Sting nematodes modify metabolomic profiles of host plants.

Plant-parasitic nematodes are devastating pathogens of many important agricultural crops. They have been successful in large part due to their ability to modify host plant metabolomes to their benefit. Both root-knot and cyst nematodes are endoparasites that have co-evolved to modify host plants to create sophisticated feeding cells and suppress plant defenses. In contrast, the ability of migratory ectoparasitic nematodes to modify host plants is unknown. Based on global metabolomic profiling of sting nematodes in African bermudagrass, ectoparasites can modify the global metabolome of host plants. Specifically, sting nematodes suppress amino acids in susceptible cultivars. Upregulation of compounds linked to plant defense have negative impacts on sting nematode population densities. Pipecolic acid, linked to systemic acquired resistance induction, seems to play a large role in protecting tolerant cultivars from sting nematode feeding and could be targeted in breeding programs.

Intraspecific differences in plant defense induction by fall armyworm strains.

The underlying adaptive mechanisms by which insect strains are associated with specific plants are largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the role of herbivore-induced defenses in the host plant association of fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) strains. We tested the expression of herbivore-induced defense-related genes and the activity of plant-defensive proteins in maize and Bermuda grass upon feeding by fall armyworm strains. The rice strain caterpillars induced greater accumulation of proteinase inhibitors in maize than the corn strain caterpillars. In Bermuda grass, feeding by the corn strain suppressed induction of trypsin inhibitor activity whereas the rice strain induced greater activity levels. Differences in elicitation of these plant defenses by the two strains seems to be due to differences in the activity levels of the salivary enzyme phospholipase C. The levels of plant defense responses were negatively correlated with caterpillar growth, indicating a fitness effect. Our results indicate that specific elicitors in the saliva of fall armyworm stains trigger differential levels of plant defense responses that affect caterpillar growth and thus may influence host plant associations in field conditions. The composition and secretion of plant defense elicitors may have a strong influence in the host plant association of insect herbivores.

Gravid Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto avoid ovipositing in Bermuda grass hay infusion and it's volatiles in two choice egg-count bioassays.

BACKGROUND: A number of mosquito species in the Culex and Aedes genera prefer to lay eggs in Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon) hay infusions compared to water alone. These mosquitoes are attracted to volatile compounds from the hay infusions making the infusions effective baits in gravid traps used for monitoring vectors of arboviral and filarial pathogens. Since Bermuda grass is abundant and widespread, it is plausible to explore infusions made from it as a potential low cost bait for outdoor monitoring of the elusive malaria vector Anopheles gambiae s.s. METHODS: This study investigated preferential egg laying of individual An. gambiae s.s. in hay infusion or in tap water treated with volatiles detected in hay infusion headspace compared to tap water alone, using two-choice egg-count bioassays. Infusions were prepared by mixing 90 g of dried Bermuda grass (hay) with 24 L of unchlorinated tap water in a bucket, and leaving it for 3 days at ambient temperature and humidity. The volatiles in the headspace of the hay infusion were sampled with Tenax TA traps for 20 h and analysed using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. RESULTS: In total, 18 volatiles were detected in the infusion headspace. Nine of the detected compounds and nonanal were selected for bioassays. Eight of the selected compounds have previously been suggested to attract/stimulate egg laying in An. gambiae s.s. Gravid females were significantly (p < 0.05) less likely to lay eggs in hay infusion dilutions of 25, 50 and 100 % and in tap water containing any of six compounds (3-methylbutanol, phenol, 4-methylphenol, nonanal, indole, and 3-methylindole) compared to tap water alone. The oviposition response to 10 % hay infusion or any one of the remaining four volatiles (4-hepten-1-ol, phenylmethanol, 2-phenylethanol, or 4-ethylphenol) did not differ from that in tap water. CONCLUSIONS: Anopheles gambiae s.s. prefers to lay eggs in tap water rather than Bermuda grass hay infusion. This avoidance of the hay infusion appears to be mediated by volatile organic compounds from the infusion. It is, therefore, unlikely that Bermuda grass hay infusion as formulated and used in gravid traps for Culex and Aedes mosquitoes will be suitable baits for monitoring gravid An. gambiae s.s.

Recovery of Trichostrongylus colubriformis infective larvae from three grass species contaminated in the autumn / Recuperação de larvas infectantes de Trichostrongylus colubriformis em três espécies de gramíneas contaminadas no outono

This experiment aimed to assess the recovery of infective larvae (L3) of Trichostrongylus colubriformis from Brachiaria decumbens cv. Australiana, Cynodon dactylon cv. Coast-cross and Panicum maximum cv. Aruana. The experimental module comprised six plots, with two plots per herbage species. Larval survival was assessed from autumn to winter, under the effect of two herbage-paring heights (5 and 30 cm). TThe paring was carried out immediately before contamination with faces containing T. colubriformis eggs. The feces and herbage were collected at one, two, four, eight, 12 and 16 weeks after feces had been deposited in the experimental plots. In general, larvae were recovered from both herbage and feces until the 16th week. The longer persistence of these larvae in the environment was probably due to warmer temperatures. The number of L3 recovered from the pasture was not influenced by the height of plants, except for Brachiaria and Aruana herbage in the fourth week. Regarding the concentrations of larvae per kg of dry matter (L3/kg DM), recovery was higher from low pasture in all three herbage species. During the autumn, the development and survival of the T. colubriformis free-living stages were not affected by the different herbage species.(AU)

