The Impact of Climate Change on Agricultural Insect Pests

Predicted range expansion of Prostephanus truncatus (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) under projected climate change scenarios

The larger grain borer (Prostephanus truncatus [Horn] [Coleoptera: Bostrichidae]) is a wood-boring insect native to Central America and adapted to stored maize and cassava. It was accidentally introduced to Tanzania and became a pest across central Africa. Unlike many grain pests, P. truncatus populations can establish and move within forests. Consequently, novel infestations can occur without human influence. The objectives of our study were to (i) develop an updated current suitability projection for P. truncatus, (ii) assess its potential future distribution under different climate change scenarios, and (iii) identify climate variables that best inform the model. We used WALLACE and MaxEnt to predict potential global distribution by incorporating bioclimatic variables and occurrence records. Future models were projected for 2050 and 2070 with Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) 2.6 (low change) and 8.5 (high change). Distribution was most limited by high precipitation and cold temperatures. Globally, highly suitable areas (> 75%) primarily occurred along coastal and equatorial regions with novel areas in northern South America, India, southeastern Asia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, totaling 7% under current conditions. Highly suitable areas at RCPs 2.6 and 8.5 are estimated to increase to 12% and 15%, respectively, by 2050 and increase to 19% in 2070 under RCP 8.5. Centroids of highly suitable areas show distribution centers moving more inshore and away from the equator. Notably, the result is a range expansion, not a shift. Results can be used to decrease biosecurity risks through more spatially explicit and timely surveillance programs for targeting the exclusion of this pest.

Novel insights into hotspots of insect vectors of GLRaV-3: Dynamics and global distribution

Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 3 (GLRaV-3) is the most prevalent and economically damaging virus in grapevines and is found on nearly all continents, except Antarctica. Ten mealybugs act as vector insects transmitting the GLRaV-3. Understanding the potential distribution range of vector insects under climate change is crucial for preventing and managing vector insects and controlling and delaying the spread of GLRaV-3. This study investigated the potential geographical range of insect vectors of GLRaV-3 worldwide using MaxEnt (maximum entropy) based on occurrence data under environmental variables. The potential distributions of these insects were projected for the 2030s, 2050s, 2070s, and 2090s under the three climate change scenarios. The results showed that the potential distribution range of most vector insects is concentrated in Southeastern North America, Europe, Asia, and Southeast Australia. Most vector insects contract their potential distribution ranges under climate-change conditions. The stacked model suggested that potential distribution hotspots of vector insects were present in Southeastern North America, Europe, Southeast Asia, and Southeast Australia. The potential distribution range of hotspots would shrink with climate change. These results provide important information for governmental decision-makers and farmers in developing control and management strategies against vector insects of GLRaV-3. They can also serve as references for studies on other insect vectors.

From Pipeline to Plant Protection Products: Using New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) in Agrochemical Safety Assessment

The human population will be approximately 9.7 billion by 2050, and food security has been identified as one of the key issues facing the global population. Agrochemicals are an important tool available to farmers that enable high crop yields and continued access to healthy foods, but the average new agrochemical active ingredient takes more than ten years, 350 million dollars, and 20,000 animals to develop and register. The time, monetary, and animal costs incentivize the use of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) in early-stage screening to prioritize chemical candidates. This review outlines NAMs that are currently available or can be adapted for use in early-stage screening agrochemical programs. It covers new in vitro screens that are on the horizon in key areas of regulatory concern. Overall, early-stage screening with NAMs enables the prioritization of development for agrochemicals without human and environmental health concerns through a more directed, agile, and iterative development program before animal-based regulatory testing is even considered.

Exploring the Dynamic Invasion Pattern of the Black-Headed Fall Webworm in China: Susceptibility to Topography, Vegetation, and Human Activities

The fall webworm (FWW), H. cunea (Drury) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiidae), is an extremely high-risk globally invasive pest. Understanding the invasion dynamics of invasive pests and identifying the critical factors that promote their spread is essential for devising practical and efficient strategies for their control and management. The invasion dynamics of the FWW and its influencing factors were analyzed using standard deviation ellipse and spatial autocorrelation methods. The analysis was based on statistical data on the occurrence of the FWW in China. The dissemination pattern of the FWW between 1979 and 2022 followed a sequence of "invasion-occurrence-transmission-outbreak", spreading progressively from coastal to inland regions. Furthermore, areas with high nighttime light values, abundant ports, and non-forested areas with low vegetation cover at altitudes below 500 m were more likely to be inhabited by the black-headed FWW. The dynamic invasion pattern and the driving factors associated with the fall webworm (FWW) provide critical insights for future FWW management strategies. These strategies serve not only to regulate the dissemination of insects and diminish migratory tendencies but also to guarantee the implementation of efficient early detection systems and prompt response measures.

Analysing district-level climate vulnerability pattern in Madhya Pradesh, India, based on agricultural and socio-economic indicators

Indian agriculture transitioned from a food deficit sector to a food surplus following the Green Revolution. However, the continued progress of Indian agriculture has been hampered by climate change. This research explores the district-wise vulnerability in Madhya Pradesh, India, to climate change by assessing the composite vulnerability index using the agricultural vulnerability index (AVI) and socio-economic vulnerability index (SEVI). The study seeks to understand how agricultural and socio-economic factors lead to variations in vulnerability across districts and influence targeted adaptation and mitigation strategies. The trend analysis results present declining rainfall and inclining temperature from 1951 to 2021 in Madhya Pradesh, directly affecting the agricultural sector and human livelihood. The composite vulnerability index (CVI) results revealed that districts with low values (< 0.394), such as Burhanpur and Balaghat, demonstrate reduced susceptibility due to limited cultivation, low reliance on rainfall, lower drought susceptibility, and decreased population density. Districts such as Panna and Bhopal show moderate vulnerability (0.394-0.423), with lower fallow land, reduced rainfed agriculture, and socio-economic vulnerability. Extensive agriculture and marginalised workers' presence influence high vulnerability (0.423 to 0.456) in districts such as Tikamgarh and Indore. Districts like Barwani and Jhabua have the highest CVI values (> 0.456), indicating substantial susceptibility to climate impacts. The cluster analysis validates the results of the vulnerability index. The findings highlight the urgent need for tailored adaptation strategies to address the diverse agricultural and socio-economic indicators creating vulnerability in Madhya Pradesh. The study helps understand regional vulnerability patterns and provides evidence-based policy approaches for resilience to climate change effects.

All-you-can-eat buffet: A spider-specialized bat species (Myotis emarginatus) turns into a pest fly eater around cattle

Determining the dietary spectrum of European insectivorous bats over time is the cornerstone of their conservation, as it will aid our understanding of foraging behavior plasticity in response to plummeting insect populations. Despite the global decline in insects, a restricted number of arthropod pest species thrive. Yet past research has overlooked the potential of European bats to suppress pests harmful to woodlands or livestock, in spite of their economic relevance. Here we investigated the diet composition, its breeding season variations and pest consumption of an insectivorous bat species (Myotis emarginatus), at the northern edge of its range (Wallonia, Belgium). We also explored the prey ecology to gain insight into the hunting strategies and foraging habitats of this bat species. We used DNA metabarcoding to amplify two COI markers within 195 bat droppings collected in June, July and August, thereby identifying 512 prey taxa predominated by Diptera, Araneae and Lepidoptera. Overall, in 97% of the samples we detected at least one of the 58 potential pest taxa, 41 of which targeting trees. The June samples were marked by a diet rich in orb-weaver spiders, in accordance with the archetypal diet of M. emarginatus bats. However, during the highly energy demanding July-August parturition and lactation period, roughly 55% of the dropping samples contained two cattle fly pests (Stomoxys calcitrans and Musca domestica). Moreover, among the 88 Diptera species preyed upon by M. emarginatus in July and August, these flies accounted for around 50% of the taxa occurrences. This plasticity-the switch from a spider-rich to a fly-rich diet-seems providential considering the dramatic ongoing drop in insect populations but this involves ensuring bat-friendly cattle farming. Our results revealed that bats widely consume pest entomofauna, thereby highlighting their potential role as allies of forest managers and farmers.

