One of the major problems and difficulties in the production process is to monitor / predict the presence, intensity and abundance of these pathogens under field conditions in a timely manner to avoid significant damage to production. In this sense, the objective of this research was to characterize the changes in the spectral pattern correlated with the incidence of foliar diseases in wheat. The experimental design was a factorial (5x3) randomized blocks with five doses of nitrogen (0, 25, 50, 75, 100 kg N ha-1) applied at tillering and three management programs with fungicides in the shoot, the untreated control. Scores NDVI readings were performed with the optical sensor GreenSeeker Handheld Crop Sensor in six predetermined locations within each plot of 11 m2 (2,2mx5m). It is possible to detect the presence of Puccinia triticina Erikss from the readings with NDVI GreenSeeker sensor. Scores NDVI can demonstrate that there is a strong correlation between AUDPC and reduced productivity. The GreenSeeker sensor proved efficient in detecting spectral changes from signs and symptoms of Puccinia triticina Erikss. / Uma das grandes dificuldades dentro do processo produtivo é monitorar/prever a presença de patógenos em nível de campo. Nesse sentido, o objetivo dessa pesquisa foi caracterizar as alterações no padrão espectral correlacionando com a incidência de doenças foliares em trigo. O delineamento experimental foi um fatorial (5x3) de blocos ao acaso com cinco doses de Nitrogênio (0, 25, 50, 75, 100 kg de N ha-1) aplicados no afilhamento e três programas de manejo com fungicidas na parte aérea, além da testemunha sem aplicação. As avaliações e leituras de NDVI foram realizadas com o sensor óptico GreenSeeker Handheld Crop Sensor, em seis pontos pré-determinados dentro de cada parcela de 11 m2 (2,2mx5m). As leituras do NDVI demonstraram alta correlação entre a AACPD e a redução da produtividade. O sensor GreenSeeker se mostrou eficiente na detecção de alterações espectrais provenientes de sinais e sintomas de Puccinia triticina Erikss.

A aplicação de herbicidas pós-emergentes na cultura de milho é intensa, expondo a cultura às inumeras situações de manejo em coincidência com a utilização destes agroquímicos, podendo resultar em interações prejudiciais a cultura. Sendo assim, desenvolveu-se esta pesquisa, com o objetivo de avaliar a possibilidade de interação entre esses herbicidas com inseticidas e adubos nitrogenados, bem como a eficácia dos herbicidas no controle de plantas daninhas. Foram instalados experimentos a campo e em casa-de-vegetação, nas dependências do Departamento de Produção Vegetal da ESALQ-USP. Foram três modalidades de experimentação, onde foi utilizado o delineamento estatístico de blocos casualizados com quatro repetições. O primeiro experimento avaliou a interação entre os herbicidas pós-emergentes, mesotrione, nicosulfuron e iodosulfuron + foramsulfuron, e as fontes nitrogenadas, sulfato de amônia em cobertura e uréia incorporada. Após a analise dos resultados, foram observados alguns sintomas fitotóxicos causados pelos herbicidas. Tais sintomas evoluíram até o total desaparecimento, tornando-se imperceptíveis ao longo do ciclo da cultura, a qual apresentou altura de pendoamento semelhante a testemunha. Os rendimentos de grãos e o peso de mil grãos não indicam reduções de produtividade. Tanto para a uréia, quanto para o sulfato de amônio, não detectou-se sintomas de interatividade fitotóxica para o híbrido AGN 2012. O segundo, avaliou a interação entre herbicidas pós-emergentes, nicosulfuron e mesotrione em mistura com atrazina, e os inseticidas clorpirifós, lambdacyhalotrina, e thiamethoxan + lambdacyhalotrina, aplicados em mistura de tanque. Ocorreram injúrias fitotóxicas sinérgisticas para os tratamentos envolvendo o inseticida clorpirifós. Não ocorreram reduções de altura, rendimento e peso de 1000 grãos. Isso indica a capacidade do híbrido AGN 2012 em superar as fitotoxicidades, mas não isenta a mistura do risco de perda de rendimento em outras situações. A terceira, testou a eficácia dos herbicidas pós-emergentes mesotrione + atrazina, nicosulfuron + atrazina, nicosulfuron e iodosulfuron + foramsulfuron, no controle de Brachiaria plantaginea, Digitaria horizontalis, Panicum maximum, Eleusine Indica, Ipomoea grandifolia e Bidens pilosa suscetível e resistente aos herbicidas inibidores da ALS. Foi observado que a planta daninha no estádio inicial de crescimento, é melhor controlada pelos herbicidas; as