生态安全视角下的油菜花病害防治对蜂农的经济与生态影响研究

Clubroot disease, caused by Plasmodiophora brassicae, ranks among the most significant diseases affecting rapeseed cultivars, leading to substantial annual yield losses. Current control methods are limited to a small selection of chemical or biological treatments. Using biocontrol organisms presents a promising strategy for reducing disease severity and promoting plant vigour. However, their efficacy is strongly dependent on biotic and abiotic factors during the growing season, as well as the specific application conditions. In the present study, we evaluated the efficacy of the biocontrol fungus Acremonium alternatum in reducing clubroot disease symptoms across different susceptible and resistant rapeseed cultivars (Brassica napus) under various experimental greenhouse settings employing different types of P. brassicae inoculum: a uniform single spore isolate e3 and two German field isolates P1 and P1 ( +). We found that A. alternatum can reduce clubroot disease symptoms in susceptible rapeseed cultivars Visby, Ability and Jenifer, but not cv. Jumbo, when inoculated with the aggressive single spore isolate P. brassicae e3 at moderate (106 spores mL−1) and high (107 spores mL−1) densities. A. alternatum enhanced plant vitality and shoot biomass in cv. Visby inoculated with field isolates P1 or P1 ( +) but did not considerably reduce clubroot severity there. The clubroot-resistant cv. Mentor displayed a reduction in clubroot symptoms after A. alternatum treatment. In conclusion, A. alternatum holds some promise in managing moderate P. brassicae levels in the soil and could serve as an option in integrated pest management of clubroot disease when combined with resistant cultivars.

The clubroot disease is a devastating threat to Brassica crops throughout many parts of the world. Recently, it has become more prevalent in several European countries, particularly in rapeseed (canola, Brassica napus ). The disease is difficult to control and only a few chemical treatments are available. The majority of control approaches focus on hygiene, crop rotation and in particular resistant cultivars. However, such resistance often relies on single genes and is rarely employed in Europe. Other possibilities include the exploitation of biocontrol agents, which have not yet proven effective in combating this disease. Rapeseed is not the only crop susceptible to the soilborne protist Plasmodiophora brassicae (Kingdom Chromista), but it may account for a large proportion of the commercial cash crops. Since the protist cannot be cultivated outside of its host, research relies on either investigating interactions with the host or using heterologous expression systems, which will not be discussed here. In this case study, a worldwide perspective on infested rapeseed plants that pose a threat to clubroot dissemination is presented. The complex life cycle is discussed, as well as possible control strategies such as breeding or interactions with beneficial microbes. © The Author 2024

BACKGROUND Sclerotinia stem rot, caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, threatens winter rapeseed (Brassica napus) production in Germany, with potential yield losses of up to 30%. The current SkleroPro model provides regional Sclerotinia risk assessments but has shown declining predictive accuracy. This study aims to enhance SkleroPro by integrating a newly developed phenological model to predict flowering stages and a sclerotia germination module to improve disease risk forecasting. RESULTS A phenological model was developed using temperature and photoperiod as key predictors. The model achieved a root mean square error (RMSE) of 3.83 days for predicting flowering stages (BBCH 58-70). A sclerotia germination model was created, with 79% accuracy, incorporating mean maximum temperature and relative humidity as predictors. Integration of these models into SkleroPro improved disease risk prediction, increasing accuracy from 39% to 66%. Sensitivity rose to 90%, ensuring a low risk of underestimating disease outbreaks. CONCLUSION The enhanced SkleroPro model improves disease risk forecasting by identifying high- and low-risk windows for fungicide application, reducing unnecessary treatments while maintaining effective disease control. This decision support tool promotes sustainable winter rapeseed production. The model is currently undergoing further validation with the German Plant Protection Services before being made freely available to farmers. © 2025 The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

In recent years, with the increased production of oilseed rape, there has been a simultaneous enhancement in reports on pathogens causing diseases. Magnetic technology has been recognized as a new agricultural method aimed at improving health and crop production. In this work, the effect of magnetic fields was studied on the mycelial growth and conidia formation of Leptosphaeria maculans Gol125 and Leptosphaeria biglobosa KH36, the causal agents of Phoma stem cancer (blackleg) disease in rapeseed. In addition, seeds exposed to eight direct frequencies of magnetic fields were impregnated with pathogen suspension and grown under greenhouse conditions. The growth speed of both pathogen isolates decreased by 1–28% in GOL125 and 6–46% in KH36 over time in cultures exposed to magnetic fields. However, the number of conidia increased significantly under magnetic field exposure, reaching 5.4 × 107 and 7.7 × 107 SFU/ml in KH36 and GOL125 isolates, respectively. Furthermore, in greenhouse conditions, an increase in photosynthetic pigment levels was observed in almost all of the magnetic field-treated plants. In addition, disease incidence decreased by around 6% in the magnetic field-treated plants. This study represents the first evaluation of magnetic technology in controlling plant diseases. The use of magnetic fields may present a viable strategy for a sustainable production system; however, it requires further advanced studies to improve plant health and productivity.

Rapeseed Sclerotinia stem rot, caused by Sclerotinia fungi, is a devastating agricultural disease-causing massive yield losses globally. However, the current rapeseed Sclerotinia stem rot detection and control using Raman spectroscopy is limited, and unable to meet the demand for high-precision detection and integration of various types of Sclerotinia stem rot fungus. In this study, a flexible 3D core-shell Ag-SiO2 microsphere SERS substrate integrated with a pumpless multichannel microfluidic chip was proposed. The flexible SERS substrates were used for precise identification fungus such as Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Sclerotinia minor. The flexible Ag-SiO2 microsphere SERS substrate demonstrated a linear detection range of 10-2-10-12 M for Rhodamine 6G (R2 = 0.958), achieving an enhancement factor of 8.5 × 1010 at 1506 cm-1 with 6.93 % RSD and 10-12 M detection limit. The proposed flexible SERS microfluidic chip provides a promising application for microbial detection and analysis.

The main aim of the study was to develop environment-friendly organic module for rapeseed production to provide pesticide free edible oil for mankind. The field trial was laid out with four treatments having six replications in a randomized block design for five years at AAU-Zonal Research Station, Shillongani, Assam during Rabi 2017-18 to 2021-22. Treatments, T1 and T2 were the organic modules (M I and M II), T3 was with recommended package of practices (PoP) and T4 was the absolute control. The initial and the final soil nutrient status as well as soil microbial population were tested using standard procedure. It was observed that the treatments with PoP (T3) recorded the lowest disease severity and insect-pest pressure and yielded the highest. Interestingly, it was found that the two organic modules were also successful in obtaining good yield and had a significant difference over the control plot. Treatment T2 i.e., organic module II comprising seed inoculation with Trichoderma viride based biopesticide (Biogreen-5) and biofertilizer (Azotobacter & PSB) + soil application of vermicompost + rock phosphate + borax + foliar spray with Bacillus megaterium + foliar sprays of NSKE 5% (need based) + installation of bird perch and yellow sticky trap recorded yield of 10.29 q ha-1, which was statistically at par with T3(10.44 q ha-1). The higher yield under organic module II might be attributed to lower disease severity of both Alternaria leaf (21.0%) and pod blight (13.6%) and aphid population (7.48 10-1 cm terminal shoot). The field trial showed that organic module II has enough potential to lower Alternaria blight severity and aphid population of rapeseed and, also improve soil nutrient status as well as soil microbial population. Organic farming would ultimately enhance ecosystem productivity and sustainability in long term. It would also improve soil health, reduces environmental pollution leading to better human health.

Alternaria blight caused by Alternaria spp. is a major bio-bottleneck to rapeseed production in Nepal. Field experiments were conducted during the winter seasons of 2023 and 2024 at the Oilseed Research Program (ORP), Nawalpur, Sarlahi to evaluate the comparative efficacy of fungicides against Alternaria blight and their influence on yield of rapeseed. The trials were laid out in a randomized complete block design with seven treatments ancozeb 75% WP @ 2.5 g/L, Azoxystrobin 23% EC (Amistar) @ 1 g/L, Tebuconazole 25% EC (Folicur) @ 1 g/Ll, Fenamidone 50% SC (Reason) @ 1 g/L, Trifloxystrobin 50% WG (Flint) @ 0.5 g/L, Chlorothalonil 50% SC (Bravo) @ 3 g/L including control (Water spray) and three replications using the variety Nawalpur Tori 4. All allocated fungicidal treatments were applied as two foliar sprays at 60 and 75 days after sowing following the onset of disease. Fungicide application significantly (P<0.05) reduced disease severity and improved yield in both years. Fenamidone @1 g/L of water (Reason 50%SC) consistently gave the lowest percent disease index (27.98–29.50%) and the highest grain yield (1178–1213 kg/ha), followed by Tebuconazole @ 1g/l of water (Folicur (25% EC). The untreated control exhibited the highest disease severity and lowest yield. The results confirm the effectiveness of Fenamidone for managing Alternaria blight and enhancing rapeseed productivity.

