Search Results (12)

Oil palm is one of the primary vegetable oil sources worldwide, including in Tanzania. Tanzania’s mean palm oil yield is 1.6 tons per hectare, far below the 6 to 8 tons per hectare reported elsewhere. This low oil yield is attributable to underdeveloped, unsustainable oil palm production systems and improvements, several biotic and abiotic stresses, and socio-economic and policy challenges that have yet to be systematically documented to guide large-scale production, breeding, and research support. The objectives of this study were to appraise oil palm production and improvement in Tanzania, focusing on constraints, opportunities, and farmers’ major preferences. A participatory rural appraisal study was conducted in Kigoma Region, in three selected districts. Data were collected from 392 oil palm farmers using semi-structured questionnaires and 54 focus group discussants. Data were subjected to statistical analyses to discern the variables and their significant associations using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS Inc., 2020). About 98.5% of the participant farmers engage in oil palm production. Most respondent farmers predominantly cultivate the Dura oil palm type (97.4%), followed by Tenera (50%). The farmers’ major reported oil palm production constraints were an inadequate supply of improved planting materials (reported by 82.7% of respondents), poor access to credit (72.4%), a high cost of production inputs (59.4%), poor market access (56.4%), insect pests and diseases (53.6), and poor production technologies (45.4%). A chi-square analysis of farmers’ production constraints revealed that the unavailability of labor (X² = 41.181; p = 0.000); limited extension services (X² = 29.074; p = 0.000); and diseases and pests (X² = 19.582; p = 0.000) differed significantly across the study area. Additionally, the lack of fertilizers (X² = 14.218; p = 0.001); inappropriate technology and knowledge gaps (X² = 10.529; p = 0.005); and poor market access (X² = 6.621; p = 0.036) differed significantly across districts. A high oil yield (reported by 58.7% of the respondents), a high number of bunches per plant (40.5%), early maturity (37.2%), and tolerance to droughts (23%) and diseases and insect pests (18.9%) were the most preferred traits by farmers in oil palm varieties. Therefore, integrative and sustainable breeding oil palm for enhanced yields and farmers’ preferred traits will increase the adoption of newly improved varieties for local palm oil production, import substitution, and economic development in Tanzania. Full article

Agroecosystems are comprised of environmental compartments where associated microbial communities interact with one another. These microbial communities, called microbiomes, inhabit livestock, insects, and plants. Microbiomes are also present in the soil and watersheds. Clarifying the nature and extent of microbial interactions between compartments both at intra-farm and global scales can promote sustainable production systems, healthier animals, increased crop yields, and safer meat products. Early research on microbiomes was hindered by a lack of expertise and the high cost of molecular sequencing. However, these limitations have been largely resolved with advances in and reduced costs of sequencing technologies. In this paper, we summarize sequencing and bioinformatics approaches, and review the crucial roles of diverse microbiomes in livestock, plants and soil, as well as pollinators and pest insects. These crucial roles include nutrient cycling, nutrient acquisition, metabolism of toxins and enhanced host immune function. Additionally, we examine potentially undesirable effects of microbiomes associated with climate change and agri-food production such as their role in the release of greenhouse gases from cattle and their impact on meat safety and spoilage. By increasing the awareness of microbiomes and the growing ease with which they can be studied, we hope to foster a greater adoption of microbiome research. Further understanding of the diverse effects and interactions of microbiomes will advance our efforts to increase agricultural production while reducing its negative environmental footprint, thus making the agroecosystems more sustainable. Full article

The division of the genome into discrete chromosomes is a fundamental characteristic of eukaryotic life. Insect taxonomists’ early adoption of cytogenetics has led to an incredible amount of data describing genome structure across insects. In this article, we synthesize data from thousands of species and use biologically realistic models to infer the tempo and mode of chromosome evolution among insect orders. Our results show that orders vary dramatically in the overall rate of chromosome number evolution (a proxy of genome structural stability) and the pattern of evolution (e.g., the balance between fusions and fissions). These findings have important implications for our understanding of likely modes of speciation and offer insight into the most informative clades for future genome sequencing. Full article

The observation of taking-off and landing behaviors of migratory insects is important for pest early monitoring and forecasting. Entomological radar, which can measure the ascent or descent rates remotely, has been proved to be the most effective way to observe the above behaviors. For the current entomological radars, the highest range resolution of 7.5 m and smallest blind range of 150 m make it difficult to distinguish individual insects in a swarm and observe the migratory behaviors at low altitudes. In this paper, based on the outfield data acquired from a high-resolution radar of 0.2 m, the spatial spacing distribution of migratory insects is presented for the first time and waveform design requirements are analyzed, proving the necessity of a higher resolution. Secondly, for the high-resolution and low blind range observation of insects, the stepped frequency train of LFM pulses (also called frequency-jumped burst, FJB) waveform is discussed as the optimal choice. In order to resolve the high grating-lobe problem in the FJB waveform with the low blind range, the precise spectrum model and its approximation of the LFM subpulse are first derived in detail. Then, according to the obtained spectrum characteristics, the high-resolution and low blind range FJB waveform design methods based on spectrum fluctuation period and Fresnel integral windowing are proposed to reduce the grating-lobe number to more than 50% and suppress the highest grating lobe level by at least 4 dB. Finally, based on the high-resolution and low blind range VLR adopting the proposed waveform, several typical taking-off and landing behavior observation results are presented, which proves that, in their migratory pattern, insects usually take off around sunset. Full article

