Book of Abstracts - INRA Bordeaux

Transcription

Book of Abstracts - INRA Bordeaux
International Mini-Symposium
and Workshops
Opportunities for enhancement
of Integrated Pest Management
April 1-3, 2014 Warsaw, Poland
BOOK of ABSTRACTS
International Mini-Symposium
and Workshops
Opportunities for enhancement
of Integrated Pest Management
April 1-3, 2014 Warsaw, Poland
Organisers
EC-FP7-REGPOT Warsaw Plant Health Initiative
Warsaw University of Life Science – SGGW
Faculty of Horticulture, Biotechnology and Landscape Architecture
Department of Applied Entomology
EC-COST FA1104 (co-organizer of the workshop no2)
Scientific Committee
Prof. Zbigniew T. Dabrowski (PL)
Prof. Malgorzata Kielkiewicz (PL)
Prof. Slawomir A. Lux (PL)
Prof. Nikolaos Papadopoulos (GR)
Prof. Gösta S. Nachman (DK)
Prof. Remigiusz W. Olszak (PL)
Local Organizing Committee
Executive committee:
Prof. Zbigniew T. Dabrowski
Prof. Malgorzata Kielkiewicz
Prof. Slawomir Lux
Secretary:
Dr. Jakub Garnis
Members:
Dr. Joanna Galazka
Dr. Marcin Grabowski
M.Sc. Sylwia Karolczyk
Dr. Dorota Palijczuk
Dr. Andrzej Wnuk
Cover design by Sylwia Karolczyk and photo by Marcin Grabowski
Symposium logo design by Marta Pudzianowska
Edited by Jakub Garnis
PROGRAMME ............................................................................................................................
8
MINI-SYMPOZIUM ...................................................................................................................
12
SESSION 1: INDUCED PLANT RESISTANCE: CURRENT ADVANCES AND
PERSPECTIVES ..........................................................................................................................
13
Uwe Conrath PLANT DEFENSE PRIMING IN LAB AND FIELD ............................................................
14
C. Michael Smith HOW KNOWLEDGE OF THE MOLECULAR BASES OF PLANT RESISTANCE TO
ARTHROPOD PESTS INCREASES EFFICIENCY OF BREEDING FOR CROP RESISTANT
CULTIVARS .................................................................................................................................................
15
Bogumił Leszczyński BASIS OF INDUCED CEREAL RESPONSES TO APHIDS INFESTATION .........
16
Barbara Karpińska LOCAL AND SYSTEMIC RESPONSES TO APHID INFESTATION ........................
18
Cezary Sempruch ROLE OF POLYAMINES METABOLISM IN THE INDUCED CEREAL
RESPONSES TO APHIDS ............................................................................................................................
19
Marcin Filipecki BIOTECHNOLOGY IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF CONTROL STRATEGIES OF
PLANT PARASITIC NEMATODES ..............................................................................................................
20
Joris Glas RUSSET MITE-INDUCED PLANT DEFENSES INCREASE TOMATO RESISTANCE TO A
PHYTOPATHOGEN BUT FACILITATE A COMPETING HERBIVORE ....................................................
21
Małgorzata Kiełkiewicz CO-OCCURRENCE OF MITE INFESTATION AND SOIL DROUGHT
AFFECTS INDUCED RESPONSES IN MAIZE ...........................................................................................
22
SESSION 2: FUNCTIONAL BIODIVERSITY: THE ROLE OF ECOLOGICAL
INFRASTRUCTURES AND INVASIVE (ALIEN) PESTS AND NATURAL ENEMIES ...
23
Krzysztof Kujawa WHAT WE LEARN FROM 50 YEAR LARGE SCALE FIELD STUDY ON THE
BIODIVERSITY IN AN AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPE?...........................................................................
24
Maarten van Helden FROM BASIC TO APPLIED RESEARCH IN ENHANCING FUNCTIONAL
BIODIVERSITY IN AGROCENOSIS: CASE STUDIES IN VITICULTURE ................................................
25
John M. Holland CRITICAL EVALUATION OF AGRI-ENVIRONMENTAL HABITATS AS
COMPONENTS OF IPM ..............................................................................................................................
26
Michael Traugott MOLECULAR TROPHIC ECOLOGY IMPROVES OUR FUNCTIONAL
UNDERSTANDING OF BIODIVERSITY IN PEST MANAGEMENT ..........................................................
27
Stanisław Bałazy THE ROLE OF LANDSCAPE VEGETATION IN THE RELATION OF
ANTAGONISTIC FUNGI TO ARTHROPODS AND PLANT DISEASES ...................................................
28
Zbigniew T. Dąbrowski EXPLORING THE POLISH SUSTAINABLE AGROCULTURE IN SEARCH A
BENCHMARK FOR BIODIVERSITY MANAGEMENT IN INTENSIVE AGRICULTURE SYSTEMS ........
30
SESSION 3: PERSPECTIVES AND BOTTLENECKS IN MANIPULATION OF
INSECT BEHAVIOUR FOR ENHANCEMENT OF IPM ......................................................
31
James R. Carey RECONCEIVING POLICIES FOR INVASIVE INSECT PESTS: TOWARDS A NEW
PARADIGM FOR THE 21ST CENTURY .....................................................................................................
5
32
Rod Blackshaw AREA-WIDE CONTROL OF WIREWORMS: FROM OPTIMISM TO REALITY ..........
33
Gösta Nachman THE EFFECTS OF SPATIAL DISTRIBUTIONS AND DISPERSAL OF PREY AND
PREDATORS ON THE OUTCOME OF BIOLOGICAL CONTROL ...........................................................
34
Remigiusz W. Olszak PRACTICAL SUCCESSES AND LIMITATIONS OF USING BIOLOGICAL
AGENTS AND SEMIOCHEMICALS IN ORCHARD PEST CONTROL ......................................................
35
Teun Dekker ATTRACTIVE HOST VOLATILES FOR BACTROCERA INVADENS ...............................
37
Heidrun Vogt IMPLICATIONS OF BIOLOGICAL AND ECOLOGICAL TRAITS OF THE EUROPEAN
CHERRY FRUIT FLY, RHAGOLETIS CERASI, FOR IPM TACTICS ...................................
38
Nikolaos T. Papadopoulos FRUIT FLIES INVASION CHALLENGES MANAGEMENT OF FRUIT
PESTS IN EUROPE ......................................................................................................................................
39
Slawomir A. Lux AGENT-BASED MODELLING FOR SITE-SPECIFIC ‘PRECISION IPM’ –
APPRAISAL OF RESEARCH PRIORITIES .................................................................................................
40
POSTER SESSION ....................................................................................................................... 41
Jakub Garnis AGROCENOSIS STRUCTURE AND BIOLOGICAL CONTROL: THE CASE STUDIES
ON TETRANYCHIDAE AND PHYTOSEIIDAE MITE RELATIONS ON STRAWBERRY PLANTATION ... 42
Joanna Jarmuł – Pietraszczyk OCCURENE OF ENTOMOPATHOGENIC FUNGI IN THE
LANDSCAPE PARK AREA IN THE SILESIA AND MAZOVIA PROVINCE ...............................................
43
Sylwia Karolczyk BABA-MEDIATED PLANT RESISTANCE AGAINST HERBIVOROUS PESTS –
CURRENT STATE OF KNOWLEDGE .........................................................................................................
44
Slawomir A. Lux CALIBRATING PEST ON FARM MODEL FOR ‘PRECISION IPM’OF THE
EUROPEAN CHERRY FRUIT FLY ..............................................................................................................
45
Sławomir A. Lux TRAPPING, ANALYSIS AND IMMOBILISATION OF SEMIOCHEMICALS ...............
47
Ewa Sady USING PHEROMONE DISPENSERS FOR DETECTION OF THE INDIAN MEAL MOTH
(PLODIA INTERPUNCTELLA HÜBNER) INFESTATIONS IN FOOD STORES .......................................
49
Tatyana Stefanovska THE EFFECT OF PGRS ON SMALL RNA’S IN SUGAR BEET IN BETA
VULGARIS L. RESPONSE TO SUGAR BEET CYST NEMTODE (BCN) HETERODERA SHACHTII
SCHMIDT .....................................................................................................................................................
50
Tatyana Stefanovska STUDY OF THE CONSTITUTIVE RESISTANCE OF STRAWBERRY
CULTIVARS TO THE STRAWBERRY MITE (TARSONEMUS PALLIDUS BANKS) ..................................
51
Hubert Sytykiewicz EXPRESSION PROFILES OF GLUTATHIONE TRANSFERASE GENES IN
MAIZE SEEDLINGS COLONIZED BY RHOPALOSIPHUM PADI L. ........................................................ 52
Anna Tomczyk INFLUENCE OF REYNOUTRIA SACHALINENSIS EXTRACT AND PSEUDOMONAS
FLUORESCENS ON SOME BIOCHEMICAL INTERACTIONS BETWEEN TETRANYCHUS URTICAE
KOCH AND GREENHOUSE CUCUMBER ..................................................................
Anna Tomczyk SOME CHEMICAL CHANGES IN CUCUMBER LEAVES RELATED TO
TETRANYCHUS URTICAE KOCH FEEDING ON THE PLANTS TREATED WITH SELECTED
6
53
BIOSTIMULANTS .........................................................................................................................................
54
Andrzej Wnuk OCTOPAMINE MODULATION OF SUCROSE RESPONSE IN THE EUROPEAN
CHERRY FRUIT FLY, RHAGOLETIS CERASI: A PILOT STUDY .............................................................
55
WORKSHOP I: Implications of biodiversity in genetically modified plants and
Participatory training on the risk assessment of the GM trees ................................................
56
Ramon Albajes ASSESSING THE EFFECTS OF GM CROPS ON BIODIVERSITY- 15 YEARS OF BT
MAIZE FIELD TESTS IN SPAIN ..................................................................................................................
57
Jörg Romeis NON-TARGET RISK ASSESSMENT APPROACHES FOR GM CROPS – ARE THEY
APPLICABLE FOR GM TREES ...................................................................................................................
58
Stanisław Karpiński ECONOMY LESSON FROM GENETICALLY MODIFIED PLANTS ................... 59
Petter Axelsson CAN GENETICALLY MODIFIED TREES AFFECT AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS - OR
OTHER ASSOCIATED ENVIRONMENTS? .................................................................................................
60
Jeremy Sweet ENVIRONMENTAL RISK ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING OF GM TREES ............. 61
Salvatore Arpaia THE AMIGA EU - PROJECT ON THE BIOSAFETY OF GM PLANTS ....................
62
Cristina Vettori EXPERIENCE OF COST ACTION FP0905 IN BIOSAFETY OF FOREST
TRANSGENIC TREES ..................................................................................................................................
63
Detlef Bartsch GENETICALLY MODIFIED PLANTS AND THEIR EFFECT ON BIODIVERSITY THE GERMAN EXPERIENCE .....................................................................................................................
66
WORKSHOP II: On-farm behaviour of Rhagoletis cerasi and Drosophila suzukii and its
modelling for enhancement of IPM ............................................................................................. 67
Heidrun Vogt OCCURRENCE OF DROSOPHILA SUZUKII IN GERMANY AND RECENT FINDINGS
68
Teun Dekker OLFACTORY CORRELATES OF DROSOPHILA SUZUKII’S SHIFT FROM ROTTEN
TO RIPE ........................................................................................................................................................
69
Orkun B. Kovanci THE BIOLOGY, ECOLOGY AND CURRENT STATUS OF INTEGRATED
CONTROL OF RHAGOLETIS CERASI IN TURKEYI ................................................................................
70
Katerina Bandjo FLIGHT DYNAMICS OF THE EUROPEAN CHERRY FRUIT FLY (RHAGOLETIS
CERASI L.) IN THE AREA AROUND SKOPJE, R. MACEDONIA, AND INFLUENCE OF SOME
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CHERRY VARIETIES ON THE FRUIT INFESTATION PERCENTAGE
BY R. CERASI ...............................................................................................................................................
72
Katharina Merkel FROM INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOR TO POPULATION EFFECTS: A STUDY ON
FOPIUS ARISANUS .....................................................................................................................................
74
Nikolaos T. Papadopoulos DORMANCY RESPONSES AND MANAGEMENT DECISIONS FOR
RHAGOLETIS CERASI ................................................................................................................................. 75
Slawomir A. Lux INFLUENCE OF GROWER AND CONSUMER PREFERENCES ON ON-FARM
BEHAVIOUR AND IPM OF RHAGOLETIS CERASI ..................................................................................
