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Pesticide resistance has had a substantial impact on crop production and has been an important driver of change in modern agriculture, animal production and human health. Focusing specifically on arthropods, this book provides a comprehensive review of relevant issues in pesticide resistance. Detailed listings and references to all documented reports of resistance from around the world are included.

This book provides an invaluable review of the current methodologies used for assessing the environmental impacts of invertebrate biological agents used to control pests in agriculture and forestry. It explores methods to evaluate post-release effects and the environmental impact of dispersal, displacement and establishment of invertebrate biological control agents. It covers methodology on screening for contaminants, the use of molecular methods for species identification and the determination of interbreeding. The book also discusses the use and application of information on zoogeographical zones, statistical methods and risk-benefit analysis. It gives practical advice on how to perform science-based risk assessments and on how to use new technology and information.

Price collapse and oversupply have made coffee a high-profile crop in recent years: never has efficient production and crop protection been more important for reducing costs and increasing quality. Packed with illustrations, this book covers the origins, botany, agroecology and worldwide production statistics of coffee, and the insect pests, plant pathogens, nematodes and nutrient deficiencies that afflict it. With emphasis on integrated crop management, this book reviews control measures suitable for any coffee pest or disease and will enable agriculturists to design and implement sustainable pest management systems.

Cassava is attacked by a complex of arthropod pests across the tropical regions of the world where the crop is grown. Root yield losses have been recorded for several pests, including mites, mealybugs, whiteflies, hornworm, lacebugs, thrips and burrower bugs. Agronomic characteristics such as vegetative propagation, a long growth cycle, drought tolerance, staggered planting dates and intercropping contribute to the considerable diversity of pests that feed on the crop. The dynamics of cassava production are evolving as trends in the food, feed and industrial starch sector are leading to an increased demand for high quality starches. The resulting shift to larger scale production units, expansion of cultivated area and modifications in crop management combined with the effects of climate change, especially warmer temperatures and altered rainfall patterns, affect the occurrence and dynamics of arthropod pests in cassava agro ecosystems. Data is presented to describe the effects of temperature and dry seasons on key pest species. Whiteflies, mites and mealybugs register a suitability increase in the same areas in South America: Northeastern Brazil, Northern Argentina, South-Central Bolivia, and Southwest Peru. In Africa increases are projected in Southeast Africa and Madagascar. In Asia, regions with greater projected suitability for these pest species are Coastal India and Southeast Asia. Future trends and important criteria that will influence the severity and management of key pests are discussed.

Arthropod pest outbreaks are unpredictable and not uniformly distributed within fields. Early outbreak detection and treatment application are inherent to effective pest management, allowing management decisions to be implemented before pests are well-established and crop losses accrue. Pest monitoring is time-consuming and may be hampered by lack of reliable or cost-effective sampling techniques. Thus, we argue that an important research challenge associated with enhanced sustainability of pest management in modern agriculture is developing and promoting improved crop monitoring procedures. Biotic stress, such as herbivory by arthropod pests, elicits physiological defense responses in plants, leading to changes in leaf reflectance. Advanced imaging technologies can detect such changes, and can, therefore, be used as noninvasive crop monitoring methods. Furthermore, novel methods of treatment precision application are required. Both sensing and actuation technologies can be mounted on equipment moving through fields (e.g., irrigation equipment), on (un)manned driving vehicles, and on small drones. In this review, we focus specifically on use of small unmanned aerial robots, or small drones, in agricultural systems. Acquired and processed canopy reflectance data obtained with sensing drones could potentially be transmitted as a digital map to guide a second type of drone, actuation drones, to deliver solutions to the identified pest hotspots, such as precision releases of natural enemies and/or precision-sprays of pesticides. We emphasize how sustainable pest management in 21st-century agriculture will depend heavily on novel technologies, and how this trend will lead to a growing need for multi-disciplinary research collaborations between agronomists, ecologists, software programmers, and engineers.

A significant amount of the world's economy is based upon the international trade of agricultural produce. For the producing countries, a growing concern is the potential economic and ecological damage that invasive species could cause. While threats can be decreased through the regulation of items potentially carrying invasive species, the effect of such restrictions on international trade also needs to be considered. A balance must therefore be met that permits the transfer of produce while filtering out unwanted pests. Drawing on the author's extensive experience, the social and financial implications of phytosanitary trade barriers are reviewed. This book offers valuable and comprehensive coverage of pest related barriers and strategies for their implementation.