Rapeseed is an important oil crop, but it is easily attacked by a variety of diseases during its growth process, especially the main diseases such as Sclerotinia sclerotiorum , Plasmodiophora brassicae and Leptosphaeria maculans are seriously harmful to yield and quality. These diseases often present symbiotic phenomena that occur simultaneously or alternately in the fields, changing the prevalence of a single disease and bringing complexity to prevention and control. This study reviews the types, distribution, occurrence characteristics and symbiotic patterns of the main diseases of rapeseed, and focuses on analyzing the interaction relationships of multiple pathogens on the same host, including synergistic and antagonistic effects and their impact on the prevalence of the disease. At the same time, the factors affecting the occurrence of disease symbiosis were discussed from the aspects of environmental climate, cultivation measures and host resistance, and comprehensive prevention and control strategies in the context of multiple diseases were summarized, such as breeding of disease-resistant varieties, agricultural prevention and control measures and biological agent applications. Finally, we will look forward to the trend of research on symbiosis of rapeseed diseases, emphasizing that we need to strengthen the research on multi-pathogen composite infection mechanism and comprehensive prevention and control technology, in order to provide theoretical basis and practical guidance for the sustainable management of rapeseed diseases.

The clubroot disease caused by the soil-borne pathogen Plasmodiophora brassicae is one of the most important diseases of cruciferous crops worldwide. As with many plant pathogens, the spread is closely related to the cultivation of suitable host plants. In addition, temperature and water availability are crucial determinants for the occurrence and reproduction of clubroot disease. Current global changes are contributing to the widespread incidence of clubroot disease. On the one hand, global trade and high prices are leading to an increase in the cultivation of the host plant rapeseed worldwide. On the other hand, climate change is improving the living conditions of the pathogen P. brassicae in temperate climates and leading to its increased occurrence. Well-known ways to control efficiently this disease include arable farming strategies: growing host plants in wide crop rotations, liming the contaminated soils, and using resistant host plants. Since chemical control of the clubroot disease is not possible or not ecologically compatible, more and more alternative control options are being investigated. In this review, we address the challenges for its control, with a focus on biological control options.

Sclerotinia stem rot, caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, is a devastating disease in rapeseed. The objective of this study was to investigate the role and the mechanism of silicon (Si) in alleviating the disease severity of S. sclerotiorum in rapeseed. In the absorption assays, the rapeseed that absorbed 10 mM of K2SiO3 exhibited an 86% decrease in lesion size on infected leaves as compared with controls. In the spray assay, the lesion length on rapeseed stems was reduced by 30.5–32.9% with the use of 100 mM of a foliar Si fertilizer as compared with controls. In the pot assay, the lesion length on rapeseed stems was reduced by 34.9–38.3% when using the Si fertilizer as basal fertilizer. In the field assay, both the disease incidence and disease index of sclerotinia stem rot were significantly reduced with the usage of a solid Si fertilizer, Si foliar fertilizer, and the application of both, without negative affection on the main agronomic traits and seed quality of rapeseed. The transcriptome sequencing, quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR), and biochemical assays between K2SO4- and K2SiO3- treated rapeseed leaves revealed that Si promoted the biosynthesis of defense-related substances and enhanced the antioxidation and detoxification abilities of rapeseed after infection. Thus, this study concluded that Si can alleviate the disease severity of S. sclerotiorum in rapeseeds, partially due to the induced defense responses.

Rapeseed (Brassica napus) is an essential oil resource, but its yield can be significantly compromised by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (S. sclerotiorum) infection. Due to the absence of rapeseed strains that are highly or completely immune to S. sclerotiorum, enhancing rapeseed resistance through genetic approaches is challenging. In this study, we developed a novel method to enhance rapeseed resistance to S. sclerotiorum using β-ocimene. Our results demonstrated that β-ocimene treatment significantly strengthened the defense capabilities of rapeseed. β-ocimene treatment can simultaneously activate multiple defense-related signaling pathways, including jasmonic acid signaling, salicylic acid signaling, and MAPK signaling, in rapeseed, while also inducing the accumulation of secondary metabolites coniferyl aldehyde—a key secondary metabolite in the phenylpropanoid pathway critical for plant defense responses. Furthermore, applying coniferyl aldehyde to the leaves of rapeseed can remarkably enhance its resistance to sclerotinia disease. Collectively, these findings confirm that β-ocimene activates the defense system of rapeseed, elevates the content of coniferyl aldehyde, and thereby enables rapeseed to effectively combat sclerotinia disease. The metabolomics data are available via MetaboLights under the identifier MTBLS12510. In conclusion, this study not only uncovers the mechanism by which β-ocimene induces rapeseed resistance to sclerotinia disease but also presents a novel approach for its prevention and control.

Plant disease control is one of the essential aspects of food production Use of pesticide causes severe damage to our environment and have terrible effects on human health. It has been observed that the abundance use of pesticides also disturbs natural populations of various beneficial insects. Now environmental pollution has become a global problem, and due to the negative effect of chemical control, we must focus on new methods to control plant diseases, and the best of them is to use biological control method; this method includes the use of various beneficial microorganism having the potential to control plant diseases. Viruses that infect fungi are called as mycoviruses, and some of them could confer hypovirulence and thus have the capacity to control fungal diseases. Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, a widespread ascomycete fungus, can attack more than 450 plant species and subspecies. It causes stem rot on rapeseed and leads to substantial economic loss each year. Previously, several hypovirulence-associated mycoviruses have been identified from S. sclerotiorum, suggesting that this fungus could host various mycoviruses. Keywords: Biological control, Hypovirulence, Mycovirus, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, RNA-seq, virus transmission

No abstract available

The purpose of the research is to determine the biological and economic effectiveness of fungicides of various chemical groups against necrotrophic pathogens Phoma lingam (Tode) Desm. and Alternaria sp. on spring rapeseed crops in the south of the Non-Chernozem zone. A significant effect in curbing the development and prevalence of these diseases was after the application of fungicides Spirit, SK (azoxystrobin 240 g/l + epoxiconazole 160 g/l) at a rate of 0.7 l/ha and Kolosal Pro (propiconazole 300 g/l) + tebuconazole 200 g/ha) at a rate of 0.5 l/ha with double treatment of spring rape crops in the phase of formation of a rosette of leaves - transition to stem formation (BBCH-25-30) and in the flowering phase of the harvest (BBCH-63-65). The decrease in the prevalence of Alternaria blight by the yellow-green bean phase in these variants ranged from 64 to 65%rel, in development – from 73 to 75%rel, the prevalence of Phoma rot – from 62 to 67%rel, in development from 68 to 79%rel accordingly to the control variant. The greatest economic efficiency was after double treatment of rapeseed with Kolosal Pro - 47% (2,83 t/ha).

No abstract available

There are approximately 3,400 beekeeping farms in Latvia with more than 100,000 registered bee colonies. Most of them are family businesses and are not united in cooperatives, organizations or producer groups. This study analyzes the operation of beekeeping farms in Latgale, evaluating the factors that affect their productivity and development. The aim of the study is to determine the relationship between beekeeping practices, farm size, education level, marketing strategies, bee diseases, climate conditions and other factors, and how they affect honey yields and farm openness in Latgale (Latvia). The study used correlation analysis between different factors. The results showed that professional beekeepers, for whom beekeeping is the main source of income, are more open to tourism, have registered with the Food and Veterinary Service (PVD), change queen bees in a controlled manner, sow nectar plants, have developed product identification marks, have a higher number of honey extractions per season, and on average collect more than 50 kg of honey from one colony per season. It was also found that the beekeeper's level of education and the farm's visibility have a positive impact on honey yield and sales price. For example, more educated beekeepers produce 15% more honey per colony on average, and their honey sales price is 10% higher. In addition, it was found that beekeepers who have fewer problems with neighbors using pesticides tend to have higher honey yields. These findings could be useful for developing recommendations for the sustainable development of the beekeeping industry in Latgale.

The aim of the study was to assess the efficiency of fungicides Prozaro, EC; Acanto plus, SС; Pictor Active, SС against a complex of pathogens on winter rapeseed. The studies were carried out at the field stationary of the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution “Federal Research Center of Biological Plant Protection” (FSBSI FSCBP) in the central agroclimatic zone of Krasnodar Krai. The experiments were carried out on the winter rapeseed variety Onyx bred by the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution “Federal Research Center “V.S. Pustovoit All-Russian Research Institute of Oil Crops” (FSBSI FRC ARRIOC). Significant damage to the studied crop is known to be caused by biotrophic pathogens Phoma lingam, (Tode) Desm, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) and Alternaria fungi throughout most of the growing season. Assessment of the biological efficacy of fungicides Prozaro, EC; Acanto plus, SC; Pictor Active, SС revealed that significant effect on these diseases was achieved by using preparations containing prothioconazole 125 g/l + tebuconazole 125 g/l at an application rate of 0.8 l/ha, picoxystrobin 200 g/l + cyproconazole 80 g/l at an application rate of 0.6 l/ha and pyraclostrobin 250 g/l + boscalid 150 g/l at an application rate of 0.8 l/ha with a single treatment of rapeseed crops in the stem formation - beginning of crop budding phase (BBCH 50). Their biological efficacy against phomosis ranged from 74.1 to 81.5%, alternaria from 82.7 to 85.2%, sclerotinia from 81.5 to 87.7%. The use of fungicides containing these active ingredients contributed to the winter rapeseed yield of 22.5 to 22.8 c/ha, which was higher than the control (without treatment) by 0.8–1.3 c/ha, while the preserved yield was 3.7–6.0%.

