Plants

Research

Jump to: Review

13 pages, 4110 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation on the Efficacy of Farrerol in Inhibiting Shoot Blight of Larch (Neofusicoccum laricinum)

by Evaristo A. Bruda, Rui Xia, Ruizhi Zhang, Haoru Wang, Qi Yu, Mengyao Hu and Feng Wang

Plants 2024, 13(21), 3004; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13213004 - 28 Oct 2024

Viewed by 465

Abstract

Neofusicoccum laricinum is the causal agent of larch shoot blight, a fungal disease affecting several species of larch. It causes severe damage, including stunting and mortality. This study aims to address the severe impact of larch shoot blight by evaluating the effect of [...] Read more.

Neofusicoccum laricinum is the causal agent of larch shoot blight, a fungal disease affecting several species of larch. It causes severe damage, including stunting and mortality. This study aims to address the severe impact of larch shoot blight by evaluating the effect of farrerol on the inhibition of Neofusicoccum laricinum in Larix olgensis. We used LC-MS/MS and weighted gene co-expression network analysis to investigate farrerol’s effects on Neofusicoccum laricinum and identify associated genes in resistant and susceptible larch. Our study identified significant differences in metabolite profiles between resistant and susceptible cultivars, with higher concentrations of farrerol showing complete inhibition of N. laricinum. Additionally, specific genes associated with farrerol content were up-regulated in resistant larch. Farrerol at higher concentrations completely inhibited N. laricinum, showing a strong correlation with increased disease resistance. This research suggests that farrerol enhances disease resistance in larch and provides a foundation for developing disease-resistant larch varieties based on antifungal metabolite traits. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Pest Management and Plants Health)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 5561 KiB

Open AccessArticle

CVW-Etr: A High-Precision Method for Estimating the Severity Level of Cotton Verticillium Wilt Disease

by Pan Pan, Qiong Yao, Jiawei Shen, Lin Hu, Sijian Zhao, Longyu Huang, Guoping Yu, Guomin Zhou and Jianhua Zhang

Plants 2024, 13(21), 2960; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13212960 - 23 Oct 2024

Viewed by 605

Abstract

Cotton verticillium wilt significantly impacts both cotton quality and yield. Selecting disease-resistant varieties and using their resistance genes in breeding is an effective and economical control measure. Accurate severity estimation of this disease is crucial for breeding resistant cotton varieties. However, current methods [...] Read more.

Cotton verticillium wilt significantly impacts both cotton quality and yield. Selecting disease-resistant varieties and using their resistance genes in breeding is an effective and economical control measure. Accurate severity estimation of this disease is crucial for breeding resistant cotton varieties. However, current methods fall short, slowing the breeding process. To address these challenges, this paper introduces CVW-Etr, a high-precision method for estimating the severity of cotton verticillium wilt. CVW-Etr classifies severity into six levels (L0 to L5) based on the proportion of segmented diseased leaves to lesions. Upon integrating YOLOv8-Seg with MobileSAM, CVW-Etr demonstrates excellent performance and efficiency with limited samples in complex field conditions. It incorporates the RFCBAMConv, C2f-RFCBAMConv, AWDownSample-Lite, and GSegment modules to handle blurry transitions between healthy and diseased regions and variations in angle and distance during image collection, and to optimize the model’s parameter size and computational complexity. Our experimental results show that CVW-Etr effectively segments diseased leaves and lesions, achieving a mean average precision (mAP) of 92.90% and an average severity estimation accuracy of 92.92% with only 2.6M parameters and 10.1G FLOPS. Through experiments, CVW-Etr proves robust in estimating cotton verticillium wilt severity, offering valuable insights for disease-resistant cotton breeding applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Pest Management and Plants Health)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

10 pages, 913 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development, Survival and Reproduction of Nezara viridula (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in Sesame Cultivars and Implications for the Management

by Adrielly Karoliny de Lima, José Janduí Soares, Marcus Alvarenga Soares, José Cola Zanuncio, Carla de Lima Bicho and Carlos Alberto Domingues da Silva

Plants 2024, 13(8), 1060; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13081060 - 9 Apr 2024

Viewed by 1269

Abstract

Sesame, an oilseed plant with multiple applications, is susceptible to infestations by the stink bug Nezara viridula (Linnaeus, 1758) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae). This pest suctions the seeds of this plant and injects toxins into them. Possible sources of resistance on sesame cultivars are important [...] Read more.