This book comprehensively reviews current pest management practices and explores novel integrated pest management strategies in Brassica oilseed crops. It is essential reading for pest management practitioners and researchers working on pest management in canola and other Brassica crops worldwide.Canola, mustard, camelina and crambe are the most important oilseed crops in the world. Canola is the second largest oilseed crop in the world providing 13% of the world's supply. Seeds of these species commonly contain 40% or more oil and produce meals with 35 to 40% protein. However, its production has declined significantly in recent years due to insect pest problems. The canola pest complexes are responsible for high insecticide applications on canola. Many growers rely on calendar-based spraying schedules for insecticide applications. The diamondback moth Plutella xylostella and flea beetles Phyllotreta spp. (P. cruciferae and P. striolata)cause serious damage to canola. In the Northern Great Plains, USA, for instance, P. xylostella is now recorded everywhere that canola is grown. Severe damage to canola plants can be caused by overwintering populations of flea beetles feeding on newly emerged seedlings. Cabbage seed pod weevil (Ceutorhynchus obstrictus), swede midge (Contarinia nasturtii), and tarnished plant bug (Lygus lineolaris) are also severe pests on canola. Minor pests include aphids (cabbage aphid, Brevicoryne brassicae and turnip aphid, Hyadaphis erysimi) and grasshopper, Melanoplus sanguinipes.This book:· is the only single compiled source of information on integrated management of canola and other Brassica oilseed pests· presents the biology and management of all the major and minor pests of Brassica oilseed crops· is an essential source of information for applied entomologists, crop protection researchers, extension agents and stakeholders

As an alternative to synthetic pesticides, chitosan has received much attention as a biopolymer active against some agricultural pests. The, insecticidal activity of chitosans of four molecular weights (2.27 × 105,3.60 × 105,5.97 × 105,and9.47 × 105 g/mol) was investigated against two species of arthropod pests: oleander aphid Aphis nerii and cotton leafworm Spodoptera littoralis. In addition, the most active chitosan of 2.27 × 105 g/mol was chemically modified with metals of Ag(I), Cu(II), Ni(II), and Hg(II) to give corresponding chitosan-metal complexes. Larval mortality, growth inhibition, and antifeedant activities for third instar larvae of S. littoralis were evaluated at 4 g (a.i.) chitosan/kg diet. Chitosan of 2.27 × 105 g/mol and its complexes with Ni and Hg were the most active compounds. The results against A. nerii indicated that chitosans of 3.60 × 105 and 5.97 × 105 g/mol showed high activity among the different molecular weights in leaf-dip bioassay after 24 h of treatment with 48 and 49% mortalities, respectively, at 1000 mg/l. All compounds had a systemic effect against A. nerii. Chitosans of 2.27 × 105,3.60 × 105,and5.97 × 105 g/mol showed the highest efficacy at all concentrations tested; however, chitosan-Cu was significantly the most active among the complexes.

This book documents and illustrates major developments in the use of nematodes for the biological control of insects and slugs. It covers the use of three main types of nematodes: entomopathogenic nematodes, entomophilic nematodes and slug-parasitic nematodes. The biology, commercial production, formulation and quality control, application technology, strategy and safety of each of these three nematode groups is discussed. The book also examines the application of nematodes in different cropping systems, and the efficacy of nematodes against specific pests. The potential of predatory nematodes to control plant-parasitic nematodes and mycophagous nematodes to control fungal pathogens is also reviewed.

This account provides the first comprehensive coverage of the insect and other arthropod pests in the urban environment worldwide. Presented is a brief description, biology, and detailed information on the development, habits, and distribution of urban and public health pests. There are 570 illustrations to accompany some of the major pest species. The format is designed to serve as a ready-reference and to provide basic information on orders, families, and species. The species coverage is international and based on distribution in domestic and peridomestic habitats. The references are extensive and international, and cover key papers on species and groups. The introductory chapters overview the urban ecosystem and its key ecological components, and a review of the pests status and modern control strategies. The book will serve as a professional training manual, and handbook for the pest control professionals, regulatory officials, and urban entomologists. It is organized alphabetically throughout.