CABI

About: CABI is a nonprofit organization based out in Wallingford, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Introduced species. The organization has 789 authors who have published 1759 publications receiving 73843 citations. The organization is also known as: Centre for Biosciences and Agriculture International.

Ecological Studies on the Larger Grain Borer, Prostephanus truncatus (Horn) (Col.: Bostrichidae) and their Implications for Integrated Pest Management

Abstract: In this article, we review studies of the ecology of the larger grain borer, Protephanustruncatus, both outside and within the maize storage systems. Laboratory studies have shown that P. truncatus can breed on a wide range of woody substrates (branches, roots, and seeds). Pheromone trap catches in different habitats strongly suggest that P. truncatus is well-established in certain non-agricultural environments, presumably breeding in dead or dying wood. In Meso-America, West and East Africa, P. truncatus reproduction in the field has been documented in branches ring-barked by cerambycid beetles. Within a maize store, P. truncatus densities can increase from very small initial colonies of probably less than 200 individuals to densities in excess of 1000 beetles per kg after about 4–6 months of storage. Insect parasitoids are very often found in smallholders' grain stores attacked by P. truncatus, but they do not contribute significantly to population regulation. Declines in maize store population levels in Benin from 1993 to 1996, and in adult abundance in pheromone traps in the natural environment in Kenya, have been attributed to predation by the introduced predator, Teretriusnigrescens, but in recent years pheromone trap catches in West Africa suggest that the situation may be complex. Several environmental factors, notably temperature, humidity, and daylength, and their interactions, have been correlated with P. truncatus flight activity, as well as, in West Africa, the emptying of maize stores. Laboratory experiments have shown food quality also affects flight activity. Factors terminating dispersal and flight are most likely attraction to the male-released aggregation pheromone. Short range attraction to plant volatiles has also been recorded. In Africa the highest densities of P. truncatus tend to occur in humid lowlands, which contrasts with the situation in meso-America where P. truncatus tend to occur in greatest numbers in cooler upland regions. Pheromone trap catches can be significant predictors of the risk of stores becoming infested. Coupled with the development of a rule-based model of flight activity, these studies may offer the prospect of predicting the risk of store infestation based upon temperature and humidity measurements.

The biology and taxonomy of rust fungi associated with the neotropical vine Mikania micrantha, a major invasive weed in Asia

Abstract: Three microcyclic rust species were collected during surveys of the perennial asteraceous vine Mikania micrantha (Eupatorieae: Asteraceae) throughout its native range in the Neotropics but were abs...

Potential of Aloe vera gel coating for storage life extension and quality conservation of fruits and vegetables: An overview.

Abstract: Aloe vera (ALV) with its unique nutritional profile is being used for food, health, and nutraceutical industries globally. Due to its organic nature, ALV gel coating has created lot of interest for exploring its potential in extending the shelf and storage life of fresh produce. ALV gel coating plays imperative role in delaying fruit ripening by lowering ethylene biosynthesis, respiration rate, and internal metabolic activities associated with fruit softening, color development, enzymatic browning, and decay. ALV gel coating reduces the microbial spoilage due to its antifungal properties and maintains visual appearance, firmness, sugar: acid ratio, total antioxidants, and phenolic contents with conserved eating quality. ALV coated fruits and vegetables showed reduced weight loss, superoxide ion ( O 2 - ∙ ), hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ), ion leakage, and soluble solids content and exhibited higher acidity, anthocyanins, ascorbic acid, catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activities. It also delayed the enzymatic browning by inducing peroxidase (POD) activity during storage. Recent local studies also revealed that ALV gel coating markedly conserved higher consuming quality and extended storage period (>1.34-fold) of different fruits and vegetables. Overall, Aloe vera gel coating alone or in combination with other organic compounds has shown great potential as a food-safe and eco-friendly coating for maintaining the quality of fruits and vegetables over extended period and reducing postharvest losses in the supply chain. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: ALV gel is a plant-based natural coating of eco-friendly nature. The present review summarizes the updated information of ALV gel coating application, methods of extraction, combinations with other postharvest coatings, and its impact on quality of various fruits and vegetables. It also provides future insights for the development of commercially applicable ALV gel coating protocols through simulation studies. So, being a natural coating, ALV gel has tremendous potential to be used in fruit and vegetable industries around the globe.

Rice Sheath Blight — Pathogen Biology and Diversity

Abstract: Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn was originally reported causing sheath blight of rice in Japan at the beginning of this century (Miyake, 1910). However, rice sheath blight has developed into a major disease only during the past two decades. Nowadays, the disease is second only to, and often rivals, rice blast (Pyricularia oryzae) in terms of economic importance in many major rice-growing countries. The emergence of R. solani as a major rice pathogen has been attributed to the intensification of the rice-cropping system characterised by the development of new, short-statured, high-tillering, high-yielding varieties and an increase in nitrogen fertilisation inducing a favourable micro-climate for the pathogen. The rice sheath blight pathogen has been associated with isolates of one particular intraspecific group (ISG) of Rhizoctonia solani, anastomosis group (AG) 1 IA (Yamaguchi et al., 1984; Vijayan and Nair, 1985; Borthakur and Addy, 1988; Jones and Belmar, 1989), but diversity within this ISG appears to be much greater than was previously assumed (Liu and Sinclair, 1993). Detailed knowledge of pathogen characteristics at this taxonomic level is still lacking and has hampered understanding of the patho-systems.