Combining temperature-dependent life table data into Insect Life Cycle Model to forecast fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (JE Smith) distribution in maize agro-ecological zones in Africa

The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (JE Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), an invasive agricultural pest, has significantly impacted crop yields across Africa. This study investigated the relationship between temperature and FAW life history traits, employing life cycle modeling at temperatures of 20, 25, 28, 30, and 32°C. The development time for eggs, larvae, and pupae varied from 0-3 days, 10-18 days, and 7-16 days, respectively. The optimal temperature range for immature stage survival and female fecundity was identified as 21-25°C, with the intrinsic rate of increase (rm) and gross reproductive rate (GRR) peaking at 25-28°C. Model validation confirmed the accuracy of these findings. The research further projected the Establishment Risk Index (ERI), Activity Index (AI), and Generation Index (GI) for FAW under current and future climates (2050 and 2070) using RCP 2.6 and RCP 8.5 scenarios. Results indicate that RCP 2.6 leads to a reduction in high-risk FAW areas, particularly in central Africa. Conversely, RCP 8.5 suggests an increase in areas conducive to FAW activity. These findings highlight the impact of climate policy on pest dynamics and the importance of incorporating climatic factors into pest management strategies. The study predicts a potential decrease in FAW prevalence in West Africa by 2070 under aggressive climate mitigation, providing a basis for future FAW management approaches.

Migration Activity of Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) between China and the South-Southeast Asian Region

The common cutworm, Spodoptera litura (F.), feeds on a wide variety of food and cash crops and is one of the most widespread and destructive agricultural pests worldwide. Migration is the biological basis of its regional population outbreaks but the seasonal movement of this pest between east and south Asia regions remains unknown. In this study, searchlight traps were used to monitor the seasonal migration of S. litura from 2019 to 2023 in Ruili City (Yunnan, China), located along the insect migratory route between China and the south Asia region. The results showed that migratory activity could occur throughout the year, with the main periods found in spring (April-May) and autumn (October-December). The ovarian development and mating status of the trapped females indicated that most individuals were in the middle or late stages of migration and that Ruili City was located in the transit area of the long-distance migration of the pest. In the migration trajectory simulation, populations of S. litura moved from northeast India, Bangladesh, and northern Myanmar to southwestern China along the southern margin of the Himalayas in spring and returned to the south Asia region in autumn. Our findings clarify the seasonal migration patterns of S. litura in China and South Asia and facilitate the development of regional cross-border monitoring and management systems for this pest.

Distribution pattern of large old Ginkgo biloba in China under climate change scenarios

Large old Ginkgo biloba trees (LOGTs), with profound ecological and cultural significance in China, face increasing threats from climate change and human activities. We employed the BIOCLIM and DOMAIN species distribution models to predict their spatial patterns under the present climate and doubled-CO2 climate change scenario in 2100. We collected 604 validated LOGT occurrence records and data on 19 bioclimate factors for the analysis. Our study yielded a LOGT geographic distribution pattern covering a wide latitudinal belt extending from south subtropical to temperate zones in central and eastern China, concentrating in low elevations and coastal regions. The principal component analysis identified the dominant bioclimatic factors shaping their distribution, namely annual precipitation and low winter temperatures. BIOCLIM and DOMAIN generated predicted suitable habitats that match the present distribution range well. However, under the future climate scenario, the models indicated habitat retentions mainly in the core distribution areas and habitat losses mainly in the southern edge of the present range and scattered pockets elsewhere. Some retained habitats, including excellent ones, will suffer from fragmentation. The predicted new habitats may permit some range expansion and migration but are beset by small patch size and large interpatch distance, bringing fragmentation and gene flow restrictions. The anticipated projected range decline highlights considerable threats climate change poses to the long-term survival of the precious natural-cum-cultural resource. Understanding the distribution patterns and underlying drivers and distillation of practical conservation measures can foster sustainable management vis-a-vis the looming global change.

The function of microbial enzymes in breaking down soil contaminated with pesticides: a review

The use of pesticides and the subsequent accumulation of residues in the soil has become a worldwide problem. Organochlorine (OC) pesticides have spread widely in the environment and caused contamination from past agricultural activities. This article reviews the bioremediation of pesticide compounds in soil using microbial enzymes, including the enzymatic degradation pathway and the recent development of enzyme-mediated bioremediation. Enzyme-mediated bioremediation is divided into phase I and phase II, where the former increases the solubility of pesticide compounds through oxidation-reduction and hydrolysis reactions, while the latter transforms toxic pollutants into less toxic or nontoxic products through conjugation reactions. The identified enzymes that can degrade OC insecticides include dehalogenases, phenol hydroxylase, and laccases. Recent developments to improve enzyme-mediated bioremediation include immobilization, encapsulation, and protein engineering, which ensure its stability, recyclability, handling and storage, and better control of the reaction.

Yeast-insect interactions in southern Africa: Tapping the diversity of yeasts for modern bioprocessing

Yeast-insect interactions are one of the most interesting long-standing relationships whose research has contributed to our understanding of yeast biodiversity and their industrial applications. Although insect-derived yeast strains are exploited for industrial fermentations, only a limited number of such applications has been documented. The search for novel yeasts from insects is attractive to augment the currently domesticated and commercialized production strains. More specifically, there is potential in tapping the insects native to southern Africa. Southern Africa is home to a disproportionately high fraction of global biodiversity with a cluster of biomes and a broad climate range. This review presents arguments on the roles of the mutualistic relationship between yeasts and insects, the presence of diverse pristine environments and a long history of spontaneous food and beverage fermentations as the potential source of novelty. The review further discusses the recent advances in novelty of industrial strains of insect origin, as well as various ancient and modern-day industries that could be improved by use yeasts from insect origin. The major focus of the review is on the relationship between insects and yeasts in southern African ecosystems as a potential source of novel industrial yeast strains for modern bioprocesses.

An increase in management actions has compensated for past climate change effects on desert locust gregarization in western Africa

In response to high population density, the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria, becomes gregarious and forms swarms that can cause significant damage to crops and pastures, threatening food security of human populations from western Africa to India. This switch from solitary to gregarious populations is highly dependent on favorable weather conditions. Climate change, which has been hypothesized to shift conditions towards increasing risks of gregarization, is therefore likely to have significant impacts on the spatial distribution and likelihood of outbreak events. However, the desert locust is intensely managed at large scales, which possibly counteracts any increased risk of outbreaks due to a more favorable climate. Consequently, understanding the changes in risks in the future involves teasing out the effects of climate change and management actions. Here we studied the dynamics of gregarization at the very early stages of potential outbreaks, in parallel with trends in climate and management, between 1985 and 2018 in western Africa. We used three different spatial scales, with the goal to have a better understanding of the potential effects of climate change per se while controlling for management. Our first approach was to look at a regional scale, where we observed an overall decrease in gregarization events. However, this scale includes very heterogeneous environments and management efforts. To consider this heterogeneity, we divided the area into a grid of 0.5° cells. For each cell, a climate analysis was performed for rainfall and temperature, with trends obtained by a harmonic decomposition model on monthly data. Analyses of gregarization showed only a few significant trends, both positive and negative, mainly found in western Mauritania where management effort has increased. To improve the statistical power, these cells were then grouped into larger homogeneous climatic clusters, i.e. groups of cells with similar climatic conditions and similar climatic trends over the study period. At this scale, gregarization events depend on the intersection between climate conditions and management efforts. The clusters where gregarization increased were also the ones with the highest increase of management. These results highlight the important effect of preventive management, which may counteract the positive effects of climate change on locust proliferation.

Out-of-Distribution Detection Algorithms for Robust Insect Classification

Plants encounter a variety of beneficial and harmful insects during their growth cycle. Accurate identification (i.e., detecting insects' presence) and classification (i.e., determining the type or class) of these insect species is critical for implementing prompt and suitable mitigation strategies. Such timely actions carry substantial economic and environmental implications. Deep learning-based approaches have produced models with good insect classification accuracy. Researchers aim to implement identification and classification models in agriculture, facing challenges when input images markedly deviate from the training distribution (e.g., images like vehicles, humans, or a blurred image or insect class that is not yet trained on). Out-of-distribution (OOD) detection algorithms provide an exciting avenue to overcome these challenges as they ensure that a model abstains from making incorrect classification predictions on images that belong to non-insect and/or untrained insect classes. As far as we know, no prior in-depth exploration has been conducted on the role of the OOD detection algorithms in addressing agricultural issues. Here, we generate and evaluate the performance of state-of-the-art OOD algorithms on insect detection classifiers. These algorithms represent a diversity of methods for addressing an OOD problem. Specifically, we focus on extrusive algorithms, i.e., algorithms that wrap around a well-trained classifier without the need for additional co-training. We compared three OOD detection algorithms: (a) maximum softmax probability, which uses the softmax value as a confidence score; (b) Mahalanobis distance (MAH)-based algorithm, which uses a generative classification approach; and (c) energy-based algorithm, which maps the input data to a scalar value, called energy. We performed an extensive series of evaluations of these OOD algorithms across three performance axes: (a) Base model accuracy: How does the accuracy of the classifier impact OOD performance? (b) How does the level of dissimilarity to the domain impact OOD performance? (c) Data imbalance: How sensitive is OOD performance to the imbalance in per-class sample size? Evaluating OOD algorithms across these performance axes provides practical guidelines to ensure the robust performance of well-trained models in the wild, which is a key consideration for agricultural applications. Based on this analysis, we proposed the most effective OOD algorithm as wrapper for the insect classifier with highest accuracy. We presented the results of its OOD detection performance in the paper. Our results indicate that OOD detection algorithms can significantly enhance user trust in insect pest classification by abstaining classification under uncertain conditions.

