Optimizing the Bacillus thuringiensis(Bt)protein concentration in cotton:Coordinated application of exogenous amino acids and EDTA to reduce spatiotemporal variability in boll and leaf toxins

During the boll formation stage,cotton bolls exhibit the lowest expression of Bacillus thuringiensis(Bt)insecticidal proteins.Resistance to insects varies notably among different organs,which poses challenges for controlling cotton bollworms.Consequently,an experimental strategy was designed in the 2020-2021 cotton growing season to coordinate the enhancement of protein synthesis and the attenuation of degradation.Two Bt cultivars of Gossypium hirsutum,namely the hybrid Sikang 3 and the conventional Sikang 1,were used as test materials.Three treatments were applied at the peak flowering period:CK(the control),T1(amino acids),and T2(amino acids and EDTA).The results show that,in comparison to the CK group,the Bt protein contents were significantly increased in both cotton bolls and their subtending leaves under the T1 and T2 treatments.The maximum levels of increase observed were 67.5%in cotton bolls and 21.7%in leaves.Moreover,the disparity in Bt protein content between cotton bolls and their subtending leaves notably decreased by 31.2%.Correlation analysis suggested that the primary physiological mechanisms for augmenting Bt protein content involve increased protein synthesis and reduced protein catabolism,which are independent of Bt gene expression levels.Stepwise regression and path analysis revealed that elevating the soluble protein content and transaminase activity,while reducing the catabolic enzyme activities,are instrumental in enhancing the Bt protein content.Consequently,the coordinated application of amino acids and EDTA emerges as a strategy that can improve the overall resistance of Bt cotton and mitigate the spatiotemporal variations in Bt toxin concentrations in both cotton bolls and leaves.

Current resistance status of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus populations in Penang Island,Malaysia

Objective:To determine the current insecticide resistance status of Aedes(Ae.)aegypti and Ae.albopictus to four insecticides,namely 0.05%deltamethrin,0.75%permethrin,5%malathion and 0.25%pirimiphos-methyl using the World Health Organisation(WHO)susceptibility test kit.Methods:Adult bioassays were carried out using the standard protocol of the World Health Organisation.All F1 generation urban and suburban field strains of Ae.aegypti and Ae.albopictus were tested against pyrethroid and organophosphate insecticides,including the presence of piperonyl butoxide(PBO)in four replicates of 25 non-blood-fed female mosquitoes ranging from 3 to 5 days old.The Vector Control Research Unit(VCRU)laboratory strain served as a reference strain.Results:In this study,0.05%deltamethrin demonstrated a lower value of knockdown time when 50%of the mosquito population died(KT50)and knockdown time when 95%of the mosquito population died(KT95),which is significantly more effective compared to 0.75%permethrin against adult female Ae.aegypti(urban and suburban)and Ae.albopictus(urban and suburban)(ANOVA,P<0.01).Meanwhile,5%malathion was a more effective insecticide,amounting to the shorter KT50 and KT95 compared to 0.25%pirimiphos-methyl against Ae.aegypti(urban and suburban)and Ae.albopictus(urban and suburban).Ae.aegypti urban and Ae.aegypti suburban performed a higher resistance ratio(RR)towards both 0.05%deltamethrin and 0.75%permethrin due to the wide use of permethrin in dengue vector control programs in Malaysia.However,Ae.albopictus urban and suburban have lower resistance than Ae.aegypti urban and suburban towards 0.05%deltamethrin and 0.75%permethrin at 24 hours post-treatment.The addition of PBO with these insecticides successfully reduced knockdown time(KT50 and KT95)values of most of the Ae.aegypti and Ae.albopictus field strains except PBO+0.75%permethrin against Ae.aegypti suburban.Conclusions:The addition of PBO to insecticides has significantly reduced the knockdown time(KT50 and KT95)values on most of Ae.aegypti and Ae.albopictus urban strain except PBO+5%malathion against Ae.albopictus urban strain and PBO+0.75%permethrin against Ae.albopictus suburban strain in comparison to exposure to insecticides without PBO.Ae.aegypti showed a higher resistance ratio of 50(RR50)when compared with the VCRU laboratory reference strain(susceptible strain)at the exposure to the deltamethrin,including with pre-exposure to PBO.This study found that the addition of PBO with organophosphates(5%malathion and 0.25%pirimiphos-methyl)was significantly more effective than pyrethroids against Ae.aegypti and Ae.albopictus(urban and suburban)due to their high mortality rate at 24 hours.It can be concluded that the usage of PBO can help reduce resistance alteration in Aedes mosquitoes.

