Combinations of Metarhizium anisopliae with chemical insecticides and their effectiveness in Mahanarva fimbriolata (Hemiptera: Cercopidae) control on sugarcane

Some insecticides can be used jointly with entomopathogenic fungi, and therefore the combi- nation of chemical and biological control measures can be a safe and effective method to con- trol insect pests. The aim of this study was to evaluate the costs and efficacy of combinations of Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschnikoff) Sorokin (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) with thiameth- oxam and imidacloprid on spittlebug (Mahanarva fimbriolata (Stål); Hemiptera: Cercopidae) control on sugarcane. The experiment was conducted as a randomized block design (RBD) with 10 treatments and 4 replications. The treatments included a control (untreated), thia- −1 −1 12 −1 methoxam (250 g ha ), imidacloprid (700 g ha ), M. anisopliae (M. a.) (3 × 10 conidia ha ), A1 (3 × 10 12 M. a. conidia ha −1 + 65 g ha −1 of thiamethoxam), A2 (3 × 10 12 M. a. conidia ha −1 + 125 g ha −1 of thiamethoxam), A3 (3 × 10 12 M. a. conidia ha −1 + 187.5 g ha −1 of thiamethoxam), A4 (3 × 10 12 M. a. conidia ha −1 + 175 g ha −1 of imidacloprid), A5 (3 × 10 12 M. a. conidia ha −1 + 350 g ha −1 of imidacloprid), and A6 (3 × 10 12 M. a. conidia ha −1 + 525g ha −1 of imidacloprid). The reductions in the numbers of M. fimbriolata nymphs per treatment compared to the control were similar at 15 DAT (days after treatment) in all treatments except combination A5 (M. anisopliae and thiamethoxam). At 30 DAT, the numbers of nymphs were significantly reduced in all treatments except A3, and their effectiveness ranged from 14.28% to 92.85%. At 45 DAT the numbers of M. fimbriolata nymphs per treatment were significantly reduced in the following treatments: imidacloprid alone at 700g ha -1 , A1, A2, A3, A4 and A6; and the combinations A1 and A2 caused the lowest M. fimbriolata nymph infestations and effectiveness rates of 77.41 and 87.09 %, respectively. At 75 DAT the 2 best control efficacies occurred in treatments A1 (3 × 10 12 M. a. conidia ha -1 of + 65g ha -1 of thiamethoxam) (82.1%) and A5 (78.6%) (3 × 10 12 M. a. conidia ha −1 + 350 g ha −1 of imidacloprid). At 90 DAT the number of nymphs in the control had increased 2.8 fold over the number at 75 DAT. Very good control efficacies at 90 DAT occurred in all treatments with the combination of the fungus with an insecticide. At 105 DAT the numbers of nymphs had surged in all treatments, and no treatment provided effective control. The treatments with the highest earnings per hectare were A1 (3 × 10 12 M. a. conidia ha -1 + 65 g thiamethoxam) and M. anisopliae alone at the recommended dose of 3 × 10 12 M. a. conidia ha -1 . Our findings demonstrate the effectiveness of using either thiamethoxam or imidacloprid in combination with M. anisopliae to control M. fimbriolata nymphs on sugarcane, but greater net earnings per hectare occurred with the lowest rate of the thiamethoxam combination than with any of the imidacloprid combinations.Algunos insecticidas se puede utilizar con hongos entomopatógenos y por lo tanto, la aso- ciación de los controles químico y biológico puede ser una estrategia segura y eficaz para el control de insectos-plaga. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar los costos y eficacia de combinaciones de Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschnikoff) Sorokin (Hypocreales: Clavi- cipitaceae) con insecticidas thiamethoxam e imidacloprid para el control de la chicharrita (Mahanarva fimbriolata (Stål); Hemiptera: Cercopidae) en caña de azúcar . El experimento fue conducido en un delineamiento en bloques casualizados (DBC), con 10 tratamientos y 4 repeticiones. Los tratamientos que incluidos el control (sin tratamiento), thiamethoxam (250 g ha −1 ), imidacloprido (700 g ha −1 ), M. anisopliae (M.a.) (3×10 12 conidios ha −1 ), A1 (3×10 12 conidios ha −1 de M. a. + 65 g ha −1 de thiamethoxam), A2 (3×10 12 conidios ha −1 de M. a. + 125g ha −1 de thiamethoxam), A3 (3×10 12 conidios ha −1 de M. a. + 187.5 g ha −1 de thiamethoxam), A4 (3×10 12 conidios ha −1 de M.a + 175 g ha −1 de imidacloprido), A5 (3×10 12 conidios ha −1 de M. a. + 350 g ha −1 de imidacloprido) y A6 (3×10 12 conidios ha −1 de M. a. + 525g ha −1 de imidacloprido). Las reducciones en el número de ninfas M. fimbriolata por tratamiento en comparación con el control fueron similares a los 15 DAT (días pos tratamiento) en todos los tratamientos excepto A5 combinación (M. anisopliae y thiamethoxam). A los 30 DAT, el número de ninfas se redujeron significativamente en todos los tratamientos, excepto A3, y su eficacia varió de 14,28% para 92,85%. A los 45 DAT, los números de ninfas M. fimbriolata por tratamiento se redujeron significativamente en los siguientes tratamientos: imidacloprido solo en 700 g ha -1 , A1, A2, A3, A4 y A6; y las combinaciones de A1 y A2 causaron la más bajo infestaciones de ninfas M. fimbriolata y sus tasas de eficacia fueron de 77,41 y 87,09%, respectivamente. A los 75 DAT, los 2 mejores eficacias de control se produjeron en tratamientos A1 (3×10 12 conidios ha −1 de M. a. + 65 g ha −1 de thiamethoxam) y A5 (78.6%) (3×10 12 conidios ha −1 de M. a.+ 350 g ha −1 de imidacloprido). A los 90 DAT, el número de ninfas en el control había aumentado 2,8 veces más el número a 75 DAT. Muy buenas eficacias de control en 90 DAT, se produjo en todos los tratamientos con la combinación del hongo con un insecticida. A los 105 DAT, el número de ninfas habían aumentado en todos los tratamientos, y ningún tratamiento había proporcionado un control efectivo. Los tratamientos con los mayores rendimientos hectárea fueron A1 (3×10 12 conidios ha −1 de M. a.+ 65 g de thiamethoxam) y M. anisopliae solo a la dosis recomendada de 3×10 12 conidios ha −1 de M. a. Nuestros resultados demuestran la eficacia de thiamethoxam y imidacloprido en combinación con M. anisopliae para el control de ninfas M. fimbriolata en caña de azúcar, pero mayores beneficio neto por hectárea se produjeron con la tasa más baja de la combinación de thiamethoxam que con cualquiera de las combinaciones de imidacloprid

