Annals of Applied Biology最新文献

The spiralling whitefly (Aleurodicus dispersus Russell) is a major invasive pest affecting cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) production systems across tropical regions. A two-season field study was conducted in Tamil Nadu, India, to evaluate the effectiveness of a Bio-Intensive Pest Management (BIPM) module against this pest. The BIPM strategy integrated yellow sticky traps, parasitoid (Encarsia guadeloupae Viggiani), predator (Mallada astur (Banks)), entomopathogenic fungi (Lecanicillium lecanii [Zimmermann] Zare & Gama, Isaria fumosorosea [Wize]), neem seed kernel extract and selective insecticide applications, arranged in a randomised block design with three treatments and eight replications. The BIPM module significantly suppressed whitefly populations (76.9 and 75.2 insects/leaf in Seasons 1 and 2, respectively) compared to the conventional method (226.1 and 228.4) and control plots (320.9 and 326.6). Cassava yield was significantly greater in BIPM plots (2.12 and 2.10 t/625 m²), representing an average 41% increase over control. Economic analysis indicated the highest net profit (USD 55.70 and 56.48) and incremental cost–benefit ratio (12.94 and 12.72) under BIPM. Overall, the findings demonstrate that BIPM provides a sustainable, ecologically sound and economically viable approach for effective management of the spiralling whitefly in cassava-based agro-ecosystems.

The brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stål), is a phloem feeder insect pest of the rice crop. Outbreaks of N. lugens are closely linked to climate variability, often resulting in significant economic losses because of reduced yields. Understanding its potential distribution and the environmental factors influencing its current and future spread is essential for effective management. This study aims to evaluate the influence of climate variability on N. lugens and to project its potential distribution under various climate scenarios of the Phase 6 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) for the near (2050) and far future (2070), integrating through the species niche model. These projections were assessed across four shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs) and compared to a historical baseline. Spatial mapping of potential distribution areas was carried out to analyse temporal variations, with habitat suitability categorised from low to high. The present study results revealed that temperature-related variables accounted for 61.04% of habitat suitability for N. lugens, with annual mean temperature identified as the most critical environmental factor. While precipitation played a secondary role, contributing 38.96% to the population spread and establishment, the projection indicated extensive areas of high habitat suitability for N. lugens, especially in the eastern and southern rice-growing states of Odisha, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Currently, 54.92% of India's land area is suitable for N. lugens establishment, with 7.80% categorised as high-risk zones. Under future climate change scenarios (SSP 126 to SSP 585), the area classified as high risk is projected to expand significantly, covering 30.35% and 27.24% of India's land area by 2050 and 2070, respectively. Southern and eastern states are expected to remain primary hotspots, while the north-eastern regions are projected to face emerging risks with low to moderate habitat suitability. These findings highlight the urgent need to develop effective adaptation and management strategies in response to the increasing risk and shifting distribution pattern of N. lugens in India.

Sciothrips cardamomi is one of the most damaging pests of cardamom, causing visible feeding scars on capsule surfaces, deformation, and shrivelling that lead to significant yield and quality losses. This study aimed to assess the quantitative and qualitative damage caused by thrips by categorising infested capsules into six damage scales (I–VI) based on the extent of scar coverage on the pericarp. Morphometric and quality parameters were measured at each scale. Capsule length decreased sharply from Scale III onwards, with the highest reduction (38.1%) recorded at Scale VI. Although capsule width was less affected, Scales V and VI showed up to 18.5% reduction. Seed count per capsule steadily declined from Scale II, with a 41% loss at Scale VI. Seed weight also declined significantly, reaching a 40% loss at the highest damage scale. In contrast, husk weight increased progressively with damage, peaking at a 62% increase at Scale IV. This shift led to a drastic change in the seed-to-husk ratio from 72:28 in healthy capsules to 43:57 in heavily damaged ones. Essential oil recovery remained unaffected until Scale III but declined significantly thereafter, with a 53.5% loss at Scale VI. GC–MS chromatographic analysis revealed substantial shifts in oil composition: 1,8-cineole increased from 35.05% (Scale I) to 42.57% (Scale IV), while α-terpinyl acetate decreased from 41.5% to 32.26% in severely damaged capsules. Other monoterpenes followed similar trends, indicating that thrips damage alters both yield and aromatic quality of the oil. In conclusion, thrips infestation in cardamom not only reduces the physical yield components but also severely deteriorates the essential oil quality. The findings highlight the need for timely thrips management, which can be achieved through the soil application of the entomopathogenic fungus Lecanicillium psalliotae in combination with spinosad, offering an effective strategy to minimise the economic loss.

