Agricultural intensification increases deforestation fire activity in Amazonia

Fire-driven deforestation is the major source of carbon emissions from Amazonia. Recent expansion of mechanized agriculture in forested regions of Amazonia has increased the average size of deforested areas, but related changes in fire dynamics remain poorly characterized. We estimated the contribution of fires from the deforestation process to total fire activity based on the local frequency of active fire detections from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensors. High-confidence fire detections at the same ground location on 2 or more days per year are most common in areas of active deforestation, where trunks, branches, and stumps can be piled and burned many times before woody fuels are depleted. Across Amazonia, high-frequency fires typical of deforestation accounted for more than 40% of the MODIS fire detections during 2003–2007. Active deforestation frontiers in Bolivia and the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso, Pará, and Rondônia contributed 84% of these high-frequency fires during this period. Among deforested areas, the frequency and timing of fire activity vary according to postclearing land use. Fire usage for expansion of mechanized crop production in Mato Grosso is more intense and more evenly distributed throughout the dry season than forest clearing for cattle ranching (4.6 vs. 1.7 fire days per deforested area, respectively), even for clearings >200 ha in size. Fires for deforestation may continue for several years, increasing the combustion completeness of cropland deforestation to nearly 100% and pasture deforestation to 50–90% over 1–3-year timescales typical of forest conversion. Our results demonstrate that there is no uniform relation between satellite-based fire detections and carbon emissions. Improved understanding of deforestation carbon losses in Amazonia will require models that capture interannual variation in the deforested area that contributes to fire activity and variable combustion completeness of individual clearings as a function of fire frequency or other evidence of postclearing land use.     

Microbial control of cotton pests: use of the naturally occurring entomopathogenic fungus Aspergillus sp. (BC 639) in the management of Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) and beneficial insects on transgenic cotton crops

The commercial adoption of transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton (Bollgard II®) reduced the use of insecticides to control Helicoverpa spp. However, the ineffectiveness of the Bt toxin against sucking pests such as silverleaf whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci) resulted in a marked increase in B. tabaci populations and in the use of insecticides to control this pest. The effect of the entomopathogenic fungus Aspergillus sp. BC 639 on B. tabaci and beneficial insects (predominantly predatory insects) was studied in commercial cotton field trials. The results showed that oil-based extracts of the entomopathogenic fungus BC 639 control the number of B. tabaci adults and nymphs in commercial transgenic cotton crops. The BC 639 fungus caused 60.0%, 67.2%, and 68.8% mortality in adults, and 54.6%, 62.3%, and 51.7% in nymphs at 7, 14, and 21 days after treatment, respectively, relative to the unsprayed controls. The effect of BC 639 at concentrations of 125, 250, and 500?ml/ha on low-density B. tabaci (～10 nymphs/leaf) did not differ significantly from that of the commercial insecticide (pyriproxifen). However, at higher densities (>50 nymphs per leaf), low concentrations of BC 639 (125 and 250?ml/ha) were not as effective as 500?ml/ha BC 639 in successfully controlling the pest. A simple graphic analysis suggested that the more B. tabaci nymphs per leaf, the fewer adults per leaf, and that once the number of nymphs increased to ～70 per leaf, a negative feedback regulatory effect reduced the survivorship of the nymphs and adults and/or caused the emigration of the adults from the contaminated leaves in search of new resources. Therefore, the ability of BC 639 to control B. tabaci adults and nymphs with minimal effects on predatory insects indicates its potential utility in supplementing integrated pest management programmes for cotton crops.     

云南省沼气及其综合利用发展预测与分析

云南省气候适宜,农村有机废弃物丰富,是以展沼气的理想区域．沼气综合利用前景广阔,沼气发酵系统与农业相结合,能使农业的发展容能源、经济、社会和生态效益为一体,有力地促进农村经济的发展,是我国农业奔小康的理想途径之一．针对云南省沼气发展现状,在对沼气及其综合利用发展预测与分析的基础上,对云南省发展沼气提出一些看法     

Chitosan and silver nanoparticles are attractive auxin carriers: A comparative study on the adventitious rooting of microcuttings in apple rootstocks

