Month: November 2023

Home / 2023 / October / Bacteria can enhance host insect’s fertility with implications for disease control

October 24, 2023

By Emily Cerf

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Mosquitoes and other insects can carry human diseases such as dengue and Zika virus, but when those insects are infected with certain strains of the bacteria Wolbachia, this bacteria reduces levels of disease in their hosts. Humans currently take advantage of this to control harmful virus populations across the world.

New research led at UC Santa Cruz reveals how the bacteria strain Wolbachia pipientis also enhances the fertility of the insects it infects, an insight that could help scientists increase the populations of mosquitoes that do not carry human disease.

“With insect population replacement approaches, they keep all the mosquitos and just add Wolbachia so that fewer viruses are carried in those mosquitoes and transmitted to humans when they bite them — and it’s working really, really well,” said Shelbi Russell, an assistant professor of biomolecular engineering at UCSC who led this research. “If there is some fertility benefit of Wolbachia that could evolve over time, then we could use that to select for higher rates of mosquitos that suppress our viral transmission.”

These results were detailed in a new paper led by Russell, published today in the journal PLOS Biology. UCSC Professor of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology William Sullivan is the paper’s senior author.

Humans and Wolbachia

Different strains of Wolbachia bacteria naturally infect a number of different animals worldwide, such as mosquitos, butterflies, and fruit flies. Once they infect an insect, the bacteria are able to manipulate the reproduction and development of their host to increase their own population. Humans take advantage of this to control the population size of insects that carry diseases that threaten us.

Wolbachia have developed a mechanism to poison the sperm of infected males so that if the male mates with an uninfected female, most of the potential offspring die at the very first cell division, and the rest are lost soon after. Humans have taken advantage of this to kill off insect populations.

However, research shows that later down the line once they have killed off as many uninfected hosts as possible, Wolbachia switch their evolutionary strategy to increase population levels of infected hosts. Understanding how this happens is important for avoiding unexpected consequences of human efforts to control insect populations.

“We need to understand all of these factors and their evolutionary potential if we’re going to be releasing bacteria into new ecosystems,” Russell said. “They’re evolving in real time, so we need to understand where these trajectories are going.”

Beyond disease prevention, controlling insect populations and range via bacteria could be an effective mechanism for crop security in the face of the changing climate.

Understanding increased fertility

The new results show that Wolbachia pipientis, which is native to fruit flies, has evolved to increase the fertility, and therefore the population size, of its fruit fly host. Previous research has found that the Wolbachia pipientis achieves this by manipulating a protein in fruit flies called Meiotic-P26 that affects fertility, but how exactly this happens was unclear.

To investigate, Russell and her colleagues bred fruit flies with various defects affecting Mei-P26, which caused them to have reduced fertility. These defects occasionally occur naturally in the wild, but are hard to track in that setting. The researchers then examined what happened when they infected the flies with Wolbachia pipientis.

They found that Wolbachia infection restored the fruit fly’s fertility, enabling them to produce even more offspring than uninfected flies. The researchers found that Wolbachia can essentially undo gene defects in their host that would otherwise cause the population to go extinct. The Wolbachia rescue their host population through several strategies, including restoring fruit fly stem cells and ensuring that egg cells properly develop.

In further experiments, the researchers also found that, beyond rescuing fruit flies with defects, the Wolbachia pipientis infection also enhances the health and fertility of fruit flies without defects, resulting in higher egg lay and hatch rates for those insects.

Wolbachia in the lab

Russell focuses on Wolbachia because it and its fruit fly hosts are relatively easy to keep alive and reproduce in the lab. Oftentimes when scientists study bacteria, their efforts are hindered because either the host, the bacteria, or both are difficult to keep alive in the lab setting — even research into common bacteria important to humans such as Chlamydia are slowed by this problem. Wolbachia and their fruit fly hosts offer a rare opportunity to understand how bacteria can change the DNA and biological processes of their host.

“Through studying this system, I can learn a lot about how these weird bacteria work and how they integrate with host biology,” Russell said. “Bacteria are able to hop into these eukaryotes and leverage some of those mechanisms that their ancestors didn’t even contain the genes for. It’s a really fascinating thing in general, and it’s cool that we can leverage this for biological control applications.”

Russell and her lab will continue to hone in on the specific changes that occur in the genomes and gene expression of host species, and look at the fertility benefits that Wolbachia may bring to their hosts in other insect populations.