Farmers' perceptions of sustainable agriculture in the Red River Delta, Vietnam

While economic growth and food security in Vietnam's Red River Delta are heavily reliant on agriculture, the intensive use of agricultural land has resulted in various negative impacts on the environment, such as soil degradation, water pollution, biodiversity loss, and health effects on humans and animals. The current situation emphasizes an increased need for sustainable agriculture practices in the region. Understanding farmers' decision-making processes and identifying factors that influence their choices is crucial in order to promote their adoption of sustainable agriculture practices. This study examines the impact of attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, age, and gender on farmers' intention to adopt sustainable agriculture practices using the Theory of Planned Behavior and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling. The results show that attitude towards sustainable agriculture practices showed a path coefficient of 0.310 (p < 0.001), and perceived behavioral control had a coefficient of 0.305 (p < 0.001), indicating strong positive relationships with intention. However, subjective norms, despite a positive coefficient, did not significantly affect intentions (path coefficient 0.099, p > 0.05). Age was found to have a moderating effect; older farmers are less likely to adopt sustainable agriculture practices compared to their younger counterparts. Gender, however, did not present a significant influence. In light of these findings, policymakers face a challenge in creating incentives to encourage farmers' engagement in sustainable agriculture practices in the Red River Delta and at the same time discourage youth out-migration from the agricultural sector more generally. Overall, this study enriches our theoretical understanding of the factors influencing sustainable agriculture adoption in developing countries and offers practical insights for policymakers and agricultural stakeholders in the Red River Delta to promote more effective and targeted sustainable agriculture practices.

Predicting environmental impacts of smallholder wheat production by coupling life cycle assessment and machine learning

Wheat grain production is a vital component of the food supply produced by smallholder farms but faces significant threats from climate change. This study evaluated eight environmental impacts of wheat production using life cycle assessment based on survey data from 274 households, then built random forest models with 21 input features to contrast the environmental responses of different farming practices across three shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs), spanning from 2024 to 2100. The results indicate significant environmental repercussions. Compared to the baseline period of 2018-2020, a similar upward trend in environmental impacts is observed, showing an average annual growth rate of 5.88 % (ranging from 0.45 to 18.56 %) under the sustainable pathway (SSP119) scenario; 5.90 % (ranging from 1.00 to 18.15 %) for the intermediate development pathway (SSP245); and 6.22 % (ranging from 1.16 to 17.74 %) under the rapid economic development pathway (SSP585). Variation in rainfall is identified as the primary driving factor of the increased environmental impacts, whereas its relationship with rising temperatures is not significant. The results suggest adopting farming practices as a vital strategy for smallholder farms to mitigate climate change impacts. Emphasizing appropriate fertilizer application and straw recycling can significantly reduce the environmental footprint of wheat production. Standardized fertilization could reduce the environmental impact index by 11.10 to 47.83 %, while straw recycling might decrease respiratory inorganics and photochemical oxidant formation potential by over 40 %. Combined, these approaches could lower the impact index by 12.31 to 63.38 %. The findings highlight the importance of adopting enhanced farming practices within smallholder farming systems in the context of climate change. SPOTLIGHTS.

Turmeric shortens lifespan in houseflies

Climate change poses a significant threat to food security and global public health with the increasing likelihood of insect pest outbreaks. Alternative ways to control insect populations, preferably using environmental-friendly compounds, are needed. Turmeric has been suggested as a natural insecticide with toxicity properties in some insect groups. However, empirical evidence of the effects of turmeric - and their interaction with other ecological factors such as diet - on insect survival has been limited. Here, we tested the effects of turmeric and its interactions with diets differing in protein source in the common housefly, Musca domestica. We found that turmeric shortened lifespan independent of diet and sex. Females in turmeric diets were heavier at death, which was likely driven by a combination of relatively lower rates of body mass loss during their lifetime and a higher percentage of water content at death. Each sex responded differently to the protein source in the diet, and the magnitude of the difference in lifespan between sexes were greatest in diets in which protein source was hydrolysed yeast; individuals from both sexes lived longest in sucrose-milk diets and shortest in diets with hydrolysed yeast. There was no evidence of an interaction between turmeric and diet, suggesting that the toxicity effects are independent of protein source in the diet. Given the seemingly opposing effects of turmeric in insects and mammals being uncovered in the literature, our findings provide further evidence in support of turmeric as a potential natural insecticide.

Analysis of Primary and Secondary Metabolites, Physical Properties, Antioxidant and Antidiabetic Activities, and Chemical Composition of Rosmarinus officinalis Essential Oils under Differential Water Stress Conditions

This study investigated the effects of varying water stress levels on Rosmarinus officinalis essential oils (EO). Three samples (S1, S2, and S3) were cultivated under different stress levels (40, 60, and 80%). Increased water stress led to changes in primary and secondary metabolites, EO contents, and physical properties. Antioxidant activity varied, with S2 exhibiting the highest IC50 value. In terms of antidiabetic activity, S2 showed robust α-amylase inhibition, while S3 displayed a commendable influence. For α-galactosidase inhibition, S3 had a moderate effect, and S2 stood out with increased efficacy. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis revealed stress-induced changes in major compounds. The study enhances the understanding of plant responses to water stress, with potential applications in antioxidant therapy and diabetes management. The findings emphasize the importance of sustainable water management for optimizing the EO quality in its various uses.

An optical system to detect, surveil, and kill flying insect vectors of human and crop pathogens

Sustainable and effective means to control flying insect vectors are critically needed, especially with widespread insecticide resistance and global climate change. Understanding and controlling vectors requires accurate information about their movement and activity, which is often lacking. The Photonic Fence (PF) is an optical system that uses machine vision, infrared light, and lasers to identify, track, and interdict vectors in flight. The PF examines an insect's outline, flight speed, and other flight parameters and if these match those of a targeted vector species, then a low-power, retina-safe laser kills it. We report on proof-of-concept tests of a large, field-sized PF (30 mL × 3 mH) conducted with Aedes aegypti, a mosquito that transmits dangerous arboviruses, and Diaphorina citri, a psyllid which transmits the fatal huanglongbing disease of citrus. In tests with the laser engaged, < 1% and 3% of A. aegypti and D. citri, respectfully, were recovered versus a 38% and 19% recovery when the lacer was silenced. The PF tracked, but did not intercept the orchid bee, Euglossa dilemma. The system effectively intercepted flying vectors, but not bees, at a distance of 30 m, heralding the use of photonic energy, rather than chemicals, to control flying vectors.

Global change and adaptive biosecurity: managing current and emerging Aleurocanthus woglumi threats to Europe

Global climate changes undermine the effectiveness of 'set and forget' phytosanitary regulations. Uncertainties in future greenhouse gas emission profiles render it impossible to accurately forecast future climate, thus limiting the ability to make long-term biosecurity policy decisions. Agile adaptive biosecurity frameworks are necessary to address these climatic uncertainties and to effectively manage current and emerging threats. This paper provides opinions on these issues and presents a case study focusing on the threats posed by Aleurocanthus woglumi (citrus blackfly) to Europe. It delves into the biology of the species, its preferred hosts, and how climate change could affect its spread. Utilizing a bioclimatic niche model, the paper estimates the potential distribution of A. woglumi in Europe under recent historical and medium-term future conditions, revealing a potential expansion of its range into higher elevations and more northern regions by the year 2050. The main aim is to leverage the results to showcase the system's sensitivity to likely emission scenarios, essentially stress-testing for potential emerging threats to biosecurity policies and phytosanitary regulations. The results underscore the significance of considering global change factors in pest risk assessment and phytosanitary regulations for effective risk mitigation. Consequently, adaptive biosecurity measures are essential, encompassing horizon scanning, enhanced targeted surveillance, periodic updates of risk assessments, and adjustments to regulations. For instance, biosecurity risk management could involve establishing a set of trigger conditions to prompt updates of risk assessments, such as identifying a zone where the confirmed establishment of a pest signifies a significant change in the pest risk profile. For jurisdictions containing areas modeled as being climatically suitable under historical climates or future climate scenarios, we caution against importing untreated host materials from regions that are likely to become suitable habitats for A. woglumi in the future. Moreover, it is important to consider both present and future climate change scenarios when making decisions to effectively address the threats posed by invasive species. In the case of highly impactful invasives, investing in preemptive biological control measures may prove to be a prudent choice.