Laboratory evaluation of toxicity of selected insecticides against egg and larval stages of cotton pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)

Background The cryptic nature of pink bollworm Pectinophora gossypiella(Saunders)larvae enables its reduced vul-nerability to insecticidal control.Further,the development of resistance against Bacillus thuringiensis(Bt)toxins posed a serious threat to transgenic cotton cultivation.This necessitated determining the critical timing of spray applications on the control effectiveness.This study assessed the influence of egg age(freshly laid vs.three-day-old)and the loca-tion of larvae(directly exposed to the insecticide residues on the boll rind vs.burrowed inside the bolls)on insecticide control efficacy.Results The results revealed a significant decrease in the ovicidal activity of tested insecticides with an increase in the age of eggs from one day old to three days old(paired t-test,P<0.05).The larvae directly exposed to the insec-ticide residues on the boll rind were more susceptible(>80%mortality)than the larvae exposed after they had bur-rowed inside the bolls(<49%mortality).The inhibitory effects of tested insecticides on developmental biology were more pronounced in the experiment on pre-larval release insecticide treatment compared with insecticide treatment given post-larval release and entry inside the bolls.Conclusion Egg age influences the insecticide susceptibility,as does the larval location,directly exposed vs bur-rowed inside the bolls.Older eggs and the larvae that had burrowed inside the green bolls of cotton were relatively less susceptible to the insecticide treatments.The toxic effects of insecticides on egg and larval stages were primar-ily ephemeral.These findings are significant for devising a comprehensive strategy for pink bollworm management on a sustainable basis.

Security and Privacy in Solar Insecticidal Lamps Internet of Things:Requirements and Challenges

Solar insecticidal lamps(SIL) can effectively control pests and reduce the use of pesticides. Combining SIL and Internet of Things(IoT) has formed a new type of agricultural IoT,known as SIL-IoT, which can improve the effectiveness of migratory phototropic pest control. However, since the SIL is connected to the Internet, it is vulnerable to various security issues.These issues can lead to serious consequences, such as tampering with the parameters of SIL, illegally starting and stopping SIL,etc. In this paper, we describe the overall security requirements of SIL-IoT and present an extensive survey of security and privacy solutions for SIL-IoT. We investigate the background and logical architecture of SIL-IoT, discuss SIL-IoT security scenarios, and analyze potential attacks. Starting from the security requirements of SIL-IoT we divide them into six categories, namely privacy, authentication, confidentiality, access control, availability,and integrity. Next, we describe the SIL-IoT privacy and security solutions, as well as the blockchain-based solutions. Based on the current survey, we finally discuss the challenges and future research directions of SIL-IoT.

Emerging technological developments to address pest resistance in Bt cotton

Cotton plays a crucial role in shaping Indian economy and rural livelihoods.The cotton crop is prone to numerous insect pests,necessitating insecticidal application,which increases production costs.The advent of the expression of Bacillus thuringiensis(Bt)insecticidal protein in cotton has significantly reduced the burden of pest without compromising environmental or human health.After the introduction of transgenic cotton,the cultivated area expanded to 22 million hectares,with a 64% increase in adoption by farmers worldwide.Currently,Bt cotton accounts for 93% of the cultivated cotton area in India.However,extensive use of Bt cotton has accelerated resistance development in pests like the pink bollworm.Furthermore,the overreliance on Bt cotton has reduced the use of broad-spectrum pesticides,favouring the emergence of secondary pests with significant challenges.This emphasizes the urgent necessity for developing novel pest management strategies.The high-dose and refuge strategy was initially effective for managing pest resistance in Bt cotton,but its implementation in India faced challenges due to misunderstandings about the use of non-Bt refuge crops.Although gene pyramiding was introduced as a solution,combining mono toxin also led to instances of cross-resistance.Therefore,there is a need for further exploration of biotechnological approaches to manage insect resistance in Bt cotton.Advanced biotechnological strategies,such as sterile insect release,RNA interference(RNAi)-mediated gene silencing,stacking Bt with RNAi,and genome editing using clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein(CRISPR-Cas),offer promising tools for identifying and managing resistance genes in insects.Additionally,CRISPR-mediated gene drives and the development of novel biopesticides present potential avenues for effective pest management in cotton cultivation.These innovative approaches could significantly enhance the sustainability and efficacy of pest resistance management in Bt cotton.