misturas de herbicidas são mais eficazes, permitindo controlar plantas em estádios de crescimento mais avançados; o Panicum maximum requer doses maiores dos herbicidas ou a mudança da estratégia de controle; o milho pode ser uma alternativa no controle de Bidens pilosa resistente aos inibidores da ALS, se cultivado como cultura de sucessão em um sistema de produção, com uso de herbicidas com alternativos mecanismos de ação. A pesquisa conclui que herbicidas pós-emergentes aplicados na cultura de milho, podem ter sua seletividade reduzida quando aplicado simultaneamente com inseticidas e adubos nitrogenados, porém as fitotoxicidades causadas por estas interações sinérgicas podem não reduzir a produtividade final como ocorreu neste trabalho, em função de combinações entre fatores climáticos e culturais. A eficácia desses herbicidas, estudada para plantas daninhas da cultura de milho, depende do estádio fenológico destas plantas, sendo que a mistura de mesotrione + atrazina é uma alternativa para o controle de B. pilosa resistente aos inibidores da ALS. / The application of post-emergence herbicides at corn crop is intense, exposing the crop to countless management situations in coincidence with the using of these agrochemicals that can result in damaging interactions to the crop. Therefore, this research was developed, with the objective of evaluating the possibility of interaction between these herbicides with insecticides and nitrogen fertilizers, as well the herbicides efficacy on weeds control. There were installed experiments in field and green-house, at Crop Science Department annexes, ESALQ/USP. There were three experimentation modalities, where it was used the statistical design of randomized blocks with four replicates. The first experiment evaluated de interaction between the post-emergence herbicides, mesotrione, nicosulfuron and iodosulfuron + foramsulfuron, and the nitrogen sources, ammonium sulfate in covering and incorporated urea. After the results analysis, there were observed some phytotoxics symptoms caused by the herbicides. These symptoms evolved until the total disappearing, becoming imperceptible along the crop cycle, witch presented height at flowering similar to the check. The kernel yield and the weight of 1000 kernels did not presented productivity reduction. Each for urea or for ammonium sulfate, it was not detected symptoms of phytotoxic interactivity to the hybrid AGN 2012. The second experiment evaluated the interaction between the post-emergence herbicides, nicosulfuron and mesotrione in mixture with atrazine, and the insecticides clorpirifos, lambdacyhalotrin and thiamethoxan + lambdacyhalotrin, applied in tank mixture. It was observed synergistic phytotoxics injuries to the treatments involving the insecticide clorpirifos. Although, it was not observed height, yield or weight of 1000 kernels reductions. It indicates the capacity of the hybrid AGN 2012 in overcoming the phytotoxity, but it did not exempt the mixture of yield losses risk in other situations. The third experiment, tested the efficacy of the post-emergence herbicides mesotrione + atrazine, nicosulfuron + atrazine, nicosulfuron and iodosulfuron + foramsulfuron, on control of Brachiaria plantaginea, Digitaria horizontalis, Panicum maximum, Eleusine Indica, Ipomoea grandifolia and Bidens pilosa susceptible and resistant to ALS-inhibiting herbicides. It was observed that the weeds are better controlled by herbicides at initial growth stage; the herbicides mixtures are more efficient, permitting to control plants in more developed growth stages; the weed Panicum maximum require upper herbicides rates or changings on control strategies; the corn may be an alternative crop to control Bidens pilosa resistant to ALS-inhibiting herbicides, if conduced as a succession crop in the production system, using herbicides with alternative action mechanisms. This research concluded that post-emergence herbicides applied on corn crop may have its selectivity reduced when simultaneously applied with insecticides or nitrogen fertilizers, although the phytotoxity caused by these synergistic interactions may not reduce the final productivity, as occurred at this work, in function of combinations of climatic and crop factors. The efficacy of these herbicides, studied for weeds at corn crop, depends on weeds phenologic stage, and the mixture of mesotrione + atrazine is an alternative to control B. pilosa resistant to ALS-inhibiting herbicides.

