Archive for August, 2015
Perspectives on Crop Protection in India
Introduction India is an agrarian country with more than 60% of its population directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture which contributes nearly 18% to country’s GDP. Ensuring food security for a population of more than 1.27 billion with diminishing cultivable land resource is a herculean task. The green revolution technologies helped the country to increase […]
Brazilian Soybean Pest Management and Threats to Its Sustainability
Introduction Brazil is expected to harvest 198.65 million tons of grain in 2014/15 in an area of 57.08 million hectares and soybean stands out as the main crop sown. The cultivated soybean area has nearly tripled in the last 20 years, up from 11.6 million hectares in 1994/95 to 31.3 million hectares in 2014/15 (Conab, […]
Large-scale Monitoring of Insecticide Susceptibility in Cat Fleas, Ctenocephalides felis
Introduction The cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) (Figure 1) is the most important ectoparasite of domestic cats and dogs worldwide. Infestations can lead to skin inflammation and cause flea allergy dermatitis, and fleas are also capable of transmitting several other parasites and diseases between animals and, indirectly, to humans. Fleas have a homometabolous life-cycle […]
Supernemos: A Natural Alternative to Chemical Insecticide
The precursors of modern synthetic pesticides were invented during the Second World War and some were originally developed as potential chemical warfare agents. After the war, the organophosphate compounds were re-used as general insecticides http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Pesticides.aspx; Their use is intended to improve crop quality and to improved human health around the world. The use of these […]
Malaria Control, Better Health, Better Future.
Malaria is one of the deadliest infectious diseases in the world, in spite of a high number of deaths resulting from malaria being preventable. In 2013, malaria affected almost 200 million people worldwide in tropical countries especially Africa. Over 25% of reported malaria cases resulted deaths, with the highest recorded deaths being of children under […]
An innovative approach in poultry mite management
Insecticides have greatly improved human health and agricultural production worldwide, however their usefulness has been limited by the evolution of resistance in many major pests, with the addition factor that some species become pests only as a result of insecticide use. This aspect opens new avenues to look for insecticide formulation with new and innovative […]
Improved monitoring and potential control for the Asian Tiger mosquito
Aedes albopictus, also known as the Asian tiger mosquito, flourishes in a variety of habitats including residential and agricultural areas. It is present on 6 of the world’s 7 continents and is a competent vector of at least 22 different arboviruses including all 4 serotypes of dengue. Current control efforts for Aedes albopictus include source […]
Phlebotomine Sandflies and the control of Leishmaniasis
The disease leishmaniasis has come again into prominence with renewed efforts in India to control the insect vectors of the disease. Many soldiers were affected by the disease during the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The most common form of the disease is Cutaneous Leishmaniasis, which causes an open sore at the bite sites, which […]