Plant disease is one of the most important causes of crop losses worldwide. The effective control of plant disease is related to food security. Sclerotinia stem rot (SSR) caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum leads to serious yield losses in rapeseed ( Brassica napus ) production. Hypovirulent strain DT-8 of S. sclerotiorum , infected with Sclerotinia sclerotiorum hypovirulence-associated DNA virus 1 (SsHADV-1), has the potential to control SSR. In this study, we found rapeseed bio-priming with strain DT-8 could significantly decrease the disease severity of SSR and increase yield in the field. After bio-priming, strain DT-8 could be detected on the aerial part of the rapeseed plant. By 16S rRNA gene and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequencing technique, the microbiome on different parts of the SSR lesion on bioprimed and non-bioprimed rapeseed stem was determined. The results indicated that SSR and bio-priming treatment could influence the structure and composition of fungal and bacterial communities. Bio-priming treatment could reduce the total abundance of possible plant pathogens and enhance the connectivity and robustness of the interaction network at the genus level. This might be one of the mechanisms that rapeseed bioprimed with strain DT-8 had excellent tolerance on SSR. It might be another possible mechanism of biocontrol and will provide a theoretical guide for agricultural practical production.

Indian mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czern and Coss.] is one of the most popular rabi oil seed crop in India. It’s belonging to family Cruciferae (Brassicaceae). It is mostly cultivated rabi, crop of Northern as well as North eastern region of India. Indian mustard contributes about 85 per cent of total rapeseed-mustard production in India [1]. Crucial Indian mustard growing states are Rajasthan (50%), Uttar Pradesh (12.3%), Haryana (11.2%), Madhya Pradesh (9.8%), Gujrat (6.5%) and West Bengal (5.1%). Indian mustard is affected by many major diseases like Fungal, Bacterial, Viral, and also parasitic nematode. In mustard maximum losses in yield occurs due to microbial diseases. Among the major disease viz., Alternaria blight (Alternaria brassicae, Alternaria brassicicola, Alternaria alternata), White rust (Albugo candida), Downey mildew (Peronospora parasitica), Powdery mildew (Erysiphe cruciferarum), Bacterial blight (Pseudomonas cannabina), and Sclerotinia stem rot (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum). Alternaria blight of Indian mustard is one of the most important disease which reduce quantity and quality of seed yield. Alternaria blight disease is one of the damaging disease among the major diseases of mustard causing up to 70 per cent losses in yield with no proven source of resistance against the disease reported till date in any of the hosts. To control the losses caused by pathogens many farmers are using fungicides to obtain very good yield. The present study was carried out to recognize the effect of different bioagents on control against Alternaria brassicicola under in-vitro condition. Four antagonists viz., Trichoderma viride, Trichoderma harzianum, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Bacillus subtilis, checked the growth of Alternaria brassicicola at point of their contact on culture medium. Among these, maximum inhibition (78.05%) of Alternaria brassicicola was observed in Trichoderma harzianum.

Different soil fungi infect many agricultural crops. They cause infectious diseases of plants and can be a serious threat for crop yield that leads to significant losses in the agricultural economics all over the world. Currently, a chemical method of Brassicaceae oil crops protection is the most spread. An important technique of this method is presowing seed treatment decreasing a level of internal and external infections. Fungicides must be both effective against diseases and environmentally friendly. Currently, there is no unequivocal opinion how the chemical fungicides influence on soil microflora. The purpose of the research was to study impact of some seed protectants on an amount of suppressor fungi from species Trichoderma Pers. and pathogenic fungi from species Fusarium Link. in soil in spring rapeseed agrocenosis. The research was conducted at the V.S. Pustovoit All-Russian Research Institute of Oil Crops in 2020–2022. Before sowing, the seeds were treated with protectants with active ingredients: thiram, WSC (400 g/l) (etalon), carboxin + thiram, WSC (200 + 200 g/l), imazalil + tebuconazole, OE (100 + 60 g/l), and fludioxonil, SC (25 g/l). Soil was sampled before planting of treated rapeseed seeds and in crop phases of 2–4 true leaves and yellow pods. The soil layer from 0 to 10 cm was studied as it contains the most amount of lateral roots of this crop. To the rapeseed maturation, amounts of suppressor fungi in variants with application of preparations was at the level of the control; it increased by 1.8–2.4 × 103 CFU/g and reached 7.3–8.0 × 103 CFU/g, maximal meaning was in variant with an active ingredient fludioxonil (25 g/l). The amount of pathogenic micromycetes Fusarium spp. was by 1.7–2.0 times lower the control to the rapeseed maturation in variants with application of preparations.

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is a dangerous, highly specialized necrotrophic phytopathogen that infects approximately 400 plant species, including economically important crops such as sunflower, rapeseed, soybean, and others. This fungus causes white mold (syn. sclerotiniosis), one of the most destructive diseases, especially in regions with cool and humid climates. The pathogen S. sclerotiorum has a simple life cycle, where infection occurs either via mycelium from dormant sclerotia in the soil or by ascospores from apothecia. The pathogen can penetrate through the stem base or aerially through flowers and dead plant tissues. Soybean cultivation in Russia is continuously expanding,and therefore the pathogen poses a particular problem, leading to significant yield losses. This review summarizes current data on the biology of S. sclerotiorum, its mechanisms of pathogenicity and interaction with the host plant, dissemination pathways, and impact assessment. It also covers methods for monitoring and diagnosing soybean white mold, existing control methods (agronomic, biological, and chemical), as well as achievements and challenges in soybean breeding for white mold resistance. In conclusion, promising research directions are discussed, aimed at developing more effective and environmentally safe methods for protecting soybeans from S. sclerotiorum.

Fungicides, insecticides and herbicides are widely used in agriculture to counteract pathogens and pests. Several of these molecules are toxic to non-target organisms such as pollinators and their lethal dose can be lowered if applied as a mixture. They can cause large and unpredictable problems, spanning from behavioural changes to alterations in the gut. The present work aimed at understanding the synergistic effects on honeybees of a combined in-hive exposure to sub-lethal doses of the insecticide thiacloprid and the fungicide penconazole. A multidisciplinary approach was used: honeybee mortality upon exposure was initially tested in cage, and the colonies development monitored. Morphological and ultrastructural analyses via light and transmission electron microscopy were carried out on the gut of larvae and forager honeybees. Moreover, the main pollen foraging sources and the fungal gut microbiota were studied using Next Generation Sequencing; the gut core bacterial taxa were quantified via qPCR. The mortality test showed a negative effect on honeybee survival when exposed to agrochemicals and their mixture in cage but not confirmed at colony level. Microscopy analyses on the gut epithelium indicated no appreciable morphological changes in larvae, newly emerged and forager honeybees exposed in field to the agrochemicals. Nevertheless, the gut microbial profile showed a reduction of Bombilactobacillus and an increase of Lactobacillus and total fungi upon mixture application. Finally, we highlighted for the first time a significant honeybee diet change after pesticide exposure: penconazole, alone or in mixture, significantly altered the pollen foraging preference, with honeybees preferring Hedera pollen. Overall, our in-hive results showed no severe effects upon administration of sublethal doses of thiacloprid and penconazole but indicate a change in honeybees foraging preference. A possible explanation can be that the different nutritional profile of the pollen may offer better recovery chances to honeybees.

Plant protection products (PPPs1), which are frequently used in agriculture, can be major stressors for honeybees. They have been found abundantly in the beehive, particularly in pollen. Few studies have analysed effects on honeybee larvae, and little is known about effects of insecticide-fungicide-mixtures, although this is a highly realistic exposure scenario. We asked whether the combination of a frequently used insecticide and fungicides would affect developing bees. Honeybee larvae (Apis mellifera carnica) were reared in vitro on larval diets containing different PPPs at two concentrations, derived from residues found in pollen. We used the neonicotinoid acetamiprid, the combined fungicides boscalid/dimoxystrobin and the mixture of all three substances. Mortality was assessed at larval, pupal, and adult stages, and the size and weight of newly emerged bees was measured. The insecticide treatment in higher concentrations significantly reduced larval and adult survival. Interestingly, survival was not affected by the high concentrated insecticide-fungicides-mixture However, negative synergistic effects on adult survival were caused by the low concentrated insecticide-fungicides-mixture, which had no effect when applied alone. The lower concentrated combined fungicides led to significantly lighter adult bees, although the survival was unaffected. Our results suggest that environmental relevant concentrations can be harmful to honeybees. To fully understand the interaction of different PPPs, more combinations and concentrations should be studied in social and solitary bees with possibly different sensitivities.