L’agriculture biologique (AB) est classiquement comparée à l’agriculture conventionnelle. Elle est alors souvent considérée comme plus favorable à la biodiversité que l’agriculture conventionnelle, même si certaines études montrent un effet négatif ou une absence d’effet de l’AB par rapport à l’agriculture conventionnelle pour certains taxons(Bengtsson et al. 2005; Garratt et al. 2011; Hole et al. 2005; Winqvist et al. 2011). Cela peut s’expliquer par le fait que l’AB ne se différencie pas seulement par le remplacement des produits phytosanitaires de synthèse par des produits autorisés en agriculture biologique mais aussi par la mise en œuvre d’autres pratiques comme l’implantation d’un couvert végétal.L’AB dispose d’une large gamme de pratiques visant à limiter les ravageurs et/ou à favoriser leur contrôle biologique via leurs ennemis naturels. Les objectifs de cette thèse sont :(i) d’établir un état des lieux de la diversité des stratégies de protection mises en place parles producteurs en AB pour lutter contre les deux ravageurs majeurs en vergers de pommiers,le carpocapse des pommes et le puceron cendré et d’identifier les pratiques permettant une diminution de l’usage des pesticides ;(ii) d’évaluer si ces pratiques ont un effet sur les communautés des prédateurs généralistes présentes dans la couronne ;(iii) d’estimer le rôle fonctionnel des prédateurs généralistes en mesurant la fonction de prédation en vergers de pommiers. En prenant comme cas d’étude les vergers de pommiers du Sud-Est de la France, nous avons dans un premier temps réalisé un état des lieux de la diversité des pratiques de protection mises en place en agriculture biologique à l’échelle de l’exploitation. Suite à une série d’enquêtes chez les producteurs, quatre stratégies de protection avec différentes combinaisons de pratiques ont été définies. Un suivi des ennemis naturels dans des parcelles types a permis de mettre en évidence des communautés d’ennemis naturels différentes selon les stratégies de protection.Dans un deuxième temps, nous avons étudié le lien entre la diversité des prédateurs généralistes et la régulation biologique (ici, la prédation des œufs de carpocapse). Cette étude a été réalisée sur 20 parcelles en AB caractérisées par différents usages de pesticides biologiques. Cette étude a permis de mettre en évidence des taux de prédation différents et une variabilité des communautés d’ennemis naturels selon les parcelles et d’identifier les ennemis naturels corrélés à la prédation des œufs. Dans un troisième temps, notre étude s'est portée sur une modification particulière de l'habitat, l’enherbement de l’inter-rang, une pratique mise en place par les producteurs et facile à gérer, notamment via l'intensité de fauche. Nous avons voulu déterminer, à l’aide d’une approche expérimentale en verger, si cette modification était un levier efficace pour augmenter l'abondance et la diversité des ennemis naturels et donc la régulation, soit au niveau de la canopée (prédation des œufs de carpocapse) soit au niveau du sol (prédation des larves de carpocapse). La communauté d’ennemis naturels dans l’arbre est apparue peu impactée par la hauteur d’enherbement ; seul Forficula pubescens est plus abondant lorsque le couvert végétal est haut (1m20). La prédation des œufs est quant à elle plus forte, aux mois de juillet et août, lorsque le couvert végétal est ras (5cm). La prédation des larves n’est pas différente selon la hauteur du couvert végétal.Cette thèse a permis de mettre en évidence une diversité des stratégies de protection en vergers de pommiers en AB. Elle a montré une variabilité des communautés d’ennemis naturels au sein de l’AB. Elle illustre la complexité du lien entre pratiques agricoles, ennemis naturels et prédation des bioagresseurs. / Organic agriculture is assumed to achieve more sustainable practices by reducing the negativeenvironmental impacts of intensive agriculture, such as biodiversity decline. While positivelinks between organic agriculture and natural enemy abundance and/or diversity have oftenbeen reported, this was not always the case (little or no difference between the systems, orsometimes in favor of the conventional system) and it appears to be variable depending on thespecies considered (Bengtsson et al. 2005; Garratt et al. 2011; Hole et al. 2005; Winqvist et al.2011). The benefits to biodiversity from organic agriculture are likely to stem primarily fromprohibition of