The design and implementation of Philaenus spumarius control strategies can take advantage of properly calibrated models describing and predicting the phenology of vector populations in agroecosystems. We developed a temperature-driven physiological-based model based on the system of Kolmogorov partial differential equations to predict the phenological dynamics of P. spumarius.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFollowing the detection of the quarantine bacterium (Wells et al.) in the Apulia region (southern Italy) and the identification of spittlebugs as the main vector species that contributes to its epidemic spread, monitoring activities have been intensified in an attempt to implement vector control strategies. To date, sweep nets have been the most widely used sampling method to monitor adult spittlebug populations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSpatial-temporal dynamics of spittlebug populations, together with transmission biology, are of major importance to outline the disease epidemiology of subsp. in Apulian olive groves. The spread rate of is mainly influenced by (i) the pathogen colonization of the host plant; (ii) the acquisition of the pathogen by the vector from an infected plant, and its inoculation to healthy plants; (iii) the vector population dynamics and abundance at different spatial scales; and (iv) the dispersal of the vector.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA long-standing= 1 barrier is still present in commercial thermoelectric generator devices (TEG) and is typically not overcome. Although it is possible to accept the current limits of such devices, the performances reported on the datasheets are frequently not obtainable when these thermoelectric devices are arranged for use in the actual operating conditions. Despite this, the current primary energy prices and ongoing climate change make their use attractive for many industrial sectors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe sharpshooter Cicadella viridis L. (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) is the most common sharpshooter in Europe and, given its xylem feeding behavior, is considered a potential vector of the plant pathogenic bacterium Xylella fastidiosa Wells et al. (Xanthomonadales: Xanthomonadaceae).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe introduction of the Xylella fastidiosa Wells bacterium into Apulia (South Italy) has caused the massive dieback of olive trees, and is threatening olive production throughout the Mediterranean Region. The key vector of X. fastidiosa in Europe is the spittlebug Philaenus spumarius L.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSpittlebugs are the vectors of the bacterium Wells in Europe, the causal agent of olive dieback epidemic in Apulia, Italy. Selection and distribution of different spittlebug species on host-plants were investigated during field surveys in 2016-2018 in four olive orchards of Apulia and Liguria Regions of Italy. The nymphal population in the herbaceous cover was estimated using quadrat samplings.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSpittlebugs (Hemiptera: Aphrophoridae) are the dominant xylem-sap feeders in the Mediterranean area and the only proven vectors of Xylella fastidiosa ST53, the causal agent of the olive dieback epidemic in Apulia, Italy. We have investigated the structured population phenology, abundance and seasonal movement between crops and wild plant species of both the nymphal and adult stages of different spittlebug species in olive groves. Field surveys were conducted during the 2016-2018 period in four olive orchards located in coastal and inland areas in the Apulia and Liguria regions in Italy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDiseases associated with have been described mostly in North and South America. However, during the last five years, widespread infections have been reported in a constrained area of the Apulia region (southern Italy), in olives trees suffering a severe disease, denoted as Olive Quick Decline Syndrome (OQDS). Because many xylem sap-feeding insects can function as vectors for the transmission of this exotic pathogen in EU, several research programs are ongoing to assess the role of candidate vectors in the spread of the infections.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFpv. , a Gammaproteobacterium belonging to genomospecies 2 within the complex, is distributed worldwide, and it is responsible for bacterial canker on >100 different hosts, including the grapevine. pv.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe xylem-limited bacterium Xylella fastidiosa Wells is the causal agent of severe diseases of several cultivated and wild plants. It is transmitted by xylem-sap feeder insects, such as spittlebugs (Hemiptera: Cercopoidea) and sharpshooters (Hemiptera: Cicadellinae). A dramatic epidemic of X.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn autumn 2013, the presence of Xylella fastidiosa, a xylem-limited Gram-negative bacterium, was detected in olive stands of an area of the Ionian coast of the Salento peninsula (Apulia, southern Italy), that were severely affected by a disease denoted olive quick decline syndrome (OQDS). Studies were carried out for determining the involvement of this bacterium in the genesis of OQDS and of the leaf scorching shown by a number of naturally infected plants other than olive. Isolation in axenic culture was attempted and assays were carried out for determining its pathogenicity to olive, oleander and myrtle-leaf milkwort.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: There is increasing interest in the use of biological control agents (BCAs) and botanicals (BOTs) due to increasing awareness of the environmental and human health risks associated with synthetic plant protection products. The BCAs Bacillus subtilis strain QST713, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain D747 and Aureobasidium pullulans strains DSM14940 and DSM14941, and the BOTs Melaleuca alternifolia and terpenic extracts are proposed for the control of grey mould in vineyards. This study was aimed at evaluating their effectiveness in integrated crop management strategies and their outcomes in terms of the management of fungicide resistance and residues.
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