The role of wild host plants in the abundance of lepidopteran stem borers along altitudinal gradient in Kenya

Presence of wild host plants of stem borers in cereal-growing areas has been considered as reservoirs of lepidopteran stem borers, responsible for attack of crops during the growing season. Surveys to catalogue hosts and borers as well as to assess the abundance of the hosts were carried out during the cropping and non-cropping seasons in different agro-ecological zones along varying altitude gradient in Kenya. A total of 61 stem borer species belonging to families Noctuidae (25), Crambidae (14), Pyralidae (9), Tortricidae (11) and Cossidae (2) were recovered from 42 wild plant species. Two noctuids, Busseola fusca (Fuller), Sesamia calamistis Hampson, and two crambids, Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) and Chilo orichalcociliellus (Strand) were the four main borer species found associated with maize plants. In the wild, B. fusca was recovered from a limited number of host plant species and among them were Sorghum arundinaceum (Desvaux) Stapf, Setaria megaphylla (Steudel) T. Durand & Schinz, Arundo donax L. and Pennisetum purpureum Schumacher. In contrast, the host range of C. partellus was considerably wider [13 for S. calamistis]. However, the number of larvae of these species was lower in the wild compared to cultivated fields, thus the role of natural habitat as a reservoir for cereal stem borers requires further studies. Importance of the wild host plants as well as borer diversity along the altitudinal gradient is discussed.     

Host plant diversity of Sesamia calamistis: cytochrome b gene sequences reveal local genetic differentiation

Sesamia calamistis Hampson (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is one of the indigenous stem borer pests associated with maize ( Zea mays L.) and sorghum [ Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] (both Poaceae) in Africa. Its pest status varies across the continent and this has been attributed to variation in diet breadth and ecological preferences among populations. Its larvae were found on 12 plant species during a study initiated at four sites (Muhaka, Mtito Andei, Kakamega, and Suam) in Kenya to estimate its diet breadth and genetic population structure. Ten of the infested plant species belonged to the family Poaceae [ Echinochloa haploclada (Stapf) Stapf, Eleusine corocana L., Eleusine jaegeri Pilg., Panicum deustum Thunb, Panicum maximum Jacquin, Pennisetum purpureum Schumacher, Setaria verticillata (L.) P. Beauv., Sorghum arundinaceum (Desvaux) Stapf, S. bicolor , and Z. mays ]; the other two were Cyperaceae: Cyperus distans L. and Cyperus dives Delile. Combined with collections from other African countries (Uganda, South Africa, Benin, Ghana, Nigeria, and Togo), comparisons of partial cytochrome b sequences revealed the presence of 68 haplotypes that differentiated into clades I and II. In Kenya, the two clades colonized different regions, except in Mtito Andei where they co-existed. Individuals from Mtito Andei could be separated based on their host plants: clade I with 14 haplotypes was found mainly on maize (78.6%), whereas clade II with 10 haplotypes was found mainly among wild host plants (63.6%). Detection of divergence among these clades with cytochrome b suggests that their evolutionary separation may have taken place about one million years ago. This article discusses the potential implication of this differentiation for the management of S .  calamistis as a pest of maize and sorghum in Africa.     

Bee Preference for Native versus Exotic Plants in Restored Agricultural Hedgerows

Habitat restoration to promote wild pollinator populations is becoming increasingly common in agricultural lands. Yet, little is known about how wild bees, globally the most important wild pollinators, use resources in restored habitats. We compared bee use of native and exotic plants in two types of restored native plant hedgerows: mature hedgerows (>10 years from establishment) designed for natural enemy enhancement and new hedgerows (≤2 years from establishment) designed to enhance bee populations. Bees were collected from flowers using timed aerial netting and flowering plant cover was estimated by species using cover classes. At mature hedgerow sites, wild bee abundance, richness, and diversity were greater on native plants than exotic plants. At new sites, where native plants were small and had limited floral display, abundance of bees was greater on native plants than exotic plants; but, controlling for floral cover, there was no difference in bee diversity and richness between the two plant types. At both mature and new hedgerows, wild bees preferred to forage from native plants than exotic plants. Honey bees, which were from managed colonies, also preferred native plants at mature hedgerow sites but exhibited no preference at new sites. Our study shows that wild bees, and managed bees in some cases, prefer to forage on native plants in hedgerows over co‐occurring weedy, exotic plants. Semi‐quantitative ranking identified which native plants were most preferred. Hedgerow restoration with native plants may help enhance wild bee abundance and diversity, and maintain honey bee health, in agricultural areas.     