7
76
PROGRAMME
Tuesday, 1st April 2014:
DAY 1 – SYMPOSIUM (building no. 48, room 150/151)
8.00 – 9.00
Registration
9.00 – 9.30
Opening ceremony
Session 1
Induced plant resistance: current advances and perspectives
9.30 – 11.30
Moderators: Charles M. Smith and Małgorzata Kiełkiewicz
 Uwe Conrath (D): Plant defense priming in lab and field (30min)
 Charles M. Smith (USA): How knowledge of the molecular bases of plant resistance to
arthropod pests increases efficiency of breeding for crop resistant cultivars (30min)
 Bogusław Leszczyński (PL): Basis of induced cereals resistance to aphids (30min)
 Barbara Karpińska (PL): Local and systemic responses to aphid infestation (30min)
11.30 – 13.00
Lunch
13.00 – 15.00
Moderators: Uwe Conrath and Małgorzata Kiełkiewicz
 Cezary Sempruch (PL): Role of polyamines metabolism in the induced plant resistance to
aphids (30min)
 Marcin Filipecki (PL): Biotechnology in the development of control strategies of plant parasitic
nematodes (30min)
 Joris Glas (NL): Russet mite-induced plant defenses increase tomato resistance to a
phytopathogen but facilitate a competing herbivore (30min)
 Małgorzata Kiełkiewicz (PL): Co-occurrence of mite infestation and soil drought affects
induced responses in maize (30min)
15.00 – 15.30
Coffee break
Session 2
Functional biodiversity: the role of ecological infrastructures and invasive (alien)
pests and natural enemies
15.30 – 16.45
Moderators: Maarten van Helden and Zbigniew T. Dąbrowski
 Krzysztof Kujawa, Jerzy Karg (PL): What we learn from 50 year large scale field study on the
biodiversity in an agricultural landscape? (25min)
 Maarten van Helden (FR): From basic to applied research in enhancing functional biodiversity
in agrocenosis: case studies in viticulture (25min)
 John Holland (UK): Critical evaluation of agri-environmental habitats as components of IPM
(25min)
16.45 – 18.00 Poster session - presentation and discussion
8
Wednesday, 2nd April 2014:
DAY 2 – SYMPOSIUM (building no. 48, room 150/151)
9.00 – 10.15
Moderators: Maarten van Helden and Zbigniew T. Dąbrowski
 Michael Traugott (A): Molecular trophic ecology improves our functional understanding of
biodiversity in pest management (25min)
 Stanisław Bałazy (PL): The role of landscape vegetation in the relation of antagonistic fungi to
arthropods and plant diseases. (25min)
 Zbigniew T. Dąbrowski (PL): Exploring the Polish sustainable agriculture in search of a
benchmark for biodiversity management in intensive agriculture systems (25min)
10.15 – 10.45
Coffee break
Session 3
Perspectives and bottlenecks in manipulation of insect behaviour
for enhancement of IPM
10.45 – 12.15
Moderators: Nikolaos Papadopoulos and Sławomir A. Lux
 James R. Carey (USA): Reconceiving policies for invasive insect pests: towards a new
paradigm
for the 21st century (30min)
 Rod Blackshaw (UK): Area-wide control of wireworms: from optimism to reality (30min)
 Anna Malacrida (IT) (30min): IPM in the insect omics era: applications and relevance
12.15 – 13.15
Lunch
13.15 – 14.45
Moderators: Sławomir A. Lux and Nikolaos Papadopoulos
 Gosta Nachman (DK): The effects of spatial distributions and dispersal of prey and predators
on the outcome of biological control (30min)
 Remigiusz W. Olszak (PL): Practical successes and limitations of using biological agents and
semiochemicals in orchard pest control (30min)
 Teun Dekker (SE): Attractive host volatiles for Bactrocera invadens (30min)
14.45 – 15.15
Coffee break
15:15 – 16.45
Moderators: Gosta Nachman and Sławomir A. Lux
 Heidrun Vogt (D): Implications of biological and ecological traits of the European cherry fruit
fly, Rhagoletis cerasi, for IPM tactics (30min)
 Nikolaos Papadopoulos (GR): Fruit flies invasion challenges management of fruit pests in
Europe (30min)
 Sławomir A. Lux (PL): Agent-based modeling for site-specific ‘precision IPM’ – appraisal of
research priorities (30min)
9
Thursday, 3rd April 2014:
3 DAY – WORKSHOPS (building no. 35, rooms 105 and 122)
Workshop 1
Implications of biodiversity in genetically modified plants (room 122)
9.00 – 10.30
Moderator: Zbigniew T. Dąbrowski
 Ramon Albajes (ES): Assessing the effects of GM crops on biodiversity - 15 years of Bt maize
field tests in Spain (30min)
 Jöerg Romeis (AT): Non-target risk assessment approaches for GM crops – are they applicable
for GM trees (30min)
 Stanisław Karpiński (PL): Economy lesson from genetically modified plants (30min)
10.30 – 11.00
Coffee break
11.00 – 12.30
Moderator: Zbigniew T. Dąbrowski
 Petter Axelsson (SE): Can genetically modified trees affect aquatic ecosystems - or other
associated environments? (30min)
 Jeremy Sweet (UK): Environmental risk assessment and monitoring of GM trees (30min)
 Salvatore Arpaia (IT): The AMIGA EU - project on the biosafety of GM plants (30min)
12.30 – 13.30
Lunch
Participatory training on the risk assessment of the GM trees (room 122)
13.30 – 17.00
Moderator: Detlef Bartsch
 Cristina Vettori (IT): Experience of Cost Action FP 0905 in the assessment of technical
environmental implication of GM trees in Europe (30min)
 Detlef Bartsch (D): Genetically modified plants and their effect on biodiversity - the German
experience (30min)
 Detlef Bartsch (D): Exercises - Environmental Risk Assessment of GM trees (30min)
10
Thursday, 3rd April 2014:
3 DAY – WORKSHOPS (building no. 35, rooms 105 and 122)
Workshop 2
On-farm behaviour of Rhagoletis cerasi and Drosophila suzukii and its modelling
for enhancement of IPM (room 105)
9.00 – 10.30
Moderator: Sławomir A. Lux
 Heidrun Vogt, Felix Briemand Kirsten Köppler (D): Occurrence of D. suzukii in Germany and
recent findings (30 min)
 Teun Dekker (SE): Olfactory correlates of Drosophila suzukii’s shift from rotten to ripe (30 min)
 Orkun Kovanci (TR): The biology, ecology and current status of integrated control of
Rhagoletis cerasi in Turkey (30 min)
10.30 – 11.00
Coffee break
11.00 – 12.30
Moderator: Heidrun Vogt
 Katerina Bandzo (MK): Flight dynamics of the European cherry fruit fly (Rhagoletis cerasi L.)
in the area around Skopje, R. Macedonia, and influence of some characteristics of the cherry
varieties on the fruit infestation percentage by R. cerasi (30 min)
 Katrina Merkel, Thomas S. Hoffmeister (D): From individual behavior to population effects:
a study on Fopius arisanus (30 min)
 Nikolaos Papadopoulos (GR): Dormancy responses and management decisions for Rhagoletis
cerasi (30 min)
12.30 – 13.30
Lunch
13.30 – 14.00
Moderator: Nikolaos Papadopoulos
 Sławomir A. Lux (PL): Modeling how grower and consumer priorities influence on-farm
behavior and IPM of R. cerasi (30 min)
11
MINI-SYMPOZIUM
Opportunities for enhancement
of Integrated Pest Management
12
SESSION 1
Induced plant resistance: current
advances and perspectives
13
PLANT DEFENSE PRIMING IN LAB AND FIELD
UWE CONRATH
Plant Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Group, Department of Plant Physiology, RWTH Aachen
University
Aachen, 52056, Germany
e-mail: uwe.conrath@bio3.rwth-aachen.de
Plants can be primed for more rapid and robust activation of defense to biotic or abiotic
stress. Priming follows perception of molecular patterns of microbes or plants, recognition of
pathogen-derived effectors, or colonization by beneficial microbes. However the process can
also be induced by wounding or treatment with some natural or synthetic compounds
(including fungicides and insecticides). The primed mobilization of defense is often
associated with development of disease resistance, stress tolerance, and preservation of yield.
Although the phenomenon has been known for decades, the molecular basis of priming is
poorly understood. I will summarize recent progress made in unraveling molecular aspects of
defense priming that is the accumulation of dormant mitogen-activated protein kinases,
chromatin modifications, and the role of transcription coactivator HsfB1 in priming. I will
also show how to identify chemical compounds with priming-inducing activity and discuss
the potential of plant defense priming for plant production in the field.
References: Prime-A-Plant Group (Conrath et al.; 2006) Molec Plant-Microbe Interact 19:
1062-1071; Beckers & Conrath (2007) Curr Opin Plant Biol 10: 425-431; Beckers et al.
(2009) Plant Cell 21: 944-953; Jaskiewicz et al. (2011) EMBO rep 12: 50-55; Conrath (2011)
Trends Plant Sci 16: 524-531.
14
HOW KNOWLEDGE OF THE MOLECULAR BASES OF PLANT
RESISTANCE TO ARTHROPOD PESTS INCREASES EFFICIENCY OF
BREEDING FOR CROP RESISTANT CULTIVARS
C. MICHAEL SMITH
Kanas State University
Manhattan, KS 66506 USA
e-mail: cmsmith@ksu.edu
Genetic linkage mapping research during the past 40 years has identified more than 100
plant resistance gene loci and molecular markers linked to these loci. Loci include both single
genes inherited as dominant traits and quantitative trait loci (QTL) mediating resistance by
multiple (polygenic) traits. Marker-based selection of arthropod resistance is progressing in
crops such as apple, cotton, forage grasses, maize, rice and wheat. More importantly, QTL
mapping accurately characterizes major types of plant resistance to arthropods such as
antixenosis (arthropod non-preference), antibiosis (arthropod mortality) and plant tolerance of
arthropod infestation. Thus, QTLs provide the ability to develop arthropod-resistant plants
based on multiple resistance factors that may be more durable than plants dependent on
individual resistance factors. This ability has special significance for increasing the use of
plant tolerance, which has been identified in less than 10% of all known instances of
arthropod resistance. QTL mapping studies are now being transformed by new genotyping
methods derived from next- generation sequencing technology. One such method, genotyping
by sequence (GBS), uses restriction enzymes to yield non-repetitive fractions of the genome
and provides large numbers of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to more precisely
genotype entire plant populations for resistance. GBS is proving especially useful for
polyploid plant species such as barley and wheat with large genomes. In such cases,
sequencing targets non-duplicated genomic regions that provide high quality genetic maps.
GBS has been successfully used to locate novel QTLs in wheat associated with aphid
resistance that explain much of the phenotypic variation for resistance. The use of GBS to
identify new QTLs linked to factors mediating arthropod resistance will enhance and
strengthen their use in more accurate and efficient marker-based breeding of arthropod
resistance.
15
BASIS OF INDUCED CEREAL RESPONSES TO APHIDS
INFESTATION
BOGUMIL LESZCZYNSKI*, CEZARY SEMPRUCH, HUBERT SYTYKIEWICZ,
GRZEGORZ CHRZANOWSKI, IWONA ŁUKASIK, IWONA SPRAWKA
Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Siedlce University of Life Science and Humanities
ul. Prusa 12, 08-110 Siedlce, Poland
* e-mail: leszczb@uph.edu.pl
Aphids are common pests of cereal agrosystem that cause a serious problem while
population outbreaks. In Poland, it mostly considers four species of the pests, including the
English grain aphid (Sitobion avenae Fabr.), the rose-grain aphid (Metopolophium dirhodum
Walk.), the bird cherry-oat aphid (Rhopalosiphum padi L.) and the corn leaf aphid
(Rhopalosiphum maidis Fitch).
During the last decades, our group was involved in research on molecular basis of cereal
resistance towards the cereal aphids. It considered both constitutive and induced mechanisms,
investigated in the field and laboratory. Moderately resistant and susceptible cereal cultivars
were selected and their reaction to the aphid infestation was monitored. In case of the induced
responses, the research was focused on five basic aspects: 1) changes in content and
metabolism of cereal nutrients; 2) changes in content and metabolism of secondary plant
metabolites; 3) induction of cereal oxidative burst; 4) reflection of the oxidative burst within
aphid tissues; 5) expression of genes encoding cereal detoxicative enzymes.
The obtained results showed that aphids fed on moderately resistant cultivars decreased
level of proteins as well as essential and non-essential amino acids. An induction of
antitrypsin activity was observed, as well. The level of chlorophyll in moderately resistant
cereals was less damaged and decarboxylation activity of amino acids increased higher than in
susceptible ones. A clear modification in shikimate pathway involving phenolic acids and
hydroxycinnamic acids was noticed. The moderately resistant cultivars reacted by an increase
in activity of phenylalanine ammonia lyase and tyrosine ammonia lyase, what resulted in
biosynthesis of trans-cinnamic acid and p-coumaric acid, respectively. In addition, activity of
the polyphenoloxidase was highly reduced within tissues of the moderately resistant cultivars.
As a consequence, the total level of phenolic acids in resistant cereals was much higher under
the aphid infestation. Moderately resistant cultivars also reacted to the aphid infestation by
higher induction in generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The oxidative burst in cereal
tissues was reflected within aphid tissues by higher increase in level of superoxide anion and
hydrogen peroxide as well as in activity of key antioxidative enzymes. Moreover, the aphid
infestation induced relative genes expression of some detoxicative enzymes within tissues of
16
the moderately resistant cultivars. It was particularly clear in case of the following genes:
gst1, gst23, gst24, sod2, sod3.4, sod9 and sodB, involved in alleviating the aphid-stimulated
oxidative burst within moderately resistant cereal tissues.
In conclusions, the aphid infestation of moderately resistant cereal cultivars brought a
further decrease of their nutritive value, increased metabolism of their secondary plant
metabolites and induced genes encoding the detoxicative enzymes involved in their
xenometabolism.
This research was partially financed by the National Science (NCS, Poland) under the grant
no. N N310 733940.
17
LOCAL AND SYSTEMIC RESPONSES TO APHID INFESTATION
BARBARA KARPIŃSKA*, PAVEL I. KERCHEV, ROBERT D. HANCOCK, CHRISTINE
H. FOYER
Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Dept. of Plant Genetics Breeding and Biotechnology
Nowoursynowska 159, PL 02-776 Warszawa POLAND
* e-mail: barbara_karpinska@sggw.pl
Aphids, like other insects, are probably unable to synthesize vitamin C (ascorbic acid),
which is therefore an essential dietary nutrient that has to be obtained from the host plant.
Plant responses to aphids involve hormones such as salicylic acid (SA), jasmonic acid (JA),
and abscisic acid (ABA), but hormone/redox interactions remain poorly characterized. We
therefore investigated hormone/redox signaling in the response of Arabidopsis thaliana to
infestation by the aphid Myzus persicae, focusing on the interactions between ascorbic acid
and ABA, together with the influence of altered ascorbate and ABA signaling on the SA- and
JA-dependent pathways. Whole-genome microarray analysis revealed highly dynamic
transcriptional responses to aphid infestation with extensive differences between transcript
profiles of infested and systemic leaves, revealing aphid-dependent effects on the suites of
transcripts involved in the redox, SA, and ABA responses. Central roles for ascorbate, ABAinsensitive 4 (ABI4), and oxidative signal-inducible 1 in plant resistance to aphids were
demonstrated by altered fecundity on respective mutants. However, ABA had a negative
effect on aphid resistance, as did ABI4 or redox-responsive transcription factor 1. The
decrease in aphid fecundity observed in mutants defective in ascorbate accumulation (vtc2)
was absent from abi4vtc2 double mutants that are also deficient in ABA signaling (abi4).
Aphid-dependent transcriptome responses reveal a role for ascorbate-regulated receptor-like
kinases in plant defenses against aphids. Thus, vitamin C deficiency enhances plant resistance
to aphids through redox signaling pathway in which ABI4 is a key regulator of the innate
immune response to aphids.
18
ROLE OF POLYAMINES METABOLISM IN THE INDUCED CEREAL
RESPONSES TO APHIDS
CEZARY SEMPRUCH*, BOGUMIL LESZCZYNSKI, HUBERT SYTYKIEWICZ
Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Siedlce University of Natural Sciences and
Humanities
ul. Prusa 12, 08-110 Siedlce, Poland
* e-mail: cezar@uph.edu.pl
Polyamines are known biomolecules involved in plant responses to pathogenic fungi and
bacteria. However, information on their participation in plant defense against herbivorous
insects is strongly limited. Polyamines are synthesized within plant tissues through amino
acid decarboxylation thus such enzymes as ornithine, lysine and tyrosine decarboxylases play
key role in their biosynthesis. During the last decade, we investigated changes in polyamine
content as well as activity of the amino acid decarboxylases within major cereals infested by
grain aphid (Sitobion avenae F.) and bird cherry-oat aphid (Rhopalosiphum padi L).
Obtained results showed that content of polyamines and tryptamine within tissues of
triticale infested by R. padi fluctuated. After two weeks of the infestation a decrease in level
of the putrescine and increase in concentration of cadaverine, spermidine and tryptamine in
moderately resistant triticale was observed. The grain aphid (S. avenae) also induced activity
of lysine decarboxylase in moderately resistant triticale as well as activity of tyrosine
decarboxylase and ornithine decarboxylase. Moreover, R. padi infestation caused an increase
in activity of lysine decarboxylase and decrease in ornithine and tyrosine decarboxylases
within corn tissues. In case of moderately resistant wheat, an increase in the amino acid
decarboxylation was pretty stable through the experiment. The changes in activity of the
amino acid decarboxylases within cereal tissues were limited to place of insect feeding. Such
changes were also noticed within root tissues not directly damaged by aphids.
Presented data suggest that polyamines and key enzymes in their biosynthesis may
paraticipate in early (local) and/or later (systemic) steps of plant responses to the aphid
infestation.
This research was partially financed by the National Science Center (NCS, Poland) under the
grant no. N N310 733940.
