“Short” Notes from the Secretary General: October – December, 2011

For entire Newsletter go to: entomology.unl.edu/iapps/

Trees for the future: Climate change could mean big changes for Europe’s forests

BACCARA

PRLog (Press Release) - Feb 14, 2012 -
Disrupted weather patterns could intensify droughts, fires, storms, pest infestations, species loss, and other natural calamities harmful or even fatal to forests.

Rather than wait until Europe’s forests begin to die off, the European Union is taking steps to prevent such a catastrophe. The EU is supporting leading-edge research to help forest managers decide what kind of trees they should plant now, and what kind of pests and diseases should be monitored today so they won’t become a problem in a climate-changed future.

“Forests are incredibly complicated ecosystems that climate change can disrupt in equally complicated ways,” said Hervé Jactel of the French National Institute for Agricultural Research, leader of the EU-funded research project BACCARA.

Launched in 2009 with €3 million in support from the EU, BACCARA is a four-year project that is working to assess how climate change will affect the biodiversity and productivity of Europe’s forests. BACCARA is one of many joint efforts being undertaken during the “Year of the Forests,” which the United Nations declared for 2011 in order to help conserve the biodiversity of forests and sustainably manage the world’s forestlands.

To remove some of the guesswork from managing Europe’s forests, BACCARA’s researchers are trying to predict how certain kinds of trees will fare in terms of growth and pest-resistance in the decades and centuries to come.

Among their findings, researchers have learned that the very complexity of forests might be the best insurance for coping with climate change.

“Planting several different species of trees, for example, can protect forests from insect attacks better than planting just one type of tree,” Jactel said. “So if climate change can cause harmful insects to thrive, this would be a good strategy to combat pests.”

The problem for everyone involved with managing Europe’s forests is that many types of trees can live for centuries, so a tree planted today could have to deal with climate changes for a very long time. So the challenge, Jactel said, is to design multi-species “mixed” forests that are more resilient against climate hazards.

The economic stakes are high for Europe, whose forest industry is worth €25 billion a year and provides 4 million jobs. Totalling some 1 billion hectares, Europe has more forestland than any other region in the world – from cork-oak and cypress forests along the Mediterranean, to the Scots pine taiga of Scandinavia and mixed forests of the Caucasus.

The website for BACCARA (Biodiversity And Climate Change, A Risk Analysis) can be found at www.baccara-project.eu.

Miami battling invasion of giant African snails

The snails, which were once thought to be eradicated from South Florida, have returned to the Coral Gables area of Miami-Dade County – AFP

No one knows how they got there. But an invasion of African giant snails has southern Florida in a panic over potential crop damage, disease and general yuckiness surrounding the slimy gastropods.

The US and Florida departments of agriculture have mobilized 34 agents to battle the infestation and the US Fish & Wildlife Service is heading up an investigation into how the mollusks — which can be up to 20 centimeters (eight inches) long — arrived.

“This is a big snail, a very big snail,” says Suzi Distelberg, a district inspector for the Florida Department of Agriculture, as she probes one of the shells with a gloved hand.

“No it’s not empty, see… eeew. It’s very heavy, you can tell the snail is still in there.

“We’ve been told that they like to eat the stucco off the sides of the houses because it contains calcium, and the calcium helps to build their shells.”

The lissachatina fulica, or giant African land snail, can live up to nine years, and are prolific, laying up to 1,200 eggs a year, making it extremely invasive. A single snail can create a mass that invades an entire neighborhood.

Local resident Yolando Garcia Burgos one morning discovered snail excrement on her exterior wall, and ended up collecting 583 of the mollusks in a week, finding them in her bushes, on her grill and in her ivy. State authorities say they have captured 35,000 since the invasion began in September.

But the concern is not simply a question of aesthetics: The snail’s mucus can contain a parasite which transmits a form of meningitis, which is not lethal but can provoke extreme abdominal pain.

The pest is also a threat to agriculture, feasting on some 500 plant varieties including peanuts and melons.

“If they were to become established, it could devastate Florida’s agriculture,” said Mark Fagan of the state agriculture department, who noted that agriculture is second only to tourism for the state’s economy.

It’s not clear how the world’s largest snail species arrived in Florida. Originally from east Africa, they have also been found in Caribbean islands including Guadeloupe and Martinique.

This is not the first invasion for Florida. In 1966, a boy imported three giant snails as pets, and his grandmother released them into the wild, which led to a colony of 18,000. The eradication effort took nine years and cost over $1 million.

Importation of these animals is illegal in the United States without a federal permit. But officials point out they are used in certain Afro-Caribbean religious practices.

Fagan says it’s not clear if the snails were brought over for religious ceremonies or as pets and got ‘out of control.’

The eradication effort is in full force even though the snails are in a sort of hibernation during which they dig themselves into the ground, making them less visible.

Authorities are hoping to bring down the population before the spring, when rains could cause a population surge.

Officials say the areas being cleaned up will remain under scrutiny for several months. Gardens are treated with iron phosphate, which is not harmful to other animals but disrupts the snails’ feeding habits.

The captured gastropods are taken to a lab where specialists like Mary Yong examine them and, ultimately, kill them off. The snails are effectively drowned in an alcohol solution or put in a freezer to ensure they are dead.

Project to study impact of climate change on diseases, insect pests

HYDERABAD, FEB. 14:

How does climate change impact diseases and insect pests? What is the potential damage it can do to the crops?

These will be some of the questions that will engage a new Centre of Excellence on Climate Change Research for Plant Protection that was launched at the International Crop Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) here.

Funded by the Department of Science and Technology, the DST-Climate Change Programme is for a three-year period. The overall goal is to establish facilities and provide opportunities for Icrisat and partner institutes to conduct research-for-development initiatives on climate change and its impact on diseases and insect-pests of legumes in the semi-arid tropics.

Diseases and insect pests cause crop losses of over $8.48 billion annually, and these losses are likely to increase by at least four folds under the climate change scenario, according to a release from Icrisat.

The Icrisat Director-General Mr William Dar, in his address during the project launch, said the partnership will have a major bearing on environment-friendly, pest mitigation strategies for the sustainable production of grain legumes and in increasing food security in the dryland areas.

Dr Akhilesh Gupta, Advisor, DST Climate Change Programme said it is the only project among the 147 qualified under the programme that received full support after a long and stringent process of approval.

Global warming and climate change will lead to emergence of more aggressive pest and pathogen populations, resulting in heavy losses by pest and disease epidemics particularly in grain legumes such as chickpea and pigeonpea.

The efforts at the new centre could serve as a platform to conduct targeted research to understand and mitigate the effects of climate change on plant and pest diseases.

Soma@thehindu.co.in

Germany gives cash to raise production in Africa and Asia

Food producers in parts of Africa and Asia are getting a boost, in the form of a cash injection of 1.2 million Euro from Germany.

The money is to be spent in Tanzania, Kenya, Madagascar and Thailand to help prevent and cure pests and diseases in economically sensitive crops, particularly tomatoes and peppers, and to increase productivity as a result.

The methods used will be environmentally friendly and sustainable.

Amongst the solutions will be the establishment of clean seedling nurseries. This is because many instances of pest and disease infection are caused by transferring already infected seedlings from nurseries to planting areas.

Farmers will also receive training to help them to accurately diagnose pests and diseases.

In addition to this they will also be trained in the selection of suitable varieties and the development of more effective seedlings for their environment.

Source: www.africasciencenews.org

Publication date: 2/9/2012

Climate change could cut locust plagues

 Science and Development Network
News, views and information about science, technology and the developing world

Climate change could cut locust plagues

http://c96267.r67.cf3.rackcdn.com/Locusta_migratoria_Wikipedia_Matsumomushi.jpg

Chen Zhiyong

 18 September 2007 | EN | 中文

http://www.scidev.net/en/

Scientists have found that historical outbreaks of migratory locusts in China were associated with cold periods, suggesting that China’s projected climate warming could decrease locust numbers.

The study was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences yesterday (17 September).

The researchers analysed the annual numbers of Locusta migratoria manilensis recorded by Chinese officials between 957 and 1956, and compared them with average temperatures over ten year periods.

Locust numbers were higher during cold periods than warm periods. Colder periods also tended to have more frequent droughts and floods.

Large locust plagues can cause severe damage to crops.

Historically, the main sources of Chinese locust plagues were marshland near river channels and lakes. Locust eggs depend on soil moisture for their development, and both low and high rainfall can benefit them, as receding water levels and formerly flooded areas provide moist soil.

“The relations between the decadal mean temperature and locust outbreak are rather indirect,” Zhang Zhibin, corresponding author of the study, and director of Institute of Zoology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, told SciDev.Net.

