Current Trends in Wheat Research

Current Trends in Wheat Research is an interdisciplinary book dealing with diverse topics related to recent developments in wheat research. It discusses the latest research activities in biotic and abiotic stress tolerance in wheat. The book contains chapters containing valuable information on wheat diseases, insect pests, drought stress as well as water use efficiency in wheat crops

Myco-Biocontrol of Insect Pests: Factors Involved, Mechanism, and Regulation

The growing demand for reducing chemical inputs in agriculture and increased resistance to insecticides have provided great impetus to the development of alternative forms of insect-pest control. Myco-biocontrol offers an attractive alternative to the use of chemical pesticides. Myco-biocontrol agents are naturally occurring organisms which are perceived as less damaging to the environment. Their mode of action appears little complex which makes it highly unlikely that resistance could be developed to a biopesticide. Past research has shown some promise of the use of fungi as a selective pesticide. The current paper updates us about the recent progress in the field of myco-biocontrol of insect pests and their possible mechanism of action to further enhance our understanding about the biological control of insect pests

Wheat Improvement

This open-access textbook provides a comprehensive, up-to-date guide for students and practitioners wishing to access in a single volume the key disciplines and principles of wheat breeding. Wheat is a cornerstone of food security: it is the most widely grown of any crop and provides 20% of all human calories and protein. The authorship of this book includes world class researchers and breeders whose expertise spans cutting-edge academic science all the way to impacts in farmers’ fields. The book’s themes and authors were selected to provide a didactic work that considers the background to wheat improvement, current mainstream breeding approaches, and translational research and avant garde technologies that enable new breakthroughs in science to impact productivity. While the volume provides an overview for professionals interested in wheat, many of the ideas and methods presented are equally relevant to small grain cereals and crop improvement in general. The book is affordable, and because it is open access, can be readily shared and translated -- in whole or in part -- to university classes, members of breeding teams (from directors to technicians), conference participants, extension agents and farmers. Given the challenges currently faced by academia, industry and national wheat programs to produce higher crop yields --- often with less inputs and under increasingly harsher climates -- this volume is a timely addition to their toolkit

Integrated nematode management

This book outlines the economic importance of specific plant parasitic nematode problems on the major food and industrial crops and presents the state-of-the-art management strategies that have been developed to reduce specific nematode impacts and outlines their limitations. Case studies to illustrate nematode impact in the field are presented and future changes in nematode disease pressure that might develop as a result of climate change and new cropping systems are discussed.illustrato

Developing Methods to Survey, Collect, Process, and Screen Endemic Entomopathogenic Fungi Against the Asian Citrus Psyllid in the Lower Rio Grande Valley

The Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae), vectors “Candidatus Liberibacter spp.”, the causative agent of Citrus Greening Disease. Managing ACP is imperative given the continuous increase in HLB positive trees. An aspect of integrated pest management (IPM) is the use of entomopathogenic fungi for the biological control of D. citri. In order to identify endemic entomopathogenic fungi actively infecting D. citri, ACP were collected from local residential areas, surface sterilized, and plated on a semi-selective agar medium. Collection of over 9,300 samples from 278 sites throughout the LRGV led to the positive identification of nine entomopathogenic fungi across several genera via phylogenetic analysis. Primary and secondary acquisition bioassays revealed that both field isolated strains performed atcomparable rates to Cordyceps (Isaria) fumosorosea Apopka97. In addition, thermal profiles for vegetative growth were determined. The findings revealed that the new isolates were capable of inducing mortality at rates greater than the standard, indicating that they may prove to be good candidates for the management of D. citri populations in the LRGV. Alternate abstract: El psílido asiático de los cítricos (ACP), Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae), vector de “Candidatus Liberibacter spp.”, el agente causante de la enfermedad del enverdecimiento de los cítricos. El manejo de el ACP es imperativo dado el aumento continuo de árboles positivos con HLB. Un aspecto del manejo integrado de plagas (MIP) es el uso de hongos entomopatógenos para el control biológico de D. citri. Para identificar hongos entomopatógenos endémicos que infectan activamente a D. citri, se recolectaron muestras de áreas residenciales locales, esterilizados en superficie y colocados en un medio semi-selectivo. La recolección de más de 9,300 muestras de 278 sitios en todo el LRGV condujo a resultados de identificación positivos de nueve hongos entomopatógenos en varios géneros mediante análisis filogenético. Los bioensayos de adquisición primaria y secundaria revelaron que ambas cepas aisladas de campo se realizaron en tasas comparables a Cordyceps (Isaria) fumosorosea Apopka97. Además, perfiles térmicos para el crecimiento vegetativo fueron determinados. Los hallazgos revelaron que los nuevos aislamientos eran capaces de inducir mortalidad a tasas mayores que el estándar, lo que indica que pueden ser buenos candidatos para el manejo de poblaciones de D. citri en el LRGV

