Pest Management Science最新文献

Introduction: Rhopalosiphum padi (L.) is a major vector of barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV), one of the most economically damaging viral diseases of cereals, including wheat. Although host resistance to BYDV or to aphids individually has been exploited, less is known about how aphid resistance performs against viruliferous vectors. We recently identified a winter genotype (G1) exhibiting strong aphid resistance through antixenosis and antibiosis. Here, we test whether this resistance remains effective against BYDV-vectoring aphids and how it compares with BYDV resistance.

Results: We evaluated G1 alongside four wheat cultivars with contrasting aphid and BYDV resistance traits, including the BYDV-resistant cultivar RGT Wolverine and the fully susceptible RGT Illustrious. Seedling settlement assays showed that antixenosis in G1 remained effective against R. padi carrying BYDV-PAV. Electrical penetration graph recordings revealed restricted phloem access and reduced salivation of viruliferous aphids on G1, consistent with lower virus transmission efficiency. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction showed a threefold reduction in BYDV gene expression in inoculated leaves of G1 compared with RGT Wolverine and RGT Illustrious. By contrast, RGT Wolverine exhibited high initial transmission but reduced systemic infection, consistent with resistance acting on suppression of viral replication and/or movement. Aphid rearing host genotype altered subsequent aphid host-selection behaviour, indicating vector conditioning with consequences for virus spread.

Conclusion: Aphid resistance in G1 significantly reduced BYDV transmission, whereas Bdv2-mediated resistance in RGT Wolverine limited systemic infection. These complementary resistance mechanisms highlight the value of combining aphid- and virus-targeted traits to improve durable BYDV management in wheat. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.

Background: In this study, a previously optimized pneumatic spray delivery (PSD)-based solid set canopy delivery system (SSCDS) was compared with an airblast sprayer (grower control [GC]) for the delivery of fungicides in the management of powdery mildew (Erysiphe necator) in vineyards. For 2023 and 2024 growing seasons, spray coverage was quantified for each application date and treatment. Visual disease severity on clusters and leaves was assessed five times per season. The accumulated area under the disease progression curve (AUDPC) was developed from these ratings.

Results: Over two seasons, spray coverage for PSD-SSCDS treatment ranged from 16.7% to 32.7%, whereas GC achieved coverage between 39.9% and 62.9%. The average difference in maximum cluster and foliar disease severity between GC and PSD-SSCDS was 5.5% and 14.2%, respectively.

Conclusions: Despite lower spray coverage in PSD-SSCDS, the accumulated AUDPC for cluster disease severity was similar to GC treatments in both growing seasons. However, foliar disease severity differed significantly, with GC showing less disease than PSD-SSCDS. These study findings indicate that optimal emitter selection is crucial for achieving enhanced spray performance and effective disease control using the PSD-SSCDS technology in vineyards. Both fungicide spray treatments effectively protected clusters from powdery mildew, indicating PSD-SSCDS as an emergent alternative spray technology. © 2026 The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Background: The fall armyworm (FAW), as a destructive invasive pest, poses a serious threat not only to maize production, but also to rice yield in Asia. Understanding plant-mediated impacts of native insects on invasive counterparts is important to assess the consequences of biological invasions. Yet it remains unclear whether infestation by native pests such as the rice leaf folder (RLF) can enhance rice resistance, thereby limiting the FAW's capacity to invade paddies and preventing it from becoming a serious rice pest.

Results: Here, we found that pre-infestation by either the native RLF or FAW itself induces defenses and significantly reduces the performance of subsequently feeding FAW larvae. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that both herbivores activate the jasmonic acid (JA) signaling pathway. Consistently, exogenous methyl jasmonate (MeJA) application enhanced rice resistance to FAW, whereas inhibition of JA biosynthesis attenuated RLF-induced resistance. Metabolomic profiling showed that herbivory induced the tryptophan metabolic pathway, leading to the accumulation of defensive tryptophan-derived metabolites. Feeding assays confirmed that these metabolites, particularly tryptamine and 5-methoxyindoleacetate, significantly suppressed FAW larval growth in a concentration-dependent manner. The key role of JA-tryptophan defense was further validated by exogenous application of MeJA, which upregulated the tryptophan pathway and increased defense metabolite accumulation.

