Knowing how climate change affects the population dynamics of insect pests is critical for the future of integrated pest management. Rising winter temperatures from global warming can drive increases in outbreaks of some agricultural pests. In contrast, here we propose an alternative hypothesis that both extremely cold and warm winters can mismatch the timing between the eclosion of overwinteri...

Chromobacterium subtsugae MWU12-2387 was isolated from the rhizosphere of cranberry plants. While it is unknown what environmental role these bacteria play in bog soils, they hold potential as biological control agents against nematodes and insect pests. Potential virulence genes were identified, including the violacein synthesis pathway, siderophores, and several chitinases.

Elicitors are compounds, which activate chemical defences in plants. Various biosynthetic pathways are activated in treated plants depending on the compound used. The most intensively studied elicitor for manipulating defence pathways in plants is methyl jasmonate, which modifies e.g. the production of terpenoids, the main constituents of conifer oleoresin. Other commonly tested chemical elicit...

The kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis Planch.) is an economically and nutritionally important fruit crop that has a remarkably high vitamin C content and is popular throughout the world. However, kiwifruit plants are vulnerable to attack from pests, and effective pest control is urgently required. Transgenic kiwifruit plants containing the synthetic chimeric gene SbtCry1Ac that encodes the insecti...

Crucifers comprise a major group of vegetable crops in the Changjiang River Valley, China. The control of insect pests on crucifer vegetable crops has largely relied on the heavy use of chemical insecticides in the last 30 years, resulting in serious consequences of insecticide resistance, increased costs of control and insecticide residues hazardous to human health. A group of Chinese and Aust...

A vermicompost, produced commercially from food wastes, was tested for its capacity to suppress populations and damage to plants, by two-spotted spider mites (Tetranychus urticae), mealy bugs (Pseudococcus sp.) and aphids (Myzus persicae), in the greenhouse. A range of mixtures of food waste vermicompost and a soil-less bedding plant growth medium Metro-Mix 360 (MM360) was tested in cages (40 c...

This is a compilation of abstracts of articles identified during the preliminary toxicological evaluation of evidence on the developmental and reproductive toxicity of deltamethrin (CAS# 52918-63-5). Deltamethrin is a type II pyrethroid insecticide used in structural pest control, to eradicate external parasites on farm animals and to control numerous insect pests of field crops, vegetables, fr...