Review of Plant Essential Oils for Plant Pests Management

This paper reviews the origins and classification of plant essential oil resources,along with prevalent extraction techniques for their active constituents.By integrating insights on the utilization of plant essential oils for plant pest management,the comprehensive analysis reveals multiple functionalities exhibited by plant essential oils,including fumigation,contact toxicity,repellent action,antifeedant activity,and growth inhibition.Furthermore,the paper highlights the challenges associated with plant essential oils in plant protection and outlines future research directions,aiming to offer valuable insights for the advancement of botanical insecticides.

Evaluation of the Efficacy of an Aloe barbadensis Based Biological Insecticide against Pests of Abelmochus esculentus for Promoting Ecological Agriculture (Far-North, Cameroon)

Chemical insecticides have been considered as a means to combat crop pests. Although their effectiveness is evident, their impact on the environment is increasingly being discussed. The aim of this study is to determine the agro-ecological potential of a biological insecticide (C25H32O12) based on Aloe barbadensis in a Sahelian context. For this purpose, a completely randomized block experimental design with 3 replications and 4 treatments was set up to experiment with Aloe barbadensis as a bioinsecticide against pests of Abelmoschus esculentus. However, data were collected using an observation and parameter monitoring grid. This includes the cultivation of Abelmoschus esculentus, soil preparation, seeding and watering, plot labeling, preparation of the bioinsecticide (selection and preparation of raw materials, grinding of Aloe barbadensis miller and extraction of the crude bioinsecticide, quantification of treatment doses and dilution, and obtaining the formulated bioinsecticide), plant watering, plant treatment, and finally parameter monitoring. The results obtained reveal that the level of damage is significantly high in the control treatment T0 (63%) compared to the other treatments, with 29% for treatment T1, 7% for T2, and 1% for T3, implying a strong action capability of this insecticide against pests of Abelmoschus esculentus. Therefore, it can be concluded that for a normal growing season of Abelmoschus esculentus, this biological insecticide should be sprayed 12 times. Furthermore, this biological insecticide is unique in that it does not inflict any gastric toxicity on the pests, which gives it the characteristic of being a repellent. It is a biological insecticide whose efficacy period has been tested, with a minimum duration of 21 days. In conclusion, this formulated bioinsecticide based on Aloe barbadensis demonstrates significant efficacy against pests of Abelmoschus esculentus. In the future, we will consider experimenting with its effectiveness against pests of other plants.

The Entomological Efficacy of Piperonyl Butoxide (PBO) Combined with a Pyrethroid in Insecticide-Treated Nets for Malaria Prevention: A Village-Based Cohort Study Prior to Large-Scale Deployment of New Generation Mosquito Nets in Burkina Faso

The efficacy of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) is increasingly compromised by the prevalence of malaria vectors resistant to pyrethroids. In response to this issue, a new generation of ITNs has been developed that incorporate synergistic components, such as piperonyl butoxide (PBO). The purpose of this study is to provide entomological evidence for the efficacy of a PBO-based ITN brand at the village level, serving as a basis for decision-making before large-scale net deployment. During the high malaria transmission period, ITNs were distributed in each group and vector sampling was conducted biweekly in selected households. Bionomic data were collected to assess the resistance of wild An. gambiae populations to various chemical insecticides. There was a significant disparity in total An. gambiae sl. collected between the ITN arms, the intervention arm (ITN arms), and the control arm (P = 0.003). An. coluzzi was identified as the predominant species in the study area, as confirmed by PCR analysis. Analysis of the blood-feeding inhibition rate revealed that 100% permethrin + PBO ITN exhibited significantly greater inhibition than 66.81% permethrin only ITN. According to the log-time probit regression analysis, permethrin exhibited a knockdown time of 256 min without synergists, while it decreased to 139 min (P = 0.001) when pre-exposed to PBO. The evidence from this trial supports the use of PBO ITNs over standard ITNs for pyrethroids to combat pyrethroid resistance and improve protection against malaria for both individuals and communities, particularly in areas with high pyrethroid resistance.

