Wildtype and recombinant baculoviruses for management of insect pests

Wildtype and recombinant baculoviruses have potential for managing many serious agricultural pests. The black cutworm, Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel), is a serious pest of many crops worldwide. We have characterized a new baculovirus, the Agrotis ipsilon multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (AgipMNPV), that was isolated from A. ipsilon. Restriction enzyme analysis showed AgipMNPV to be distinct from previously described nucleopolyhedroviruses, while electron micrographs of AgipMNPV polyhedra showed that virions contained multiple nucleocapsids. AgipMNPV was highly active against A. ipsilon. Four of seven other noctuid species tested, were also susceptible to infection by AgipMNPV. Studies were performed to assess the potential of AgipMNPV and a viral enhancing agent M2R, for suppression of A. ipsilon. AgipMNPV was highly active against third-instar A. ipsilon. The optical brightener MZR significantly reduced LD50 estimates by 160-fold, but had no direct effect on survival time estimates. In greenhouse and field trials, AgipMNPV significantly reduced feeding damage to corn seedlings caused by third-instar A. ipsilon, but there were no improvements in virus performance attributable to the inclusion of M2R in AgipMNPV formulations. In an appropriately designed pest management program, AgipMNPV could be used to suppress populations of A. ipsilon .;AcMLF9.ScathL is a new recombinant baculovirus that expresses a basement membrane degrading protease. Laboratory studies were conducted to assess potential negative impacts on the predator Coleomegilla maculata (Degeer), arising from consumption of Heliothis virescens F. larvae infected with AcMLF9.ScathL. Control groups of C. maculata were fed mock-infected H. virescens, H. virescens infected with wildtype AcMNPV, or European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner), eggs and green peach aphids, Myzus persicae (Sulzer). There was no significant difference in C. maculata survival between the three H. virescens feeding regimes. Mean survival time of C. maculata larvae fed on mock-infected H. virescens was significantly longer than C. maculata fed on virus infected H. virescens, possibly due to lower nutritional quality of virus-infected prey. There were no significant differences in survival times between C. maculata fed H. virescens infected with AcMLF9.ScathL or AcMNPV. These data suggest no greater threat to nontarget organisms from the use of AcMLF9.ScathL as a microbial insecticide than would occur with AcMNPV

Food Security in Developing Countries

This paper provides a systematic definition of food security, focusing on its different dimensions; examines the nature and magnitude of the different dimensions of food insecurity in developing countries; discusses the difficult tradeoffs that policy makers face in trying to address food security’s multiple dimensions simultaneously; and explores promising new approaches to address food insecurity. The geographic focus is on Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, where the majority of the world’s food insecure people live.food security, hunger, poverty, food policy, economic development, Agricultural and Food Policy, Food Security and Poverty, International Development, O13, O19, Q18,

USAID Contributes to Building National Capacity to Strengthen Food Security: An Example from Mali

Food Security and Poverty, Downloads May 2008-July 2009: 13,

Mali’s Food Security Challenges: An Overview

Mali has a high incidence of malnutrition. The fourth Demographic and Health survey reports that in 2006 the incidence of wasting, stunting and underweight children under 5 years of age was 13.8%, 37.9% and 24.5% respectively in rural areas, and 12%, 24% and 25% respectively in urban areas. While malnutrition is found in all regions of Mali, the regions of Timbuktu and Sikasso have higher than average levels for all three indicators, while the region of Kidal has high levels of wasting. For a detailed analysis of food security indicators see Ward (2010).Agricultural and Food Policy, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Food Security and Poverty,

Achieving Food Security in Mali: Key Issues and Investment Needs

A key role for USAID and its partners is to identify how their resources can best contribute to increasing the capacity of the private and public sectors in Mali to scale up their investments, and increase the impact of those investments, in relation to the food security dimensions of availability, access, utilization and stability. To fulfill this role will involve identifying opportunities presented in the Malian agricultural sector investment plan (PNISA) to address critical needs in each of these dimensions, the types of investment that will best address the needs, and the set of resources and skills that will enable Malian organizations and entrepreneurs to implement those investments successfully and at scale. Even with increased resources, however, it is critically important that the USAID mission make strategic choices about where to focus resources. The scale and depth of rural poverty, and the complex nature of malnutrition, means that resources must be focused to have measureable impacts. The question is for whom, where and how should those resources be focused in the context of Mali’s CAADP compact and investment plan? To stimulate discussion of these questions we first highlight some key challenges and the nature of choices about resource allocation priorities, and then highlight the central role of information to achieve food and nutrition security objectives. We conclude with thoughts on two specific issues: graduating from fertilizer subsidies to free up resources for other investments, and the implications of smallholder heterogeneity for development strategies.Agricultural and Food Policy, Agricultural Finance, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Food Security and Poverty, International Development,

A Strategic Approach to Agricultural Research Program Planning in Sub-Saharan Africa

Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies, Downloads May 2008-July 2009: 13,

A Strategic Approach to Agricultural Research Program Planning in Sub-Saharan Africa

Recent studies have shown that agricultural research can have high payoffs in Africa, but impact depends on how well technology fits with evolving needs and capacity in the agricultural sector and the rest of the economy. Structural adjustment policies (e.g., market liberalization, currency devaluation) and political change are transforming user demands for new technology and the economic environment in which technology must perform. The challenge is how to design agricultural research as a strategic input to promote broad-based economic growth, structural transformation, and food security in the increasingly market-driven, but fragile, economies of Africa.Food Security, Food Policy, Agricultural Research, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies, Downloads May 2008-July 2009: 44, Q18,

Contamination of the lairage of a pork abattoir with Salmonella species

The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of Salmonella spp. In the lairage of a pork abattoir on different days of the week and to investigate the effect of daily washing routines and disinfection procedures on contamination levels with Salmonella spp. In total, 359 swabs were collected from lairage pen floors at three time points during the course of two slaughter days. All samples were analysed quantitatively

Infection of pigs following exposure to contaminated pen floors

The objective of these studies was to determine if pigs could acquire infection when exposed to different levels of environmental contamination with Salmonella typhimurium. In experiment 1, pigs were euthanised after 2, 3 and 24 hours of exposure to a highly contaminated environment (105 organisms/100cm2)

Enhancing training advantage for remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learners

[Extract] Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in very remote parts of Australia are increasingly participating in vocational education and training (VET); however, completion rates remain low and employment outcomes are not improving. This project identifies how retention and completion can be improved and what other indicators of success are important outcomes of training in remote communities. Using a case study approach to investigate five unique training programs in remote areas of Australia, the report finds a that range of factors contribute to retention, including: - trainer qualities and characteristics of delivery - family, personal, community and cultural factors - training coordination and support - supportive relationships with other students - local community ownership of training - training that is connected to culture and local knowledge