Russell led this research primarily during her time as a postdoctoral scholar in Sullivan’s lab, where she was supported by the UC Santa Cruz Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellowship and funding from the National Institutes of Health.

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ToBRFV-resistant tomatoes

November 23, 2023 by IAPPS

Cora Seeds is taking part in the New Green Expo, a three-day event dedicated to greenhouse farming and agri-food in the Euro-Mediterranean region, occurring from November 22 to 24 at the Cittadella Fieristica di Vittoria (Ragusa).

In Sicily, the seed company is showcasing its tomato range, with a special focus on resistant varieties to ToBRFV. Visit Stand 21 – Pavilion B to witness firsthand the results of Cora Seeds’ varietal innovation, starting with Rivaldo F1, the variety that clinched the Tomato Excellent 2023 award in its category last summer.

“It’s a significant moment for interaction and discussion within the horticultural supply chain,” comments Maurizio Bacchi, CEO of Cora Seeds. “In Sicily, especially in the transformed area, we have numerous long-term partners. We’ve shared business growth journeys with them. Our investment in tomatoes reflects our commitment to meeting the supply chain’s needs, with our breeders dedicated to innovation and our technicians actively promoting the outcomes of our research in key production areas. This year, our ToBRFV-resistant varieties have yielded satisfying results, enabling producers to stay competitive with consistent and high-quality production.”

Cora Seeds introduces a set of ToBRFV-resistant varieties, including the prize-winning Rivaldo F1, the midi plum Corabell F1, another Tyton F1 variety, and the Grazioso F1 datterino.

“Rivaldo F1 is suitable for transplantation from late August to late October in Sicily and from January to March elsewhere in Italy,” explains Bacchi. “It boasts a robust and resilient plant, high productivity, a fishbone-shaped cluster, medium internode spacing, and excellent fruit-setting capacity. The fruit remains stable on the plant and post-harvest, making it export-worthy. Tyton F1 stands out for stability and productivity in all climates, presenting a consistent flavor over a long cycle. Grazioso F1, besides its genetic resistances, stands out for its appealing color, aromatic flavor, and excellent shelf life. It performs well for spring transplants and summer harvests, resisting high temperatures without shriveling.”

Then there’s the Corabell F1 tomato, a midi plum with a vigorous plant, short internodes, and regular clusters. Its distinctive features include an elegant fishbone pattern, 12 to 14 fruits per cluster, a large rachis, and curly sepals with intense green color. “Corabell F1’s shoulderless, regularly shaped, bright red fruits hold well both on the plant and post-harvest. Its taste is a strong point, suitable for fresh consumption or culinary preparations. It combines genetic resistance, high yields, and consistent quality.”

At the Cora Seeds booth at the New Green Expo, you’ll also find the Movida green bean, a robust climber with high fertility in all periods, even in cold or low-light conditions, and the seedless watermelon with dark skin Samba F1. This variety, recommended for early harvests, with transplants in Sicily starting from February 25 and harvests commencing on May 10, has been a flagship product for Cora Seeds. “Samba F1 has consistently delivered satisfaction with its bright red pulp, crunchiness, and exquisite taste. It’s visually appealing due to its smooth, dark, and shiny skin. Its performance remains stable in various climatic conditions, and it can tolerate temperature changes,” concludes Maurizio Bacchi.

Source: corriereortofrutticolo.it

Publication date: Wed 22 Nov 2023

Posted in Host plant resistance, RNA | Leave a Comment

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OCTOBER 25, 2023

 Editors’ notes

by Katie Peikes, University of Delaware

Traffic lights signal to cars and buses when to stop, slow and go. Much like traffic lights, plant cells send signals to each other to perform photosynthesis to grow or fight off destructive viruses and pathogens.

Plant cells produce plasmodesmata, tiny tiny tubes that act as communication channels, allowing those signals to move from cell to cell. The plasmodesmata will open and close in response to various signals that activate protein regulators such as PDLP5.

“We knew that this protein is critical for plant defense,” said Jung-Youn Lee, a University of Delaware professor of plant molecular and cellular biology and the interim director of the Delaware Biotechnology Institute. “But how does this protein get to the plasmodesmata?”

The question—how these protein regulators find their destination to fulfill their purpose and help a cell function—had been plaguing scientists. Until the University of Delaware got involved.

In new research that made the cover of the journal The Plant Cell, UD researchers found that the protein—PDLP5—that helps guard plants from the invasion of viruses and bacteria has not one, but two special targeting signals, or “zip codes” as Lee calls them, unexpectedly stationed outside of cells.