Enhancing boll protein synthesis and carbohydrate conversion by the application of exogenous amino acids at the peak flowering stage increased the boll Bt toxin concentration and lint yield in cotton

In Bacillus thuringenesis(Bt) transgenic cotton, the cotton boll has the lowest insecticidal protein content when compared to the other organs. The present study investigated the effects of amino acid spray application at the peak flowering stage on the cotton boll Bt toxin concentration and yield formation. Boll protein synthesis and carbohydrate conversion were also studied to reveal the fundamental mechanism. Three treatments(i.e., CK, the untreated control;LA1, five amino acids;LA2, 21 amino acids) were applied to two Bt cultivars of G. hirsutum(i.e., the hybrid Sikang 3 and the conventional Sikang 1) in the cotton-growing seasons during 2017 and 2018. Amino acid spray application at the peak flowering stage resulted in an increase of 5.2–16.4% in the boll Bt protein concentration and an increase of 5.5–11.3%in the seed cotton yield, but there was no difference between the two amino acid treatments. In addition, amino acid applications led to increases in the amino acid content, soluble protein content, glutamate pyruvate transaminase(GPT)activity, glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase(GOT) activity, glucose content, fructose content and soluble acid invertase(SAI) activity. This study also found that Bt protein content, enhanced boll number and the weight of opened bolls were closely related to carbon and nitrogen metabolism. The Bt protein content had significant linear positive correlations with amino acid and soluble protein contents. Enhanced boll number had significant linear positive correlations with the GPT and GOT activities from 15–25 days after flowering(DAF). The weight of opened bolls from 55–65 DAF had a significant linear positive correlation with the SAI activity. These results indicate that the enhancement of boll protein synthesis and carbohydrate conversion by amino acid application resulted in a simultaneous increase in the boll Bt protein concentration and cotton lint yield.

Recent advances on pathogenesis,diagnosis,prevention,immunological aspects,and vectors of dengue:A review

Dengue is a vector-borne disease caused by the dengue virus(DENV)of family Flaviviridae.Dengue fever is common in both developed and developing countries.Globally,approximately 400 million cases of dengue fever are reported annually,resulting in approximately 22000 fatalities.Dengue cases in India have progressively increased in the last decade.In recent years,substantial progress has been made in understanding various aspects of dengue,including its pathogenesis,diagnosis,prevention strategies,immunological responses,and the role of vectors in its transmission.The transmission of a positive RNA virus occurs through Aedes mosquitoes,specifically Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus.This virus is associated with a wide spectrum of symptoms,ranging from mild undifferentiated fever to severe hemorrhagic fever and shock,posing a potential threat to human health.There are 4 types of antigenically distinct dengue serotypes(DENV-1 to DENV-4)and among them,DENV-2 is more lethal and extremely severe.To overcome the severity of dengue,Dengvaxia is administered to children 9 to 16 years old with evidence of previous dengue infection.The diagnosis of dengue is carried out by ELISA-based non-structural protein(NS1)and immunoglobulin tests.However,there are no specific biomarkers to identify severe disease progression.Climatic factors and temperature play an important role in complex interaction among host,vector,and virus to manifest the severity of dengue.There is a need for the refinement of climate-based disease forecasting models in India to effectively control the spread of dengue.The mosquito repellent should be used periodically to kill or repel the Aedes mosquito to prevent the spread of dengue in humans.

