Frontiers in Agronomy最新文献

{"title":"Mulching as a weed management tool in container plant production - review","authors":"Yuvraj Khamare, S. Marble","doi":"10.3389/fagro.2023.1235196","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fagro.2023.1235196","url":null,"abstract":"Weed management in container plant production is a serious problem and remains one of the most expensive and time-consuming aspects of the industry. Weeds cause severe reductions in crop growth due to the limited growing environment characteristic of container plant production. The container nursery industry relies heavily on a limited number of preemergence herbicide options. The use of herbicides as the primary means to manage weeds has resulted in some negative consequences such as high chemical costs, leaching, runoff, and concerns with recycling irrigation water. Additionally, nursery growers are shifting their focus toward different nonchemical weed management strategies because many ornamental plants are very sensitive to preemergence herbicides. One such method is using organic mulch to control weeds in container plant production. Mulching is the foundation of a nonchemical weed management protocol and acts as the first line of defense against weeds. Organic mulches used in container plant production include rice hulls, pine bark, wood chips, wood shavings, coconut coir, nut (peanut, pecan) shells, oyster shells, cacao bean hulls, pelletized newspaper, recycled newspaper, pine straw, and other materials; material selection often depends on the availability of the product. The objective of this manuscript is to provide a comprehensive review of existing research on the utilization of various mulch materials as a weed management tool in container plant production. Additionally, it aims to highlight any critical knowledge gaps and provide suggestions for possible future research.","PeriodicalId":34038,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Agronomy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139008112","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Weed control with saturated steam in organic highbush blueberry","authors":"Marcelo L. Moretti, Rafael M. Pedroso","doi":"10.3389/fagro.2023.1297979","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fagro.2023.1297979","url":null,"abstract":"Weed management is often a predominant and costly problem in the production of organic blueberries. Geotextile weed fabrics of woven polyethylene are widely used in organic blueberry fields to suppress weeds growing within the rows. Weeds, such as Convolvulus arvensis L., grow at the base of the blueberry plants or through openings and around the edges of the weed fabric, thus requiring hand weeding. This study evaluates the integration of saturated steam (SS), a rotary brush (RB), and organic herbicides for weed control in blueberries. Dose–response studies indicated that SS applied at 121°C and at 7.4 m3 ha−1 of steam (3,655 MJ ha−1) resulted in over 90% control and a reduction in the dry weights of C. arvensis. When treatments were directed to the base of the blueberry plants, SS at 7.4 m3 ha−1 provided 80% control of C. arvensis 28 days after treatment (DAT) and was comparable to hand weeding. Both of these treatments outperformed capric plus caprylic acid (CC) (33.2 kg ai ha−1) or ammonium nonanoate (AN) (24.3 kg ai ha−1) applications, despite C. arversis regrowth being observed. Four repetitive basal applications of SS of up to 29.6 m3 ha−1 over two consecutive years caused minimal and transient damage to new basal shoots of ‘Elliot’ and ‘Duke’ blueberries; basal shoot cross-sectional area compared with the non-treated was unaffected. In contrast, basal application of AN treatments damaged or killed basal shoots. When treatments were applied to the edge of the weed fabric, SS (7.4 m3 ha−1) reduced weed biomass by 42% to 93% at 28 DAT compared with the non-treated. The RB treatment reduced weed biomass from 72% to 99% in all experiments, while CC and AN reduced biomass by 18% to 54%. A partial budget analysis indicated that SS and the RB were 3- and 6.5-fold less expensive than organic herbicides, respectively. Integrating physical (SS) and mechanical (RB) treatments improved weed control. The latter, however, damaged the weed-suppressing fabric where preexisting holes were present, generated dust, and increased the chance of fruit contamination. The SS was safe for the weed-suppressing fabric and the blueberry, but weed regrowth following treatment and copious water requirements hindered its feasibility.","PeriodicalId":34038,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Agronomy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139010393","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Catch crops in the Argentinean Pampas: a synthesis-analysis on nutrient characteristics and their implications for a sustainable agriculture","authors":"Francisco Cafaro La Menza, W. Carciochi","doi":"10.3389/fagro.2023.1244057","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fagro.2023.1244057","url":null,"abstract":"Catch