The insect species Tenebrio molitor L. (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) is a stored-product pest which tend to infest a variety of durable agricultural commodities, mostly oriented toward cereals and related amylaceous substrates of low humidity. Thus, the past few years, research on T. molitor has been focused on its biology, ecology, and control methods due to its pest status. However, recently, the same

Durian (Durio zibethinus L.) is a valuable fruit crop originating from Borneo and widely cultivated in Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. Increasing consumer demand, particularly from China, has boosted its trade and value. However, the durian industry faces significant challenges from the devastating pathogens Phytophthora palmivora and Phytopythium vexans, which cause various

The escalating impacts of climate change are exacerbating the spread and intensity of Botrytis bunch rot (BBR), a devastating grapevine disease caused by the necrotrophic fungus Botrytis cinerea. Growers have traditionally relied on synthetic fungicides to manage BBR, but the increasing resistance of B. cinerea to these chemicals, coupled with growing environmental concerns, has intensified the search

Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) is a major insect pest affecting corn globally. S. frugiperda often coincides with maize diseases, as their damage periods overlap. Consequently, S. frugiperda may be exposed to varying types and quantities of these fungicides during the growing season. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of difenoconazole and pyraclostrobin on the biological and physiological

Purple nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus L.) is a major weed problem worldwide, particularly in onion (Allium cepa L.) fields in Iran. No specific herbicide has been registered or reported for controlling purple nutsedge in onion fields in the country. To address this, two field experiments were conducted over two years (2021 and 2022) at the Jiroft Culture and Industry Company in Jiroft, Kerman, Iran, using

Meloidogyne enterolobii can reduce yield and quality of chickpea. Thus far, no resistant cultivars have been reported. Hence, a study was carried out to evaluate the relative performance of biological products for the management of M. enterolobii on chickpea. Greenhouse experiments were conducted with ten treatments (five formulations of antagonistic fungi and bacteria applied either individually or

Detection of weeds is essential to implement an intelligent weed control system in natural corn fields. Then, to address this issue, the Swin-UNet, Segmenter, and SegFormer deep learning transformer architectures have been implemented and compared. Furthermore, a simple thresholding method has been performed to enhance the segmentation. Moreover, a large pixel-level annotated image dataset acquired

The introduction of herbicide-resistant and Bt crops has led to significant disruption in weed and insect pest communities. Using pheromone-baited traps, we assessed the impact of varying levels of Amaranthus infestation on the population abundance of S. cosmioides in both Bt and non-Bt soybeans. Additionally, we monitored the abundance of S. cosmioides and other leaf-chewing larvae in these soybeans

Numerous arthropod pest species can cause significant losses in the quantity and quality of stored products. Currently, the most common pest control strategy is the use of a limited number of authorized synthetic insecticides. However, the overuse of these insecticides has led to an increase in pesticide resistance, reducing their effectiveness. Biological control using natural enemies offers an effective

The mealybug Planococcus ficus Signoret is an important vineyard pest, causing direct damage from feeding as well as vectoring important viral pathogens. Several species of ants tend P. ficus in California, including the pavement ant, Tetramorium immigrans Santschi. We tested the impact of polyacrylamide hydrogels loaded with a 25% sucrose solution and a variety of individual insecticide active ingredients

The maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais, is one of the main primary pests of stored grains in the world. Synthetic insecticides are the main means of controlling this pest, but environmental and health issues have been associated with their use. Therefore, natural insecticides have been sought to control pests like this. The objective of this work was to evaluate the insecticidal activity of fixed oil

Species of generalist phytoseiid mites in the genus Euseius are effective natural enemies of multiple arthropod pests in various types of orchards worldwide. Cover crops increase the densities of these predators and can help reduce pest densities, but their practical roles and effects in enhancing biological control have not yet been completely unveiled yet. Here, we examined the efficacy of biocontrol

In this study, we investigated the application of three convolutional neural network models YOLOv5, YOLOR, and YOLOv7 for precisely detecting individual radish plants, radish rows, and weeds. A comprehensive dataset was created, capturing diverse conditions and annotated for three target classes: radish, radish-line, and weed. Through extensive experimentation involving 39 combinations of model types

