Genetic variability of Metarhizium isolates from the Ticino Valley Natural Park (Northern Italy) as a possible microbiological resource for the management of Popillia japonica.

The natural occurrence of entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) was investigated along the Ticino River (Ticino River Natural Park, Novara Province, Piedmont, Italy), at the center of the area of the first settlement of the invasive alien pest Popillia japonica. Using Zimmermann's "Galleria bait method", EPF were successfully isolated from 83 out of 155 soil samples from different habitats (perennial, cultivated, or uncultivated meadows, woodlands, and riverbanks). Sequencing of the 5' end of the Translation Elongation Factor 1 alfa (5'-TEF) region allowed the assignment of 94% of the isolates to Metarhizium spp.

Dynamic simulation of management events for assessing impacts of climate change on pre-alpine grassland productivity.

The productivity of permanent temperate cut grasslands is mainly driven by weather, soil characteristics, botanical composition and management. To adapt management to climate change, adjusting the cutting dates to reflect earlier onset of growth and expansion of the vegetation period is particularly important. Simulations of cut grassland productivity under climate change scenarios demands management settings to be dynamically derived from actual plant development rather than using static values derived from current management operations.

Long-term modelling of crop yield, nitrogen losses and GHG balance in organic cropping systems.

Although organic cropping systems are promoted for their environmental benefits, little is known about their long-term impact on nitrogen (N) fate in the soil-plant-atmosphere system. In this paper, we analyze two long-term experiments: DOK in Switzerland (39-yr) and Foulum organic in Denmark (19-yr). Four treatments were considered in each experiment: two conventional treatments with (CONFYM) or without manure (CONMIN), organic with manure (BIOORG) and unfertilized treatment (NOFERT) at DOK; conventional (CGL-CC+IF) and three organic treatments, one with cover crops only (OGL+CC-M) and two including cover crops and grass-clover with (OGC+CC+M) or without manure (OGC+CC-M), at Foulum.

Influence of drought on plant performance through changes in belowground tritrophic interactions.

Climate change is predicted to increase the risk of drought in many temperate agroecosystems. While the impact of drought on aboveground plant-herbivore-natural enemy interactions has been studied, little is known about its effects on belowground tritrophic interactions and root defense chemistry. We investigated the effects of low soil moisture on the interaction between maize, the western corn rootworm (WCR, ), and soil-borne natural enemies of WCR.

Tree species distribution in temperate forests is more influenced by soil than by climate.

Knowledge of the ecological requirements determining tree species distributions is a precondition for sustainable forest management. At present, the abiotic requirements and the relative importance of the different abiotic factors are still unclear for many temperate tree species. We therefore investigated the relative importance of climatic and edaphic factors for the abundance of 12 temperate tree species along environmental gradients.

Green manure and long-term fertilization effects on soil zinc and cadmium availability and uptake by wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) at different growth stages.

Zinc (Zn) deficiency in human populations depending on cereals as a main source of Zn is a global malnutrition problem. In this field study, we investigated the potential of green manure application to increase soil Zn availability and wheat grain Zn concentrations (biofortification) on a Luvisol with different long-term fertilizer management. We also studied cadmium (Cd), as wheat is a major contributor of this undesired non-essential element to human diets.

What Factors Determine the Retention Behavior of Engineered Nanomaterials in Saturated Porous Media?

A fundamental problem associated with the vertical transport of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) in saturated porous media is the occurrence of nonexponential, for example, nonmonotonic or linearly increasing, retention profiles. To investigate this problem, we compiled an extensive database of ENMs transport experiments in saturated porous media. Using this database we trained a decision tree that shows the order of importance, and range of influence, of the physicochemical factors that control the retention profile shape.

Characterization factors for land use impacts on biodiversity in life cycle assessment based on direct measures of plant species richness in European farmland in the 'Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forest' biome.

