|
Metarhizium Acridum
''Metarhizium acridum'' is the new name given to a group of fungal isolates that are known to be virulent and specific to the Acrididea (grasshoppers). Previously, this species has had variety status in ''Metarhizium anisopliae'' (var. ''acridum'' ); before that, reference had been made to '' M. flavoviride'' or ''Metarhizium sp.'' describing an "apparently homologous and distinctive group" of isolates that were most virulent against ''Schistocerca gregaria'' (desert locust) in early screening bioassays. Biology ''M. acridum'' almost exclusively infects grasshoppers in the order Orthoptera. ''M. acridum'' infects only grasshoppers and locusts. Researchers believe that this has to do with the ''Mest1'' gene which is not present in ''M. acridum''. By taking a strain of '' M. robertsii'' that has a nonfunctioning ''Mest1 gene'', researchers found that the mutant was only able to infect ''Melanoplus femurrubrum'', which is consistent with ''M. acridum'' activity. This allows t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Red Locust
The red locust (''Nomadacris septemfasciata'') is a large grasshopper species found in sub-Saharan Africa. Its name refers to the colour of its hind wings. It is sometimes called the ''criquet nomade'' in French, due to its nomadic movements in the dry season. When it forms swarms, it is described as a locust. ''Nomadacris septemfasciata'' is in the family Acrididae and is the only member of the genus ''Nomadacris''. The genus ''Nomadacris'' was erected in 1923 by Boris Uvarov and the species was named originally as ''Acridium septemfasciatum'' by Jean Guillaume Audinet-Serville in 1838. It is placed in the subfamily Cyrtacanthacridinae, the bird locusts. Other species previously placed in ''Nomadacris'' are now considered part of the genus '' Patanga''. Description Adults The overall colour of adult insects is a mixture of light beige and brown. They have seven brown transverse bands on the elytra, justifying the species name ''septemfasciata''. The pronotum has two brown ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Melanoplus Femurrubrum
''Melanoplus femurrubrum'', the red-legged grasshopper, is a species of grasshopper belonging to the genus '' Melanoplus''. It is one of the most common grasshoppers found in Mexico, the United States, and Canada. This grasshopper is frequently used as a model organism in scientific studies, due to their abundance throughout North America and behavioral response to changes in climate. Identification ''Melanoplus femurrubrum'' is a medium-sized grasshopper, in which males can range in length from - , whereas females can range from - long. This grasshopper has a reddish-brown back, a greenish-yellow belly, and red hind tibiae, hence its specific name ''femurrubrum'' (''femur'' = thigh, ''rubrum'' = red). Wings of ''M. femurrubrum'' typically extend beyond the tip of the abdomen. Males have an enlarged abdomen, with a U-shaped sub-genital plate. Habitat ''Melanoplus femurrubrum'' can be found in a variety of habitats found throughout most of North America, but prefer grasslan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Clavicipitaceae
The Clavicipitaceae are a family of fungi within the order Hypocreales. A 2008 estimate placed 43 genera in the family, but recent work has increased this number to 97. Phylogeny Molecular phylogenetic analysis of multigene DNA sequence data indicates the taxon Clavicipitaceae is paraphyletic, and consists of three well-defined clades, at least one of which is shared with members of another fungal family (Hypocreaceae). The evolution within the Clavicipitaceae is marked by interkingdom host jumping, and the range of this large and heterogeneous fungal group spans mutualistic plant symbionts, as well as parasites of plants, insects, and other fungi. Significance Many of its members produce alkaloids toxic to animals and humans. One of its most infamous species is ''Claviceps purpurea'', which has historical significance as the cause of St. Anthony's fire, also known as ergotism. Ergotism is caused by ergot alkaloids, such as ergotamine and ergocristine, which are chemical d ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Benin
Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north-west, and Niger to the north-east. The majority of its population lives on the southern coastline of the Bight of Benin, part of the Gulf of Guinea in the northernmost tropical portion of the Atlantic Ocean. The capital is Porto-Novo, and the seat of government is in Cotonou, the most populous city and economic capital. Benin covers an area of and its population in was estimated to be approximately million. It is a tropical nation, dependent on agriculture, and is an exporter of palm oil and cotton. Some employment and income arise from subsistence farming. The official language of Benin is French, with indigenous languages such as Fon, Bariba, Yoruba and Dendi also spoken. The largest religious group in Benin is Sunni Islam (27 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Niger
) , official_languages = , languages_type = National languagesRépublique du Niger, "Loi n° 2001-037 du 31 décembre 2001 fixant les modalités de promotion et de développement des langues nationales." L'aménagement linguistique dans le monde (accessed 21 September 2016) , languages = , religion_ref = , religion_year = 2012 , religion = , demonym = Nigerien , capital = , coordinates ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ultra-low Volume