O experimento teve como objetivo avaliar a recuperação de larvas infectantes (L3) de Trichostrongylus colubriformis em Brachiaria decumbens cv. Australiana, Cynodon dactylon cv. Coast-cross e Panicum maximum cv. Aruana. Foram utilizados módulos experimentais constituídos por seis canteiros, perfazendo dois canteiros por espécie forrageira. A sobrevivência larval foi avaliada do outono até o inverno, sob o efeito de duas alturas de poda (5 e 30 cm). A poda foi realizada imediatamente antes da deposição das fezes contaminadas com ovos de T. colubriformis. A colheita das fezes e da forragem foi realizada uma, duas, quatro, oito, 12 e 16 semanas após a deposição das fezes nos canteiros experimentais. De modo geral, foram recuperadas larvas das forragens e das fezes até a 16ª semana. Essas larvas persistiram por mais tempo no ambiente, provavelmente em razão das temperaturas mais amenas. O número de L3 recuperadas nas pastagens não foi influenciado pela altura das plantas, exceto nos capins braquiária e aruana na quarta semana. Já em relação às concentrações de larvas (L3/kg MS) recuperadas das três forrageiras, houve maior concentração nas pastagens baixas. Durante o outono, o desenvolvimento e a sobrevivência de estádios de vida livre de T. colubriformis não foram afetados pelos diferentes tipos de espécies de forrageiras.(AU)

Persistence of the efficacy of copper oxide wire particles against Haemonchus contortus in grazing South African goats.

A study was conducted to examine the duration of anthelmintic effect of copper oxide wire particles (COWP) in grazing goats, as data for the persistence of efficacy of COWP in this host species is limited. Forty-eight indigenous male goats were infected naturally by grazing them on Haemonchus contortus-infected pasture. When the faecal egg count (FEC) in the goats was 3179 ± 540 eggs per gram of faeces (mean ± standard error), half the animals were treated with 4 g COWP (day 0; mean live weight=25.5 ± 0.8 kg). Eight treated (COWP) and eight non-treated (CONTROL) goats were removed from the pasture on each of days 7, 28 and 56, maintained for 27 or 29 days in concrete pens and then humanely slaughtered for nematode recovery. Mean liver copper levels were in the high range in the goats removed from pasture at day 7 (treated: 191 ± 19.7 ppm; untreated: 120 ± 19.7 ppm; P=0.022), but had dropped to normal levels at days 28 and 56. The mean H. contortus burdens of the treated versus the non-treated goats were, respectively, 184 ± 48 and 645 ± 152 for the goats removed from pasture at day 7 (71% reduction; P=0.004), 207 ± 42 and 331 ± 156 at day 28 (37% reduction; P=0.945) and 336 ± 89 and 225 ± 53 at day 56 (-49% reduction; P=0.665). Weekly monitoring of FECs after treatment until slaughter indicated that the COWP-treated goats had lower FECs than the controls, the treatment main effect being significant at days 7, 28 and 56 (P<0.01). The day main effect and the treatment × day interaction were only significant for the goats removed from pasture at day 28 (P ≤ 0.001). Packed cell volumes increased during the course of the experiment (day, P<0.001), but the treatment main effect was significant only for the goats removed from pasture at day 28 (CONTROL 28 d, 28.65 ± 0.52%

Billbug (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) species composition, abundance, seasonal activity, and developmental time in Florida.

Billbugs (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Sphenophorus spp.) are common pests whose damage is often misdiagnosed on turfgrass in the United States. Consequently, Florida turfgrass managers have been struggling to satisfactorily control billbug outbreaks. Thus, we sought to determine the species complex, abundance, seasonality, and fecundity of key Sphenophorus spp. from field collections, and quantify duration of developmental and daily activity periods through greenhouse rearing tests. From January 2006 to December 2007, > 18,000 adults of 10 different Sphenophorus spp. were collected from four linear pitfall traps on each of two golf courses in north central and two courses in southern Florida. Sphenophorus venatus vestitus Chittenden was the most abundant species, making up > 94% of all specimens collected from three of the four golf courses (80.9% of all specimens collected). Adults were active and mature eggs were present in female ovaries nearly every week of the year. Adults were nocturnal. S. v. vestitus development from egg to adult can occur in 8-9 wk on 'Tifway' bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] or 'Empire' zoysiagrass (Zoysia japonica Steud.), with up to six overlapping generations per year, depending on environmental conditions. Thus, any time of year could be suitable to target either adults or larvae, and a repeated application may be needed to manage subsequently emerged larvae or eclosed adults.