Optimizing Agroecological Measures for Climate-Resilient Olive Farming in the Mediterranean

In order to evaluate the potential of climate change mitigation measures on soil physiochemical properties, an experiment based on the application of five agroecological practices such as the addition of composted olive-mill wastes, recycling pruning residue, cover crops, organic insect manure, and reduced soil tillage, solely or combined, was conducted over two years (2020 to 2022) in a 48-year-old olive plantation. The results showed significant increases in soil water content during the spring and summer periods for the combined treatment (compost + pruning residue + cover crops) (ALL) compared to the control (CONT) by 41.6% and 51.3%, respectively. Also, ALL expressed the highest soil organic matter (4.33%) compared to CONT (1.65%) at 0-10 cm soil depth. When comparing soil nutrient contents, ALL (37.86 mg kg-1) and cover crops (COVER) (37.21 mg kg-1) had significant increases in soil nitrate compared to CONT (22.90 mg kg-1), the lowest one. Concerning exchangeable potassium, ALL (169.7 mg kg-1) and compost (COMP) (168.7 mg kg-1) were higher than CONT (117.93 mg kg-1) at the 0-10 cm soil depth and had, respectively an increase of 100.9% and 60.7% in calcium content compared to CONT. Over the experimental period, the implementation of the five agroecological management practices resulted in enhanced soil fertility. In a long-term Mediterranean context, this study suggests that these sustainable practices would significantly benefit farmers by improving agroecosystem services, reducing reliance on synthetic fertilizers, optimizing irrigation water use, and ultimately contributing towards a circular economy.

Ecologically and medically important black flies of the genus Simulium: Identification of biogeographical groups according to similar larval niches

The black fly genus Simulium includes medically and ecologically important species, characterized by a wide variation of ecological niches largely determining their distributional patterns. In a rapidly changing environment, species-specific niche characteristics determine whether a species benefits or not. With aquatic egg, larval and pupal stages followed by a terrestrial adult phase, their spatial arrangements depend upon the interplay of aquatic conditions and climatic-landscape parameters in the terrestrial realm. The aim of this study was to enhance the understanding of the distributional patterns among Simulium species and their ecological drivers. In an ecological niche modelling approach, we focused on 12 common black fly species with different ecological requirements. Our modelling was based on available distribution data along with five stream variables describing the climatic, land-cover, and topographic conditions of river catchments. The modelled freshwater habitat suitability was spatially interpolated to derive an estimate of the adult black flies' probability of occurrence. Based on similarities in the spatial patterns of modelled habitat suitability we were able to identify three biogeographical groups, which allows us to confirm old assessments with current occurrence data: (A) montane species, (B) broad range species and (C) lowland species. The five veterinary and human medical relevant species Simulium equinum, S. erythrocephalum, S. lineatum, S. ornatum and S. reptans are mainly classified in the lowland species group. In the course of climatic changes, it is expected that biocoenosis will slightly shift towards upstream regions, so that the lowland group will presumably emerge as the winner. This is mainly explained by wider ecological niches, including a higher temperature tolerance and tolerance to various pollutants. In conclusion, these findings have significant implications for human and animal health. As exposure to relevant Simulium species increases, it becomes imperative to remain vigilant, particularly in investigating the potential transmission of pathogens.

Evaluation of the impact of two citrus plants on the variation of Panonychus citri (Acari: Tetranychidae) and beneficial phytoseiid mites

The abundance of Panonychus citri McGregor 1916 (Acari: Tetranychidae) and its associated enemies (Euseius stipulatus Athias-Henriot, 1960; Typhlodromus sp.; Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot, 1957) was studied on two 12-year-old citrus cultivars, specifically Clementine "Nules" (Citrus Clementina) and Valencia (Citrus sinensis), in the Gharb region of Morocco. Throughout the entire monitoring period in the Valencia late cultivar, the density of the spider mite P. citri on leaves was notably higher at 38.0% (n = 1,212 mobile forms). Predator P. persimilis exhibited a leaf occupancy of 25.0% (n = 812), followed by Typhlodromus sp. at 20.0% (n = 643). Conversely, the abundance of E. stipulatus was lower at 17.0% (n = 538). In the Nules variety, P. citri abundance recorded a higher percentage at 48.0% (n = 1,922). E. stipulatus emerged as the most abundant predator at 23.0% (n = 898), followed by P. persimilis with 16.0% (n = 639). Meanwhile, the population of Typlodromus sp. remained notably low at 13.0% (n = 498). Regarding the fluctuation of the different mites studied on the two cultivars across monitoring dates, the period from May 4 to June 1 was characterized by low temperatures and a diminished presence of mite populations (P. citri, E. stipulatus, Typhlodromus sp., and P. persimilis). However, from June 7 to June 19, characterized by high temperatures, a notable increase in the presence of mite populations was observed. As regards the effect of the variety on the different mites studied, the varietal impact was significant.

Climate change impacts on crop breeding: Targeting interacting biotic and abiotic stresses for wheat improvement

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) as a staple crop is closely interwoven into the development of modern society. Its influence on culture and economic development is global. Recent instability in wheat markets has demonstrated its importance in guaranteeing food security across national borders. Climate change threatens food security as it interacts with a multitude of factors impacting wheat production. The challenge needs to be addressed with a multidisciplinary perspective delivered across research, private, and government sectors. Many experimental studies have identified the major biotic and abiotic stresses impacting wheat production, but fewer have addressed the combinations of stresses that occur simultaneously or sequentially during the wheat growth cycle. Here, we argue that biotic and abiotic stress interactions, and the genetics and genomics underlying them, have been insufficiently addressed by the crop science community. We propose this as a reason for the limited transfer of practical and feasible climate adaptation knowledge from research projects into routine farming practice. To address this gap, we propose that novel methodology integration can align large volumes of data available from crop breeding programs with increasingly cheaper omics tools to predict wheat performance under different climate change scenarios. Underlying this is our proposal that breeders design and deliver future wheat ideotypes based on new or enhanced understanding of the genetic and physiological processes that are triggered when wheat is subjected to combinations of stresses. By defining this to a trait and/or genetic level, new insights can be made for yield improvement under future climate conditions.

Temperature-dependent reproduction of Spodoptera eridania: developing an oviposition model for a novel invasive species

BACKGROUND

Temperature plays a critical role in the development and reproductive process of insects, therefore understanding how insects respond to temperature is vital for comprehending and predicting their population dynamics, particularly when it comes to agricultural pests. Spodoptera eridania Stoll is a polyphagous pest that has recently expanded its distribution beyond its native range. In this study, we assessed the impact of temperature on the reproduction of S. eridania and used the obtained data to develop an oviposition model that could be used to predict egg-laying behavior under field conditions. The reproductive parameters were evaluated at temperatures of 15, 20, 25, 28, and 32 °C.

RESULTS

Temperature had a significant impact on the reproductive parameters examined. Overall, as temperature increased, the pre-oviposition period, oviposition period, and longevity decreased. Total fecundity exhibited a bell-shaped response to temperature, with peak egg-laying observed at 20 and 25 °C. In line with the experimental data, our model predicted higher rates of oviposition between 20 and 26 °C, thus reinforcing that this temperature range may represent the optimal conditions for the reproduction of S. eridania.

