Tag Archives: crop protection

Breakthrough in environmentally friendly pesticides

A ‘new generation’ of environmentally friendly pesticides is a step closer thanks to researchers and an insect-killing fungus.

Molecular virologists Dr Robert Coutts from the University of Hertfordshire and Dr Ioly Kotta-Loizou from Imperial College London are investigating the potential of Beauveria bassiana as an environmentally friendly bio-insecticide

B. bassiana, which is found naturally in soil and on some plants, can kill a wide range of insects, including whiteflies, aphids, grasshoppers and termites, by infecting them with its spores. Unlike some other fungal insecticides, the work is specifically researching the viral community of B. bassiana. This has lead to the discovery that certain mycoviruses (viruses that infect fungi) cause hypervirulence and increase mycoinsecticidal efficiency.

Dr Coutts said, “This discovery is potentially transformational for the sector and could elevate the profile of B. bassiana as one of the most environmentally friendly pest control agents for farmers today. This would safeguard ecosystems internationally, especially where the use of chemical insecticides is particularly prevalent. By using viruses as enhancers we will create a new generation of improved mycoinsecticides, increasing the quality of global food production and reducing the environmental impact.”

Photo Credit: Wikipedia Commons.

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Effective controls for apple canker identified

Two new fungicides have been identified for the control of apple canker, caused by the fungus Neonectria ditissima, while research into integrated pest management of the disease is also providing promising results.

Canker is one of the most important diseases of apple and pear, causing cankers and dieback of young shoots, as well as fruit rot that can result in losses as high as ten per cent or more in stored fruit. In a two-year AHDB Horticulture funded trial examining control of Neonectria fruit rot, a range of experimental fungicides, a biofungicide and several alternative chemical treatments were tested for effectiveness. During the trials, fungicides Delan Pro and Syllit 400SC were found to be effective at reducing the incidence of fruit rot.

A five-year IPM study, also commissioned by AHDB Horticulture, is looking at how apple canker spreads. The project aims to identify an approach to reduce losses during tree establishment by targeting infection at propagation phase and improving the efficacy of orchard control.

Mark Holden, from Adrian Scripps Ltd is an industry representative of the project. He commented, “Losses of trees due to canker have risen significantly over the last 10 years due to more intensive tree planting, particularly with more susceptible varieties such as Gala, Braeburn, Kanzi & Jazz.

“The main issue is the lack of systemic chemical products in the growing season which are effective so it is encouraging that some new chemistry is coming through. It is hoped that, after the registration process is completed for these new products, the label requirements are not too restrictive.”

Photo Caption: Neonectria ditissima

Photo Credit: Wikipedia Commons

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New head for Crop Protection Association

Former BBC Environment Correspondent Sarah Mukherjee, currently Director of Environment at Water UK, has been appointed as the new Chief Executive of the Crop Protection Association.

She will take over from Nick von Westenholz, who will be moving to the NFU as Director of EU Exit and International Trade in the New Year. Sarah will take up the role on the 13th March 2017.

Commenting on the appointment, CPA Chairman, Gary Mills-Thomas said, “I am delighted that we have been able to appoint someone with such a wealth of expertise and knowledge as the Association’s Chief Executive. As the crop protection sector continues to face significant political and regulatory pressures, which will only be magnified by the process of Brexit, Sarah’s experience working with senior civil servants, politicians and regulators will be hugely valuable.”

“Sarah has an excellent track record in communicating often very complex ideas to both specialist and non-specialist audiences, and I believe she will bring strong leadership and a fresh approach to the opportunities and challenges that our industry currently faces.

Sarah said of her appointment; “I am delighted to be taking up such a crucial post at such a pivotal time for the industry. We need to balance the needs of the environment and sustainable farming with the requirement to feed a growing population, and I very much look forward to taking on these issues next year.”

Photo Credit: CPA

The post New head for Crop Protection Association appeared first on Hort News on 23 December 2016.

Nationwide survey to understand soil pests of potato

A new nationwide survey of potato growers hopes to evaluate the wider implications of key soil pest issues, and assess whether growers are winning the battle against losses, or identify if problems are getting progressively worse.

