Responses of , , and Sensitivity of Guava Production to in Fruit Fly Integrated Pest Management.

Caribbean fruit fly, also known as Caribfly or Anastrepha suspensa , is a major tephritid pest of guavas. A virulent entomopathogenic nematode (EPN) species was investigated to suppress the fruit-to-soil stages of Caribflies, which are also attacked by the koinobiont parasitoid Diachasmimorpha longicaudata in south Florida. The main objective was to develop a feasible and cost-effective EPN-application method for integrated pest management (IPM) of Caribfly to improve guava production.

Source Contribution Analysis and Collaborative Assessment of Heavy Metals in Vegetable-Growing Soils.

Source quantification of heavy metals in farmland is essential for developing and implementing restoration strategies. We used various data analyses to identify and quantify sources of arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, mercury, nickel, lead, and zinc in vegetable-growing soils. A new method of collaborative assessment, combining soil environmental quality and agricultural product safety, showed that approximately 5.

A Novel Disease of Big-Leaf Mahogany Caused by Two Fusarium Species in Mexico.

Big-leaf mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) is valued for its high-quality wood and use in urban landscapes in Mexico. During surveys of mango-producing areas in the central western region of Mexico, symptoms of malformation, the most important disease of mango in the area, were observed on big-leaf mahogany trees. The objectives of this research were to describe this new disease and determine its cause.

Bio-based Large Tablet Controlled-Release Urea: Synthesis, Characterization, and Controlled-Released Mechanisms.

To improve nitrogen (N) use efficiency and minimize environmental pollution caused by fertilizer overuse, novel bio-based large tablet controlled-release urea (LTCRU) was prepared using bio-based coating materials to coat large tablet urea (LTU) derived from urea prills (U). Nano fumed silica (NFS) was added to the bio-based coating materials to improve the slow-release properties. The surface area of the LTU and U was measured by three-dimensional scanning.

Water Quality of Inflows to the Everglades National Park over Three Decades (1985⁻2014) Analyzed by Multivariate Statistical Methods.

The Everglades, a vast subtropical wetland, dominates the landscape of south Florida and is widely recognized as an ecosystem of great ecological importance. Data from seven inflow sites to the Everglades National Park (ENP) were analyzed over three decades (1985⁻2014) for temporal trends by the STL (integrated seasonal-trend decomposition using LOESS) method. A cluster analysis (CA) and principal component analysis (PCA) were applied for the evaluation of spatial variation.

Linking watershed modeling and bacterial source tracking to better assess E. coli sources.

Terrestrial fate and transport processes of E. coli can be complicated by human activities like urbanization or livestock grazing. There is a critical need to address contributing sources of bacterial contamination, properly assess the management of critical sources, and ultimately reduce E.

Long-term effects of untreated wastewater on soil bacterial communities.

For 46 years (1957-2002), irrigation with wastewater has increased the amount of heavy metal and organic contaminants in soils and altered bacterial communities in Shenyang, northeastern China. There has been characterization of the different heavy metal and petroleum contaminants in two types of land uses (cornfields and paddy fields). The Nemerow composite indices of heavy metal contaminants have been higher in cornfields (1.

Process-based allometry describes the influence of management on orchard tree aboveground architecture.

We evaluated allometric relationships in length, diameter, and mass of branches for two variably managed orchard tree species (tart cherry, ; apple, spp). The empirically estimated allometric exponents () of the orchard trees were described in the context of two processed-based allometry models that make predictions for : the West, Brown and Enquist fractal branching model (WBE) and the recently introduced Flow Similarity model (FS). These allometric models make predictions about relationships in plant morphology (e.

Controlled-release urea reduced nitrogen leaching and improved nitrogen use efficiency and yield of direct-seeded rice.

The use of controlled-release urea (CRU) has become one of best management practices for increasing crop yield and improving nitrogen (N) use efficiency (NUE). However, the effects of CRU on direct-seeded rice are not well understood while direct-seeding has gradually replaced transplanting due to increasing labor cost and lack of irrigation water. The objective of this two-year field experiment was to compare the effects of the CRU at four rates (120, 180, 240 and 360 kg N ha, CRU1, CRU2, CRU3 and CRU4, respectively) with a conventional urea fertilizer (360 kg N ha; U) and a control (no N fertilizer applied; CK) on yield, biomass, NUE of direct-seeded rice and soil nutrients.

Identification of the Achilles heels of the laurel wilt pathogen and its beetle vector.

Ambrosia beetles harbor fungal symbionts that serve as food sources for larvae and adults. These beetles lay their eggs along tunnels in xylem sapwood, which is the substrate for fungal growth. Symbiotic fungi of the genus Raffaelea found in invasive and indigenous ambrosia beetles include the highly virulent plant pathogen Raffaelea lauricola affecting members of the Lauraceae family.

Spore Acquisition and Survival of Ambrosia Beetles Associated with the Laurel Wilt Pathogen in Avocados after Exposure to Entomopathogenic Fungi.

Laurel wilt is a disease threatening the avocado industry in Florida. The causative agent of the disease is a fungus vectored by ambrosia beetles that bore into the trees. Until recently, management strategies for the vectors of the laurel wilt fungus relied solely on chemical control and sanitation practices.