CONCLUSION

The findings from our study provide a significant contribution to the understanding of the ecology of an important agricultural pest. The information generated can have practical applications in developing control strategies by enabling the aligning of the timing of control measures with peaks of reproductive activity. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

The inappropriate application of imidacloprid destroys the ability of predatory natural enemies to control pests in the food chain: A case study of the feeding behavior of Orius similis on Frankliniella occidentalis

Insecticides are an indispensable and important tool for agricultural production. However, the inappropriate application of insecticides can cause damage to the food chain and ecosystem. Orius similis is an important predatory and natural enemy of Frankliniella occidentalis. Imidacloprid is widely used to control pests, but will inevitably exert adverse effects on O. similis. In order to determine the effect of different imidacloprid treatments on the ability of O. similis to prey on the 2nd-instar nymphs of F. occidentalis, we determined the toxicity and predation of imidacloprid on different stages of O. similis under contact and ingestion treatments. In addition, we used the Holling disc equation to evaluate the ability of O. similis to search and exhibit predatory activity following contact and ingestion treatments. Analysis showed that the highest LC10 and LC20 values for imidacloprid contact and ingestion toxicity treatment were 17.06 mg/L and 23.74 mg/L, respectively. Both imidacloprid treatments led toa reduction in the predatory of O. similis on prey. The functional responses of the 3rd to 5th instar nymphs, along with female and male O. similis adults to the 2nd-instar nymphs of F. occidentalis were consistent with the Holling type II response following contact and ingestion with imidacloprid. However, following imidacloprid treatment, the handing time (Th) of O. similis with single F. occidentalis was prolonged and the instantaneous attack rate (a) was reduced after imidacloprid treatment. The predatory capacity (a/Th) of female O. similis adults when treated with the LC10 concentration of imidacloprid by ingestion was 52.85; this was lower than that of the LC10 concentration of imidacloprid in the contact treatment (57.67). The extent of predation of O. similis on the 2nd-instar nymphs of F. occidentalis was positively correlated with prey density, although the search effect was negatively correlated with prey density. The most extensive search effect was exhibited by adult O. similis females. Simulations with the Hessell-Varley interference model showed that an increase in the number of O. similis would reduce search efficiency regardless of whether they were treated with imidacloprid or not. Thus, O. similis, especially female adults, exhibited strong potential for controlling the 2nd-instar nymphs of F. occidentalis. The toxicity of ingestion following treatment with the same concentration of imidacloprid in O. similis was greater than that of contact treatment. When using O. similis to control F. occidentalis in the field, we should increase the number of female adults released, and prolong the interval between imidacloprid treatment and O. similis exposure. This strategy will improve the control ability of O. similis, coordinate both chemical and biological control, reduce the impact of pesticides on the environment, and improve the efficiency of agricultural production.

The Fall Armyworm and Larger Grain Borer Pest Invasions in Africa: Drivers, Impacts and Implications for Food Systems

Invasive alien species (IAS) are a major biosecurity threat affecting globalisation and the international trade of agricultural products and natural ecosystems. In recent decades, for example, field crop and postharvest grain insect pests have independently accounted for a significant decline in food quantity and quality. Nevertheless, how their interaction and cumulative effects along the ever-evolving field production to postharvest continuum contribute towards food insecurity remain scant in the literature. To address this within the context of Africa, we focus on the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), and the larger grain borer, Prostephanus truncatus (Horn) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae), two of the most important field and postharvest IAS, respectively, that have invaded Africa. Both insect pests have shown high invasion success, managing to establish themselves in >50% of the African continent within a decade post-introduction. The successive and summative nature of field and postharvest damage by invasive insect pests on the same crop along its value chain results in exacerbated food losses. This systematic review assesses the drivers, impacts and management of the fall armyworm and larger grain borer and their effects on food systems in Africa. Interrogating these issues is important in early warning systems, holistic management of IAS, maintenance of integral food systems in Africa and the development of effective management strategies.

Unveiling of climate change-driven decline of suitable habitat for Himalayan bumblebees

Insect pollinators, especially bumblebees are rapidly declining from their natural habitat in the mountain and temperate regions of the world due to climate change and other anthropogenic activities. We still lack reliable information about the current and future habitat conditions of bumblebees in the Himalaya. In this study, we used the maximum entropy algorithm for SDM to look at current and future (in 2050 and 2070) suitable habitats for bumblebees in the Himalaya. We found that the habitat conditions in the Himalayan mountain range do not have a very promising future as suitable habitat for most species will decrease over the next 50 years. By 2050, less than 10% of the Himalayan area will remain a suitable habitat for about 72% of species, and by 2070 this number will be raised to 75%. During this time period, the existing suitable habitat of bumblebees will be declined but some species will find new suitable habitat which clearly indicates possibility of habitat range shift by Himalayan bumblebees. Overall, about 15% of the Himalayan region is currently highly suitable for bumblebees, which should be considered as priority areas for the conservation of these pollinators. Since suitable habitats for bumblebees lie between several countries, nations that share international borders in the Himalayan region should have international agreements for comprehensive pollinator diversity conservation to protect these indispensable ecosystem service providers.

Calcium signaling: an emerging player in plant antiviral defense

Calcium is a universal messenger in different kingdoms of living organisms and regulates most physiological processes, including defense against pathogens. The threat of viral infections in humans has become very clear in recent years, and this has triggered detailed research into all aspects of host-virus interactions, including the suppression of calcium signaling in infected cells. At the same time, however, the threat of plant viral infections is underestimated in society, and research in the field of calcium signaling during plant viral infections is scarce. Here we highlight an emerging role of calcium signaling for antiviral protection in plants, in parallel with the known evidence from studies of animal cells. Obtaining more knowledge in this domain might open up new perspectives for future crop protection and the improvement of food security.

Revolutionizing crop disease detection with computational deep learning: a comprehensive review

Digital image processing has witnessed a significant transformation, owing to the adoption of deep learning (DL) algorithms, which have proven to be vastly superior to conventional methods for crop detection. These DL algorithms have recently found successful applications across various domains, translating input data, such as images of afflicted plants, into valuable insights, like the identification of specific crop diseases. This innovation has spurred the development of cutting-edge techniques for early detection and diagnosis of crop diseases, leveraging tools such as convolutional neural networks (CNN), K-nearest neighbour (KNN), support vector machines (SVM), and artificial neural networks (ANN). This paper offers an all-encompassing exploration of the contemporary literature on methods for diagnosing, categorizing, and gauging the severity of crop diseases. The review examines the performance analysis of the latest machine learning (ML) and DL techniques outlined in these studies. It also scrutinizes the methodologies and datasets and outlines the prevalent recommendations and identified gaps within different research investigations. As a conclusion, the review offers insights into potential solutions and outlines the direction for future research in this field. The review underscores that while most studies have concentrated on traditional ML algorithms and CNN, there has been a noticeable dearth of focus on emerging DL algorithms like capsule neural networks and vision transformers. Furthermore, it sheds light on the fact that several datasets employed for training and evaluating DL models have been tailored to suit specific crop types, emphasizing the pressing need for a comprehensive and expansive image dataset encompassing a wider array of crop varieties. Moreover, the survey draws attention to the prevailing trend where the majority of research endeavours have concentrated on individual plant diseases, ML, or DL algorithms. In light of this, it advocates for the development of a unified framework that harnesses an ensemble of ML and DL algorithms to address the complexities of multiple plant diseases effectively.

Recent advances in plant translational genomics for crop improvement

The growing population, climate change, and limited agricultural resources put enormous pressure on agricultural systems. A plateau in crop yields is occurring and extreme weather events and urbanization threaten the livelihood of farmers. It is imperative that immediate attention is paid to addressing the increasing food demand, ensuring resilience against emerging threats, and meeting the demand for more nutritious, safer food. Under uncertain conditions, it is essential to expand genetic diversity and discover novel crop varieties or variations to develop higher and more stable yields. Genomics plays a significant role in developing abundant and nutrient-dense food crops. An alternative to traditional breeding approach, translational genomics is able to improve breeding programs in a more efficient and precise manner by translating genomic concepts into practical tools. Crop breeding based on genomics offers potential solutions to overcome the limitations of conventional breeding methods, including improved crop varieties that provide more nutritional value and are protected from biotic and abiotic stresses. Genetic markers, such as SNPs and ESTs, contribute to the discovery of QTLs controlling agronomic traits and stress tolerance. In order to meet the growing demand for food, there is a need to incorporate QTLs into breeding programs using marker-assisted selection/breeding and transgenic technologies. This chapter primarily focuses on the recent advances that are made in translational genomics for crop improvement and various omics techniques including transcriptomics, metagenomics, pangenomics, single cell omics etc. Numerous genome editing techniques including CRISPR Cas technology and their applications in crop improvement had been discussed.

