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"Pests Control Middle East"
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Insects & mites injurious to crops in Middle Eastern countries
This second edition provides updated information on the comprehensive morphology, distribution, and biology of significant pest species of the orders Acarina, Thysanoptera, Orthopetera, Hemiptera, Homoptera, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera, and Diptera, respectively. Further emphasis is given to their monitoring methods, biological control, and cultural practices. Special attention to the subject of economic entomology makes this book indispensable for field entomologists. With the addition of 15 color plates, this is a convenient handbook for the identification and managemnt of more than 300 pests. It is an essential reference and a useful teaching tool, benefiting students of Middle Eastern agriculture and entomology.
Book
Natural enemies of the South American moth, Tuta absoluta, in Europe, North Africa and Middle East, and their potential use in pest control strategies
The South American tomato leafminer, Tuta absoluta Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is an invasive Neotropical pest. After its first detection in Europe, it rapidly invaded more than 30 Western Palaearctic countries becoming a serious agricultural threat to tomato production in both protected and open-field crops. Among the pest control tactics against exotic pests, biological control using indigenous natural enemies is one of the most promising. Here, available data on the Afro-Eurasian natural enemies of T. absoluta are compiled. Then, their potential for inclusion in sustainable pest control packages is discussed providing relevant examples. Collections were conducted in 12 countries, both in open-field and protected susceptible crops, as well as in wild flora and/or using infested sentinel plants. More than 70 arthropod species, 20 % predators and 80 % parasitoids, were recorded attacking the new pest so far. Among the recovered indigenous natural enemies, only few parasitoid species, namely, some eulophid and braconid wasps, and especially mirid predators, have promising potential to be included in effective and environmentally friendly management strategies for the pest in the newly invaded areas. Finally, a brief outlook of the future research and applications of indigenous T. absoluta biological control agents are provided.
Journal Article
Chemical control of wheat sunn pest, Eurygaster integriceps, by UAV sprayer and very low volume knapsack sprayer
The Sunn pest, Eurygaster integriceps Puton (Heteroptera: Scutelleridae), is one of the most important pests of wheat crops in Iran and the Middle East. Chemical control by high-volume spraying is the most common method of controlling this pest. The current ground sprayers lack advanced spraying technologies, which results in low efficiency. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) sprayer for the chemical control of wheat Sunn pest. The effectiveness, field capacity, and costs of chemical insecticide application were compared between the UAV sprayer and the Very Low Volume (VLV) Knapsack Sprayer (KS). We found that the chemical control effectiveness of the two spraying methods was not significantly different. The UAV sprayer and the VLV knapsack sprayer had an effectiveness percentage of more than 95%. The UAV sprayer was better than the other in terms of field capacity, insecticide dosage ml ha-1, spray volume L ha-1, reduced drift, and the probability of the operator exposure. The field capacities of the UAV sprayer and the VLV knapsack sprayer were 3.75 and 0.5 hectares per hour, respectively, and the spray volumes were 14.6 and 30.0 L ha-1, respectively.5.5 and 0.8 hectares per hour, respectively, and the spray volume was 14.6 and 30.0 L ha−1, respectively.
Journal Article
Releasing natural enemies and applying microbial and botanical pesticides for managing Tuta absoluta in the MENA region
Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is a key insect pest, seriously damaging tomato crops and inducing tremendous yield and economic losses. The area of origin of this insect is in South America, while it has recently become an invasive pest in Europe, Africa, Asia and Central America. In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, there has been growing evidence that biological control through field releases of egg parasitoids and predatory mirids generally induces promising control results of T. absoluta whenever the natural enemy species as well as the timing and release rates are suitably chosen. As such, application of botanical and/or microbial pesticides represent a potential control approach to be adopted against T. absoluta. This would decrease the detrimental side effects on non-target beneficial arthropods typically exhibited by hazardous chemical insecticide applications. The scientific literature emphasizing the (i) releases of parasitoids and/or predators, (ii) applications of biopesticides, and (iii) combination « release of parasitoid and/or predator + biopesticide treatments and/or other biorational tools», as sustainable control options of T. absoluta throughout the MENA region over the last decade, is comprehensively reviewed and unraveled herein.