Nanocarriers for encapsulation and sustained release of agrochemicals such as auxins have emerged as an attractive strategy to provide enhanced bioavailability and efficacy for improved crop yields and nutrition quality. Here, a comparative study was conducted on the effectiveness of chitosan-as a biopolymeric nanocarrier- and silver-as a metallic nanocarrier- on in vitro adventitious rooting potential of microcuttings in apple rootstocks, for the first time. Auxins indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) loaded silver (nAg) or chitosan nanoparticles (nChi) were synthesized. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy studies showed the spherical shape of the nanoparticles. The average particle size of IAA-nChi was 167.5 ± 0.1 nm while that of IBA-nChi was 123.2 ± 2.6 nm. The hydrodynamic diameter of the nAg-IAA and nAg-IBA particles were measured as 93.66 ± 5 nm and 71.41 ± 3 nm, respectively. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analyses confirmed the encapsulation of IAA or IBA in the chitosan nanoparticles. Meanwhile, the characteristic peaks of IAA or IBA were detected on silver nanoparticles. In-vitro adventitious rooting of microcuttings of Malling Merton 106 (MM 106) was significantly higher both in chitosan and silver nanoparticles loaded with IAA or IBA (91.7%–62.5%) compared to free IAA or IBA applications (50.0%–33.3%), except for 2.0 mg L^–1 IBA (66.7%). However, the application of 2 mg L^–1 IBA and IBA-nChi at all concentrations caused an undesirable large callus development.     

Degradation of mikan (Japanese mandarin orange) peel by a novel Penicillium species with cellulolytic and pectinolytic activity

AIMS: The mikan, or Japanese mandarin orange, is a popular fruit in Japan, but its peel is one of the major agricultural wastes. The aims of this study were to screen, isolate, and characterize a mikan peel-degrading microbe. METHODS AND RESULTS: Several samples including activated sludge, sediment, compost and spoiled mikan peel were collected and cultured in a minimal salt medium containing mikan peel as the sole carbon source. Degradation activity was found in a culture of the spoiled mikan peel, and a fungal strain, designated OP1, with both cellulolytic and pectinolytic activity was isolated. No toxic metabolites, such as mycotoxins, were found in OP1 cultures, as evaluated by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. A phylogenetic analysis strongly suggested that OP1 is a novel species of the genus Penicillium. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that Penicillium sp. OP1 plays an important role in aerobic microbial degradation of cellulose/pectin-rich biomasses in soil ecology, and further imply that this strain may be useful for both simultaneous cellulase/pectinase production and reduction of agricultural waste. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The present results advance our understanding of microbial degradation of cellulose/pectin-rich biomasses in the natural environment, and offer a new tool for reduction of agricultural waste, which is important for sustaining circulatory societies.     

农田灌溉对印度区域气候的影响模拟

为满足人类对粮食的需求,全球灌溉农田面积迅速扩张,农田灌溉对区域气候的影响引起广泛地关注。利用区域环境系统集成模式(RIEMS2.0)和最新的土地利用变化资料,选取农田灌溉面积最大的印度区域作为研究区域,进行雨养农田和灌溉农田的对比试验,探讨农田灌溉对区域气候的影响。结果表明:(1)农田灌溉使得印度区域年平均气温降低1.4℃,年平均降水率增加0.35mm/d。农田灌溉对印度区域气候的影响存在明显的季节波动,季风前期及6月份该区域气候对下垫面变化的响应最为敏感;7-9月各气候要素变化较小。(2) 农田灌溉使得印度区域地表净辐射增加,且地表净辐射在潜热通量和感热通量之间的分配发生了较大的改变,潜热通量增加,感热通量减少;对地表起冷却作用;同时由于土壤湿度增加,蒸散作用增强,大气中水汽含量增加,潜热不稳定能量增加,导致对流性降水增加。     

樟脊网蝽生物学特性观察

樟脊网蝽是香樟的重要害虫,在上海1年发生4代。4月下旬越冬卵始孵,9月下旬开始出现越冬卵。成虫末见期在11月中旬。经室内饲养,樟脊网蝽第三代各龄若虫历期为：一龄61．45±7．8h,二龄48．00±7．6h,三龄43．43±7．6h,四龄51．00±8．0h,五龄70．50±7．5h,整个若虫期历期为281．92±14．8h。第三代野外雌雄比为1：4．07。第三代每雌产2～96粒。日最高产卵量为34粒／头,孤雌可产卵。10％灭百可2000倍稀释液和50％杀螟松2000倍稀释液喷雾防治效果可达93％以上。     