It seeks to evaluate how growers perceive the effectiveness of current IPM measures in the field and the impacts that adopting new practices have on profitable potato production. Syngenta Potato Campaign Manager, Mark Britton, commented, “The recent AHDB-funded survey has given a good snapshot of PCN incidence, but it is crucial to now assess how growers view the control options available, and how that impacts on the complex interaction of all soil pests in practice.”

The questions have been designed to focus on the practical and financial implications for growers here and now, but would also have a valuable function in helping to shape future research and trials’ priorities to develop appropriate solutions. The survey, which should take less than ten minutes to complete, can be found at https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/JN7X8BH until the end of January. All growers and agronomist that participate will have the chance to win a copy of a practical guide to diseases, pests and disorders of the potato, and the survey results will be available to all growers.

The post Nationwide survey to understand soil pests of potato appeared first on Hort News on 23 December 2016.

LED lights attract fewer insects than other lights

New research from the University of Bristol has revealed that domestic LED lights are much less attractive to nuisance insects such as biting midges than traditional filament lamps.

Although the initial findings are of interest in terms of public health and preventing the spread of diseases such as malaria and Zika fever, there may be implications for the use of beneficial insects and pollinators in horticulture.

The study, which was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council and UK lighting manufacturer Integral LED, used customised traps at 18 field test sites across south-west England. Over 4,000 insects were carefully identified and overall LEDs attracted four times fewer insects compared with traditional incandescent lamps, and half as many as were attracted to a compact fluorescent lamp.

Dr Andy Wakefield led the field research and said, “We were surprised by the number of biting flies drawn to the traditional tungsten lights. We do not know why this is but we know that some insects use thermal cues to find warm-blooded hosts in the night, so perhaps they were attracted to the heat given off by the filament bulb.”

Photo Caption: Research shows that LEDs attract fewer biting insects like mosquitoes than tungsten lamps

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

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Tomatoes with virus attract bees

Plant scientists at the University of Cambridge have found that the cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) alters gene expression in the tomato plants it infects, causing changes to the scent emitted by the plants. Bees can smell these subtle changes, and glasshouse experiments have shown that bumblebees prefer infected plants over healthy ones.

Scientists say that by indirectly manipulating bee behaviour to improve pollination of infected plants by changing their scent, the virus is effectively paying its host back. This may also benefit the virus: helping to spread the pollen of plants susceptible to infection and, in doing so, inhibiting the chance of virus-resistant plant strains emerging.

CMV is transmitted by aphids – bees don’t carry the virus. It’s one of the most prevalent pathogens affecting tomato plants, resulting in small plants with poor-tasting fruits that can cause serious losses to cultivated crops. As well as being one of the most damaging viruses for horticultural crops, CMV it also persists in wild plant populations, and the new findings may explain why.

“Bees provide a vital pollination service in the production of three-quarters of the world’s food crops. With their numbers in rapid decline, scientists have been searching for ways to harness pollinator power to boost agricultural yields,” said study principal investigator Dr John Carr, Head of Cambridge’s Virology and Molecular Plant Pathology group. “Better understanding the natural chemicals that attract bees could provide ways of enhancing pollination, and attracting bees to good sources of pollen and nectar – which they need for survival.”

Photo Credit: University of Cambridge / Alex M Murphy, Sanjie Jiang and John P Carr

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Tomatoes resist a parasitic vine by detecting its peptide

Tomato plants deter attacks from a parasitic plant that’s known to ravage crops by detecting one of its peptides, a new study has revealed.

Worldwide, parasitic plants cost billions of dollars in crop losses, but a better understanding of how some plants fend off invaders could help efforts to mitigate these losses. Cuscuta reflexa is a parasitic, leafless vine that infects the stems of most dicotyledonous plants. One notable exception is Solanum lycopersicum, a species of tomato.

Plants are sometimes able to detect disease-causing microbes by the distinct peptides that these invading plants release, which prompts the host plant to secrete the stress-related hormone ethylene. The research team lead by Volker Hegenauer suspected that S. lycopersicum may take a similar strategy when facing the plant parasite C. reflexa, which they confirmed. By analyzing natural variation the researchers identified the receptor behind this sensitivity, which they named Cuscuta receptor 1 (CuRe1).

