Diversity of Bacillus thuringiensis cry genes in soils of Andhra Pradesh, India

471-480A total of 61 bacterial strains was isolated in soils from Chittoor and Kadapa districts of Andhra Pradesh, India using sodium acetate selection method and preliminarily identified as Bacillus thuringiensis based on Gram's staining, endospore staining and crystal protein study. These strains were tested against the insect, Spodoptera litura under laboratory conditions and found 18 strains with ≥ 50% insect mortality. Further, these eighteen strains were analyzed for the insecticidal crystal protein composition with fourteen cry specific primers. The results indicated that, among all 14 cry genes, cry1I was the observed in 11 strains, followed by cry1Aa in 10 strains. At the same time a strain, F493 collected from Talakona area identified an effective against S. litura with 100 per cent larval death and which was also identified with 8 different crystal protein encoding genes (cry1Aa, cry1Ac, cry1Fa1, cry1I, cry2, cry2A(a)1, cry8, cry9Ca1)

The Insecticidal Bacterial Toxins in Modern Agriculture

Increased awareness about environmental adverse effects of human activities has prompted the use of insecticides with low impact on systems associated to agriculture. Currently, the most successful biological products are based on protein toxins from the bacterial species Bacillus thuringiensis. Because of the remarkable properties of these proteins, their encoding genes were introduced into farming species (the so called Bt-crops), in such a way, that these plants are self-protected against some key insect pests. Despite the fact that a relatively large number of these toxins, with different toxicity ranges, have been described, it is still important to find new resources with novel capabilities to complement, or to replace in the future, the currently used ones. On another hand, it is important to continue studying their mode action in susceptible insects, and the changes occurred in resistant ones, to determine the most effective strategy for long lasting pest control. The focus of this Special Issue of Toxins is to provide updated information on the use of B. thuringiensis and their toxins on different field crops, the interactions of these toxins with other molecules, analyze the biochemical and molecular basis of emerging cases of resistance and, in general, to provide information which can contribute to an effective pest management with these toxins

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The assessment report of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services on pollinators, pollination and food production

The thematic assessment of pollinators, pollination and food production carried out under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services aims to assess animal pollination as a regulating ecosystem service underpinning food production in the context of its contribution to nature’s gifts to people and supporting a good quality of life. To achieve this, it focuses on the role of native and managed pollinators, the status and trends of pollinators and pollinator-plant networks and pollination, drivers of change, impacts on human well-being, food production in response to pollination declines and deficits and the effectiveness of responses