synthetic chemicals but also from the adoption of various other managementpractices (cultural practices, ground cover management, presence of hedgerows). Indeed,organic management strategies are thus defined by a combination of different practices(Zehnder et al. 2007) that can have a different effect on the natural enemy community (Hole etal. 2005; Simon et al. 2007).The objectifs of this thesis are :(i) caracterized the diversity of crop protection strategies on organic agriculture andidentifed the practices led to reduced pesticide usage;(ii) investigated whether these practices have an impact on the natural enemy abundanceand diversity in the canopy;(iii) assess the natural enemy predation activity in apple orchard.First, we identified four crop protection strategies, which were characterized by aspecific combination of different types of practices. We showed that natural enemycommunities and their efficacy were influenced by these strategies.Second, we examined the relationships between the abundance of generalist predatorsand the level of pest control under natural conditions (predation of codling moth eggs). Weused a set of organically farmed commercial orchards with various protection strategies andshowed that the predation rate and the natural enemy communities were different but variableamong the organic apple orchard. We identified the natural enemy correlated with thepredation rate.!Finally, we managed the ground cover and compared the effect of three heights, tall(no cutting), medium (mean height of 20 cm) and short (mean height of 5 cm), of aspontaneous grass cover in an experimental orchard on natural enemy abundance andpredation rates on the canopy (predation of codling moth egg) and on the ground (predation ofcodling moth larvae). The natural enemy community on the canopy was little impact by theheight of the ground cover ; only Forficula pubescens was more abundant in the no cuttingthan in the short ground cover. The egg predation was higher in the short ground cover than inthe two other modalities. The larvae predation was not impacted by the ground cover height.We caracterized a diversity of crop protection strategy on organic agriculture in appleorchard. We identified a variability of the natural enemy communyties on organic appleorchard. This thesis illustrated the complexity of the relationship between agriculturalpractices, natural enemies and predation of pests.

La réduction de la dépendance aux pesticides des systèmes de culture de laitue constitue un objectif à relativement court terme, partagé par les pouvoirs publics et les acteurs de la filière de production. Atteindre cet objectif suppose de disposer de moyens techniques permettant de substituer aux pesticides d’autres méthodes limitant les dégâts de bio-agresseurs de la laitue.Ces techniques peuvent être destinées à minimiser l’entrée d’inoculum dans les parcelles, à limiter la propagation des bio-agresseurs, à diminuer la sensibilité des plantes, ou à éradiquer les bio-agresseurs présents sur les cultures. L’évolution des systèmes de culture repose sur la démonstration de l’efficacité, en termes de protection des plantes, de ces techniques alternatives aux pesticides lorsqu’elles sont intégrées et combinées dans les itinéraires techniques. Elle dépend aussi de l’impact socio-économique et environnemental des itinéraires techniques alternatifs, dans un contexte commercial et réglementaire exigeant. L’objet de cette thèse a été de développer des stratégies alternatives de gestion des bio-agresseurs de la laitue d’hiver cultivée sous abri froid,plus économes en pesticides, et d’évaluer leurs performances agronomiques, économiques et environnementales,garantes de la durabilité des systèmes de production.Sur la base des techniques déjà disponibles, deux stratégies alternatives, nommées stratégie intermédiaire et stratégie bas-intrant ont été conçues, et testées dans deux exploitations agricoles et un domaine expérimental de l’INRA pendant deux hivers, en comparaison avec une stratégie conventionnelle, représentative des pratiques actuelles. Les stratégies intermédiaire et bas-intrant ont permis de réduire de 32% et 48% l’usage des pesticides, respectivement, et ont été suffisamment efficaces pour obtenir une qualité visuelle et des rendements équivalents à la stratégie conventionnelle. Le bénéfice environnemental de leur mise en oeuvre a également été démontré. La mise en place de ces stratégies a cependant