. This study uses the physical risk assessment approach combined with contingent valuation survey results on consumers’ willingness to reduce pesticide risk. The reduction in external costs associated with the changes in pesticide use in Ontario agriculture between 1983 and 1998 is US$ 188 per household. The environmental benefits are largely due to the reduction in the level of high and moderate-risk pesticides.
Article
Pesticides are used as the primary method of pest control in Asian rice production. Conditions in China have led to demand for high and increasing rice yields, resulting in intensive cultivation and adoption of fertilizer responsive varieties. The consequence has been widespread pest infestations. Many studies have estimated pesticide productivity, but few have estimated the productivity of alternative methods of pest control, namely host-plant resistance. None have estimated the substitutability between these methods of pest-control. The productivity of pesticides and host-plant resistance, and the substitutability between them is measured using two-stage Cobb–Douglas and translog production functions. Under intensive rice production systems in eastern China, pesticide productivity is low compared to the productivity of host-plant resistance. In fact, returns to pesticide use are negative at the margin. Host-plant resistance is an effective substitute for pesticides and substantial reductions in pesticide use could be achieved, with no loss in rice production, through improvements in host-plant resistance. These results suggest that pesticides are being overused in eastern China and host-plant resistance is being under-utilized. Government policies to promote increased pesticides in rice might be ill advised given the low productivity and negative returns, particularly in light of well known negative externalities associated with pesticide use.
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