Biological Control最新文献

{"title":"Pseudomonas azotoformans and Pseudomonas putida: Novel kiwifruit-native biological control agents against Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae","authors":"Cristiana Correia ,&nbsp;Antonio Cellini ,&nbsp;Irene Donati ,&nbsp;Panagiotis Voulgaris ,&nbsp;Adebayo Ebenezer Obafemi ,&nbsp;Elia Soriato ,&nbsp;Elodie Vandelle ,&nbsp;Conceição Santos ,&nbsp;Francesco Spinelli","doi":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105706","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105706","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Pseudomonas syringae</em> pv. <em>actinidiae</em> (Psa), the etiological agent of the bacterial canker in <em>Actinidia</em> plants, remains the main threat to kiwifruit orchards worldwide. Though <em>e</em>nvironment-friendly disease control methods based on biological control agents (BCAs) represent a promising alternative to xenobiotic pesticides, their efficacy in field conditions has often resulted erratic. The selection of beneficial microorganisms directly from the phyllosphere of the host plant is a promising approach to overcome this limitation since it ensures the adaptation of the isolates to the environment in which they are going to be applied. This work reports the screening of the kiwifruit epiphytic bacterial community from three Psa infected orchards in Portugal to identify potential bacterial BCAs capable of inhibiting Psa growth or interfering with its virulence. Strains of <em>Pseudomonas putida</em> and <em>Pseudomonas azotoformans</em> efficiently antagonized Psa on flowers and leaves and colonized all susceptible organs with high surviving rates in glasshouse conditions. <em>In vitro</em> metabolic analysis together with genome sequencing and annotation revealed siderophore production, in particular pyoverdine, which may limit iron availability to the pathogen. Moreover, several biosynthetic gene clusters of secondary metabolites, were predicted in the genome of both strains, including non-ribosomal peptides, and the bacteriocin pyocin was predicted in the genome of BG1. Overall, these results open new perspectives to develop commercial products for Psa management based on kiwifruit-native bacteria, well-adapted to common orchard management practices, with a high efficiency of host plant colonization, at Psa-conducive temperatures, and point out possible mechanisms of action for these two BCA candidates, supporting further steps to assess their effectiveness in orchard conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8880,"journal":{"name":"Biological Control","volume":"201 ","pages":"Article 105706"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143136773","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Do semi-natural habitats enhance overwintering of generalist predators in arable cropping systems? A meta-analysis","authors":"Paul Bannwart ,&nbsp;Antoine Gardarin ,&nbsp;Sandrine Petit","doi":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105700","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105700","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The enhancement of invertebrate generalist predator populations through habitat management is a promising way to control pest populations and could contribute to pesticide use reduction in arable agriculture. The majority of studies on invertebrate ground-dwelling predators are focusing on the activity-density of adults during their period of activity and provide limited insight into their overwintering ecology. Semi-natural habitats (SNH) are frequently considered as key winter refuge but their contribution is often not compared with the contribution of adjacent arable crops. We performed a <em>meta</em>-analysis to investigate whether SNH are key overwintering sites relatively to adjacent crops, for two abundant and widespread generalist predator groups in agroecosystems: carabid beetles and spiders. We identified a corpus limited to 19 studies and 114 comparisons between SNH (linear or patch) and arable crops (autumn-sown and spring-sown crops) that monitored predators with traps avoiding predator movement during their overwintering. Our analysis revealed that SNH significantly sheltered higher densities of overwintering spiders than adjacent crops. Concerning carabid populations, densities of overwintering carabids were influenced by the shape of SNH with higher overwintering densities in linear elements (grass strips, flower strips, hedges) than in arable crops. In addition, carabid overwintering density and diversity were higher in SNH when the adjacent crop was a spring-sown crop, indicating a higher sensitivity to agricultural disturbances or low trophic resources. These findings highlight the predator and agricultural context-dependent role of semi-natural habitats as overwintering refuge and underline the increased consideration that should be granted to autumn-sown crops as suitable overwintering habitat.