Stem borer's species composition,abundance and infestation on maize and millet in Maiduguri,Nigeria

The species composition, abundance and plant infestation of stem borers attacking maize and millet were investigated in farmers' fields during the cropping season of 2010 and 2011 in Maiduguri, Nigeria. Stem borers were collected via destructive sampling. In total, three stem borer species (Busseola fusca, Sesamia calamistis and Coniesta ignefusalis) were found, of which S. calamistis (64%) and C. ignefusalis (72%), respectively, were predominant on maize and millet. Across both years, whereas mean plant infestation ranged from 4.8% on millet to 20.8% on maize, mean stem borer abundance ranged from 1.6 individuals on millet to 13.8 individuals on maize. Mean total plant infestation and stem borer abundance varied with different years and both were significantly higher during the 2010 than 2011 cropping season. In spite of the generally low stem borer abundance per farmers' field, plant infestation particularly on maize plants seems to be moderate during different years.     

Tracking pyrethroid resistance in the polyphagous bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), in the shifting landscape of a cotton-growing area

In cotton-growing areas of Central Africa, timing of host crops and pest management practices in annual rainfed cropping systems result in a shifting mosaic of habitats that influence the dynamics and resistance of Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) populations on spatial scales, both within and across seasons. From 2002 to 2006, regional and local resistance was monitored among cotton fields and among the major host plants of the bollworm. From 2002, pyrethroid resistance increased within and across cotton-growing seasons to reach a worrying situation at the end of the 2005 growing season. Cotton crops played a fundamental role in the increase in seasonal resistance, even if the intensive use of insecticides on local tomato crops strongly concentrated resistance alleles in residual populations throughout the off-season. Due to the relative stability of resistance in H. armigera populations despite a long off-season, we believe that after the dispersal of the moths southwards at the end of the growing season, reverse migration mainly accounts for the reconstitution of populations at the onset of the following growing season. In addition, local resistance monitoring in 2005 and 2006 showed that it was possible to control the increase in resistance by temporarily stopping the use of pyrethroids during the period of peak infestation of cotton by H. armigera. On the other hand, the similar resistance frequency of populations sampled from sprayed and unsprayed synchronous hosts confirmed the absence of reproductive isolation between adults. As a result, diversity in cropping systems should be encouraged by planting alternative host plants to provide a mosaic of habitats, which in return would provide insecticide-free refuges. The implications for insecticide resistance management in annual cropping systems are discussed.     

Long-term seasonal fluctuations of lepidopteran cereal stemborers and their natural enemies on maize and wild host plants in southern Benin

Abstract  The seasonal fluctuation of lepidopteran cereal stemborers on maize and wild host plants (i.e., grasses and a few sedges) was investigated in southern Benin from 1988 to 1998 by time series analysis and repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). In addition, a walk-in light trap was used to study the flight behavior of adult moths. On both cereals and grasses, the noctuid Sesamia calamistis was the predominant species, followed by the pyralid Eldana saccharina . The noctuid Busseola fusca was rare on both maize and wild host plants. In general, pest populations increased during the course of the year to reach peak densities during the second short rainy season, and then crashed to close to zero during the dry season. On wild host plants, egg masses and other immature stages were collected throughout the year but they were higher on wild grasses than maize during the off-season. Thus wild host plants can be considered as refuge for both borers and natural enemies during the off-season, when maize is not available. However, only four out of the eleven wild host species played a discernable role. S. calamistis egg densities appeared to be influenced by density-dependent factors, suggesting an effect of natural enemies. Temperature and rainfall had a negative effect on egg abundance. Larval parasitism by a Kenyan strain of the braconid Cotesia sesamiae , which was released in southern Benin in the early 1990s, and by the tachinid Sturmiopsis parasitica varied between seasons and years but there were no discernable patterns. For both parasitoids and borer host species, parasitism was positively correlated with trap catches of adult moths. The recovery of C. sesamiae during a 2-year period suggests that the parasitoid has established its population in southern Benin.     