Sesame, an oilseed plant with multiple applications, is susceptible to infestations by the stink bug Nezara viridula (Linnaeus, 1758) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae). This pest suctions the seeds of this plant and injects toxins into them. Possible sources of resistance on sesame cultivars are important to manage this bug. The objective of this study was to evaluate the biological aspects of N. viridula fed on three sesame cultivars aiming to select possible resistance sources for integrated pest management (IPM) programs of this stinkbug. The experimental design used randomized blocks with three treatments and four replications, each with newly emerged N. viridula nymphs fed with sesame capsules of the cultivars BRS Anahí (T1), BRS Morena (T2) and BRS Seda (T3). Two to three green sesame capsules were supplied every two days per group of ten N. viridula nymphs as one replication until the beginning of the adult stage. Adults of this stinkbug were fed in the same manner as its nymphs but with mature sesame capsules until the end of the observations. Survival during each of the five instars and of the nymph stage of N. viridula with green sesame capsules was similar between cultivars, but the duration of the nymph stage was shorter with green capsules of the BRS Morena than with those of the BRS Anahí. The oviposition period, number of egg masses and eggs per female, and the percentage of nymphs hatched were higher with mature capsules of the sesame cultivar BRS Anahí and lower with the others. Nymphs did not hatch from eggs deposited by females fed mature seed capsules of the sesame cultivar BRS Morena, which may indicate a source of resistance against this stinkbug in this cultivar. The worldwide importance of N. viridula to sesame cultivation makes these results useful for breeding programs of this plant aiming to develop genotypes resistant to this bug. In addition, the BRS Morena is a cultivar already commercially available and can be recommended in places where there is a history of incidence of N. viridula, aiming to manage the populations of this pest. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Pest Management and Plants Health)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

18 pages, 1565 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Chabazite Zeolite Foliar Applications Used for Olive Fruit Fly Control on Volatile Organic Compound Emission, Photosynthesis, and Quality of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

by Lucia Morrone, Luisa Neri, Osvaldo Facini, Giulio Galamini, Giacomo Ferretti and Annalisa Rotondi

Plants 2024, 13(5), 698; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13050698 - 29 Feb 2024

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1288

Abstract

The olive fruit fly (Bactrocera oleae Rossi) is the most dangerous pest of olive fruits and negatively influences the chemical and sensory quality of the oil produced. Organic farms have few tools against this pest and are constantly looking for effective and [...] Read more.

The olive fruit fly (Bactrocera oleae Rossi) is the most dangerous pest of olive fruits and negatively influences the chemical and sensory quality of the oil produced. Organic farms have few tools against this pest and are constantly looking for effective and sustainable products such as geomaterials, i.e., zeolite. Since a particle film covers the canopy, a study was carried out on the olive tree’s responses to zeolite foliar coating. The tested treatments were natural zeolite (NZ), zeolite enriched with ammonium (EZ), and Spintor-Fly^® (SF). EZ was associated with higher photosynthetic activity with respect to the other treatments, while no differences were found between SF and NZ. Foliar treatments affect the amount of BVOC produced in both leaves and olives, where 26 and 23 different BVOCs (biogenic volatile organic compounds) were identified but not the type of compounds emitted. Foliar treatment with EZ significantly affected fruit size, and the olive fruit fly more frequently attacked the olives, while treatment with NZ had olives with similar size and attack as those treated with Spintor-Fly^®; no difference in oil quantity was detected. Oil produced from olives treated with NZ presented higher values of phenolic content and intensities of bitterness and spiciness than oils from those treated with EZ and SF. According to the results of this study, using zeolite films on an olive tree canopy does not negatively influence plant physiology; it has an impact on BVOC emission and the chemical and sensory characteristics of the oil. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Pest Management and Plants Health)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 970 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Economic Injury Levels and Economic Thresholds for Leucoptera coffeella as a Function of Insecticide Application Technology in Organic and Conventional Coffee (Coffea arabica), Farms

by Marcelo Coutinho Picanço Filho, Eraldo Lima, Daiane das Graças do Carmo, Angelo Pallini, Adriana Helena Walerius, Ricardo Siqueira da Silva, Letícia Caroline da Silva Sant’Ana, Pedro Henrique Queiroz Lopes and Marcelo Coutinho Picanço

Plants 2024, 13(5), 585; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13050585 - 21 Feb 2024

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1913

Abstract

Leucoptera coffeella (Lepidoptera: Lyonetiidae) is one of the main pests in coffee crops. The economic injury level (EIL) is the lowest density of the pest at which economic damages match the costs of control measures. The economic threshold (ET) is the density of [...] Read more.

