Recent advances in agroecological research for increasing scope of areawide pest management of arthropods in cropping systems

Forecasting the seasonal phenology of Agrotis ipsilon in Oregon grass seed and vegetable agroecosystems

Agrotis ipsilon (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a significant pest in Oregon grass seed and vegetable production systems. Effective management of this species relies on timely foliar insecticide applications targeting immature A. ipsilon larvae before crop damage is observed. Regionally specific phenological models serve as a critical component of effective areawide pest management plans to inform the timing of pest monitoring and management action. Seasonal modeling of A. ipsilon phenology is complicated by their migratory behavior and limited knowledge of temperature-dependent development on affected crop hosts. Growth chamber experiments at five constant temperatures (12 to 32°C) were conducted to determine the temperature-dependent development of A. ispsilon life stages on an artificial and perennial ryegrass diet. The completion of one A. ipsilon generation (egg-to-adult) required 658.71 ± 31.49, 601.98 ± 16.01, 648.47 ± 21.35 degree days with a base temperature threshold of 9.8°C for artificial diet, perennial ryegrass diet, and across both diet types, respectively. The timing of migrant adults was predicted with surface air temperature using non-linear regression with A. ipsilon abundance data collected from pheromone-baited traps in 77 total commercial grass seed (n = 57) and vegetable (n = 20) production fields across 19 sampling years (1996 to 2023). Developmental parameters and predictions of adult arrival were used to develop general and grass seed specific phenology model projections for A. ipsilon populations in Oregon. Regionally validated phenology models can be incorporated into decision support tools to forecast the spatiotemporal occurrence of crop-damaging life stages of priority insect pests.

Crop, semi-natural, and water features of the cotton agroecosystem as indicators of risk of infestation of two plant bug (Hemiptera: Miridae) pests

Introduction

This study considers concepts and tools of landscape ecology and geographic information systems (GIS) to prioritize insect monitoring in large-scale crops, using the cotton agroecosystem of the Texas Gulf Coast and two plant bug species (Creontiades signatus Distant and Pseudatomoscelis seriatus (Reuter) [Hemiptera: Miridae]) as a case study. The two species differed in host plants and time span as cotton pests.

Methods

C. signatus and P. seriatus abundance in early growth of cotton were regressed on landscape metrics. Comparisons of three approaches to select landscape variables in stepwise multiple regressions were made across spatial scales and two weeks of insect data extracted from monitoring of 21 cotton fields, years 2010 through 2013.

Results and discussion

The spatial variation of plant bug abundance and the landscape features were substantial, aiding the regression approach. For full stepwise regression models using 18 landscape variables, regression model fit using C. signatus data was modestly better in week one of sampling when C. signatus adults and young nymphs were detected (R 2 range of 0.56 to 0.82), as compared with model fit at week two (R 2 range of 0.49 to 0.77). The smallest scale (2.5 km radius) models had the greatest number of variables selected and highest R 2, while two broader scales (5 and 10 km) and truncating the models to three variables produced a narrower range of R 2s (0.49 to 0.62) and more consistent entry of variables. Wetland composition had a consistent positive association with C. signatus abundance, supporting its association with seepweeds which are common in coastal wetlands. When selected, the composition of cotton and grassland/shrubland/pasture also had a positive association with C. signatus abundance. Aggregation metrics were also relevant, but composition metrics in the models were arguably more easily utilized in prioritizing insect monitoring. In contrast, there were few significant regressions using P. seriatus data, possibly due to the widespread distribution of its weedy host plants and lower abundance. Overall, selected landscape features served as indicators of C. signatus infestation potential in cotton particularly grown near coastal wetlands, but landscape features were not useful for P. seriatus infestation potential in cotton.

Characterization of carbon fluxes, stock and nutrients in the sacred forest groves and invasive vegetation stands within the human dominated landscapes of a tropical semi-arid region

In the semi-arid plains of Southern India, outside the protected area network, sacred groves forests and the barren lands invaded by Prosopis juliflora are reckoned to be the major greenery, but have homogenous and heterogeneous vegetation respectively. This study attempted to compare 50 Sacred Groves Stands (SGS) and 50 monodominant Prosopis juliflora Stands (PJS) for the functional diversity, evenness, floral diversity, carbon stock and dynamics, carbon-fixing traits, dendrochronology of trees, soil nutrient profiles, and soil erosion. Quadrat sample survey was adopted to record stand density, species richness, abundance, basal area and leaf area index; composite soil samples were collected at depths 0-30 cm for nutrient profiling (N, P, K, and OC). Photosynthesis rate (µmole co2 m2/sec), air temperature (°c), leaf intracellular co2 concentration (ppm), ambient photosynthetic active radiation (µmole m2/sec), transpiration rate (m. mole H2O m2/sec) were determined for the 51 tree species existed in SGS and PJS using Plant Photosynthesis system. Structural Equation Model (SEM) was applied to derive the carbon sequestering potential and photosynthetic efficiency of eight dominant tree species using vital input parameters, including eco-physiological, morphological, and biochemical characterization. The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model, in conjunction with ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS 10.3, was adopted to map soil loss. Carbon source/sink determinations inferred through Net Ecosystem Productivity (NEP) assessments showed that mature SGS potentially acted as a carbon sink (0.06 ± 0.01 g C/m2/day), while matured PJS acted as a carbon source (-0.34 ± 0.12 g C/m2/day). Soil erosion rates were significantly greater (29.5 ± 13.4 ton/ha/year) in SGS compared to PJS (7.52 ± 2.55 ton/ha/year). Of the eight selected tree species, SEM revealed that trees belonging to the family Fabaceae [Wrightia tinctoria (estimated coefficient: 1.28, p = 0.02) > Prosopis juliflora (1.22, p = 0.01) > Acacia nilotica (1.21, p = 0.03) > Albizia lebbeck (0.97, p = 0.01)] showed comparatively high carbon sequestering ability.