Concept demonstrator for a decision support tool for agricultural applications

Industrial Engineerin

INDOOR PESTS AND HUMAN HEALTH: CHARACTERIZING CONTAMINANTS AND IMPROVING MITIGATION

Much of the United States population spends the majority of their time indoors and within the home. Not only are indoor arthropod pests an unsightly nuisance in our homes, but they can have serious impacts on human health, especially with chronic exposure. In addition to negative health impacts, costs associated with these medical impacts can be tremendous. For these reasons, it is critical to develop comprehensive strategies for pest reduction and mitigation of associated health impacts. The work outlined in this dissertation represent examination of the distribution of a hypothesized bed bug allergen within the indoor environment, identification of a known pan-allergen from bed bugs, and assessment of cockroach control products marketed to consumers in both lab and in-home trials. In the first chapter of this dissertation, histamine levels in household dust were quantified from multiple locations within bed bug-infested and uninfested apartments. Histamine is a component of the bed bug aggregation pheromone that was recently identified as an environmental contaminant in homes with active bed bug infestations, posing a potential health risk to humans via skin contact or inhalation. In this study, the highest concentration of histamine was quantified from bedding material, followed by the wall behind the bed and the bedroom floor perimeter, which suggests that the bedroom should be the primary focus of bed bug histamine mitigation efforts. Furthermore, the quantification of histamine from homes without active bed bug infestations suggests that histamine from previous infestations can persist following pest eradication. These findings highlight the importance of histamine as a potential allergen and are central to the development of targeted mitigation strategies of bed bug histamine. The second chapter identifies tropomyosin from bed bugs. Allergenic tropomyosin has been identified from forty invertebrate taxa, resulting in cross-reactivity between tropomyosin allergens and establishing tropomyosin as a panallergen. Tropomyosin was detected in bed bug cadavers that were mechanically fragmented and was detectable in bed bugs cadavers aged for 18 months. Additionally, a survey of pest management professionals showed a majority of survey respondents do not clean up or remove dead bed bugs, which may leave tropomyosin reservoirs in the home following bed bug treatment. Given the large population sizes bed bug infestations can reach and their close proximity to humans, the identification of bed bug-produced tropomyosin in this research provides a critical baseline for future evaluation of sensitization and cross-reactivity risk to humans. The third chapter of this dissertation evaluates the efficacy of consumer-grade liquid and aerosol spray insecticides against German cockroaches in laboratory assays and the fourth chapter evaluates insecticide gel bait efficacy against German cockroaches in laboratory assays as well as an in-home field study. These consumer-grade insecticide products are often turned to by residents who do not have access professional pest control services. These studies demonstrate the lack of efficacy of these products against field populations of German cockroaches and under field conditions. For those living with cockroach infestations, this lack of available and effective tools for cockroach control perpetuates negative health impacts and decreased quality of life

Plant Parasitic Nematodes

Plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) are economically important pests for numerous agriculture and forestry crops, representing a significant constraint on global food security and forestry health. Root knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.), potato cyst nematodes (Globodera spp.), and root lesion nematodes (Pratylenchus spp.) are some examples of PPNs that are ranked at the top in the list of the most economically and scientifically important species. Current approaches to controlling these PPNs include the use of nematicides, but many pose serious concerns for human health and the environment. To cope with such threats, accurate diagnostic methods for nematode detection and a deep understanding of nematode infection processes, as well as of their intricate relationships with the host plants, are crucial for the development of effective integrated nematode management programs. This Special Issue entitled “Pant Parasitic Nematodes” is a collection of 11 original papers that cover a wide range of topics, including the state of the art of important PPN, and the detection and management of PPNs through sustainable and eco-friendly strategies

13th Annual Focus on Creative Inquiry Poster Forum Program

The Focus on Creative Inquiry (FoCI) Poster Forum is an annual event in which CI teams can present their research and project accomplishments through poster and interactive displays. FoCI is a celebration of student and mentor collaboration and accomplishments! FoCI is a great venue for students to develop and hone their communication skills