19
BIOTECHNOLOGY IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF CONTROL
STRATEGIES OF PLANT PARASITIC NEMATODES
MARCIN FILIPECKI*, MATEUSZ MATUSZKIEWICZ, MIROSŁAW SOBCZAK, ANITA
WIŚNIEWSKA, JOANNA DĄBROWSKA-BRONK, ŁUKASZ BARANOWSKI,
WALDEMAR SKOWRON, SYLWIA FUDALI
Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Dept. of Plant Genetics Breeding and Biotechnology
Nowoursynowska 159, PL 02-776 Warszawa, Poland
* e-mail: marcin_filipecki@sggw.pl
Plant-parasitic nematodes are common pests of many crops causing substantial
agricultural damages. The number of naturally occurring and useful resistance genes is
limited whereas chemical control causes serious damages to the environment. A reasonable
alternative is silencing of nematode or host plant genes crucial for pathogenesis as well as
overexpression of sequences with direct or indirect nemacidal effect. In the previous research
150 tomato genes being up-regulated during Globodera rostochiensis migration and
syncytium development were identified. From them NIK, NGB and NAB were subject of
further analyses. The highest mRNA expression level of these genes was observed in roots
containing syncytia 7 dpi. Transcripts of NGB were in situ localized only in young syncytia
while transcripts of NAB were found in 3-14 dpi syncytia and in surrounding cells. The
regulatory regions of studied genes were cloned upstream the uidA reporter gene and analyzed
in tomato and potato roots showing several changes in expression profiles upon infection.
Functional analysis was supplemented by the RNAi of selected genes. Silencing of NIK gene
in tomato caused the dramatic decrease in regeneration ability and fertility of transgenic
plants, whereas silencing of NAB or NGB genes slightly decreased plant fertility and changed
fruit or leaf morphology. The number of G. rostochiensis females was reduced by 57-86% in
in vitro tests and by 30-46% in pot trials. The observations of the development and
ultrastructure of syncytia induced in transgenic lines revealed retarded growth, electron
translucent cytoplasm, smaller vacuoles reduced number of plastids, mitochondria and ER
structures. These results demonstrate that NGB and NAB genes play an important role in the
development of syncytia.
20
RUSSET MITE-INDUCED PLANT DEFENSES INCREASE TOMATO
RESISTANCE TO A PHYTOPATHOGEN BUT FACILITATE
A COMPETING HERBIVORE
JORIS GLAS
Department of Population Biology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of
Amsterdam
Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
e-mail: j.j.glas@uva.nl
Plant parasites have to cope with their host’s defenses and with each other, as competitors.
Competition for food may be directly, but can also occur indirectly via induced changes in
plant quality. Some parasites are able to manipulate their host plant to their own benefit but
how this affects parasite natural communities remains an unresolved question. We found that
tomato russet mites (Aculops lycopersici) manipulate tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)
defenses: they induce those mediated by salicylic acid (SA) but suppress those mediated by
jasmonic acid (JA) which would otherwise hinder their growth. However, this metabolic
hijack also affects the population growth of other community members: while inhibiting
Pseudomonas syringae (Pst), an SA-sensitive tomato leaf pathogen, it facilitates the spider
mite Tetranychus urticae, a JA-sensitive food competitor of russet mites in the field. We
observed that spider mites induce both JA- and SA-responses while plants infested with the
two mite species together display strongly reduced JA-responses, yet a doubled SA-response.
The spider mite-induced JA-response in the presence of russet mites was restored on
transgenic tomatoes unable to accumulate SA (nahG), but russet mites alone still did not
induce JA-responses on nahG plants. Thus, indirect facilitation of spider mites by russet mites
depends on the antagonistic action of SA on JA while suppression of JA-defenses by russet
mites does not. Finally, we found that while facilitating spider mites, russet mites experience
reduced population growth. Hence, we conclude that whether or not host-defense
manipulation improves a parasite’s fitness depends on interactions with other parasites via
induced host-defenses.
21
CO-OCCURRENCE OF MITE INFESTATION AND SOIL DROUGHT
AFFECTS INDUCED RESPONSES IN MAIZE
MAŁGORZATA KIEŁKIEWICZ1*, ANNA CZAPLA1, MAŁGORZATA
GRUDKOWSKA2, ANNA MIAZEK2, BARBARA ZAGDAŃSKA2
1
Department of Applied Entomology, Faculty of Horticulture, Biotechnology and Landscape
Architecture, 2Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Agriculture and Biology, WULS-SGGW,
Nowoursynowska 159 Str., 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
*e-mail: malgorzata_kielkiewicz@sggw.pl
The crop plant experiences a broad range of environmental stresses that take place
sequentially or simultaneously rather than individually. In the present study, maize cultivars
(Bt-maize, non-Bt and conventional Bosman) have simultaneously been infested by the twospotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae Koch, Acari: Tetranychidae) and dehydrated by
cessation of soil watering to establish the engagement of antioxidant enzymes (known as key
components of plant tolerance to biotic/ abiotic stresses) in an induced defensive response
against two overlapping stresses. In the case of the conventional maize cultivar (Bosman), the
plant’s responses to each stress individually and occurring together have also been
investigated at a proteomic level.
The results of the study proved that the short-term individual stress (mite feeding or soil
drought) triggers specific changes in ROS-scavenging enzyme activity depending on maize
cultivar, stress nature, it’s severity and duration (4 vs 6 days). Application of overlapping
stresses synergistically affected the activity of at least 3 of the 6 enzymes suggesting that
ROS-mediating drought defence can confer mite-induced tolerance in evaluated maize
cultivars. Alike, the changes in the expression of mite-responsive proteins differ from those
imposed by soil water deficit and those triggered by the same stresses acting together.
However, combined application of both stresses elicited a unique effect, distinct from the
effects caused by any of the stressors applied individually.
Key-words: Zea mays L., Tetranychus urticae Koch, co-existing stresses, leaf proteome
This work was supported by a grant N N310 038338 from The Ministry of Science and
Higher Education (Poland).
22
SESSION 2
Functional biodiversity:
the role of ecological infrastructures
and invasive (alien) pests
and natural enemies
23
WHAT WE LEARN FROM 50 YEAR LARGE SCALE FIELD STUDY
ON THE BIODIVERSITY IN AN AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPE?
KRZYSZTOF KUJAWA*, JERZY KARG, GRZEGORZ KARG
The Institute for Agricultural and Forest Environment (IAFE) of Polish Academy of Sciences in
Poznań
Turew, ul. Szkolna 4, Poland
* e-mail: kkujawa@man.poznan.pl
The lecture summarizes the results of long-term, 50-year studies carried out in hundreds
sample plots by the Institute for Agricultural and Forest Environment (Pol. Acad. of Sciences)
in an unique, mosaic-like farmland near Turew (W Poland). Specificity of the landscape
consists of long-term (200 years) presence of numerous, matured and diverse mid-field
wooded patches, and the stable spatial arrangement of those patches. Due to this rarely
observed combination of features (farming intensification accompanied by constant landscape
structure), the effect of farming intensification on biodiversity could be studied, controlling
for the influence of landscape structure.
The results of these studies show that biodiversity level in the study area is on average
high when compared to others in Poland and indicate the importance of mid-field wooded
patches for enhancing self-regulation mechanisms of insects communities as they positively
affect the numbers of predatory and parasitic species. An intriguing issue deals with black
locust, which creates significant part of wooded patches near Turew. Thus, a conservation
paradox is that species-rich farmland in large part is build of alien species.
However,
comparison of insects, birds and spiders between black locust and native tree species
communities suggests that first ones are as favorable as second ones for significant part of
native animal species.
Long-term analyses of insect and bird changes indicate that even highly diversified
structure of farmland rich in non-farmed habitats is insufficient for the preservation of high
level biodiversity. In last 15 years significant changes in insect and bird communities were
observed: decline in bird density and species richness, and decrease of farmland specialists
share (seed-eaters, Starling, Red-backed Shrike), for insects – decrease of taxonomical
richness. The results suggest that due to farming intensification, a landscape resistance
threshold has been already exceeded.
24
FROM BASIC TO APPLIED RESEARCH IN ENHANCING
FUNCTIONAL BIODIVERSITY IN AGROCENOSIS: CASE STUDIES
IN VITICULTURE
MAARTEN VAN HELDEN
Bordeaux Sciences Agro, Univ. of Bordeaux, ISVV
1 Cours Général de Gaulle, 33170 Gradignan, France
e-mail: maarten.vanhelden@agro-bordeaux.fr
Research in agro-ecology often focuses on increasing biodiversity, assuming that
increasing the diversity and number of natural enemies (NE) would automatically decrease
pest insect numbers. The actual contribution of each species of NE to pest control is however
not known, rarely measured and poorly understood. Natural enemies, but also the pest insects
need different resources such as food and overwintering shelter, present in their home range,
which does not limit itself to the crop plot. Home range size and different habitats, resources,
food webs, mobility etc. all play a role and interfere, making the final outcome of increased
biodiversity unpredictable.
Lower pest populations are frequently observed with higher landscape diversity (often on
a kilometric scale) on but neutral or opposite effects do occur. In viticulture the European
Vine Moth (Lobesia botrana, Tortricidae) is most abundant in landscapes with over 50% of
the surface planted with vines, whereas the Green Leafhopper (Empoasca vitis, Cicadellidae)
shows lower abundance. Correlating pest population levels to landscape seems to be a more
adapted scale of initial observation, permitting to show existing strong correlations before
trying to identify the underlying mechanisms.
Landscape studies are descriptive comparisons; manipulating landscape to test hypotheses
requires space, time and money. Identifying realistic opportunities of changing management
is needed and progress is depending very much on long time stakeholder involvement. This
requires being able to communicate with stakeholders and to be aware of the multitude of
ecosystem services and disservices that could occur. When stakeholders have a positive
attitude and can identify even minor progress themselves, either agronomically or for
marketing, this strongly motivates their implication. Efficient positive but realistic
communication therefore seems a key to success.
25
CRITICAL EVALUATION OF AGRI-ENVIRONMENTAL HABITATS
AS COMPONENTS OF IPM
JOHN M. HOLLAND
Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust
Fordingbridge, Hampshire SP6 1EF, UK
e-mail: jholland@gwct.org.uk
Agri-environment schemes operate across Europe and proposed Ecological Focus Areas
may increase non-crop habitats on farmland. These habitats provide opportunities to enhance
biocontrol through provision of resources for natural enemies, e.g. overwintering sites and
alternative food. Yet few agri-environment options were designed specifically to enhance
natural enemies. In addition, natural enemy and pest populations are influenced by other
factors including cultivations, climate, landscapes and rotations yet the interplay of these
remains poorly understood and synergisms remain to be exploited, especially in arable crops.
Our biological knowledge of some abundant natural enemies is also poor whilst their impact
on pests and subsequently yield is even less well understood. In farm-scale studies of natural
enemies, the abundance of predatory and parasitoids in non-crop habitats was unaffected by
the surrounding landscape composition and instead the provision of appropriate habitats (e.g.
grassy ones for predators and wild bird seed mixtures for parasitoids) on-farm was the key
determinant (Holland et al., 2014 Agric. Ecosys. Env.). Levels of pest control by flying natural
enemies measured were positively related to the proportion of grass margins within 250-750m
(Holland et al., 2012 Agric. Ecosys. Env.). However, hedgerows may retain epigeal predators
reducing biocontrol. Many other factors can also influence the abundance and diversity of
natural enemies and pests within fields including the type of tillage and soil, weed cover and
proximity to field boundaries (Holland et al., 2005 J. Appl. Ecol.; 2007 Bull. Ent. Res.; 2009
BioControl; Winder et al., 2005 Bull. Ent. Res.). Consequently the level of biocontrol is the
outcome of many influencing factors that must be considered in the design of IPM systems.
26
MOLECULAR TROPHIC ECOLOGY IMPROVES OUR FUNCTIONAL
UNDERSTANDING OF BIODIVERSITY IN PEST MANAGEMENT
MICHAEL TRAUGOTT
Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck
Technikerstrasse 25, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
e-mail: Michael.Traugott@uibk.ac.at
Within the last decade DNA-based methods have increasingly been used to measure
feeding interactions under natural conditions which were not accessible using conventional
methodology. This advancement in technique offers new opportunities to examine food webs
in agroecosystems, comprising plants, pests, natural enemies and detritivores (Traugott et al.
2013). Applying a molecular food web approach allows obtaining a better understanding how
species are functionally linked in trophic networks and which role biodiversity plays in
sustaining the ecosystem service of pest control.
In this presentation I will demonstrate how molecular techniques can be applied to unravel
food web interactions at different trophic levels in arable systems. These case studies will
demonstrate the advantages of trophic molecular ecology but also address some of the
challenges this approach faces to improve our functional understanding of species
assemblages in the context of pest control.
References
Traugott M., Kamenova S., Ruess L., Seeber J. & Plantegenest M. (2013): Empirically characterising
trophic networks: what emerging DNA-based methods, stable isotope and fatty acid analyses
can offer. Advances in Ecological Research 49, 177-224.
27
THE ROLE OF LANDSCAPE VEGETATION IN THE RELATION OF
ANTAGONISTIC FUNGI TO ARTHROPODS AND PLANT DISEASES
STANISŁAW BAŁAZY
The Institute for Agricultural and Forest Environment (IAFE) of Polish Academy of Sciences in
Poznań
Turew, ul. Szkolna 4, Poland
* e-mail: balazy@man.poznan.pl
There is a general live that the areas of arable fields, mown or pastured grasslands and
simplified forest stands, are characterized by deeply changed and impoverished diversity of
living organisms. However numerous examples indicate that many of such disturbances may
be of relatively short temporal duration, when their origin and nature are known to
landowners (farmers or foresters).
More and more intensive cropping systems basing on vast areas of different crops,
overdosing of artificial fertilizers and pesticides against noxious arthropods and plant
diseases, led to the increasing intoxication of soils and waters, augmented by frequent
depositions of industrial pollutions. In order to sustain the richest possible occurrence of
beneficial organisms in the restriction of pest populations, from about mid-19th century some
selected predacious, parasitic and pathogenic species were introduced into crop cultures as
potential factors able to restrict pest populations, generally called “biological control agents”.
They were represented mostly by insectivorous (both invertebrate and vertebrate) and
entomo-pathogenic microorganisms (reported mostly as viruses,
protozoa, bacteria and
fungi). Their real taxonomical positions have been recently verified considering numerous
changes in contemporary taxonomy and systematic. The fungi have a considerable part in the
biological control because of their several taxonomic units containing species pathogenic to
arthropods, frequent abilities to cause epidemic mortality of them (as the big orders of
Entomophthorales and Clavicipitales with their mitosporic anamorphs), or representing some
special adaptations for the co-existence (Laboulbeniales or Septobasidiales and some other
groups considered in the modern taxonomic concepts, e.g. Hibbett et al. 2007).
The richest species compositions of the entomopathogenic fungi were repeatedly
stated in swampy rushes and wetlands with rich presence of scattered clumps of shrubs.
Similar abundance was stated in dense bushy undergrowths of leafy or mixed forests, where
the domination structures of particular entomophthoralean species changed during the
vegetation seasons, depending on the appearance and density of their host insect species. The
cases of epizootics are very common in such stands (Bałazy, 2003). Particular effects on the
species richness and inter-specific connections show the communities of arthropods and
28
microbes in the layers of forest litter, responsible mostly for the soil forming processes, as
well as those inhabiting feeding sites of sub-cortical cambio- and xylophagous insects.
