Modeling Potato Psyllid Occurrence Using Sticky Trap Data for the Management of Zebra Chip Disease

Zebra chip disease (ZC) is a disease of potato which produces striped necrotic patterns that become pronounced when fried, making potato products such as chips and fries unmarketable. The disease is associated with a bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum (Lso) and is transmitted by the potato psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli. An important aspect in managing this disease is the modeling and prediction of potato psyllid occurrence. In this study, potato psyllid numbers were monitored regularly across the southern Idaho region. This unique data set encompasses psyllid counts, collected by multiple sticky traps, set up at 98 growing sites over the growing seasons of 2013, 2014, and 2015. The data are modeled using a nonlinear logistic growth function, which is modified to account for negative skewness inherent in the sticky trap data. The estimated models are subsequently used to compare relevant potato psyllid occurrence parameters between major growing regions of southern Idaho. Comparisons of various trap configurations within each region were also carried out among estimated model parameters. This modeling effort could help researchers and growers efficiently monitor the psyllid populations and anticipate the potential for future disease outbreaks

Apple and Sugar Feeding in Adult Codling Moths, Cydia pomonella: Effects on Longevity, Fecundity, and Egg Fertility

Attraction of adult codling moths, Cydia pomonella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), to sweet baits has been well documented. However, beneficial effects of sugar feeding on moth fitness have not been demonstrated. Longevity, fecundity, and egg fertility were examined for female/male pairs of moths maintained with the following food regimens: water, sucrose water, honey water, apple juice, apple flesh, or starved, i.e., no food or water provided. Longevity and total fecundity were enhanced in all treatments relative to the starved treatment moths. Sucrose water, honey water, and apple juice treatments yielded the highest longevity, but total fecundity was highest for moths maintained on honey water or apple juice. Total egg fertility did not differ among treatments. However, egg fertility declined more gradually over the female lifespan for the three aqueous solution diets of sucrose water, honey water, and apple juice. Similarly, fecundity per day declined more gradually over time for honey water and apple juice treatments. Performance of moths maintained with apple flesh was generally intermediate between that of moths with water and the three aqueous solution treatments. This suggests that moths benefit from feeding on ripe apple flesh, although apple may be more difficult to ingest or its nutrients less concentrated compared to aqueous solutions. The results presented here may explain attraction of adult moths to sweet baits as well as to odors from ripe fruit, which may be a natural source of food in the fall

Assessing Potato Psyllid Haplotypes in Potato Crops in the Pacific Northwestern United States

The potato psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli (Šulc), is a vector of the bacterium ‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’ (Lso) that has been linked to the economically devastating zebra chip disease of potato. To date, four haplotypes of the potato psyllid have been identified and include Central, Western, Northwestern, and Southwestern haplotypes. Zebra chip was reported in potato crops in the Pacific Northwestern United States for the first time in 2011, and the Lso-infected psyllids collected from zebra chip-affected fields were identified as the Western haplotype. Additional studies have reported a mix of the Western and Northwestern psyllid haplotypes in the Pacific Northwest. The present study further examined psyllid population dynamics over the duration of the 2012 potato season in the Pacific Northwest by haplotype analysis of 864 potato psyllids collected from potato fields in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. In the Yakima Valley of Washington and the lower Columbia Basin of Washington and Oregon, the Northwestern haplotype was predominant (78%), and was detected earlier in the season than the Western haplotype. Interestingly, in south-central Idaho, all four psyllid haplotypes were identified, but the predominant haplotype was the Western haplotype (77%). Here, Northwestern psyllids were detected early in the season from June to mid-August, whereas Central psyllidswere detected in late July and thereafter. These results suggest that haplotype composition of psyllid populations in potato fields throughout the 2012 growing season in south-central Idaho differed greatly from those in Washington and Oregon. Additionally, all psyllids were analyzed for the presence of Lso, and no Lso-positive psyllids were found in Washington and Oregon, whereas Lso-positive psyllids were found in south-central Idaho. These Lso-positive psyllids consisted of the Western, Northwestern, and Central haplotypes

Effects of a partially supervised conditioning programme in cystic fibrosis: an international multi-centre randomised controlled trial (ACTIVATE-CF): study protocol

