Dual suppression of using entomopathogenic fungal-based biopesticides and sterile insect technique.

Tsetse flies and trypanosomosis significantly impact bovine production and human health in sub-Saharan Africa, exacerbating underdevelopment, malnutrition, and poverty. Despite various control strategies, long-term success has been limited. This study evaluates the combined use of entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) and the sterile insect technique (SIT) to combat tsetse flies.

Effects of four potent entomopathogenic fungal isolates on the survival and performance of , an egg parasitoid of fall armyworm.

Fall armyworm (FAW), is a generalist pest known to feed on more than 300 plant species, including major staple crops such as rice, maize and sorghum. Biological control of FAW using a combination of a major indigenous egg parasitoid and entomopathogenic fungi was explored in this study. strains (ICIPE 7, ICIPE 41, and ICIPE 78) and ICIPE 621 which demonstrated effectiveness to combat the pest, were evaluated through direct and indirect fungal infection to assess their pathogenicity and virulence against adults, eggs and their effects on parasitism rates.

Impact of pre-harvest fungicide application on the storage performance of tomato fruits.

To examine the impact of pre-harvest fungicide applications on the postharvest storage performance of tomato fruits, we measured the lycopene content, hardness, soluble solids content, rotting rate, and weight loss rate of the fruits, as well as conducted a sensory assessment. Protective and systematic fungicides were sprayed on tomatoes 20 days before harvest in order to prevent rotting and weight loss during storage. Our findings showed that, the fungicide-treated tomatoes had a significantly lower rotting rate of 16.

Biostimulant and antagonistic potential of endophytic fungi against fusarium wilt pathogen of tomato Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici.

Endophytic fungal-based biopesticides are sustainable and ecologically-friendly biocontrol agents of several pests and diseases. However, their potential in managing tomato fusarium wilt disease (FWD) remains unexploited. This study therefore evaluated effectiveness of nine fungal isolates against tomato fusarium wilt pathogen, Fusarium oxysporum f.

Attractant and repellent properties of Senna didymobotrya plant extracts to Amblyomma variegatum and Rhipicephalus appendiculatus.

The growing challenge of acaricide resistance and geographical range expansion of invasive tick species demands other interventions, like plant-based alternatives, for sustainable tick control. Leaves, flowers, seedpods, and twig branch extracts of Senna didymobotrya were analyzed using coupled gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Response of adult Amblyomma variegatum and Rhipicephalus appendiculatus to extracts was evaluated.

Vendors' handling practices of edible long-horned grasshoppers () products and implications on microbial safety.

Edible grasshopper, , has nutritional and cherished cultural and economic importance to people from diverse cultures, particularly in over 20 African countries. It is consumed at home or commercially traded as sautéed, deep-fried, or boiled products. However, there is limited information on the hygiene practices of the vendors and the implications on the microbial safety of the final product.

Interactions between Bacillus thuringiensis and selected plant extracts for sustainable management of Phthorimaea absoluta.

Phthorimaea absoluta is a global constraint to tomato production and can cause up to 100% yield loss. Farmers heavily rely on synthetic pesticides to manage this pest. However, these pesticides are detrimental to human, animal, and environmental health.

Biochemistry and transcriptomic analyses of Phthorimaea absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) response to insecticides.

Phthorimaea absoluta is an invasive solanaceous plant pest with highly devastating effects on tomato plant. Heavy reliance on insecticide use to tackle the pest has been linked to insecticide resistance selection in P. absoluta populations.

Electrophysiological and Behavioral Responses of Cabbage Aphid (Brevicoryne brassicae) to Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) Volatiles, a Potential push Plant for Vegetable push-pull Cropping System.

The cabbage aphid (Brevicoryne brassicae) is a major pest of kale (Brassica oleraceae var. acephala), an important vegetable that is grown worldwide due to its high nutritional and economic value. Brevicoryne brassicae poses a great challenge to B.

Host-Parasitoid Phenology, Distribution, and Biological Control under Climate Change.

Climate change raises a serious threat to global entomofauna-the foundation of many ecosystems-by threatening species preservation and the ecosystem services they provide. Already, changes in climate-warming-are causing (i) sharp phenological mismatches among host-parasitoid systems by reducing the window of host susceptibility, leading to early emergence of either the host or its associated parasitoid and affecting mismatched species' fitness and abundance; (ii) shifting arthropods' expansion range towards higher altitudes, and therefore migratory pest infestations are more likely; and (iii) reducing biological control effectiveness by natural enemies, leading to potential pest outbreaks. Here, we provided an overview of the warming consequences on biodiversity and functionality of agroecosystems, highlighting the vital role that phenology plays in ecology.

Immunological responses and gut microbial shifts in exposed to isolates under different temperature regimes.

The invasive tomato leaf miner, is conventionally controlled through chemical insecticides. However, the rise of insecticide resistance has necessitated sustainable and eco-friendly alternatives. Entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) have shown potential due to their ability to overcome resistance and have minimal impact on non-target organisms.

One stone for two birds: Endophytic fungi promote maize seedlings growth and negatively impact the life history parameters of the fall armyworm, .

The fall armyworm (FAW) , is a voracious pest of cereals native to the Americas and which invaded Africa in 2016. Chemical control is the main management option, which however remains ineffective and unsustainable. Fungal endophytes are increasingly used as alternative for the management of insect pests of economic importance.

Immune Responses and Transcriptomic Analysis of against YTTR Mediated by Rice Ragged Stunt Virus.