entrainé un surcoût de production,essentiellement lié à la lutte biologique, d’environ 10 à 13%. Parallèlement, deux orientations techniques originales, dont l’efficacité n’était pas caractérisée, ont été explorées. Une première série d’essais expérimentaux a porté sur l’influence du génotype de l’hôte et de l’environnement de la plante sur sa sensibilité à deux champignons pathogènes d’importance majeure, Botrytis cinerea et Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Il a été montré que le choix d’un génotype moins sensible couplé à une optimisation du rapport fructose : saccharose de la plante diminuait les symptômes observés après inoculation. Une deuxième démarche expérimentale, portant sur la lutte biologique contre le puceron Nasonovia ribisnigri, a révélé l’incapacité de parasitoïdes du genre Aphidius à contrôler les pucerons en fin de culture, lorsque la structure du couvert végétal devient trop complexe.En plus d’inscrire ces travaux de recherche dans un processus d’amélioration continue de l’efficacité et des performances des stratégies alternatives aux pesticides, la démarche scientifique utilisée, articulant approche analytique et approche intégrative, a permis d’étudier des techniques ayant potentiellement un impact sur plusieurs bio-agresseurs, telles que la réduction de la fertilisation azotée ou l’optimisation de l’espacement entre les laitues, qui pourraient permettre une meilleure gestion des pathogènes responsables de la pourriture du collet et des pucerons. / The reduction of pesticide reliance in lettuce cropping systems is a short term objective sharedby public authorities and by the stakeholders of lettuce market. Reaching this goal implies thesubstitution of pesticides by others techniques which may limit pest and pathogen damage. Thesetechniques can be intended to mitigate pest and pathogen invasion or propagation, to increaseplant defenses or to remove pests and pathogens from the crop. The improvement of currentcropping systems relies on i) the demonstration of the ability of alternative techniques to managediseases and pests when they are combined and integrated during the crop cycle; ii) theassessment of the socio-economic and environmental impacts of alternative strategies in a stringentcommercial and regulatory context. The objective of this thesis was to design alternativestrategies for pest and pathogen management of lettuce grown in winter under shelter, with fewerpesticide applications, and to assess their agronomic, economic and environmental performancesso as to ensure the sustainability of production.Based on currently available techniques, two alternative strategies, called intermediate andlow-input, were designed, and tested in two farms and an INRA experimental station duringtwo winters and compared to a conventional strategy representing current practices. The alternativestrategies enabled to reduce pesticide applications by 32% and 48% respectively. Theywere efficient enough to obtain similar yield and quality as compared to the conventional strategy.The environmental benefits of their implementation were also demonstrated. However, thesestrategies required a 10-13% extra production costs, almost exclusively due to biological controlproducts.In parallel, two original technical orientations, which efficacy had not been previously described,were examined. In a first set of experiments, the impact of lettuce genotype and growthconditions on plant susceptibility to two major pathogens, Botrytis cinerea and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum,was investigated. The use of a genotype displaying low susceptibility to these fungi,associated with an optimization of the ratio of fructose : sucrose in plants, appeared to reducethe symptoms after inoculation. A second experimental approach, dealing with biological controlagainst the aphid Nasonovia ribisnigri, highlighted the inability of Aphidius parasitoids tocontrol aphid populations at the end of the crop cycle, when the canopy structure becomes toocomplex.In addition to a contribution to cropping systems improvement, the scientific method used,combining analytical and integrative approaches enabled us to highlight the effect of techniquesacting on several pests and/or pathogens, such as the reduction of nitrogen fertilization or theoptimization of plant spacing, which could improve the management of fungi causing basal rotas well as aphids.

No description available.

