The tools of insect pest management include host plant resistance, biological control, and insecticides and how they are integrated will influence the durability of each. We created a detailed model of the population dynamics and population genetics of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella L., and its parasitoid, Diadegma insulare (Cresson), to study long-term pest management in broccoli Brassica oleracea L. Given this pest's history of evolving resistance to various toxins, we also evaluated the evolution of resistance to transgenic insecticidal Bt broccoli (expressing Cry1Ac) and two types of insecticides. Simulations demonstrated that parasitism provided the most reliable, long-term control of P. xylostella populations. Use of Bt broccoli with a 10% insecticide-free refuge did not reduce the long-term contribution of parasitism to pest control. Small refuges within Bt broccoli fields can delay evolution of resistance > 30 generations if resistance alleles are rare in the pest population. However, the effectiveness of these refuges can be compromised by insecticide use. Rainfall mortality during the pest's egg and neonate stages significantly influences pest control but especially resistance management. Our model results support the idea that Bt crops and biological control can be integrated in integrated pest management and actually synergistically support each other. However, the planting and maintenance of toxin-free refuges are critical to this integration.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1603/ec12287 | DOI Listing |
J Agric Food Chem
January 2025
Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River (Ministry of Education), College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
The mitochondrial voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC) is the major channel in the mitochondrial outer membrane for metabolites and ions. VDACs also regulate a variety of biological processes, which vary in the number of VDAC isoforms across different eukaryotes. However, little is known about VDAC-mediated biocontrol traits in biocontrol fungi.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlant Biotechnol J
January 2025
Key Laboratory of Cultivation and Protection for Non-Wood Forest Trees, Ministry of Education, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, China.
Liquid crystal monomers (LCMs), the integral components in the manufacture of digital displays, have engendered environmental concerns due to extensive utilization and intensive emission. Despite their prevalence and ecotoxicity, the LCM impacts on plant growth and agricultural yield remain inadequately understood. In this study, we investigated the specific response mechanisms of tobacco, a pivotal agricultural crop and model plant, to four representative LCMs (2OdF3B, 5CB, 4PiMeOP, 2BzoCP) through integrative molecular and physiological approaches.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPest Manag Sci
January 2025
Dpto. Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain.
Background: Chitin is a crucial component of fungal cell walls and an effective elicitor of plant immunity; however, phytopathogenic fungi have developed virulence mechanisms to counteract the activation of this plant defensive response. In this study, the molecular mechanism of chitin-induced suppression through effectors involved in chitin deacetylases (CDAs) and their degradation (EWCAs) was investigated with the idea of developing novel dsRNA-biofungicides to control the cucurbit powdery mildew caused by Podosphaera xanthii.
Results: The molecular mechanisms associated with the silencing effect of the PxCDA and PxEWCAs genes were first studied through dsRNA cotyledon infiltration assays, which revealed a ≈80% reduction in fungal biomass and a 50% decrease in gene expression.
Pest Manag Sci
January 2025
Laboratorio de Bioproducción, Bioinsumos, INIA Las Brujas, Canelones, Uruguay.
Background: Biological control methods involving entomopathogenic fungi like Beauveria bassiana have been shown to be a valuable approach in integrated pest management as an environmentally friendly alternative to control pests and pathogens. Identifying genetic determinants of pathogenicity in B. bassiana is instrumental for enhancing its virulence against insects like the resistant soybean pest Piezodorus guildinii.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPest Manag Sci
January 2025
College of Plant Protection, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China.
Background: The whitefly Bemisia tabaci is a notorious agricultural pest known for its ability to cause significant crop damage through direct feeding and virus transmission. Its remarkable adaptability and reproductive capacity are linked to its ability to acquire and integrate horizontally transferred genes (HTGs) into its genome. These HTGs increase the physiological and metabolic capacities of this pest, including cholesterol synthesis, which is critical for its survival and reproductive success.
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