NEW DATA ABOUT THE CONTROL OF THE PLANTHOPPER METCALFA PRUINOSA (SAY 1830) (HEMIPTERA: FLATIDAE) IN THE TOWN OF PITEŞTI (ARGEŞ COUNTY)

Metcalfa pruinosa (Say 1830), an invasive species mentioned in Romania in 2009, was observed first time in Pitești in 2014, a city located in the central-southern part of Romania. In the favourable climatic conditions of the summer of 2015, high density of thedevelopment stages of the pest were seen on many host plants, both woody and herbaceous, in the green areas of the city. The insecticide treatments show the highest effectiveness for the mixture of imidacloprid 75 g/l, deltamethrin 10 g/l, lambda cyhalothrin 50 g/l, associated with pirimiphos methyl 500 g/l, within an interval of 3-5 days. It is important that treatments be applied in combination with 0.1% Silwet to facilitate the action of the active substance. Monitoring and chemical control are required in order to limit the spread of pests in places bordering the city, where there are important vineyards and orchards

ALTERNATIVES TO HERBICIDES IN AN APPLE ORCHARD

Pesticides have taken a long time the most important place among the means of combating pests. Their use often irrational abusive led to many negative secondary phenomena among which the pollution are the most important. Integrated control requires the use of chemicals especially those selective, with other methods which typically produces the effectiveness of the entire system. Knowledge of pesticides in terms of chemical, biological agricultural and environmental toxicology, have continuously progressed so that the last 40 years have founded a new discipline

ULTRASTRUCTURAL ASPECT OF STRUCTURE SOMATIC AND REPRODUCTIV OF THE SPECIES OF PHOMOPSIS (SACC.) BUBÁK

Phomopsis (Sacc.) Bubák is a large coelomycetous genus that includes over 1000 species names. Genus Phomopsis has a special theoretical and practical importance successfully pointed out in several problems concerning the taxonomy, the nomenclature and the pathogenesis of the species of this type. So far, in Romania have been described 123 taxons on species of host – plants which are spontaneous or cultivated and which have got a great importance in economy and flora

Histopathological Alteration on Marsh Frog Skin Induced by the Action of Dual Gold 960EC Herbicide

The aim of this study was to establish the influence of Dual Gold 960EC herbicide upon skinstructure in marsh frog (Pelophylax ridibundus). [...

Characteristics of Phomopsis juglandina (Sacc.) Hohn. Associated with Dieback of Walnut in the Climatic Conditions of Southern Romania

Phomopsis juglandina (Sacc.) Höhn., which is the conidial state of Diaporthe juglandina (Fuckel) Nitschke, and the main pathogen causing the dieback of branches and twigs of walnut was recently detected in many orchards from Romania. The symptomatological, morphological, ultrastructural, and cultural characteristics, as well as the pathogenicity of an isolate of this lignicolous fungus, were described and illustrated. The optimum periods for infection, under the conditions prevailing in Southern Romania, mainly occur in the spring (April) and autumn months (late September-beginning of October). Strong inverse correlations (p < 0.001) were found between potential evapotranspiration and lesion lengths on walnut branches in 2019. The pathogen forms two types of phialospores: alpha and beta; the role of beta phialospores is not well known in pathogenesis. In Vitro, the optimal growth temperature of mycelial hyphae was in the range of 22–26 °C, and the optimal pH is 4.4–7. This pathogen should be monitored continuously due to its potential for damaging infestations of intensive plantations

Ecotoxicological Studies on the Action of Actara 25 WG Insecticide on Prussian Carp (Carassius gibelio) and Marsh Frog (Pelophylax ridibundus)