A semifield study to assess the effects of iprodione on honeybees at label use rates was conducted on a bloom mustard crop. The present study followed the Organisation for Economic Co‐operation and Development guideline 75 tunnel test and consisted of 3 groups: the iprodione‐treated group, the untreated control group, and the toxic reference item group. In addition to the tunnels used for biological assessments, a tunnel was set up in the treatment and control groups to determine the level of residues in flowers, nectar, and pollen. The major endpoints to assess the effects of the application of iprodione were mortality, flight intensity, behavior, condition of the colonies, and development of the brood. Residue analysis showed that honeybees were exposed to significant residues of iprodione. However, no adverse effects were observed on overall mortality, flight intensity, behavior, or brood development of honeybees compared to control. It is concluded that iprodione does not adversely affect the health of honeybees when applied in agriculture at commercially relevant rates in a worst‐case exposure scenario. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:3086–3094. © 2018 SETAC

Bees are key pollinators whose population numbers are declining, in part, owing to the effects of different stressors such as insecticides and fungicides. We have analysed the susceptibility of the Africanized honeybee, Apis mellifera, and the stingless bee, Partamona helleri, to commercial formulations of the insecticides deltamethrin and imidacloprid. The toxicity of fungicides based on thiophanate-methyl and chlorothalonil were investigated individually and in combination, and with the insecticides. Results showed that stingless bees were more susceptible to insecticides than honeybees. The commercial fungicides thiophanate-methyl or chlorothalonil caused low mortality, regardless of concentration; however, their combination was as toxic as imidacloprid to both species, and over 400-fold more toxic than deltamethrin for A. mellifera. There were highly synergistic effects on mortality caused by interactions in the mixture of imidacloprid and the fungicides thiophanate-methyl, chlorothalonil and the combined fungicide formulation in A. mellifera, and also to a lesser extent in P. helleri. By contrast, mixtures of the deltamethrin and the combined fungicide formulation induced high synergy in P. helleri, but had little effect on the mortality of A. mellifera. Differences in physiology and modes of action of agrochemicals are discussed as key factors underlying the differences in susceptibility to agrochemicals.

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum affects many crops of economic importance to our nation, including canola (Brassica napus) where it causes Sclerotinia stem rot (SSR). Effective genetic resistance to SSR is still not available in commercial cultivars. A common practice used to identify sources of resistance is to screen relatively large number of genotypes with a single, aggressive strain of the pathogen. While this process is quick, it also may allow weak and strong sources of resistance to be selected as a group. Adding a second round of screenings with multiple isolates may help purge the weaker sources of resistance. This study aimed to identify B. napus plant introduction genotypes with resistance to multiple S. sclerotiorum isolates. Plants from 16 genotypes considered resistant to SSR were inoculated with five highly aggressive S. sclerotiorum isolates originally collected from multiple states and hosts. The isolates also were characterized by their growth and ability to produce sclerotia in vitro at various temperatures. The plants were challenged at the flowering stage using the agar plug stem inoculation technique in replicated trials conducted twice in a greenhouse. The resulting lesions were measured after seven days. All isolates grew well at all temperatures tested and caused severe symptoms on susceptible control plants. Six of the 16 genotypes evaluated were resistant or moderately resistant to all isolates. These results confirmed the value of a second round of selections using multiple isolates to identify materials with broader resistance and helped establish a priority order for mapping population development.

Stem rot caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum poses a significant threat to global agriculture, leading to substantial economic losses. To explore innovative integrated pest management strategies and elucidate the underlying mechanisms, this study examined the impact of nano-silicon on enhancing resistance to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in Brassica napus. Bacteriostatic assays revealed that nano-silicon effectively inhibited the mycelial growth of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in a dose-dependent manner. Field trials corroborated the utility of nano-silicon as a fertilizer, substantially bolstering resistance in the Brassica napus cultivar Xiangyou 420. Specifically, the disease index was reduced by 39–52% across three distinct geographical locations when compared to untreated controls. This heightened resistance was attributed to nano-silicon’s role in promoting the accumulation of essential elements such as silicon (Si), potassium (K), and calcium (Ca), while concurrently reducing sodium (Na) absorption. Furthermore, nano-silicon was found to elevate the levels of soluble sugars and lignin, while reducing cellulose content in both leaves and stems. It also enhanced the activity levels of antioxidant enzymes. Transcriptomic analysis revealed 22,546 differentially expressed genes in Si-treated Brassica napus post-Sclerotinia inoculation, with the most pronounced transcriptional changes observed one day post-inoculation. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis identified a module comprising 45 hub genes that are implicated in signaling, transcriptional regulation, metabolism, and defense mechanisms. In summary, nano-silicon confers resistance to Brassica napus against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum by modulating biochemical defenses, enhancing antioxidative activities, and rapidly reprogramming key resistance-associated genes. These findings contribute to our mechanistic understanding of Si-mediated resistance against necrotrophic fungi and offer valuable insights for the development of stem-rot-resistant Brassica napus cultivars.

 Indian mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czern & Coss.] is an important and vital oilseed crop which suffers from various pests and diseases. Sclerotinia rot caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum has emerged as a significant threat, leading to economic and quality losses. The present research aimed to reduce the losses due to this dreaded and notorious pathogen through old and novel combi-formulations of fungicides by assessing under in vitro and field conditions for two consecutive years (2023-24 and 2024-25). All tested fungicides inhibited mycelial growth cent per cent except metiram + pyraclostrobin under in vitro conditions at all three concentrations (50, 100, and 200 ppm).Under field conditions, two foliar applications (first spray at disease appearance and second spray at 15 days after of first spray) on the Indian mustard susceptible var. NRCHB-101. Among these fungicides, two foliar sprays of tebuconazole + trifloxystrobin (@ 0.08%) at the time of disease appearance and 15 days after it, was proved to be the most effective in reducing disease incidence (78.69%) and in increasing seed yield (42.38%) over check followed by carbendazim and captan + hexaconazole. Conclusively, two sprays of tebuconazole + trifloxystrobin (0.08%) may be sprayed to minimize losses to get more benefits

Honey bees and brassica plants are co-evolved and due to the peculiar floral characters, mustard (Brassica juncea) plants are strongly dependent on bees for survival. Mustard is one of the most important oilseeds across the world. Insect pests often cause huge economic losses in mustard and their management, especially during flowering stage is very crucial to achieve maximum yield, although this step often displays undesirable effects on the foraging bees. Effects of synthetic pesticides on bees are widely documented and extensively reported. Although the numbers of pesticides/bio-pesticides are widely used in oilseed brassica's, the reports are mostly focused on neonicotinoids. To identify the bee-friendly pesticides, the study was conducted in two tier approach (i.e. laboratory and field conditions) and determined the potential impacts of widely used biopesticides on Asiatic honey bees, Apis cerana Fabricius. The LC50, LC90 and LD50 were determined for four destructive pests and honey bees, to assess their risk against honey bees. In laboratory studies, LC50's of pesticides to the honey bee was in the order of Beauveria bassiana 1.5L (4.79%) > Bacillus thuriengiensis 8SP (1.67%) > Azadirachtin 0.03 EC (1.64%) > Annonin 1 EC (1.22%) > Spinosad 2.5 SC (0.006%) > Imidacloprid 17.8SL (0.005%). Based on three essential risk assessment criteria's (viz., Selectivity ratio, Probit substitution method (%) and Hazard Ratio/Risk quotient); the Azadirachtin, Anonnin, B. bassiana and Bt var. k were found selective, and slightly to moderately toxic to the honeybee; whereas Spinosad and Imidacloprid was found non-selective and dangerous to the bees. Entomopathogenic fungus, Nomuraea rileyi was found absolutely harmless to the bees. In field studies, the relative abundance, foraging rate and foraging speed of honey bees was significantly affected in different treatments even up to 2 days of spraying. Among bio-pesticides, deterrence/repellent effect was, however, strongly observed in Annonin and Spinosad treatments. Significantly higher yield was obtained in Azadirachtin (1.43 t/ha) and Anonin (1.22 t/ha) treated plots. Except Spinosad, remaining bio-pesticides were found selective to the foraging bees, nevertheless considering the efficiency in pest control and higher yield, Azadirachtin 0.03 EC and Annonin 1 EC could be efficiently used in Integrated Pest cum Pollinator Management Programme (IPPM) in oilseed brassica's. The spraying of Spinosad may be discouraged, especially at flowering time.

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Ecosystem services (ES) such as pollination are vital for the continuous supply of food to a growing human population, but the decline in populations of insect pollinators worldwide poses a threat to food and nutritional security. Using a pollinator (honeybee) exclusion approach, we evaluated the impact of pollinator scarcity on production in four brassica fields, two producing hybrid seeds and two producing open-pollinated ones. There was a clear reduction in seed yield as pollination rates declined. Open-pollinated crops produced significantly higher yields than did the hybrid ones at all pollination rates. The hybrid crops required at least 0.50 of background pollination rates to achieve maximum yield, whereas in open-pollinated crops, 0.25 pollination rates were necessary for maximum yield. The total estimated economic value of pollination services provided by honeybees to the agricultural industry in New Zealand is NZD $1.96 billion annually. This study indicates that loss of pollination services can result in significant declines in production and have serious implications for the market economy in New Zealand. Depending on the extent of honeybee population decline, and assuming that results in declining pollination services, the estimated economic loss to New Zealand agriculture could be in the range of NZD $295–728 million annually.

