A trap crop system for managing tarnished plant bug damage in strawberries

The goal of this project was to determine the potential of using an attractive trap crop to pull tarnished plant bug (TPB) away from strawberry thereby reducing their abundance and damage in strawberry. We proposed to 1) Evaluate winter canola cultivars and planting practices to optimize effectiveness as a trap crop and 2) Quantify influence of winter canola on TPB abundance and damage in strawberry under field conditions

Mechanisms Underlying Resistance of Strawberry Cultivars to Tarnished Plant Bugs

ReportThe present study investigated mechanisms that underlie resistance of strawberry cultivars to tarnished plant bugs, Lygus lineolaris (Hemiptera: Miridae). Inter-plant distribution of emerged nymphs in cage experiments suggests that females lay more eggs on plants with numerous fruits, although cultivar per se did not influence oviposition behavior of females. A large number of nymphs emerged from the inflorescence of strawberry plants, which suggests that ovipositing females may cause extensive damage to strawberry fruits. Distinct within-plant distribution of emerged nymphs for different cultivars further suggest that the relative damage caused by ovipositing females may vary for different cultivars

Spotted wing drosophila: distribution of populations over time in wild and crop hosts

Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) was first confirmed in NY at some eastern Long Island farms in 2011. Fruit flies typically attack rotting fruits; SWD, however, feeds in intact fruits. Soft-skinned fruits such as berries are at greatest risk; some stone fruits are also reported among the preferred hosts. Season-long SWD monitoring and fruit damage assessments were done in cultivated crops and in wild fruits growing nearby. A total of 31 apple cider vinegar-baited translucent delicatessen cup monitoring traps were placed in raspberry, peach, blueberry, grape, and apple farms and in adjacent forest areas. The first sustained SWD capture on Long Island occurred on June 9, 2012 at 1320 DD (50oF base temperature). At least two peak SWD activity periods were observed on Long Island: the 1st around September 18 at 2313 DD and the 2nd around October 23 at 3073 DD. The proportion of male:female in trapped populations was observed to be around 50:50. Late-season (September – October) SWD populations appeared to be higher in forest than cultivated areas. Approximately 17 types of cultivated and wild fruits were checked for the presence of SWD eggs or larvae. Pokeweed berries are the most preferred wild host of SWD. Among the other possible wild hosts checked- autumn olive, bittersweet nightshade, European yew berries are the newly detected hosts of SWD grown near cultivated areas. Raspberries and blackberries were most heavily infested by SWD, averaging 73.5% and 77.0% respectively in 2012. Blueberries were less affected (6%) possibly because the local blueberry season typically ends by late July to early August after which SWD populations sharply increased. Very few SWD adults emerged from grape samples and SWD egg-laying in grapes was minimal and only the late-season 'Merlot' and 'Cabernet' varieties were affected. It appears grapes are not a favored host and may not need preventive treatment. Late-season caneberries appear highly susceptible to infestation and most likely require preventive insecticide treatments but growers have little information on specific timing of applications. Information developed from this study advances our understanding of the seasonal abundance, peak appearance, host utilization, and overwintering emergence patterns of SWD. Further research on hosts, overwintering sites, population assessment, baits and control techniques are necessary to help growers contend with this new invasive pest

Use of Entomopathogenic Nematodes for Control of Grape Phylloxera (Homoptera: Phylloxeridae): A Laboratory Evaluation

The effectiveness of 2 species of entomopathogenic nematodes was examined in the laboratory against the root-form of grape phylloxera Daktulosphaira vitifolia (Fitch). Our basic unit of measurement was survival of grape phylloxera established on root pieces of the cultivated grape Vitis vinifera L. variety ‘Cabernet Sauvignon' in the presence or absence of nematodes. In petri dish trials, the Oswego strain of Heterorhabditis bacteriophora Poinar reduced survival of attached grape phylloxera by up to 80% relative to the control treatment, whereas Steinernema glaseri Steiner (isolate 326) had no measurable impact and was not used in further experiments. Hb Oswego significantly reduced survival of grape phylloxera on root pieces placed in small cups filled with soil, but only when soil moisture was high (>13% water content wt:wt) and when high densities of infective nematodes were used (>15,000/g soil). Grape phylloxera exposed to Hb Oswego often turned a brick-red color, indicating successful infection. However, we did not detect any evidence that Hb Oswego could successfully reproduce within the bodies of grape phylloxera hosts. Therefore, although Hb Oswego can exert significant mortality in the laboratory, their use in the field in an augmentative release program may be constrained by the need to use high densities, their dependence on moist soils, and their inability to propagate themselves within grape phylloxera host

Unintentional miRNA Ablation Is a Risk Factor in Gene Knockout Studies: A Short Report