The toxic action of the Actara 25 WG insecticide (it contains 25% thiamethoxam as an active substance) in non-lethal doses was studied in two species of aquatic organisms—the Prussian carp (Carassius gibelio) and the marsh frog (Pelophylax ridibundus)—at two thermal levels, 6–8 °C (low temperature) and 18–20 °C (room temperature), respectively. In the Prussian carp, we recorded decreases in oxygen consumption and stimulation of the respiratory rhythm, changes that were more pronounced in the case of intoxicated fish and when the species were kept at room temperature. The histopathology of the lung in the frog illustrated the thickening of the conjunctival septum, an increase in the number of mucous cells, and an increase in the ratio between the diameter of the nucleus and the diameter of the pneumocyte. All of these changes were more pronounced in the animals kept at higher temperature. Our study looks at the extent to which temperature changes can influence the ability of poikilothermic organisms to withstand the presence of toxic substances in the environment as a result of the impact of the use of insecticides in agriculture. The two tested organisms are a common presence for the study area, which was affected in the last decade by climate change

Composite Hydrogels Based on Poly (Methacrilyc Acid) Reinforced with Laponite Inorganic Filler

Polymeric hydrogels are soft materials that can absorb large amounts of water or biological [...

Influence of the Hydrophobicity of Pluronic Micelles Encapsulating Curcumin on the Membrane Permeability and Enhancement of Photoinduced Antibacterial Activity

Apart from its well-known activity as an antimicrobial agent, Curcumin (CURC) has recently started to arouse interest as a photosensitizer in the photodynamic therapy of bacterial infections. The aim of the present study was to evidence the influence of the encapsulation of Curcumin into polymeric micelles on the efficiency of photoinduced microbial inhibition. The influence of the hydrophobicity of the selected Pluronics (P84, P123, and F127) on the encapsulation, stability, and antimicrobial efficiency of CURC-loaded micelles was investigated. In addition, the size, morphology, and drug-loading capacity of the micellar drug delivery systems have been characterized. The influence of the presence of micellar aggregates and unassociated molecules of various Pluronics on the membrane permeability was investigated on both normal and resistant microbial strains of E. coli, S. aureus, and C. albicans. The antimicrobial efficiency on the common pathogens was assessed for CURC-loaded polymeric micelles in dark conditions and activated by blue laser light (470 nm). Significant results in the reduction of the microorganism’s growth were found in cultures of C. albicans, even at very low concentrations of surfactants and Curcumin. Unlike the membrane permeabilization effect of the monomeric solution of Pluronics, reported in the case of tumoral cells, a limited permeabilization effect was found on the studied microorganisms. Encapsulation of the Curcumin in Pluronic P84 and P123 at very low, nontoxic concentrations for photosensitizer and drug-carrier, produced CURC-loaded micelles that prove to be effective in the light-activated inhibition of resistant species of Gram-positive bacteria and fungi

Ecotoxicological Risk Assessment of Actellic 50 EC Insecticide on Non-Target Organisms in Parallel with the Application of Standardized Tests

This paper contributes to the ecotoxicological risk assessment of the Actellic 50 EC insecticide (with 50% pirimiphos-methyl as the active substance) tested on non-target organisms. The insecticide concentrations tested were the same for all organisms (0.1, 0.01, and 0.001 mg L−1 of Actellic 50 EC), with an exposure of 3–5–21 days for plants and 4–5–14 days for animals. The non-target organisms tested were both plants (wheat and two ferns) and animals (the Prussian carp and marsh frog tadpoles). The tested insecticide significantly inhibited the growth of roots in wheat, a result that was also confirmed by a microbiotest application (62% root growth inhibition in sorghum and 100% germination inhibition in white mustard and garden cress). In ferns, even for the lowest concentration, the percentage of germinated spores was inhibited by 40% for Asplenium scolopendrium. The recorded toxicological effects of Actellic 50 EC upon the Prussian carp included a decrease in the respiratory rate and oxygen consumption, an increase in the number of erythrocytes and leukocytes, and an increase in blood glucose levels. The highest concentration (0.1 mg L−1 of Actellic 50 EC) caused a 50% decrease in the survival rate of marsh frog tadpoles after 5 days of exposure, negatively affecting body volume and length. Given the high degree of toxicity of the insecticide Actellic 50 EC, we recommend continuing investigations on non-target species, including both plants and animals, as the sub-chronic effects are quite little known in the scientific literature