Leucoptera coffeella (Lepidoptera: Lyonetiidae) is one of the main pests in coffee crops. The economic injury level (EIL) is the lowest density of the pest at which economic damages match the costs of control measures. The economic threshold (ET) is the density of the pest at which control measures must be taken so that this population does not reach the EIL. These are the main indices used for pest control decision-making. Control of L. coffeella is carried out by manual, tractor, airplane or drone applications. This work aimed to determine EILs and ETs for L. coffeella as a function of insecticide application technology in conventional and organic Coffea arabica crops. Data were collected over five years in commercial C. arabica crops on seven 100 ha central pivots. The cost of control in organic crops was 16.98% higher than conventional. The decreasing order of control cost was manual > drone > airplane > tractor application. Coffee plants were tolerant to low densities (up to 15% mined leaves) of the pest that caused losses of up to 6.56%. At high pest densities (54.20% mined leaves), losses were high (85.62%). In organic and conventional crops and with the use of different insecticide application technologies, EIL and ET were similar. The EIL and ET were 14% and 11% of mined leaves, respectively. Therefore, these indices can be incorporated in integrated pest management programs in C. arabica crops. The indices determined as a function of insecticide application technology in organic and conventional coffee are important as they serve producers with different technological levels. Additionally, EILs and ETs can contribute to more sustainable production, as control methods will only be employed when the pest density reaches these indices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Pest Management and Plants Health)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 7212 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A MaxEnt Model of Citrus Black Fly Aleurocanthus woglumi Ashby (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) under Different Climate Change Scenarios

by Nilson Rodrigues da Silva, Philipe Guilherme Corcino Souza, Gildriano Soares de Oliveira, Alisson da Silva Santana, Leandro Bacci, Gerson Adriano Silva, Edmond Joseph Djibril Victor Barry, Fernanda de Aguiar Coelho, Marcus Alvarenga Soares, Marcelo Coutinho Picanço, Renato Almeida Sarmento and Ricardo Siqueira da Silva

Plants 2024, 13(4), 535; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13040535 - 15 Feb 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1486

Abstract

The citrus blackfly (CBF), Aleurocanthus woglumi Ashby, is an exotic pest native to Southeast Asia that has spread rapidly to the world’s main centers of citrus production, having been recently introduced to Brazil. In this study, a maximum entropy niche model (MaxEnt) was [...] Read more.

The citrus blackfly (CBF), Aleurocanthus woglumi Ashby, is an exotic pest native to Southeast Asia that has spread rapidly to the world’s main centers of citrus production, having been recently introduced to Brazil. In this study, a maximum entropy niche model (MaxEnt) was used to predict the potential worldwide distribution of CBF under current and future climate change scenarios for 2030 and 2050. These future scenarios came from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6), SSP1-2.6, and SSP5-8.5. The MaxEnt model predicted the potential distribution of CBF with area under receiver operator curve (AUC) values of 0.953 and 0.930 in the initial and final models, respectively. The average temperature of the coldest quarter months, precipitation of the rainiest month, isothermality, and precipitation of the driest month were the strongest predictors of CBF distribution, with contributions of 36.7%, 14.7%, 13.2%, and 10.2%, respectively. The model based on the current time conditions predicted that suitable areas for the potential occurrence of CBF, including countries such as Brazil, China, the European Union, the USA, Egypt, Turkey, and Morocco, are located in tropical and subtropical regions. Models from SSP1-2.6 (2030 and 2050) and SSP5-8.5 (2030) predicted that suitable habitats for CBF are increasing dramatically worldwide under future climate change scenarios, particularly in areas located in the southern US, southern Europe, North Africa, South China, and part of Australia. On the other hand, the SSP5-8.5 model of 2050 indicated a great retraction of the areas suitable for CBF located in the tropical region, with an emphasis on countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, and India. In general, the CMIP6 models predicted greater risks of invasion and dissemination of CBF until 2030 and 2050 in the southern regions of the USA, European Union, and China, which are some of the world’s largest orange producers. Knowledge of the current situation and future propagation paths of the pest serve as tools to improve the strategic government policies employed in CBF’s regulation, commercialization, inspection, combat, and phytosanitary management. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Pest Management and Plants Health)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 6228 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Rapid Grapevine Health Diagnosis Based on Digital Imaging and Deep Learning

