Resistance to the attack of Bactrocera oleae (Gmelin) of some Sicilian olive cultivars

Genetic resistance of olive germplasm could be an important tool in the control of Bactrocera oleae (Gmelin), the key pest in the Mediterranean olive growing. Up to now, no study was carried out on olive cultivars stressed a complete resistance to the attack of B. oleae, and few scientific data are available on susceptibility to olive fruit fly of Sicilian cultivars, although differences among susceptibility of cultivars could be usefully considered to obtain quality productions and to reduce insecticides use both in organic and conventional olive growing. The present study was carried out at Castelvetrano (Trapani province, Sicily), in the olive germplasm collection of Ente di Sviluppo Agricolo of the Sicilian Region and Dipartimento di Colture Arboree of the University of Palermo. From 2002 to 2005, infestation levels in drupes of 18 cv, representing the most widely cultivated in Sicily was recorded. Samplings were carried out every 11-20 days, starting from the second half of August to the end of October. Moreover, from 2003 to 2005 infestation levels were correlated with size and hardness of olives, while in 2004-2005 data on olive coloration were collected at different ripening stages. Among the cultivars producing larger olives, Nocellara del Belice resulted the most susceptible to the olive fruit fly attacks, while Nocellara messinese was the less infested one. Among cultivars with medium, small-sized fruits Moresca, Vaddarica, Nasitana frutto grosso, Minuta and Bottone di gallo were the less susceptible ones. Among the tested cultivars Nocellara del Belice was the most attacked one in every year of the research. A positive correlation between infestation and olive size was found, resulting in higher infestation levels on the cultivars producing larger olives. B. oleae showed a clear preference for green drupes, instead of reddish or blackish ones. In two out of three years a negative correlation between hardness and infestation was found in September

Effectiveness of clays and copper products in the control of Bactrocera oleae (Gmelin)

Repellent and antiovipositional products in the control of Bactrocera oleae (Gmelin) find a great interest in organic farming, because of the lack of effective products able to kill the olive fruit fly larvae and eggs. This study is the continuation of a research on the effectiveness of kaolin and copper hydroxide carried out in 2003 and 2004 in Castelvetrano and Trapani (Sicily, Italy). In 2005 a product containing 95% of kaolin, Surround WP, was tested in two organic table olive orchards, Nocellara del Belice cv., in Trapani province; in the first one (located in Castelvetrano) this kaolin was compared to copper hydroxide (Coprantol Ultramicron) and rotenone (Bioroten), in the second one (located in Partanna) it was compared to a product containing 100% of bentonite (Biobenton), to a product containing copper oxychloride (Cuprobenton) and to Surround WP + copper hydroxide. In 2005, at Castelvetrano all plots gave no statistically significant differences, due to the low infestation level reached until harvesting on 8th October (total infestation in all plots 5-9%). On the other hand at Partanna, regarding the harmful infestation of the whole sampling period (11th August- 14th November), the two kinds of clays recorded statistically significant better results than the untreated plot, while the results of copper oxychloride plot were intermediate, with significant differences from kaolin plots, but without differences with bentonite and untreated theses. The oils extracted from olives of the four treated theses resulted of excellent quality (free acidity 0.1-0.2%, peroxide value 3-4), while untreated olives produced a still extra virgin oil with a higher free acidity (0.6%, peroxide value 4). In the different theses tested on this site the olive fruit fly infestation was limited to a good level for table olives until 18th, 28th September, 19th, 24th and 29th October in untreated, copper oxychloride, bentonite, kaolin and kaolin +copper hydroxide theses respectively. The tested products containing kaolin, bentonite, copper hydroxide and oxychloride are effectively able to limit B. oleae infestation to a good level for olive oil production, moreover, considering the earlier harvesting of table olives, these products, particularly the first three of them, give a new opportunity for controlling the olive fruit fly also in organic farms for table olive production

Sobre la participación extranjera y los patrones de contratación después de la privatización

(Disponible en Inglés) Quienes critican la globalización afirman que la propiedad foránea de empresas privatizadas guarda relación con resultados laborales negativos posteriormente a la privatización, tales como un aumento de los despidos y una disminución de la contratación. En este trabajo se emplean nuevos datos a nivel de empresa de una muestra representativa de países para comprobar la validez de esta idea y se presentan pruebas de que los extranjeros que adquieren empresas propiedad del Estado tienden a adquirir empresas que ya habían sido mejor reestructuradas antes de su privatización. Además, en este trabajo no se halla prueba alguna de que la participación foránea en empresas privatizadas tenga alguna relación con los resultados laborales negativos.