Plant viruses and entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) can both elicit immune responses in insects. This study was designed to clarify whether plant viruses could affect the efficacy of EPF and explore the immune responses of brown planthopper (BPH), in response to different pathogen infections. In this study, a strain of YTTR with high pathogenicity against BPH was selected and explored whether rice ragged stunt virus (RRSV) could affect its lethality against BPH.

Comprehensive genome-wide identification and expression profiling of ADF gene family in Citrus sinensis, induced by endophytic colonization of Beauveria bassiana.

Endophytic entomopathogenic species are known to systematically colonize host plants and form symbiotic associations that benefit the plants they live with. The actin-depolymerizing factors (ADFs) are a group of gene family that regulate growth, development, and defense-related functions in plants. Systematic studies of ADF family at the genome-wide level and their expression in response to endophytic colonization are essential to understand its functions but are currently lacking in this field.

Household perception and infestation dynamics of bedbugs among residential communities and its potential distribution in Africa.

Bedbugs have experienced an extraordinary upsurge in the recent past across the world. This cross-sectional study aimed to explore the community perception of the pest outbreaks, the population dynamics, and dispersal patterns under different habitat systems. A survey was conducted within communities in nine counties in Kenya, where geographical coordinates of the sites of bedbug presence were recorded and maximum entropy distribution modelling (MaxEnt) was used to map and predict the potentially suitable habitat, while system thinking and system dynamics approach with Vensim PLE 8.

The Entomopathogenic Fungi and for Management of the Melon Fly : Pathogenicity, Horizontal Transmission, and Compatability with Cuelure.

In the laboratory, the pathogenicity of thirteen isolates of (Metschnikoff) Sorokin and two isolates of (Balsamo) Vuillemin against the melon fly (Coquillett) were assessed by exposing adults to 0.3 g of dry conidia (~3 × 10 conidia) of each isolate for 5 min and monitoring mortality for up to 5 days. Compatibility with a male pheromone, cuelure, (4-(p-acetoxyphenyl)-2-butanone), was determined by testing conidial germination and germ tube growth of the most promising isolate, ICIPE 69, in the presence of cuelure at different temperatures.

Interactions between the Entomopathogenic Fungus ICIPE 20 and the Endoparasitoid , and Implications for Combined Biocontrol of .

The Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach have been widely promoted and used for the management of native and invasive pests, while the use of various components of the IPM can have a synergetic, additive, or antagonistic effect on each other; this study evaluated the susceptibility of (Marsh) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), to the (Metschnikoff) ICIPE 20 through direct and indirect infection approaches. The effect of fungus on parasitoid longevity, survival of parasitized-larvae, preference of the parasitoid to fungal treated and untreated larvae, and percent parasitism of (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) under different infection scenarios were assessed. The direct application of dry conidia to the parasitoid prior to exposure to the host, reduced longevity, though the infected female wasps still yielded high parasitism (over 70%).

Efficacy of and ()-2-hexenal combination using autodissemination technology for the management of the adult greenhouse whitefly, Westwood (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae).

The efficiency of an autodissemination technique in controlling adult whiteflies, Westwood (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) on tomato, was investigated with previously identified potent fungal isolates of ICIPE 18, ICIPE 62 and ICIPE 69 under screenhouse or semi-field conditions. The autodissemination device was inoculated with dry conidia of the isolates, while control insects were exposed to a fungus-free device. Sampling for conidia uptake, conidial viability and persistence, and insect mortality was done at 1, 2, 3, 5 and 8 days post-exposure, and collected insects were monitored for mortality over ten days.

Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of Toll-like Receptors (TLRs) in and Their Expression Patterns Induced by the Endophyte .

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are pathogen recognition receptors (PRRs), which play key roles in helping the host immune system fight pathogen invasions. Systematic information on TLRs at the genome-wide level and expression profiling in response to endophytic colonization is very important to understand their functions but is currently lacking in this field. Here, a total of two TLR genes were identified and characterized in .

Evaluating the efficacy of Mazao Tickoff (Metarhizium anisopliae ICIPE 7) in controlling natural tick infestations on cattle in coastal Kenya: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Ticks and tick-borne diseases cause substantial economic losses to the livestock industry in sub-Saharan Africa. Mazao Tickoff is a novel bioacaricide developed for tick control and is based on the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae sensu lato (s.l.

Genetic diversity of (Hemiptera: Liviidae) unravels phylogeographic structure and invasion history of eastern African populations.

The Asian citrus psyllid ( Kuwayama) is a key pest of sp. worldwide, as it acts as a vector for Liberibacter asiaticus, the bacterial pathogen that causes citrus Huanglongbing. has been reported in Kenya, Tanzania, and more recently in Ethiopia.

The Endophyte M2RT4 Induces the Systemic Release of Methyl Salicylate and ()-jasmone in Tomato Plant Affecting Host Location and Herbivory of .

The use of endophytic fungi has dramatically increased plant performance through the enhancement of plant protection against abiotic and biotic stressors. We previously demonstrated that the endophytic fungus M2RT4 improves tomato defenses against the tomato leafminer through the reduction of oviposition, leafmining, pupation, and adult emergence. However, the underlying mechanism by which the presence of this endophytic fungus within tomato host plant affects host selection and life-history traits is unknown.

Comparative microbiome analysis of Diaphorina citri and its associated parasitoids Tamarixia radiata and Diaphorencyrtus aligarhensis reveals Wolbachia as a dominant endosymbiont.

Microbiome analysis in a host-parasitoid interaction network was conducted to compare the taxonomic composition of bacterial communities of Diaphornia citri, Tamarixia radiata, and Diaphorencyrtus aligarhensis. The comparative analysis revealed differences in the composition and diversity of the symbiont populations across the host and its associated parasitoids. Proteobacteria was the most dominant phylum, representing 67.