by Osama Elsherbiny, Ahmed Elaraby, Mohammad Alahmadi, Mosab Hamdan and Jianmin Gao

Plants 2024, 13(1), 135; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13010135 - 3 Jan 2024

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2108

Abstract

Deep learning plays a vital role in precise grapevine disease detection, yet practical applications for farmer assistance are scarce despite promising results. The objective of this research is to develop an intelligent approach, supported by user-friendly, open-source software named AI GrapeCare (Version 1, [...] Read more.

Deep learning plays a vital role in precise grapevine disease detection, yet practical applications for farmer assistance are scarce despite promising results. The objective of this research is to develop an intelligent approach, supported by user-friendly, open-source software named AI GrapeCare (Version 1, created by Osama Elsherbiny). This approach utilizes RGB imagery and hybrid deep networks for the detection and prevention of grapevine diseases. Exploring the optimal deep learning architecture involved combining convolutional neural networks (CNNs), long short-term memory (LSTM), deep neural networks (DNNs), and transfer learning networks (including VGG16, VGG19, ResNet50, and ResNet101V2). A gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) was employed to measure the textural characteristics. The plant disease detection platform (PDD) created a dataset of real-life grape leaf images from vineyards to improve plant disease identification. A data augmentation technique was applied to address the issue of limited images. Subsequently, the augmented dataset was used to train the models and enhance their capability to accurately identify and classify plant diseases in real-world scenarios. The analyzed outcomes indicated that the combined CNN_RGB-LSTM_GLCM deep network, based on the VGG16 pretrained network and data augmentation, outperformed the separate deep network and nonaugmented version features. Its validation accuracy, classification precision, recall, and F-measure are all 96.6%, with a 93.4% intersection over union and a loss of 0.123. Furthermore, the software developed through the proposed approach holds great promise as a rapid tool for diagnosing grapevine diseases in less than one minute. The framework of the study shows potential for future expansion to include various types of trees. This capability can assist farmers in early detection of tree diseases, enabling them to implement preventive measures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Pest Management and Plants Health)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

15 pages, 1117 KiB

Open AccessReview

Flavonoids as Insecticides in Crop Protection—A Review of Current Research and Future Prospects

by Verónica Pereira, Onofre Figueira and Paula C. Castilho

Plants 2024, 13(6), 776; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13060776 - 8 Mar 2024

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4495

Abstract

Pesticide overuse in agricultural systems has resulted in the development of pest resistance, the impoverishment of soil microbiota, water pollution, and several human health issues. Nonetheless, farmers still depend heavily on these agrochemicals for economically viable production, given the high frequency at which [...] Read more.

Pesticide overuse in agricultural systems has resulted in the development of pest resistance, the impoverishment of soil microbiota, water pollution, and several human health issues. Nonetheless, farmers still depend heavily on these agrochemicals for economically viable production, given the high frequency at which crops are affected by pests. Phytopathogenic insects are considered the most destructive pests on crops. Botanical pesticides have gained attention as potential biopesticides and complements to traditional pesticides, owing to their biodegradability and low toxicity. Plant-based extracts are abundant in a wide variety of bioactive compounds, such as flavonoids, a class of polyphenols that have been extensively studied for this purpose because of their involvement in plant defense responses. The present review offers a comprehensive review of current research on the potential of flavonoids as insecticides for crop protection, addressing the modes and possible mechanisms of action underlying their bioactivity. The structure–activity relationship is also discussed. It also addresses challenges associated with their application in pest and disease management and suggests alternatives to overcome these issues. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Pest Management and Plants Health)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Integrated Pest Management and Plants Health

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Published Papers (8 papers)

Research

Review

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI