Efecto del Nim en el daño ocasionado por el gusano cogollero Spodoptera Frugiperda (smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) en tres variables agronómicas de maíz resistente y susceptible

Neem oil was evaluated against fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) on plants of two maize lines, one resistant and another one susceptible, planted in Poza Rica, Veracruz, México. The objective of this study was to compare biological development of resistant and susceptible maize plants infested by fall armyworm and sprayed with neem oil under field conditions. A concentration of 20,8% neem oil, was applied on the upper leaves and whorl according to the following treatments: before artificial infestation, one and two weeks after infestation; in addition, a chemical insecticide (Permetrin) and one control (water) were included. In an experiment comparing different doses, neem was applied 3 times at concentrations of 20,8, 2,0 and 0,20%; with a Permetrin and water control included for comparison. Damage to foliage, flowering, plant height, and yield were then recorded. In the experiment to determine time of application the susceptible line showed severe damage from 6,7 to 8,1 on a scale from 0-9. while the resistant line exhibited damage ranging from 4,6 to 6,0. For the neem oil dose experiment, plants in both lines during the winter cycle showed damage ranging from 4,4 to 6,2, while during the spring-fall season damage was from 6,2 to 8,5. Flowering was not affected by application dates. However in the experiment with different neem oil concentrations, for the 20,8% treatment flowering was accelerated up to 7,4 days when compared to the control. No differences were found among treatments on in plant height. The treatment with 20,8% neem oil showed low defoliation, but yields were low at this high doses due to phytotoxicity. Weekly application of 2% neem oil gave more than best protection when applied before pest infestations.En dos experimentos realizados durante dos ciclos de cultivo de maíz, se evaluó el efecto de un formulado de aceite de nim Azadirachta indica A. Juss en larvas de gusano cogollero Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith). El objetivo fue conocer el daño ocasionado por el gusano cogollero en plantas de maíz resistente (CML-67) y maíz susceptible (CML-131) ambas tratadas con nim, en campo. En un primer experimento se evaluaron épocas de aplicación del aceite de A. indica en dos líneas de maíz, una resistente (CML-67) y otro susceptible (CML-131) a S. frugiperda cultivados en Poza Rica, Veracruz, México. El aceite en concentración de 20,8%, se aplicó sobre las hojas superiores y cogollo, con los siguientes tratamientos: cuatro horas, antes de la infestación artificial con larvas de primer ínstar, 7 y 14 días después de la infestación; se incluyó un tratamiento con el insecticida químico Permetrina y un testigo absoluto (sólo agua). En el segundo experimento, sobre las mismas dos líneas de maíz, CML-67 y CML-131 se aplicaron las concentraciones 20,8, 2,0 y 0,20% de aceite de A. indica. Cada tratamiento se aplicó tres veces sin intervalo fijo durante la etapa vegetativa del cultivo, se incluyó al insecticida Permetrina y al testigo absoluto. Se registró el daño foliar mediante la escala estandarizada de daño de Mihm del 0 al 9, altura de la planta y el rendimiento. En las fechas de aplicación del nim, el daño foliar de la línea susceptible osciló de 6,7 a 8,1 en promedio, según la escala de Mihm, representó alto daño y en la línea resistente, daño foliar moderado (4,6 a 6,0). En el experimento de concentraciones de nim, en el ciclo I se observaron daños de 4,4 a 6,2 en promedio y en el ciclo P-V los daños fueron de 6,5 a 8,5 en ambas líneas. La floración no presentó diferencias significativas en las diferentes fechas de aplicación, mientras que en el experimento de diferentes concentraciones el tratamiento 20,8% de aceite de A. indica se adelantó 7,4 días con respecto al testigo. No se encontraron diferencias al cuantificar la altura. No obstante para el tratamiento con 20,8% de aceite de A. indica la defoliación fue menor y no se obtuvieron buenos rendimientos, se apreció que a esta concentración de aceite, A. indica causó fitotoxicidad. El nim permitió mayor protección cuando se aplicó antes de que se presentara la plaga a concentraciones menores al 2% y se reforzó con posteriores aplicaciones a intervalos de una aplicación por semana