Characterization of key aroma-active compounds in lychee (Litchi chinensis Sonn.).

Volatile compounds in 'Sweetheart' lychee were examined using gas chromatography-olfactometry/mass spectrometry (GC-O/MS). Solvent assisted flavor evaporation (SAFE) technique was used to identify the aroma-active compounds in lychee. Further characterization of the most important odorants in 'Sweetheart' lychee was achieved using aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA).

Variation in benthic metabolism and nitrogen cycling across clam aquaculture sites.

As bivalve aquaculture expands globally, an understanding of how it alters nitrogen is important to minimize impacts. This study investigated nitrogen cycling associated with clam aquaculture in the Sacca di Goro, Italy (Ruditapes philipinarum) and the Eastern Shore, USA (Mercenaria mercenaria). Ammonium and dissolved oxygen fluxes were positively correlated with clam biomass; R.

Functional characteristics of chemosensory proteins in the sawyer beetle Monochamus alternatus Hope.

The Japanese pine sawyer, Monochamus alternatus Hope (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), is a major pest of pines and it is also the key vector of the exotic pinewood nematode in China. In the present study, we cloned, expressed, and purified a chemosensory protein (CSP) in M. alternatus.

Pheromones of three ambrosia beetles in the species complex: ratios and preferences.

Three cryptic species in the species complex were reared in laboratory colonies and investigated for the presence of pheromones. Collections of volatiles from combinations of diet, fungus, beetles, and galleries from polyphagous shot hole borer ( sp. #1) revealed the presence of 2-heneicosanone and 2-tricosanone only in the presence of beetles, regardless of sex.

Cryopreservation of banana's cv Grand Naine in vitro rhizomes.

The preservation of banana genetic material is usually performed through seedlings. However, most banana cultivars do not produce seed and are propagated vegetatively. Therefore, cryopreservation is a feasible technique that allows the preservation of banana genotypes indefinitely.

Unexpected High Intragenomic Variation in Two of Three Major Pest Thrips Species Does Not Affect Ribosomal Internal Transcribed Spacer 2 (ITS2) Utility for Thrips Identification.

The mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene () and the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 2 region (ITS2) are among the most widely used molecular markers for insect taxonomic characterization. Three economically important species of thrips, , , and were selected to examine the extent of intragenomic variation within these two marker regions in the family Thripidae, and determine if this variation would affect the utility of markers in thrips molecular diagnostics. For each species, intragenomic (within individual) variation and intergenomic (among individuals) variation was assessed by cloning and sequencing PCR-amplified copies.

Biochar for volatile organic compound (VOC) removal: Sorption performance and governing mechanisms.

Sorption is one of the most efficient and low cost strategies for volatile organic compound (VOC) removal, but VOC sorption by biochar has seen limited research. In this work, gas phase sorption experiments were conducted to determine the sorption potential and mechanisms of VOCs onto biochar. A total of 15 biochars produced from 5 common feedstocks at 300, 450, and 600°C were evaluated as sorbents.

Identification of a methyltransferase catalyzing the final step of methyl anthranilate synthesis in cultivated strawberry.

Background: Methyl anthranilate (MA) contributes an attractive fruity note to the complex flavor and aroma of strawberry (Fragaria spp.), yet it is rare in modern cultivars. The genetic basis for its biosynthesis has not been elucidated.

Insights into the mercury(II) adsorption and binding mechanism onto several typical soils in China.

To better understand the Hg(II) adsorption by some typical soils and explore the insights about the binding between Hg(II) and soils, a batch of adsorption and characteristic experiments was conducted. Results showed that Hg(II) adsorption was well fitted by the Langmuir and Freundlich. The maximum adsorption amount of cinnamon soil (2094.

Quercivorol as a lure for the polyphagous and Kuroshio shot hole borers, spp. nr. (Coleoptera: Scolytinae), vectors of Fusarium dieback.

The polyphagous shot hole borer and Kuroshio shot hole borer, two members of the species complex (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), are invasive ambrosia beetles that harbor distinct species of fungal symbionts. Together with the damage caused by gallery construction, these two phytopathogenic species are responsible for the emerging tree disease Fusarium dieback, which affects over 50 common tree species in Southern California. Host trees suffer branch dieback as the xylem is blocked by invading beetles and fungi, forcing the costly removal of dead and dying trees in urban areas.

Activated-Lignite-Based Super Large Granular Slow-Release Fertilizers Improve Apple Tree Growth: Synthesis, Characterizations, and Laboratory and Field Evaluations.

In this work, lignite, a low-grade coal, was modified using the solid-phase activation method with the aid of a Pd/CeO nanoparticle catalyst to improve its pore structure and nutrient absorption. Results indicate that the adsorption ability of the activated lignite to NO, NH, HPO, and K was significantly higher than that of raw lignite. The activated lignite was successfully combined with the polymeric slow-release fertilizer, which exhibits typical slow-release behavior, to prepare the super large granular activated lignite slow-release fertilizer (SAF).

α-Copaene is an attractant, synergistic with quercivorol, for improved detection of Euwallacea nr. fornicatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae).

The tea shot-hole borer, Euwallacea fornicatus Eichhoff, is an ambrosia beetle endemic to Asia and a pest of commercial tea, Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze. Recently, a complex of species morphologically similar to E.