Search Results (818)

Insect pests cause severe damage and yield losses to many agricultural crops globally. The use of chemical pesticides on agricultural crops is not recommended because of their toxic effects on the environment and consumers. In addition, pesticide toxicity reduces soil fertility, poisons ground waters, and is hazardous to soil biota. Therefore, applications of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are an alternative, eco-friendly solution to chemical pesticides and mineral-based fertilizers to enhance plant health and promote sustainable food security. This review focuses on the biological and ecological aspects of these organisms while also highlighting the practical application of molecular communication approaches in developing a novel plant health product. This insight will support this innovative approach that combines PGPR and EPNs for sustainable crop production. Several studies have reported positive interactions between nematodes and bacteria. Although the combined presence of both organisms has been shown to promote plant growth, the molecular interactions between them are still under investigation. Integrating molecular communication studies in the development of a new product could help in understanding their relationships and, in turn, support the combination of these organisms into a single plant health product. Full article

The potent and selective ‘genetic zipper’ method for insect pest control consists of three essential components: an antisense DNA (the finder), its complementary mature rRNA or pre-rRNA of the pest (the target), and the host’s endogenous DNA-guided rRNase (the degrader). Although this approach has been validated, the spectrum of effective rRNA targets remains insufficiently explored. In this study, we report for the first time the insecticidal efficacy of a novel oligonucleotide insecticide, Eriola-11, which targets the mitochondrial 16S rRNA of the woolly apple aphid Eriosoma lanigerum Hausmann. We hypothesized that the antisense-mediated silencing of mitochondrial rRNA would impair aphid viability and lead to physiological disruptions associated with mitochondrial energy metabolism. Eriola-11 was applied either once or twice (with a 24 h interval) to aphid-infested plants, and aphid mortality was recorded over 14 days. Mitochondrial 16S rRNA expression levels were quantified using molecular assays, and the degradation kinetics of Eriola-11 were assessed in aphid tissue homogenates. Results showed significant insecticidal activity, with 67.55% mortality after a single treatment and 83.35% after two treatments. Treated aphids exhibited the loss of their characteristic white woolly wax covering, and mitochondrial 16S rRNA expression was reduced 0.66-fold relative to the control. Additionally, Eriola-11 was fully degraded by aphid DNases from tissue homogenates within 3 h, highlighting its rapid biodegradability. These findings establish mitochondrial 16S rRNA as a viable target for antisense insecticides and expand the catalogue of potential rRNA-based targets, offering a promising avenue for environmentally sustainable pest control strategies. Full article

Postharvest losses amongst small-scale farmers in developing countries are high due to inadequate resources and infrastructure. Among the various affected crops, tomatoes are particularly vulnerable; however, studies on postharvest losses of most fruits and vegetables are limited. Therefore, this study aimed to assess postharvest tomato losses under different production systems within the small-scale supply chain using the indirect assessment (questionnaires and interviews) and direct quantification of losses. Farmers reported tomato losses due to insects (82.35%), cracks, bruises, and deformities (70.58%), and diseases (64.71%). Chemical sprays were the main form of pest and disease control reported by all farmers. The direct quantification sampling data revealed that 73.07% of the tomatoes were substandard at the farm level, with 47.92% and 25.15% categorized as medium-quality and poor-quality, respectively. The primary contributors to the losses were decay (39.92%), mechanical damage (31.32%), and blotchiness (27.99%). Postharvest losses were significantly higher under open-field production systems compared to closed tunnels. The fungi associated with decay were mainly Geotrichum, Fusarium spp., and Alternaria spp. These findings demonstrate the main drivers behind postharvest losses, which in turn highlight the critical need for intervention through training and support, including the use of postharvest loss reduction technologies to enhance food security. Full article

Accurate identification of predator–pest relationships is essential for implementing effective and sustainable biological control in agriculture. However, existing image-based methods struggle to recognize insect co-occurrence under complex field conditions, limiting their ecological applicability. To address this challenge, we propose a hybrid deep learning framework that integrates convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and Transformer architectures for multi-label recognition of predator–pest combinations. The model leverages a novel co-occurrence attention mechanism to capture semantic relationships between insect categories and employs a pairwise label matching loss to enhance ecological pairing accuracy. Evaluated on a field-constructed dataset of 5,037 images across eight categories, the model achieved an F1-score of 86.5%, mAP50 of 85.1%, and demonstrated strong generalization to unseen predator–pest pairs with an average F1-score of 79.6%. These results outperform several strong baselines, including ResNet-50, YOLOv8, and Vision Transformer. This work contributes a robust, interpretable approach for multi-object ecological detection and offers practical potential for deployment in smart farming systems, UAV-based monitoring, and precision pest management. Full article