The impacts of climate change on groundwater quality: A review

Groundwater has been known as the second largest freshwater storage in the world, following surface water. Over the years, groundwater has already been under overwhelming pressure to satisfy human needs for artificial activities around the world. Meanwhile, the most noticeable footprint of human activities is the impact of climate change. Climate change has the potential to change the physical and chemical properties of groundwater, thereby affecting its ecological functions. This study summarizes existing research affiliated with the possible effects of a changing climate on the quality of groundwater, including changes in water availability, increased salinity and pollution from extreme weather events, and the potentiality of seawater intrusion into coastal aquifers. Previous works dealing with groundwater-induced responses to the climate system and climate impacts on groundwater quality through natural and anthropogenic processes have been reviewed. The climate-induced changes in groundwater quality including pH, dissolved oxygen level, salinity, and concentrations of organic and inorganic compounds were assessed. Some future research directions are proposed, including exploring the potential changes in the occurrences and fate of micropollutants in groundwater, examining the relationship between the increase of microcystin in groundwater and climate change, studying the changes in the stability of metals and metal complexation, and completing studies across different regional climate regions.

Nano-Priming for Inducing Salinity Tolerance, Disease Resistance, Yield Attributes, and Alleviating Heavy Metal Toxicity in Plants

In today's time, agricultural productivity is severely affected by climate change and increasing pollution. Hence, several biotechnological approaches, including genetic and non-genetic strategies, have been developed and adapted to increase agricultural productivity. One of them is nano-priming, i.e., seed priming with nanomaterials. Thus far, nano-priming methods have been successfully used to mount desired physiological responses and productivity attributes in crops. In this review, the literature about the utility of nano-priming methods for increasing seed vigor, germination, photosynthetic output, biomass, early growth, and crop yield has been summarized. Moreover, the available knowledge about the use of nano-priming methods in modulating plant antioxidant defenses and hormonal networks, inducing salinity tolerance and disease resistance, as well as alleviating heavy metal toxicity in plants, is reviewed. The significance of nano-priming methods in the context of phytotoxicity and environmental safety has also been discussed. For future perspectives, knowledge gaps in the present literature are highlighted, and the need for optimization and validation of nano-priming methods and their plant physiological outcomes, from lab to field, is emphasized.

Community change and population outbreak of grasshoppers driven by climate change

The response of insects to climate changes in various aspects has been well-documented. However, there is a dearth of comprehensive review specifically focusing on the response and adaptation of grasshoppers, which are important primary consumers and pests in grassland and agricultural ecosystems. The coexistence of grasshopper species forms diverse communities and coherent groups in spatial-temporal scales. It makes them excellent models for studying the interplay of phenology, dispersal, trophic relationship, and population dynamics, all influenced by climate changes. Certain grasshopper species have adapted to climate change through mechanisms such as diapause. Here, we delve into grasshopper community changes, their adaptive strategies, and population outbreaks in response to climate change and land use. By serving as ecological indicators, grasshoppers offer valuable insights for monitoring climatic and environmental shifts. Last, this review puts forth several future directions for comprehending the population dynamics of insects in the context of climate change.

Vegetation-cover control of between-site soil temperature evolution in a sandy desertland

Vegetation has an important influence on soil temperature (ST). However, the possible effects of surface vegetation on ST and their feedback on microclimate remain uncertain due to the lack of in-situ and long-term environmental records, especially for arid and semiarid regions of the world. A continuous, two-year study was implemented over a bare sand dune (BF) and two scrub-vegetation sites of variable cover in the Mu Us Desert of northwest China. Surface vegetation at the two non-bare sites varied from about 40% (moderate cover, MF) and 80 % (high cover, HF) of their respective surface area. Depiction of the vertical ST-profile was based on an array of field-based measurements taken within the uppermost 180 cm of the soil complex at each site. Compared with the BF site, mean ST at MF and HF decreased by 1.2 and 1.6 °C during the uniform thaw period and increased by 0.1 and 1 °C during uniform freezing. Amplitude of seasonal variation in ST for both vegetated sites, i.e., MF and HF, was reduced by 2.4 and 4.9 °C, respectively. As soil cooling during the uniform thaw period was greater than soil warming during uniform freezing, annual mean ST decreased at both vegetated sites by 1.6 and 1.2 °C (for MF and HF, respectively) compared to ST at BF. Differences in ST among the three sites during the uniform freeze and thaw periods were exponentially correlated with the extent of site vegetation cover, leaf area index, aboveground biomass, and on-the-ground litter thickness. Vegetation cover was shown to reduce the depth of the frost layer by 30 cm and prolonged the uniform thaw period by 1-35 days at the HF site. Mean daily STs at the center of each soil layer at the three sites were simulated with a two-equation model developed for this study, yielding a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.91 when modeled STs were compared against their corresponding field observations. Increases in winter ST has potential to safeguard ground-dwelling grubs and other agriculturally harmful insects from freezing and dying. Likewise, decreases in annual ST could help promote decreases in litter decomposition, potentially lessening the effects of wind erosion.

Latitudinal variation in survival and immature development of Ceratitis capitata populations reared in two key overwintering hosts

Ceratitis capitata, a major agricultural pest, is currently expanding its geographic distribution to northern, temperate areas of Europe. Its seasonal biology and invasion success depend on temperature, humidity and host availability. In coastal warmer Mediterranean regions and cooler temperature areas, bitter oranges and apples serve as overwintering hosts during the larval stage. We assessed the overwintering capacity of C. capitata populations obtained from different areas of the northern hemisphere by studying the survival and development rates of immature stages in both fruits under laboratory conditions. Eggs from each population were artificially inserted in the flesh of the two hosts and kept at 15, 20, or 25 °C until pupation and adult emergence. Climatic analysis of the area of the population origin showed combined effects of latitude, host and macroclimatic variables on immature survival and development rates. Egg to adult survival rates and developmental duration were longer in apples than in bitter oranges. For populations originated from southern-warmer areas, egg to adult developmental duration was prolonged and adult emergence reduced at 15 °C compared to those populations obtained from northern regions. Our findings reveal varying plastic responses of medfly populations to different overwintering hosts and temperatures highlighting the differential overwintering potential as larvae within fruits. This study contributes towards better understanding the medfly invasion dynamics in temperate areas of Northern Europe and other parts of the globe with similar climates.

Spatiotemporal patterns of multiple pesticide residues in central Argentina streams

Pollution of surface waters is a global threat, with particular concern about pesticides due to their severe negative effects on ecosystem functioning and human health. The aims of this study were to identify the spatiotemporal patterns of water and sediment quality, and the key variables related to the variation in pesticide pollution (122 compounds), in headwater streams (surrounding land uses: crop or mixed crop-livestock systems) and floodplain streams (surrounding land uses: urban development or natural wetland) of the Paraná River basin in the central area of Argentina. We found significant differences in water and sediment quality related to local land uses among headwater streams, but not among floodplain streams. These differences were more noticeable during spring than during autumn. Pesticides were widespread in all the streams, independently of the surrounding land use, reflecting the combination of local inputs and the role of floodplain hydrological connectivity in transporting pollutants from upstream sources. The most frequently detected compound was atrazine (75 %), whereas the highest concentration of an individual compound was observed for the glyphosate metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA, up to 4 μg L-1). The significant explanatory variables for pesticide pollution were turbidity, chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM), sub-basin area, side slope of streams (positive relations), wetland cover, and precipitations (negative relations). Our results can be useful for the design of monitoring programs that capture the spatial and temporal variability of pesticide pollution.

A Survey of Xylella fastidiosa in the U.S. State of Virginia Reveals Wide Distribution of Both Subspecies fastidiosa and multiplex in Grapevine

Global travel and trade in combination with climate change are expanding the geographic distribution of plant pathogens. The bacterium Xylella fastidiosa is a prime example. Native to the Americas, it has spread to Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. To assess the risk that pathogen introductions pose to crops in newly invaded areas, it is key to survey their diversity, host range, and disease incidence in relation to climatic conditions where they are already present. We performed a survey of X. fastidiosa in grapevine in Virginia using a combination of quantitative PCR, multilocus sequencing, and metagenomics. We also analyzed samples from deciduous trees with leaf scorch symptoms. X. fastidiosa subspecies fastidiosa was identified in grapevines in all regions of the state, even in Northern Virginia, where the temperature was below -9°C for 10 days per year on average in the years preceding sampling. Unexpectedly, we also found for the first time grapevine samples infected with X. fastidiosa subspecies multiplex (Xfm). The Xfm lineage found in grapevines had been previously isolated from blueberries in the Southeastern United States and was distinct from that found in deciduous trees in Virginia. The obtained results will be important for risk assessment of X. fastidiosa introductions in other parts of the world.