The article suggests that the warmer and wetter climate predicted for China might bring unfavourable breeding conditions for locusts, lessening their threat.

But earlier research has found the opposite. According to Zhang De’er, chief scientist of the China Meteorological Administration’s National Climate Center, studies in the 1990s found that warm temperatures could favour locust larvae survival through winters, and enlarge the scale of locust plague in the following year.

But analysing annual and decadal effects of temperature on locust populations could yield totally different results, explains Zhibin.

“The contradiction shows that the ecological response of locusts to climate change can be related to the length of the cycle studied,” he said, adding “In a decadal cycle, the favourable effect of warm temperature on locust growth may be covered by its unfavourable effect on the locust’s habitats.”

Zhang De’er believes that temperature was definitely not the sole factor determining the size of locust plagues. Varying rainfall could also play an important role, as the changes could alter water levels, thus affect the size of good locust habitat, she says.

Link to full paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences*

*Only available to countries specified by PNAS

Rwanda’s ‘Specialty Coffee’ Under Attack by Stink Bugs

A picture taken on October 26, 2011 shows a coffee plant at the farm of Rwanda’s Luis Ntiricakeza in Sakara Village, Eastern Rwanda.

Rwanda’s ‘Specialty Coffee’ Under Attack by Stink Bugs, Cathy Majtenyi, VOA News, January 27
Specialty coffee comprises almost one-third of Rwanda’s agricultural exports. But a sizable portion of the crop is being compromised by a defect called “potato taste.” There is growing evidence that potato taste may be in part caused by the antestia, or “stink bug.”
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/economy-and-business/Rwandas-Specialty-Coffee-Under-Attack-by-Stink-Bugs-138199789.html

CropLife America and RISE Spring Conference

 CropLife America and RISE (Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment) remind you to save the date for the 2012 Spring Conference, taking place April 5 – 6, 2012 in Arlington, VA.

We’ll be discussing the most up-to-date science and regulatory issues impacting the crop protection and specialty pesticide industries.Our 2012 conference will delve into key fields such as NPDES permitting, spray drift, the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program and pesticide registration, as well as broader issues such as the important role of precision agriculture. Speakers include representatives from the U.S. EPA, USDA, academia, scientific communities and industry. A variety of interactive concurrent sessions allow for the panelists and audience to participate in engaging and forward-thinking discussions you won’t want to miss!Tentative Schedule: April 5 7 AM – 8:30 AM – Breakfast with Speaker 8:45 AM – 12:30 PM – General Session 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM – Luncheon with Speaker 1:45 PM – 5:15 PM – Breakout Sessions 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM – Welcome Reception April 6 7 AM – 8:30 AM – Breakfast with Speaker 8:45 AM – 12:30 PM – Breakout Sessions 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM – Boxed Luncheon “Soap Box” series (TBD) http://www.croplifeamerica.org/CLA-RISE-Spring-Conference-2012

Doctor of Plant Health Program, University of Nebraska

The mission of the Doctor of Plant Health Program at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln is to produce plant practitioners with broad expertise and experience across the various disciplines that impact plant health and plant management.  These plant practitioners (plant doctors) will integrate from across this expertise to diagnose and solve plant health problems and to develop integrated plant and pest management systems that maximize the system’s economic, environmental, and social sustainability.

This academic year (2011-12) the Doctor of Plant Health program has added five new students to the roster.  Since January 2010, enrollment has grown from one student that first semester to eleven students currently taking classes.  One of the huge benefits now available for the graduate students was the completion of the DPH Graduate Student Center located

Doctor of Plant Health Students

in Plant Sciences Hall.  This summer students will be undertaking internships in with seed/chemical companies, horticultural industry, and university research and extension programs.  For more information on the Doctor of Plant Health Program see the website:  www.dph.unl.edu  or call 402-472-3365.
—————————————-

Gary L. Hein, Director
Doctor of Plant Health Program
279D Plant Science Hall
P.O. Box 830933
Lincoln, NE  68583-0933
402-472-3345
ghein1@unl.edu

http://dph.unl.edu

Symposium on management of Tuta absoluta

EPPO/IOBC/FAO/NEPPO Joint InternationalSymposium on management of

Tuta absoluta

Agadir, Morocco, 2011-11-16/18

For complete report see:  http://archives.eppo.org/MEETINGS/2011_conferences/tuta_absoluta.htm