Physical activity (PA) and exercise have become an accepted and valued component of cystic fibrosis (CF) care. Regular PA and exercise can positively impact pulmonary function, improve physical fitness, and enhance health-related quality of life (HRQoL). However, motivating people to be more active is challenging. Supervised exercise programs are expensive and labour intensive, and adherence falls off significantly once supervision ends. Unsupervised or partially supervised programs are less costly and more flexible, but compliance can be more problematic. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of a partially supervised exercise intervention along with regular motivation on forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) at 6 months in a large international group of CF patients. Secondary endpoints include patient reported HRQoL, as well as levels of anxiety and depression, and control of blood sugar.; It is planned that a total of 292 patients with CF 12 years and older with a FEV1 ≥ 35% predicted shall be randomised. Following baseline assessments (2 visits) patients are randomised into an intervention and a control group. Thereafter, they will be seen every 3 months for assessments in their centre for one year (4 follow-up visits). Along with individual counselling to increase vigorous PA by at least 3 h per week on each clinic visit, the intervention group documents daily PA and inactivity time and receives a step counter to record their progress within a web-based diary. They also receive monthly phone calls from the study staff during the first 6 months of the study. After 6 months, they continue with the step counter and web-based programme for a further 6 months. The control group receives standard care and keeps their PA level constant during the study period. Thereafter, they receive the intervention as well.; This is the first large, international multi-centre study to investigate the effects of a PA intervention in CF with motivational feedback on several health outcomes using modern technology. Should this relatively simple programme prove successful, it will be made available on a wider scale internationally.; ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01744561 ; Registration date: December 6, 2012

Investigations into mating disruption, delayed mating, and multiple mating in oriental beetle, Anomala orientalis (Waterhouse), Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae

Oriental beetle, Anomala orientalis (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) is a pest of turf, ornamentals, and several crops, including cranberry; damage is caused by larval feeding on plant roots. Imidacloprid---the only new pesticide registered against scarabs in cranberry since the ban on organochlorines in the 1970s---is expensive and relatively ineffective against later instar larvae. I evaluated the potential management of oriental beetle in cranberry by mating disruption using female sex pheromone deployed from wax disks. I found strong trap shutdown in mating disruption treatments. Because attempts to disrupt mating may be compromised if males eventually find females, I studied the effects of delayed mating on female reproductive output in the lab. Females were relatively resilient to mating delay, exhibiting only a gradual decline in fecundity with increased age at mating. Thus, in order for mating disruption to be a successful management tool, mating must be prevented rather than delayed. I deployed tethered virgin females deployed in the field and found that mating is indeed largely prevented in pheromone-treated bogs. These results demonstrate the strong potential of mating disruption for management of oriental beetle in cranberry. I also studied relative fertilization success between males in successive matings of the same female. Characters of the first male to mate---including male body size and genitalia morphology---had primacy in influencing relative paternity, an uncommon pattern in sperm precedence studies. Surprisingly, relative paternity of the first male was inversely correlated with his size. Because this result is at odds with the general positive relationship between male size and reproductive success in insects, I hypothesized that larger males experience greater lifetime reproductive success when mating multiply. I then examined how male size and mating history impacted reproduction. Only for smaller males was reproductive output reduced in successive matings. These results suggest that after their first mating, smaller males must either compete using a lower quality ejaculate or submit to a longer refractory period to replenish ejaculate reserves. Thus, the sexually selected advantage of smaller males in their first mating is apparently balanced by lower lifetime reproductive potential relative to larger males

Clover Root Curculio in Alfalfa: Identification, Biology, and Management

This publication helps growers in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington to identify clover root curculio infestations and to design and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program for managing clover root curculio in alfalfa

EFFECT OF RIVER FLOW MANIPULATION ON WOLF SPIDER ASSEMBLAGES AT THREE DESERT RIPARIAN SITES

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Influence of body and genital morphology on relative male fertilization success in oriental beetle

Although the frequently large variance in relative male fertilization success when females are mated by more than 1 male has been appreciated for some time, the factors that influence relative paternity are still poorly understood. Recently, experimental evidence that morphology of male genitalia influences fertilization success has been documented in 2 water striders, a dung beetle, and a leaf beetle. We explored the role of male genital morphology in postcopulatory sexual selection in the oriental beetle. We mated females to 2 males in succession and assessed relative paternity by the sterile male technique. Morphology of the male genitalia was found to strongly influence relative paternity but only for the first male to mate. Male body size influenced relative fertilization success as well, but again, only for the first male; surprisingly, smaller males achieved higher paternity when mating first. We also found suggestive evidence that copula duration of both the first and second male to mate influenced paternity. Other factors, including female size and degree of asymmetry of hind tibiae length of males had no effect on relative fertilization success. Our results for the oriental beetle are novel among sperm precedence studies for 2 reasons: 1) traits of the first male appear to be more important in influencing paternity than those of the second, and 2) smaller, not larger, males achieved greater relative paternity. Our results also contribute to the growing body of empirical evidence in support of the hypothesis that male genitalia evolve by postcopulatory sexual selection. Copyright 2006.evolution of genitalia; first male priority; genital morphology; sexual selection; sperm precedence