Ovipositional preferences of the Japanese beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) among warm- and cool-season turfgrass species.

Japanese beetles, Popillia japonica Newman (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), were evaluated for ovipositional preferences among four turfgrasses common in northwestern Arkansas. Choice assays revealed females preferred to oviposit in tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) and zoysiagrass (Zoysia japonica Steud.), and that they avoided oviposition in common bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon [L.] Pers.) and hybrid bermudagrass (C. dactylon x C. transvaalensis Pers.). Significantly fewer eggs were oviposited in hybrid bermudagrass in a no-choice assay, suggesting that chemical and/or physical plant characteristics deter oviposition in that grass. The percentage of turfgrass cores with evidence of female activity (presence of female or eggs, or signs of female digging) in choice assays revealed no differences among treatments, yet significantly fewer hybrid bermudagrass cores had eggs. These results suggest that many females did not initially reject hybrid bermudagrass based on aboveground plant characteristics, but rather they left without ovipositing. Therefore, resistance in hybrid bermudagrass is likely expressed below ground. Our results suggest that the use of hybrid bermudagrass as a means of cultural control in an integrated pest management program may discourage Japanese beetle oviposition and subsequent grub infestations in lawns, golf courses, or sports fields.

Species composition and seasonal occurrence of Phyllophaga (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) infesting intensely managed Bermudagrass in Oklahoma.

Larvae of Phyllophaga spp. (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) are important turfgrass pests in many regions of the United States. However, not all of the species associated with turfgrass are known, including species most likely to be of economic concern in Oklahoma turfgrasses, especially Bermuda grass. This study documented the species composition and seasonal occurrence of Phyllophaga associated with high maintenance Bermuda grass turf in Oklahoma over a 2-yr period. In 2005 and 2006, adult Phyllophaga spp. were collected with blacklight traps from selected golf courses throughout Oklahoma Phyllophaga larvae were obtained from Bermuda grass stands at selected sod production facilities adjacent to or near the light traps. We collected 20 species of Phyllophaga beetles in light traps, and nine species of Phyllophaga larvae from turfgrass. Peak flight periods for most species occurred in May and June, but some were captured as early as mid-April and others as late as September. The cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene from adults and larvae was amplified using polymerase chain reaction, sequenced, and then used to compare larval DNA against DNA from identified adults. These results confirmed the validity of using COI sequences to identify species of some Phyllophaga larvae. The identifications will aid in optimizing the timing of insecticide applications against Phyllophaga white grubs as discussed.

Bermudagrass management in the Southern Piedmont USA. V: Gastrointestinal parasite control in cattle.

Parasite-free pastures would improve cattle health and performance, resulting in possible economic return to producers. Our objective was to determine the effect of a single series of anthelmintic treatment of steers prior to stocking on Coastal bermudagrass pastures, during five consecutive summers, on the parasite burden in cattle. The site for this experiment had been conventionally cropped for several decades, with no exposure to cattle, and would be expected to be relatively free of nematode larvae. The experimental design was a randomized complete block (landscape features) with a split plot arrangement of treatments where main plots were pasture fertilization treatments (mineral, clover plus mineral, and broiler litter) and split plots were low and high forage mass. Anthelmintic treatment included pour-on ivermectin on day -21, albendazole on day -7, and injectable ivermectin 48 h prior to stocking of pastures, with the cattle remaining in drylot during the 48-h period prior to being placed on the experimental paddocks. All steers received only one series of treatments during any given year. Yearling Angus steers (Bos taurus) were managed in a put-and-take grazing system with three "tester" steers assigned to each paddock and "grazer" steers added or removed at 28-day intervals. From 1994 to 1998, steers grazed the paddocks for a 140-day period from mid May until early October each year. Fecal samples for worm egg counts were obtained on day 0 and at 28-day intervals, thereafter. On all sampling days after day 0, samples were obtained only from tester animals. Over the 5-year period, the mean eggs per gram of feces (epg) gradually increased from 0 (following treatment) to a mean of 2.2 (range from 0.7 to 3.0) by the end of the grazing season (the last sampling date) in October. Although the epg were not zero, they were below threshold levels that would allow development of a parasite burden in cattle. In traditional management systems, cattle graze parasite-contaminated pastures; therefore, parasites negatively impact growth and productivity throughout the entire grazing period. Periodic anthelmintic treatments simply give a temporary reprieve from those parasitic infections. Conceptually, using the current grazing system, it should be possible to maintain these pastures in a parasite-free status indefinitely; however, from a drug resistance perspective, it would be most applicable in sod-based rotation systems where cattle graze from two to five years before land is returned to row-crops. By removing the effect of parasites, cattle can grow without the physiological constraints that gastrointestinal parasites place on appetite, digestion, nutrient utilization, and general well being.