“It is almost like you have a zip code hidden on an unusual side of the envelope,” Lee said. “We did more than just locate the zip code; we cracked the code. Now we understand where the zip code is and what it looks like.”

An interdisciplinary research team of biologists and computational scientists developed machine-learning algorithms and introduced mutations into the protein sequence of PDLP5 and reintroduced into plant species Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana benthamiana to examine whether PDLP5 would go to plasmodesmata in these plants or not and to find where the second zip code is. The team discovered even if they got rid of one zip code, PDLP5 would still go to the plasmodesmata just fine.

“It gave us a lot of headaches,” Lee said. “We never really thought initially there are two zip codes right next to each other.”

Two ‘zip codes’

Historically, plants under a viral attack were considered “helpless losers,” Lee said. But in 2011, Lee and her team of researchers discovered plants send signals through plasmodesmata for cells to “close their borders” to defend themselves from pathogens. This new insight was made possible through their study of the then newly identified protein, PDLP5.

They have wanted to know how plants lead those PDLP5 proteins to help plasmodesmata close off their channels.

Several years ago, Lee’s former student and 2017 UD graduate Xu Wang had been working on his doctoral thesis studying plant cell-to-cell communication and the function of proteins that would go to plasmodesmata.

“I was trying to figure out which part of the protein that localized to plasmodesmata is important,” Wang said, “and whether this part contains a more universal or common feature that can help us to understand the localization mechanisms for other proteins, not only for the proteins we’re studying.”

When Wang introduced various mutations into PDLP5 to try to chop it up, he was stunned by what happened next.

“Nothing changed,” Wang said. “The mutated, or a shorthand form, always went to the plasmodesmata.”

Wang felt his study and the last piece of his thesis was stuck.

Following Wang’s graduation, Lee brought in computer scientists to develop machine-learning algorithms to help solve the mystery.

Li Liao, an associate professor of computer and information sciences, who worked with Lee and her then newly recruited postdoc Gabriel Robles Luna (currently a university faculty member in Argentina) on the research, said a computer model trained the machine-learning algorithms to make two types of predictions.

The model would predict whether a protein sequence was a PDLP5-targeting protein that would go to plasmodesmata or not and would predict where the targeting signals are in the protein sequence.

“One challenge was this problem that we had very limited training data, only eight such protein sequences,” Liao said. “Now, machine learning is powerful because it can train on large amounts of data. It won’t be easy if you have a small amount of data to train a model.”

To overcome that, Liao and his then new doctoral student Jiefu Li, a 2021 UD graduate, had to train the model in a new way.

“We have developed some novel mechanisms, including revision of the standard training algorithm to handle the partial signals,” Liao said. “If we know some tentative patterns, we can incorporate that into the training algorithm. This will allow us more importantly to do active learning.”

Understanding the protein regulation within plant cells can ultimately help scientists genetically engineer new crops capable of quickly fighting off viruses and other microbial pathogens, Lee said. It’s one more way to improve how plants and crops function.

“This becomes a cool new toolbox for scientists,” Lee said. “We have mechanisms and molecules we can manipulate.”

Wang agreed, adding that genetically engineering plants with plasmodesmata-located proteins that can open and close channels will help “manipulate the overall plant fitness or the plant’s defense to potentially have some agricultural benefits.”

The research doesn’t stop here. Researchers have submitted another grant proposal to the National Science Foundation to continue their research. Now, the team wants to use machine-learning algorithms to know how the protein signals are being used. Like how a UPS driver might use a zip code to deliver a package. Lee said the team wants to know the ins and outs of the whole “delivery system,” including which proteins are involved and any unknown players.

“If we just manipulate the zip code, it may work 50% of the time,” Lee said. “But if we know who the delivery man is and improve or change the delivery man so a virus can’t be transferred to plasmodesmata anymore, if we can change the system, plants will recognize the invaders better and know not to deliver them to plasmodesmata.”