不同种植密度下玉米与豌豆间作对群体总产量的影响

于2014和2015年在黄土高原半干旱区全膜覆盖种植技术下,研究了不同种植密度下玉米行内间作豌豆对作物群体总产量的影响.结果表明: 2014年,当玉米株距为40和50 cm时,与不插播相比,在玉米株间插播2株豌豆显著提高了作物群体籽粒总产量;而在株距60 cm情况下,插播豌豆对作物群体总产量无显著影响.2015年,玉米株距40和50 cm情况下,与对应株距的单作玉米相比,在玉米株间插播2株豌豆对群体籽粒总产量无显著影响;但是在玉米株距60 cm的情况下,株间插播2株豌豆使作物群体籽粒总产量显著增加.导致两个试验年份之间玉米行内间作豌豆的产量效应差异的主要原因是生长季降水量在2014年较2015年充沛.综合比较,玉米株距40 cm、株间插播2株豌豆间作形式的籽粒总产量最高.此外,在玉米单作和行内间作中,籽粒总产量均随玉米株距的增大而减小.     

Going undercover: increasing canopy cover around a host tree drives associational resistance to an insect pest

Neighbouring heterospecific plants are often observed to reduce the probability of herbivore attack on a given focal plant. While this pattern of associational resistance is frequently reported, experimental evidence for underlying mechanisms is rare particularly for potential plant species diversity effects on focal host plants and their physical environment. Here, we used an established forest diversity experiment to determine whether tree diversity effects on an important insect pest are driven by concomitant changes in host tree growth or the light environment. We examined the effects of tree species richness, canopy cover and tree growth on the probability of occurrence, the abundance, and volume of galls caused by the pineapple gall adelgid Adelges abietis on Norway spruce. Although tree diversity had no effect on gall abundance, we observed that both the probability of gall presence and gall volume (an indicator of maternal fecundity) decreased with tree species richness and canopy cover around host spruce trees. Structural equation models revealed that effects of tree species richness on gall presence and volume were mediated by concurrent increases in canopy cover rather than changes in tree growth or host tree density. As canopy cover did not influence tree or shoot growth, patterns of associational resistance appear to be driven by improved host tree quality or more favourable microclimatic conditions in monocultures compared to mixed‐stands. Our study therefore demonstrates that changes in forest structure may be critical to understanding the responses of herbivores to plant diversity and may underpin associational effects in forest ecosystems.     

Habitat Characteristics of Forest Fragments Determine Specialisation of Plant-Frugivore Networks in a Mosaic Forest Landscape

Plant-frugivore networks play a key role in the regeneration of sub-tropical forest ecosystems. However, information about the impact of habitat characteristics on plant-frugivore networks in fragmented forests is scarce. We investigated the importance of fruit abundance, fruiting plant species richness and canopy cover within habitat fragments for the structure and robustness of plant-frugivore networks in a mosaic forest landscape of South Africa. In total, 53 avian species were involved in fruit removal of 31 fleshy-fruiting plant species. Species specialisation was always higher for plants than for frugivores. Both species and network-level specialisation increased with increasing fruit abundance and decreased with increasing fruiting plant species richness and canopy cover within fragments. Interaction diversity was unaffected by fruit abundance and canopy cover, but increased slightly with increasing fruiting plant species richness. These findings suggest that especially the availability of resources is an important determinant of the structure of plant-frugivore networks in a fragmented forest landscape.     