La protection intégrée, qui vise à réduire l’usage des pesticides, est un défi majeur pour l’agriculture du XXIème siècle. Le développement de nouvelles approches agronomiques qui concilient environnement et agriculture est une condition indispensable pour l’agriculture de demain. Dans ce contexte, l’utilisation d’éliciteurs capables de mimer une attaque pathogène et de promouvoir un état de résistance chez les plantes face à des maladies représente une alternative naturelle à la lutte chimique. Ces éliciteurs sont nommés les stimulateurs de défense des plantes (SDP). Ils peuvent provenir de différentes sources et être extraits à partir de macroalgues comme c’est le cas des SDP à base de polysaccharides d’algues tels que la laminarine utilisée pour stimuler l’immunité de plantes agronomiques. Toutefois, l’exploitation de ces ressources dans leur milieu naturel et les difficultés de production liées à leur cycle de développement constituent des freins à leur utilisation. La valorisation des microalgues comme source de SDP pourrait permettre de s’affranchir de ces contraintes. Cependant la recherche et de molécules SDP chez les microalgues est encore peu abordée. Au cours de ce travail, le potentiel d’une culture de microalgue, Phaeodactylum tricornutum, à induire des réactions de défense chez les plantes a été évalué. Un broyat cellulaire a été appliqué sur des plantules d’Arabidopsis thaliana. Le caractère éliciteur de ce broyat a été testé et caractérisé par des approches microscopiques, physiologiques et moléculaires. Les résultats ont montré que les plantes traitées présentaient des niveaux d’expression des gènes PR-1, PAD3, ACS6 et WRKY40 et un niveau de protection contre la bactérie Pseudomonas syringae DC3000 (Pst) plus élevés que les plantes non traitées. De plus, un effet bactéricide in vitro sur la bactérie Pst a été observé. Ces résultats offrent de nouvelles perspectives pour le développement de produits SDP d’origine naturelle capables de protéger les cultures. / Integrated plant protection, which aims to reduce the use of pesticide, is a major challenge for the agriculture of the 21st century. The development and application of new agronomic approaches is a prerequisite for crop protection in a sustainable agriculture system. In this context, the use of elicitors capable of mimicking a pathogenic attack and promoting a plant resistance state against diseases is a natural alternative to the use of agro-chemicals. These elicitors are also called plant defense stimulators (PDS). These can be obtained from different sources including macroalgae as it the case for the polysaccharide-based PDS laminarin that is currently used for the protection of a number of crops. However, the exploitation of these natural resources and the difficulties of their production due to their development cycle do hamper their use at a large scale. One of the possibilities to overcome these difficulties is the use of microalgae as a source of PDS. But this possibility and the potential of microalgaederived PDS for crop protection are currently under investigated. In the present work, we have used a cell extract from the microalgae Phaeodactylum tricornutum and assessed its defense response-eliciting activities on Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings by using microscopic, physiological and molecular approaches. The results show that treated plants exhibit higher levels of expression of the PR-1, PAD3, ACS6 and WRKY40 genes and a higher level of protection against the pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas syringae DC3000 (Pst) than nontreated plants. An In vitro antibacterial activity on the Pst bacteria was also observed. Our findings suggest that P. tricornutum cell extracts are able to activate plant immune responses and offer new perspectives for the development of novel plant defense stimulators.

<p>  </p> <p>Spotted-wing Drosophila (SWD), <em>Drosophila suzukii</em> (Matsumura), is an economically-important pest of small fruits worldwide. Currently, timing of management is based on morphological identification of adult flies captured in baited monitoring traps; however, distinguishing SWD from other native drosophilids in traps is a time-consuming process that requires magnification. And a degree-day model that could help small fruit growers understand and predict the seasonal activity of this pest has not been developed for Indiana. Due to the low tolerance for maggots in fruit market, most small fruit growers rely on intensive, insecticide applications on a calendar-based schedule without guidance on the activity levels of SWD. </p> <p>A total of 6,051 SWD adults were monitored weekly using commercial Scentry traps at three highbush blueberry orchards during May to August. I applied the published SWD developmental thresholds of 7.2 °C (lower) and 31.5 °C (upper) and the single-sine method to calculate accumulated degree days in the year of 2021 and 2022. A predictive model from two years of data at three locations exhibited an S-shaped curve, with 5%, 25%, and 50% of adults detected at ~907, 1,293, and 1,523 CDD, respectively. By examining infestations in three varieties, ‘Bluecrop’, ‘Blueray’, and ‘Elliot’, I found that blueberry infestation rate increased as the trap captures increased. The use of early-ripening highbush blueberry varieties can reduce infestation and regardless of variety, as berries became softer, the number of SWD egg scars in berries increased.