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a widely used tool to assess environmental sustainability of products. The LCA should optimally cover the most important environmental impact categories such as climate change, eutrophication and biodiversity. However, impacts on biodiversity are seldom included in LCAs due to methodological limitations and lack of appropriate characterization factors.

Improving dairy production in Malawi: a literature review.

Milk production in Malawi is stagnating while steadily increasing in neighboring countries. We performed a literature review to identify factors negatively affecting milk production in Malawi and propose potential solutions to overcome the particular constraints. We structured the analysis along the value chain with three major components: upstream providers, on-farm production, and downstream providers.

Establishing a system with Drosophila melanogaster (Diptera: Drosophilidae) to assess the non-target effects of gut-active insecticidal compounds.

Potentially adverse effects on ecosystem functioning by the planting of insect-resistant, genetically engineered plants or by the direct application of insecticidal compounds are carefully evaluated in pre-market risk assessments. To date, few studies have assessed the potential risks of genetically engineered crops or insecticidal compounds on the survival and fitness of dipteran species, despite their important contribution to ecosystem services such as decomposition in agricultural systems. Therefore, we propose that Drosophila melanogaster Meigen (Drosophilidae) be used as a surrogate species for the order Diptera and for the functional guild of soil arthropod decomposers in pre-market risk assessments.

Different Performance of Two Trichogramma (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) Species Feeding on Sugars.

Most parasitoids depend on carbohydrate-rich foods to maximize their longevity and reproduction potential. These food resources are commonly from floral nectar, extra-floral nectar, and honeydew, which contain monosaccharides, disaccharides, and oligosaccharides. Here, we report an experiment to explore the effects of 12 naturally occurring sugars on the gustatory response, longevity, and fecundity of Trichogramma japonicum and Trichogramma chilonis These two parasitoid species differed in their responses to the tested sugars.

Vertical transport and plant uptake of nanoparticles in a soil mesocosm experiment.

Background: Agricultural soils represent a potential sink for increasing amounts of different nanomaterials that nowadays inevitably enter the environment. Knowledge on the relation between their actual exposure concentrations and biological effects on crops and symbiotic organisms is therefore of high importance. In this part of a joint companion study, we describe the vertical translocation as well as plant uptake of three different titanium dioxide (nano-)particles (TiO2 NPs) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) within a pot experiment with homogenously spiked natural agricultural soil and two plant species (red clover and wheat).

Effect of steam activated biochar application to industrially contaminated soils on bioavailability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and ecotoxicity of soils.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of steam activation of biochars on the immobilization of freely dissolved (Cfree) and bioaccessible fraction (Cbioacc) of PAHs in soils. Additionally, the toxicity to various organisms like Vibrio fischeri, Lepidium sativum and Folsomia candida was measured before and after the amendment of biochars to soils. Three biochars produced from willow, coconut and wheat straw were steam activated and added to three different soils with varying content and origin of PAHs (coke vs.

Effects of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles on Red Clover and Its Rhizobial Symbiont.

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) are in consideration to be used in plant protection products. Before these products can be placed on the market, ecotoxicological tests have to be performed. In this study, the nitrogen fixing bacterium Rhizobium trifolii and red clover were exposed to two TiO2 NPs, i.

A Temperate Alpine Glacier as a Reservoir of Polychlorinated Biphenyls: Model Results of Incorporation, Transport, and Release.

In previous studies, the incorporation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) has been quantified in the accumulation areas of Alpine glaciers. Here, we introduce a model framework that quantifies mass fluxes of PCBs in glaciers and apply it to the Silvretta glacier (Switzerland). The models include PCB incorporation into the entire surface of the glacier, downhill transport with the flow of the glacier ice, and chemical fate in the glacial lake.

Effect of nanoparticles on red clover and its symbiotic microorganisms.

Background: Nanoparticles are produced and used worldwide and are released to the environment, e.g., into soil systems.

Ten years after entry into force of the Stockholm Convention: What do air monitoring data tell about its effectiveness?

