RNAi Targets in Agricultural Pest Insects: Advancements, Knowledge Gaps, and IPM

Development of RNAi in Insects and RNAi-Based Pest Control

In agricultural systems, insect pests can cause crop damage mainly through loss in yield or quality resulting in a loss in profits for farmers. Worldwide pests cost billions of dollars due to damage and use of pesticides. Chemical pesticides are still the major approach for controlling insect pests, but they are associated with significant hazards to the environment and human health. The altern...

Mermithid parasites of agricultural pest insects.

T h i s pape r assesses ou r state of knowledge of physiological processes involved in the re la t ionships between insects and the i r m e r m i t h i d ne m a tode parasi tes. T h r e e ma jo r componen t s of the host -paras i te relat ionship(s) are reviewed: effects of m e r m i t h i d s on hos t physiology, effects of hos t physiology on mermi th id s , and the physiology of the nema tod...

Integrated pest management (IPM): definition, historical development and implementation, and the other IPM.

In the long run, this holistic approach to dealing with pests should reduce pesticide use, provide economic savings for the farmer and protect both the environment and human health. The term ‘integrated’ implies incorporation of natural enemy/antagonist levels into decision-making, and use of compatible, non-disruptive tactics that preserve these agents. Integration can be viewed as either vert...

The ecology of vertebrate pests and integrated pest management (IPM)

Detoxifying symbionts in agriculturally important pest insects

Pest insects lead to excessive agricultural and therefore economical losses on crops worldwide. These insects have to withstand toxic molecules that are inherent to plant defences, as well as those that are produced and introduced by humans in the form of insecticides. In recent years, research on insect-microbe symbioses has recognized that microbial symbionts may play a role protecting agains...