</p> <p>DNA-based diagnostic methods, like loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), have the potential to improve SWD detection by replacing morphological identification with DNA-based identification. Positive results of the LAMP assay are based on a visible color change from pink to yellow when focal DNA is present. I tested the reliability of LAMP results using SWD DNA and then evaluated the sensitivity of LAMP in discriminating between SWD and two native drosophilids common captured in monitoring traps in Indiana, <em>Drosophila affinis</em> and <em>D. simulans</em>. I found the LAMP assay can quickly and accurately identify SWD with as little as 0.1 ng/μl of DNA. Following optimization, the assay also suggested success in discriminating between SWD and these two native species: it only requires an individual fly, DNA extraction is not necessary. </p> <p>By better predicting seasonal SWD activity and optimizing DNA-based diagnostics for this pest, this study can help improve the timely detection of SWD and the management in small fruit systems. </p>

<p dir="ltr">The Asiatic garden beetle (AGB), in its larval stage, has become an increasingly detrimental to the health of commercially grown mint in northern Indiana by feeding on their roots. In my research, I have optimized a method to quantify populations by determining the proper sample size to maintain accurate and precise estimates, determining the best sampling method and sampling scheme. Additionally, I established the relationship between AGB larval feeding and mint performance and have established a threshold of the average number of larvae required to cause significant yield loss. </p>

Mettre en place des stratégies de lutte contre les ravageurs, indépendantes des produits chimiques est un objectif fondamental pour une protection durable des cultures contre les ravageurs et la conservation d’un environnement sain pour les populations humaines en zone rurale. L’objectif principal de ce travail était de contribuer à la mise en place d’une lutte biologique par gestion des habitats à l’échelle du paysage de la noctuelle polyphage Helicoverpa armigera, principal ravageur de cotonnier dans le nord Bénin. Cette thèse visait à analyser l’influence des pratiques agricoles et de l’organisation du paysage sur l’abondance et l’origine trophique de H. armigera. L’analyse biochimique d’individus élevés en laboratoire, nous a permis de confirmer le fait que le gossypol est un bon marqueur pour identifier les adultes qui ont passé leur vie larvaire sur le cotonnier. Au contraire de la tomatine qui ne peut être considérée comme un marqueur de la tomate car la tomatine a été détectée seulement chez les larves d’H. armigera et non chez les adultes. Notre étude sur le terrain au nord Bénin dans 40 parcelles, a montré que les pratiques agricoles avaient un fort effet sur l’infestation larvaire. La date de semis et la fréquence de sarclage étaient négativement corrélées à l’infestation larvaire. La proportion de cotonniers dans le paysage et celle de tomate ont influencé positivement l’infestation en larves d’H. armigera. Nous avons également montré qu’un précédent cultural tomate présentait une abondance larvaire en moyenne trois fois supérieur à un précédent cultural maïs. Ensuite, dans des rayons de 100 m, 250 m et 500 m, nous avons étudié les effets de la composition et de l’hétérogénéité du paysage d’une part sur l’abondance des adultes d’H. armigera et d’autre part sur leur origine trophique. L’hétérogénéité du paysage en plantes hôtes est le facteur paysager principal qui a influencé positivement l’abondance des adultes. Les isotopes stables de Carbone nous ont permis d’identifier les individus dont la larve s’était nourrie sur des plantes de type photosynthétique C3 (cotonniers, tomates, ...) ou C4 (maïs, sorgho, …). L’origine trophique, plantes hôtes C3 ou C4, est reliée positivement à la proportion de plantes hôtes respectivement C3 ou C4 dans un rayon de 500m. Seulement 10% des individus ayant consommés des plantes en C3 ont été détecté positif au gossypol. La proportion de cotonniers dans le paysage ne semble pas expliquer la proportion d’individus détectés positif au gossypol. Nous formulons des propositions de gestion de l’assolement et des rotations culturales pour contribuer à la régulation d’H. armigera. Ainsi, il faudrait éviter que le cotonnier soit semé sur un précédent cultural tomate. Il serait important de décaler les dates de semis entre les parcelles de cotonniers voisines et de respecter la fréquence de sarclage minimale qui est de trois. Par ailleurs, il serait judicieux de préférer un environnement paysager homogène autour d’une parcelle de cotonnier, en privilégiant