Should State-Owned Firms Change CEOs Before Privatization? The Case of the Telecommunications Industry

Should state-owned enterprises change chief executive officer before privatizing? We test competing views on this question by complementing a recently released database with newly collected data. We are able to cover 77 telecommunications privatizations, which account for nearly 80 percent of the sector in terms of value. We find that CEO replacement will improve performance in the telecommunications industry before privatization as measured by penetration, operating efficiency, and profitability. CEO change before privatization does appear to have real consequences in firm performance before privatization. Moreover, findings are consistent with previous research that links CEO replacement and an increase in privatization prices

FIRST RECORD IN ITALY OF PSYLLAEPHAGUS BLITEUS RIEK (Hymenoptera Encyrtidae) PARASITOID OF GLYCASPIS BRIMBLECOMBEI MOORE (Hemiptera Psyllidae)

Psyllaephagus bliteus Riek (Hymenoptera Encyrtidae), parasitoid of the red gum lerp psyllid Glycaspis brimblecombei Moore (Hemiptera Psyllidae), has been recorded for the first time in Italy in September 2011. The arrival of P. bliteus in Sicily is due to an accidental introduction, probably together with its host, as already happened in New Zealand, Brazil, Spain and Morocco

Macrogeographic population structuring in the cosmopolitan agricultural pest Bactrocera cucurbitae (Diptera:Tephritidae)

Background: The melon fly #Bactrocera cucurbitae# (Coquillett) is a major, highly polyphagous, agricultural pest abundant throughout the African continent, the islands of Indian Ocean, Asia, New Guinea, the Mariana Islands and Hawaii. This species attacks more than 125 plants including commercial crops such as pumpkin, cantaloupe, watermelon, squash, gourd, cucumber, tomato, eggplant and bean as well as soft fruits such as mango, orange, papaya and peach. Although the economic importance of B. cucurbitae is well documented, its large-scale (i.e. inter-regional) patterns of genetic structuring are poorly known. Hence, the current quarantine methods and management plans still rely on general assumptions concerning its intraspecific variation. The aim of this work was to 1) characterize the large-scale population structure of #Bactrocera cucurbitae#, 2) identify its geographic origin and 3) infer the dynamics of its range expansion. Methods: Individuals of #B. cucurbitae# were collected from 25 worldwide-distributed localities (n=570) and genotyped at 13 microsatellite loci specifically developed for this species. Genetic discontinuities among geographical regions were quantified through hierarchical analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) and levels of population admixture were quantified through #Bayesian clustering# procedures. Results: Five main groups of populations were identified. These corresponded to populations from 1) the African continent, 2) La Réunion, 3) Central Asia, 4) East Asia and 5) Hawaii. The proportions of inter-regional assignments and the higher values of genetic diversity in populations from Pakistan, India and Bangladesh suggest that #B. cucurbitae# originated in Central Asia and expanded its range to East Asia and Hawaii on one hand and to Africa and the islands of the Indian Ocean on the other. A number of outliers (10-19 specimens according to different clustering algorithms) show high levels of admixture (Q>0.70) with populations from different regions and reveal complex patterns of inter-regional gene flow. Conclusions: Anthropogenic transport is the most plausible promoter of the large-scale dispersal of B. cucurbitae. The recent African invasions of B. cucurbitae were mainly due to the expansion of local populations while, hitherto, the introduction of individuals from geographically distant regions did not have a relevant role. The dynamics of the recent invasions, as well as the possible corridors to gene flow created by contemporary anthropogenic activities could provide a useful background to better evaluate invasion risks and establish priorities for the management of this cosmopolitan agricultural pest. (Texte intégral

¿Cumple la privatización lo que promete? El acceso a los servicios telefónicos y el ingreso familiar en zonas rurales pobres empleando un experimento cuasinatural en Perú

(Disponible en idioma inglés únicamente) Este trabajo aprovecha un experimento cuasinatural realizado en Perú, en el que el gobierno ordenó a la compañía de telecomunicaciones privatizada que instalara aleatoriamente y operara teléfonos públicos en pequeños poblados en zonas rurales de todo el territorio nacional. Es posible, usando una encuesta de hogares preparada especialmente para una muestra representativa de poblaciones rurales, establecer una relación entre el acceso a los servicios telefónicos y el ingreso familiar. Se descubrió que, independientemente del nivel de ingresos, la mayoría de las características del uso del servicio telefónico público guardan una relación positiva con el ingreso. Resulta notable que se produzca un beneficio tanto a los niveles de ingreso correspondientes a las familias campesinas como a los de las familias no campesinas. Los hallazgos no sólo son válidos cuando se emplean variables instrumentales, sino que además se confirman cuando se emplean métodos de correspondencia de puntajes de propensión.