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8880,"journal":{"name":"Biological Control","volume":"201 ","pages":"Article 105700"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143136333","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The control effect and induced disease resistance mechanism of Bacillus tequilensis on wheat powdery mildew","authors":"Qiuyan Bi ,&nbsp;Fen Lu ,&nbsp;Jie Wu ,&nbsp;Xiangyu Liu ,&nbsp;Xiuying Han ,&nbsp;Jianjiang Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105698","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105698","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Blumeria graminis</em> f. sp. <em>Tritici</em> causes wheat powdery mildew (WPM) and severe wheat damage worldwide. To prevent WPM and emerging chemical fungicide resistance, researchers investigated the control effectiveness and induced disease resistance mechanisms of the biocontrol agent <em>Bacillus tequilensis</em>. Its inhibitory effect was determined via an <em>in vitro</em> method combined with microscopic observation, and the control effect was clarified via pot and field verification. Using transcriptome technology, we determined the differences in wheat gene expression in after treatment with <em>B. tequilensis</em> and verified the main molecular mechanism of <em>B. tequilensis</em>-induced resistance. The effects on wheat defence enzymes were clarified via physiological and biochemical techniques. The results revealed that <em>B. tequilensis</em> controlled WPM at an effective concentration of 1 × 10⁷ cfu/mL or higher. The inhibitory effect <em>in vitro</em> was 90.91–100.00 %. The potted control effect was 92.98–100.00 %. The field control effect was 83.21–100.00 %. Transcriptome sequencing analysis revealed 1,472 significantly upregulated genes and 1,995 downregulated genes. The differentially expressed genes were enriched in several pathways related to amino acid biosynthesis and metabolism. The expression levels of actin-7-like, lipoxygenase, linoleic acid 9S-lipoxygenase 6-like, pathogenesis-related protein PR-1-like, superoxide dismutase, phenylalanine ammonia lyase and polyphenol oxidase were significantly increased. The relative enzymic activities induced by <em>B. tequilensis</em> presented maximum differences between 2.63-fold and 3.43-fold. Our results suggest that <em>B. tequilensis</em> combats WPM by inducing systemic acquired resistance in wheat, helps elucidate biological agent targeted control mechanisms and provides a foundation for field application.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8880,"journal":{"name":"Biological Control","volume":"201 ","pages":"Article 105698"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143136334","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Role of tomato plant-derived food sources on Dolichogenidea gelechiidivoris, parasitic wasp of Tuta absoluta","authors":"Angeliki Syropoulou ,&nbsp;Joel González-Cabrera ,&nbsp;Judit Arnó ,&nbsp;Pablo Urbaneja-Bernat","doi":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105719","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105719","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Tuta absoluta</em> (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) poses a significant threat to<!--> <!-->tomato crops worldwide. Following its detection in the Mediterranean basin, considerable efforts have been made to develop biological control programs against this pest. The larval parasitoid <em>Dolichogenidea gelechiidivoris</em> Marsh (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is widely distributed in northeastern Spain and has shown promise as a natural enemy in this region. Recent studies have demonstrated that access to floral nectar can improve the biological parameters of this parasitic wasp.<!--> <!-->However, the effects of other plant-derived food sources available in tomato crops, such as plant guttation and honeydew, have yet to be explored. This study assessed the impact of plant guttation and the honeydew of two phloem-feeding insects, <em>Myzus persicae</em> (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and <em>Bemisia tabaci</em> (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleurodidae), on the fitness (longevity and fecundity) and performance (parasitism and sex ratio) of <em>D. gelechiidivoris</em> under controlled laboratory conditions. Our results demonstrated that both honeydews enhanced the fitness and performance of this parasitoid, while tomato plant guttation did not have an effect on its fitness and negatively impacted parasitism. These findings highlight honeydew as a potential food source in integrated pest management (IPM) strategies. Further research is recommended to explore the specific chemical composition of tomato plant guttation and its broader effects on beneficial insects in tomato systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8880,"journal":{"name":"Biological Control","volume":"202 ","pages":"Article 