crops (CCs) are crops that grow between two cash crops, accumulating nutrients in their biomass and later releasing them through the decomposition of their residues. To our knowledge, no study has compared the nutrient-related traits of different CCs species. This comparison is essential for understanding the possible roles of CCs in agroecosystems and for optimizing adjustments of fertilizer rates. This study aims to: i) synthesize characteristics of the CCs, such as aboveground dry matter accumulation, nutrient [carbon (C), nitrogen (N), sulfur (S), and phosphorus (P)] concentration and accumulation, and C:nutrient ratios, ii) explore factors defining the mentioned characteristics, and iii) discuss their implications on the ecosystem services provided. By analyzing data from 52 studies, (98 site-years) in the Argentinean Pampas, we observed that grasses (excluding ryegrass) accumulated the greatest aboveground dry matter (6.08 ± 0.22 t ha-1, mean ± SE) and C (2.60 ± 0.13 t ha-1), making them suitable for protecting the soil surface from erosion, suppressing weeds, and improving C balances. Conversely, vetch accumulated the highest nutrient content (118 ± 5.3, 15 ± 1.5, and 14 ± 1.2 kg ha-1 for N, S, and P, respectively) with the lowest C:nutrient ratio (means of 15:1, 152:1, and 147:1 for N, S, and P, respectively), making it a suitable choice for recycling nutrients and providing extra N. Mixtures presented intermediate characteristics between the monocultures, allowing a balanced provision of the mentioned ecosystem services. Furthermore, the results showed that dry matter accumulation affected the nutrient-related traits analyzed, and it was related to different factors, such as CCs sowing and termination dates or precipitation. The analysis highlights the importance of selecting CCs species based on the desired ecosystem service and provides valuable information for producers as well as for modeling C balances and nutrient cycling.","PeriodicalId":34038,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Agronomy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138594167","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Traits of weed species present in maize respond to tillage and cropping systems","authors":"Johanna Bensch, H. Pannwitt, Bärbel Gerowitt","doi":"10.3389/fagro.2023.1284887","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fagro.2023.1284887","url":null,"abstract":"Arable weeds adapt to any changes in disturbance and management. On arable fields, tilling disturbs the soil, while cropping practices like rotation, pesticide use, fertilizer use, and the use of subsidiary crops characterize the management of the field. On a species level, weeds adapt in their abundance and composition. The species have certain traits to use the on-site resources best. Our objective was to investigate if traits beyond just species describe the adaptation of weeds to tillage and cropping systems. Therefore, we present a use case of weeds on fields cropped with maize in Germany.Over 2 years, we conducted a nationwide weed survey on 577 maize fields. On each field, the abundance of each weed species was counted on 10 randomly sampled square plots of 0.1 m² not treated with herbicides at the fourth to eighth leaf stages of the maize. Weed species frequent on at least 5% of the fields were assigned traits. Traits were taken from published updated databases. We interviewed all farmers about the management practices of their fields.The management practice data identified three management clusters of tillage and cropping sequence on maize fields. The standard system so far is a management system characterized by inversion tillage and maize cropped in rotations (“Traditional”). The two transformation systems are maize cropped in rotations but with non-inversion tillage as the method of soil disturbance (“Conservational”) and maize cropped continuously regardless of the tillage system (“Monoculture”). Ordination techniques showed that both weed species and traits are assigned to these management systems. Traditional disfavored weed species with a greater plant height. Conservational selected dicot weed species with a high seed weight and a long flowering duration. Monoculture mainly filtered monocot weed species and favored weeds that germinate in spring.Our study describes weed responses on transformations of maize cropping in tillage and cropping systems on both the species and the trait level. This application expresses the importance and value of collecting weed surveys with field management data on a geographically widespread and repeated timescale.","PeriodicalId":34038,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Agronomy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138601259","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of plant height on control of multiple herbicide-resistant Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) in glufosinate/glyphosate-resistant corn","authors":"Ramandeep Kaur, P. Chahal, Yeyin Shi, Nevin C. Lawrence, S. Knezevic, A. Jhala","doi":"10.3389/fagro.2023.1293293","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fagro.2023.1293293","url":null,"abstract":"Multiple herbicide-resistant (MHR) Palmer amaranth is a troublesome weed in several crops across the USA, including corn. Due to unavoidable weather conditions, it is sometimes not possible for growers to apply pre-emergence herbicide; therefore, post-emergence (POST) herbicide is needed for effective control of MHR Palmer amaranth. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effect of POST herbicides applied at two heights (10-15 cm and 20-30 cm) for MHR Palmer amaranth control and their effect on Palmer amaranth biomass, density, and seed production as well as yield of glufosinate/glyphosate-resistant corn. Field experiments were conducted at a grower’s field near Carleton, Nebraska, USA in 2020 and 2021. Control of MHR Palmer amaranth was affected by the plant height when herbicides were applied. Glufosinate, dicamba, dicamba/diflufenzopyr, and dicamba/tembotrione applied to 10-15 cm tall Palmer amaranth provided ≥ 94% control 30 d after EPOST (DAEPOST), whereas atrazine/bicyclopyone/mesotrione/S-metolachlor applied to 20-30 cm tall MHR Palmer amaranth provided 85% control in 2021. Glufosinate provided 85% to 90% control when applied to 20-30 cm tall Palmer amaranth in both years. At 90 DALPOST, dicamba, dicamba/diflufenzopyr, and dicamba/tembotrione applied to 10-15 cm tall Palmer amaranth provided ≥ 88% control. Dicamba/tembotrione, atrazine/bicyclopyone/mesotrione/S–metolachlor, and dicamba applied to 20-30 cm tall Palmer amaranth provided 85% to 92% control. Glufosinate, dicamba, and atrazine/bicyclopyone/mesotrione/S–metolachlor were the most effective for reducing Palmer amaranth density 2 to 19 plants m−2 when applied to 10-15 cm Palmer amaranth 30 DAEPOST compared with the nontreated control (137 plants m−2) in 2021; however, when applied to 20-30 cm Palmer amaranth, glufosinate, and atrazine/bicyclopyone/mesotrione/S–metolachlor reduced density 5 to 19 plants m−2. At 30 DAEPOST, glufosinate and atrazine/bicyclopyone/mesotrione/S–metolachlor had the lowest Palmer amaranth biomass (3-17 g m−2). Corn yield in 2020 was higher than 2021 due to more rain in 2020. All herbicides resulted in a similar yield in 2020. Lower seed production of 6,269 and 1,953 seeds plant-1 for 10-15 cm and 20-30 cm MHR Palmer amaranth were recorded with dicamba and atrazine/bicyclopyone/mesotrione/S–metolachlor.","PeriodicalId":34038,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Agronomy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138603332","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Molecular and machine learning approaches to study the impact of climatic factors on the evolution of cranberry fruit rot","authors":"Khadijeh Aghel, B. Cinget, Matteo Conti, C. Labbé, Richard R. Bélanger","doi":"10.3389/fagro.2023.1235218","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fagro.2023.1235218","url":null,"abstract":"Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) is an important crop grown in the United States and Canada, with the province of Québec being the world’s largest producer of organic cranberry. However, cranberry fruit rot (CFR), caused by 12 fungal species, has become a major issue affecting yield.A molecular detection tool was used to detect the presence of the 12 CFR fungi and evaluate CFR species across three farms with different fungicide strategies in Québec. The incidence and frequency of CFR fungi were evaluated for 2020 and compared with 2018 data from the same farms in Québec. Machine-learning models were used to determine the possibility of explaining CFR disease and species based on climate, and analyze the effects of weather variables on CFR presence andprimary fungal species.The most predominant CFR species remained the same in both years, with Godronia cassandrae and Coleophoma empetri being the two most common, but some species showed changes in relative abundance. Furthermore, this study examined the diversity variations in 2018 and 2020, with data showing an overall increase in diversity over the period. The results showed that fungicide applications impacted the species composition of CFR among the farms. Five weather variables (daily snow on the ground (cm), total daily precipitation (mm), daily atmospheric pressure (kPa), daily relative humidity (%) and daily temperature (°C)) were selected and found to contribute differently to the model with atmospheric pressure being the most important. Surprisingly, temperature and precipitations did not influence much the incidence of fungal pathogen species and each CFR species behaved differently in response to environmental factors.Overall, this study highlights the complexity of predicting CFR disease, as caused by 12 fungi, and of developing effective disease management strategies for CFR.","PeriodicalId":34038,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Agronomy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138625184","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Vigna unguiculata: a productive option in the face of