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Brassica napus (canola/oilseed rape/rapeseed) is an economically important crop, mostly found in temperate and sub-tropical regions, that is cultivated widely for its edible oil. Major diseases of Brassica crops such as Blackleg, Clubroot, Sclerotinia Stem Rot, Downy Mildew, Alternaria Leaf Spot and White Rust have caused significant yield and economic losses in rapeseed-producing countries worldwide, exacerbated by global climate change, and, if not remedied effectively, will threaten global food security. To gain further insights into the host–pathogen interactions in relation to Brassica diseases, it is critical that we review current knowledge in this area and discuss how omics technologies can offer promising results and help to push boundaries in our understanding of the resistance mechanisms. Omics technologies, such as genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics and metabolomics approaches, allow us to understand the host and pathogen, as well as the interaction between the two species at a deeper level. With these integrated data in multi-omics and systems biology, we are able to breed high-quality disease-resistant Brassica crops in a more holistic, targeted and accurate way.

Nature-based agriculture that reduces dependency on chemical inputs requires using ecological principles for sustainable agro-ecosystems, aiming to balance ecology, economics and social justice. There is growing evidence that pollinator-dependent crops with high insect, particularly bee, pollination service can give higher yields. However, the interacting effects between insect pollination and agricultural inputs on crop yields and farm economics remain to be established to reconcile food production with biodiversity conservation. We quantified individual and combined effects of pesticides, insect pollination and soil quality on oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) yield and gross margin, using a total of 294 farmers' fields surveyed between 2013 and 2016. We show that yield and gross margins are greater (15–40%) in fields with higher pollinator abundance than in fields with reduced pollinator abundance. This effect is, however, strongly reduced by pesticide use. Greater yields may be achieved by either increasing agrochemicals or increasing bee abundance, but crop economic returns were only increased by the latter, because pesticides did not increase yields while their costs reduced gross margins.

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ABSTRACT: Dryland wheat farming commonly uses a rotation of wheat to fallow between years but growers have begun to diversify crop rotations for a variety of environmental and economic reasons. Ethiopian mustard (Brassica carinata A.) and camelina (Camelina sativa L.), two oil seed crops, can be successfully grown in the Northern Great Plains (NGP) and could be a suitable fallow replacement. Native bees have declined in abundance and richness primarily due to conversion of natural habitat to row crops and honey bees have become increasingly difficult to manage in recent years. Thus, it is important to determine how flower visiting insects utilize novel crops. We collected flower visiting insects via weekly sweep netting events during two growing seasons to determine abundance and richness of bees and other insect pollinators on B. carinata, C. sativa, and a ten species cover crop. Overall, numerous native bees and other flower visiting insects were collected off all three potential fallow replacements. These crops may provide important floral resources for bees and other pollinators and could be used to improve pollinator resources within cropping systems of the NGP.

Abstract Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Botrytis cinerea are typical necrotrophic pathogens that can attack more than 700 and 3000 plant species, respectively, and cause huge economic losses across numerous crops. In particular, the absence of resistant cultivars makes the stem rot because of S. sclerotiorum the major threat of rapeseed (Brassica napus) worldwide along with Botrytis. Previously, we identified an effector‐like protein (SsSSVP1) from S. sclerotiorum and a homologue of SsSSVP1 on B. cinerea genome and found that SsSSVP1 could interact with BnQCR8 of rapeseed, a subunit of the cytochrome b‐c1 complex. In this study, we found that BnQCR8 has eight homologous copies in rapeseed cultivar Westar and reduced the copy number of BnQCR8 using CRISPR/Cas9 to improve rapeseed resistance against S. sclerotiorum. Mutants with one or more copies of BnQCR8 edited showed strong resistance against S. sclerotiorum and B. cinerea. BnQCR8‐edited mutants did not show significant difference from Westar in terms of respiration and agronomic traits tested, including the plant shape, flowering time, silique size, seed number, thousand seed weight and seed oil content. These traits make it possible to use these mutants directly for commercial production. Our study highlights a common gene for breeding of rapeseed to unravel the key hindrance of rapeseed production caused by S. sclerotiorum and B. cinerea. In contrast to previously established methodologies, our findings provide a novel strategy to develop crops with high resistance against multiple pathogens by editing only a single gene that encodes the common target of pathogen effectors.

Abstract In the US central and southern Great Plains, canola (Brassica napus) is a winter annual crop. It is pollinated by insects, particularly native bees and introduced honeybees (Apis mellifera Linnaeus, 1758). Canola is beset by many insect pests. Producers rely on insecticides to kill harmful insects, however, these chemicals can negatively impact pollinators. Our purpose is to provide an economic analysis comparing the positive effects of native bees and introduced honeybees in combination with the pest suppression effects of selective and broad-spectrum insecticides in Oklahoma canola production. We identify the breakeven yield necessary to support the conservation of pollinator habitat in or adjacent to canola fields. Using yields from field experiments, we found that an increase in yield ranging from 28.02 to 162.53 kg/ha from pollination justifies the conservation of pollinator habitat. The number of refuge acres and canola acres dictates the necessary yield increase. Our findings suggest that introducing honeybees for pollination of canola may not be an economically viable choice as pollination services are costly. We include analysis with the base rate of pollination service rate reduced to more closely examine this issue. The breakeven analysis with the reduced rate shows a range of 2.43 to 19.06 hectares of refuge area was needed. This analysis varies with annual crop returns and acres of canola planted. This study provides a deeper understanding of the costs and potential benefits associated with pollinator refuges and canola production and allows producers to make more informed decisions about wild pollinators and reliance on introduced honeybees.

The effect of three fungicide treatment programmes and the level of spring nitrogen fertilisation on the seed yield of two types ofcultivars of Brassica napus L. sown at two different seeding rates was studied in a field experiment. The subject of the study was anopen-pollinated cultivar ‘Casoar’ and a restored hybrid cultivar ‘Visby’. Three plant protection programmes, two levels of spring nitrogenfertilisation (160 and 220 kg N⋅ha1), and two different seeding rates for each cultivar (‘Visby’—50 and 70 seeds⋅⋅m2; ‘Casoar’—60 and 80 seeds⋅m2) were included. The most intensive protection programme comprised three fungicide treatments: first in autumn at the six-leaves-unfolded stage—BBCH 16, second in spring at the stem elongation stage—BBCH 33, and third at the full flowering stage—BBCH 65. One of two less intensive programmes of plant protection included fungicide application in autumn at the sixleaves-unfolded stage—BBCH 16 and at the full flowering stage—BBCH 65, while the second included fungicide application in spring at the stem elongation stage—BBCH 33 and at the full flowering stage—BBCH 65. The effectiveness of the protection programmes and nitrogen fertilisation was influenced by the intensity of abiotic stress factors. The average yield from the plots protected against pathogens was significantly higher than that from the untreated plots. The increase of nitrogen fertilisation from 160 to 220 kg⋅ha1 also caused a significant increase of average seed yield. The yield of cultivar ‘Visby’ was higher and less dependent on the seeding rate compared to cultivar ‘Casoar’.Keywords: Winter oilseed rape; Cultivars; Disease control; Nitrogen fertilisation; Seeding rate; Sclerotinia sclerotiorum;           Leptosphaeria spp.; Alternaria spp. Botrytis cinerea.

The intensification of horticultural practices over the past several decades has been accompanied by increased reliance on synthetic pesticides to control pests, diseases, and weeds that threaten crop productivity and quality. Pesticides play a crucial role in maintaining horticultural crop yields and quality, yet their widespread application poses significant environmental and health challenges. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of pesticide impacts in horticultural systems, examining contamination pathways, ecological consequences, and human health implications. Evidence from recent studies indicates that over 79.9% of horticultural crops contain detectable pesticide residues, with 32.9% of samples exceeding Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs). Environmental contamination is pervasive, with 95% detection rates in agricultural soils and 89% in surface waters. Health impacts range from acute poisoning symptoms to chronic diseases, including cancer, neurological disorders, and reproductive dysfunction. Organophosphates demonstrate the highest cancer risks, with acute myeloid leukaemia showing a 1.8-fold increased risk among agricultural workers. Neonicotinoids pose severe threats to pollinators, with colony losses exceeding 30% in affected regions. Mitigation strategies, including Integrated Pest Management (IPM), organic farming, and biological control, show promise, achieving 25-95% reductions in pesticide use and 40-85% reductions in environmental impacts. Bioremediation technologies offer cost-effective solutions for contaminated site cleanup, with bioaugmentation achieving complete pesticide removal within 35 days. Future regulatory frameworks must balance food security needs with environmental protection and public health considerations through evidence-based policies and sustainable agricultural practices.