Insecticide resistance status of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus in Malaysia(2010 to 2022):A review

This review aimed to determine the prevalence of the insecticide resistance status of the field-collected Aedes(Ae.)aegypti and Ae.albopictus in Malaysia from 2010 to 2022 towards carbamates,organochlorines,organophosphates and pyrethroids.Biological and environmental controls were summarized with an emphasis on the mosquito vector control strategies in Malaysia.The information in this review was extracted from several databases such as PubMed(MEDLINE),Science Direct and Scopus by using keywords including“insecticide resistance”,“carbamate resistance”,“organochlorine resistance”,“organophosphate resistance”,“pyrethroid resistance”,“Aedes”and“Malaysia”,between January 2022 and December 2022.Distribution of resistant Ae.aegypti and Ae.albopictus in Malaysia was mapped using QGIS software.Insecticide resistance in both Ae.aegypti and Ae.albopictus is widespread in Malaysia,although the rates vary by states.The most notable was the steep increase in permethrin resistance of Ae.aegypti in Selangor,Malaysia,over the past decade.Ae.albopictus also displayed moderate resistance to permethrin,though not as widespread as Ae.aegypti in Selangor,but showed sign of resistance in Sarawak,East Malaysia.Resistance towards four main classes of insecticides have been widely documented in Malaysia.The extensive resistance towards permethrin in Malaysia which is one of the current insecticides used in Malaysia suggested that policies supporting the widespread use of permethrin fogging needs further evaluation.

Preparation of Amide-Containing Insecticidal Derivatives from the Renewable Natural Productβ-Pinene

The preparation of bioactive derivatives from the renewable natural product pinene is a hot research topic in the deep processing and utilization of pinene.In this study,β-pinene was used to develop novel molecules as a promising new precursor of insecticide.A series of amide-containing derivatives ofβ-pinene were synthesized and characterized.The insecticidal activities of these derivatives against Mythimna separate and Semiaphis heraclei were tested.The structure characterization results showed that the characterization data of amide-containing derivatives were in full agreement with their proposed structures.The insecticidal activities evaluation results indicated that amide-containing derivatives exhibited weak insecticidal activity against Mythimna separate,but exhibited moderate to good insecticidal activity against Semiaphis heraclei.After testing for 72 h,the corrected mortality against Semiaphis heraclei of compounds 5c,5e,5f,5 h,5j,and 5 m was 100%at 1000 mg/L.The structure-activity relationship analysis results showed that the introduction of an amide group into the structure of derivatives improved their insecticidal activity against Semiaphis heraclei.Meanwhile,the amide-containing derivatives containing the F and NO_(2) substituted benzene ring might improve their insecticidal activity against Semiaphis heraclei.This study will be helpful for the high value-added utilization of the natural renewable resourceβ-pinene and the development of novel insecticides.

Green synthesis,characterization,acaricidal,larvacidal,and repellent activities of copper nanoparticles of Astragalus sinicus against Hyalomma anatolicum

Objective:To green synthesize and characterize copper nanoparticles(Cu NPs)using Astragalus sinicus,as well as evaluate the acaricidal,larvacidal,and repellent activities of Cu NPs against Hyalomma anatolicum(H.anatolicum),one of the most prevalent ticks infesting cattle in Saudi Arabia.Methods:Cu NPs were green synthesized by adding the Astragalus sinicus extract to a copper sulfate solution.The acaricidal,larvicidal,and repellent activities of Cu NPs against H.anatolicum were assessed via the adult immersion test,the larval packet test,and the vertical movement behavior of tick larvae,respectively.The effects of Cu NPs on acetylcholinesterase as well as oxidative enzyme activities were examined.Results:The green synthesized Cu NPs displayed a spherical form with a size range of 15-75 nm.After exposure of adult H.anatolicum to different concentrations of Cu NPs,the viability rate of adult H.anatolicum and the mean number,weight,and hatchability of eggs were noticeably reduced,in comparison to the control group(P<0.001).In addition,the viability rate of larvae considerably declined(P<0.001)with the LC_(50)and LC_(90)values of 11.30 and 20.34μg/m L,respectively.The maximum repellent activity of Cu NPs was observed at 50,100,and 200μg/m L with complete repellent activity after 60,120,and 180 min of exposure,respectively.Cu NPs,mainly at 1/2 LC_(50)and LC_(50)concentrations,markedly suppressed the acetylcholinesterase activity of the larval stage of H.anatolicum(P<0.001).Moreover,Cu NPs,mainly at LC_(50)dose,significantly elevated malondialdehyde level while declining glutathione-S-transferase level in H.anatolicum larvae(P<0.001).Conclusions:Cu NPs show potent acaricidal,larvicidal,and repellent activities against adults and larvae of H.anatolicum.However,further studies must be performed to clarify the precise mechanisms and the efficacy of Cu NPs in practical use.