轮作和连作对胡萝卜根际和非根际细菌多样性的影响

细菌是土壤最重要的组成部分,土壤细菌的群落结构对土壤的健康至关重要,可以直接影响植物的生长。胡萝卜的长年连作导致其产量低、质量差等一系列问题的发生,连作问题已成为不可忽视的问题。本研究通过HiSeq PE250高通量测序和生物信息学方法获得了玉米胡萝卜轮作种植和胡萝卜连作种植中胡萝卜根际和非根际土壤细菌的组成结构。研究结果表明,相较于胡萝卜连作,玉米胡萝卜轮作种植改变了胡萝卜根际土壤细菌的组成和群落多样性。RM.M (玉米胡萝卜轮作根际土壤样品)样品中的优势菌门为放线菌门和厚壁菌门,RM.R (胡萝卜连作根际土壤样品)的优势菌门是变形菌门;有益菌如芽孢杆菌属和根瘤菌属在玉米胡萝卜轮作种植中的胡萝卜根际富集。RM.M与RM.R的细菌类群差异显著,群落多样性较低;NRM.M(玉米胡萝卜轮作非根际土壤样品)和NRM.R (胡萝卜连作非根际土壤样)的细菌类群差异不明显,群落多样性较高。与连作根际土壤相比,轮作根际土壤中有益菌的相对丰度较大,细菌相对丰度明显增加。本研究结果对通过调节根际土壤细菌组成来保证胡萝卜产量和质量的稳定,解决连作问题具有重要的意义。     

Honey bees and wild pollinators differ in their preference for and use of introduced floral resources

Introduced plants may be important foraging resources for honey bees and wild pollinators, but how often and why pollinators visit introduced plants across an entire plant community is not well understood. Understanding the importance of introduced plants for pollinators could help guide management of these plants and conservation of pollinator habitat. We assessed how floral abundance and pollinator preference influence pollinator visitation rate and diversity on 30 introduced versus 24 native plants in central New York. Honey bees visited introduced and native plants at similar rates regardless of floral abundance. In contrast, as floral abundance increased, wild pollinator visitation rate decreased more strongly for introduced plants than native plants. Introduced plants as a group and native plants as a group did not differ in bee diversity or preference, but honey bees and wild pollinators preferred different plant species. As a case study, we then focused on knapweed (Centaurea spp.), an introduced plant that was the most preferred plant by honey bees, and that beekeepers value as a late‐summer foraging resource. We compared the extent to which honey bees versus wild pollinators visited knapweed relative to coflowering plants, and we quantified knapweed pollen and nectar collection by honey bees across 22 New York apiaries. Honey bees visited knapweed more frequently than coflowering plants and at a similar rate as all wild pollinators combined. All apiaries contained knapweed pollen in nectar, 86% of apiaries contained knapweed pollen in bee bread, and knapweed was sometimes a main pollen or nectar source for honey bees in late summer. Our results suggest that because of diverging responses to floral abundance and preferences for different plants, honey bees and wild pollinators differ in their use of introduced plants. Depending on the plant and its abundance, removing an introduced plant may impact honey bees more than wild pollinators.     

南方菟丝子寄生对喜旱莲子草生长及群落多样性的影响

菟丝子属植物是一种有潜力的入侵植物的生物防治剂。以南方菟丝子(Cuscuta australis)天然寄生的喜旱莲子草(Alternanthera philoxeroides)群落为研究对象,对比分析了南方菟丝子寄生对入侵植物喜旱莲子草生长的影响,同时采用群落调查的方法分析南方菟丝子寄生对入侵群落多样性的影响,以判断南方菟丝子是否具有防治喜旱莲子草的能力。结果表明南方菟丝子寄生可以降低喜旱莲子草的根生物量、茎生物量、叶生物量和总生物量,但与对照之间均不存在显著性差异;南方菟丝子寄生可以显著降低茎生物量比,显著增加根生物量比和根冠比。在无南方菟丝子寄生的喜旱莲子草群落中,除南方菟丝子和喜旱莲子草外,共有10科14属14种植物;而在南方菟丝子寄生的喜旱莲子草群落中,除南方菟丝子和喜旱莲子草外,共有16科27属28种植物,南方菟丝子能以产生吸器而寄生生长的植物共有19种,占样地植物种数的67.86%。南方菟丝子寄生可使群落物种丰富度显著性增加,也可使群落Simpson指数、Shannon-Wiener指数、McIntosh指数和均匀度指数增加,但是与对照之间不存在显著性差异。南方菟丝子寄生使喜旱莲子草的多度显著性下降,使喜旱莲子草的盖度和高度下降,但与未寄生的喜旱莲子草群落相比不存在显著性差异。但是南方菟丝子寄生可使喜旱莲子草在群落上的相对盖度、相对高度和相对多度均显著性下降,从而导致群落中喜旱莲子草的重要值显著性下降。南方菟丝子寄生可以在一定程度上抑制入侵植物喜旱莲子草的生长,促使群落多样性增加,促进本地群落的恢复。     