In 2019, an unknown wilting disorder on snow bush (Breynia disticha) was observed in Changhua County, Taiwan. Symptomatic snow bush plants exhibited wilting, necrotic, and vascular discoloration. Two strains Bre-RS1 and Bre-RS2 were isolated from symptomatic tissues. Based on physiological tests and molecular analysis, the two bacterial strains were identified as Ralstonia pseudosolanacearum biovar

Weeds prevent the growth of the lentil crop, which significantly reduces yield. Imazethapyr (IM), a post-emergence herbicide, primarily inhibited acetolactate synthase activity by reducing branched-chain amino acid contents which had an impact on plant growth. IM application has a secondary impact of increasing oxidative stress due to ALS inhibition. The objective of the present study was to elucidate

Herbicides are an important tool for weed management in water-seeded rice (Oryza sativa L.); however, the reduced efficacy from available herbicides and the lack of new herbicides have encouraged research on new use of older herbicides for this production system. This research evaluated weed control and water-seeded rice response to pendimethalin applied post-emergence in a field trial. Pendimethalin

The agricultural crops, like corn, suffer from the presence of undesirable plants known as weeds, which compete for sunlight and water, leading to lower crop yields. Recognizing weeds during their early growth stage is vital for minimizing their impact on crop growth and maximizing yield. By leveraging a lightweight deep neural network, this research endeavours to classify corn and the weeds that often

Bactrocera dorsalis Hendel is one of the most serious pests in dragon fruit, requiring heat treatment before international trade. Here, a novel strategy of combining phosphine fumigation followed by forced hot-air treatment was developed and its effects on B. dorsalis mortality and postharvest quality of dragon fruit were evaluated. B. dorsalis 18-h-old eggs and third instar larvae were the most tolerant

Disease management using synthetic fungicides is the main strategy used by tomato growers to prevent tomato yield reductions caused by Septoria leaf spot (SLS). Despite the importance of this plant disease, there is little information about the sensitivity of Septoria lycopersici isolates to fungicides. The sensitivity of 94 isolates of S. lycopersici to azoxystrobin, chlorothalonil, tebuconazole,

Several beneficial microbes have been shown to activate defensive mechanisms in plants, enhancing their resistance against herbivores. However, it remains unclear whether different beneficial microbes can synergize to improve defenses in wild plants, similar to their effects in cultivated plants against insect pests. Here, we investigated the effect of the endophytic entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium

The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith, 1797) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), presents a significant threat to global agricultural production. While chemical pesticides have traditionally been effective in controlling such pests, the increasing demand for organic products has spurred the search for environmentally friendly alternatives. Biopesticides have emerged as a promising solution

Feathertop Rhodes grass (Chloris virgata Sw.) is a summer growing grass weed that is invading farming land in southern Australia, being favoured by conservation farming systems and weed management using a narrow range of herbicides. Improved understanding of the biology of this species will be important for its effective management. A series of experiments on seed germination, dormancy release and

A field experiment was conducted during the agricultural years 2019 and 2020, using a network system with a distance of 2 × 2 m. At each network node, soil, wheat grain yield, seed bank, black grass and wild barley weed density, and biomass were measured. Soil components with high consumption had 0%–55.9% spatial correlation. The association between soil pH and EC was 50.0%–75.2%. The soil texture

In the ongoing pursuit of sustainable farming techniques, the constant fight against aphids remains an essential frontier. Aphids are well-known agricultural pests and they continue to jeopardize global crop production, necessitating an immediate demand for sustainable pest control methods. Conventional chemical insecticides not only harm the quality of crops but also cause environmental damage. This

The invasion of Hyphantria cunea, also known as “smokeless fires”, poses a significant threat to artificial and natural forest resources. Therefore, it is urgent to adopt safe and effective control strategies to prevent the spread of and harm caused by of H. cunea. In this study, potential repellent active ingredients were screened from the volatiles of Larix gmelinii and Syringa oblata, the non-preferred

Hand weeding is labor-intensive and time-consuming. Although mechanical weed extraction has the potential to save time and money on labor, several obstacles prevent its broad adoption, especially in rural and hilly areas. Small-scale farmers find power weeders to be expensive and impractical, and the haphazard planting of crops further restricts the machine's usefulness. Labor-saving, regionally tailored

Carabid beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) are important biocontrol agents of insect pests and weeds worldwide. Despite this, few studies have investigated weed seed-consuming carabids in Latin America. We studied the relationship between the abundance of weed plants and the population size of carabids in five agroecosystems located in four municipalities (Jaboticabal, Guaíra, Gavião Peixoto, and Descalvado)

