International pest news in brief – November/December 2013 issue

• Netherlands: Black sticky trap is an additional tool in fight against Tuta absoluta

Koppert is introducing a new black version of the famous Horiver sticky trap.  Tests in Spain have shown that a black Horiver captures certainly twice as many Tuta absoluta a very harmful insect pest with a strong preference for tomato. Until now, the predatory bugs Nesidiocoris tenuis (Mediterranean) and Macrolophus pygmaeus (Northern Europe) constitute a solid foundation in the fight against the tomato leaf miner, in combination with pheromones and Bacillus thuringiensis treatments.
The new, long lasting sticky trap is seen as especially useful during the winter, when natural enemies are not yet well established. As with the yellow and blue traps, the black Horiver is covered with a layer of strong, wet glue.
The leaf miner drops on the sheet, gets caught in the adhesive and is unable to fly.
For more information contact: communication@koppert.nl

• Tanzania: `Witch weed` striga threat to maize farmers

The parasitic striga weed causes losses of 1.7m tonnes of maize in Tanzania every year, valued at US$356m.  Dr Gospel Omanya, a plant breeder from Kenya, made the revelation when presenting at a meeting organised by Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology in Africa (OFAB).

“Striga attaches to the roots of cereal plants siphoning water and nutrients and has been a major problem in subSaharan Africa daunting farmers for over seven decades and Tanzania is said to be the region greatest affected in SubSahara covering 960k ha of farmland” he said.

Loss due to striga is a major contributor to food insecurity, especially among rural people whose diet comprises mainly of cereal and particularly maize. Striga damages the plants by releasing phytotoxins that attack the plant even before the weed emerges from the soil.  Striga hermonthical is considered more damaging than striga asiatic.

The weed is highly prolific with each plant being capable of producing 50k to 200k seeds.  Commenting on solutions, Dr Omanya said that innovations such as Strigaway (IRMaize) technologies are available for control and he stressed the need for a functional formal seed system to reach the farmers and to play a crucial role towards revitalizing agricultural productivity, he said.
Source: The Gardian and The IAPPS http://wp.me/pWoIf-PX

• Portugal:  Controlling pine moth with birds

Albufeira council is implementing an innovative project in a bid to biologically control the spread of the harmful Pine Processionary, a toxic caterpillar found in pine trees throughout Portugal.

As the pine caterpillar is a favourite food for birds of the tit family, birds’ nests will be placed in trees in key spots such as schools and public areas  Birds of the tit family are well-adapted to urban life and can be found in forests and parks across the country. Tits are one of the pine tree caterpillar’s main predators and key to keeping the proliferation of the insect down.

Albufeira councillor for the environment José Sequeira described the project as “innovative and of high environmental interest as it will allow us to control a highly noxious pest through biodiversity.”
Easily recognisable by its long hairs, the pine tree caterpillar is a serious risk to public health and can cause a multitude of problems to both humans and domestic animals.

These range from skin allergies and breathing and sight problems, to dizziness, vertigo, and in extreme cases, death.

• Europe: ECPA names new Director General

The European Crop Protection Association (ECPA) that represents the crop protection industry interests at European level and includes within its members, all major companies and national associations across Europe, has chosen Jean-Charles Bocquet to be its new Director General, effective on 5 November 2013. Bocquet will replace Dr. Friedhelm Schmider, who is retiring after having held the top ECPA position since 1 May 2002.

Bocquet is French and has been the Director General of the Union des Industries de la Protection des Plantes (UIPP), the French crop protection association, since 2002. On departing Dr. Schmider commented “It has been my pleasure to work on behalf of the crop protection industry – in Brussels and around the world.  We have accomplished a lot in showing how vital our industry is to the future of sustainable and productive farming, and how integral it is to our very way of life in Europe.”

Bocquet added “I welcome this opportunity to represent the crop protection industry in the capital of Europe. Friedhelm will be a tough act to follow, but I look forward to continuing his work in making a strong case for crop protection as an important component of a productive and sustainable agricultural
sector and take the opportunity of the Time to Change to take into account and accelerate the dialogue with all stakeholders.”
More information at: www.ecpa.eu/news-item/jean-charles-bocquet/10-15-2013/802/ecpa-names-new-director-general

• Canada:  Researchers use bees to drop pesticides on crops

Despite the difficulties of struggling bee populations, Canadian researchers have been investigating their use to control pest insects and manage disease by distributing pest control agents while they pollinate.  “We thought we can give added value to the bees by having them deliver microbial control agents,” said Les Shipp, a federal senior research scientist based in Harrow, Ontario.