More information: Gabriel Robles Luna et al, Targeting of plasmodesmal proteins requires unconventional signals, The Plant Cell (2023). DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koad152

Journal information: Plant Cell 

Provided by University of Delaware 

ENTOMOLOGY TODAY 11 HOURS AGO LEAVE A COMMENT

As the invasive spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) continues to expand its range in the eastern U.S., a new study on the temperatures it needs for progressing through its life cycle offers a clearer picture of where the spotted lanternfly is likely to thrive—and where it’s not. In short, northern ranges and higher elevations could escape its impacts. (Photo by Lawrence Barringer, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Bugwood.org)

By Ed Ricciuti

Ed Ricciuti

Locations with shorter and cooler seasons may prevent invasive spotted lanternflies (Lycorma delicatula) from developing into adulthood shielding lucky homeowners in northern and upland areas from the glop and sooty mold left behind as the gaudy but destructive pests suck the sap and life out of myriad trees and crops.

In a study published in September in Environmental Entomology, a two-year project conducted by a team of Penn State University scientists provides strong evidence to support predictions that the spotted lanternfly’s potential spread will be limited by increasing altitude and latitude, saving places like the Appalachians of North Carolina and Green Mountains of Vermont from its depredations. Even in those places, however, a span of not much more than a proverbial stone’s throw or two away can make a big difference in the insect’s survival prospects.

The primary focus of the paper, says lead author Dennis D. Calvin, Ph.D., recently retired from the College of Agricultural Sciences at Penn State, “was to study the seasonal development of spotted lanternfly populations and develop mathematical equations based on seasonal degree-day accumulations to estimate the timing of key life-stage activity periods.”

Degree Days and Spotted Lanternfly Development

In entomology, a degree day (DD) is a measure of the time and extent to which temperatures are within the range that allows an insect to develop. For an insect to develop fully, it needs a particular number of degree days during which the temperature sits at a level that enables its development through each life stage. It is the so-called “Goldilocks Principle” at work—not too hot, not too cold, but just right. If the average temperature on one day is, for example, 10 degrees above an insect’s base threshold temperature for development, then 10 degree days are accumulated that day. The base threshold of development is the temperature at which insect development is essentially zero. Entomologists use accumulated degree days (ADD) to calculate the total heat demands an insect needs to develop through a stage or its entire life cycle. With ADD, scientists can peek into the hidden facets of insect growth and thus figure out the total heat demands required for survival.

The processes described in the new study should produce accurate predictions of the suitable geographic range of the spotted lanternfly by evaluating its potential to complete a life cycle from spring egg hatch to fall egg deposition based on season length, expressed as ADD, at a given location.

Equations that predict the timing of lanternfly life stages could be a critical tool for pest management practices, such as monitoring and activating controls. Using the equations, the Penn State researchers were able to estimate areas lacking enough accumulated degree days for lanternflies to reach the adult stage, lay eggs, and gain a foothold.

“If the timing of key life stages, as seen in field data, is consistent enough across years and/or locations to make sound management decisions, then pest managers can effectively time monitoring, surveillance, scouting, and control tactics,” the researchers write.

Calculations by the research team suggest that areas with fewer than 991 ADD are unlikely to provide enough time for females to emerge, mate, and develop mature eggs for deposition. “Thus, since the northern, higher elevation in the Northern Appalachians, Catskills, Adirondacks, Green, and White Mountains and the Allegheny Plateau region do not accumulate enough ADD for 1 percent adult emergence, these areas may have a very low risk of spotted lanternfly population establishment,” they write. Most of Maine, highland and lowland, is marginal for lanternfly reproduction. Other areas that do not provide enough season length to reach the adult stage include high elevations in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania and the Northern Allegheny Plateau in Pennsylvania.

The location they chose for their investigation of the lanternfly’s seasonal activity—on red maple and tree-of-heaven host trees—was a housing development in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania and the adjacent woodland. The inch-and-a-half-long insect was first detected nearby in Berks County, Pennsylvania, in 2014. It has now expanded its range to at least 14 states. The study site has similar climate to that of its range in China, where natural foes control it.

Using 10.4 degrees Celsius as a lower threshold of development, the researchers related key life stage activity periods to the day of the year and ADD, starting January 1. They came up with mathematical equations for nymphal instar, adult, and fall egg-mass deposition activity. Another set of mathematical equations was engineered for adult and fall egg-mass deposition periods using the first observation of adults as a starting date. With these equations, they estimated the geographic range where spotted lanternfly can potentially complete a partial or full life cycle, from spring egg hatch to fall egg-mass deposition.