Background/Objectives: Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) infection causes porcine circovirus disease (PCVD), a global immunosuppressive disease in pigs. Its clinical manifestations include post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) and porcine dermatitis and nephropathy syndrome (PDNS), which cause significant economic losses to the swine industry. The Cap protein, which is the major protective antigen of PCV2, can self-assemble to form virus-like particles (VLPs) in the insect baculovirus expression system. Few studies have compared the expression of Cap proteins in different baculovirus expression systems. Methods: In this study, we compared two commonly commercialized baculovirus construction systems with the Cap protein expression in various insect cells. Results: The results demonstrate that the flashBAC system expressed the Cap protein at higher levels than the Bac-to-Bac system. Notably, when expressing four copies of the Cap protein, the flashBAC system achieved the highest protein yield in High Five cells, where it reached 432 μg/mL at 5 days post-infection (dpi) with 27 °C cultivation. Animal experiments confirmed that the purified Cap protein effectively induced specific antibody production in mice and swine. Conclusions: This study provides critical data for optimizing the production of the PCV2 Cap protein, which is of great significance for reducing the production cost of PCV2 vaccines and improving the industrial production efficiency. Full article

Leaf loss caused by pest infestations poses a serious threat to forest health. The leaf loss rate (LLR) refers to the percentage of the overall tree-crown leaf loss per unit area and is an important indicator for evaluating forest health. Therefore, rapid and accurate acquisition of the LLR via remote sensing monitoring is crucial. This study is based on drone hyperspectral and LiDAR data as well as ground survey data, calculating hyperspectral indices (HSI), multispectral indices (MSI), and LiDAR indices (LI). It employs Savitzky–Golay (S–G) smoothing with different window sizes (W) and polynomial orders (P) combined with recursive feature elimination (RFE) to select sensitive features. Using Random Forest Regression (RFR) and Convolutional Neural Network Regression (CNNR) to construct a multidimensional (horizontal and vertical) estimation model for LLR, combined with LiDAR point cloud data, achieved a three-dimensional visualization of the leaf loss rate of trees. The results of the study showed: (1) The optimal combination of HSI and MSI was determined to be W11P3, and the LI was W5P2. (2) The optimal combination of the number of sensitive features extracted by the RFE algorithm was 13 HSI, 16 MSI, and hierarchical LI (2 in layer I, 9 in layer II, and 11 in layer III). (3) In terms of the horizontal estimation of the defoliation rate, the model performance index of the CNNR_HSI model (MPI = 0.9383) was significantly better than that of RFR_MSI (MPI = 0.8817), indicating that the continuous bands of hyperspectral could better monitor the subtle changes of LLR. (4) The I-CNNR_HSI+LI, II-CNNR_HSI+LI, and III-CNNR_HSI+LI vertical estimation models were constructed by combining the CNNR_HSI model with the best accuracy and the LI sensitive to different vertical levels, respectively, and their MPIs reached more than 0.8, indicating that the LLR estimation of different vertical levels had high accuracy. According to the model, the pixel-level LLR of the sample tree was estimated, and the three-dimensional display of the LLR for forest trees under the pest stress of larch caterpillars was generated, providing a high-precision research scheme for LLR estimation under pest stress. Full article

The brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens, is the most destructive insect pest of rice. BPH infestations severely threaten rice yield worldwide. The gustatory receptor NlGr23 plays a critical role in mediating the repulsive reaction to oxalic acid of the BPH. We integrated transcriptomic and proteomic analyses to determine the metabolic and behavioral consequences of NlGr23 silencing. The RNAi-mediated knockdown of NlGr23 increased body weight and honeydew production, indicating enhanced feeding activity. The results of multiomics profiling revealed disrupted lipid homeostasis, identifying 187 differentially expressed genes and 150 differentially expressed proteins. These genes were enriched in pathways including glycerophospholipid metabolism, fatty acid biosynthesis, and AMPK signaling. The results of biochemical assays showed that NlGr23 silencing elevated triacylglycerol levels by 68.83%, and reduced glycerol and free fatty acid levels, suggesting impaired lipolysis. The NlGr23 loss-of-function mutation mechanistically activates the AMPK pathway, suppresses lipid breakdown, and promotes energy storage. This study established NlGr23 as a key regulator linking chemosensation to metabolic reprogramming, providing new insights into gustatory receptor-mediated energy homeostasis in the BPH. Full article