When the team induced expression of the corresponding gene in the leaves of two other plant species (one closely related to S. lycopersicum and the other more distantly related), both plants reacted to presence of the C. reflexa peptide with increased production of ethylene, and exhibited increased resistance to C. reflexa infestation.

Photo Caption: Flower of the dicotyledonous plant parasite Cuscuta reflexa.

Photo Credit: Dr. Eric Melzer

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Growers urged to help stop spread of foot rot in peas

Historically in the UK, foot rot in pea crops has been caused by Fusarium spp. and Didymella pinodella but now another fungus is meaning it is even more important to control the spread of this destructive disease.

Dr Lea Wiesel, plant pathologist with the Processors and Growers Research Organisation (PGRO), says, “Now another very destructive pathogen, Aphanomyces euteiches, has been adding to the foot-rot complex. This is a soil-borne oomycete that produces long-lasting resting spores that can survive in soils for more than 10 years, and even low numbers of resting spores can have devastating effects on yields. Once a field is infected, it can’t be used for pea cropping for at least a decade.”

To help growers, PGRO has developed a new laboratory test to assess risk levels for the disease in soils, so that growers can make informed decisions about cropping. A 2kg soil sample taken in a W pattern across the field should be collected, and the cost of each test is £149. Dr Wiesel advises that samples are sent 12-18 months before planned planting in order for cropping plans to be revised if necessary.

Photo Caption: Dr Lea Wiesel

Photo Credit: PRGO

The post Growers urged to help stop spread of foot rot in peas appeared first on Hort News on 17 July 2016.

Commissions agrees glyphosate approval for 18 months

On Friday (24 June) the European Appeals Committee failed to reach a qualified majority on proposals to extend the approval of glyphosate for the next 15 years.

Following the split vote the decision passed to the European Commission, with EU health commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis confirming an 18-month extension to the licence for glyphosate on Tuesday (28 June). The 18 month license has been proposed by the Commission as a temporary measure pending the publication of further research.

Nick von Westenholz, CPA CEO commented, “It is disappointing that Member States have forced the Commission into this position by ignoring the science and advice of expert regulators. The indecision of Member States and the need for an extension demonstrates how politicised this process has become. Nevertheless, it will be a relief to farmers that they will be able to continue to use this crucial tool, at least in the short-term.

“We urge Member States to take the sensible, science led decision to re-licence this safe, efficient and effective product for the full 15 year period once the 18 month extension has expired. Failure to re-license glyphosate would be contrary to the science, provide no benefit to human health, wildlife or the environment and at the same time remove one of the key tools our farmers need to produce a safe, healthy, reliable and affordable supply of food.”

The post Commissions agrees glyphosate approval for 18 months appeared first on Hort News on 29 June 2016.

Bayer offers US$62 billion for Monsanto

German-based chemicals giant Bayer AG has reportedly offered US$122 in cash per share in its bid to acquire Monsanto, valuing the US agchem company at US$62 billion. This represents a 35 per cent premium over the company’s share price on the day before the offer was made.

Bayer, which admitted its interest in Monsanto last week, says the two companies would be beneficial, in particularly combining its own strength in crop protection and plant health with Monsanto’s breeding and seed portfolio. This is an area Bayer has been exploring in recent years; including its acquisition of Dutch seed company Nunhems.

James Blome, CEO of Bayer Crop Science, has reportedly said that said that if the deal is approved the headquarters for joint crop science efforts would be in St. Louis in the Unites States.

Bayer AG CEO Werner Baumann said on Monday, “We have long respected Monsanto’s business and share their vision to create an integrated business that we believe is capable of generating substantial value for both companies’ shareholders. Together we would draw on the collective expertise of both companies to build a leading agriculture player with exceptional innovation capabilities to the benefit of farmers, consumers, our employees and the communities in which we operate.”

The post Bayer offers US$62 billion for Monsanto appeared first on Hort News on Tuesday 24 Mya 2016.