Climate change impacts on insect pests for high value specialty crops in California

California is a global leader in production and supply of walnuts and almonds, and the state is the largest producer of peaches in the U.S. These crops have an important contribution to the California's agricultural economy. Damages to these crops from lepidopteran pests, mainly from Codling moth (Cydia pomonella) (family: Tortricidae), Peach twig borer (Anarsia lineatella) (family: Gelechiidae) and Oriental fruit moth (Grapholita molesta) (family: Tortricidae), are still high, despite the improvement in pest management activities. Given that temperature increase can directly impact the rate of growth and development of these pests, it is important to understand to what extent dynamics of these pests will change in future in California. The objective of this study was to quantify changes in the biofix, lifecycle length, and number of generations for these pests for the entire Central Valley of California. Using a well-established growing-degree days (GDD) model calibrated and validated using observations from orchards of California, and climate change projections from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phases 5 and 6 (CMIP5 and CMIP6) General Circulation Models, we found that biofix dates of these pests are expected to shift earlier by up to 28 days, and length of generations is expected to be shortened by up to 19 days, and up to 1.4 extra generations of these pests can be added by the end of the century depending on the scenario. Results from this work would enable industries to prioritize development of practices that are more effective in the long run, such as developing better cultural and biological pest solutions and insect tolerant varieties. Growers and researchers can take proactive actions to minimize future risks associated with these damaging pests. This work can be scalable to other pests and regions to understand regional dynamics of damaging agricultural pests under climate change.

Genomic signals of local adaptation across climatically heterogenous habitats in an invasive tropical fruit fly (Bactrocera tryoni)

Local adaptation plays a key role in the successful establishment of pest populations in new environments by enabling them to tolerate novel biotic and abiotic conditions experienced outside their native range. However, the genomic underpinnings of such adaptive responses remain unclear, especially for agriculturally important pests. We investigated population genomic signatures in the tropical/subtropical Queensland fruit fly, Bactrocera tryoni, which has an expanded range encompassing temperate and arid zones in Australia, and tropical zones in the Pacific Islands. Using reduced representation sequencing data from 28 populations, we detected allele frequency shifts associated with the native/invasive status of populations and identified environmental factors that have likely driven population differentiation. We also determined that precipitation, temperature, and geographic variables explain allelic shifts across the distribution range of B. tryoni. We found spatial heterogeneity in signatures of local adaptation across various climatic conditions in invaded areas. Specifically, disjunct invasive populations in the tropical Pacific Islands and arid zones of Australia were characterised by multiple significantly differentiated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), some of which were associated with genes with well-understood function in environmental stress (e.g., heat and desiccation) response. However, invasive populations in southeast Australian temperate zones showed higher gene flow with the native range and lacked a strong local adaptive signal. These results suggest that population connectivity with the native range has differentially affected local adaptive patterns in different invasive populations. Overall, our findings provide insights into the evolutionary underpinnings of invasion success of an important horticultural pest in climatically distinct environments.

The impact of 'framing' in the adoption of GM crops

Genetically modified (GM) crops offer significant advantages in our crop improvement programs because they are created using a more targeted approach which is not possible in traditional breeding methods. Human benefit is one of the main objectives of crop improvement but the legal framework for the introduction of GM crops and the depiction and portrayal of GM crops in the media create barriers to these benefits. This article attempts to highlight the barriers to GM crop adoption particularly focusing on the idea of "framing" and the way GM technology is framed in the media. The resulting public health, economic, and ecological concerns about genetically modified plants, along with the reality of these misconceptions, are discussed with specific examples. Finally, we propose potential routes toward increased acceptance of GM crops.

Ameliorating the effects of multiple stresses on agronomic traits in crops: modern biotechnological and omics approaches

While global climate change poses a significant environmental threat to agriculture, the increasing population is another big challenge to food security. To address this, developing crop varieties with increased productivity and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses is crucial. Breeders must identify traits to ensure higher and consistent yields under inconsistent environmental challenges, possess resilience against emerging biotic and abiotic stresses and satisfy customer demands for safer and more nutritious meals. With the advent of omics-based technologies, molecular tools are now integrated with breeding to understand the molecular genetics of genotype-based traits and develop better climate-smart crops. The rapid development of omics technologies offers an opportunity to generate novel datasets for crop species. Identifying genes and pathways responsible for significant agronomic traits has been made possible by integrating omics data with genetic and phenotypic information. This paper discusses the importance and use of omics-based strategies, including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and phenomics, for agricultural and horticultural crop improvement, which aligns with developing better adaptability in these crop species to the changing climate conditions.

Phenological Mapping of Invasive Insects: Decision Support for Surveillance and Management

Readily accessible and easily understood forecasts of the phenology of invasive insects have the potential to support and improve strategic and tactical decisions for insect surveillance and management. However, most phenological modeling tools developed to date are site-based, meaning that they use data from a weather station to produce forecasts for that single site. Spatial forecasts of phenology, or phenological maps, are more useful for decision-making at area-wide scales, such as counties, states, or entire nations. In this review, we provide a brief history on the development of phenological mapping technologies with a focus on degree-day models and their use as decision support tools for invasive insect species. We compare three different types of phenological maps and provide examples using outputs of web-based platforms that are presently available for real-time mapping of invasive insects for the contiguous United States. Next, we summarize sources of climate data available for real-time mapping, applications of phenological maps, strategies for balancing model complexity and simplicity, data sources and methods for validating spatial phenology models, and potential sources of model error and uncertainty. Lastly, we make suggestions for future research that may improve the quality and utility of phenological maps for invasive insects.

Phenotypic and genetic characterization of an Avena sativa L. germplasm collection of diverse origin: implications for food-oat breeding in Chile

Oats are known for their nutritional value and also for their beneficial properties on human health, such as the reduction of cholesterol levels and risk of coronary heart disease; they are an important export product for Chile. During the last decade (2010-2022) over 90% of the oat cultivated area in Chile has been covered with Avena sativa L. cv. Supernova INIA. This lack of genetic diversity in a context of climate change could limit the long-term possibility of growing oats in Chile. The present study is a phenotypic and genetic analysis of 132 oat cultivars and pure lines of diverse origin that can be considered as potential breeding material. The germplasm was evaluated for 28 traits and analyzed with 14 SSR markers. The effects of genotypes on phenotype were significant over all traits (P ≤ 0.05). Most traits exhibited moderate to high broad-sense heritability with exceptions such as yield (H2 = 0.27) and hulls staining (H2 = 0.32). Significant undesirable correlations between traits were generally of small biological importance, which is auspicious for achieving breeding objectives. Some of the heritability data and correlations provided here have not been previously reported. The overall phenotypic diversity was high (H' = 0.68 ± 0.18). The germplasm was grouped into three phenotypic clusters, differing in their qualities for breeding. Twenty-six genotypes outperforming Supernova INIA were identified for breeding of conventional food-oats. The genetic diversity of the germplasm was moderate on average (He = 0.58 ± 0.03), varying between 0.32 (AM22) and 0.77 (AME178). Two genetic subpopulations supported by the Structure algorithm exhibited a genetic distance of 0.24, showing low divergence of the germplasm. The diversity and phenotypic values found in this collection of oat genotypes are promising with respect to obtaining genetic gain in the short term in breeding programs. However, the similar genetic diversity, higher phenotypic diversity, and better phenotypic performance of the germplasm created in Chile compared to foreign germplasm suggest that germplasm harboring new genetic diversity will be key to favor yield and quality in new oat cultivars in the long term.

The use of RNA interference for the management of arthropod pests in livestock farms

Pest management in farm animals is an important action to contain economic damage to livestock production and prevent transmission of severe diseases to the stock. The use of chemical insecticides is still the most common approach followed by farmers; however, avoiding possible toxic effects on animals is a fundamental task for pest control measures compatible with animal well-being. Moreover, legal constraints and insurgence of resistance by target species to the available insecticidal compounds are increasingly complicating farmers' operations. Alternatives to chemical pesticides have been explored with some promising results in the area of biological control or the use of natural products as sprays. The application of RNA interference techniques has enabled the production of new means of pest control in agriculture, and it is opening a promising avenue for controlling arthropod pests of livestock. Transcript depletion of specific target genes of the recipient organisms is based on the action of double-strand RNAs (dsRNA) capable of impairing the production of fundamental proteins. Their mode of action, based on the specific recognition of short genomic sequences, is expected to be highly selective towards non-target organisms potentially exposed; in addition, there are physical and chemical barriers to dsRNA uptake by mammalian cells that render these products practically innocuous for higher animals. Summarising existing literature on gene silencing for main taxa of arthropod pests of livestock (Acarina, Diptera, Blattoidea), this review explores the perspectives of practical applications of dsRNA-based pesticides against the main pests of farm animals. Knowledge gaps are summarised to stimulate additional research in this area.