Traditional pesticide formulations show poor utilization and environmental safety due to their low foliage adhesion and large auxiliaries. In this study, a novel and environment-friendly indoxacarb formulation was prepared to improve the pesticide’s utilization rate, target control characteristics and ecological security. Indoxacarb-loaded waterborne polyurethane–sodium alginate (PU/SA) nanoemulsions with film forming properties, alkaline responsive release, high effectiveness against Spodoptera litura, and reduced acute contact toxicity for nontarget organisms were successfully prepared. The colloidal properties, swelling and release behaviors, leaf adhesion, degradation dynamics and bioactivity assay of the indoxacarb-loaded PU/SA nanoemulsions were determined. Results showed that the obtained indoxacarb-loaded microcapsule particulates were approximately 57 nm in diameter, electronegative −45.9 mV, and uniformly dispersed in the nanoemulsions. The dried latex films of PU/SA in the alkaline environment revealed better responsive swelling and release characteristics than those in acidic and neutral conditions. Compared with a commercial emulsifiable concentrate, the indoxacarb-loaded PU/SA nanoemulsions were useful for the targeted control of S. litura, which have alkaline gut and showed reduced acute contact toxicity to Harmonia axyridia. Furthermore, the PU/SA formulation had better foliage adhesion and indicated the property of controlled-release and a persistent effect.

Farmers, as the primary decision makers in agricultural production, are crucial to ensuring food safety and ecological security through chemical pesticide reduction, thereby contributing to agricultural sustainability. While existing research has acknowledged the influence of information factors on farmers’ pesticide reduction behavior, there remains a lack of comprehensive consideration of multiple information acquisition channels. The differential impacts and underlying mechanisms among these channels require further exploration. This study focuses on cash crops with higher chemical pesticide usage, utilizing field survey data from 573 peach farmers across seven province-level regions (including provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities) in China in 2023 to assess the impact of information acquisition channels on farmers’ chemical pesticide reduction behavior. The results indicate the following: (1) Information acquisition channels significantly promote farmers’ implementation of chemical pesticide reduction behavior. (2) Information acquisition channels encourage the adoption of agricultural and biological control technologies, but have no significant impact on physical control technologies. (3) Information acquisition channels have a more substantial impact on older farmers and those in the eastern-central regions compared to other demographic groups. (4) Information acquisition channels alter farmers’ risk preferences, thereby facilitating chemical pesticide reduction behavior. Based on the above conclusions, government agencies should diversify information acquisition channels and enhance the dissemination of information related to chemical pesticide reduction. Furthermore, given the characteristics of different green control technologies, government agencies should select appropriate information acquisition channels to conduct targeted promotion and outreach to farmers.

: The pivotal role of honeybees as global pollinators underscores their significance in ecological and agricultural systems. However, the beekeeping industry faces a significant challenge due to the improper utilization of pesticides, resulting in adverse effects on honeybee populations. This comprehensive review endeavors to investigate the toxicity of pesticides to honeybees, examining the various routes of exposure. Furthermore, it aims to delineate the repercussions of pesticide exposure on honeybee foraging behavior and the quality of essential hive products. Additionally, the review explores effective strategies to mitigate pesticide risks to advance contemporary apiculture practices. Pesticides, inherently poisonous, disrupt crucial physiological and behavioral mechanisms in honeybees. Notably, organophosphates and carbamates function as neuroinhibitors by impeding the acetylcholine neurotransmitter action in the insect nervous system. Among the insecticides, imidacloprid, clothianidin, and thiamethoxam, classified as neonicotinoids, demonstrated high toxicity even at minimal exposure doses. Acaricides, while less toxic to bees than their target parasites, pose potential risks when excessive residues accumulate in combs, impacting bee health adversely. Moreover, pesticides contaminate hive products, with beeswax identified as the most heavily contaminated, followed by pollen. The degree of pesticide contamination in pollen samples correlates with the detected pesticide quantities. Analyses of two key hive products, honey, and pollen, reveal that approximately 90% of pesticide residues are found in pollen, while honey contains 50%. The contamination of hive products underscores the pervasive nature of pesticide exposure within the honeybee environment. Encouraging the use of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies among farmers emerges as a crucial recommendation. This approach not only safeguards beneficial insect diversity but also enhances agroecosystem services, ultimately ensuring a secure global food supply in the future.

Pollination is the transfer of pollen grains from the male organ (anther) of a plant to the female organ (stigma). To transfer pollen, flowers completely depend on the vector. An abundance of pollinators creates a high and more uniform harvest with a higher quantity as well as the quality fruit and crops. Honeybee plays a central role in agriculture as pollinators. Thus, the current review aimed to provide the role of honeybees to crop pollination in Ethiopia. Honeybees pollination maximizes agricultural crop production and increases the honey yield harvested from the hive because honeybees collect more nectar and pollen while they pollinate the flowering. About 53 significant crops are cultivated in Ethiopia, of these 33 are dependent on biological pollinators while honeybees are contributing 80% of the total pollination services. A lot of crops are benefited from honeybees worldwide in general and particularly, in Ethiopia from which, Niger, linseed, sunflower, coffee, faba beans, groundnut, cotton, red pepper, mangoes, chick peas, rape seed, lentils, onion, avocados and others. The economic value of pollination service was estimated to be $ 814.6 million dollars (17.1 billion ETB) in the 2015/16 production season. Now a day, pollination service loses due to human-induced impacts such as habitat destruction, land-use change, use of chemicals (pesticides and herbicides), climate change and invasive species. So to mitigate the challenges regarding to pollination service awareness creation about role of honeybees on agricultural crop pollination is recommended.

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The present study evaluated the susceptibility of Apis indica populations collected from six agro-ecosystems of Trivandrum and Kollam districts along with a feral colony from Mettupalayam to the neonicotinoids viz., imidacloprid 70 WG and thiacloprid 21.7% SC. Acute oral and contact bioassays were conducted to determine lethal concentrations (LC₅₀, LC₉₀), resistance ratio (RR) and safety index (SI). Among the tested populations, the Vellayani (VLY) population showed the highest tolerance, reflected by elevated LC₅₀ and RR values, possibly due to prolonged exposure to insecticides in the field, whereas the feral population was the most susceptible, recording the lowest LC₅₀ values. Imidacloprid exhibited significantly higher toxicity across all populations, with oral and contact RR values up to 6.000 and 2.631, respectively. SI were consistently low (0.004–0.947), classifying imidacloprid as relatively least safe to A. indica in both exposures. In contrast, thiacloprid showed comparatively lower toxicity, with oral and contact RR values up to 18.592 and 3.786, higher SI values (0.054–21.270), indicating relative safety for VLY population in both exposures. Overall, imidacloprid posed significant toxicity risk to A. indica, whereas thiacloprid appeared comparatively safer due to its higher safety margins and lower acute toxicity. The study provides critical baseline data on imidacloprid and thiacloprid susceptibility in indigenous honeybees, emphasizing the need for bee-safety considerations in pesticide selection. These findings suggest for region-specific risk assessment and pollinator-friendly pest management strategies to safeguard A. indica and ensure sustainable pollination services in agricultural ecosystems.

Chemical fungicides have been used to control fungal diseases like Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. These fungicides must be restricted because of their toxicity and the development of resistance strains. Therefore, utilizing natural nanoscale materials in agricultural production is a potential alternative. This work aimed to investigate the antifungal properties of a nanocomposite (nano-chitosan-coated, green-synthesized selenium nanoparticles) against the plant pathogenic fungus S. sclerotiorum. Chemical reduction was used to produce selenium nanoparticles from citrus peel extracts, and ionotropic gelation was used to produce chitosan nanoparticles. The nanocomposite has been produced using selenium nanoparticles stabilized by chitosan and cross-linked with sodium tripolyphosphate. Transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, X-ray diffraction, UV-VIS spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were used to characterize all produced nanostructures. The in vitro antifungal activity and minimum inhibitory concentration of all bulk and nanostructures are investigated at (0.5, 1, 5, 10, 50, 100) ppm concentrations. Scanning electron microscopy was used to detect structural deformations in the fungal mycelium. The findings support the successful synthesis and characterization of all nanoparticles. Lemon peel extract produced smaller, more stable, and distributed selenium nanoparticles (42.28 ± 18.5 nm) than orange peel extract (85.7 ± 140.22 nm). Nanostructures, particularly nanocomposite, have shown a considerable increase in antifungal efficacy compared to bulk structures. At a minimum inhibitory concentration of 0.5 ppm, the nanocomposite exhibited 100% inhibitory activity. The nanocomposite with a concentration of 0.5 ppm exhibited the lowest average fungal biomass (0.32 ± 0.05 g) among all tested nanostructures. Fungal hyphae treated with 0.5 ppm of nanocomposite within 18 h of treatment revealed substantial damage and deformation. These results provide new insights into the nanocomposite as an eco-friendly and promising antifungal agent against other plant pathogenic fungi.