Response of wild bee diversity,abundance, and functional traits to vineyard inter‐row management intensity and landscape diversity across Europe

Agricultural intensification is a major driver of wild bee decline. Vineyards may be inhabited by plant and animal species, especially when the inter‐row space is vegetated with spontaneous vegetation or cover crops. Wild bees depend on floral resources and suitable nesting sites which may be found in vineyard inter‐rows or in viticultural landscapes. Inter‐row vegetation is managed by mulching, tillage, and/or herbicide application and results in habitat degradation when applied intensively. Here, we hypothesize that lower vegetation management intensities, higher floral resources, and landscape diversity affect wild bee diversity and abundance dependent on their functional traits. We sampled wild bees semi‐quantitatively in 63 vineyards representing different vegetation management intensities across Europe in 2016. A proxy for floral resource availability was based on visual flower cover estimations. Management intensity was assessed by vegetation cover (%) twice a year per vineyard. The Shannon Landscape Diversity Index was used as a proxy for landscape diversity within a 750 m radius around each vineyard center point. Wild bee communities were clustered by country. At the country level, between 20 and 64 wild bee species were identified. Increased floral resource availability and extensive vegetation management both affected wild bee diversity and abundance in vineyards strongly positively. Increased landscape diversity had a small positive effect on wild bee diversity but compensated for the negative effect of low floral resource availability by increasing eusocial bee abundance. We conclude that wild bee diversity and abundance in vineyards is efficiently promoted by increasing floral resources and reducing vegetation management frequency. High landscape diversity further compensates for low floral resources in vineyards and increases pollinating insect abundance in viticulture landscapes.     

灵芝连作土壤真菌群落分析

本研究通过Illumina MiSeq平台对邻近野生土壤（GL0）、种植1年（GL1）、2年（GL2）和4年（GL4）的灵芝覆土进行ITS1扩增子测序,分析灵芝连作覆土中真菌群落的变化,为揭示灵芝连作障碍的机理提供理论依据。研究结果表明,12个灵芝土壤样本一共获得349 642条有效序列,经聚类得到2 426个OTU,分别隶属于8门、28纲、64目、127科、233属和449种。在门水平上,随着连作年限的增加,灵芝覆土中真菌的多样性水平逐渐减低,在GL4组中只含有担子菌门（Basidiomycota,占85.03%）、子囊菌门（Ascomycota,占14.77%）和少量被孢霉门（Mortierellomycota,占0.20%）。其中,担子菌门的相对丰度随着连作年限的增加显著增加,子囊菌门的相对丰度显著减少,而被孢霉门的相对丰度无显著性差异。在属水平上,担子菌门灵芝属Ganoderma的相对丰度随着连作年限的增加而极显著增加,子囊菌门仅青霉属Penicillium菌群的相对丰度呈现先减少后增加的趋势,在GL4组中相对于GL0组其相对丰度增加了57.92%,表明青霉属可能是引发该地区灵芝连作障碍的重要菌群,该研究为探索灵芝连作障碍的分子机制和生态防控提供了理论依据。     

Do assortative mating and immigrant inviability help maintain population genetic structuring of an herbivore on a crop and a wild relative?

Population genetic structuring is common among herbivorous insects and frequently is associated with divergent host plants, such as crops and their wild relatives. Previous studies showed population genetic structuring in corn leafhopper Dulbulus maidis in Mexico, such that the species consists of two sympatric, host plant-associated populations: an abundant and widespread "pestiferous” population on maize (Zea mays mays), and a small and localized "wild" population on perennial teosinte (Zea diploperennis). a maize wild relative with a limited distribution. This study addressed whether assortative mating and immigrant inviability mediate genetic structuring of corn leafliopper by comparing the mating and reproductive successes of pestiferous and wild females that colonize their nonassociated host plants against the successes of females colonizing their associated host plants. Assortative mating was assessed by comparing mating frequencies and premating and mating times among females of each population on each host plant: immigrant inviability was assessed by comparing, across two generations, the fecundity, survival, development time, sex ratio, and population growth rate among leafhopper populations and host plants. Our results showed that on maize, and compared to resident, pestiferous females, wild females were more likely to mate, and greater proportions of their offspring survived to adult stage and were daughters;consequently, the per-generation population growth rate on maize was greater for immigrant, wild leafhoppers compared to resident, pestiferous leafhoppers. Our results suggested that wild leafhoppers emigrating to maize have a fitness advantage over resident, pestiferous leafhoppers, while immigrant pestiferous and resident wild leafhoppers on teosinte have similar fitnesses.     