Collected samples from these habitats allowed to state the possibilities to infect the mites or
insects by the nematophagous fungi Hirsutella minnesotensis and Harposporium janus
(Bałazy, 2012).
The poorest sets of their species occurred in the annual grain and row planted crops,
from where only about a dozen to about 20- 25 species were found, whereas short time
augmentation of the insect mortality caused by few common entomophthoralean species
(Entomophthora planchoniana, Pandora neoaphidis, Zoophthora occidentalis) appeared in
aphid colonies on cereals and some weeds, with a greater frequency in the zones of fields
adjacent to afforested areas or shelterbelts (Karg & Bałazy 2009). The extensive epizootics
were almost every year observed on anthomyid flies (mostly Hylemya brassicae) in the
vicinity of denser rape seed cultures.
References
Bałazy S. 2003. On some little known epizootics in noxious and beneficial arthropod populations
caused by entomopathogenic fungi. IOBC wprs. Bull., 26 (1): 63-68.
Bałazy S. 2012. Antagonistyczne oddziaływania pomiędzy bezkręgowcami a ich patogenami
grzybowymi w żerowiskach kambio i ksylofagów. W: Ochrona lasu – wybrane problemy
historyczne i współczesne. Red. R. Jaszczak. Wydawn. Uniw. Przyrodn. Poznań: 51-63.
Hibbett D. S., Binder M., Bishoff J. F. and 64 Co-Authors. 2007. A higher-level phylogenetic
classification of the Fungi. Mycol. Res. 3: 509-547.
Karg J., Bałazy S. 2009. Wpływ struktury krajobrazu na występowanie agrofagów i ich antagonistów
w uprawach rolniczych. Progr. Plant Protect./Post. Ochr. Rośl. 49 (3): 1015-1034.
29
EXPLORING THE POLISH SUSTAINABLE AGROCULTURE IN
SEARCH A BENCHMARK FOR BIODIVERSITY MANAGEMENT IN
INTENSIVE AGRICULTURE SYSTEMS
ZBIGNIEW T. DĄBROWSKI*, JAKUB GARNIS
The WULS Plant Health Initiative. Department of Applied Entomology, Warsaw University of Life
Sciences – SGGW
Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warszawa, Poland
* e-mail: zbigniew_dabrowski@sggw.pl
The recent initiatives of the European Commission to enhanced biodiversity in
agroecosystems created an opportunity for comparative field studies to investigate the effect
of mosaic landscape and traditional farming on functional biodiversity in Poland and to use
these as a benchmark for biodiversity management in intensive agricultural systems. The
characteristic Polish agrarian structure as well researchers’ expertiese in studies on the effect
of ecological infrastructures on various crops are presented.
There is a deep gap in the validation of the present farming and rural areas between the
majority of economists - and specialists in environmental protection and representatives of
Non-Government Organisations in Europe, including Poland. Therefore, while analysing the
effects of landscape parameters on functional biodiversity one should take into account the
wide variation in farming approaches among the various regions in Poland as: (a) high
productivity; (b) medium level of agricultural productivity; (c) medium level of productivity
under high inorganic and natural nutrient management and (d) low productivity under low
inputs in the central and eastern part of Poland.
Discussion carried out during last years in Poland indicated the existing differences in the
perception of priorities in the studies on landscape management and functional biodiversity in
the Polish ecosystems versus the EU intensive agriculture production systems: (a) to what
degree does the present mosaic landscape in the traditional farming area support stable pest
populations at acceptable levels; (b) does a high flora and fauna diversity always leads to the
stability in agroecosystem; (c) what level of simplification (enlarging of field size; reduction
of field margins and patchy woodlands) of agroecosystems may still guarantee sustainable
natural enemies levels that can maintain of pest population on acceptable levels.
30
SESSION 3
Perspectives and bottlenecks
in manipulation of insect behaviour
for enhancement of IPM
31
RECONCEIVING POLICIES FOR INVASIVE INSECT PESTS:
TOWARDS A NEW PARADIGM FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
JAMES R. CAREY
University of California
Department of Entomology, Davis, California 95616 USA
e-mail: jrcarey@ucdavis.edu
Never before in the history of the world have exotic insect pest invasions been so
numerous, budgets of many importing countries to reduce their flow so limited, tools to
control them so deficient, public health concerns so intense, livelihoods of growers so
threatened, export markets so at risk, and policies for mitigating their impact so in need of
modernizing. These problems are increasing because the ability of exotic insects to invade
virtually all regions of the world has been aided by global warming, increased international
travel, and on-going difficulties of detection in early invasion stages. Consequently invasive
pest problems have not only begun to place growers and commodity exporters in many
countries at great financial risk, but have also stretched to the limits the capabilities of
regional, national and international regulatory agencies for dealing with them.
Because of the ever-increasing numbers of insect pests that are invading importing and
exporting countries throughout the world, in 2012 a 2-day workshop involving 14 prominent
entomologists, invasion biologists, and policy advisers was held at UC Davis to examine and,
where appropriate, reconceive policies concerned with invasive pests. The specific objective
of the workshop was to prepare a co-authored white paper on invasive pest policy that would
lay the foundation for a new paradigm.
In this talk I will present the preliminary results of this workshop that considered ways to
modernize both the concept and the implementation of the four primary operational domains
of invasive insect policy including prevention, detection, intervention and trade. Four
overarching recommendations included the need for: (1) greater complementarity and
integration across the main policy domains which are currently largely decoupled; (2) greater
use of the basic principles of invasion biology to inform invasive pest policy; (3) increased
use of modern science, scientific methods, and technology, particularly the use of molecular
tools, mathematical models, and methods of risk management; and (4) more measured and
realistic approaches for interventions based on
(termination) strategies.
32
strict precondition criteria and exit
AREA-WIDE CONTROL OF WIREWORMS: FROM OPTIMISM TO
REALITY
ROD BLACKSHAW
Plymouth University
Centre for Agricultural and Rural Sustainability, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK
e-mail: rblackshaw@plymouth.ac.uk
Wireworms are a globally important group of root herbivores affecting a wide range of
crops. The larval stage lasts up to five years and often the economic threshold is below the
detection level of the population using standard methods. One consequence of this is that
prophylactic control to prevent damage is the management tool of farmer choice. Their
persistence in farm landscapes as several overlapping generational cohorts suggests that areawide approaches might be a better means of both protecting crops and the environment.
Sex pheromone trapping for adult male click beetles in unfarmed habitats across a 950 ha
island showed that populations in field margins were patchily distributed at this landscape
scale but spatially consistent from year to year. Unfarmed habitats are likely to act as a source
and this was explored using mark-release-recapture (MRR) methods which demonstrated that
fields were invaded from margins and that click beetles dispersed further than previously
thought.
Attempts at male removal trapping from field margins suggest that whilst an effect can be
demonstrated it requires a high concentration of traps which contradicted calculations based
on MRR estimates of the attraction ranges of sex pheromones. Direct testing of these ranges
indicates that in reality they are much shorter than the estimates.
The emerging picture is one of relatively high adult dispersal but low sex pheromone
range which suggests that area-wide management by mass trapping is unlikely to succeed. An
alternative to consider is mating disruption though this may be compromised by recent
evidence regarding the longevity of click beetles.
33
THE EFFECTS OF SPATIAL DISTRIBUTIONS AND DISPERSAL OF
PREY AND PREDATORS ON THE OUTCOME OF BIOLOGICAL
CONTROL
GÖSTA NACHMAN
University of Copenhagen, Department of Biology, Section of Ecology and Evolution
Universitetsparken 15, DK 2100 Ø Copenhagen, Denmark
e-mail: gnachman@bio.ku.dk
Many crop pests, such as insects and mites, are r-strategists characterized by having a
high reproductive potential (often promoted by asexual reproduction) and a high dispersal
capacity. These properties enable them to colonize new crop plants and to quickly build up
high population densities on the infested plants. Such local outbreaks may then serve as foci
for new infections, which will then spread to the entire crop and eventually cause heavy
economic losses. From a control perspective, it is important to discover local outbreaks at an
early stage to initiate control measures before the pest manages to spread further, for instance
by spraying the crop with a pesticide or releasing natural enemies. Proper timing of control
measures in IPM depends on knowing where and in what numbers the pest occurs. This
requires well-designed sampling methods, because the cost of information has to be added to
the cost of the control measures per se. On the hand, the latter expenses may be reduced if the
chosen control strategy is administrated in accordance with appropriate information.
In my presentation, I use a stochastic simulation model, called DynaMite, of spider mites
(Tetranychus urticae) and predatory mites (Phytoseiulus persimilis) inhabiting a greenhouse
crop to demonstrate how dispersal, colonizations and extinctions create a shifting mosaic of
local populations that are highly aggregated, implying that large sample sizes are needed to
achieve reasonably precise population estimates. The outcome of biological control depends
on whether the spatial distribution of the predators matches that of its prey. Though predatory
mites are more mobile than their tetranychid prey, it is nevertheless important that the natural
enemies are released close to their prey so that they can find and destroy the prey before it is
too late.
DynaMite is an interactive program, allowing the user to choose various strategies to
control the spider mites in order to maximize his income. The program is part of model
package called Fitom, which can be downloaded from my home-page:
http://www1.bio.ku.dk/ansatte/beskrivelse/?id=43077&f=1
34
PRACTICAL SUCCESSES AND LIMITATIONS OF USING
BIOLOGICAL AGENTS AND SEMIOCHEMICALS IN ORCHARD
PEST CONTROL
REMIGIUSZ W. OLSZAK
Institute of Applied Pomology
ul. Słoneczna 21, Kopana, 05-555 Tarczyn, Poland
e-mail: Remigiusz.Olszak@ipsad.pl
Pesticides from the beginning of the XX-th century have constituted the most effective
weapon in controlling and limiting a wide range of agrophagous organisms. However,
widespread and frequently non-rational use of these synthetic chemicals in the past, besides
important benefits, also created many unfavorable ecological consequences, like selection of
resistant pest populations, eradicating beneficial organisms, causing resurgence of primary
and secondary pests, contaminating the environment, crops and processed food.
To reduce some of these negative consequences, the concept of using an integrated
method of plant protection (IPM) was initiated in the late 1950-ties and presently obligatory
implemented by the Directive 2009/128/EC into the practice. It can be realised by using all
available methods including economic, environmental and toxicological aspects. Special
attention should be paid to the use of biological natural forces limiting the occurrence of pests
with respecting threshold level of pest population or plant damage. These factors may occur
naturally in the particular crop environment as well as can be introduced into a crop from the
mass rearing facilities as microbial preparations from biofactories.
The results of several year investigations on the occurrence and use of predatory and
parasitic insects and mites carried out in Poland as well their potential in reduction of certain
fruit plant pathogens or pests in novel IPM programs is presented. Actually the most
important pests encountered in the Polish apple orchards are: aphids, including woolly apple
aphid, spider mites, leaf rollers, codling moth and leaf miners. From other side, the presence
of seven species of predatory mites was often recorded. The predatory species, Typhlodromus
pyri was often recorded as playing the most significant role in many commercial apple
orchards in Poland. This species can be also reared under laboratory conditions and
introduced into orchards under a special protection program.
Many studies concerning high efficacy of leaf miner parasites were also carried out in the
past. In the case of such mining pests as Stigmella malella and Lithocolletis blancardella, the
parasitoids reduced pest population by 85% - 90%. Three species among the complex of
35
mining moth parasitoids as: Chrysocharis prodice, Cirropilus vitatus and Apanteles
circumscriptus among the complex of mining moth parasitoids play the most important role,
During last years the effective IPM programs was successfully implemented in the control
of pear psylla (Psylla pyri). It was confirmed in our experiments that predatory insects from
family Anthocoridae are a very important factors. We also recorded that during last few
weeks of the season, Sectiliclava cleone (Encyrtidae, Hym.) parasitoid could play a
significantly role in reduction of over-wintering population of pear psylla females.
The presentation will also include results of a number experiments on the use of microbial
preparations (containing specific viruses or bacteria) and feromones applied both for
monitoring and mating disruption method. However, both our own field experience and the
surveys on the farmer’s acceptance of the alternative orchard pests control methods indicated
that using semiochemicals and biological methods requires thorough changes in the extension
methods used. Biological action of the novel compounds and natural enemies which is
different than the chemical pesticide effects must be clearly explained and demonstrated to
farmers.
In conclusion: there are many possibilities for implementation of integrated pest management
programs in orchards, but it will requiring more often use of selective pesticides (especially
biopesticides), application of hazard prediction programs, knowledge on naturally occurring
beneficial organisms and well educated advisors and farmers.
36
ATTRACTIVE HOST VOLATILES FOR BACTROCERA INVADENS
TEUN DEKKER1*, TIBEBE DEJENE BIASAZIN2, MRIAM CARLSSON2, EMIRU
SEYOUM2, YLVA HILLBUR3
1
Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Växtskyddsvägen 3, 230 53, Sweden
2
Department of Zoological Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia
3
Current address: IITA, Ibidan, Nigeria
*e-mail: teun.dekker@slu.se
Foraging tephritid flies make extensive use of olfactory cues in orienting in their
landscape. Although visual cues are also important, discrimination between hosts necessarily
involves olfactory cues as well. The genus Bactrocera is of particular interest, as it contains
both specialist and generalists species. We investigated what olfactory cues these species use
to discriminate among potential host species, with as focal species, Bactrocera invadens, a
species of the African Bactrocera dorsalis complex. Such odors could be valuable in
monitoring and control. The relative attractiveness of volatiles from four different fruit
species (mango, guava, banana and orange) at two stages of ripeness (ripe and unripe) was
tested in an olfactometer assay. Both sexes were attracted to fruits, with differences between
sexes. Extensive gas chromatography electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD) and GC
mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were used to identify compounds to which B. invadens antennae
were sensitive. GC-EAD recordings from distal and medio-central part of the fruit fly
antennae showed responses to a large set of odors from each fruit species. Esters dominated
the antennal responses. Synthetic blends were made for each fruit species out of the shared
antennally active compounds in ratios found in the extracts. In the olfactometer B. invadens
was most attracted to the banana blend, followed by the orange, mango and guava blends in
that order. The synthetic banana blend was as attractive as the extract of banana. The results
demonstrate that composing attractive blends from GC-EAD active constituents shared across
fruits can be effective in formulating attractive synthetic host mimics for generalist fruit fly
species, such as B. invadens. We are currently extending our analysis to include other
Bactrocera species that differ in their ecology and Ceratitis capitata.
37
IMPLICATIONS OF BIOLOGICAL AND ECOLOGICAL TRAITS OF
THE EUROPEAN CHERRY FRUIT FLY, RHAGOLETIS CERASI, FOR
IPM TACTICS
HEIDRUN VOGT1*, KIRSTEN KÖPPLER2
Julius Kühn-Institut, Instiute for Plant Protection in Fruit Crops and Viticulture, Schwabenheimer
Str. 101, 69221 Dossenheim, Germany; 2Center for Agricultural Technology Augustenberg (LTZ),
Nesslerstr. 23-31, 76227 Karlsruhe, Germany
1
* e-mail: Heidrun.vogt@jki.bund.de
Re-evaluation of pesticides within the EU, and a requirement for safer and environmentally friendly production methods, is prohibiting the broad-spectrum insecticides that once
provided easy and effective control of European cherry fruit fly (CFF) (Rhagoletis cerasi,
Diptera: Tephritidae). The use of insecticides with new modes of action as well as alternative
measures, like bait sprays, require deep knowledge of biological and ecological traits of the
pest in order to achieve maximum efficacy. In the framework of our research to develop new
control methods, we studied CFF biology and ecology for several years using emergence
traps, yellow traps, assessment of oviposition and larval development, and correlated ovarial
development with ripening of host fruits. We also studied the dispersion of adults using
marked flies for release and recapture as well as natural mortality during the period in the soil.
