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Agriculture
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Pest Control and Insect Behavioral Ecology
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Pest Control and Insect Behavioral Ecology

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Crop Protection, Diseases, Pests and Weeds".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2021) | Viewed by 17169

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Frédéric Francis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, 25030 Gembloux, Belgium
Interests: insect; host plant; predators - parasites interactions; pest biological control; edible insects
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sustainable pest control in agricultural systems includes diversified and complementary approaches to reduce conventional insecticide applications. Integrated pest management (IPM) includes the development of biological control combining direct and indirect strategies to manage pests by promoting micro- and macro-organisms. Approaches to managing the behaviors of pests as well as entomophagous beneficials in a multitrophic interactive way are increasingly included in IPM. Push–pull strategies to repel pests and/or attract predators/parasites can be promoted either by using semiochemical releasers or by including odor-emitting plants in intercropping/mixing crops. Attract and kill strategies are another way to control pests by combining odor release and physical trapping. Crop plot management promoting innovative semiochemicals to be spread, either from synthetic systems or from selected plants in agro-ecosystems, leads to the reduction of pest populations with ecosystemic service promotion from beneficials. Interactions with plant pathogens are considered in terms of biocontrol compatibility, synergy, or opposition when considering particular pests acting as phytovirus vectors. This Special Issue of Agriculture will include original research articles and mini-reviews focusing on the latest developments in the biological control of various agricultural pests, considering the effect of a diversity of plants/volatile organic compounds on insect behavior/crop interactions enhancing bio-control efficiency.

Prof. Dr. Frédéric Francis
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agriculture is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

  • biological control
  • semiochemicals
  • behavioral management
  • push–pull
  • trap and kill
  • agroecology

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 958 KiB  
Article
Biological Control May Fail on Pests Applied with High Doses of Insecticides: Effects of Sub-Lethal Concentrations of a Pyrethroid on the Host-Searching Behavior of the Aphid Parasitoid Aphidius colemani (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) on Aphid Pests
by Armando Alfaro-Tapia, Jeniffer K. Alvarez-Baca, Eduardo Fuentes-Contreras and Christian C. Figueroa
Agriculture 2021, 11(6), 539; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11060539 - 11 Jun 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2928
Abstract
The use of synthetic insecticides may cause failures in the biological control of insect pests due to undesired side effects on natural enemies and the rapid evolution of insecticide resistance in agroecosystems. Residues of neurotoxic insecticides can interfere with the recognition of chemical [...] Read more.
The use of synthetic insecticides may cause failures in the biological control of insect pests due to undesired side effects on natural enemies and the rapid evolution of insecticide resistance in agroecosystems. Residues of neurotoxic insecticides can interfere with the recognition of chemical cues used by natural enemies to find pests. We investigated the effects of sub-lethal concentrations of the pyrethroid lambda-cyhalothrin on the interaction between the aphid parasitoid wasp Aphidius colemani and the peach potato aphid Myzus persicae. We studied changes in host-searching and oviposition behavior through laboratory bioassays when susceptible and kdr-resistant aphids are offered to parasitoid females, evaluating the effect of applying insecticides on the interacting species. The patch residence time, exploration, oviposition, and grooming were significantly disturbed when the parasitoids were offered resistant aphids sprayed with sub-lethal doses, but not when the parasitoids were offered susceptible M. persicae exposed to sub-lethal doses. We discuss how the effects of insecticides on parasitism behavior may result in failures of biological control if natural enemy populations are not adequately managed, particularly for the management of insecticide-resistant pest populations. Efforts to introduce biological control in integrated pest management (IPM) programs are also discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pest Control and Insect Behavioral Ecology)
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15 pages, 2097 KiB  
Article
Spatial and Temporal Variation in the Aphid–Parasitoid Interaction under Different Climates
by Daniela A. Sepúlveda, Gonzalo Barrueto, Margarita C. G. Correa, Luis E. Castañeda and Christian C. Figueroa
Agriculture 2021, 11(4), 344; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11040344 - 12 Apr 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2569
Abstract
Global warming will increase pest insect population sizes and diminish the effectiveness of biological control. This biological control failure scenario appears to be of particular concern for areas with a significant increase in maximum temperatures, such as the increase experienced in the Central [...] Read more.
Global warming will increase pest insect population sizes and diminish the effectiveness of biological control. This biological control failure scenario appears to be of particular concern for areas with a significant increase in maximum temperatures, such as the increase experienced in the Central Valley of Chile over the last 40 years. We assessed the impact of different climatic zones and maximum temperatures along the coast and the Chilean Central Valley on the grain aphid (Sitobion avenae) density, parasitism rate, and facultative endosymbionts in wheat fields during the growing season in the springs of 2017 and 2018. A significant effect on aphid density due to zones and maximum temperatures was detected; however, this depended on the zone and year analyzed. Changes between zones and seasons were observed for parasitism rates, while maximum temperatures only significantly affected the parasitism rate in 2017. The main parasitoid wasp found was Aphidius ervi in both zones and seasons. Regiella insecticola infected 95% of the samples in both zones, although it does not seem to have a protective role at the field level. Our findings suggest that, at present, global warming does not significantly affect the grain aphid outbreaks and their biological control in Chile. However, this study points out the importance of pre-emptive monitoring to detect aphids and the synchrony loss of their parasitoid wasps. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pest Control and Insect Behavioral Ecology)
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Review