Journal Article
Effects of Gamma Irradiation on the Fecundity, Fertility, and Longevity of the Invasive Stink Bug Pest Bagrada hilaris (Burmeister) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)
The bagrada bug, Bagrada hilaris, is an invasive insect pest in the family Brassicaceae that causes economically important damage to crops. It was originally present in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, and was reported as invasive in the southwestern part of the US, in Chile, and on a few islands in the Mediterranean Basin. In its native range, B. hilaris is controlled by several egg parasitoid species that are under consideration as potential biological control agents. This research evaluated the impact of gamma irradiation on life history parameters, e.g., the fecundity, fertility, and longevity of B. hilaris, as a critical step towards assessing the feasibility of using the sterile insect technique against this recent invasive pest. Newly emerged adults of a laboratory colony originally collected from the island of Pantelleria (Italy) were gamma-irradiated. Life history parameters were evaluated at nine different doses, ranging from 16 Gy to 140 Gy. The minimal dose to approach full sterility was 100 Gy. Irradiation up to a maximum of 140 Gy apparently did not negatively impact the longevity of the adults. Even if both genders are sensitive to irradiation, the decline in fecundity for irradiated females could be exploited to release irradiated males safely to apply the SIT in combination with classical biological control. The data presented here allow us to consider, for the first time, the irradiation of bagrada adults as a suitable and feasible technique that could contribute to guaranteeing a safe approach to control this important pest species in agro-ecosystems. More research is warranted on the competitive fitness of irradiated males to better understand mating behavior as well as elucidate the possible mechanisms of sperm selection by polyandric B. hilaris females.
Journal Article
Lymantria dispar (L.) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae): current status of biology, ecology, and management in Europe with notes from North America
The European Spongy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae), is an abundant species found in oak woods in Central and Southern Europe, the Near East, and North Africa and is an important economic pest. It is a voracious eater and can completely defoliate entire trees; repeated severe defoliation can add to other stresses, such as weather extremes or human activities. Lymantria dispar is most destructive in its larval stage (caterpillars), stripping away foliage from a broad variety of trees (>500 species). Caterpillar infestation is an underestimated problem; medical literature reports that established populations of caterpillars may cause health problems to people and animals. Inflammatory reactions may occur in most individuals after exposure to setae, independent of previous exposure. Currently, chemical and mechanical methods, natural predators, and silvicultural practices are included for the control of this species. Various insecticides have been used for its control, often through aerial sprayings, which negatively affect biodiversity, frequently fail, and are inappropriate for urban/recreational areas. However, bioinsecticides based on various microorganisms (e.g., entomopathogenic viruses, bacteria, and fungi) as well as technologies such as mating disruption using sex pheromone traps have replaced insecticides for the management of L. dispar.
Journal Article
The Contribution of Desert-Dwelling Bats to Pest Control in Hyper-Arid Date Agriculture
Over 40% of the Earth’s surface has been converted to agricultural use and agroecosystems have become important habitats for wildlife. In arid regions, intensive agriculture creates artificial oasis-like habitats due to their high irrigation inputs. Date production is one of the primary agricultural practices in the deserts of the Middle East and North Africa. Insectivorous bats are known to use agricultural areas, but the role of date plantations as their foraging habits and the importance of insectivorous bats as date bio-pest control agents are still unknown. We assessed the role of date plantations as foraging habitats for local desert bat species by acoustically recording bat activity in conventional and organic date plantations in the southern Arava Valley, Israel. In addition, we captured bats in the plantations and collected feces for DNA metabarcoding analysis to investigate the presence of pest species in their diets. We found that 12 out of the 16 known species of bats in this region frequently used both conventional and organic date plantations as foraging habitats. Species richness was highest in the organic plantation with complex ground vegetation cover. Foraging activity was not affected by plantation type or management. However, bat species richness and activity increased in all plantations during summer date harvesting. Molecular analysis confirmed that bats feed on a variety of important date pests, but the particular pests consumed and the extent of consumption varied among bat species. Our results highlight a win–win situation, whereby date plantations are an important foraging habitat for desert bats, while bats provide bio-pest control services that benefit the date plantations. Therefore, date farmers interested in bio-pest control should manage their plantations to support local desert bat populations.