par exemple, le maïs. / The development of strategies independent of pesticides is a fundamental objective for sustainable crop protection against pests as well as for maintaining of a healthy environment for human populations. The rationale of the research presented here was to improve our ability to control the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera by non-pesticide methods via habitat conservation. We analyzed the influence of agricultural practices and landscape composition and diversity on the abundance and trophic origin of H. armigera and assessed gossypol and tomatine in individual H. armigera as cotton and tomato biomarkers respectively. Gossypol was shown to be a stable cotton biomarker, even in adult H. armigera 12 days after emergence. In contrast, tomatine was only detected in larvae of H. armigera and not adults; thereby tomatine can not be considered as a marker of tomato plants. Subsequently, in north Benin, the abundance of H. armigera larvae and adults was monitored in cotton fields. We found a strong effect of agricultural practices on H. armigera larvae abundance. Delay sowing date and increase frequency of weeding reduced the abundance of H. armigera in cotton fields; whereas the proportion of cotton and tomato in the landscape increased. This study also highlights the role of the previous landcover in the infestation of a cotton field: A previous tomato landcover increased infestation three times more than a previous maize landcover. At nested scales ranging from 100 m, 250 m to 500 m, we studied the effects of landscape composition and diversity firstly on the abundance of adult H. armigera and secondly on their trophic origin. We found that, landscape diversity was the main factor that influenced both the abundance adult and their trophic origin at 500 m scale. Analyses of stables isotopes of Carbone showed that proportion of hosts plants with C3 photosynthetic pathway in the landscape was positively related to H. armigera moths with C3 trophic origin signal at 500 m scale. Only 10% of moths were positive to gossypol signal. The proportion of cotton in the landscape seems not important to explain the trophic origin of individual which were positive to gossypol signal. Therefore, for integrated management of H. armigera our results suggest it is necessary to consider the following agricultural practices and crop diversity regimes (in regard to the resource use strategies of this polyphagous pest). A tomato previous landcover should be avoid; shift sowing date between cotton fields, and have at less three manual weedings. In additional, we suggest employing maize around cotton fields rather than other crops.

<p> Brown patch (caused by various <em>Rhizoctonia </em>and <em>Rhizoctonia-</em>like species) is one of the major summer diseases of tall fescue [<em>Schedonorus arundinaceus</em> (Schreb.) Dumort., nom. cons.]. Fungicides are available to suppress brown patch; however, there is increasing interest to reduce lawn pesticide inputs. Excessive summer nitrogen (N) applications and extended periods of leaf wetness have been suggested to enhance brown patch. Five projects were conducted from 2020 to 2022 to evaluate individual and various combinations of cultural management practices to improve brown patch management strategies through reducing chemical inputs and promoting environmentally sound integrated pest management (IPM) practices. Brown patch host resistance of 15 tall fescue cultivars was evaluated in a controlled environment study and various morphological characteristics were correlated to brown patch severity. A 45% reduction in brown patch was observed with a resistant cultivar, and cultivars with faster growth rates, wider sheath widths and shorter sheath length correlated with reduced brown patch resistance. A field study evaluated five cultivars fertilized with urea-N from April to July, totaling 73.5 or 245.0 kg N ha^-1. A resistant cultivar had the greatest influence on reducing disease, and N-rate generally did not influence disease severity. Differences in seasonal brown patch was compared in a three-year field study for various natural organic fertilizers. Feather-bone meal and soybean meal-based products decreased disease compared to non-fertilized turf. Chemical suppression of leaf-wetness was studied using different surfactant chemistries applied on a 14 to 21-d application frequency and some chemistries reduced disease. When evaluating the various interactions of cultivar, N rate, and surfactant compared to a granular fungicide, the greatest impact was achieved when planting a resistant cultivar, reducing disease severity by 68%. Additionally, the combination of a resistant cultivar and application of a surfactant had the same seasonal brown patch compared to a susceptible cultivar with fungicide applications during year two of evaluation. In summary, these studies demonstrate significant reductions in brown patch can be achieved when utilizing the aforesaid best management practices which can substantially reduce the need for frequent lawn fungicides.  </p>