Glycoside hydrolase family 1 (GH1) enzymes are essential for plant cell wall digestion and the detoxification of plant metabolites in insects, yet their evolutionary history in Lepidoptera remains unresolved. This study systematically identified GH1 genes across 61 Lepidopteran genomes and analyzed their evolutionary dynamics. In addition, the expression profiles of GH1 genes in the silkworm (Bombyx mori) across various developmental stages and tissues were related to their evolutionary histories. A total of 996 GH1 genes were annotated and classified into 11 groups, with each showing distinct species diversity. Gene duplication and loss analysis revealed frequent duplications and losses during Lepidoptera evolution; these duplications primarily originated through tandem and dispersed duplications and were located in syntenic regions. Transcriptomic analysis of the silkworm revealed that the groups and duplications of GH1 genes were correlated to their expression patterns, with high expression in the larval midgut and fat body. These findings suggest that GH1 gene duplications and losses and expression have played a significant role in Lepidopteran adaptation to diverse host plants. Overall, this study provides comprehensive insights into the evolutionary trajectories of GH1 genes, highlighting their potential contribution to insect–plant interactions in Lepidoptera. Full article

Insect pests inflict significant agricultural and economic losses on crops globally. Chemical control refers to the use of agrochemicals, such as insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides, to manage pests and diseases. Chemical control is still the prioritized method, as insecticides are highly effective and toxic to insect pests. However, it reduces the quality of the environment, threatens human health, and causes serious 3R (reduce, reuse, and recycle) problems. Current advances in the mining of functional symbiotic bacteria resources provide the potential to assuage the use of insecticides while maintaining an acceptably low level of crop damage. Recent research on insect–microbe symbiosis has uncovered a mechanism labeled “detoxifying symbiosis”, where symbiotic microorganisms increase host insect resistance through the metabolism of toxins. In addition, the physiological compensation effect caused by insect resistance affects the ability of the host to regulate the community composition of symbiotic bacteria. This paper reviews the relationship between symbiotic bacteria, insects, and insecticide resistance, focusing on the effects of insecticide resistance on the composition of symbiotic bacteria and the role of symbiotic bacteria in the formation of resistance. The functional symbiotic bacteria resources and their mechanisms of action need to be further explored in the future so as to provide theoretical support for the development of pest control strategies based on microbial regulation. Full article

Postharvest losses and limited physiological knowledge restrict the conservation and year-round availability of underutilized crops such as Dioscorea trifida. This study characterized the postharvest behavior of Colombian purple D. trifida tubers and evaluated low-cost, GRAS-status technologies to improve storage performance in smallholder production systems. Tubers were stored for 34 days at ambient conditions (20 °C, 90% RH) and compared with treatments including cold storage, calcium pretreatments combined with Aloe vera-based coatings, and short-duration hot water immersion. Over storage, total carbohydrates increased, while potassium remained at substantial levels until the final day. Weight loss and respiration declined steadily, and sprouting was absent, suggesting extended endodormancy in this genotype. Major deterioration causes observed upon reception included fragmentation, insect damage, and surface molds, highlighting the importance of improved sanitation and mechanical protection during harvest, early postharvest stages, and transportation. Edible coatings enhanced antioxidant activity and increased malic and succinic acid concentrations. Cold storage at 3 °C reduced weight loss more effectively than storage at 12 or 20 °C, although citric acid accumulation was greater at the latter temperature. Among all treatments, immersion at 55 °C for 5 min was the most promising, offering a scalable, low-input option to extend shelf life in neglected yam species. Full article

Pre-, pro-, and post-biotics have been used with success in several commercially grown insect species to increase yields and improve health outcomes. However, few studies have been published evaluating the use of nutritional supplements in Acheta domesticus. For this study, we fed day-old, farm-raised, A. domesticus a Saccharomyces cerevisiae postbiotic product at one of three different inclusion rates (0, 0.25, and 0.5%) for 32 days. Crickets were analyzed for differences in average weights, total biomass, percent survival, nutritional analyses, viral qPCR, and 16S/18S microbiomes. Crickets receiving the 0.5% inclusion feed trended towards having a higher total biomass (F = 3.823, p = 0.052) and a higher percent survival per bin (F = 3.667, p = 0.057) than the crickets receiving lower inclusion feeds. No significant differences were found in viral prevalences or loads. Significant changes to the microbiomes were mostly defined by increased abundances of presumed beneficial bacteria (Akkermansia, Catenibacillus, and Odoribacter) in the groups receiving postbiotics rather than by losses of harmful bacteria. For the 18S results, there was an increased abundance of a Gregarian apicomplexan, Leidyana erratica in the treatment groups. Overall, the 0.5% inclusion feed appeared to be beneficial and further study investigating other forms of feed additives is warranted. Full article