Key results are: a) flies emerge from the beginning to mid-May until mid-June, i.e. for up
to 5 weeks, primarily over about 2-3 weeks; b) soil temperature summation (Σ of daily mean
at 5 cm depth, threshold 5°C from 1 January) for the first fly caught on yellow traps varied
from 310 to 415 degree days; c) yellow traps often caught flies a few days earlier than the
emergence traps and reflected flight activity until mid-August, the main flight period usually
ceasing at the end of June; d) most females on yellow traps at the beginning of flight did not
have ripe ovaries; 8-10 days after “1st” female capture ~50% had ripe ovaries, increasing over
time to >90-100%; e) oviposition began when cherry colour began to turn from green to weak
yellow, and continued whenever host fruit was available, as well as in ripe cherries; f) adults
mainly move within short distances and g) mortality in the soil reaches up to 90%.
CFF is well adapted to its host fruits, with flight activity and oviposition for several
weeks, and only a short period with no infestation at the beginning of the flight period owing
to pre-oviposition maturation of the ovaries. Implications for CFF IPM strategies will be
discussed.
38
FRUIT FLIES INVASION CHALLENGES MANAGEMENT OF FRUIT
PESTS IN EUROPE
NIKOLAOS T. PAPADOPOULOS
University of Thessaly, Department of Agriculture, Crop Protection and Rural Environment
Fytokou St. 38446, Volos, Greece
e-mail: nikopap@uth.gr
Fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) comprise major pests of fresh fruits and vegetables for
many tropical and temperate countries. Several fruit fly species are listed among the most
aggressive invasive pests affecting fruit trading at regional and global scale. There are three
well-established fruit flies in Europe, the Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly), Ceratitis capitata,
the olive fly, Bactrocera oleae, and the European cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cerasi. Both
medfly and the olive fly are wide spread along the Mediterranean basin, while R. cerasi is
distributed all over Europe. In recent times medfly has expanded its geographic range to
northern, cooler areas, such as the coastal areas of northern Adriatic Sea. Interestingly, medfly
has been repeatedly detected in central European counties over the last few yeas breaking
traditional climatic barrier for its existence. Besides medfly range expansion, increasing fruit
trading and human mobility impose huge propagule pressures from tropical and temperate
fruit flies for Europe since approximately the 1/3 of all insect pests intercepted in European
ports of entry are fruit flies. The risk of fruit fly invasion increases dramatically considering
the wide distribution of Bactrocera dorsalis in the Sub-Saharan Africa, and the establishment
of B. zonata in Egypt and Libya. The list of invasive fruit flies increases further considering
establishment and range expansion of Rhagoletis completa and R. cingulata in central Europe
and northern Mediterranean countries.
The current paper analyzes the fruit fly invasion events and associated risks and discusses
management decisions for the European growers considering multispecies Area Wide
Integrated Pest Management approaches.
39
AGENT-BASED MODELLING FOR SITE-SPECIFIC ‘PRECISION IPM’
– APPRAISAL OF RESEARCH PRIORITIES
SLAWOMIR A. LUX
Applied Ethology Team, Department of Applied Entomology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences
WULS-SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warszawa, Poland
e-mail: slawomir_lux@sggw.pl;
The PESTonFARM is an agent-based, pattern-oriented stochastic model, which
emulates behaviour of large cohorts of individual insects within seasonally changing
mosaics of farming landscape, under the challenge of IPM actions. The model simulates
only daily behaviours of individual insects, while all intricate spatiotemporal patterns of
locally fluctuating pest densities, crop infestations etc., are neither programmed nor
determined. Alike in nature - they ‘emerge’ as a consequence of the independent actions
undertaken by individual ‘virtual insects’. The model:
 Emulates the key behavioural and ecological features of the target pest
 Reflects the complexity of concurrent on-farm spatiotemporal processes.
 Is customizable - can reflect the local conditions, cropping patterns and chosen
combinations of IPM treatments.
 Is user-friendly - all parameters and inputs are of unambiguous biological meaning
and the outputs appear in formats familiar to the end-user.
The model was developed as a tool for implementation of site-specific ‘precision IPM’,
research and training. It emulates a ‘virtual IPM experiment’, provides assessment of pest
development, crop infestation and IPM effectiveness, both biological and economic. Like a
replicate of a real on-farm experiment, upon each run, the model generates stochastically
equivalent, but unique set of results, presented in a format usually collected during ‘real’
on-farm experiments.
The model ‘encapsulates’ our knowledge and experiences about biology of the target
pest, and can ‘take into account’ very large amounts of diverse behavioural and ecological
information. However, acquiring such ‘pest baseline data’ comes at substantial cost, and
provides very uneven improvements to the accuracy of the model-generated predictions.
Hence, for each intended application scenario, the potential benefits arising from obtaining
additional biological information should be assessed.
The PESTonFARM model itself may serve such a purpose, and can be used to preevaluate the utility of ‘hypothetical’ biological information in specific applications cases.
Examples of such approach, obtained results and their implications, were discussed.
40
POSTER SESSION
41
AGROCENOSIS STRUCTURE AND BIOLOGICAL CONTROL:
THE CASE STUDIES ON TETRANYCHIDAE AND PHYTOSEIIDAE
MITE RELATIONS ON STRAWBERRY PLANTATION
JAKUB GARNIS
Department of Applied Entomology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW
Nowoursynowska 159, 02 – 787 Warszawa, Poland
e-mail: jakub.garnis@gmail.com
The general principles of the integrated pest management (IPM) following
recommendations listed in the Annex III of the Directive 2009/128/EP: protection and
enhancement of important beneficial organisms, e.g. by adequate plant protection measures or
the utilization of ecological infrastructures inside and outside production sites.
Both aspects have been included in the presented studies in the abundance and
diversity of predatory mites occurring on selected species of wild plants surrounding
strawberry plantations and determine plant species of the natural habitats as a reservoir of
phytoseiid mites. The highest density has been recorded on following plant species: plum-tree
(Prunus domestica L.), blackthorn (Prunus spinosa L.), black elder (Sambucus nigra L.),
shrubby blackberry (Rubus fruticosus L.) and nettle (Urtica dioica L.). Sixteen species of
phytoseiid mites have been recorded. Amblyseius andersoni (Chant), Euseius finlandicus
(Oudemans) and Neoseiulus reductus (Wainstein) were the most numerous predatory mites
and they are recognized as the effective predators of spider mites. Abundance and species
composition of phytoseiid mites association depend not only on plant species, structures of
underside leaf surface, but also on plantation location and environmental conditions.
42
OCCURENE OF ENTOMOPATHOGENIC FUNGI IN THE
LANDSCAPE PARK AREA IN THE SILESIA AND MAZOVIA
PROVINCE
JOANNA JARMUŁ – PIETRASZCZYK1, MARTA KAMIONEK1, JOANNA GAŁADYK1,
JAN ZAWITKOWSKI2
Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Animal Sciences Faculty, Department of Animal Enviroment
Biology, Unit of Zoology,
Ciszewskiego 8, 02-786 Warsaw, Poland
e-mail: joanna_jarmul@sggw.pl
Entomopathogenic fungi play an increasingly important role in the integrated
methods used to combat various pests of plants and trees. An important role is sourcing local
strains that could be used in a given area without making preparations based on species of
fungi isolated in other countries.
Isolating and comparing the occurrence of entompathogenic fungi in similar
ecosystems in the Masovian and the The Eagles' Nests Landscape Parks. Samples of soil were
taken from: pine forests, young-pine forests, leafy forest, meadows and marshlands. Five
species of enomopathogenic fungi were isolated. P. fumosoroseus and B. bassiana was the
most frequently isolated in soils of forests. M. anisopliae was the dominant species in
meadows and marshlands. B. bassiana was most frequently isolated from the soils of the
Eagles' Nests Landscape. The results of this study indicated that temperature has an effect on
the number of entomopahogenic fungi. A season had signifiant influence on the occurrence of
B. bassiana in the Eagles' Nests Landscape
Key words: entomopathogenic fungi, landscape, soil,
43
BABA-MEDIATED PLANT RESISTANCE AGAINST HERBIVOROUS
PESTS – CURRENT STATE OF KNOWLEDGE
SYLWIA KAROLCZYK*, MAŁGORZATA KIEŁKIEWICZ
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Agriculture and Biology, WULS-SGGW,
Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
* e-mail: sylwia.karolczyk@wp.pl
As of January 1st, 2014 all member countries of the European Union are obligated by the
Directive 2009/128/EC to introduce integrated pest management (IPM) programmes. To meet
the requirements of IPM, non-chemical methods of pest control should be used as an
alternative to chemical plant protection. This review presents the recent findings on the
effectiveness of plant priming by DL-β-Aminobutyric Acid (BABA) against pests (from
different taxa), thus providing a better insight into the potential of BABA-induced plant
resistance as an alternative or supplementary method for pest control.
Key-words: non-chemical crop protection, BABA priming, phytophagous pests
44
CALIBRATING PEST ON FARM MODEL FOR ‘PRECISION IPM’OF
THE EUROPEAN CHERRY FRUIT FLY
SLAWOMIR A. LUX*1, HEIDRUN VOGT2, KIRSTEN KOPPLER2, ANDRZEJ
WNUK1
1
Applied Ethology Team, Department of Applied Entomology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences
WULS-SGGW,
Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland.
2
Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI), Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Plant
Protection in Fruit Crops and Viticulture,
69221 Dossenheim, Germany.
*e-mail: slawomir_lux@sggw.pl
The PESTonFARM is an agent-based, pattern-oriented stochastic model with elements of
cellular automata, which was developed to simulate behaviour of large cohorts (ca.
1,000,000) of individual insects within seasonally changing mosaics of farming landscape,
under the challenge of IPM actions. The model simulates only daily behaviours and events
of each individual insect, while all the ‘higher-level on- farm phenomena’, such as intricate
spatiotemporal patterns of seasonal pest translocations with locally fluctuating population
densities or evolving patterns of crop infestation, are neither programmed nor determined.
They simply ‘emerge’ as a consequence of the actions undertaken by individual ‘virtual
insects’.
The model was developed as a tool for ‘precision IPM’ – site-specific IPM with its
combinations of treatments tuned to the local spatiotemporal features of the target farm.
The model emulates behaviour of the pest population during a ‘virtual IPM experiment’,
provides assessment of IPM effectiveness, both biological and economic. Alike as in a
replicate of a real on-farm experiment, upon each run, the model generates stochastically
equivalent, but unique set of results, presented in a format usually collected during on-farm
experiments.
In the presented example, the PESTonFARM model was calibrated to represent
behaviour of a univoltine pest, the cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cerasi. For calibrating
behavioural and biological parameters of the model, the already published data about R.
cerasi were used, and also, largely unpublished raw historical data, collected during the past
experiments conducted at Julius Kuhn-Institut (JKI) at Dossenheim, Germany. For model
validation, spatiotemporal features of the experimental JKI farm at Dossenheim were entered
into the model, such as distribution of host and non-host plants, phenology and other
relevant varietal characteristics, etc., and a set of ‘virtual’ on-farm IPM experiments was
simulated.
45
Comparison of the data generated by the model and those from the real experiments
conducted in the past at Dossenheim, confirmed reliability of the model, and it potential
for designing site-specific IPM tactics, according to the concept of ‘precision IPM’.
46
TRAPPING, ANALYSIS AND IMMOBILISATION OF
SEMIOCHEMICALS
SŁAWOMIR A. LUX, DOROTA PALIJCZUK
Applied Ethology Team, Department of Applied Entomology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences,
WULS-SGGW,
Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
e-mail: slawomir_lux@sggw.pl, dorota_palijczuk@sggw.pl
Volatile plant and insect metabolome, in addition to a mixture of passively emitted
metabolites, contains also actively produced semochemicals – chemical signals determining
inter- and intra-specific communication. In spite of the progress made in application of insect
pheromones, the plant-borne signals, due to their inherent complexity, still remain
underutilised in pest management.
A new laboratory for study on and formulation of
semiochemicals was organised. The laboratory is part of the Applied Pest Ethology Team,
created at the Department of Applied Entomology under the FP7-REGPOT-2011-1-286093
project. The basic functionalities of the lab include:
TRAPPING: The equipment allows quantitative trapping of plant- and insect-borne
volatiles in a non-destructive manner under physiological and field conditions.
COLLETION:
Larger amounts of volatile material can be obtained using the state-of-
the-art supercritical extraction method, with CO2 in super-critical state as the basic solvent,
with possible addition of other organic solvents such a s methanol etc. Although the method
is destructive for the subject living material to be extracted, it permits obtaining ‘chemically
fragile’ active compositions through very efficient and non-oxidative extraction under low
temperatures.
ANALYSIS:
Analysis of the trapped volatiles can be conducted with a gas
chromatograph Clarus 680 (PerkinElmer) equipped with a flame ionization detector, coupled
with thermodesorber TurboMatrix ATD (PerkinElmer), operating based on “purge-and-trap’
principle.
MICROENCAPSUALTION: Three methods of micro-encapsulation are available, using
(1) extrusion/co-extrusion micro-encapsulator B-390 BUCHI, (2) spray-drier B-290 BUCHI,
or (3) dual-feed untrasonic nozzles (SonoTech 25kHz), which could also be coupled with the
spray-drier. This combination of equipment allows creation of micro- or even nano-particles
(beads - matrices containing dispersed active compounds) or capsules (composed of the core
with active compounds and an envelope of barrier material).
COATING: Both beads and capsules can be additionally coated to modify further their
emitting properties or to protect them from destructive environmental factors, such as water
47
vapour, solar radiation, or oxygen. Application of the additional layer of modifying or
protective material (e.g. polymer) can be carried out in a Würster process in fluidised bed
coater - Mini-Glatt.
48
USING PHEROMONE DISPENSERS FOR DETECTION OF THE
INDIAN MEAL MOTH (PLODIA INTERPUNCTELLA HÜBNER)
INFESTATIONS IN FOOD STORES
EWA SADY*, STANISŁAW IGNATOWICZ
Department of Applied Entomology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, WULS-SGGW
Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
* e-mail: ewa_sady@sggw.pl
Indian meal moth (Plodia interpunctella Hübner) is a common storage pest. This moth is
found not only in retailer’s premises, but also in food stores and in our homes. Adults of the
Indian meal moth do not feed, but its larvae feed upon grain and grain products, dried fruits,
seeds, graham crackers, nuts, powdered milk, chocolate, candies, contaminating these
products with fecal pellets (frass) and the clots of silken webbing when they crawl around on
product inside and outside the bags. Thus, these larvae cause most of the customer complaints
in stored products.