Macadamia cultivation in tropical and subtropical regions is threatened by various pathogens, affecting different parts of the tree. Currently, there is a lack of information about the prevalence of bacterial and fungal pathogens and whether rootstock cultivars influence the occurrence of stem diseases in macadamia nurseries. We examined over 2000 grafted macadamia plants from commercial nurseries in Australia to identify the pathogens associated with diseased plants using multi-loci DNA sequencing. as well as detached and in planta pathogenicity assays on two major rootstock cultivars (HAES 695 and H2) to confirm the causal pathogens of stem diseases. The results showed that Diaporthe litchicola and Diaporthe australiana were the most dominant and aggressive species, causing Phomopsis graft dieback, in all five nurseries examined. Stem canker (5%–8%) was caused by five Botryosphaeriaceae (three Lasiodiplodia and two Neofusicoccum species) and was more common and severe on H2 (6.0%) than HAES 695 (4.5%) and Daddow (4.0%) rootstocks. Gall canker caused by Nectria pseudotrichia occurred at low frequencies (<3%) in the nursery plants, regardless of the rootstock cultivars. Crown gall caused by Agrobacterium tumefaciens was observed in a few plants (<1%) only on H2 rootstock plants. This study showed that HAES 695 macadamia rootstock is more tolerant to the stem diseases than H2.

Crude oil contamination poses a persistent environmental challenge because of its complex hydrocarbon composition and slow degradation in soil systems. This study evaluated the long-term effects of petroleum pollution on microbial eco-physiological indicators in arid soils of Naft Shahr, western Iran. A total of 120 soil samples were collected across a gradient of oil contamination (low, moderate, and high), and microbial indicators, including microbial biomass carbon (MBC), basal respiration (BR), microbial quotient (qmic), and metabolic quotient (qCO₂), were quantified. Results showed that MBC and BR significantly increased with oil concentration, indicating microbial adaptation and elevated activity. In contrast, qmic declined from 72.7 to 21.9 mg Cmic g⁻¹ Corg, while qCO₂ rose from 2.33 to 3.45 mg C-CO₂ g⁻¹ Cmic h⁻¹, reflecting reduced microbial efficiency and elevated stress under higher pollution levels. Artificial intelligence models, artificial neural network (ANN) and gene expression programming (GEP), were applied to predict qmic and qCO₂ based on soil physicochemical and biological properties. ANN achieved R² values up to 0.999 for qCO₂ estimation using biological variables, while GEP also showed high predictive accuracy. Long-term petroleum exposure triggers both microbial stress and compensatory adaptations, reflecting a complex ecological adjustment.

The macadamia nut borer, Cryptophlebia ombrodelta (Lower), is an invasive pest of macadamia, Macadamia integrifolia (Maiden & Betche) (Proteaceae), in Hawaii, and its oviposition preference and damage to macadamia nuts are similar to those of a native relative, the koa seedworm, Cryptophlebia illepida (Butler). Because of their similarities and previous studies indicating C. illepida as the dominant of the two species in macadamia orchards in Hawaii, the damage to macadamia nuts caused by Cryptophlebia moths has been categorised historically as C. illepida. However, increasing nut damage by these pests warranted new investigations into their population densities. To determine the relative abundance of the two species, two commercial macadamia-producing areas on Hawaii Island, Keaau and Kapaau, were selected, and white-coloured PHEROCON VI Delta traps were baited with two commercial lures: PHEROCON oriental fruit moth L2 lure and PHEROCON macadamia nut borer lure (Trécé, Inc.), and were placed at the exterior and interior of the orchards in a randomised complete block design. Traps were serviced bi-weekly from May to October in 2022 and 2023, and concurrently, developing nuts on the trees and harvestable nuts from the ground were collected and assessed for larvae of both pests. Moth captures were examined under a stereomicroscope, and larvae were subjected to mitochondrial CO1 gene DNA sequencing. Results showed that C. ombrodelta (91%) was significantly more abundant than C. illepida (9%). This implies that, contrary to historical reports, C. ombrodelta has surpassed the population of C. illepida in macadamia orchards in Hawaii. Therefore, management strategies should be directed specifically to C. ombrodelta to reduce impacts on nut productivity.