Asian chestnut gall wasp (ACGW) (Dryocosmus kuriphilus Yasumatsu), native to China, is an invasive pest that causes significant economic losses in Castanea species. While some cultivars show full resistance by inhibiting insect development in buds, the underlying defense mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, the accumulation and distribution of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) were investigated in dormant buds of chestnut cultivars that are resistant and susceptible to D. kuriphilus by using the 3,3′-diaminobenzidine (DAB) staining method. Buds were examined under a stereomicroscope during key stages of pest development, including oviposition, transition from egg to larva, gall induction, and gall development. Baseline levels of H₂O₂ were detected in all buds; however, these levels varied among cultivars, with resistant cultivars exhibiting lower basal levels. The degree of H₂O₂ accumulation was found to vary depending on plant–insect interaction, physiological processes, and cultivar-specific traits. Histochemical staining revealed that brown spots indicative of H₂O₂ accumulation were concentrated in the vascular bundles of leaf primordia and in the apical regions. In resistant hybrid cultivars, the defense response was activated at an earlier stage, while in resistant Castanea sativa Mill. cultivars, the response was delayed but more robust. Although consistently high levels of H₂O₂ were observed throughout the pest interaction in susceptible cultivars, gall development was not inhibited. During the onset of physiological bud break, increased H₂O₂ accumulation was observed across all cultivars. This increase was associated with endodormancy in susceptible cultivars and with both defense mechanisms and endodormancy processes in resistant cultivars. These findings highlight the significant role of H₂O₂ in plant defense responses, while also supporting its function as a multifunctional signaling molecule involved in gall development and the regulation of physiological processes. Full article

Blueberry is a high-value fruit crop in the United States, with Georgia and Florida serving as important early-season production regions. In these areas, several thrips species (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), including Frankliniella tritici (Fitch), Frankliniella bispinosa (Morgan), and Scirtothrips dorsalis (Hood), have emerged as economically significant pests. While F. tritici and F. bispinosa primarily damage floral tissues, S. dorsalis targets young foliage. Their rapid reproduction, high mobility, and broad host range contribute to rapid population buildup and complicate the management programs. Species identification is often difficult due to overlapping morphological features and requires the use of molecular diagnostic tools for accurate identification. Although action thresholds, such as 2–6 F. tritici per flower cluster, are used to guide management decisions, robust economic thresholds based on yield loss remain undeveloped. Integrated pest management (IPM) practices include regular monitoring, cultural control (e.g., pruning, reflective mulch), biological control using Orius insidiosus (Say) and predatory mites, and chemical control. Reduced-risk insecticides like spinetoram and spinosad offer effective suppression while minimizing harm to pollinators and beneficial insects. However, the brief flowering period limits the establishment of biological control agents. Developing species-specific economic thresholds and phenology-based IPM strategies is critical for effective and sustainable thrips management in blueberry cropping systems. Full article

Cotton is one of the most valuable non-food agricultural products in the world. However, cotton production is often hampered by the invasion of disease. In most cases, these plant diseases are a result of insect or pest infestations, which can have a significant impact on production if not addressed promptly. It is, therefore, crucial to accurately identify leaf diseases in cotton plants to prevent any negative effects on yield. This paper presents a hybrid deep learning approach based on Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers with Residual network and particle swarm optimization (BERT-ResNet-PSO) for detecting cotton plant diseases. This approach starts with image pre-processing, which they pass to a BERT-like encoder after linearly embedding the image patches. It results in segregating disease regions. Then, the output of the encoded feature is passed to ResNet-based architecture for feature extraction and further optimized by PSO to increase the classification accuracy. The approach is tested on a cotton dataset from the Plant Village dataset, where the experimental results show the effectiveness of this hybrid deep learning approach, achieving an accuracy of 98.5%, precision of 98.2% and recall of 98.7% compared to the existing deep learning approaches such as ResNet50, VGG19, InceptionV3, and ResNet152V2. This study shows that the hybrid deep learning approach is capable of dealing with the cotton plant disease detection problem effectively. This study suggests that the proposed approach is beneficial to help avoid crop losses on a large scale and support effective farming management practices. Full article

Riparian forests are important for maintaining aquatic biodiversity, yet they face increasing pressure from logging activities. This study assessed the functional diversity of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) in 30 Amazonian first-order streams across three riparian forests: pristine, selectively logged, and conventionally logged. We evaluated four habitat attributes linked to ecosystem functioning (canopy cover, water temperature, sediment organic matter, and small woody debris) and calculated two indices of functional diversity: richness and divergence. Functional diversity was highest in pristine streams, intermediate in selectively logged streams, and lowest in conventionally logged streams. Functional richness and divergence declined significantly in conventionally logged forests, indicating a loss of ecological traits and potential reductions in ecosystem functions. We also observed that canopy cover, sediment organic matter, and woody debris were positively associated with EPT functional diversity, while water temperature had a negative association. These findings highlight that conventional logging leads to the functional homogenization of aquatic insect assemblages, compromising key ecological processes. Selective logging that maintains riparian buffers may preserve functional diversity, even though these differences may be influenced by site-specific environmental conditions. Our results underscore the importance of conserving riparian integrity to sustain the resilience and functioning of tropical stream ecosystems in logged landscapes. Full article