Control of the Indian meal moths is difficult because of the lack of effective methods of
reducing the population of this pest that can be used directly on food. Additionally, the Indian
meal moth was found to be among the most resistant insects to insecticides which man uses to
protect his food. Therefore, this stored product pest causes more customer complaints that any
other insect. Customers blame the manufacturer for pest problems, but the case may origin at
retailer’s premises or in food stores. Therefore, the study was performed to determine the
level of infestation of various food stores by the Indian meal moth.
Food stores of the different size (hypermarket, the average shops with self-service, small
store housing estates) and types (e.g. discounts) were chosen randomly. Sex pheromone
dispensers ‘Plodia-Locator’ which attract males of P. interpunctella were used for detection
males in those stores.
The results obtained indicate that 53% of stores were infested by the Indian meal moth. Of
all shops, the discount stores were found to be less occupied by the pest. Thus, Indian meal
moth becomes a big problem in Polish stores, as large percentage of food shops were found
infested by pest. These shops should be regarded as a source of pest that is introduced into
customers’ homes.
Pheromone dispensers ‘Plodia-Locator’ have proved to be an useful tool for pest detection
in checked premises.
49
THE EFFECT OF PGRS ON SMALL RNA’S IN SUGAR BEET IN BETA
VULGARIS L. RESPONSE TO SUGAR BEET CYST NEMTODE (BCN)
HETERODERA SHACHTII SCHMIDT
TATYANA STEFANOVSKA*1,VICTORIA TZYGANKOVA2 , SERGIY
PONOMARENKO3
1
National University of Life and Environmental Science of Ukraine, 2Institute of Bio-organic
Chemistry and Petro-chemistry,3National Enterprise Interdepartmental Science & Technology Center
"Agrobyotech"
1
13, Heroyiv Oborony str., Kiev 13041, Ukraine, 2 Muyrmanska str, Kiev 02049,Ukraine; 3 50,
Kharkyvske avenue,Kiev,02160, Ukraine
* e-mail: tstefanovska@nubip.edu.ua
In our recent field tests Polycompositional PGR Radostim Supper has been an effective,
environmentally acceptable biostimulant. Its mechanism of action is based on synergies effect
at cultivation products of fungi-micromycetes from ginseng roots. When it is applied for seed
coating and spraying of vegetative plants of sugar beat, it has promoted plant vigor suggesting
that it has a detrimental effect against BCN and has some positive growth factor. In our field
test we observed significant 50-78% reduction of eggs and larva of BCN in the soil caused by
seed coating (250 ml per tonne) and spraying by Radostim Super (50 мl per ha ) on sugar beet
plants at the 6-8 leaf stage. We had an objective- studying effect of biostimulant in inducing
of synthesis of is/miRNA that play a key role in immune receptor gene regulation and sugar
beet nematode resistance in sugar beet. Using method Dot-blot hybridization we found
statistically significant difference in the degree of homology (6-28%) between populations of
mRNA and si/miRNA from nematode-infected plants that were either untreated or treated
with biostimulants. We have also study silencing of translation of mRNA activity of
si/miRNA in the wheat embryo cell-free system of protein synthesis. This experience result
demonstrated significant difference in inhibitory activity of si/miRNA from plants treated by
biostimulant (30-60%) and from untrited plants (15-20%). Considerable and statistically
significant differences observed in degree of homology between populations of mRNA and
si/miRNA from untreated and treated with biostimulants plants that were infected by
nematode, and also the high inhibitory activity of si/mi RNAfrom plants treated by
biostimulants let us to conclude that biostimulants induce synthesis of anti-pathogenic
si/miRNA in sugar beat. Changes in degree of homology between mRNA and si/miRNA
populations can be used as genetic markers of increase of plant resistance to phytopathogens
and in particcular to plant parasitic nematodes.
50
STUDY OF THE CONSTITUTIVE RESISTANCE OF STRAWBERRY
CULTIVARS TO THE STRAWBERRY MITE (TARSONEMUS
PALLIDUS BANKS)
LYUDMILA KAVA, TATYANA STEFANOVSKA*
National University of Life and Enviromental science of Ukrainе
13, Heroyv Oborony, office 64, Kiiv, Ukraine, 03045
*e-mail: tstefanovska@nubip.edu.ua
Strawberry mite (Tarsonemus pallidus Banks) is the pest that currently causes the greatest
damage in Ukraine. It feeds on the closed unfolded young leaves of strawberries , making
control of this pest very difficult. Therefore, using resistant cultivars may offer promising
solution to this pest control. In our study we focused at constitutive resistance. It is often
determined by anatomical and morphological features of plant that may affect the level of its
susseptability to mite infection. Under the field conditions we investigated the potential effect
of strawberry leaf’s anatomical structure on population of strawberry mite population. The
mites were sampled at each of sixteen strawberries’ cultivars tested from the first decade of
July until the first decade of August. The anatomical leaf’s structure were determined by
measurments of cells of upper and lower epidermis.
The higest population of the strawberry mite was recorded on the cv Bereginya (48,6
mites per leaf and cv Festivalna Romashka (37,8 mites per leaf). Cv Lada was free of
strawberry mites. After measuring the parameters of epidermis cells on different cultivars we
used correlation coefficient anylysis. There was significant negative correlation between
strawberry’s mite population and the cell thickness of upper (r=-0, 81) and lower (r=-0,69)
leaf epidermis. The thickness of upper cells of epidermis was equal to 1,1 mk, and cells of
lower epidermis –1,0 mk at the least resistant was the Bereginya CV. The epidermis cells of
the resistant cv Lada were in 4,9 times thicker, and lower – in 2,1 in comparison to these
parameters in susceptible cv Berginya. The correlation analysis between strawberry mite's
number and the length of cell did not conferred significant relations.
51
EXPRESSION PROFILES OF GLUTATHIONE TRANSFERASE GENES
IN MAIZE SEEDLINGS COLONIZED BY RHOPALOSIPHUM PADI L.
HUBERT SYTYKIEWICZ*, LESZCZYNSKI BOGUMIŁ, CEZARY SEMPRUCH,
IWONA SPRAWKA, PAWEŁ CZERNIEWICZ, AGNIESZKA KLEWEK
Siedlce University of Natural Sciences and Humanities
Prusa 12 St., 08-110-Siedlce, Poland
* e-mail: huberts@uph.edu.pl
The purpose of this study was to evaluate impact of the bird cherry-oat aphid
(Rhopalosiphum padi L.) colonization on relative expression of gst1, gst23 and gst24 genes
encoding glutathione transferase isozymes within seedling leaves of Zea mays (L.).
The biotests were carried out on 14-day-old seedlings of two maize varieties (Ambrozja moderately resistant and Tasty sweet - susceptible) infested by 0 (control), 10, 20 or 40
apterous adult aphids per plant. Expression level of the targeted genes was measured at 1, 2,
4, 8, 24, 48 and 72 hours post-initial infestation (hpi). Relative quantification of gene
expression was performed in 96-well microplates with application of the specific TaqMan®
Gene Expression Assays and StepOne PlusTM Real-Time PCR System (Life Technologies).
The aphid infestation triggered an increment in relative expression of the targeted gst
genes within tissues of both investigated maize cultivars. R.padi-infested Ambrozja plants
characterized by an earlier and higher augmentation in level of the analysed transcripts as
compared with Tasty sweet seedlings. Importantly, the highest transcriptional activity of
gst23 gene in seedling leaves of the tested varieties was demonstrated at 8 hpi, whereas gst1
and gst24 genes were maximally upregulated at 24 hpi. The presented results evidenced a
considerable involvement of the glutathione transferase isozymes in alleviating the aphidstimulated oxidative burst occurring within the attacked Z. mays plants.
This research was financed by the National Science Centre (NCS, Poland) under the
grant no. N N310 733940.
52
INFLUENCE OF REYNOUTRIA SACHALINENSIS EXTRACT AND
PSEUDOMONAS FLUORESCENS ON SOME BIOCHEMICAL
INTERACTIONS BETWEEN TETRANYCHUS URTICAE KOCH AND
GREENHOUSE CUCUMBER
ANNA TOMCZYK
Department of Applied Entomology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, WULS-SGGW
Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
e-mail: anna_tomczyk@sggw.pl
The aim of the study was to evaluate if the application of resistance inducers: Milsana
reagent (extract of Reynoutria sachalinensis) and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria,
Pseudomonas fluorescens can change the reaction of plants on two-spotted spider mite
feeding as well as on the development of its population.
Poliphenol oxidase and peroxidase were measured in infested plants treated and not
treated with resistance inducers. Spider mite populations were simultaneously monitored on
experimental plants.
The content of phenols in the leaves of the plants treated with resistance inducers showed
the tendency to minor increase, however, not in the plants injured by mites. T. urticae feeding
caused an increase in poliphenol oxidase activity from 10 till 37%, however, the highest
increase was observed in the leaves of plants not treated with resistance inducers.
High increase in peroxidase activity was found in all plants infested by spider mites.
However, application of resistance inducers caused the decline in the intensity of this reaction
in mite infested leaves.
The populations of T. urticae in the plants treated with resistance inducers were lower as
compared to untreated ones.
53
SOME CHEMICAL CHANGES IN CUCUMBER LEAVES RELATED
TO TETRANYCHUS URTICAE KOCH FEEDING ON THE PLANTS
TREATED WITH SELECTED BIOSTIMULANTS
ANNA TOMCZYK*, MARTA CZAJKOWSKA
Department of Applied Entomology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, WULS-SGGW
Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
* e-mail: anna_tomczyk@sggw.pl
The purpose of the study was to check if the application of biostimulants: Asahi SL and
Siapton 10 L can have an influence on the reaction of cucumber plants to the injury caused
by the feeding of two-spotted spider mite.
Experiments were conducted on cucumber cv. Aramis growing under glasshouse
conditions and treated with biostimulants.
The content of selected primary and secondary metabolites such as sugars, proteins,
phenols as well as activity of peroxidase were measured in the leaves of infested plants
treated and not treated with biostimulants. The spider mite populations were also monitored
on experimental plants.
It was found that the treatment of cucumber plants with biostimulants decreased phenol
concentration in older leaves of both mite infested and not infested plants. However, the
young leaves of infested plants treated with Siapton 10L had the highest concentration of
phenols and low concentration of sugars as compared to the other plants.
High increase in peroxidase activity was found in all plants infested by spider mites. An
application of both biostimulants on cucumber plants caused, however, significant increase in
peroxidase activity in both not infested and mite-infested plants.
The T. urticae populations in the plants treated with biostimulants, especially after
treatment with Siapton 10L, were less numerous as compared to untreated ones.
54
OCTOPAMINE MODULATION OF SUCROSE RESPONSE
IN THE EUROPEAN CHERRY FRUIT FLY, RHAGOLETIS CERASI:
A PILOT STUDY
ANDRZEJ WNUK
Applied Ethology Team, Department of Applied Entomology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences,
WULS-SGGW,
Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
e-mail: andrzej_wnuk@sggw.pl
The response threshold model, where individuals interact with stimuli that release or
prime behavioural responses, is fundamental in behavioural sciences. Modulators of the
response threshold, such as hormones or neurotransmitters able to change individual
behaviours, potentially, are applicable in pest control. The search for food, largely based on
pest’s response to carbohydrates, can be modulated by octopamine (OA), biogenic amine
acting as neuromodulator, neurohormone and neurotransmitter in insects. Indeed, its
involvement in control of responsiveness to sucrose was already documented in Apis
mellifera, and Drosophila melanogaster.
In the present study possible effects of OA on modulation of the responsiveness to sucrose
was tested on the most important pest of sweet cherries in Europe, the European cherry fruit
fly, Rhagoletis cerasi (Diptera: Tephritidae). Proboscis Extension Reflex (PER) was used to
measure the response of flies to a series of increasing concentrations of sucrose solution to
determine the lowest concentration eliciting proboscis extension - the individual sucrose
response threshold. The PER method was used to compare the sucrose responsiveness
between OA-treated and non-treated 10-day-old R. cerasi males and females. OA-treated flies
were fed with 0.026M OA in sucrose (50%) solution since eclosion. Non-treated flies were
fed with 50% sucrose solution without OA addition.
The OA-treated females displayed lower response threshold compared to OA-treated
males (P < 0.01). The OA-treated females also showed increased response to sucrose
stimulation compared to the non-treated females, however, in our pilot study, this result did
not reach statistical significance (P = 0.1). Our results suggest for the first time that OA may
be implicated in modulation of sucrose responsiveness of the European cherry fruit fly and
regulation of its feeding behaviour. However, the question whether OA action is indeed sexdependent, requires further examination.
55
WORKSHOP I
Implications of biodiversity
in genetically modified plants
and
Participatory training on the risk
assessment of the GM trees
56
ASSESSING THE EFFECTS OF GM CROPS ON BIODIVERSITY- 15
YEARS OF BT MAIZE FIELD TESTS IN SPAIN
RAMON ALBAJES*, AGNÈS ARDANUY, MARINA LEE
Universitat de Lleida, Agrotecnio Center
Rovira Roure 191, E-25198 Lleida, Catalonia, Spain
* e-mail: ramon.albajes@irta.cat
Insect-resistance (mostly Bt crops) and tolerance to broad spectrum herbicides (HT crops)
are the two most widely used transgenic traits in GM crops. Effects of Bt crops on target and
non-target arthropods and of Ht crops on weeds may affect biodiversity and ecological
services provided (including biological control) by non-target organisms in agricultural and
neighborhood non-agricultural habitats. Since GM Bt maize was first cultivated in Spain in
1998 to the more of 120,000 ha sown in 2013, a certain number of field trials with Bt and
herbicide-tolerant traits (several single and stacked genes) have been conducted. On the base
of experience of conducting 20 field trials in that period, several aspects of the trial design
and analysis are discussed in the light of cost reduction and statistical power increase: split
plot design (repeated measure analysis) vs. randomized block design, number of replications,
replication in space and time, indicator species, plot size1. Beyond risks of GM crop
cultivation for biodiversity, it has been argued that some environmental benefits may derive
from the deployment of these kinds of varieties; on one hand, pesticides have shown a major
impact on non-target arthropods than GM crops in most of the field trials conducted in
Europe; on the other hand, the higher flexibility to time herbicide sprayings in HT crops
opens the possibility to manage herbicides with both efficacy and environmental criteria. All
these considerations have to be taken into account when designing trials for the evaluation of
GM trees.
1(i) Albajes et al. 2011. Biological Control 59:30-36; (ii) Bigler & Albajes 2011. Journal
für Verbraucherschutz und Lebensmittelsicherheit 6 (Suppl 1):S79–S84; (iii) Albajes et al.
2013. Bulletin of Entomological Research 103: 724–733. (iv) Comas et al. 2013a. J.
Economic Entomology 106(4): 1659-1668. (v) Comas et al. 2013b. Transgenic Research DOI
10.1007/s11248-013-9737-0.
57
NON-TARGET RISK ASSESSMENT APPROACHES FOR GM CROPS –
ARE THEY APPLICABLE FOR GM TREES
JÖRG ROMEIS*, MICHAEL MEISSLE
Agroscope, Institute for Sustainability Sciences ISS
Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046 Zurich, Switzerland
* e-mail: joerg.romeis@agroscope.admin.ch
One concern associated with the growing of genetically modified (GM) plants is their
adverse impact on organisms that are not the target of the GM trait. Arthropods in particular
form a major part of the biodiversity. Many arthropods are valued because they provide
important ecosystem services including regulatory and cultural services. Therefore potential
impacts of GM plants on valued non-target arthropods (NTAs) are addressed in the
environmental risk assessment (ERA).