Relationships of intercropped maize, stem borer damage to maize yield and land-use efficiency in the humid forest of Cameroon

Stem borers are the most important maize pests in the humid forest zone of Cameroon. Field trials were conducted in the long and short rainy seasons of 2002 and 2003 to assess the level of damage and yield reductions caused by stem borers in monocropped maize and in maize intercropped with non-host plants such as cassava, cowpea and soybean. The intercrops were planted in two spatial arrangements, i.e. alternating hills or alternating rows. All intercrops and the maize monocrop were grown with and without insecticide treatment for assessment of maize yield loss due to borer attacks. The land-use efficiency of each mixed cropping system was evaluated by comparing it with the monocrop. The temporal fluctuation of larval infestations followed the same pattern in all cropping systems, but at the early stage of plant growth, larval densities were 21.3-48.1% higher in the monocrops than in intercrops, and they tended to be higher in alternating rows than alternating hills arrangements. At harvest, however, pest densities did not significantly vary between treatments. Maize monocrops had 3.0-8.8 times more stems tunnelled and 1.3-3.1 times more cob damage than intercrops. Each percentage increase in stem tunnelling lowered maize grain yield by 1.10 and 1.84 g per plant, respectively, during the long and short rainy season in 2002, and by 5.39 and 1.41 g per plant, respectively, in 2003. Maize yield losses due to stem borer were 1.8-3.0 times higher in monocrops than in intercrops. Intercrops had generally a higher land-use efficiency than monocrops, as indicated by land-equivalent-ratios and area-time-equivalent-ratios of >1.0. Land-use efficiency was similar in both spatial arrangements. At current price levels, the net production of mixed cropping systems was economically superior to controlling stem borers with insecticide in monocropped maize. The maize-cassava intercrop yielded the highest land equivalent ratios and the highest replacement value of the intercrop. At medium intensity cropping this system is thus recommended for land-constrained poor farmers who do not use external inputs such as fertilizer and insecticides.     

Assessment of the biocontrol effects of three aromatic plants on multiple trophic levels of the arthropod community in an agroforestry ecosystem

1. Studies have shown that plant diversity plays a major role in influencing arthropod community composition. However, the effects of increasing plant species diversity on arthropod abundance at multiple trophic levels in the presence of aromatic plants have not been well documented. 2. To explore the potential of using aromatic plants to biocontrol arthropods at multiple trophic levels, three aromatic plant species – French marigold (Tagetes patula L.), Ageratum (Ageratum houstonianum Mill.) and Catnip (Nepeta cataria L.) – were introduced into an apple orchard to increase ground plant species composition. 3. The aromatic plants influenced the structure of arthropod communities at multiple trophic levels, particularly the herbivores in the tree canopy and predators in ground covers. Aromatic plants negatively influenced total arthropod community abundance. Compared with the control treatment, the total arthropod community abundance in the treated areas declined 24.99–33.84% and 14.35–24.65% in the tree canopy and ground covers, respectively. 4. Aromatic plants negatively influenced herbivore abundance, both overall and relative to the total community. By contrast, aromatic plants positively influenced predator abundance, both overall and relative to the total community, in the treatments containing both ageratum and catnip. However, aromatic plants had no effect on species richness at each trophic level or on parasitoid abundance. 5. These results suggest that increasing ground plant species diversity by introducing aromatic plants into apple orchards may considerably affect arthropod community composition, and that aromatic plants are potentially effective for the biocontrol of herbivore pests in agroforestry ecosystems.     