BACKGROUND Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, a pathogenic fungus of oilseed rape, poses a severe threat to the oilseed rapeseed industry. In this study, we evaluated the potential of the natural compound hinokitiol against S. sclerotiorum by determining its biological activity and physiological characteristics. RESULTS Our results showed that hinokitiol strongly inhibited the hyphae expansion of S. sclerotiorum, and its effective concentration of hyphae growing inhibition by 50% (EC50) against 103 S. sclerotiorum strains varied from 0.36 to 3.45 μg/mL, with an average of 1.23 μg/mL. Hinokitiol possessed better protective efficacy than therapeutic effects, and it exhibited no cross-resistance between carbendazim. After treatment with hinokitiol, many vesicular protrusions developed on the mycelium with rough surface and thickened cell wall. Moreover, the cell membrane permeability and glycerol content increased, while the oxalic acid declined after hinokitiol treatment. In addition, hinokitiol induced membrane lipid peroxidation and improved the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in S. sclerotiorum. Importantly, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction showed that cell wall and ROS synthesis-related genes were significantly up-regulated after hinokitiol treatment. CONCLUSION This study revealed that hinokitiol has good biological activity against S. sclerotiorum and could be considered as an alternative bio-fungicide for the resistance management in controlling sclerotinia stem rot infected by S. sclerotiorum. These investigations provided new insights into understanding the toxic action of hinokitiol against pathogenic fungi. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Microbial secondary metabolites produced by Streptomyces are applied to control plant diseases. The metabolite, ε-poly-l-lysine (ε-PL), is a non-toxic food preservative, but the potential application of this compound as a microbial fungicide in agriculture is rarely reported. In this study, the effect and mode of action of ε-PL on two necrotrophic pathogenic fungi, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Botrytis cinerea, were investigated. The results showed that ε-PL effectively inhibited the mycelial growth of S. sclerotiorum and B. cinerea with EC50 values of 283 μg/mL and 281 μg/mL, respectively. In addition, ε-PL at the dose of 150 and 300 μg/mL reduced S. sclerotiorum sclerotia formation. The results of the RNA-seq and RT-qPCR validation indicated that ε-PL significantly regulated the gene expression of critical differential expressed genes (DEGs) involved in fungal growth, metabolism, pathogenicity, and induced an increase in the expression of the fungal stress responses and the detoxification genes. These results provided new insights for understanding the modes of action of ε-PL on S. sclerotiorum and B. cinerea and improved the sustainable management of these plant diseases.

Sclerotinia stem and root rot, caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, is considered to be an important soil-borne disease of over 400 plant species, including a wide range of species important for agriculture. In vitro and in vivo sensitivity of S. sclerotiorum to several commercial fungicides and biofungicides was studied. The highest efficacy was achieved by boscalid (98%) and fluopyram (80%), and the lowest by a B. subtilis-based product (5%). The isolate was sensitive to all tested products in vitro. Considering the tested synthetic fungicides, fluopyram exhibited the highest toxicity (EC50=0.003 mg/l), while captan exhibited the lowest (EC50=8.94mg/l). Even lower efficacy was achieved by tea tree oil and B. subtilis-based products. The environmental impact of pesticides and biopesticides used for Sclerotinia control was assessed. Modeling of predicted environmental concentrations in soil (PECsoil), coupled with literature toxicity data, served for assessment of pesticides soil risks. A high long-term risk for earthworms was revealed for captan and thiophanate-methyl. Based on both efficacy and risk assessment results, fluopyram was found to have the best properties of all tested conventional pesticides, while tea tree oil exerted better performance than the Bacillus product. Further investigation of combined use of conventional and biopesticides might reveal new perspectives regarding effective Sclerotinia control, while simultaneously reducing negative environmental impact.

Research interest in chiral pesticides has increased probably because enantiomers often exhibit different environmental fate and toxicity. An investigation into the enantiomer-specific bioactivity of chiral triticonazole enantiomers in agricultural systems revealed intriguing experimental and theoretical evidence. For nine of the phytopathogens studied ( Rhizoctonia solani, Fusarium verticillioide, Botrytis cinerea (strawberry and tomato), Rhizoctonia cereali, Alternaria solani, Gibberella zeae, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, and Pyricularia grisea), the fungicidal activity data showed ( R)-triticonazole was 3.11-82.89 times more potent than the ( S) enantiomer. Furthermore, ( R)-triticonazole inhibited ergosterol biosynthesis and cell membrane synthesis 1.80-7.34 times higher than its antipode. Homology modeling and molecular docking studies suggested the distinct bioactivities of the enantiomers of triticonazole were probably due to their different binding modes and affinities to CYP51b. However, field studies demonstrated that ( S)-triticonazole was more persistent than ( R)-triticonazole in fruits and vegetables. The results showed that application of pure ( R)-triticonazole, with its high bioactivity and relatively low resistance risk, instead of the racemate in agricultural management would reduce the application dosage required to eliminate carcinogenic mycotoxins and any environmental risks associated with this fungicide, yielding benefits in food safety and environmental protection.

Fungi and bacteria cause disease issues in cultivated plants world-wide. In most cases, the fungi and bacteria colonize plant tissues as biofilms, which can be very challenging to destroy or eradicate. In this experiment, we employed a novel (biofilm) approach to crop disease management by evaluating the efficacies of six fungicides, and four silver-based compounds, versus biofilms formed by fungi and bacteria, respectively. The aim was to identify combinations of fungicides and metallic cations that showed potential to improve the control of white mold (WM), caused by the ascomycete fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, and to evaluate novel high valency silver compounds as seed coatings to prevent biofilm formation of four bacterial blight pathogens on dry bean seeds. Our results confirmed that mature fungal biofilms were recalcitrant to inactivation by fungicides. When metallic cations were added to the fungicides, their efficacies were improved. Some improvements were statistically significant, with one combination (fluazinam + Cu2+) showing a synergistic effect. Additionally, coatings with silver compounds could reduce bacterial blight biofilms on dry bean seeds and oxysilver nitrate was the most potent inhibitor of bacterial blight.

Nanoformulations of pesticides are an effective way to increase utilization efficiency and alleviate the adverse impacts on the environments caused by conventional pesticide formulations. However, the complex preparation process, high cost, and potential environmental risk of nanocarriers severely restricted practical applications of carrier-based pesticide nanoformulations in agriculture. Herein, carrier-free self-assembled nanoparticles (FHA-PRO NPs) based on fenhexamid (FHA) and prochloraz (PRO) were developed by a facile co-assembly strategy to improve utilization efficiency and reduce toxicity to aquatic organism of pesticides. The results showed that noncovalent interactions between negatively charged FHA and positively charged PRO led to core-shell structured nanoparticles arranged in an orderly manner dispersing in aqueous solution with a diameter of 256 nm. The prepared FHA-PRO NPs showed a typical pH-responsive release profile and exhibited excellent physicochemical properties including low surface tension and high max retention. The photostability of FHA-PRO NPs was improved 2.4 times compared with free PRO. The FHA-PRO NPs displayed superior fungicidal activity against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Botrytis cinerea and longer duration against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum on potted rapeseed plants. Additionally, the FHA-PRO NPs reduced the acute toxicity of PRO to zebrafish significantly. Therefore, this work provided a promising strategy to develop nanoformulations of pesticides with stimuli-responsive controlled release characteristics for precise pesticide delivery.

Plant pathogenic fungi seriously threaten agricultural production. There is an urgent need to develop novel fungicides with low toxicity and high efficiency. In this study, we designed and synthesized 44 pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin-4-one derivatives and evaluated them for their fungicidal activities. The bioassay data revealed that most of the target compounds possessed moderate to high in vitro antifungal activities. Especially compound g22 exhibited remarkable antifungal activity against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum with an EC50 value of 1.25 mg/L, close to that of commercial fungicide boscalid (EC50 = 0.96 mg/L) and fluopyram (EC50 = 1.91 mg/L). Moreover, compound g22 possessed prominent protective activity against S. sclerotiorum in vivo for 24 h (95.23%) and 48 h (93.78%), comparable to positive control boscalid (24 h (96.63%); 48 h (93.23%)). Subsequent studies indicated that compound g22 may impede the growth and reproduction of S. sclerotiorum by affecting the morphology of mycelium, destroying cell membrane integrity, and increasing cell membrane permeability. In addition, the application of compound g22 did not injure the growth or reproduction of Italian bees. This study revealed that compound g22 is expected to be developed for efficient and safe agricultural fungicides.