Where Temperatures Do (and Don’t) Suit Spotted Lanternfly

Not surprisingly, the impact of both latitude and altitude seems to have a major effect on potential lanternfly expansion, as average temperature decreases with increases in altitude or latitude. Beyond that, the fact that altitude can offset the impact of latitude can have profound implication on lanternfly habitat, the researchers explain: “In the north, the Hudson, Connecticut, Delaware, Merrimack, and Susquehanna River valleys and the area between the Catskills and Adirondacks Mountains, where the Erie Canal ran, are lower elevation and have longer season lengths than the surrounding area. In very short distances, the seasonal ADD can drop by 500 or more.”

As the invasive spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) continues to expand its range in the eastern U.S., a new study on the temperatures it needs for progressing through its life cycle offers a clearer picture of where the spotted lanternfly is likely to thrive—and where it’s not. Researchers at Penn State University studied the relationship between the spotted lanternfly’s development cycle and temperature and then applied that to climate data across the northeastern U.S., as shown here. Areas shaded in blue, corresponding to approximately 1,000 accumulated “degree days” and below, are unlikely to sustain average seasonal temperatures for spotted lanternfly to complete its full growth and reproductive cycles. (Figure originally published in Calvin et al 2023, Environmental Entomology)

Lanternflies threaten crops such as almonds, apples, blueberries, cherries, peaches, grapes, and hops, as well as hardwoods such as oak, walnut, and poplar. Typical of plant hoppers, they chew into stems and branches of plants to suck out sap, causing wilting, leaf curling, and dieback. To make matters worse, like aphids, the lanternfly excretes sugary honeydew that attracts bees and wasps and feeds the growth of black sooty mold, which discolors and weakens plants and also makes a mess on patio furniture, cars, and anything else on which it grows. The honeydew problem is accelerated when lanternflies congregate, as they commonly do.

Calvin says that the equations developed may make a big difference in lanternfly control. “It is hoped that, by having equations that can be used to predict the timing of key life-stage activity periods, pest managers can use this information to better time monitoring, surveillance. and control activities. It can save time and money by giving a smaller window to time these activities and also show how the timing of these activities varies across geographic locations,” he says.

More Clues for Spotted Lanternfly Management

The Penn State scientists also turned up hints of other aspects of lanternfly behavior that, down the road, could boost control measures. Early in the season, the dominant sex of lanternflies on red maples was male. As fall and the reproductive season approached, however, females began to show up on the maples and then laid their eggs. The significance of egg laying close to the fall equinox suggests that its timing is not driven solely by degree days but possibly also influenced by another environmental signal such as day length that allows the insect to determine the season is drawing to an end.

Co-author Julie Urban, Ph.D., also of Penn State, says that “the movement of adults that we report could potentially have implications for the monitoring that is done at satellite or ‘pop-up’ populations of SLF found in previously uninfested areas.” In other words, monitoring should be extended beyond the initial site of infestation and host species.

Read More

“Seasonal activity of spotted lanternfly (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae), in Southeast Pennsylvania”

Environmental Entomology

Ed Ricciuti is a journalist, author, and naturalist who has been writing for more than a half century. His latest book is called Bears in the Backyard: Big Animals, Sprawling Suburbs, and the New Urban Jungle (Countryman Press, June 2014). His assignments have taken him around the world. He specializes in nature, science, conservation issues, and law enforcement. A former curator at the New York Zoological Society, and now at the Wildlife Conservation Society, he may be the only man ever bitten by a coatimundi on Manhattan’s 57th Street.

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FAO: Disasters cause $3.8 trillion in crop losses over 30 year

November 14, 2023 by IAPPS

by Juliette MICHEL

Natural and man-made disasters have caused $3.8 trillion in crop and livestock losses over 30 years, the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization said on Friday.

Floods, droughts, insect infestations, storms, disease and war have caused about $123 billion per year in lost food production between 1991 and 2021, the equivalent of five percent of total production or enough to feed up to half a billion people per year, the FAO said in a report.

This is the first time the UN body has tried to compile such an estimate, with the aim of putting into context the scale of the cost of disasters on both a global and personal scale.

“The international community is taking stock of the fact that disasters are… increasing tremendously… quadrupling since the 1970s” and are having an increasing impact on food production, the deputy head of FAO’s statistics department, Piero Conforti, told AFP.

The FAO report, entitled “The Impact of Disasters on Agriculture and Food Security”, found that disasters are increasing in severity and frequency, from 100 per year in the 1970s to around 400 events per year in the past 20 years.

Climate change a systemic risk

Climate change is increasingly responsible, as well as human and livestock diseases.

“Agriculture around the world is increasingly at risk of being disrupted due to multiple hazards and threats such as flooding, water scarcity, drought, declining agricultural yields and fisheries resources, loss of biological diversities and environmental degradation,” said the FAO.