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16 pages, 1321 KiB  
Review
Aphid–Plant–Phytovirus Pathosystems: Influencing Factors from Vector Behaviour to Virus Spread
by Junior Corneille Fingu-Mabola and Frédéric Francis
Agriculture 2021, 11(6), 502; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11060502 - 29 May 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 6585
Abstract
Aphids are responsible for the spread of more than half of the known phytovirus species. Virus transmission within the plant–aphid–phytovirus pathosystem depends on vector mobility which allows the aphid to reach its host plant and on vector efficiency in terms of ability to [...] Read more.
Aphids are responsible for the spread of more than half of the known phytovirus species. Virus transmission within the plant–aphid–phytovirus pathosystem depends on vector mobility which allows the aphid to reach its host plant and on vector efficiency in terms of ability to transmit phytoviruses. However, several other factors can influence the phytoviruses transmission process and have significant epidemiological consequences. In this review, we aimed to analyse the aphid behaviours and influencing factors affecting phytovirus spread. We discussed the impact of vector host-seeking and dispersal behaviours mostly involved in aphid-born phytovirus spread but also the effect of feeding behaviours and life history traits involved in plant–aphid–phytovirus relationships on vector performances. We also noted that these behaviours are influenced by factors inherent to the interactions between pathosystem components (mode of transmission of phytoviruses, vector efficiency, plant resistance, …) and several biological, biochemical, chemical or physical factors related to the environment of these pathosystem components, most of them being manipulated as means to control vector-borne diseases in the crop fields. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pest Control and Insect Behavioral Ecology)
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14 pages, 1158 KiB  
Review
Potential of Quercetin to Reduce Herbivory without Disrupting Natural Enemies and Pollinators
by Eric W. Riddick
Agriculture 2021, 11(6), 476; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11060476 - 22 May 2021
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4127
Abstract
Quercetin is one of the most abundant flavonoids in terrestrial plants and pollen. In living plants, quercetin can function as a secondary metabolite to discourage insect herbivory. Literature on insect-quercetin interactions was searched and data synthesized to test the hypothesis that quercetin can [...] Read more.
Quercetin is one of the most abundant flavonoids in terrestrial plants and pollen. In living plants, quercetin can function as a secondary metabolite to discourage insect herbivory. Literature on insect-quercetin interactions was searched and data synthesized to test the hypothesis that quercetin can become an effective biocide to reduce herbivory without disrupting natural enemies and pollinators. The USDA, National Agricultural Library, DigiTop Navigator platform was used to search the literature for harmful versus nonharmful effects of quercetin on insect behavior, physiology, and life history parameters. Quercetin effects were evaluated on herbivores in five insect orders, natural enemies in two orders, and pollinators in one order. Quercetin was significantly more harmful to Hemiptera, Diptera, and Lepidoptera but significantly more nonharmful to Coleoptera. Harmful and nonharmful effects to Orthoptera were indistinguishable. Quercetin had significantly more harmful (than nonharmful) effects on herbivores when data from the five insect orders were combined. Quercetin concentration (mg/mL) did not significantly affect these results. Quercetin was significantly more nonharmful to natural enemies (Coleoptera and Hymenoptera, combined) and pollinators (Hymenoptera). This study suggests that quercetin could prevent herbivory without disrupting natural enemies and pollinators, but field experiments are necessary to substantiate these results. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pest Control and Insect Behavioral Ecology)
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