Journal Article
A C-Type Lectin, RfCTL27, Activates the Immune Defense in the Red Palm Weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (A.G. Olivier, 1791) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Dryophthorinae) by the Recognition of Gram-Negative Bacteria
Red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier), is a palm tree insect pest that causes significant damage in the many countries from the Indian sub-continent and southeast Asia into date palm-growing countries of Africa, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean Basin. This study is aimed at determining the role of a C-type lectin, RfCTL27, in the immune defense of RPW larvae. RfCTL27 is a secreted protein that possesses a QPD motif, being integral for the discrimination of Gram-negative bacteria. The abundance of RfCTL27 transcripts in the gut and fat body was significantly higher than that in other tissues. Six hours after injection of Escherichia coli, the expression level of RfCTL27 in the gut of RPW larvae was significantly elevated compared with other groups. At 12 h after injection of E. coli, the expression of RfCTL27 in fat body was dramatically induced in contrast with other treatments. More interestingly, the ability of RPW larvae to clear the pathogenic bacteria in the body cavity and gut was markedly impaired by the silencing of RfCTL27. Additionally, the expression levels of two antimicrobial peptide genes, RfCecropin in the gut and RfDefensin in fat body of RPW larvae, were significantly decreased. Taken together, these data suggested that RfCTL27 can recognize the Gram-negative bacterium and activate the expression of antimicrobial peptides to remove the invaded bacterial pathogens. This study provides a new scientific basis for improving the control efficiency of pathogenic microorganisms against red palm weevils in production practice.
Journal Article
High hazzard pesticides (HHPs) in Near East and North Africa (NENA), constrains and recommendations to mitigate the risk of HHPs
This study presents an overview of the current situation of highly hazardous pesticides (HHPs) in North Africa and Near East countries (NENA). This work reviews the registered pesticides in the region and identify HHPs being used according to the criteria 1–8 for HHPs of FAO/WHO Guidelines on HHPs. In addition, to identify the weakness and the need of the region to mitigate the risk from the use of HHPs, the report ended with recommendations needed in the region to improve the pesticide managements and registration, such as improving the agricultural practices by adopting the integrated pest management IPM and including replacing HHPs with ecosystem-friendly alternatives if available. The total number of pesticides registered and used in NENA region is 642 active ingredients (IA). Eighty-nine HHPs are still in use in NENA region and 50% of them are evaluated under 1–7 criteria of GHS HHPs. This evaluation shows that 50% of HHPs are insecticides, 22% fungicides, 10% herbicides, 8% nematocides, and 10% rodenticides. The rest of 38 HHPs are identified under criteria 8. This high number of HHPs still in use in some NENA countries urges the need of technical assistance to reduce the use of HHPs. The type of assistant varies from country to other; to identify the priority of technical and legal assistant needed, a country-based assessments must be carried out at the near future.
Journal Article
Geographic Monitoring of Insecticide Resistance Mutations in Native and Invasive Populations of the Fall Armyworm
Field evolved resistance to insecticides is one of the main challenges in pest control. The fall armyworm (FAW) is a lepidopteran pest species causing severe crop losses, especially corn. While native to the Americas, the presence of FAW was confirmed in West Africa in 2016. Since then, the FAW has been detected in over 70 countries covering sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Oceania. In this study, we tested whether this invasion was accompanied by the spread of resistance mutations from native to invasive areas. We observed that mutations causing Bt resistance at ABCC2 genes were observed only in native populations where the mutations were initially reported. Invasive populations were found to have higher gene numbers of cytochrome P450 genes than native populations and a higher proportion of multiple resistance mutations at acetylcholinesterase genes, supporting strong selective pressure for resistance against synthetic insecticides. This result explains the susceptibility to Bt insecticides and resistance to various synthetic insecticides in Chinese populations. These results highlight the necessity of regular and standardized monitoring of insecticide resistance in invasive populations using both genomic approaches and bioassay experiments.
Journal Article