New polychlorinated bibenzyls from Rhododendron minutiflorum

Five new polychlorinated bibenzyls(1-5)along with 3 known compounds(6-8)were isolated from the stems and leaves of Rhododendron minutiflorum.The chemical structures of all the isolates were determined by spectroscopic methods,and compounds 1 and 2 were further verified by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses.Compounds 1-5 were halogenated compounds which bear three to five chlorine atoms in their chemical structures.Biologi-cally,compounds 2,5 and 6 showed varying degrees of toxicity toward the Asian citrus psyllid(Diaphorina citri)with LD_(50) values 27.15,17.02 and 16.20 mg/L,respectively.These values were comparable to the positive control matrine(LD_(50)=11.86 mg/L),which were calculated using observations on day 6.Meanwhile,compound 4 hadα-glucosidase inhibitory activity with IC_(50) value of 17.87±0.74μM.

Insecticidal Activity and Physicochemical Characterization of Nanoparticles from Foliar Extract of Capsicum chinense

This work was carried out to evaluate the insecticidal effect of mono,bi and trimetallic nanoparticles(NPs)from leaf extract of habanero pepper(Capsicum chinense Jacq.)on the red flour beetle(Tribolium castaneum herbst.)and cotton mealybug(Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley).The results showed that Cu NPs,Cu/Mn NPs and Zn/Cu NPs had high insecticidal effect against T.castaneum(63%-80% mortality after 96 h).The Cu NPs and Zn/Cu NPs showed also insecticidal effect against P.solenopsis,but to a lesser extent(20%–28% after 96 h).With regards to the physicochemical characterization,Cu NPs had a zeta potential of 21.1 mV,whereas Cu/Mn NPs and Zn/Cu NPs exhibited zeta potentials of 200 mV.The polydispersity index(PDI)values for Cu NPs,Cu/Mn NPs,and Zn/Cu NPs were 10.1,29.16,and 14.34,respectively.The TF-IR spectra of the NPs varied from 600 to 4000 cm−1.The EDX weight percentages showed the presence of Cu(0.29%–2.4%),Mn(1.4%),and Zn(2.6%)in Cu/Mn NPs and Zn/Cu NPs,respectively.

Risk of control failure to insecticides malathion,profenophos+cypermethrin mixture,and fipronil in boll weevil(Coleoptera:Curculionidae)populations from Bahia,Brazil

Background To control the boll weevil Anthonomus grandis grandis(Coleoptera:Curculionidae),a key pest of cotton in the Americas,insecticides have been intensively used to manage their populations,increasing selection pressure for resistant populations.Thus,this study aimed to detect insecticide resistance and assess insecticide control failure likelihood of boll weevil populations exposed to malathion,profenophos+cypermethrin,and fipronil insecticides.Results Twelve populations of the boll weevil were collected from commercial cotton fileds of the state of Bahia,northeastern Brazil.These populations were exposed to malathion,profenophos+cypermethrin mixture,and fipronil,at their respective maximum label dose for field applications.Three replicates of 10 adult beetles were exposed to the insecticides and mortality was recorded after 24 h treatment.The control failure likelihood was determined after 48 h.Highest median lethal times(LT_(50))were observed for malathion and the profenophos+cypermethrin mixture.Resistance to at least one insecticide was detected in 11 populations;three populations were resistant to malathion and profenophos+cypermethrin;seven were resistant to all insecticides tested.The resistance levels were low(<10-fold)for the three insecticides.Among 12 populations tested,58%of them exhibited significant risk of control failure for the insecticides malathion and profenophos+cypermethrin.The insecticide fipronil was efficient for the control of the boll weevil in 83%of the populations.Conclusions The results confirm the significant risk of insecticide control failure in the boll weevil populations to the main compounds used in the region.Thus,proper insecticide resistance management plans are necessary for the boll weevil in the region,particularly for malathion and profenophos+cypermethrin insecticides.