Maize‐field complexity and farming system influence insectivorous birds’ contribution to arthropod herbivore regulation

The contribution of insectivorous birds to reducing crop damage through suppression of herbivory remains underappreciated, despite their role as cropland arthropod predators. We examined the roles of farming system, crop cover pattern, and structural configuration in influencing assemblage composition of insectivorous birds and their herbivorous arthropod prey across maize fields, and determined how bird exclusion affects crop herbivory levels. To achieve these objectives, we collected data across a sample of organic and conventional small‐scale non‐Bt maize farms in western Kenya. Assessments of abundance, diversity, and richness of insectivorous birds and abundance of their arthropod prey were compared between organic and conventional small‐scale non‐Bt maize on monocultured and inter‐cropped farms. We also employed bird exclusion experiments to assess impacts of bird predation on herbivorous arthropod abundance. Results showed that higher structural heterogeneity supported higher insectivorous bird richness, particularly under organic systems, dense trees, large woodlots, and thick hedgerows. Bird abundance further increased with crop diversity but not in relation to cropping method, hedgerow type, or percent maize cover per se. Conversely, herbivorous arthropod abundance and richness increased on conventional farms and those with higher percent maize cover, but were unaffected by cropping methods, tree, or hedgerow characteristics. Birds’ arthropod prey was more abundant under completely closed experimental plots compared with open or semi‐closed plots, confirming a significant linkage between birds and herbivorous arthropod suppression. In this study, we demonstrate importance of structural heterogeneity in agricultural landscapes, including diverse croplands and on‐farm trees to maximize insectivorous birds’ contribution to reducing crop arthropod herbivory. Abstract in Swahili is available with online material.     

Incidence and severity of bean common mosaic disease and resistance of popular bean cultivars to the disease in western Kenya

The common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) is a high protein crop and the main legume in the cropping system of western Kenya. Despite its importance, common bean yields are low (<1.0 t/ha) and declining. Bean common mosaic virus (BCMV) and bean common mosaic necrosis virus (BCMNV) are the most common and most destructive viruses and can cause a yield loss as high as 100%. In Kenya, a limited number of cultivars and exotic genotypes with resistance to BCMV and BCMNV strains have been reported. This study sought to determine the distribution and screen popular cultivars for resistance to the viruses. In October 2016 and May 2017, two diagnostic surveys for bean common mosaic disease (BCMD) were conducted in seven counties of western Kenya namely Bungoma, Busia, Homa Bay, Nandi, Vihiga, Kakamega and Siaya. Leaf samples showing virus-like symptoms were collected and analysed by ELISA. Sixteen popularly grown bean cultivars together with cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), soybean (Glycine max), green grams (Vigna radiata) and groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) were planted in a greenhouse in a completely randomized block design with three replicates. The plants were inoculated with BCMNV isolate at 3-leaf stage. Data were taken weekly for 3 weeks on type of symptoms expressed and number of plants infected. In total, 270 bean farms were visited. Symptoms of mosaic, downward curling, local lesions, stunting or a combination of these were observed during both surveys. Mean virus incidence was higher in the short rain season (50.2%) than in the long rain season (35.6%). The mean BCMD severity on a scale of 0–3 was highest (2.3) in Kakamega County and lowest (0.5) in Siaya. On variety resistance tests to BCMNV isolate, 10 bean cultivars were susceptible, four tolerant and two resistant. BCMNV is widely distributed across counties probably because of use of uncertified seeds by farmers and inoculum pressure from seed and aphid vector. For improved yields of common bean, farmers should be advised to plant certified seeds for all legumes in the cropping system.     

Species diversity and distribution of lepidopteran stem borers in South Africa and Mozambique

Country‐wide surveys of lepidopteran stem borers in wild host plants were undertaken between 2006 and 2009 in South Africa and 2005 and 2010 in Mozambique. A total of 4438 larvae were collected from 65 wild host plants in South Africa and 1920 larvae from 30 wild host plants in Mozambique. In South Africa and Mozambique, 50 and 39 stem borer species were recovered, respectively, with four new species and two new genera among noctuids. Less than 5% of the total number of species collected are considered to be economically important in Africa. These species were Busseola fusca (Fuller) (Noctuidae), Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) (Crambidae) and Sesamia calamistis Hampson (Noctuidae). Data from this study and others in East Africa on the very low abundance of stem borers in wild host plants question the putative role of wild host plants as reservoir for stem borer pests. One new host plant family (Prioniaceae), as well as 24 and 13 wild hosts from South Africa and Mozambique respectively, was added to the list of known hosts in Africa.