Conclusion: Our findings reveal a potential mechanism whereby native herbivore attack induces the jasmonate and tryptophan metabolic pathways, thereby enhancing rice resistance to the invasive FAW. This provides mechanistic evidence for plant-mediated biotic resistance and identifies the JA pathway and tryptophan-derived metabolites as targets for sustainable pest management. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.

Background: Viruses and their insect vectors have evolved intricate co-evolutionary mechanisms to enhance transmission efficiency. This study aimed to investigate the impact of tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) infection on the development of Frankliniella occidentalis, with particular emphasis on the potential involvement of Halloween genes.

Results: Genomic analysis identified seven Halloween genes. Transcriptome data from revealed significant upregulation of FoCYP307A1 and FoCYP306A1 during the nymphal and pupal stages in TSWV-infected individuals. These findings were validated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, which demonstrated a 1.5- to 3-fold increase in transcript levels of these genes during the nymphal, propupal, and pupal developmental stages. TSWV infection significantly shortened the nymphal and pupal developmental durations by 1 day and 0.6 days, respectively. RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated silencing of FoCYP307A1 and FoCYP306A1 significantly prolonged the nymphal and pupal development time, accompanied by a 27.5% and 55% reduction in 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) levels, respectively. In addition, the transcript levels of 20E key signaling pathway genes, including FoUSP, FoBr-C, FoDHR3, FoE74A, and FoE75, decreased by 16-67%. Importantly, supplementation with 20E effectively reversed the developmental delays caused by RNAi-induced silencing of FoCYP307A1 and FoCYP306A1. Collectively, these results suggest that FoCYP307A1 and FoCYP306A1 play a critical role in mediating TSWV-facilitated development in thrips.

Conclusion: These findings provide valuable insights into how TSWV exploits ecdysone biosynthesis to accelerate development in insect vectors, offering important implications for integrated pest and disease management strategies. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.

Background: Chemical control is an important strategy for managing pine wilt disease (PWD). However, traditional trunk injection agents (TIAs) are constrained by limited variety and insufficient persistence. In addition, although some novel nematicides show strong activity, their large-scale forest use is restricted by high costs. Therefore, the development of cost-effective, highly efficient, and synergistic nematicidal formulations is urgently needed to advance sustainable PWD management.

Results: This study compared the performance of combination TIAs with single-agent TIAs and a traditional TIA in terms of nematicidal activity, xylem translocation, residue dynamics, efficacy duration, and tree safety in Pinus massoniana. All six TIA formulations exhibited nematicidal activity, with fluopyram_chlorfenapyr-37 (FLU_CHL-37) TIA markedly suppressing nematode reproduction in detached branch experiments. Field trials demonstrated that all TIAs spread throughout P. massoniana within 3 months; by 18 months, residual concentrations of CHL-46, CHL-49, FLU_CHL-35, and FLU_CHL-37 were significantly higher than those of FLU-11, FLU-19, and a 20% emamectin benzoate soluble liquid (EB SL) positive control in branches 3 m above the injection site and in apical branches. Notably, FLU_CHL-37 achieved 100% control efficacy at 360 days post-inoculation, outperforming the other treatments. Safety assessments showed only slight, short-term changes in chlorophyll, malondialdehyde, and soluble protein content, all normalizing within 21 days, while local damage around the injection site was significantly less pronounced than that caused by the 20% EB SL control.

Conclusion: These results demonstrate that FLU_CHL-37 combines high activity, prolonged efficacy, strong translocation, and robust safety, providing theoretical and practical support for the development of novel PWD control agents. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.

Background: Insect migration plays a crucial role in the spread of pests and diseases, biodiversity, and ecosystem functions. However, our current understanding of migratory patterns, particularly cross-border migration, in the arid and semi-arid regions of Central Asia remains limited. To address this, a continuous 6-year study (2018-2023) was conducted using entomological radar to monitor insect swarms during the growing season in the Tacheng Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. This study focused on observing the flight direction, altitude and behavioral changes of nocturnal insects, and analyzed the meteorological conditions associated with insect layering in the atmosphere. Lagrangian particle dispersion models were used to examine the migratory trajectories of the insect populations.