Shipp found that bees leaving their hives could be forced to walk through a tray of organic pest controls. The pest control agents stick to the bee’s legs and hair. When pollinating plants, the bees then deliver a fungus, bacterium or virus to its intended destination.

Both bumblebees and honeybees have successfully distributed the fungus Beauveria bassiana to greenhouse sweet peppers and field canola. The fungus kills pests like whiteflies, aphids and Lygus.  “We’ve been able to use these to control pest and fungal diseases. We’re able to reduce some diseases by 80 per cent,” Shipp said.
The method called “bee vectoring” that was initiated at the University of Guelph and continued in Harrow has led to the creation of Bee Vectoring Technology in Brampton, who is actively working across Canada to produce and commercialize the new pest management technologies.

Source: http://www.agr.gc.ca/eng/?id=1299269040358.  See also http://www.enviroquestltd.com/bee-vectoring-case-studies

• Australia: Robot aircraft spray Queensland’s weeds

The Queensland government will deploy unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to more accurately drop herbicide on weeds including prickly acacia, mesquite, parkinsonia.

The “drones”, are now being deployed because they can to cover one hectare every eight minutes in the air and can hit targets within one metre of accuracy. The robot aircraft offer a distinct advantage over traditional weed control measures because pests can be more precisely targeted in often inaccessible areas. At the same time, non-target plants are spared, thereby reducing the amount poison needed to get a kill.

The UAVs are being used as part of the government’s new Area Management Plan (AMP).  According to the state government, the plan will cover shires in Western Bioregions code areas prescribed under the Vegetation Management Act 1999 which have been problematic in the past because of varying topography, vary high density weed infestations and the presence of native species.

To combat this vegetation menace, the government announced that community-based natural resource management body Desert Channels Queensland (DCQ) will use the drones to be operated by local aviation company PBE Services. It is expected that 250,000 hectares per year will have reduced impacts from weed species as a direct result of work carried out by DCQ through the AMP.

• Sweden: First cases of rodenticide resistant rats discovered

A Swedish research project, initiated by Anticimex, studying the occurrence of resistance to common rodenticides among rats and mice, shows that resistance is located in four different towns in the southern half of Sweden. Resistance to rodenticide results in severe consequences for the community and will require actions from several different stakeholders – local authorities, property and home owners. “What’s important now is to rally around the issue at hand: the question of rodenticide resistance and the importance of preventative measures to avoid rodents. We are happy to contribute our knowledge in using different solutions to this issue”, says Håkan Kjellberg pest control expert at Anticimex, Sweden.

Anticimex have collected around eighty samples for laboratory analysis, where they have been compared to samples from resistant rats and mice. Five samples were revealed to be resistant, at a total of four localities; house mice (Mus musculus) in Uppsala and Växjö, and brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) in Linköping and Kristianstad. In these localities, Anticimex are applying special measures to hinder these individuals from propagating.
For more information, contact: Håkan Kjellberg, hakan.kjellberg@anticimex.se

• Poland: Landscape management for functional biodiversity

The 6th meeting of the IOBC/WPRS Working Group will be organized by a consortium of three institutions: Institute of Plant Protection, Institute of Agricultural and Forestry Environment and Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW at the “Congress Center IOR”, Poznan.

The aims of the meeting are to bring together the latest advances in research and development on landscape management for functional biodiversity, to provide the opportunity to exchange information and to coordinate common research and identity of the main areas for future research.

The organisers are especially interested in contributions from recently completed and on-going EU or national projects on functional biodiversity including ecosystem services. First drafts of papers should be submitted by 20th December 2013. Registration deadline is 1st March 2014.
For more information visit: http://ow.ly/qJqV3

• UK: New Centre for Integrated Pest Management (CIPM)

The Harper Adams Centre for Integrated Pest Management (CIPM) is to be officially launched at a special networking event in Brussels on November 27. The CIPM has a multidisciplinary team addressing UK and global issues in agricultural, forestry and horticultural crop protection.