Advances in estimation by the item sum technique using auxiliary information in complex surveys

To collect sensitive data, survey statisticians have designed many strategies to reduce nonresponse rates and social desirability response bias. In recent years, the item count technique (ICT) has gained considerable popularity and credibility as an alternative mode of indirect questioning survey, and several variants of this technique have been proposed as new needs and challenges arise. The item sum technique (IST), which was introduced by Chaudhuri and Christofides (2013) and Trappmann et al. (2014), is one such variant, used to estimate the mean of a sensitive quantitative variable. In this approach, sampled units are asked to respond to a two-list of items containing a sensitive question related to the study variable and various innocuous, nonsensitive, questions. To the best of our knowledge, very few theoretical and applied papers have addressed the IST. In this article, therefore, we present certain methodological advances as a contribution to appraising the use of the IST in real-world surveys. In particular, we employ a generic sampling design to examine the problem of how to improve the estimates of the sensitive mean when auxiliary information on the population under study is available and is used at the design and estimation stages. A Horvitz-Thompson type estimator and a calibration type estimator are proposed and their efficiency is evaluated by means of an extensive simulation study. Using simulation experiments, we show that estimates obtained by the IST are nearly equivalent to those obtained using “true data” and that in general they outperform the estimates provided by a competitive randomized response method. Moreover, the variance estimation may be considered satisfactory. These results open up new perspectives for academics, researchers and survey practitioners, and could justify the use of the IST as a valid alternative to traditional direct questioning survey modes.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad of SpainMinisterio de Educacion, Cultura y Deporteproject PRIN-SURWE

Contribution of humic substances from different composts to the synthesis of humin in a tropical soil

The contribution of humic substances of different composts to the synthesis of humin in a tropical soil was evaluated. Increasing doses (0, 13, 26, 52, and 104 Mg ha-1) of five different composts consisting of agroinpowderrial residues were applied to a Red-Yellow Latosol. These composts were chemically characterized and 13C NMR determined and the quantity of the functional alkyl groups of humic acids applied to the soil as compost was estimated. Thirty days after application of the treatments, organic matter samples were collected for fractionation of humic acids (HA), fulvic acids (FA) and humin (HU), from which the ratios HA/FA and (HA + FA)/HU were calculated. The application of the composts based on castor cake resulted in the highest HU levels in the soil; alkyl groups of the HA fraction of the composts were predominant in the organic components added to the HU soil fraction.Avaliou-se a contribuição de substâncias húmicas provenientes de diferentes compostos orgânicos na síntese de humina em um solo tropical. Para isso, foram adicionadas doses crescentes (0, 13, 26, 52 e 104 Mg ha-1) de cinco diferentes compostos orgânicos formulados com resíduos orgânicos agroindustriais em um Latossolo Vermelho-Amarelo. As substâncias húmicas desses compostos foram caracterizadas quimicamente e por ressonância nuclear magnética do 13C, sendo estimados os quantitativos dos grupos funcionais alquil dos ácidos húmicos aplicados no solo via composto. Trinta dias após aplicação dos tratamentos, coletaram-se amostras de solo para fracionamento da matéria orgânica em ácidos húmicos (AH), ácidos fúlvicos (FA) e humina (HU), a partir dos quais foram calculadas as relações AH/FA e (AH + FA)/HU. A aplicação do composto à base de torta de mamona contribuiu para obtenção de teores mais elevados de HU no solo; a incorporação de componentes orgânicos à fração HU do solo foi regida pelo conteúdo de grupos alquil da fração AH dos compostos