105719"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143165571","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A strain of Talaromyces assiutensis provides multiple protection effects against insect pests and a fungal pathogen after endophytic settlement in soybean plants","authors":"Li Sui ,&nbsp;Yang Lu ,&nbsp;Ke Cheng ,&nbsp;Yifan Tian ,&nbsp;Zhiming Liu ,&nbsp;Zhao Xie ,&nbsp;Zhengkun Zhang ,&nbsp;Qiyun Li","doi":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105703","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105703","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Talaromyces assiutensis</em> was reported as an endophytic fungi of plant, with antimicrobial and anticancer properties; however, it has never been reported as an entomopathogenic fungus (EPF). Herein, an EPF strain was isolated from diseased larvae of <em>Spodoptera litura</em> in a soybean field. The purified isolate was identified as <em>T. assiutensis</em> and designated TaS1GZL-1. Its pathogenicity towards five insect pests belonging to <em>Lepidoptera</em> and <em>Hemiptera</em>, as well as the effect of temperature on its growth and pathogenicity against insects were measured. In addition, its control efficiency against major soybean insect pests and phytopathogenicity were also evaluated after plant colonization. The results showed that TaS1GZL-1 had strong pathogenicity towards five insect pests, and there was no negative effect on the strain growth rate and the corrected mortality rate toward insect pests at 40 °C. Furthermore, this EPF strain could not only inhibit the growth of <em>Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in vitro</em>, but also colonized soybean plants as an endophyte via root irrigation. TaS1GZL-1 colonization upregulated the expression levels of 12 genes related to defense pathways in soybean lateral roots, thereby inducing plant tolerance against phytopathogen infection, as well as disrupting the feeding selectivity of <em>S. litura</em> larvae. Semi-field experiments verified that TaS1GZL-1 had practical control effects on <em>S. litura</em> larvae and sclerotinia disease. This is the first record of a natural infection of insect pests by <em>T. assiutensis</em>, providing new insights into its ecological function. Thus, TaS1GZL-1 is an EPF strain that directly kills a broad-spectrum of insect pests and induces plant tolerance against biotic stress caused by phytopathogens and insect pest after endophytic settlement in soybean plants.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8880,"journal":{"name":"Biological Control","volume":"201 ","pages":"Article 105703"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143136771","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of soil management strategies based on different principles on soil microbial communities and the outcomes for plant health","authors":"Xing Zhou ,&nbsp;Qian Zhang ,&nbsp;Yuanyuan Yan ,&nbsp;Jisong Qu ,&nbsp;Jun Zhou ,&nbsp;Jun Zhao ,&nbsp;Jinbo Zhang ,&nbsp;Zucong Cai ,&nbsp;Chuanchao Dai ,&nbsp;Xinqi Huang","doi":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105708","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105708","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Various soil management strategies based on chemical, physical, and biological principles are used to manipulate soil microbial communities to improve plant health. However, how the microbial communities that are altered by these strategies respond to pathogen invasion and contribute to plant health remains poorly understood. Here, we investigated the effects of representative chemical, physical, and biological strategies, namely, chemical fumigation (CF), heat disinfestation (HE), and reductive soil disinfestation (RSD), on soil microbial communities, pathogen invasion, and plant performance. Our results revealed a strong relationship between variations in soil microbial communities and their impact on pathogen inhibition and plant health under the different strategies. Physicochemical management effectively decreased the density of <em>Fusarium oxysporum</em>, thereby suppressing the outbreak of Fusarium wilt. However, these strategies also decreased fungal density, bacterial diversity, network complexity, and core microbiome stability, resulting in diminished pathogen resistance and the recurrence of plant disease upon pathogen reinoculation. In contrast, biological management was the most effective strategy for the suppression of pathogen invasion and the improvement of plant health. Biological management optimized the bacterial and core microbiomes, leading to increased bacterial diversity and stimulated the growth of potential disease-suppressive agents, which contributed to resistance to <em>F. oxysporum</em> invasion and consistently prompted plant health. Taken together, our results reveal that physicochemical (CF and HE) and biological strategies (RSD) contribute to plant health via different mechanisms. In addition, this study provides empirical evidence for the significant impact of biological management on the manipulation of the core microbiome and its critical role in plant health.