Ultra-low volume (ULV) application of pesticides has been defined as spraying at Volume Application Rate(VAR) of less than 5 L/ha for field crops or less than 50 L/ha for tree/bush crops. VARs of 0.25 – 2 L/ha are typical for aerial ULV application to forest or migratory pests. ULV spraying is a well-established spraying technique and remains the standard method of locust control with pesticides and is also widely used by cotton farmers in central-southern and western Africa. It has also been used in massive aerial spraying campaigns against disease vectors such as the tse-tse fly. A major benefit of ULV application is high work rate (i.e. many hectares can be treated in one day). It is a good option if all (or some) of these conditions apply: * large area of land to treat * rapid response required * little or no water for making pesticide tank mixtures * logistical problems for supplies * difficult terrain: poor access to target site Equipment ULV equipment is designed to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pesticide Application
Pesticide application refers to the practical way in which pesticides (including herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, or nematode control agents) are delivered to their ''biological targets'' (''e.g.'' pest organism, crop or other plant). Public concern about the use of pesticides has highlighted the need to make this process as efficient as possible, in order to minimise their release into the environment and human exposure (including operators, bystanders and consumers of produce). The practice of pest management by the rational application of pesticides is supremely multi-disciplinary, combining many aspects of biology and chemistry with: agronomy, engineering, meteorology, socio-economics and public health, together with newer disciplines such as biotechnology and information science. Decision making Optical data from satellites and from aircraft are increasingly being used to inform application decisions. Seed treatments Seed treatments can achieve exceptionally high ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pesticide Formulation
The biological activity of a pesticide, be it chemical or biological in nature, is determined by its active ingredient (AI - also called the ''active substance''). Pesticide products very rarely consist of pure technical material. The AI is usually formulated with other materials and this is the product as sold, but it may be further diluted in use. Formulations improves the properties of a chemical for handling, storage, application and may substantially influence effectiveness and safety. Formulation terminology follows a 2-letter convention: (''e.g.'' GR: granules) listed by CropLife International (formerly GIFAP then GCPF) in the ''Catalogue of Pesticide Formulation Types'' (Monograph 2); see download page Some manufacturers do not follow these industry standards, which can cause confusion for users. Water-miscible formulations By far the most frequently used products are formulations for mixing with water then applying as sprays. Water miscible, older formulations include: * ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
LUBILOSA
LUBILOSA was the name of a research programme that aimed at developing a biological alternative to the chemical control of locusts. This name is an acronym of the French title of the programme: Lutte Biologique contre les Locustes et les Sauteriaux (biological control of locusts and grasshoppers). During its 13-year life (November 1989 to December 2002), the programme identified an isolate of an entomopathogenic fungus belonging to the genus ''Metarhizium'' and virulent to locusts, and went through all the necessary steps to develop the commercial biopesticide product ''Green Muscle'' based on its spores. Collaborators The programme was conceived by Chris Prior and David Greathead of the International Institute of Biological Control (IIBC), a former research institute of CAB International that was based at Silwood Park in the UK at that time. IIBC requested and obtained the collaboration of the former Biological Control Centre for Africa in Cotonou, Benin, that was owned and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Locusts
Locusts (derived from the Vulgar Latin ''locusta'', meaning grasshopper) are various species of short-horned grasshoppers in the family Acrididae that have a swarming phase. These insects are usually solitary, but under certain circumstances they become more abundant and change their behaviour and habits, becoming gregarious. No taxonomic distinction is made between locust and grasshopper species; the basis for the definition is whether a species forms swarms under intermittently suitable conditions; this has evolved independently in multiple lineages, comprising at least 18 genera in 5 different acridid subfamilies. Normally, these grasshoppers are innocuous, their numbers are low, and they do not pose a major economic threat to agriculture. However, under suitable conditions of drought followed by rapid vegetation growth, serotonin in their brains triggers dramatic changes: they start to breed abundantly, becoming gregarious and nomadic (loosely described as migratory ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Entomopathogenic Fungus
An entomopathogenic fungus is a fungus that can kill or seriously disable insects. Typical life cycle These fungi usually attach to the external body surface of insects in the form of microscopic spores (usually asexual, mitosporic spores also called conidia). Under the right conditions of temperature and (usually high) humidity, these spores germinate, grow as hyphae and colonize the insect's cuticle; which they bore through by way of enzymatic hydrolysis, reaching the insects' body cavity (hemocoel). Then, the fungal cells proliferate in the host body cavity, usually as walled hyphae or in the form of wall-less protoplasts (depending on the fungus involved). After some time the insect is usually killed (sometimes by fungal toxins), and new propagules (spores) are formed in or on the insect if environmental conditions are again right. High humidity is usually required for sporulation. Groups The entomopathogenic fungi include taxa from several of the main fungal groups and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