Crithidia acanthocephali is a trypanosomatid species that was initially described in the digestive tract of Hemiptera. However, this parasite was recently detected in honey bee colonies in Spain, raising the question as to whether bees can act as true hosts for this species. To address this issue, worker bees were experimentally infected with choanomastigotes from the early stationary growth phase and after 12 days, their hindgut was extracted for analysis by light microscopy and TEM. Although no cellular lesions were observed in the honey bee’s tissue, trypanosomatids had differentiated and adopted a haptomonad morphology, transforming their flagella into an attachment pad. This structure allows the protozoa to remain attached to the gut walls via hemidesmosomes-such as junctions. The impact of this species on honey bee health, as well as the pathogenic mechanisms involved, remains unknown. Nevertheless, these results suggest that insect trypanosomatids may have a broader range of hosts than initially thought. Full article

Pests appear to have accompanied humans and their crops since the beginning of farming. Nevertheless, their study is only rarely integrated into research on farming in prehistory. An assemblage of invertebrates and small mammals was recovered from the waterlogged layers of three wells at the Middle Neolithic site (4250–3700 cal B.C.) of Les Bagnoles (SE France). The microfaunal remains were retrieved from sediment samples by wet sieving (wash-over technique). The most common among the rodents is the wood mouse. The assemblage also consists of insect remains of grain weevil, seed beetle, and corn ground beetle. The different finds not only offer data on the role of insect and rodent pests in the Neolithic but on the possible strategies adopted by the early farming communities in the western Mediterranean in response to pest infestation. The findings appear to confirm the hypothesis that the wood mouse was a commensal and storage pest in settlements long before the arrival of the invasive house mouse during the Bronze Age. The presence of the main storage pest, the grain weevil, suggests a long-term grain storage issue at Les Bagnoles. The combination of the results of the site’s archaeobotanical findings with those of other sites in the western Mediterranean suggests that the shift from naked to glume wheat around 4000 B.C. may also stem from a reaction to the problem of grain weevil infestation. Full article

Knowledge of the insect densities during crop development is necessary for adopting appropriate measures for the control of insect pests and minimizing yield losses. Within integrated pest management programs, crop rotation has been carried out in recent years, but this current trend delays the planting period for Bt maize. The small amount of available information regarding the influence of sowing Bt maize early or late on the seasonal abundance of herbivores prompted us to study these aspects in two current common planting periods in northeastern Spain in 52 maize fields over three consecutive years. We sampled the fields planted on different dates with sticky yellow traps. Our results show that only the abundances of herbivore thrips, other than Frankliniella occidentalis, and Syrphidae were significantly different between the two planting periods. Moreover, when we performed yearly analyses, we found significant effects of the planting period on Coccinellidae and Chrysopidae in 2015 and on Aeolothrips sp. in 2016 and 2017. In most of the taxa, the abundance peaks in earlier growth stages, which is related to pollination (before or during). Only the abundances of Stethorus punctillum and Syrphidae peak later in the season. In addition, F. occidentalis, aphids, Syrphidae, and Coccinellidae registered higher abundance in fields sown in the late planting period. These results highlight the effects of sowing in different planting periods on insect dynamics in Bt maize and can be used to identify the abundance of certain pests and natural enemies in specific phenological stages of maize, which may allow producers to adopt better-integrated management and thus avoid reaching the level of economic damage. Full article

Insects may potentially provide an alternative protein source. However, consumers may not easily accept insects due to feelings of disgust. Therefore, identifying early adopters of insect-based food products may determine their future acceptance. This study was conducted to (1) identify early adopter Mind-Sets of insect-based food products, (2) determine product features early adopters would prefer in an insect-based food product, and (3) determine differences in Mind-Sets in different countries. Two studies were distributed online in the US and the Philippines. The first study included information about insects, while the second study had no information on insects. The experimental design included elements, or product features, regarding insect-based products that participants evaluated. Preference Analysis was used to segment the participants into Mind-Sets. Based on the results, participants neither liked nor disliked the elements used. Participants in the studies without insect information were found to have higher liking when comparing liking. Participants who were aware of the study being about insects may have had less interest when evaluating the elements, as the response times between the US studies were significantly different (p < 0.05). The role of information and segmentation of the participants demonstrates the importance of experimental design when using Preference Analysis. Full article