The South American tomato leaf miner, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is a newly introduced invasive destructive pest that poses a major threat to tomato production in China. Chemical control is a predominantly measure for controlling this pest. Monitoring of insecticide efficacy is the basic tool for proactive evidence-based resistance management. As a new invasive species, the

With the rollback of insecticides, novel tools for pest control are urgently needed. Aphids are particularly a major concern with few sustainable control alternatives. Ecological intensification has been promoted as a way of “inviting" back nature’s self-regulating abilities into agricultural production systems. Although such measures enhance the presence of natural enemies in agroecosystems, we demonstrate

Research on vineyard pests is crucial for the reduction of annual yield losses and the development of sustainable methods of pest control. The vine-bud moth, Theresimima ampellophaga, has long been considered a harmful grapevine pest in the countries bordering the Mediterranean basin. The larvae feed extensively on vine leaves and buds, and records from the early 20th century indicate that even a minor

Sorghum[Sorghum bicolor (L.)Moench] is one of the most important food crops and also used as forage, brewing and industrial raw materials in China. In recent years, during field surveys a new leaf spot was detected on sorghum plants in Liaoning Province, China. The pathogen was isolated used a conventional pathogen isolation method and identified by its morphology cultural characters and phylogenetic

In response to growing concerns regarding the adverse environmental and health effects of synthetic pesticides, there has been a notable surge in the demand for plant-based bioinsecticides. Botanicals and essential oils (EOs) are emerging as promising alternatives that offer a safer and more sustainable approach to pest management. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of these natural insecticides is often

Invasive species, including insect pests, pose significant threats globally. Ongoing global environmental changes may exacerbate the threats, by potentially favoring range expansion of invasive pests, altering native ecosystems, and damaging valuable crops. To reduce the spread and impact of invasive pests, monitoring and identification of their suitable habitats in the context of global environmental

The fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) is an important pest of maize, and a key target of transgenic crops expressing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) insecticidal proteins. These exert a strong selective pressure, so susceptible plants (refuges) are planted together with the transgenic seed to lower such pressure. The system favored in North America is to mix Bt and non-Bt seed (refuge-in-a-bag, or

Malus micromalus is a famous ornamental tree species in China. Its fruits are also edible and have medicinal value. M. micromalus leaf spot disease was observed in October in Nanjing, which is located in Jiangsu Province, China. This illness induces the formation of nearly spherical lesions on the leaves, characterized by dark brown coloration and accompanied by black specks on the affected area and

The insecticidal properties of Rudbeckia hirta have been acknowledged, yet they remain underexplored. This study aimed to optimize the extraction conditions, analyze the chemical constituents of ethanol extracts from R. hirta (RHE), assess the insecticidal activity of RHE against Malacosoma neustria testacea larvae, and evaluate its safety for non-target aquatic organisms. The optimal extraction parameters

Intra-row weeds have a significant impact on crop yield and health, competing with crops for nutrients, water, and sunlight. Traditional uniform herbicide applications in weed management not only risk harming the environment but can also compromise crop health. Precision spraying technology, guided by machine vision, offers a solution by accurately identifying and targeting weeds, thereby reducing

Oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) straw mulch suppresses weeds in rice (Oryza sativa L.) cropping systems. This study explores the role of shading in weed suppression by straw mulch through three experiments. The first experiment determined how oilseed rape straw length (powder or 1, 3, 5, 7, or 9 cm), application rate (100, 300, 500, 700, 900 or 1100 g m−2), and moisture (dry or wet) affect shading

Potato cyst nematodes (PCNs), belonging to the genus Globodera spp., are spread worldwide constituting a problem of concern as they can cause considerable losses in crop yields. An alternative to the application of common pesticides is the use of trap crops, that promote the hatching of second-stage juvenile cysts without supporting the feeding and reproduction of these nematodes. For this purpose

Agriculture has produced the vast majority of food for the world’s population throughout human history and plays a significant role in the economies of many countries, particularly on the continents of Asia and Africa. However, the quality and quantity of crop yields are influenced by various natural factors, including leaf diseases. While recent studies leveraged advanced deep learning models to accurately