A specific phenological scale designated for each forest species facilitates the standardization of different phenophases encountered during the growth and development of seeds to seedlings. This study is the first to apply the Biologische Bundesanstalt, Bundessortenamt and Chemical Industry scale to describe the phenophases during the initial development of five important Brazilian forest species: Bauhinia forficata Link, Ceiba speciosa (A.St.-Hil.) Ravenna, Handroanthus chrysotrichus (Mart. ex DC.) Mattos, Handroanthus impetiginosus (Mart. ex DC.) Mattos and Tabebuia roseoalba (Ridl.) Sandwith. Phenological data were collected from experiments conducted across multiple sowing dates between 2022 and 2024 at the Federal University of Itajubá, in Itajubá, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Two phenophases (main growth stages) were identified and described, that is, stage 0 (germination) and development stage 1 (leaf development), along with 12 sub-stages. The species reached sub-stage 110 (10th visible leaf on the main stem), marking the end of initial development, within approximately 171 days (H. chrysotrichus), 184 days (C. speciosa) and 190 days (H. impetiginosus, B. forficata and T. roseoalba), with variations observed in the duration of the sub-stages (00-110) in all species. This study highlights the variations in the duration of sub-stages associated with the emergence and vegetative development phenophases across the five forest species studied. The binary codes assigned in this study can be used for multiple purposes, including the standardization and optimization of silvicultural techniques, as well as establishing comparative benchmarks for global warming studies, such as phenological cycle lengthening or shortening.

Alisma plantago-aquatica L. is a perennial herbaceous plant from the Alismataceae family, with high medicinal value. Currently, A. plantago-aquatica is extensively cultivated through artificial means. However, the research on A. plantago-aquatica is concentrated on its pharmacological and pharmacodynamic effects, while its phenological growth characteristics have not yet been reported. In this study, the phenological growth of A. plantago-aquatica was monitored based on the Biologische Bundesanstalt, Bundessortenamt and Chemische Industrie (BBCH) scale. Nine primary growth stages, including Germination (S0), Leaf development (S1), Rosette growth (S3), Tuber formation (S4), Inflorescence emergence (S5), Flowering (S6), Development and maturity of fruit (S7), Seed maturity (S8), and Senescence (S9), were specifically outlined. The given phenological scale is supposed to offer researchers systematic botanical data on A. plantago-aquatica. It also emphasizes the timing of peduncle development and seed maturation, aiding cultivators in implementing timely intervention measures, optimizing cultivation management, and increasing the yield of medicinal plants. As far as we know, this is the first time that the extended BBCH scale has been utilized to code and describe the growth and development pattern of A. plantago-aquatica. In conclusion, it not only lays the foundation for other studies on A. plantago-aquatica but also can support cultivators in field management.

Greyia radlkoferi Szyszyl (Melianthaceae) is an indigenous southern African medicinal tree whose ethanolic leaf extracts have been shown to have anti-tyrosinase activity that can treat skin hyperpigmentation in humans. However, there are differences in activity levels among the populations of plants, with some trees having higher anti-tyrosinase activity than others. It is critical to generate high-quality materials with consistent anti-tyrosinase activity for long-term production of cosmeceutical products. To overcome the variation observed, determining the appropriate phenological growth stages to harvest quality leaf materials for better activity could be a way to address the observed variation. Detailed phenological growth stages of G. radlkoferi were described according to the BBCH scale to identify the phenological developmental stages of the plant, such as bud development, leaf development, inflorescence emergence, heading, flowering, development of fruit, ripening or maturity of fruit and seed, and senescence. Temperature and precipitation affect the phenological growth stages of G. radlkoferi. Lower temperatures and precipitation in 2018 resulted in lower development of leaf and flower buds, whereas higher temperatures in 2019 and 2020 led to increased leaf and flower buds. It was observed that more accumulated heat units were needed for leaf development, flowering, and fruiting than for bud development, fruit ripening, and senescence. The highest anti-tyrosinase activity was achieved in leaves harvested during the flowering growth stage (half maximal concentration) (IC₅₀ 19.50 ± 2.710 μg/mL) compared to budding (IC₅₀ 23.91 ± 4.017 μg/mL) and vegetative growth stage (IC₅₀ 27.88 ± 3.100 μg/mL); lower IC₅₀ value indicates higher anti-tyrosinase activity.