climate change?","authors":"Hipólito Murga-Orrillo, Jhon K. Chuquimez Gonzales, Beto Pashanasi Amasifuén, Luis A. Arévalo López","doi":"10.3389/fagro.2023.1284173","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fagro.2023.1284173","url":null,"abstract":"Faced with the challenges of extreme climatic events and increasing food demand, cowpea farming offers a viable option for generating grains and foliage while aiding soil preservation. This research aimed to evaluate the impact of diverse organic fertilizers and plastic mulches on cowpea yields and soil macrofauna. A completely randomized block design was employed, with a factorial arrangement of 3 × 3 + 1, encompassing plastic mulch (3.5 mm) color (white, black, and blue), organic fertilizer (compost of chicken manure-agricultural soil-dolomite, island guano, and cattle manure compost), as well as a control (without synthetic mulch and organic fertilization). The study evaluated soil temperature, plant height, area biomass, foliar macronutrients, yield, and soil macrofauna. The findings demonstrate that soil temperature varies based on the color of the plastic mulch. It was observed that using organic fertilizers resulted in significantly taller plants than the control group, with fresh and dry biomass weight also being significantly greater (p<0.05) for cattle manure compost compared to the other treatments. Furthermore, the use of plastic mulches had an impact on soil macrofauna. Cowpea displayed resistance to low soil fertility and fluctuations in soil temperature ranging from <35°C to >40°C. However, high precipitation during the fruiting and harvesting seasons significantly impacted grain yields. Organic fertilizers produced noticeable variances (p<0.05) in the aerial biomass weight of cowpeas, particularly cattle manure compost. The data, indicates that soil macrofauna, like the earthworm Pontoscolex corethrurus, improved the availability of N, P, and K to the plant during the reproductive stage. Plastic mulches and organic fertilizers were linked to an increase in earthworm weights, specifically P. corethrurus. Additionally, plastic mulches served as a physical barrier against ants and bugs.","PeriodicalId":34038,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Agronomy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139218573","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"New antimicrobials and plant defense inducers for managing citrus canker disease","authors":"S. Kunwar, A. Redondo, D. Manker, Meagan Iott, T. Knobloch, S. Brunet, J. Dufour, O. Batuman","doi":"10.3389/fagro.2023.1292624","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fagro.2023.1292624","url":null,"abstract":"For over two decades, Florida citrus growers have been heavily using copper sprays to combat citrus canker (Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri; Xcc), but it raises the risk of developing resistant bacterial strains and excessive accumulation in the soil. Alternative methods are needed to reduce copper dependency and better manage Xcc. Therefore, we screened copper-alternative products against canker on young seedlings in the greenhouse and mature trees in a commercial grove in Florida, USA. In the greenhouse, we evaluated the efficacy of single foliar application of new plant defense inducers (PDI), ‘PDI5’, ‘PDI26’, and ‘PDI31’, and a commercially available systemic acquired resistance inducer, Actigard (drench; 2g/tree), applied two days before injection-infiltration with citrus canker bacterium Xcc (104 CFU/ml), on two-year-old Valencia trees. All three PDIs, sprayed at 500 ppm, as well as Actigard (drench), effectively reduced canker severity on the inoculated leaves in the greenhouse (P ≤0.02). In the grove, we tested new antimicrobials, Mastercop ‘MC’ (21.46% copper sulfate pentahydrate; metallic copper equivalent 5.4%) at concentrations of 1.12 kg/ha, 1.68 kg/ha and 2.24 kg/ha, ‘AM’ at 1.68 kg/ha and 2.24 kg/ha, and a nutrient solution (AGRO-MOS) at 1.12 kg/ha for canker suppression on 4–6-year-old Hamlin trees. Kocide 2000 (growers’ standard control; metallic copper equivalent 30%; 3.92 kg/ha) was used as a control check. Although 2021 was not as conducive for citrus canker due to the relatively dry spring months in the field, our results showed that the six sprays of AM (2.24 kg/ha) or MC (1.68 kg/ha, and 2.24 kg/ha), in 2022, provided excellent control of Xcc, with a significant reduction in disease incidence in leaves and fruits, and disease severity in fruits, similar to Kocide 2000. The results indicate that antimicrobials, AM and MC, and plant defense inducers PDI5, PDI26, and PDI31 can be part of an integrated pest management (IPM) program with copper for managing citrus canker. Reducing the frequency and amount of copper applications can help reduce pesticide and application expenses, lower risks of copper buildup in the soil and toxicity for citrus trees and reduce the risk of the emergence of copper-resistant Xcc strains. Further research on these products is needed to assess their long-term effectiveness and potential environmental