Weeds pose a significant and fundamental challenge in agriculture, competing with crops for vital resources such as water, nutrients, and sunlight. This competition often leads to reduced crop yields and diminished quality of produce. Additionally, weeds can host pests and diseases that further harm crops, increasing the risk of infestation and reducing farm productivity. Accurate weed identification

As a major crop pest, common cutworm (CCW) Spodoptera litura (Fabricius) has evolved resistance to several insecticides. Cyproflanilide is a novel meta-diamide insecticide targeting the γ-aminobutyric acid receptor (GABAR), and displays excellent insecticidal activity against lepidopteran pests, including CCW. Therefore, the resistance risk of CCW against cyproflanilide was assessed and the fitness

Durian (Durio zibethinus Murray), the king of fruits, is an edible and economically important tropical fruit endemic to Southeast Asia. Durian is affected by Colletotrichum, which is one of the most important genera of plant pathogenic fungi, especially on tropical and subtropical crops. In this study, Colletotrichum species associated with durian in Hainan (China) which was a new region for durian

Panonychus citri is a globally distributed pest that is currently controlled using insecticides. However, alternative strategies are needed to minimize the use of chemicals. Given that the enormous potential of RNA interference pesticides in pest control development, lipases also have key roles in underpinning insect reproduction, development, defence from pathogens and oxidative stress, and pheromone

Weed control plays a crucial role in agricultural production. The utilization of advanced vision algorithms on intelligent weeding robots enables the autonomous and efficient resolution of weed-related issues. Vision transformers are highly sensitive to plant texture and shape, but their computational cost is too high. Consequently, we propose a novel hybrid CNN-transformer network for the semantic

Herbicides are the most used form of weed management worldwide but their excessive use could lead to negative impacts on human health and the environment. Biological weed management utilizing microorganisms and their metabolites presents a promising alternative. The weed-associated fungus Lasiodiplodia theobromae TBRC 15112 produces a broad spectrum of biological molecules, and shows potential as a

Cercospora leaf spot (CLS), caused by the fungus, Cercospora beticola, is a major constraint to table beet production in New York (NY). The disease causes defoliation, negatively impacting harvests using top-pulling machinery and rendering plants unsuitable for fresh market sales. High genetic diversity within C. beticola populations can result in the rapid development of resistance to single-site

Corn, as a crucial staple food crop, has historically faced significant challenges from a variety of pests, particularly those belonging to Lepidoptera order. The parasitoid Cotesia ruficrus has demonstrated efficacy in controlling certain Lepidoptera pests. This study aimed to elucidate the parasitism preference and fitness outcomes of C. ruficrus across four prominent noctuid pests: Spodoptera frugiperda

Essential oils have been studied to develop sustainable alternatives for controlling pest-species. This study determined the chemical composition and toxicity of an essential oil from Croton pulegiodorus leaves against Sitophilus zeamais and Nasutitermes corniger. Ascaridole (22.75%) and camphor (18.11%) were the major compounds. The essential oil showed toxicity upon ingestion on S. zeamais, with

Jatropha curcas (Euphorbiaceae) is often considered a “miracle plant” due to its multiple uses, including its extracts reported insecticidal and fungicidal effects. This study assessed the efficacy of aqueous extract from dried leaves of J. curcas and Sulphur 99.5% WP fungicide in managing Aspergillus flavus growth and Aspergillus ear rot (AER) in maize at harvest across two sites. Treatments included

Bollworms and sap-sucking insect pests are a significant constraint to cotton production in Africa. Manual topping of cotton plants, which consists of cutting off the top of the plant, i.e. the terminal bud of the main stem, is a promising alternative to chemical control by removing resources for certain pests or inducing plant defences. In this study, we evaluated the level of protection by topping

Guava, Psidium guajava L., is one of the most produced fruit trees in tropical and subtropical regions but the presence of Meloidogyne enterelobii Yang & Eisenback (Order: Tylenchida, Family: Heteroderidae) in orchards reduces fruit productivity by up to 65%, justifying integrated management programs constantly searching for methods for its efficient and sustainable control. Thus, this study aimed

Plant-derived phenylpropanoids are semiochemicals that are often highly attractive to Bactrocera (Diptera: Tephritidae) males. One of these semiochemicals, methyl eugenol (ME), is used in the male annihilation technique (MAT) for the management of B. dorsalis (Hendel), a destructive horticultural pest. It is not normally viable to simultaneously implement MAT with the sterile insect technique (SIT)