More than a decade ago, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), one of the multilateral environmental agreements administered by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), entered into force. The objective of this Convention is to protect human health and the environment by controlling the releases of POPs. According to its Article 16, the effectiveness of the Stockholm Convention shall be evaluated using comparable monitoring data on the presence of POPs as well as their regional and global environmental transport.

Ingestion of Bt corn pollen containing Cry1Ab/2Aj or Cry1Ac does not harm Propylea japonica larvae.

Propylea japonica (Thunberg) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) is a prevalent pollen consumer in corn fields and is therefore exposed to insecticidal proteins contained in the pollen of insect-resistant transgenic corn cultivars expressing Cry proteins derived from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). In the present study, the potential effect of Cry1Ab/2Aj- or Cry1Ac-containing transgenic Bt corn pollen on the fitness of P. japonica larvae was evaluated.

Toward the Standardization of Biochar Analysis: The COST Action TD1107 Interlaboratory Comparison.

Biochar produced by pyrolysis of organic residues is increasingly used for soil amendment and many other applications. However, analytical methods for its physical and chemical characterization are yet far from being specifically adapted, optimized, and standardized. Therefore, COST Action TD1107 conducted an interlaboratory comparison in which 22 laboratories from 12 countries analyzed three different types of biochar for 38 physical-chemical parameters (macro- and microelements, heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pH, electrical conductivity, and specific surface area) with their preferential methods.

Spatial Distribution of Atmospheric PCBs in Zurich, Switzerland: Do Joint Sealants Still Matter?

Passive air samplers were deployed at 23 sites across the city of Zurich, Switzerland to investigate the spatial distribution of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in air. Concentrations of the six indicator PCBs (iPCBs) in air ranged from 54 to 3160 pg·m(-3) in the two sampling campaigns (spring 2011 and spring 2013). Measurements at two sampling sites were significantly higher than the median in both years, because of the proximity to primary PCB sources.

Release of PCBs from Silvretta glacier (Switzerland) investigated in lake sediments and meltwater.

This study is part of our investigations about the release of persistent organic pollutants from melting Alpine glaciers and the relevance of the glaciers as secondary sources of legacy pollutants. Here, we studied the melt-related release of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in proglacial lakes and glacier streams of the catchment of the Silvretta glacier, located in the Swiss Alps. To explore a spatial and temporal distribution of chemicals in glacier melt, we combined two approaches: (1) analysing a sediment record as an archive of past remobilization and (2) passive water sampling to capture the current release of PCBs during melt period.

Polychlorinated Biphenyls in a Temperate Alpine Glacier: 2. Model Results of Chemical Fate Processes.

We present results from a chemical fate model quantifying incorporation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) into the Silvretta glacier, a temperate Alpine glacier located in Switzerland. Temperate glaciers, in contrast to cold glaciers, are glaciers where melt processes are prevalent. Incorporation of PCBs into cold glaciers has been quantified in previous studies.

Polychlorinated Biphenyls in a Temperate Alpine Glacier: 1. Effect of Percolating Meltwater on their Distribution in Glacier Ice.

In Alpine regions, glaciers act as environmental archives and can accumulate significant amounts of atmospherically derived pollutants. Due to the current climate-warming-induced accelerated melting, these pollutants are being released at correspondingly higher rates. To examine the effect of melting on the redistribution of legacy pollutants in Alpine glaciers, we analyzed polychlorinated biphenyls in an ice core from the temperate Silvretta glacier, located in eastern Switzerland.

Bt crops benefit natural enemies to control non-target pests.

Crops producing insecticidal crystal (Cry) proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) control important lepidopteran pests. However, pests such as aphids not susceptible to Cry proteins may require other integrated pest management (IPM) tactics, including biological control. We fed aphids on Bt and non-Bt plants and analyzed the Bt protein residue in aphids and compared the effects of Bt plants and a pyrethroid, lambda-cyhalothrin, on the performance of three natural enemies (predators: Coleomegilla maculata and Eupeodes americanus; parasitoid Aphidius colemani) of the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae.