Journal Of Crop Protection
Volume:10 Issue: 4, Dec 2021

Habrobracon hebetor Say (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is an ectoparasitoid wasp in the family Braconidae and is widely used in biological pest control. Little information is available on the genetic diversity of geographically isolated populations of H. hebetor. In the present study, we assess the genetic structure and diversity of geographically distinct populations of H. hebetor collected from different regions of Iran. To this end, 19 populations of H. hebetor (Dehloran, Hamadan, Minab, Rudan, Ahvaz, Sari, Semnan, Bandar Lengeh, Haji Abbad, Jiroft, Shiraz, Sarpol-e Zahab, Gorgan, Isfahan, Urmia, Kahurestan, Taziyan, Isin, and Sarkhun) were collected from natural niches. For each population, we sequenced a ~660 base pair fragment of Cytochrome Oxidase subunit I (COI) successfully. Analysis of molecular variance revealed sharp differentiation among H. hebetor populations. Populations from Ahvaz, Dehloran, Jiroft and Minab were the most genetically diverged. A Mantel test showed significant positive correlation between genetic and geographic distances (r = 0.47, P < 0.001). The phylogenetic analysis clustered the populations into two major groups (A and B) (100); the major part was assigned to group A. Group B mainly included the populations from southern Iran. Based on these results, we conclude that H. hebetor in Iran is comprised of many diverse populations. These may be successfully applied in innundative release programs.

Mosses have proved to have antifungal properties due to their specific chemical compounds. In this study, the different extracts of some mosses collected from Khuzestan province were tested on a phytopathogenic fungus Fusarium solani, an important pathogen of crops, especially wheat, and compared to the commercial fungicide Benomyl. For this purpose, the dried mosses samples of ethanol, methanol, and acetone were extracted. The antifungal activity was tested by the disc diffusion method, and the growth inhibition zone was measured. Wheat seeds of the “Chamran” cultivar were implanted into moss extract and then transferred into pots containing 1: 10 mixture of soil and soil contaminated with F. solani. After 35 days, the root and crown of wheat plants were examined based on the Wallwork scale. Ethanolic and methanolic extracts caused an inhibitory of 90% and 81% relative to Benomyl, while acetonic extract had fewer effects (76%) in the in vitro tests. In vivo observations had also indicated that ethanolic extracts can significantly control root and crown rot 63.8%.

Peach twig borer (PTB), Anarsia lineatella Zeller, is the most critical pest of peach and other stone fruits in different parts of the world. The objectives of this study were to determine adults’ seasonal activity and damage caused by PTB on different peach cultivars (Zafarani, Kardi, Elberta, Red top, and GF677) under natural conditions. The seasonal flight of the adults using pheromone traps indicated that PTB completed three generations per year in peach orchards, Saman, Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari, Iran. The accumulated degree-days throughout the pest activity from April to October were 1916 and 1803 DD in 2014 and 2015, respectively. The ratio of twig and fruit infestation and the number of larval galleries/fruit were studied among the cultivars using a completely randomized block design in four replicates. According to the results, the highest ratio of twig infestation was observed on GF677 followed by Zafarani, whereas the lowest on Elberta followed by Kardi cultivar. The longest larval galleries (68.44 ± 1.28 and 56.80 ± 1.24 mm) was observed on GF677, whereas the shortest on Elberta cultivar (39.20 ± 1.64 and 32.40 ± 1.36 mm in 2014 and 2015, respectively). The highest ratio of fruit damage and larval galleries/fruit were observed on Kardi, whereas the lowest was on Red top cultivar. According to the results, the cultivars with hard tissues of twigs and early maturing fruits significantly reduced PTB damage and are recommended for pest management in the infested regions.

Beans are major feed crops belonging to the family Leguminosae, representing one of the most consumed legumes in Iran. Root rot diseases account for high yield losses in bean crops annually, driving the need to identify causative pathogenic agents. During the cropping season of 2019, samples were collected from rhizosphere and infected plant tissues in Khomein county. Of the total 80 purified isolates, 19 fungal isolates were selected for morphological and molecular identification studies. Fusarium equiseti, Fusarium acuminatum, and Macrophomina phaseolina were isolated from the infected crown and root tissues. Their pathogenicity on bean cultivars (Yaghout, Dorsa, and Koosha) is reported for the first time from Markazi province. However, the pathogenicity of fifteen saprophytic and pathogenic fungi species that are isolated from the rhizosphere needs to be confirmed in further studies. Disease symptoms were found to be more severe on pinto beans than red and white beans. In all cases, molecular studies using ITS and tef genomic region confirmed the morphological results. Briefly, these fungal species are introduced as bean root rot causal agents in Khoemin county, which needs to be considered in upcoming breeding programs.

This study aimed to evaluate the antagonistic activity of some fungal and bacterial isolates against Botrytis cinerea, the causal agent of tomato gray mold disease. For this purpose, out of six fungal isolates obtained from the gray mold symptoms on tomato and melon, isolates B1 and B2 were selected based on the pathogenicity test result for the in vitro and in vivo experiments. These isolates were identified as Botrytis cinerea based on morphological and molecular information (ITS sequence). In dual culture test of two bacterial and six antagonistic fungal isolates, Trichoderma harzianum T1 and Bacillus subtilis B43 with up to 60% and 71.54% of inhibition levels, respectively, were the most efficient treatments to limit fungal growth. In volatile compounds tests, isolates T1 and B43 inhibited pathogen mycelia growth up to 95.98 and 100%, respectively. The results of the secondary metabolites test showed that B. subtilis B43 inhibited pathogen mycelium growth by 98%. In vivo experiments showed that the isolates T1 and B43 controlled gray mold of tomato effectively, and the average inhibition rates were more than 60%. None of the antagonistic isolates significantly affected the height, fresh and dry weight of whole parts of the plants compared to healthy control.

Whether a soil is settled on velvetleaf Abutilon theophrasti (Malvaceae) or not, it was not clear if the concentration of spray droplets could influence the effectiveness of trifloxysulfuron. In an experiment, 12 g ha–1 trifloxysulfuron was sprayed at 135 l ha–1 on velvetleaf treated with 0, 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 kg soil ha–1 through two soil treatment methods, one within a soil dust chamber and the other with a simulated muddy rain. In another experiment, velvetleaf was treated with 20 kg soil ha–1 and exposed to the airflow of 0 and 10 km h–1. Then 12 g ha–1 trifloxysulfuron was sprayed at 135, 180, 225, 270, 360, and 450 l ha–1. The effectiveness of trifloxysulfuron was negatively correlated with the rate of soil settled on velvetleaf. When the source of soil was a simulated muddy rain, compared to the soil dust chamber, it had a more negative effect on the effectiveness of trifloxysulfuron. Besides, it was not removed from velvetleaf by the airflow before spraying. The effectiveness of trifloxysulfuron was correlated with carrier volume. Correlation type was affected by soil settled on velvetleaf. A positive correlation was observed in soil-treated velvetleaf, especially within the soil dust chamber. Therefore, larger, more diluted droplets were needed to obtain the best trifloxysulfuron efficacy. Unlike in non-treated velvetleaf, a negative correlation was observed. Therefore, larger, more diluted droplets were required to get the best trifloxysulfuron effectiveness.

The plant symbiotic fungi, Arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM), increases host competency and causes partial control of Egyptian broomrape Phelipanche aegyptiaca (Orobanchaceae). In this study, a greenhouse experiment was designed to investigate the AM efficacy on the morphological and physiological traits in the association of cucumber and P. aegyptiaca. Findings showed that the broomrape contamination increased the activity of ascorbate, peroxidase, and catalase in cucumber. In contrast, AM decreased ascorbate, peroxidase activity and increased total phenolic compounds. However, AM in P. aegyptiaca-infected genotypes had no significant effect on malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide content. In AM inoculated treatments, the height and number of cucumber leaves were unaffected by P. aegyptiaca infestation. Also, AM decreased the harmful effects of the P. aegyptiaca by reducing the total dry weight and number of attachments, increasing the leaf area, the shoot, and the dry root weight of cucumber genotypes. Despite the positive effect of AM, about 35 and 50% reduction in shoot and dry root weight of cucumber indicated high susceptibility of the host. Overall, It seems that the AM cannot be effective as a primary broomrape control strategy in cucumber.

Butterflies are flagship taxa and bio-indicator of terrestrial ecosystems. Studies of butterflies are performed in different regions of Nepal, but no detailed research has been carried out in Tanahun. Hence, this study was conducted to determine the species diversity and abundance of butterflies in Byas municipality-6 of the Tanahun, Nepal, from March to November 2020. The Pollard walk method was used for the data collection. A total of six transects of 500 m, two in each habitat type (forests, settlements, and agricultural lands), were laid out randomly. The study was performed in three seasons (9 months); Pre-Monsoon (March to May), Monsoon (June to September), and Post-Monsoon (October to November). Each transect was surveyed nine times (once a month) to record species in each month. Data were pooled and analyzed with SPSS. A total of 1,753 individuals of 149 butterfly species from 92 genera and six families were recorded during the study. The overall Shannon-Wiener and Margalef diversity indices were H = 4.17 and R = 19.95. Pielou’s Evenness was E = 0.83. Nymphalidae was the most diverse, richest species, and most abundant family (H = 3.33, R = 8.30, N = 851). Species evenness was maximum in the family Papilionidae (E = 0.88). The forests comprised the maximum number of species (115 species, 898 individuals). The maximum number of species was recorded in March (106 species), while the highest species abundance was in June (268 individuals). The result of this study could be the baseline for further researches on butterflies in the Tanahun district.

Tomato leafminer moth Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) is an important pest of the tomato plant. Light traps can play an influential role in reducing the pest population. Different light colors, three trap sizes, and three installation heights were evaluated under laboratory conditions. The light colors were white, yellow, green, red, blue, and blacklight blue (BLB). The traps, transparent containers of three sizes were 8.5, 10.5, and 14.5 cm in diameter and 15, 19, and 26 cm in height, respectively. The trap installation heights were 50, 75, and 100 cm above the plants’ canopy. The BLB color proved significantly more attractive to T. absoluta, followed by yellow and white colors. The light traps captured more males than females and more mated females than virgin ones. Both of the larger traps (10.5 cm d × 19 cm h and 14.5 cm d × 26 cm h), and higher installed ones (100 cm and 75 cm above the plants), captured a significantly higher number of moths compared to the smaller trap size and lower installation height. Accordingly, for mass trapping of moths, light traps with BLB source of light, with 10.5 cm in diameters and 19 cm in height, and installation at 75 cm above the canopy is recommended in greenhouses.

Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) is one of the economically important plant viruses which causes disease in various crops throughout the world. It has been reported that plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) can be used as potential biocontrol agents against plant viruses. Herein, greenhouse experiments were conducted to undertake the trilateral interactions among PGPR, bell pepper, and TMV. To this end, four-leaf-stage bell pepper seedlings were pre-treated by the PGPR, including Pseudomonas fluorescens, P. putida, and Bacillus subtilis in single and multiple application methods. The plants were then mechanically inoculated with TMV and visually inspected for symptom development till 28 days post-inoculation (dpi). The TMV accumulation in inoculated plants was quantitatively measured by Indirect-ELISA 28 dpi. Analysis of the extinction values showed that application of the PGPR was associated with the least significant (p < 0.05) value (0.08) compared to the positive control (0.77). Inoculation of PGPR triggered the biosynthesis of the defense-related enzymes such as catalase, peroxidase, ascorbate peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase, mediating the biochemical protection against TMV in bell pepper plants. In addition to the disease control, a significant (p < 0.05) increase in growth parameters was observed in PGPR-treated plants compared to the control plants. In conclusion, these results indicated that multiple applications of PGPR strains enhanced the plant vigor and provided an increased level of TMV suppression in bell pepper plants.

The potential of Trichoderma spp. for biocontrol of phytopathogenic fungi has been well documented. In this study, the wild-type isolate of Trichoderma aureoviride (Tv59) was treated with the target dose of 250 Gy as the optimum dose. Twenty-six mutants were preliminarily screened based on better growth rates. In vitro, antagonistic evaluation of the 26 mutants and wild-type was performed against two Macrophomina phaseolina isolates (F33 and H7). Six mutants (Tv2(4), Tv20(6), Tv25(6), Tv3(3), Tv4(5), and Tv3(4)) showed remarkable inhibitory activity and were selected for further examination in greenhouse trials. Greenhouse assessment of the selected mutants against M. phaseolina isolates revealed Tv20(6) and Tv25(6) as the most highly effective treatments screened for the measured indices. Moreover, the total genomic DNA of the wild-type isolate and its 26 corresponding mutants were analyzed to determine their genetic variability through the RAPD technique. Five RAPD primers generated different banding patterns and yielded a total of 178 amplified fragments, 172 amplicons (96.62%) were polymorphic. While the dendrogram obtained by UPGMA cluster analysis of combined RAPD fingerprints differentiated the wild-type from its mutants at approximately 40% similarity level, the mutants were categorized into two clusters. Based on Jaccard similarity coefficients, eight mutants (Tv25(6), Tv1(5), Tv14(5), Tv20(6), Tv3(4), Tv40(6), Tv33(6), and Tv14(6)) showed the lowest genetic similarities with the parental isolate. The possibility of improvement in biocontrol effectiveness of T. aureoviride through random mutagenesis and detection and differentiation of genetic changes induced by gamma rays using RAPD analysis was successfully proved in the present study.