Analysis of Changes in Insecticide Consumption at Home and Abroad in Recent 30 Years

The paper analyzes the changes in insecticide consumption and the proportion of insecticides in pesticides in the world and several typical countries in the past 30 years,in order to provide a reference for scientific treatment of pesticide and further implementation of China s"double reduction"policy.

Research Overview on Occurrence and Control of Tetranychus urticae Koch in China

Tetranychus urticae Koch;Insecticide resistance;Chemical control This paper elaborates the occurrence factors and damage characteristics of Tetranychus urticae Koch in China,and emphatically summarizes three main control strategies of T.urticae,namely agricultural control,chemical control and biological control,as well as research progress in its resistance mechanisms.The problems existing in controlling T.urticae and its resistance management strategies are put forward,to provide a theoretical basis for the resistance management and comprehensive control of T.urticae.

Situational Analysis of Malaria Control Following the 2021 Distribution of Long Lasting Insecticide-Treated Bed Nets in the Tiko Health District, South West Region, Cameroon

Malaria is still a major public health concern in Cameroon as more than 20 million people are at risk of the disease. Despite the government’s effort to scale up the distribution of long lasting insecticide-treated bed nets (LLINs), full ownership and optimal use is still limited. In 2021, over a million LLINs were made available for distribution in the South West Region. However, the current situation of malaria has not yet been ascertained following the 2021 mass distribution campaign (MDC). Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine LLIN ownership, coverage, usage and the prevalence of malaria following the 2021 MDC in the Tiko Health District (THD), South West Region of Cameroon. A cross-sectional study was carried from May 1 to 27, 2022 in which a multi-stage sampling technique was used to enroll eligible participants. Data were collected from household heads using questionnaires and capillary blood samples collected from consented household members were used to test for malaria. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25 at 0.05 significance level. From the 150 households surveyed, 96 (64.0%) owned a mosquito net before the recent MDC. There was an overall significant increase (p p = 0.644) in LLINs ownership between areas where door-to-door (79.5%) and fixed “Hit and Run” (75.8%) strategies were used in the distribution of LLINs in THD. The prevalence of malaria was 10.2%. The regular use of LLINs was significantly associated (p = 0.007) with low malaria prevalence. The 2021 MDC had an impact on malaria prevalence in those who properly used them.

Evaluation of the Insecticidal Activity of Powders of Ageratum conyzoide L. Leaves and Roots of Securidaca longepedunculata Fresen on the Germination Rate of Cowpea Infected with Callosobruchus maculatus

Cowpea is a vegetable that contributes to food security in Guinea. Despite its importance, more than 30% of its production is lost between harvesting, storage and consumption. The main cowpea pest is Callosobruchus maculatus. The commonly used control strategy is essentially based on chemicals whose use is toxic, expensive and restrictive. In the search for alternatives to chemical control, this work was undertaken to evaluate the insecticidal potential of Ageratum conyzoid leaf powders and Securidaca longepedunculata roots. Powder toxicity and insecticidal efficacy tests were performed separately on groups of 20 Callosobruchus maculatus using 3 doses of Ageratum conyzoid leaf powders and Securidaca longepedunculata roots in jars each containing 100 g cowpea. The mortality of Callosobruchus maculatus and the impact of powders were noted respectively for 96 h and 4 months after infestation. The germination capacity of the treated seeds was assessed at the start of the study. Doses of 1 and 8 g of Ageratum conyzoides leaf powders and Securidaca longepedunculata roots were applied respectively to every 100 g of cowpea and led to 100% mortality of Callosobruchus maculatus. At these same doses, more than half of the treated seeds were attacked during the 4 months of storage. Germination tests have shown that powders of Ageratum conyzoides leaves and roots of Securidaca longepedunculata have no negative effect on the germination power of cowpea seeds. Therefore, they could be considered as excellent bio-insecticides that socio-professional strata (farmers and warehouse workers) can use in the fight against cowpea insects intended for storage.