In the problem formulation phase, conceptual models are formulated that delineate how
the cultivation of a GM crop could cause harm to valued NTAs. This allows to develop risk
hypotheses that are then tested in the analytical phase of the risk assessment. The ERA
follows a comparative approach, i.e. it focuses on those characteristics of the GM crop that
differ from the non-transformed counterpart with a history of safe use. One example is a Bttransgenic crop that is resistant to one or several target insect pests by producing insecticidal
Cry proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis. A common risk hypothesis is that the Cry protein
does not reduce the abundance or functions of NTAs under field conditions. This hypothesis
is typically tested within a tiered framework that moves from laboratory tests to more
complex (higher-tier) experiments that evaluate the risks under more realistic exposure
conditions, including field studies. Laboratory studies are particularly powerful to test the risk
hypothesis because they are conducted under controlled worst-case exposure conditions using
test species that are available and amenable to testing and have a high ability to detect
potential hazards.
This well established ERA framework will be presented and its applicability to the NTA
risk assessment for GM trees will be discussed.
58
ECONOMY LESSON FROM GENETICALLY MODIFIED PLANTS
STANISŁAW KARPIŃSKI
Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Department of Genetics, Breeding and Plant Biotechnology,
Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warszawa, Poland
e-mail: stanislaw_karpinski@sggw.pl
Almost all of the modern infrastructure of our civilization relies on fossil fuels for energy.
Despite clear evidence that the combustion of fossil fuels over the 20th and the beginning of
21st century has led to significant increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide that is altering the
global environment, there has been little collective political will to alter the energy sources of
the largest industrial societies. This economic positive feedback is further exacerbated by the
abundance of large quantities of fossil fuels, especially coal and natural gas, remaining in
known reservoirs. To alter this trajectory in the 21st century, concerted investment in
alternative, clean energy technologies must be made both by governments and private
industries. In this lecture, I will discuss potential of plant and photosynthesis biotechnologies,
and I will present lesson of economy from the Plant Kingdome for encouraging investment by
government and private industries.
59
CAN GENETICALLY MODIFIED TREES AFFECT AQUATIC
ECOSYSTEMS - OR OTHER ASSOCIATED ENVIRONMENTS?
PETTER AXELSSON
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Forest Ecology and Management
Umeå, Sweden
e-mail: petter.axelsson@slu.se
Natural eco-evolutionary processes such as mutation, hybridization, and drift and
dispersal have continuously led to the appearance of novel gene combinations in new area of
colonization. The influence of such gene combinations may expand beyond the population to
affect whole ecosystems including communities and ecosystem processes. As such the
emergence of our ability to genetically modify organisms for specific purposes has led to an
acute need to be able to predict the effects of novel genes varieties on the wider environment
(communities and ecosystem processes).
Here I present examples from the literature how genes may influence various ecosystems
and processes. Also, examples from my own research show that insect resistant GM trees
along with the intended effects also can have unintended effects on aquatic stream
environments. The predictability and mechanistic understanding of such effects is crucial but
a review of the effects of genetically modified trees on the wider environment is inconclusive.
I conclude that genes, whether they are expressed in the natural variability seen in nature
or as novel gene combinations introduced by genetic modification have a clear potential to
affect ecosystems in which it is introduced. A challenge in future risk assessments of the
effects of GM trees will be to understand the underlying mechanisms, address generalities and
predict when, where and why such effects occur.
60
ENVIRONMENTAL RISK ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING OF GM
TREES
JEREMY SWEET
Sweet Environmental Consultants,
6 The Green, Cambridge CB24 5JA, UK
e-mail: jeremysweet303@aol.com
Forest and fruit trees are the focus of advanced breeding strategies and currently
approximately 40 different tree types have been genetically modified and studied in field scale
releases. The majority of these GM trees are species of economic interest used in managed
forest and fruit plantations. The genetic modification has focused on traits related to herbicide
tolerance, wood composition (e.g. lignin), growth rates and phenology (including flowering
and fruiting), resistance to pests and diseases, and abiotic stress tolerance (e.g. temperature,
drought). GM apples (e.g. Arctic apples), papaya and various Prunus spp (e.g. virus
resistance) form the majority of fruit trees studied and GM papaya with virus resistance are in
commercial cultivation in a few countries. GM poplars, eucalypts and pines are the most
widely studied forest trees to date. Poplars with insect resistance are “commercially” planted
in China where they are used for environmental improvement as well as timber/biomass
production. Small and large scale experimental releases and field trials have occurred in
several EU and other countries and risk assessments of these GM trees can be found on-line
from a number of sources.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has developed guidance documents for the
risk assessment of GM plants and these have mostly been applied to crop and non-woody
plants. Trees have some different characteristics which need to be considered in risk
assessments, including long life cycles, wild compatible conspecifics and a wide range of
ecological functions and associations. Numerous pest and beneficial biota interact with trees
and trees support a diversity of species of plants (eg epiphytes and pathogens) and animals.
Trees also provide important soil ecosystem services and impact soil biodegradation, nutrient
cycling, structure, stability, and moisture content. The characteristics that need to be
considered when risk assessing GM trees and some of the methods for doing this are
discussed.
61
THE AMIGA EU - PROJECT ON THE BIOSAFETY OF GM PLANTS
SALVATORE ARPAIA*1, ANTOINE MESSEAN2
ENEA – Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic
Development. S.S. 106 Jonica km 419.5, Rotondella (MT), Italy
2
INRA, Unité Eco-Innov, Avenue Lucien Bretignières, 78850 Thiverval-Grignon, France
1
* e-mail: salvatore.arpaia@enea.it
The possible environmental impacts of genetically modified (GM) crops are still
a controversial issue in Europe. Their risk assessment framework was recently reinforced by
the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) that issued a specific Guidance Document in
2010. Its implementation requires harmonized and efficient methodologies in support of
environmental risk assessment (ERA). The EU-funded research project AMIGA (Assessing
and Monitoring Impacts of Genetically modified plants on Agro-ecosystems) aims at meeting
this challenge by providing a framework to set up protection goals and baselines for European
agro-ecosystems, improving knowledge on potential long term effects of GM plants, testing
the efficacy of the EFSA Guidance Document for the ERA, exploring new strategies for post
market monitoring, and providing a systematic analysis of economic aspects of GM crops
cultivation in the EU. The AMIGA project aims to: i) reduce uncertainty in decision-making
for the cultivation of GMPs in Europe by developing and verifying robust Environmental
Risk Assessment methods based on testable hypotheses that seek to aid the decision making
process; ii) increase confidence in the practicability of EFSA Guidance Documents for
Environmental Risk Assessment; and iii) contribute to the development of more effective
PMEM designs and risk mitigation procedures. Research focuses on ecological studies in five
different EU regions; the sustainability of GM crops is estimated by analysing the functional
components of the agro-ecosystems and specific experimental protocols are being developed
for this scope. Maize and potato were chosen as model crops, but the overall results will be
discussed in consideration of the possible transferability to other crop/trait combinations.
AMIGA started in December 2011 and will finish in November 2015. An update on the
current status of activities will be given during the presentation.
62
EXPERIENCE OF COST ACTION FP0905 IN BIOSAFETY OF FOREST
TRANSGENIC TREES
CRISTINA VETTORI1*, GILLES PILATE2, HELY HÄGGMAN3, FERNANDO
GALLARDO4, LUCIA IONITA5, MARJA RUOHONEN-LEHTO6, BOET GLANDORF7,
ANTOINE HARFOUCHE8, STEFANO BIRICOLTI.9, DONATELLA PAFFETTI9,
VASSILIKI KAZANA10, MIRJANA SIJACIC-NIKOLIC11, LAMBROS
TSOURGIANNIS12, FABIO MIGLIACCI13, FRANCESCA DONNARUMMA1, KLAUS
MINOL14, MATTHIAS FLADUNG15
1
Institute of Bioscience and BioResources, Division of Florence, CNR, Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy;
INRA, UR0588 Amélioration, Génétique, et Physiologie Forestières, Orléans, France; 3Department
of Biology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; 4Universidad de Málaga Departamento de Biología
Molecular y Bioquímica, Facultad de Ciencias e Instituto Andaluz de Biotecnología, Spain; 5Forest
Research and Management Institute, Bucarest, Romania; 6The Finnish Environment Institute,
Mechelininkatu 34a, FI-00260 Helsinki, Finland; 7RIVM/SEC/GMO Office, PO Box 1, 3720 BA
Bilthoven, The Netherlands; 8Dipartimento per l’Innovazione nei sistemi Biologici, Agroalimentari e
Forestali (DIBAF), Università della Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy; 9Dipartimento di Scienze delle Produzioni
Agroalimentari e dell'Ambiente (DISPAA), University of Florence, Firenze, Italy; 10Department of
Forestry & Natural Environment Management, Drama, Greece; 11Faculty of Forestry, University of
Belgrade, Serbia: 12Region of Eastern Macedonia-Thrace, Greece; 13Organo Metallic Chemistry
Compound Institute, CNR, Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy; 14Genius GmbH, Robert-Bosch-Str. 7, 64293
Darmstadt, Germany; 15Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute (vTI), Institute for Forest Genetics,
Grosshansdorf, Germany
2
* e-mail: cristina.vettori@cnr.it
The European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Action FP0905 is aimed
at evaluating the scientific knowledge of genetically modified trees (GMT) related to
biosafety protocols and coordinating existing and new information from various European
countries. This will help to provide a basis for future EU policy and regulation
recommendations regarding the use of GM forest trees. A large, but diverse, body of
knowledge on the environmental effects and biosafety issues of transgenic trees and other
transgenic organisms has been acquired in many countries over approximately the past 25
years. Because of the potential unification of European states, there is now an urgent need to
compile, collate, and analyse this scattered knowledge in order to create a unique platform of
knowledge particular to the European environment. The Action started the 12th of April 2010
and it will end the 11th of April 2014. Actually, 27 COST countries (Austria, Belgium,
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland,
France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal,
Romania, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Former Yugoslav Republic
of Macedonia, and United Kingdom) have signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
63
Seven NON-COST countries (Albania, Australia, Canada, China, New Zealand, South Africa,
USA) are participating to the Action.
The main objective of the COST Action is to evaluate and substantiate the scientific
knowledge relevant for GMT biosafety protocols by putting together already existing
information generated in various European and Non-EU countries as basis for future EU
policy and regulation for the environmental impact assessment and the safe development and
practical use of GMTs.
The Action work plan is organized in 4 Working Groups (WGs) focuses on: i) the
biological characterization of GMTs aiming to evaluate existing knowledge including the
experience from expert scientists in the field of forest GMTs (WG1), ii) the assessment of
possible environmental impacts and monitoring of GMTs in the whole production chain from
plantation to final products (WG2); iii) the socio-economic implications and public
acceptance and concerns of potential use of GM forest trees and R&D investments in the
framework of Cost-Benefit Analysis (WG3) and iv) increasing public awareness and
understanding of GM forest plantations by providing science-based information through
management of the www.cost-action-fp0905.eu dynamic website (WG4).
WG1 has launched the building of a database that gather the current knowledge on field
trials and greenhouse experiments with transgenic trees. The knowledge gained will
ultimately be used to guide the safe use and management of GMTs in forest tree plantations
and to protect forest ecosystems. To support this goal, WG2 is launching and moving through
expert-based surveys to: 1) evaluate the environmental impacts of the GMTs already
developed and 2) assess the efficiency of existing transgene containment strategies 3)
investigate effective pre- and post-market monitoring techniques. The expected outcome from
WG1 is to develop a clear factual overview of the status of GMTs in European and nonEuropean countries in order to provide sound scientific data for risk assessment to be further
evaluated and monitored in WG2. In addition, it is very important to understand the kind of
policies needed to meet the concerns of the society in relation to the possible use of GM trees
which are widely spread in many of the Europe countries.
Therefore, two types of surveys are being conducted worldwide by WG3: one to define a
set of environmental and socio-economic indicators to be included in Cost-Benefit Analyses,
and a Knowledge Attitude Perception (KAP) survey to explore public attitude towards
adoption of transgenic forest trees. The cross- country results of the KAP surveys are
expected to provide policy support to the European Commission with regards to public
acceptance of transgenic forest trees and their potential conflicts of values.
64
On the other hand, through WG4, accurate and science-based information is being
communicated through our website to help educate the general public on technical, socioeconomic and environmental aspects of GM forest trees. In addition, the website provides an
open discussion forum on transgenic forest biotechnology and biosafety, as well as on the
potential impact of transgenic tree plantations on the current established forestry practices.
WG1 has provided a list of the principal biological characters of existing and potential
GMTs in EU and non-EU countries and the WG4 has established the GMT database with the
main information on forest GMTs. It will be free available to the scientific community and
Europe organisations at the end of the COST Action.
The EU COST Action FP0905 is expected to generate important benefits as it also
foresees a strong collaboration among R&D bodies and legislative directives. This will be
fundamental, to address policy-making efforts and to allow the scientific community to
discuss to public concerns in a responsible way, particularly concerning socio-economic
implications and biosafety issues of transgenic tree plantations.
65
GENETICALLY MODIFIED PLANTS AND THEIR EFFECT ON
BIODIVERSITY - THE GERMAN EXPERIENCE
DETLEF BARTSCH
Federal Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL)
Mauerstrasse 39-42, D-10117 Berlin, Germany
e-mail: Detlef.Bartsch@bvl.bund.de
The notification of GMOs for the experimental release into the environment as well as for
the commercial placing on the market of GMOs is subject to an assessment and approval
process. BVL cooperates like other national authorities with the European Food Safety
Authority (EFSA) for enabling science-based risk assessments. First, a comparative safety
assessment identifies potential similarities and differences between the GM plant and its
appropriate comparator. The comparative safety assessment is based on ‘four data pillars’,
which represent data from different sources that are frequently available in advance of the
Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) to characterize the GM plant, namely: molecular
characterization data; compositional data; information on agronomic and phenotypic
characteristics; and information on interactions of the GM plant with its receiving
environment(s). Second, the outcome of this comparative safety assessment allows the
identification of those differences and hence characteristics that need to be assessed for their
biological/ecological relevance in terms of adverse effects to the environment, regardless of
whether they were intended or unintended, and will thus further structure the ERA. Third,
various steps in the risk assessment process are applied in the following areas of concern: (1)
persistence and invasiveness of the GM plant itself or of its sexually compatible relatives,
including plant-to-plant gene transfer; (2) plant-to-microorganism gene transfer; (3)
interactions of the GM plant with target organisms; (4) interactions of the GM plant with nontarget organisms, including criteria for the selection of appropriate and representative nontarget species and ecological functional groups; (5) impact of the specific cultivation,
management, and harvesting techniques, including considerations of the production systems
and the receiving environment(s); (6) effects on biogeochemical processes; and (7) effects on
human and animal health. The workshop will include exercises on how GM tree
characteristics are considered.
66
WORKSHOP II
On-farm behaviour
of Rhagoletis cerasi
and Drosophila suzukii
and its modelling for enhancement
of IPM
67
OCCURRENCE OF DROSOPHILA SUZUKII IN GERMANY AND
RECENT FINDINGS
HEIDRUN VOGT*1, FELIX BRIEM1 & KIRSTEN KÖPPLER2
Julius Kühn-Institut, Institute for Plant Protection in Fruit Crops and Viticulture, Schwabenheimer
Str. 101, 69221 Dossenheim, Germany.