The main objective of this research paper is to understand consumer knowledge and perception of insects for food. Primary data was collected using a questionnaire conducted in Rome, and the data was analysed using a probit model in order to understand consumers’ attitudes to include insects as a sustainable solution to meat consumption in their diet. We connected the participants with a willingness to consume insects with those that are critical, informed, and concerned about the environment. This study shows that insects’ consumption and social acceptance is very low even for people who have a greater sensitivity to sustainable diets. Suggestions are included to improve the communication of this food type to raise awareness in the consumers’ minds. This research continues the debate on sustainability and global food security. Full article

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is an important oilseed crop with well-developed value chains. It is Ethiopia’s most valuable export commodity after coffee (Coffea arabica L.), contributing to socioeconomic development. The productivity of the crop is low and stagnant in Ethiopia and other major sesame growing regions in sub-Saharan Africa (<0.6 t/ha) due to a multitude of production constraints. The objective of this study was to document sesame production opportunities and constraints, as well as farmer- and market-preferred varieties and traits, in eastern and southwestern Ethiopia as a guide for large-scale production and breeding. A participatory rural appraisal (PRA) study was conducted in two selected sesame growing regions and four districts in Ethiopia. Data were collected from 160 and 46 sesame farmers through semistructured questionnaires and focus group discussions. Sesame is grown by all respondent farmers in the study areas for food and as a source of cash. Most respondent farmers (56%) reported cultivating sesame using seeds of unknown varieties often sourced from the informal seed sector. About 83% of the respondents reported lack of access to improved seeds as the most important production constraint, followed by low yield gains from cultivating the existing varieties (reported by 73.8% of respondents), diseases (69.4%), and low market price (68.8%). Other production constraints included insect pests (59.4%), lack of market information (55%), and high cost of seed (50%). The above constraints were attributed to the absence of a dedicated breeding programme, lack of a formal seed sector, poor extension services, and underdeveloped pre- and postharvest infrastructures. The most important market-preferred traits of sesame included true-to-type seed (reported by 36.3% of respondents), white seed colour (28.8%), and high seed oil content (23.8%). The vital farmer-preferred attributes included reasonable market price (reported by 11.3% of respondents), resistance to crop diseases (10.9%), drought tolerance (10.3%), resistance to crop insect pests (9.2%), higher seed yield (8.9%), higher thousand-seed weight (7.2%), higher oil content (6.3%), white seed colour (6.1%), early maturity (6.1%), and good oil qualities such as aroma and taste (5.7%). Therefore, there is a need for a dedicated sesame genetic improvement programme by integrating the above key production constraints and market- and farmer-preferred traits to develop and deploy new generation varieties to enhance the production, productivity, and adoption of sesame cultivars in Ethiopia. Full article

Replacing synthetic pesticides and antimicrobials with plant-based extracts is a current alternative adopted by traditional and family farmers and many organic farming pioneers. A range of natural extracts are already being marketed for agricultural use, but many other plants are prepared and used empirically. A further range of plant species that could be effective in protecting different crops against pests and diseases in Africa could be culled from the large volume of knowledge available in the scientific literature. To meet this challenge, data on plant uses have been compiled in a knowledge base and a software prototype was developed to navigate this trove of information. The present paper introduces this so-called Knomana Knowledge-Based System, while providing outputs related to Spodoptera frugiperda and Tuta absoluta, two invasive insect species in Africa. In early October 2020, the knowledge base hosted data obtained from 342 documents. From these articles, 11,816 uses—experimental or applied by farmers—were identified in the plant health field. In total, 384 crop pest species are currently reported in the knowledge base, in addition to 1547 botanical species used for crop protection. Future prospects for applying this interdisciplinary output to applications under the One Health approach are presented. Full article

Although recent literature has shown that switching to an insect-based diet could provide several relevant advantages—from a nutritional, environmental, economic and ecological point of view—the potential growth of insects as everyday food is still unclear. Despite a growing literature on consumer acceptance and product preference for insect-based food, a segmentation of this future and possible market has never been proposed. Therefore, in the present paper, a market segmentation based on the Food Related Lifestyle Scale (FRLS), was performed in order to predict consumers’ willingness to eat (WTE) edible insects. Moreover, the role of perceived behavioural control is taken into account. Results shows that the novelty and benefits of insect consumption have generated much interest in edible insects amongst consumers belonging to the Rational cluster, who showed the highest intention to introduce insects in their diet, thus confirming the presence of a niche of “early adopters”. In addition, perceived behavioural control was the major driver of intention. Implications for attempts to encourage people to incorporate insect-based foods into their diet are discussed, with special reference to the role of marketing campaigns. Full article