risks.","PeriodicalId":34038,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Agronomy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139240745","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A proximal sensing cart and custom cooling box for improved hyperspectral sensing in a desert environment","authors":"Alison L. Thompson, K. Thorp, M. Conley, D. Pauli","doi":"10.3389/fagro.2023.1195030","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fagro.2023.1195030","url":null,"abstract":"Advancements in field spectrometry have the potential to increase understanding of crop growth and development in response to hot and dry environments. However, as with any instrument used for scientific advancement, it is important to continue developing and optimizing data collection protocols to promote efficiency, safety, and data quality. The goal of this study was to develop a novel data collection method, involving a proximal sensing cart with onboard cooling equipment, to improve deployments of a field spectroradiometer in a hot and dry environment. Advantages and disadvantages of the new method were compared with the traditional backpack approach and other approaches reported in literature.The novel method prevented the spectroradiometer from overheating and nearly eliminated the need to halt data collection for battery changes. It also enabled data collection from a significantly larger field area and from more field plots as compared to the traditional backpack method. Use of a custom cooling box to stabilize operating temperatures for the field spectroradiometer also improved stability of white panel data both within and among collections despite outside air temperatures in excess of 30°C.As compared to traditional data collection approaches for measuring spectral reflectance of field crops in a hot and dry environment, use of a proximal sensing cart with a customized equipment cooling box improved spectroradiometer performance, increased practicality of equipment transport, and reduced operator safety concerns.","PeriodicalId":34038,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Agronomy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139243582","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Can predatory mites aid in the management of the citrus leprosis mite?","authors":"J. Vechia, Daniel J. Andrade, A. Tassi, Amy Roda, E. van Santen, Daniel Carrillo","doi":"10.3389/fagro.2023.1304656","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fagro.2023.1304656","url":null,"abstract":"The flat mite Brevipalpus yothersi is the main vector of citrus leprosis in South and Central America and Mexico, where vector suppression using conventional acaricides is usually the only disease control method, leading to problems with acaricide resistance. This mite is present in Florida, where several viruses known to cause citrus leprosis were recently detected. This research builds preparedness for managing emerging viral diseases and mitigating potential problems associated with acaricide resistance by addressing the compatibility of chemical and biological control strategies against B. yothersi. The predatory mite Amblyseius largoensis has shown promise as a biological control agent of B. yothersi. However, the effects of acaricides used in citrus on this predator are unknown.This study investigated the impact of different routes of acaricide exposure on A. largoensis, including direct contact, pesticide-contaminated prey, residual contact, and combined exposure routes in laboratory settings. Additionally, the efficacy of A. largoensis in controlling B. yothersi, alone and in combination with acaricide applications, was evaluated under greenhouse conditions.Commonly used acaricides like abamectin and spirodiclofen were highly effective in controlling B. yothersi and only slightly harmful to A. largoensis. Other acaricides were also effective against B. yothersi but were less compatible with the predatory mite. In the greenhouse trial, all acaricides, alone or in combination with the predators, and the predators alone, effectively suppressed B. yothersi one month after treatment application. However, B. yothersi populations significantly increased one month later in the abamectin-alone and predator-alone treatments. At the same time, the combination of abamectin and predators provided B. yothersi suppression throughout the experiment. The fenpyroximate-predator combination also provided better control than each treatment applied independently. All other acaricides provided prolonged B. yothersi control, hindering biological control probably due to the lack of prey for A. largoensis. Research findings highlight the potential for enhancing the selectivity of acaricides towards A. largoensis by manipulating their exposure route. Combining predatory mites with acaricides shows promise in improving B. yothersi management.","PeriodicalId":34038,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Agronomy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139252125","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}