2
Center for Agricultural Technology Augustenberg (LTZ), Nesslerstr. 23-31, 76227 Karlsruhe,
Germany
1
* e-mail: Heidrun.Vogt@jki.bund.de
Since the first record of Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD), Drosophila suzukii, in
Germany in 2011, the pest has rapidly spread throughout the country and is meanwhile found
in most federal states. In 2013, the monitoring program revealed an immense increase in
dispersal and numbers of SWD, especially in the upper Rhine valley. Whereas only single
individuals were caught during winter until early summer, numbers increased steadily from
August onward and peaked in September and October in fruit crops like blackberries
(cultivated and wild) and late raspberries. With regard to post-harvest phenology, high trap
captures of several hundred to several thousand SWD per week were recorded from October
to winter months in harvested crops (cherries, apples, vineyards close to forests) as well as in
alternative habitats (wild blackberries, hedges, forest borders, forests). This seems to be
indicative for spatial shifts to suitable overwintering sites. The high number of individuals at
this period, continuous captures in January/February 2014, available nutrition resources and
the mild winter temperatures may result in high survival rates and could aggravate the
situation in 2014 with infestation of early crops. We will report about our investigations to
elucidate overwintering sites and potential food resources.
Most infested fruit crops were blackberries and raspberries with up to 14 larvae per fruit.
Infestation was also reported from late blueberries, late plums and tart cherries, for the latter
mainly in fruits left on the trees after harvest. Control measures tested in Germany in 2013,
i.e. mass trapping, bait treatment, insecticide/s or a combination thereof, did not result in a
sustainable control. Our case studies in raspberries and blackberries will be presented.
In order to improve the efficacy of traps for monitoring and potentially for mass trapping
we tested trap types (big and small cup traps, with and without visual cues, i.e. black stripes)
and bait mixtures, using apple cider vinegar, red wine, ethanol, cherry juice and a commercial
mixture (RIGA company, Switzerland). Results will be presented.
68
OLFACTORY CORRELATES OF DROSOPHILA SUZUKII’S SHIFT
FROM ROTTEN TO RIPE
TEUN DEKKER
Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Växtskyddsvägen 3, 230 53, Sweden
e-mail: teun.dekker@slu.se
Drosophila suzukii, a multibillion dollars pest in soft fruit in the EU and US, (Anfora et al.
2012) occupies a unique niche. A morphological adaptation of its ovipositor permits
penetration of and oviposition in undamaged fruit, unlike other Drosophila species (RotaStabelli et al. 2012). How its ‘taste’ for intact fruit has affected its olfactory circuit is
unknown. We therefore engaged in a full mapping of the olfactory circuitry of this pest and its
sibling species. A detailed knowledge of the layout of the olfactory circuitry, particularly its
shifts compared to rotten-fruit breeding species, is of great value in the rational development
of baits for monitoring and control, as well as for our basic understanding of olfactory coding
in insects. In this presentation I will outline some of the major olfactory shifts and its
consequences in behavior that have paralleled the shift to ripe fruit in D. suzukii.
69
THE BIOLOGY, ECOLOGY AND CURRENT STATUS
OF INTEGRATED CONTROL OF RHAGOLETIS CERASI IN TURKEY
ORKUN B. KOVANCI
Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Uludag University,
Gorukle Campus, Bursa 16059, Turkey
e-mail: baris@uludag.edu.tr
Owing to its favourable climate and geography, Turkey is one of the world’s leading
producers of sweet (Prunus avium L.) and sour cherries (Prunus cerasus L.). However, cherry
production is not problem-free. The European cherry fruit fly Rhagoletis cerasi (L.) is the
most serious pest of sweet cherries in Turkey as in other parts of temperate Asia and Europe.
Female flies cause oviposition damage by laying their eggs in the ripening sweet and sour
cherries, but the major damage is caused by larval feeding in the fruit pulp. Under high
population pressure, one cherry fruit may be infested with up to four larvae despite the release
of oviposition deterring pheromone by females. If left uncontrolled, the percentage of
damaged fruits on late ripening '0900 Ziraat' sweet cherry cultivar can reach up to 100%
(Kovanci and Kovanci 2000). Although Rebell type yellow sticky traps have proven to be
useful tools for monitoring flies, trap catches may be unreliable in detecting low populations.
In addition, adult emergence dates may vary from one location to another due to biotic (e.g.
host plant availability and quality) and abiotic factors such as soil type, temperature, rainfall
and altitude. Depending on these factors, adult flight activity may show unimodal or bimodal
peaks (Kovanci and Kovanci 2006a). Flight activity period may extend from mid-May to
early July at low altitude plains whereas delayed and prolonged emergence pattern is
prominent at high altitude mountains from mid-June to the mid-August, corresponding to at
least a one-month delay in harvest time. Based on the summation of air-temperatures above a
pupal developmental threshold of 7°C starting from 1 February, degree-day models may be
used as a complementary tool to trapping although these models still need to be validated
(Leski 1963; Kovanci and Kovanci 2006b). In the reduced-risk backyard orchards, soil
ploughing in the fall or spring to destroy the pupae is combined with a single insecticide
application against adults while five to six insecticide treatments are made in conventional
orchards. A tolerance limit of 0% infestation for export has forced growers into intensive
control programs using insecticides such as Azadirachtin, Spinosad bait and Thiacloprid. Of
these, the potential larvicidal and anti-ovipositional activities of Spinosad bait may offer
advantages in terms of timing of insecticide application and target life stage (Yee and Alston,
2006). Apart from chemical control, the presence of the Braconid parasitoid Psyttalia
70
(Psyttalia) concolor (Szepligeti) has been known for a long time in Turkey, but no biological
control attempt has been made so far (Fischer and Beyarslan 2013). Further studies are
required to determine the effects of the extended growing season due to global warming as
well as to investigate the variation in larval development depending on the sweet or sour
cherry cultivar on which the larvae feed. Sour cherries provide an alternative oviposition site
especially if sweet cherries are harvested or become highly infested. In this regard, the role of
genetically linked traits for host-plant preference in R. cerasi populations needs to be
evaluated.
References
Fischer, M. and Beyarslan, A. 2013. Additional contributions to the Opiinae fauna of Turkey.Turkish
Journal of Zoology, 37: 525-538.
Kovanci, O.B. and Kovanci, B. 2006a. Effect of altitude on seasonal flight activity of Rhagoletis
cerasi flies Diptera: Tephritidae. Bulletin of Entomological Research, 96: 345-351.
Kovanci, O.B., and Kovanci, B. 2006b. Reduced-risk management of Rhagoletis cerasi flies (host race
Prunus) in combination with a preliminary phenological model. Journal of Insect Science 6:34,
available online: insectscience.org6.34
Leski, R. 1963. Studies on the biology and ecology of the cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cerasi L. (Dipt.,
Trypetidae) (in Polish, English abstr.). Polskie Pismo Entomologiczne Seria B:153–240.
Yee, W.L., Alston, D.G. 2006. Effects of spinosad, spinosad bait, and chloronicotinyl insecticides on
mortality and control of adult and larval western cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis indifferens
(Diptera: Tephritidae). Journal of Economic Entomology 99:1722-1732.
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FLIGHT DYNAMICS OF THE EUROPEAN CHERRY FRUIT FLY
(RHAGOLETIS CERASI L.) IN THE AREA AROUND SKOPJE, R.
MACEDONIA, AND INFLUENCE OF SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF
THE CHERRY VARIETIES ON THE FRUIT INFESTATION
PERCENTAGE BY R. CERASI
KATERINA BANDJO
Institute of Agriculture-Skopje
ul. “16-ta Makedonska brigada” br. 3A, R. Macedonia
e-mail: kbandzo@yahoo.com
The aim of this study was to analyze the problem that the Cherry fruit fly (Rhagoletis
cerasi L.) causes as one of the most important pests in cherry orchards in the Republic of
Macedonia. The aim of this research was to determine the time of adult emergence during the
vegetation, dynamics and flight duration of the fly, the percentage of fruit infestation, as well
as to establish the existence of a correlation between the infestation of R. cerasi on the fruit
and some characteristics of the cherry varieties and to establish a correlation between the
cherry infestation and the adult abundance of the fly. The impact of the following variety
characteristics was examined: the time of ripening, the time of first fruit color change, the
duration of fruit ripening, the firmness of the fruits and the color of the fruit’s skin.
The results in this study were based on a two year analysis. The research was conducted
during the vegetation in 2008 and 2009 on the cherry collection field of the Agricultural
Institute near Skopje, Republic of Macedonia. The cherry field was not chemically treated
during the analysis, in order to obtain more accurate and more objective results. The
percentage of infestation by the cherry fruit fly was analyzed on 19 cherry varieties. From
these, 8 were early-ripening varieties, 6 were medium-ripening and 5 were late-ripening. The
analyzed varieties represent new and perspective varieties, which have shown to be adaptive
in our climate conditions and have satisfying fecundity and quality of the fruits.
The dynamics of the population of R. cerasi was tracked using yellow sticky traps set in
the beginning of every vegetation period. The yellow sticky traps were set randomly on 10
cherry trees.
The time of ripening, the time of first fruit color change and the color of the fruit’s skin
were determined by standard pomological methods, while the firmness of the fruit was
analyzed with a penetrometer.
The percentage of infestation by the Cherry fruit fly was examined when the fruits were
fully ripened. This inspection was made on 100 fruits of each analyzed variety.
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From the analysis following the two year study, it could be concluded that the flight of the
Cherry fruit fly in the area around Skopje started in the first half of May, depending on the
climate conditions, especially rainfall; and lasted during May, June and the first half of July.
Flight dynamics differed depending on the climate conditions.
We have found that the time of ripening, the time of first fruit color change and the
duration of fruit ripening had influence on the infestation percentage by the Cherry fruit fly,
while the firmness of the fruit and the color of the fruit’s skin did not have any influence.
We have concluded that there was a strong positive correlation for 2008 and medium
strong positive correlation for 2009 between the adult abundance of the Cherry fruit fly and
the percentage of infested cherry fruits.
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FROM INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOR TO POPULATION EFFECTS:
A STUDY ON FOPIUS ARISANUS
KATHARINA MERKEL*, THOMAS S. HOFFMEISTER
Population and Evolutionary Ecology Lab, University of Bremen
Institut für Ökologie, FB 2 , Universität Bremen, Leobener Str., D-28359 Bremen, Germany
*e-mail: katharina.merkel@googlemail.com
Studies on biological control often require information on the dynamics of populations.
The processes observed at the population level result from the interactions of beneficial
organisms with conspecifics and their host/prey that in turn drive the decisions of these
organisms in an optimal foraging context. Thus, we argue that the ultimate processes and
proximate behavioral mechanisms are essential ingredients to explain patterns in population
dynamics.
We studied the effect of a host refuge and intraspecific competition on the functional
response of Fopius arisanus, a potential candidate for the biological control of Bactrocera
invadens. The egg-pupal parasitoid F. arisanus attacks several tephritid fruit fly species
especially in the genus Bactrocera. These fruit flies are highly diverse in their host plant
spectrum and distribution. The success of F. arisanus in reducing populations of Bactrocera
spec. suggests that F. arisanus uses mechanisms that allow for varying behavioral responses in
order to optimize their foraging success. Here, we linked the behavioral mechanisms
employed by F. arisanus to the decision to leave a patch or stay on it, in order to explain the
observed parasitism patterns. The results suggest that F. arisanus uses different information
cues to adjust its patch residence time according to the experienced interference, host
distribution and host density.
We discuss how information on behavior and spatial distribution can contribute to the
evaluation of potential biological control agents.
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DORMANCY RESPONSES AND MANAGEMENT DECISIONS FOR
RHAGOLETIS CERASI
NIKOLAOS T. PAPADOPOULOS
University of Thessaly, Department of Agriculture, Crop Protection and Rural Environment,
Fytokou St. 38446, Volos, Greece
e-mail: nikopap@uth.gr
The European cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cerasi – a univoltine, stenophagous species,
exhibiting strong affinity with host plants – is a key pest of sweet and tart cherries in Europe.
It undergoes an obligatory, autumnal-hibernal diapause at the pupal stage that allows adults to
emerge next spring when local host fruits are available. Climatic conditions affect the
seasonal patterns of cherries phenology, such as booming period, fruit set and the ripening
season, and the flight period of R. cerasi. Geographical variation in diapause traits, such as
diapause intensity and post-diapause development, accounts for differences in adult
emergence patterns among R. cerasi populations across heterogeneous habitats. At the
population level, some individuals may fail to meet chilling requirements for diapause
termination during a particular winter period, and then follow an alternative strategy by
prolonging their life cycle for one or more years. Accordingly, the inter-annual variation in
local temperatures (and possibly that of other climatic factors) can also affect the emergence
time of R. cerasi flies. In recent years, we have demonstrated significant geographic
variation in diapause intensity and post diapause development among Greek and European
populations of R. cerasi. We have also determined the demographic traits of adults
obtained from geographically isolated populations and populations with gene flow.
Moreover, for the first time for any univoltine insect species, we have demonstrated that
R. cerasi pupae undergo a prolonged dormancy composed of two successive diapause
schedules, an obligate, genetically programmed one, and a following facultative one that
occurs when the chilling – winter period exceeds some population specific thresholds.
The current paper presents recent advances in dormancy response of R. cerasi populations
and discusses the development and application of management strategies that are based on
biological and ecological data.
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INFLUENCE OF GROWER AND CONSUMER PREFERENCES ON ONFARM BEHAVIOUR AND IPM OF RHAGOLETIS CERASI
SLAWOMIR A. LUX
Applied Ethology Team, Department of Applied Entomology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences
WULS-SGGW,
Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
e-mail: slawomir_lux@sggw.pl;
Intense global competition on quality fresh-produce markets, continuous growth in
labour and production costs – all force the fruit growers to adopt substantial modifications in
their production regimes. These include dramatic change in tree training practices to reduce
their height, canopy size and structure to allow easier manual harvest or even mechanical,
and better coverage by agrochemicals. Also, change in composition and phenology of
varieties to achieve uniform ripening, and permit staggered harvest covering extended
season. On the other side, the market is driven by consumer preferences for unblemished
fruit, appealingly coloured and of large size. All of the above substantially changes agroecological setting influences on-farm pest behaviour, reproduction and ecology, and
consequently, the pest management practices and their cost.
Experimental evaluation of al these factors is frequently impracticable, because of the
perennial nature of fruit production and thus long time and high costs required to establish an
orchard of a given structure and varietal composition, and difficulty to experimentally
manipulate this afterwards. Simulation models, which can reliably emulate pest behaviour
within diverse spatiotemporal farm settings, could serve as tool for pre-assessment of the
anticipated effects of such modifications in production practices.
The PESTonFARM model emulates behaviour of large cohorts of individual insects
within seasonally changing mosaics of farming landscape, under the challenge of IPM
actions. The model ‘encapsulates’ our knowledge and experiences about biology of the R.
cerasi, and can ‘take into account’ very large amounts of diverse behavioural and ecological
information, including info about the spatiotemporal farm structure, composition of host
varieties, their phenology etc.
Results of ‘virtual’ assessments of effects of recent trends in grower and consumer
preferences on pest behaviour and ecology, and its implications for the fruit growing practice
and IPM, were discussed.
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