Influence of climate factors on population density and damage of the leopard moth, Zeuzera pyrina L., in walnut orchards, Iran

The effect of climate factors (temperature, humidity, precipitation, and frost days) on the population changes, damage, and infestation area of the leopard moth, Zeuzera pyrina L., was studied during 2006-2018 in four parts of Iran including Saman, Arak, Najaf-abad, and Baft. For trend analysis, the Mann-Kendall test was run on time series data of both climate and pest population. According to the results, the annual mean (Kendall's statistics, T = 0.64 and 0.48), annual minimum (T = 0.60 and 0.42), and January mean (T = 0.64 and 0.61, respectively) temperatures showed increasing trends in Saman and Najaf-abad. Moreover, the annual mean minimum and January temperatures (T = 0.41 and 0.45, respectively) in Arak and the annual mean maximum temperature (T = 0.79) in Baft showed increasing trends. The number of frost days/year (Kendall's statistics, T = -0.63, -0.53, -0.32 and -0.37) and annual mean relative humidity (T = -0.43, -0.63, -0.64 and -0.42, respectively) showed decreasing trends in Saman, Arak, Baft, and Najaf-abad stations. Trend analysis indicated significant increases in the mean number of moths caught (T = 0.59, 0.76 and 0.90), the percentage of infested branches/tree (T = 0.66, 0.58, and 0.90), the number of active holes/tree (T = 0.79, 0.55, and 0.68) and the infested areas (T = 0.99, 0.73, and 0.98, respectively) in Saman, Arak and Najaf-abad stations. According to stepwise regression, the mean temperatures of January, autumn, and winter were the most effective variables for increasing Z. pyrina damage and population, while relative humidity and the number of frost days played the major role in reducing it.

From Field Data to Practical Knowledge: Investigating the Bioecology of the Oak Lace Bug-An Invasive Insect Species in Europe

Corythucha arcuata, commonly known as the oak lace bug (OLB), is an insect species originally native to North America that has become an invasive species of significant concern in Europe. This invasive pest has been observed in various European countries, raising concerns about its impact on forest ecosystems. In 2015, it was first documented in Romania, further highlighting the need for research on its bioecology and life cycle. This study investigated the bioecology of the OLB in the southern region of Romania, focusing on its life cycle, development, and population dynamics. The results indicated that the OLB has three generations per year and overwinters in the adult stage in sheltered locations. Temperature significantly influenced the timing of egg hatching, nymph appearance, and adult development, with variation observed between generations. Additionally, a life table analysis provided insights into the population dynamics of the OLB in its natural environment, revealing variation in egg laying trends across generations. This research contributes to a better understanding of the OLB's bioecology and provides essential data for forest managers developing science-based management strategies to mitigate its impact. By elucidating the life cycle and development patterns of the OLB in southern Romania, this study aids in the development of predictive models and life tables tailored to the region. These findings empower forest managers with the knowledge needed to make informed decisions for effective OLB management, ultimately preserving the health of forest ecosystems.

Fate of pesticides in agricultural runoff treatment systems: Occurrence, impacts and technological progress

The levels of pesticides in air, water, and soil are gradually increasing due to its inappropriate management. In particular, agricultural runoff inflicts the damages on the ecosystem and human health at massive scale. Present study summarizes 70 studies in which investigations on removal or treatment of pesticides/insecticides/herbicides are reported. A bibliometric analysis was also done to understand the recent research trends through the analysis of 2218 publications. The specific objectives of this study are as follows: i) to inventorize the characteristics details of agriculture runoff and analyzing the occurrence and impacts of pesticides, ii) analyzing the role and interaction of pesticides in different environmental segments, iii) investigating the fate of pesticides in agriculture runoff treatment systems, iv) summarizing the experiences and findings of most commonly technology deployed for pesticides remediation in agriculture runoff including target pesticide(s), specifications, configuration of technological intervention. Among the reported technologies for pesticide treatment in agriculture runoff, constructed wetland was at the top followed by algal or photobioreactor. Among various advanced oxidation processes, photo Fenton method is mainly used for pesticides remediation such as triazine, methyl parathion, fenuron and diuron. Algal bioreactors are extensively used for a wide range of pesticides treatment including 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid, alachlor, diuron, chlorpyrifos, endosulfan, and imidacloprid; especially at lower hydraulic retention time of 2-6 h. This study highlights that hybrid approaches can offers potential opportunities for effective removal of pesticides in a more viable manner.

Sustainable Pest Management in Date Palm Ecosystems: Unveiling the Ecological Dynamics of Red Palm Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Infestations

The red palm weevil (RPW) poses a significant threat to date palm ecosystems, highlighting the necessity of sustainable pest management strategies that carefully consider the delicate ecological balance within these environments. This comprehensive review delves into innovative approaches to sustainable pest management, specifically focusing on date palm, and seeks to unravel the intricate ecological dynamics underlying RPW infestations. We thoroughly analyze biocontrol methods, eco-friendly chemical interventions, and integrated pest management (IPM) strategies, aiming to minimize the ecological impact while effectively addressing RPW infestations. By emphasizing the interplay of both living organisms (biotic) and environmental factors (abiotic) in shaping RPW dynamics, we advocate for a holistic and sustainable management approach that ensures the long-term resilience of date palm ecosystems. This review aims to contribute to an ecologically sound framework for pest management, promoting the sustainability and vitality of date palm ecosystems amidst the challenges posed by the RPW.

Metabolic Profiling of Endophytic Bacteria in Relation to Their Potential Application as Components of Multi-Task Biopreparations

Agricultural crops are exposed to various abiotic and biotic stresses that can constrain crop productivity. Focusing on a limited subset of key groups of organisms has the potential to facilitate the monitoring of the functions of human-managed ecosystems. Endophytic bacteria can enhance plant stress resistance and can help plants to cope with the negative impacts of stress factors through the induction of different mechanisms, influencing plant biochemistry and physiology. In this study, we characterise endophytic bacteria isolated from different plants based on their metabolic activity and ability to synthesise 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase (ACCD), the activity of hydrolytic exoenzymes, the total phenolic compounds (TPC) and iron-complexing compounds (ICC). Test GEN III MicroPlate indicated that the evaluated endophytes are highly metabolically active, and the best used substrates were amino acids, which may be important in selecting potential carrier components for bacteria in biopreparations. The ACCD activity of strain ES2 (Stenotrophomonas maltophilia) was the highest, whereas that of strain ZR5 (Delftia acidovorans) was the lowest. Overall, the obtained results indicated that ∼91.3% of the isolates were capable of producing at least one of the four hydrolytic enzymes. In addition, most of the tested strains produced ICC and TPC, which play a significant role in reducing stress in plants. The results of this study suggest that the tested endophytic bacterial strains can potentially be used to mitigate climate change-associated stresses in plants and to inhibit plant pathogens.

Building the resilience of smallholder farmers to climate variability: Using climate-smart agriculture in Bono East Region, Ghana

The concept of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) emerges from a requirement to come up with advanced solutions towards the intricate and combined objectives of enhancing crop yields, ameliorating resilience, and encouraging a low-emissions agricultural sector. This study examines how smallholder farmers are building their resilience to climate variability using CSA practices in the Bono East Region, Ghana. Specifically, the study sought to: (i) assess the trends of temperature and rainfall for the period 2011 to 2021; (ii) identify and rank CSA practices used by the smallholder farmers for resilience building in agricultural systems; and; (iii) determine the barriers militating against smallholder farmers' implementation of the prioritized CSA practices. Standardized rainfall and temperature anomalies integrated with Sen's slope were used to determine the temperature and rainfall trends. One hundred and fifty random household surveys in five selected communities (Benkai, Fiaso, Traa, Awurano, and Bomini) accompanied by five key informant interviews were used to collect field data. The CSA practices identified by the farmers and the barriers opposing the implementation of these practices were ranked using the Relative Importance Index (RII) and Weighted Average Index (WAI) respectively. Results showed that rainfall was inconsistent and temperature rose from 2011 to 2021 in the study area. Results also revealed that the key CSA practices implemented by the farmers were appropriate fertilizer application (RII = 0.758), mixed farming (RII = 0.735), and crop diversification (RII = 0.717). However, in the implementation of these CSA practices, the farmers were confronted with key barriers including increased occurrences of diseases and pests (WAI = 1.173), restricted access to agricultural technologies (WAI = 1.100), and excessive price of improved crop varieties (WAI = 1.067). The study concludes that the resilience of smallholder farmers in Ghana can be built through the effective implementation of the aforementioned CSA practices.