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8880,"journal":{"name":"Biological Control","volume":"201 ","pages":"Article 105708"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143136350","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Efficacy of Amblyseius swirskii (Athias-Henriot) (Acari: Phytoseiidae) and Alternaria destruens (Ascomycota: Pleosporaceae) for managing Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae)","authors":"Mohamed El Aalaoui ,&nbsp;Said Rammali ,&nbsp;Fatima Zahra Kamal ,&nbsp;Alin Ciobică ,&nbsp;Bouchaib Bencharki ,&nbsp;Abdellatif Rahim ,&nbsp;Luminita Diana Hritcu ,&nbsp;Laura Romila ,&nbsp;Vasile Burlui ,&nbsp;Mohamed Sbaghi","doi":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105701","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105701","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Phenacoccus solenopsis</em> Tinsley (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) is a major pest of potatoes and other crops, highlighting the need for effective management strategies. This study evaluated the efficacy of a predatory mite and an entomopathogenic fungus, both individually and in combination, against <em>P. solenopsis</em> on potato plants under greenhouse (24.6–35.2 °C) and field conditions (24.9–35.9 °C). The treatments included: untreated control, Tween 80 (TW), the predatory mite <em>Amblyseius swirskii</em> (Athias-Henriot) (Acari: Phytoseiidae) (AS), the fungal pathogen <em>Alternaria destruens</em> (AD), AD + AS, and imidacloprid (ICP) (positive control). Treatment efficacy was evaluated weekly for five weeks, with predators released five days after fungal application. The AD + AS treatment significantly reduced <em>P. solenopsis</em> egg and motile stage counts compared to both initial levels and the individual treatments, reaching 9.88 eggs and 8.11 motile stages in greenhouse trials, and 9.22 eggs and 7.11 motile stages in field trials by week 5. The AD treatment alone caused the highest number of mummified mealybugs by week 5 (28.7 and 26.7 per plant in greenhouse and field trials, respectively), indicating strong pathogen-induced mortality. <em>Amblyseius swirskii</em> populations peaked at 34.8 and 26.7 mites per plant in the greenhouse and field, respectively, by week 3 in the AS alone treatment, with lower densities in the AD + AS treatment due to predator-fungus interactions. The AD + AS treatment effectively reduced <em>P. solenopsis</em> infestations while preserving the visual quality of treated plants (visual quality score &gt; 9.50 by week 5), highlighting its potential for the management of <em>P. solenopsis</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8880,"journal":{"name":"Biological Control","volume":"201 ","pages":"Article 105701"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143136772","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Can the African weaver ant be used as a vector of entomopathogenic fungi to bolster the biological control of tephritid fruit fly pests?","authors":"Thibault Nève de Mévergnies ,&nbsp;Samba Diop ,&nbsp;Massamba Diakhaté ,&nbsp;Claire Detrain ,&nbsp;Frédéric Bouvery ,&nbsp;Thierry Brévault ,&nbsp;Anaïs Chailleux","doi":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105722","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105722","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Entomovectoring is an environmentally friendly pest control strategy where insects act as precision vectors of a biocide to target pest populations through phoretic dispersal. While bumblebees are the only insects used commercially for this purpose, other insect species, including ants, offer untapped potential. The arboreal weaver ant, <em>Oecophylla longinoda</em>, known for its beneficial predatory role in production crops, could be used as a vector of the entomopathogenic fungus, <em>Metarhizium anisopliae</em> to bolster control of the invasive oriental fruit fly <em>Bactrocera dorsalis.</em> In this study, we set up a series of experiments under laboratory and mesocosm conditions to investigate the feasibility of using this ant as an entomovector. Results showed that while <em>M. anisopliae</em> was intrinsically pathogenic to the weaver ants, they were able to detect its presence and adjust their behavior according to its concentration. Despite exposure, the ants effectively protected themselves through social immunity behaviors. Furthermore, weaver ants auto-inoculated themselves with conidia by walking over contaminated areas and subsequently dispersed conidia along their trails. Although the density of dispersed conidia declined over time and distance from the inoculation zone, up to 36% of fruit flies were killed when left to roam on mango trees where conidia had been disseminated by the weaver ants. While the integration of weaver ants as pathogen entomovectors