One of the most powerful techniques for studying the function of a gene is to disrupt the expression of that gene using genetic engineering strategies such as targeted recombination or viral integration of gene trap cassettes. The tremendous utility of these tools was recognized this year with the awarding of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine to Capecchi, Evans, and Smithies for their pioneering work in targeted recombination mutagenesis in mammals. Another noteworthy discovery made nearly a decade ago was the identification of a novel class of non-coding genes called microRNAs. MicroRNAs are among the largest known classes of regulatory elements with more than 1000 predicted to exist in the mouse genome. Over 50% of known microRNAs are located within introns of coding genes. Given that currently about half of the genes in mouse have been knocked out, we investigated the possibility that intronic microRNAs may have been coincidentally deleted or disrupted in some of these mouse models. We searched published murine knockout studies and gene trap embryonic stem cell line databases for cases where a microRNA was located within or near the manipulated genomic loci, finding almost 200 cases where microRNA expression may have been disrupted along with another gene. Our results draw attention to the need for careful planning in future knockout studies to minimize the unintentional disruption of microRNAs. These data also raise the possibility that many knockout studies may need to be reexamined to determine if loss of a microRNA contributes to the phenotypic consequences attributed to loss of a protein-encoding gene

Genetic Structure in Native Populations of Grape Phylloxera (Homoptera: Phylloxeridae)

Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were used to study genetic structure and diversity in native grape phylloxera populations growing on Vitis arizonica Englemann in central Arizona and on V. riparia Michaux in New York. RAPD data from the Arizona collections were clustered into 3 subpopulations, whereas data from the New York collections were not clustered, which reflected topographic features and the distribution of the sampled vines. Similarity coefficients of the 2 collection areas had similar ranges (0.89-1.0). The similarity coefficient between the Arizona and New York collections was 0.62. Analyses of molecular variance were used to partition the variance in genetic distances, and confirmed the results of the dendrogram clustering. The clustering of the Arizona populations is likely the result of gene flow restriction caused by geographic isolation. Greater diversity was expected among the Arizona populations. That diversity levels were similar suggests that other factors, such as inbreeding or past population history, must play a role in the relatively low level of diversity found in Arizon

On the Lessons Learned from the Operations of the ERBE Nonscanner Instrument in Space and the Production of the Nonscanner TOA Radiation Budget Dataset

Monitoring the flow of radiative energy at top-of-atmosphere (TOA) is essential for understanding the Earths climate and how it is changing with time. The determination of TOA global net radiation budget using broadband nonscanner instruments has received renewed interest recently due to advances in both instrument technology and the availability of small satellite platforms. The use of such instruments for monitoring Earths radiation budget was attempted in the past from satellite missions such as the Nimbus 7 and the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE). This paper discusses the important lessons learned from the operation of the ERBE nonscanner instrument and the production of the ERBE nonscanner TOA radiation budget data set that have direct relevance to current nonscanner instrument efforts

Comparison of Three Dispenser Distribution Patterns for Pheromone Mating Disruption of Paralobesia viteana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in Vineyards

Over two growing seasons, Isomate GBM-Plus tube-type dispensers releasing the major pheromone component of grape berry moth, Paralobesia viteana (Clemens) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), were evaluated in vineyards (Vitis spp.) in Michigan, New York, and Pennsylvania. Dispensers were deployed in three different density-arrangement treatments: 124 dispensers per ha, 494 dispensers per ha, and a combined treatment with 124 dispensers per ha in the vineyard interior and 988 dispensers per ha at the vineyard border, equivalent to an overall density of 494 dispensers per ha. Moth captures and cluster infestation levels were compared at the perimeter and interior of vineyards receiving these different pheromone treatments and in vineyards receiving no pheromone. Orientation of male moths to pheromone-baited traps positioned at the perimeter and interior of vineyards was reduced as a result of mating disruption treatments compared with the nontreated control. These findings were consistent over both years of the study. Disruption of male moth captures in traps varied from 93 to 100% in treated vineyards, with the 494 dispensers per ha application rates providing significantly higher level of disruption than the 124 dispensers per ha rate, but only in 2007. Measurements of percentage of cluster infestation indicated much higher infestation at perimeters than in the interior of the vineyards in all three regions, but in both sample positions there was no significant effect of dispenser density on cluster infestation levels in either year. The contrasting results of high disruption of moth orientation to traps in vineyards that also had low levels of crop protection from this pheromone treatment are discussed in the context of strategies to improve mating disruption of this tortricid pes

The state of the Martian climate

60°N was +2.0°C, relative to the 1981–2010 average value (Fig. 5.1). This marks a new high for the record. The average annual surface air temperature (SAT) anomaly for 2016 for land stations north of starting in 1900, and is a significant increase over the previous highest value of +1.2°C, which was observed in 2007, 2011, and 2015. Average global annual temperatures also showed record values in 2015 and 2016. Currently, the Arctic is warming at more than twice the rate of lower latitudes