BACKGROUND With increasing resistance to traditional fungicides and growing environmental concerns, it is crucial to develop novel succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors to enhance disease management and support sustainable agriculture. RESULTS This study systematically designed and synthesized a series of nicotinohydrazides bearing a biphenyl fragment, evaluating their antifungal activity against six plant pathogenic fungi. The results demonstrated that their fungicidal spectrum significantly surpasses boscalid and carbendazim. Utilizing a palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling strategy, combined with diazotization-reduction and dehydration condensation reactions, we successfully synthesized 35 target compounds (F1-F18, G1-G17). Antifungal assays revealed that most compounds exhibited more than 80% inhibition against the tested fungi at a concentration of 20 mg/L, particularly compound F17, which showed a half-maximal effective concentrations value ranging from 0.33 to 2.77 mg/L and achieved an efficacy of 89.94% against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum on canola leaves at a concentration of 200 mg/L. Mechanistic investigations indicated that F17 exerts its antifungal effects through multiple mechanisms, including the inhibition of succinate dehydrogenase, disruption of cell membranes and induction of oxidative damage. Toxicity predictions and cytotoxicity assays assessed the safety of this series of compounds. Density functional theory and molecular electrostatic potential analyses elucidated the reasons for the high activity of F17. CONCLUSION Nicotinohydrazide derivatives exhibit a broader spectrum of antifungal activity than traditional inhibitors, and their multiple mechanisms of action provide a theoretical basis for further structural optimization and the design of novel agrochemicals. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.

The study was conducted at Krishi Vigyan Kendra Jaisalmer. A sample of 50 farmers was chosen the trainees provide them two four days on campus trainings on integrated pest management of mustard during 2019-20 and 2020-21. Rapeseedmustard (toria, mustard / raya, Yellow Sarson, brown Sarson, Gobhi Sarson, black mustard and taramira) ranks second edible oilseeds in production and contributes to more than 30% of edible oil production in India. Mustard contributes about 90 per cent of the total rapeseed-mustard production. The important factors, causing low and fluctuating production of mustard in India, are low or non-adoption of package of improved production technology, susceptibility of mustard varieties to pest and diseases and non-adoption of pest and diseases management practices.The improvement of knowledge of the participant’s and adoption of technology was increased after understanding training programs including pre-sowing proper time of sowing and seed treatment (against disease and insect pests) adopting FIR schedule. Proper plant spacing and after sowing proper cares to protection of disease and insect pests. The trainees adopted by 72 per cent (36 farmers), learned recommend protection of mustard crop and knowledge gained by 82 per cent (41 farmers). It is reported that the change in Knowledge improvement was 10.00 to 82.00 percentages. The study indicated that the trainings were more fruitful and highly increased in knowledge and adoption levels of the mustard protection technology.

The growing global population and increasing food demand highlight the need for sustainable agricultural practices that balance productivity with environmental protection. Traditional blanket pesticide spraying leads to overuse of chemicals, environmental pollution, and biodiversity loss. This study aims to develop an innovative approach to precision pest management using mobile computing, computer vision, and deep learning techniques. A mobile measurement platform equipped with cameras and an onboard computer was designed to collect real-time field data and detect pest infestations. The system uses an advanced object detection algorithm based on the YOLOv4 architecture, trained on a custom dataset of rapeseed pest images. Modifications were made to enhance detection accuracy, especially for small objects. Field tests demonstrated the system’s ability to identify and count pests, such as the pollen beetle (Brassicogethes aeneus), in rapeseed crops. The collected data, combined with GPS information, generated pest density maps, which can guide site-specific pesticide applications. The results show that the proposed method achieved a mean average precision (mAP) of 83.7% on the test dataset. Field measurements conducted during the traversal of rapeseed fields enabled the creation of density maps illustrating the distribution of pollen beetles. Based on these maps, the potential for pesticide savings was demonstrated, and the migration dynamics of pollen beetle were discussed.

The increasing demand for sustainable agricultural practices has led researchers to explore alternative methods for controlling plant diseases and pests. Among these alternatives, essential oils (EOs) derived from various plant species have gained significant attention due to their broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties, which can be utilized in plant protection. Essential oils are volatile compounds that possess strong aromatic characteristics and are found in many medicinal and aromatic plants. They are known for their antifungal, antibacterial, and insecticidal activities, making them viable candidates for eco-friendly pest and disease management strategies. In this research, six essential oils—pine, patchouli, geranium, spruce, coriander, and eucalyptus oil—have been tested in vitro for controlling mycelium growth of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Botrytis cinerea, Alternaria brassicicola, and Cylindrosporium concentricum. The study also covers experiments in controlling pollen beetle and cabbage seed weevil (laboratory trials). In greenhouse conditions, the phytotoxicity of EOs to oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) and the effect of these substances on the control of cornflower (Centaurea cyanus) were also tested. The results obtained indicate a large diversity of different essential oils in terms of their action on pathogens, pests, weeds, and winter rapeseed. Differences in their effectiveness were also found, depending on the applied dose.

Pesticide applications in agricultural landscapes pose significant risks to nontarget arthropods (NTAs), which are vital for maintaining ecological functions such as pollination and pest control. Effective risk assessment is made challenging by the complexity of terrestrial exposure, which is highly variable and event-driven. Unlike in aquatic settings, NTAs experience pesticide exposure through multiple routes, such as overspray, ingestion, or contact. To integrate such multiple exposure routes into a unified framework, this study proposes an extension to the toxicokinetic–toxicodynamic (TKTD) and time-resolved BufferGUTS model that can be applied to a broad range of NTAs without species-specific adaptations. Our model extension draws on principles from mixture toxicity and allows for individual effect contributions and effect kinetics per uptake route, providing further insight into the substance effect dynamics. We tested the model using honeybee () data for topical and oral exposures to five insecticides. Among the insecticides tested, only one exhibited different kinetics between topical and oral applications, while three exhibited nonsimilar effects from the two routes. We recommend the integration of such TKTD models into environmental risk assessment practices to combine uptake route effects, model field-relevant exposure scenarios, and identify the most relevant routes for each substance. This will enable more informed decision-making, thereby enhancing ecological management and protection efforts.

Pesticides used in agriculture, urban areas, and gardens are raising concerns about their impact on pollinators. Exposure to pesticides through direct contact, ingestion, and accumulation can harm pollinators. High pesticide concentrations cause immediate harm, while chronic exposure weakens their immune systems, impairs reproduction, and leads to population declines. Neonicotinoids, a type of insecticide, are especially problematic. They are absorbed by plants and spread to nectar and pollen, affecting foraging abilities, navigation, immunity, and reproductive success in pollinators. Integrated pest and pollinator management (IPPM), sustainable agriculture practices, and pesticide-free zones aim to maintain ecological balance and reduce chemical use. We observe lethal, sub lethal impacts on pollinator species including Honeybees (Apis mellifera), Bumblebees (Bombus spp.), butterflies, and other beneficial insects, and assess ecological consequences. Empirical data from field and laboratory studies are synthesized, and a comparative table summarizes pesticide usage and recorded pollinator mortality rates. Raising awareness about pollinator importance and pesticide impacts is crucial for conservation, and by balancing pest control with pollinator protection, long-term sustainability of agriculture and natural ecosystems dependent on pollination services can be ensured.

Simple Summary Insecticides that cause high mortality on pest insects while having a low impact on natural enemies are necessary for crop protection. Our study aimed to test commercial insecticide toxicity and residual activities against Plutella xylostella and the predator ant Solenopsis saevissima. Seven of the nine evaluated insecticides (bifenthrin, chlorfenapyr, chlorantraniliprole, cyantraniliprole, indoxacarb, spinetoram, and spinosad) caused mortality ≥80% of P. xylostella. In addition, four insecticides had a long-lasting effect in the field: chlorantraniliprole, cyantraniliprole, spinetoram, and spinosad. Chlorantraniliprole and cyantraniliprole always caused mortality <30% to S. saevissima. Furthermore, four days after application, spinetoram and spinosad caused lower mortality in the predator ant than the pest. Therefore, chlorantraniliprole and cyantraniliprole are highly recommended for controlling P. xylostella since they effectively control the pest with a low toxic effect on predator S. saevissima. Abstract We evaluated the efficacy and residual toxicity of nine commercial insecticides on Plutella xylostella and their selectivity to the predator ant Solenopsis saevissima under laboratory and field conditions. First, to test the insecticides’ effectiveness and selectivity, we conducted concentration-response bioassays on both species and the mortalities were recorded 48 h after exposure. Next, rapeseed plants were sprayed following label rate recommendations in the field. Finally, insecticide-treated leaves were removed from the field up to 20 days after application and both organisms were exposed to them as in the first experiment. Our concentration-response bioassay indicated that seven insecticides caused mortality ≥80% of P. xylostella: bifenthrin, chlorfenapyr, chlorantraniliprole, cyantraniliprole, indoxacarb, spinetoram, and spinosad. However, only chlorantraniliprole and cyantraniliprole caused mortality ≤30% of S. saevissima. The residual bioassay indicated that four insecticides had a long-lasting effect, causing mortality of 100% to P. xylostella 20 days after application: chlorantraniliprole, cyantraniliprole, spinetoram, and spinosad. For S. saevissima, bifenthrin caused mortality of 100% during the evaluated period. Additionally, mortality rates below 30% occurred four days after the application of spinetoram and spinosad. Thus, chlorantraniliprole and cyantraniliprole are safe options for P. xylostella management since their efficacy favor S. saevissima.