Spray applications are most effective when they cover the greatest per unit area, improving target pest control.
When used alone, only a minority of biological control programs succeed in bringing the target pest population under sufficient control.
Younger D. pulchellus females had previously demonstrated greater motivation to oviposit in the target pest and were, therefore, predicted to express a broader host range than older females.
For insects, of the 21 projects discussed, 62% (13) achieved complete control of the target pest, 19% (4) provided partial control, and 43% (9) are still in progress.
High abundance of prey species other than the target pest (alternative prey) may decrease generalist predator predation on the pest via prey substitution.
Fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), is the main target pest of transgenic maize expressing insecticidal proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (Bt) in Brazil.
This is the first report showing sustainable resistance in transgenic B. juncea with ASAL gene against the target pest, mustard aphid.
"As ecologists have pointed out from the start, you take out a target pest, you're likely to have secondary pests coming because that's how ecology works: you vacate one niche, you'll have another niche take its place," she said.
Farmers preferred to plant the refuge option where 5% of the field area is planted to conventional maize, which is not sprayed with insecticide instead of the 20% refuge area on which insecticide application against the target pest is allowed.
While the key strategy to delay resistance is the mandatory planting of a non-Bt refuge crop that is preferred by the target pest, the efficacy of this resistance management strategy across different landscape contexts over time is rarely considered.
The treatment caused 100% mortality of fifth-instar navel orangeworm larvae, the most heat tolerant target pest, in both unwashed and air-dried walnuts, and was effective over a relatively wide range of walnut moisture contents (3 7.5%).