Unlocking the power of digital agriculture

Digital agriculture encompasses a value chain framework that supports smallholder farmers’ access to services, knowledge and markets. This helps to unlock the economic potential of agriculture, preserve natural resources and accelerate equitable economic growth in rural communities. Digital agriculture is already the nerve centre for modern food systems. It enables democratisation of information and distillation of big data analytics to provide timely and targeted insight for farmers, input suppliers, aggregators, processors and consumers. These insights are now delivered to the location of a decision (e.g. a farmer’s field on a smart phone) on how to optimise profitability, increase value chain efficiency and support consumer awareness on food and its impact on their nutrition, the rural economy and the environmental footprint of agriculture. Digital tools have the potential to compress value chains and reduce transaction costs, thus moving more value to the farmers’ end for improving incomes and livelihoods. Through ‘big data’ and systems biology, the nutritional quality of crops can be improved by gaining a deeper understanding of the interaction of food, nutrition and human health. Spatial Data Infrastructure combined with unique digital identification can support an ecosystem of integrated services to better serve the needs of farmers – whether it be access to inputs, credit, insurance or markets. Downscaled observed weather data are critically important to support all actors along the value chain, given that agriculture is a solar- and water- driven industry. Maintaining the trust of farmers and consumers is vitally important, so policies to manage personal identification information are essential. However, data also needs to be granular to support precision agriculture practices. An ecosystem of different tools and platforms supported by pragmatic and visionary policies and institutions will position countries to uniquely unlock the power of digital technology to accelerate agricultural development and ultimately enable us to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals – one country at a time

DEBUNKING THE MYTHS OF GM CROPS FOR AFRICA: THE CASE OF BT MAIZE IN KENYA

Empirical evidence from research on Bt maize in Kenya puts to rest most concerns raised against GMOs (not responding to farmers' needs, expensive, benefiting agro-business, risk of decreased biodiversity), but does indicate that contamination of local varieties is likely and buildup of insect resistance possible, requiring careful monitoring and evaluation

DEBUNKING THE MYTHS OF GM CROPS FOR AFRICA: THE CASE OF BT MAIZE IN KENYA

Empirical evidence from research on Bt maize in Kenya puts to rest most concerns raised against GMOs (not responding to farmers' needs, expensive, benefiting agro-business, risk of decreased biodiversity), but does indicate that contamination of local varieties is likely and buildup of insect resistance possible, requiring careful monitoring and evaluation.GMO, maize, Kenya, risk, environment, Crop Production/Industries, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

Differential performance and parasitism of caterpillars on maize inbred lines with distinctly different herbivore-induced volatile emissions.

Plant volatiles induced by insect feeding are known to attract natural enemies of the herbivores. Six maize inbred lines that showed distinctly different patterns of volatile emission in laboratory assays were planted in randomized plots in the Central Mexican Highlands to test their ability to recruit parasitic wasps under field conditions. The plants were artificially infested with neonate larvae of the fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda, and two of its main endoparasitoids, Campoletis sonorensis and Cotesia marginiventris, were released in the plots. Volatiles were collected from equally treated reference plants in the neighbourhood of the experimental field. The cumulative amount of 36 quantified volatile compounds determined for each line was in good accordance with findings from the laboratory; there was an almost 15-fold difference in total emission between the two extreme lines. We found significant differences among the lines with respect to the numbers of armyworms recovered from the plants, their average weight gain and parasitism rates. Average weight of the caterpillars was negatively correlated with the average total amount of volatiles released by the six inbred lines. However, neither total volatile emission nor any specific single compound within the blend could explain the differential parasitism rates among the lines, with the possible exception of (E)-2-hexenal for Campoletis sonorensis and methyl salicylate for Cotesia marginiventris. Herbivore-induced plant volatiles and/or correlates thereof contribute to reducing insect damage of maize plants through direct plant defence and enhanced attraction of parasitoids, alleged indirect defence. The potential to exploit these volatiles for pest control deserves to be further evaluated

Achieving sustainable cultivation of grain legumes Volume 2

Grain legumes are characterised by their nutritional value, an ability to grow rapidly and improve soil health. This makes them a key rotation crop in promoting food security. However, yields are constrained by factors such as pests and diseases as well as vulnerability to poor soils, drought and other effects of climate change. This collection reviews the wealth of research addressing these challenges. Volume 2 assesses key research on particular types of grain legume with chapters on developing improved varieties as well as improvements in cultivation techniques. The book covers common beans, lentils, soybeans, groundnuts, cowpea, faba beans and pigeonpea. With its distinguished editorial team and international range of expert authors, this will be a standard reference for the grain legume research community and farmers of these important crops. It is accompanied by a companion volume which reviews general advances in breeding and cultivation techniques