The brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stål), is one of the most notorious pests of rice throughout Asia. The brown planthopper have developed high resistance to imidacloprid, a member of neonicotinoid insecticides. Several genes and mutations conferring imidacloprid resistance in N. lugens, especially in eastern and southeastern Asia populations, have been reported. Thus, the key mechanisms of

Isoxaflutole (IXF), as a kind of 4‐hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) inhibitors, has been widely used in many kinds of plants. IXF could cause injury in corn included leaf and stem bleaching, plant height reduction or stunting, and reduced crop stand. Safeners are co‐applied with herbicides to protect crops without compromising weed control efficacy. With the ultimate goal of addressing Zea

Transgenic crops producing insecticidal proteins derived from Bacillus thuringiensis are used globally to kill key insect pests and provide numerous benefits, including improved pest management, increased profits, reduced insecticide use, and increased biological control. Unfortunately, such benefits are rapidly being lost by the evolution of Bt resistance by pests.

Cercospora leaf spot caused by Cercospora beticola is the most relevant foliar disease in sugar beet cultivation. In the last decade a decreasing sensitivity of C. beticola towards demethylation inhibitors (DMIs) occurred. Different mechanisms mediating a reduced sensitivity towards DMIs were identified in different plant pathogens so far, such as target site mutations, over‐expression or active excretion

Citrus greening disease (Huanglongbing, HLB) has infected over 90% of Florida's oranges and thus growers are desperate to improve pest management strategies. In this field study, insecticide application efficacy was investigated with liquid chromatography mass spectrometry to determine if insecticide concentration and distribution were effective at killing the target pest Asian citrus psyllids (ACP)

Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura), spotted‐wing drosophila (SWD), is a major invasive pest of soft‐skinned fruits in North America and Europe. Although insecticides are currently the primary method of SWD control, it is imperative to develop alternative management approaches, such as behavioral control through the use of repellents and attractants. This study explores the repellent properties of 2‐pentylfuran

Lack of fitness cost have been reported for multiple herbicide resistance traits, but the underlying evolutionary mechanisms are not well understood. Compensatory evolution that ameliorates resistance costs, has been documented in bacteria and insects but rarely studied in weeds. Dicamba resistant IAA16 (G73N) mutated kochia was previously found to have high fecundity in the absence of competition

The field population of Spodoptera exigua, an intermittently occurring polyphagous pest, has developed resistance to chlorantraniliprole, while whether or not such resistance carries fitness costs remains poorly understood. Here we selected six generations of the Leshan population (LS‐P) by two‐way selecting method, and obtained a highly resistant strain (CH‐RE) and resistant degnerated strain (CH‐SE)

Aedes albopictus is an important vector with an extensive worldwide distribution. Only female mosquitoes play a significant role in the transmission of pathogens. Doublesex (dsx) is a central nexus gene in the insect somatic sex determination hierarchy.

Wild pigs (Sus scrofa) are a destructive invasive species throughout many regions of the world. In 2018, a field evaluation of an early prototype of a sodium nitrite (SN) toxic bait in the USA revealed wild pigs dropped large amounts of the toxic bait outside the pig‐specific bait stations while feeding, and subsequent hazards for non‐target animals. We modified the SN‐toxic bait formulation, the design

The association of crops of value with companion plants could be one of the strategies to reduce the harmful effects of pests. We hypothesize that volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by some aromatic plants may negatively impact M. persicae, disturbing its feeding behavior and consequently its reproduction.

We investigated several aspects that could affect the role of the European earwig (Forficula auricularia) as a generalist predator in orchards: a) seasonal activity in apple orchards, b) effectiveness of two cardboard trap types (roll vs tape) to enhance earwig densities, c) the effect of pesticides (chlorpyrifos‐methyl, spinosad, indoxacarb, spirotetramat, pirimicarb, sulphur, fluopyram tebuconazole)

Anticarsia gemmatalis larvae are key defoliating pests of soybean plants. Inorganic insecticides, harmful to the environment and human health, are the main molecules used in the control of this pest. To apply more sustainable management methods, organic molecules with high specificities, such as proteinaceous protease inhibitors, have been sought. Thus, molecular docking studies, kinetics assays, and

Helicoverpa zea is a destructive pest and target of maize and cotton expressing Cry and Vip3Aa proteins in North America. The efficacy of Cry proteins against H. zea in the U.S. has been largely compromised by resistance. A rapid shift towards planting Bt cotton and maize producing Vip3Aa will accelerate evolution of resistance to Vip3Aa in H. zea. Research on the genetic basis of Vip3Aa resistance

The aim of this study was to identify reasons why the authorization of microbial pest control agents is lengthier under regulatory frameworks of the European Union (EU) than in comparable jurisdictions. A main conclusion is that although the EU's regulatory processes have strong scientific foundations, the most appropriate scientific concepts, knowledge and expertise have not been applied in the safety

Weeds, diseases and pests pose serious threats to rice production and cause significant economic losses. Cultivation of rice varieties with resistance to herbicides, diseases and pests is believed to be the most economical and environment‐friendly method to deal with these problems.

Ectoparasites may transfer zoonotic pathogens from rodents to humans or livestock when rodents are managed with rodenticides. This could be minimised using a product combining a rodenticide with a delayed action and a systemic insecticide/acaricide that rapidly kills ectoparasites. Such a combination was tested in commensal pest rodent species to assess efficacy and timing of responses in rodents and

Neonicotinoids are selective modulators of insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). These widely deployed insecticides interact with the orthosteric sites of nAChRs, not only to activate nAChRs on their own, but also to block the desensitizing component of nAChR responses. To date recombinant vertebrate or insect/vertebrate hybrid nAChRs have been deployed to understand the mechanism of selectivity

Insect growth regulators (IGRs) are generally considered to have safer eco‐toxicological profiles than the more commonly used neurotoxins and metabolic inhibitors, and are extremely effective against several insect groups, including some invasive ant species. However, use of an IGR product in a large‐scale eradication program for a widespread invasive ant (Anoploepis gracilipes; yellow crazy ant) was

Spinosad is an insecticide with unique mode of action (MOA) of disrupting nicotinic acetylcholine receptor and efficacious against many insect species. Mutations in the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) α6 subunit have been identified that are associated with levels of spinosad resistance. Whereas the molecular characterization of nAChR gene family and causative association between nAChR α6

Volatiles from host plants are an important source of insect pest attractants and repellents. Insect odorant binding proteins (OBPs) have been widely characterized, but the molecular binding dynamics and underlying mechanisms are still not well understood. Thus, we characterized binding characteristics of AmalOBP8 from the apple buprestid beetle (Agrilus mali Matsumura), an unprecedented serious threat

Conservation biological control suppresses pests by promoting established rather than inoculative or mass released natural enemies. Research in this approach has expanded rapidly this century but uptake remains limited. Why? Most of the 150 peer reviewed papers reporting field experiments include results on natural enemies and/or pests. Only a minority report effects on crop damage levels or yield

Alopecurus myosuroides (blackgrass) is a major weed in Europe with known resistance to multiple herbicide modes of action. In the UK, there is evidence that blackgrass has undergone a range expansion. In this paper, genotyping‐by‐sequencing and population‐level herbicide resistance phenotypes are used to explore spatial patterns of selectively neutral genetic variation and resistance. We also perform

Blackbirds (Icteridae) cause significant damage to sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) prompting the need for effective management tools. Anthraquinone‐based repellents can reduce feeding by >80% in lab settings, but require birds to learn the negative association through repellent ingestion. We evaluated an anthraquinone‐based repellent applied directly to mature sunflower plants for its ability to reduce

Small hive beetle (SHB), Aethina tumida is an invasive pest of managed honey bees and has invaded Europe from Africa. The main risk point identified for incursions of this pest into the UK is imports of package bees and queens. Surveillance of this pest, carried out by National Bee Unit, involves monitoring imports of live bees and routine screening of sentinel apiaries around the UK through collection