J. Bennison

Bio: J. Bennison is an academic researcher from ADAS. The author has contributed to research in topics: Western flower thrips & Deroceras panormitanum. The author has an hindex of 8, co-authored 13 publications receiving 393 citations.

Approaches to conserving natural enemy populations in greenhouse crops: current methods and future prospects

Abstract: Biological pest control in greenhouse crops is usually based on periodical releases of mass-produced natural enemies, and this method has been successfully applied for decades. However, in some cases there are shortcomings in pest control efficacy, which often can be attributed to the poor establishment of natural enemies. Their establishment and population numbers can be enhanced by providing additional resources, such as alternative food, prey, hosts, oviposition sites or shelters. Furthermore, natural enemy efficacy can be enhanced by using volatiles, adapting the greenhouse climate, avoiding pesticide side-effects and minimizing disrupting food web complexities. The special case of high value crops in a protected greenhouse environment offers tremendous opportunities to design and manage the system in ways that increase crop resilience to pest infestations. While we have outlined opportunities and tools to develop such systems, this review also identifies knowledge gaps, where additional research is needed to optimize these tools.

Report of resistance to the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid in Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae)

Abstract: Susceptibilities of UK and mainland European samples of Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood) to the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid were investigated over a 7 year period. All 24 strains collected between 1997 and 2003 showed similar baseline levels of susceptibility to that of a known susceptible laboratory strain when exposed to a diagnostic concentration (128 mg L−1) of formulated imidacloprid. Two samples collected during 2004, one from the UK and one from The Netherlands, demonstrated reduced susceptibility at this concentration. Using dose–response assays, the presence of resistant individuals was disclosed in both these strains; some individuals were unaffected at doses high enough to induce phytotoxic effects. This report represents the first confirmed cases of neonicotinoid resistance inducing control failures in T. vaporariorum, and highlights a need for careful vigilance to sustain the effectiveness of imidacloprid and related neonicotinoid insecticides. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry

The behavioural response of slugs and snails to novel molluscicides, irritants and repellents

Abstract: The behavioural response of the slug Deroceras panormitanum (Lessona and Pollonera) and the snail Oxyloma pfeifferi (Rossmassler) to novel molluscicides was investigated in choice and no-choice experiments. Low-light video-recording in combination with automated tracking and event recording was used to identify the repellent and irritant effects of (1) cinnamamide, (2) copper ammonium carbonate, (3) a mulch, (4) a horticultural ground-cover matting impregnated with a copper formulation and (5) urea/formaldehyde. In the no-choice experiments the products had a stronger irritant effect on the snails than on the slugs. All products tested except the mulch significantly reduced the locomotor activity of both the slugs and snails. The most effective product, cinnamamide, reduced snail locomotor activity by 94% and track length by 96%. The overall repellent effect of the treatments in the choice experiments was stronger in the slugs; where presence, locomotor activity and track length in the treated area were significantly reduced by all products. The avoidance of treated areas exceeded 95% with the mulch (for slugs) and with copper ammonium carbonate (for snails).

Overview of the Status and Global Strategy for Neonicotinoids

Abstract: In recent years, neonicotinoid insecticides have been the fastest growing class of insecticides in modern crop protection, with widespread use against a broad spectrum of sucking and certain chewing pests. As potent agonists, they act selectively on insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), their molecular target site. The discovery of neonicotinoids can be considered as a milestone in insecticide research and greatly facilitates the understanding of functional properties of the insect nAChRs. In this context, the crystal structure of the acetylcholine-binding proteins provides the theoretical foundation for designing homology models of the corresponding receptor ligand binding domains within the nAChRs, a useful basis for virtual screening of chemical libraries and rational design of novel insecticides acting on these practically relevant channels. Because of the relatively low risk for nontarget organisms and the environment, the high target specificity of neonicotinoid insecticides, and their ...

The Use of Push-Pull Strategies in Integrated Pest Management

Abstract: Push-pull strategies involve the behavioral manipulation of insect pests and their natural enemies via the integration of stimuli that act to make the protected resource unattractive or unsuitable to the pests (push) while luring them toward an attractive source (pull) from where the pests are subsequently removed. The push and pull components are generally nontoxic. Therefore, the strategies are usually integrated with methods for population reduction, preferably biological control. Push-pull strategies maximize efficacy of behavior-manipulating stimuli through the additive and synergistic effects of integrating their use. By orchestrating a predictable distribution of pests, efficiency of population-reducing components can also be increased. The strategy is a useful tool for integrated pest management programs reducing pesticide input. We describe the principles of the strategy, list the potential components, and present case studies reviewing work on the development and use of push-pull strategies in each of the major areas of pest control.

Diversity and Distribution of Floral Scent

Abstract: A list of 1719 chemical compounds identified from headspace samples of floral scent is presented. The list has been compiled from some 270 published papers, including analyses of 991 species of flowering plants and a few gymnosperms, a sample including seed plants from 90 families and 38 orders. The compounds belong to seven major compound classes, of which the aliphatics, the benzenoids and phenylpropanoids, and, among the terpenes, the mono- and sesquiterpenes, occur in most orders of seeds plants. C5-branched compounds, irregular terpenes, nitrogen-containing compounds, and a class of miscellaneous cyclic compounds have been recorded in about two-thirds of the orders. Sulfur-containing compounds occur in a third of the orders, whereas diterpenes have been reported from three orders only. The most common single compounds in floral scent are the monoterpenes limonene, (E)-β-ocimene, myrcene, linalool, α- and β-pinene, and the benzenoids benzaldehyde, methyl 2-hydroxybenzoate (methyl salicylate), benzyl alcohol, and 2-phenyl ethanol, which occur in 54–71% of the families investigated so far. The sesquiterpene caryophyllene and the irregular terpene 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one are also common and occur in more than 50% of the families. Orchidaceae are by far the best investigated family, followed by several families known to have many species with strongly scented flowers, such as Araceae, Arecaceae, Magnoliaceae, and Rosaceae. However, the majority of angiosperm families are still poorly investigated. Relationships between floral scent and pollination, chemistry, evolution, and phylogeny are briefly discussed. It is concluded that floral scent chemistry is of little use for phylogenetic estimates above the genus level, whereas the distribution and combinations of floral scent compounds at species and subspecific levels is a promising field of investigation for the understanding of adaptations and evolutionary processes in angiosperms.

Applied aspects of neonicotinoid uses in crop protection.

Abstract: Neonicotinoid insecticides comprise seven commercially marketed active ingredients: imidacloprid, acetamiprid, nitenpyram, thiamethoxam, thiacloprid, clothianidin and dinotefuran. The technical profiles and main differences between neonicotinoid insecticides, including their spectrum of efficacy, are described: use for vector control, systemic properties and versatile application forms, especially seed treatment. New formulations have been developed to optimize the bioavailability of neonicotinoids through improved rain fastness, better retention and spreading of the spray deposit on the leaf surface, combined with higher leaf penetration. Combined formulations with pyrethroids and other insecticides are also being developed with the aim of broadening the insecticidal spectrum of neonicotinoids and to replace WHO Class I products from older chemical classes. These innovative developments for life-cycle management, jointly with the introduction of generic products, will, within the next few years, turn neonicotinoids into the most important chemical class in crop protection.