Active research interests of the centre include entomology, chemical ecology, pest monitoring, application technology, nematology, pesticide science, plant pathology and weed science. Researchers from across the EU are being invited to the event, which aims to raise the profile of the university’s research and expertise.
Professor Peter Kettlewell, Research Coordinator, said: “The purpose of the event is to not only launch the CIPM, but to share the most up-to-date information on progress and future developments within the field of sustainable pesticide use. “We hope that researchers will find the event a useful networking exercise for developing collaborations for the forthcoming Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for Research and innovation, as well as use it to share scientific excellence on the topic.”

The CIPM aims to work with practitioners, policymakers and the research community to undertake research in all areas of crop protection; provide advice and training; provide information to crop protection resources; and liaise with other centres and organisation.

• USA:  Beneficial fungus may help control herbicide-resistant weed

A naturally occurring fungus may help control Palmer amaranth, a weed that in many areas has become resistant to glyphosate and other herbicides. Research chemist Robert Hoagland and plant pathologist Doug Boyette, both stationed at an Agricultural Research Service facility in Stoneville, Miss., identified Myrothecium verrucaria as a possible biological control agent.  The fungus previously had been shown in studies to control sicklepod, kudzu, hemp sesbania and other weeds. In the recent trials, the researchers used a filamentous fungal growth stage known as mycelium.

They sprayed a special formulation onto two batches of 4-week-old Palmer amaranth seedlings—one with glyphosate resistance and one without. They also conducted the trial with 6-week-old plants. The researchers than visually evaluated the plants for symptoms for seven days application and then weighed the plants for reductions in shoot growth.

Seedlings were the most susceptible, with all plants showing disease symptoms. Within 72 hours of application, nearly 100 percent had died. In the 6week-old plants, symptoms progressed more slowly. Both the herbicide-resistant and susceptible groups showed symptoms, including chlorosis, some necrosis and stunted growth. There was no difference in injury between the resistant and susceptible plants.

• Switzerland: Clariant announces ambition to become leading supplier for crop agrochemicals

Clariant, a globally leading specialty chemicals company, based in Muttenz near Basel/Switzerland announced in October that it aims to become the leading supplier for crop agrochemicals by 2018.

To herald this, its business line “Crop Protection” has been renamed “Crop Solutions.”  “We plan to build on our already-powerful position in inerts and adjuvants, and move into related areas of agricultural chemistry,” said the Head of Competence Center Crop Solutions Prof. Dr. Peter Baur. “We know the customers, the markets and the technologies, so this is a logical progression.”

Key targets for Clariant Crop Solutions will be: guide formulations for complex combinations of active pesticides; tankmix adjuvants; pre-planting treatment of seeds; novel concepts for foliar (leafbased) liquid fertilizers and coated granules; utility products; open innovation partner for complex new developments; and field performance testing for customers and farmers.

While Crop Solutions will continue to operate globally, exceptional growth is expected in Latin America – which over the past two decades has been the world’s fastest-growing agro market.
For more information visit: www.clariant.com

• And finally………. USA:  New steam cleaner premiered Phoenix

After two years in development, Vapamore, a leader in the steam cleaning products industry, revealed the MR-1000 FORZA Commercial Steam Cleaner at PestWorld.

With a rugged chassis and finished with a yellow industrial power coating, the MR-1000 Forza is equipped with large industrial type wheels and sturdy handles (making mobility easy) an intuitive control panel with a pressure gauge, steam pressure knob and multicoloured indicator lights as well as an audible beep, that sounds when more water is required.

Under the hood, are high quality components such all brass fittings, heavy duty hosing, insulated stainless steel boiler and a computerized control module.  The MR-1000 FORZA is a complete steam cleaning system with more attachments than any other steam cleaner available that should appeal to cleaning professionals while pest manager’s exterminators should benefit from high temperature steam output and specially designed wide area pest treatment attachment. Professionals will also benefit from the capabilities of cleaning with steam.

Steam cleaning uses no toxic chemical cleaners, and supports the green cleaning initiative. Steam cleaning is also just as effective as chemical cleaners for removing spots, grease, grime, cleaning grout, floor cleaning as well a multitude of other cleaning applications.
For more information visit: www.vapamore.com

Published in International Pest Control – November/December 2013 issue.

Category: International Pest News, news in brief