This study aimed to produce and characterize solid lipid nanoparticles containing the essential oil (SLN-EO) of Ziziphora clinopodioides Lam. The preparation was carried out using the high shear homogenization and ultrasound method. The biological activities of the prepared nanoformulation were evaluated against Mediterranean flour moth Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) larvae under laboratory conditions. The particle size of SLN-EO was estimated to be under 150 nm (polydispersity index, PDI < 0.2) and zeta potential was negative. Morphology of nanoparticles was in globular form as demonstrated by transmission electron microscopy analysis. The loaded essential oil (EO) in SLN was calculated as 92% using the filtration-centrifugation method. The fumigant toxicity of EO as SLN formulation against E. kuehniella larvae was three times greater than that of pure EO. Similar results, but to a lesser extent, were obtained from comparing their contact toxicities. The fumigant durability of EO was enhanced by nanoformulation for up to two weeks. The nutritional indices of larvae, including relative growth rate (RGR), relative consumption rate (RCR), and feeding deterrence (FDI), were influenced considerably by SLN-EO compared to pure EO. The findings suggested the solid lipid nanoparticles as a suitable nanocarrier for EO in sustainable control management of Mediterranean flour moth.

Pesticides improve crop yields, but misuse imposes environmental problems and diseases or abnormalities in humans. Based on food security definition, balanced attention to healthy and sufficient products, there is a growing need to pay attention to product health. The present study was aimed to measure the residual levels of chlorpyrifos (CPF) and diazinon (DZN) in potato Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Agria and their chips by accurate, rapid, and reliable extraction method (QuEChERS) using gas chromatography equipped with NPD detector (GC-NPD). The samples were analyzed in pre-harvest stages, harvest, and storage. The recovery of DZN was 95.76–99.87% and 82.38–98.05%, and the CPF 90.85–99.07% and 79.4–89.76% in potatoes and chips, respectively. According to the specifications of the European Commission, the relative standard deviation (RSD) of <11% detected in this study confirms the accuracy of the extraction method. Moreover, the CPF residual level was detected only in the pre-harvest stage; however, the DZN residual levels in the pre-harvest, harvest, and storage stages, and chips were 0.074 ± 0.007, 0.039 ± 0.014, 0.029 ± 0.009, and 0.13 ± 0.042 μg.g-1, respectively. The residual level in chips and harvest and storage stages was higher than that in the maximum residue level (MRL).

The carob moth, Ectomyelois ceratoniae (Zeller, 1839), is the most critical pest of pomegranate in Iran. The sex pheromone components emitted by the virgin females were characterized by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and subsequently analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In this research, the level of individual variation in the female sex pheromone composition of the pest was studied. By extracting pheromone glands of females from different locations, the primary component, (Z, E)-9, 11, 13-tetradecatrienal, and minor components, (Z, E)-9, 11-tetradecadienal and (Z)-9-tetradecenal, were identified. The following ratios were 10: 2.5: 2.1 (trienal: dienal: monoenal) in Kuhdasht, 10: 1.3: 0.7 in Tarom, 10: 1.3: 0.5 in Bajestan, 10: 1.2: 1 in Sorkheh, 10: 1.1: 0.9 in Ferdows, 10: 0.9: 1 in Neyriz, 10: 0.9: 0.9 in Khash and Meybod, 10: 0.9: 1.4 in Saveh, 10: 0.5: 1 in Behshahr, and 10: 0.45: 0.43 in Shahrreza. There was also a significant variation among the populations in response to wind tunnels and field tests. The discrepancies in these ratios show a possibility of a conspecific relationship among carob moth species in Iran. Findings led to a conclusion of the monomorphic variation in sexual communication of the species.

Species of the genus Necremnus Thomson, 1878 (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) in Iran are reviewed based on published data and the newly collected specimens in West Azarbaijan province. The genus in Iran is represented by only two species N. leucarthros (Nees, 1834) and N. tidius (Walker, 1839). Hereby, two additional species N. artynes (Walker, 1839) and N. cosmopterix Ribes & Bernardo, 2015 are also identified as new records for the fauna of Iran. Necremnus tidius (Walker, 1839) was also found in Northwestern Iran as a new local distributional record. An illustrated key for identifying the known Necremnus species from Iran and a short description of the newly recorded species are provided. The distribution map of the Iranian species is also presented.