Results: Medium-sized insects (10-70 mg) showed a clear preference for migratory directions (northward in July, eastward in August and east-southeastward in September), whereas large-sized insects (70-500 mg) only showed an eastward migratory preference in August. The number of migratory insects was concentrated in areas with the highest wind velocity in July and the highest temperatures in September. Among the 30 selected nights with moderate insect outbreaks in August, the migratory trajectories of insects on 20 nights were directed eastward, concentrating in the Tacheng Region.

Conclusion: Multiyear radar observations revealed a predominant eastward nocturnal insect migration phenomenon along the China-Kazakhstan border, with model analysis indicating that the Tacheng area is a key aggregation zone. These findings provide a scientific basis for understanding insect migration patterns in this region, and for cross-border pest monitoring, the development of an early warning system. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.

Background: Selecting an optimal spray configuration in arable crops is complex due to the large variety in techniques, nozzle types, crop stages, and pathogens. This complexity is further increased by regulatory requirements for drift reduction, which restrict the range of configurations that can be applied. To support informed decision-making, this study examined droplet deposition and coverage in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) using drift-reducing spray configurations.

Results: Seven configurations were tested in field trials over two growth stages (mid and late) and 2 years (2023 and 2024), combining application techniques (standard boom, air support, Wingssprayer, reduced boom height) with nozzle types (standard flat fan nozzles with 0%, 50%, and 90% drift reduction, and a dual fan nozzle). Deposition and coverage were quantified using artificial collectors and tracer analysis. A significant interaction was observed between spray configuration and collector position at both growth stages (P < 0.001). Drift-reducing configurations performed similarly to the reference application which used a fine-quality standard flat fan nozzle (XR 110 03, 300 kPa, 0.5 m nozzle height and spacing).

Conclusion: Spray configuration had a negligible effect on the relative spray deposition at the different collector positions in winter wheat, except at the spike and at the ground level. The results indicate that spray applications in winter wheat require optimizations tailored to the specific target location within the canopy, rather than a uniform approach. Air support combined with a fine spray quality nozzle appears particularly promising in improving deposition without compromising drift reduction. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.

Background: Salivary proteins are 'scouts' in plant-herbivore interactions, influencing plant immune responses and insect fitness. Apolipoproteins, a kind of lipid metabolism-associated proteins, have been repeatedly found in insect salivary glands, but their exact functions are still elusive.

Results: The highly expressed apolipoprotein SaApo AI in salivary glands of the English grain aphid, Sitobion avenae (Fabricius), was identified and characterized. Phylogenetic analyses showed that Apo AIs from Hemiptera were highly conserved. SaApo AI was found to be a novel aphid-specific salivary effector. Expression of SaApo AI was lower in S. avenae individuals fed on artificial diets than on wheat seedlings. SaApo AI was found to inhibit plant hypersensitive responses, and the function of its signal peptide was verified. Transient expression of SaApo AI revealed that SaApo AI was localized to the cell membrane and nucleus. Based on SaApo AI-silencing assays, SaApo AI might be able to improve feeding, survival and reproduction of S. avenae. The secretion of SaApo AI could inhibit the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide to promote feeding of S. avenae on wheat. Salicylic acid (SA) signaling in wheat fed by SaAPO AI-silenced aphids was suppressed, suggesting the capacity of SaApo AI to modulate the SA-jasmonic acid cross-talk, and corresponding wheat defenses.

Conclusion: SaApo AI is a novel salivary effector that could modulate wheat immune responses, and enhance the fitness of S. avenae on wheat. Our results provide insights into understanding of mechanisms for salivary apolipoprotein-mediated plant-aphid interactions, and a potential molecular target for wheat aphid control through RNAi technologies. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.

Valentina, M, Franco, L, Tiziana, C, Valentina, L, Sandra, U, Romeo, B, John, V, Daniele, P, Comparative transcriptomics reveals different profiles between diflubenzuron-resistant and -susceptible phenotypes of the mosquito Culex pipiens. Pest Manag Sci 81: 3370–3377 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1002/ps.8710

The author's byline is incorrect; the author's Family name and Given name have been inverted, as a result, the paper does not appear correctly in online searches or database indexing systems. The correct byline should be: “Mastrantonio V., Liberati F., Castrignanò T., Lucchesi V., Urbanelli S., Bellini R., Vontas J., Porretta D.”

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