could enhance pest fruit fly control when combined with other strategies, several challenges are yet to overcome before field applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8880,"journal":{"name":"Biological Control","volume":"202 ","pages":"Article 105722"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143164682","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative responses of two congeneric larval parasitoids of emerald ash borer to ambient temperatures: Implications for biocontrol introduction","authors":"Yingqiao Dang ,&nbsp;Mitchell A. Green ,&nbsp;Xiaoyi Wang ,&nbsp;Jian J. Duan","doi":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105718","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105718","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding how climate influences the establishment of introduced species is critical to classical biological control programs against insect pests. Even closely related species with similar life histories may establish and perform differently in new environments due to different responses to ambient temperature. Here we compared the host attack rate and immature development of two congeneric larval parasitoids of emerald ash borer (EAB) <em>Agrilus planipennis</em> Fairmaire, <em>Spathius agrili</em> Yang and <em>S. galinae</em> Belokobylskij and Strazenac, under a range of temperatures from 17.2 to 32.8 ℃. We found significant differences between the two parasitoids in host attack rates and progeny development. <em>Spathius agrili</em> could parasitize EAB larvae across the temperature range of 17.2 ℃ to 32.8 ℃ and caused the highest parasitism rate (∼90.0 %) at 28.9 ℃. In contrast, <em>S. galinae</em> did not attack any host larvae at 32.8 ℃ and caused the highest parasitism rate (∼92 %) at 25 ℃. From 21.1 ℃ to 28.9 ℃, <em>S. agrili</em> emerged on average nine days earlier than <em>S. galinae</em> and had a higher low-temperature threshold for development. Both species arrested their development as mature (5^th) instars inside their cocoons at 17.2 ℃, suggesting facultative diapause that may be induced by exposure to cool temperatures. These findings suggest that <em>S. agrili</em> may perform better in warmer climates than <em>S. galinae</em> and could be an effective biocontrol agent in the southern U.S., whereas <em>S. galinae</em> is better suited to be released in the northern U.S.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8880,"journal":{"name":"Biological Control","volume":"202 ","pages":"Article 105718"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143164794","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Tallow tree biological control and beekeeping: Assessing the misconceptions and possible resolutions to protect native ecosystems","authors":"Alexander M. Gaffke ,&nbsp;Daijiang Li ,&nbsp;Veronica Manrique ,&nbsp;Anthony P. Abbate ,&nbsp;Gregory S. Wheeler ,&nbsp;Rodrigo Diaz","doi":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105720","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105720","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Classical weed biological control is a major management tool deployed worldwide for the control of invasive plants. Classical weed biological control has a long-standing history of safe and effective weed management that has resulted in the protection of many ecosystems. Despite this history of safe and effective control, significant public opposition can occur. Plans to release biological control agents developed for the invasive tree Chinese tallow, <em>Triadica sebifera</em> (L.) Small received widespread and enthusiastic support from land managers and the environmental community. However, agent release was opposed by beekeeping organizations. Chinese tallow is purported to be an important nectar plant for beekeeping operations in the southeastern U.S.A. In this article, we discuss the primary concerns raised by commercial beekeepers opposed to Chinese tallow management with biological control and present data on the flowering phenology of tallow. Review of the scientific literature identified multiple studies reporting the importance of native plants to honey production, highlighting the need to protect important pollen and nectar sources from displacement by Chinese tallow. Additionally, results indicate shorter bloom periods for tallow than previously reported. These results highlight the importance of reducing the tallow invasion and protecting native ecosystems to enhance floral diversity. The implementation of a biological control program for Chinese tallow may be the best option for land managers and beekeepers at conserving native ecosystems of the southeastern U.S.A. while maintaining the services they provide.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8880,"journal":{"name":"Biological Control","volume":"202 ","pages":"Article 105720"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143480233","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}