Mixed cropping systems for biological control of weeds and pests in organic oilseed crops

Agricultural advantages of mixed cropping are gained by biological effects like light competition, offering weed-suppressing capacities or by diversification of plant covers to break development cycles of pests. In a two-year project on mixed cropping with organic oilseed crops these effects were measured. It was found that weeds can be efficiently suppressed in organic linseed (Linum usitatissivum) in crop combinations with wheat (Triticum aestivum) or false flax (Camelina sativa). But linseed development was strictly limited. Also in organic pea production (Pisum sativum) the introduction of mixtures with the oil crop false flax led to a significant decrease of weed population. Either culture showed a balanced plant development. In winter rape (Brassica napus) hints were found that infestation by insect pests can be directly reduced in mixtures with cereals or legumes and that parasitoids of insect pests are supported

Mixed cropping systems for control of weeds and pests in organic oilseed crops

Agricultural advantages of mixed cropping are gained from biological effects like light competition offering weed-suppressing capacities, or by diversification of plant covers to break development cycles of pests. These effects were measured in a two-year project on mixed cropping with organic oilseed crops. It was found that weeds can be efficiently suppressed in organic linseed (Linum usitatissivum) grown in combination with wheat (Triticum aestivum) or false flax (Camelina sativa). Linseed growth was, however, impaired. In organic pea production (Pisum sativum) also, growing the crop as a mixture with false flax led to a significant decrease of weed population. Either culture showed a balanced plant development. In winter rape (Brassica napus) there were suggestions that infestation by insect pests can be directly reduced in mixtures with cereals or legumes and that parasitoids of insect pests are supported

Einsatz bioanalytischer Systeme bei der industriellen Produktion von Pharmaaminosäuren

Aminosäuren finden in den verschiedensten Bereichen vielfältigen Einsatz. Hauptanwendungsgebiete sind die Nahrungsmittel- (50%), Futtermittel (30%)- und pharmazeutische (20%) Industrie. In der pharmazeutischen Industrie werden Aminosäuren höchster Reinheit benötigt. Ein sehr wichtiges Beispiel ist die Verwendung für prä- oder postoperative parenterale Ernährung. In der Kosmetikindustrie dienen Aminosäuren als Ausgangssubstanzen für die Herstellung hochwertiger Hautcremes. Für die Gewinnung von Aminosäuren stehen diverse großtechnische Verfahren zur Verfügung: die Extraktion aus nachwachsenden Rohstoffen, die fermentative Gewinnung, die chemische Synthese und die Biotransformation. Über diese Verfahren wird eine geschätzte Jahresproduktion von weltweit ca. 3. Mrd. Tonnen hergestellt. Bei der AMINO GmbH werden Aminosäuren für den pharmazeutischen Markt aus nachwachsenden Rohstoffen wie Zuckerrübenmelasse über chromatographische Verfahren und Biotransformationen (enzymatische Katalyse) gewonnen. Hierbei ist eine On-line-Prozesskontrolle unabdingbar. Durch die optimierte Kontrolle und Führung des Bioprozesses können Ressourcen eingespart werden. Daraus ergeben sich direkt Umweltentlastungen und Kostenersparnisse. Mit den bisher erzielten Ergebnissen kann eine 20% höhere Produktkonzentration erreicht werden. Dieses entspricht – gerechnet auf die nachfolgenden Aufarbeitungsschritte – einer Ersparnis von 200 bis 300 t Dampf pro Jahr (20% der Produkt spezifischen Energiekosten). Ebenfalls einsparen lassen sich bis zu 2000 m3 Abwasser (entsprechend 0,4 t COD) pro Jahr. Letztendlich ist es das Ziel mit Hilfe der bioanalytischen Verfahren pro Jahr 3,5 t Serin und 0,5 t Indol durch eine 30% höhere Produktausbeute einsparen zu können. Es zeigt sich somit, dass der Einsatz moderner bioanalytischer Verfahren wie der 2-D-Fluoreszenzspektroskopie durchaus zu einer Verbesserung der ökonomischen als auch der ökologischen Faktoren eines industriellen Prozesses führen kann

Arable Weeds and Management in Europe

“Arable Weeds and Management in Europe” is a collection of weed vegetation records from arable fields in Europe, initiated within the Working Group Weeds and Biodiversity of the European Weed Research Society (EWRS). Vegetation-plot data from this scientific community was not previously contributed to databases. We aim to prove the usefulness of collection for large scale studies through some first analyses. We hope to assure other weed scientists who have signalled willingness to share data, and plan to construct a full data base, making the data available for easy sharing. Presently, the collection has over 60,000 records, taken between 1996 and 2015. Many more studies for potential inclusion exist. Data originate mostly from studies exploring the effect of agricultural management on weed vegetation. The database is accompanied with extensive meta-data on crop and weed management on the surveyed fields. The criteria for inclusion were a minimum amount of information on the cultivated crop, and a georeference. Most fields were surveyed repeatedly, i.e. transects, multiple random plots, or repeated visits. All surveys aimed to record the complete vegetation on the plots. Sometimes, taxa were identified only to genus level, due to survey dates very early in the vegetation period. Plant taxonomy is standardized to the Euro+Med PlantBase

The utility of the “Arable Weeds and Management in Europe” database: Challenges and opportunities of combining weed survey data at a European scale

Over the last 30 years many studies have surveyed weed vegetation on arable land. The “Arable Weeds and Management in Europe” (AWME) database is a collection of 36 of these surveys and the associated management data. Here we review the challenges associated with combining disparate datasets and explore some of the opportunities for future research that present themselves thanks to the advent of the AWME database. We present three case studies repeating previously published national scale analyses with data from a larger spatial extent. We demonstrate that i) the standardisation of abundance data to a common measure, prior to the analysis of the combined dataset, has little impact on the outcome of the analyses, ii) the increased length of environmental or management gradients allows for greater confidence in conclusions, iii) the main conclusions of analyses done at different spatial extents remain consistent. These case studies demonstrate the utility of a Europe-wide weed survey database, for clarifying or extending results obtained from studies at smaller scales. This Europe-wide data collection offers many more opportunities for analysis that could not be addressed in smaller datasets; including questions about the effects of climate change, macro-ecological and biogeographical issues related to weed diversity as well as the dominance or rarity of specific weeds in Europe

Semiochemical-based alternatives to synthetic toxicant insecticides for pollen beetle management

There is an urgent need to develop sustainable pest management systems to protect arable crops in order to replace the current over-reliance on synthetic insecticides. Semiochemicals are insect- or plant-derived chemicals that are used by organisms as information signals. Integrated pest management tools are currently in development that utilise semiochemicals to manipulate the behaviour of pest insects and their natural enemies to provide effective control of pests within the crop. These innovative tools usually require fewer inputs and can involve multiple elements therefore reducing the likelihood of resistance developing compared with use of synthetic toxicants. We review here the life cycle of the pollen beetle Brassicogethes aeneus (previously known as Meligethes aeneus) which is a pest insect of oilseed rape (Brassica napus) and describe the current knowledge of any behaviour mediated by semiochemicals in this species. We discuss the behavioural processes where semiochemical-based control approaches may be appropriate and consider how these approaches could be integrated into an integrated pest management strategy for this important arable crop