Modelling the effects of population aggregation on the efficiency of insect pest control

A methodology is developed to assess the effects of spatial distribution on the efficiency of insect pest control. This methodology is especially applicable to pest control methods whose efficiency of action depends either positively or negatively on pest density It is applied here to the sterile insect technique and pheromone trapping for male annihilation, which both depend negatively on density. This methodology relies on quantifying clumps of various size and then relating this to efficiency of control and predicting the total pest production given the information on clump sizes and efficiency of control for each clump size. It is found that control is about four times as difficult for a population that is highly clumped (k of the negative binomial distribution=0.25) as for a regularly dispersed population.     

Effect of host plant on cornucopia of mango fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) and their triumphant management in context of climate change

A study was performed to assess the preference of fourteen mango cultivars for fruit flies and their management by bagging. So the choice of Tephritid flies to mango cultivars during fruiting phase is crucial. Fourteen different cultivars of mango viz., ‘Dusehri’, ‘Malda’, ‘Langra’ early cultivars, ‘Chaunsa’, ‘Fajri Klan’, ‘Sensation’ medium whereas ‘Sanglakhi’, ‘Retaul-12’, ‘Mehmood Khan’, ‘Tukhmi’, ‘Kala Chaunsa’, ‘Chitta Chaunsa’, ‘Dai Wala’ and ‘Sobey De Ting’ late cultivars were assessed for their suitability for fruit flies. The results indicate that the population density of fruit flies was higher on late cultivars like ‘Sanglakhi’ (20.61 percent), ‘Mehmood Khan’ (20.22 percent) and ‘Reutal-12’ (19.92 percent) were proved to be highly susceptible to fruit flies. Among these the cultivar ‘Reutal-12’ was selected being commercial and future cultivar for the management of fruit flies through bagging. The results reported that the attack of tephritid fruit flies and other insect pests were zero in bagged fruits as compared with control. It was further recorded that the bagged fruits has maximum average fruit weight i.e. 203.50 and 197.83 g per fruit was noted in those treatments where butter paper bag and brown paper bag was wrapped with better coloration as compared with un-bagged fruit with 159.5 g per fruit. Similarly, on an average fruit length were more i.e. 90.17, 91.33 mm in bagged fruit and 85.33 in un-bagged fruits. Furthermore, bagged fruits have zero incidence of disease with reduced fruit crack, fruit sunburn, mechanical damage, bird damage, fruit blemished and agrochemical residues on the fruit. So, it is concluded that the special attention should be given on ‘Reutal-12’ for the management of fruit flies when devising an IPM program for the control of fruit flies. Further, bagging has proved to be the good agricultural practices for the production of quality mango.     

An ordinal day model of spruce beetle trap capture phenology in northern Colorado

Spruce beetle populations (Dendroctonus rufipennis) (Coleoptera: Scolytinae) in Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii) stands were monitored at twelve sites for 6 years in northern Colorado using pheromone‐baited Lindgren funnel traps. During the trapping period, over 30,000 beetles were captured, and beetle abundance data were used to construct empirical models of trap capture phenology based on day of year, accumulation of thermal units and thermal day thresholds, with the goal of informing future regional trapping efforts and producing a simple model for use by forest managers. Ordinal day models outperformed thermal accumulation and thermal threshold models in both predictive power and parsimony. Mean date of earliest capture was Day 153 (June 2) and ranged from Day 126 to Day 161 (May 6–June 10), and mean date of final capture was Day 243 (August 31) and ranged from Day 220 to Day 286 (August 8–October 13). A two‐parameter logistic function was the most parsimonious of several ordinal day models, accounting for 81% of the variance in cumulative trap capture across all sites and dates. The model predicts 50% of trap captures to occur by Day 181 (June 30). This model has application as a decision support tool for forest ecosystem managers concerned with the timing of trap deployment or D. rufipennis mitigation treatments.