It identified the “systemic drivers of disaster risk” as climate change, pandemics, epidemics and armed conflicts.

The damage adds up quickly.

Average annual grain losses hit 69 million metric tons, the equivalent of France’s annual production.

Some 40 million tons of fruit and vegetable production was lost, and 16 million tons of meat, dairy and eggs.

Around 23 percent of losses due to disasters were sustained in the agricultural sector.

The FAO further found that poorer nations suffered the highest losses due to extreme events in terms of the percentage of their agricultural output, at up to 10 percent.

Asia is the worst-hit region, sustaining 45 percent of total agricultural losses due to disasters, and losing the equivalent of four percent of its agricultural output.

Horn of Africa nations that are regularly impacted by drought lost an average of 15 percent of crop production.

Island developing nations have also been particularly hard hit, sustaining losses of seven percent of their agricultural output.

Women at greater risk

Women are also hit harder than men.

“That’s because of resource constraints and structural constraints that women face in accessing things like information, financial instruments, the resources that they need to prepare to respond to or recover from disaster events,” said the report’s author, Zehra Zaidi.

In Pakistan, where women account for 70 percent of farm laborers, it was shown after floods that men found other work much easier than women.

Lack of sufficient data kept the FAO from calculating losses to fishing and forest production.

Despite the increasing frequency and intensity of disasters, it is possible to reduce risks to agriculture.

“There is no one size fits all solution,” said the FAO’s Conforti, but “there are a range of practices that can enhance the resilience of agricultural systems.”

That includes agronomic techniques such as using different plant varieties and different methods to prepare the soil, as well as creating and improving warning systems.

When locusts invaded the Horn of Africa region in 2020 and 2021, early warning provided the time necessary to treat 2.3 million hectares (5.6 million acres) in the region and nearby Yemen.

Some $1.77 billion in losses in grain and dairy production was saved, the FAO estimates.

Moreover, it was extremely cost-effective, with each dollar invested in prevention measures resulted in $15 of avoided crop losses.

© 2023 AFP

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Early warning systems send disaster deaths plunging: UN

Ghana: Early pest warnings and IPM advice improve food security

November 14, 2023 by IAPPS

November 14, 2023 

Donna Hutchinson 

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Early pest warnings and IPM advice are improving food security for maize farmers in Ghana

Pest warnings are changing the way that smallholders in Ghana farm. Smallholder maize farmers in Ghana have long grappled with the challenges posed by crop pests. Over the past few years, this has included the notorious fall armyworm. This voracious invader has, in the past, led to significant crop losses. And the losses have impacted both food security and livelihoods in rural communities.

However, a recent study led by CABI has shown an interesting development. Early warning pest alerts reap benefits when coupled with Integrated Pest Management (IPM) advice. And they can make a substantial difference to farmers’ livelihoods and food security.

See the full paper here, published in the journal Food Security.

The alerts are broadcasted through community information centres or sent via mobile phone as text messages to farmers. They include IPM advice, which helps smallholders to boost crop yields by using a holistic approach. IPM combines various techniques, including biological control, monitoring and reduced pesticide use. The approach helps farmers manage pests more effectively while minimizing damage to crops. This results in increased yields. Plus, the techniques are more sustainable. They are better for human and environmental health.

The power of satellite technology for early pest warnings

The link between space-based technology and pest warnings might not be obvious at first. But information gathered by satellite is helping farmers better prepare for pest outbreaks.

In Africa, invasive pests, pathogens and weeds cost agriculture a staggering $65.58 billion annually. In 2016, CABI initiated the Pest Risk Information Service (PRISE) to tackle these challenges. The initiative was launched in collaboration with a number of international partners. It is partly funded by the PlantwisePlus programme. PRISE leverages several approaches and technologies. These include earth observation technology, satellite data, pest life cycles and real-time field observations. When harnessed, the information gathered by the service delivers early warnings about crop pests to farmers. This empowers farmers to implement IPM plans that can help limit potential yield losses.

The alerts help farmers address some of Africa’s most damaging crop pests. The fall armyworm, for example, is a significant threat to maize crops. It contributes to an average loss of 27% in Ghana. During the 2021 agricultural season, pest alerts were beneficial. PRISE used a combination of data, modelling and observation to forecast the risk of fall armyworm outbreaks. These alerts were then transmitted to farmers. They received them through Community Information Centres (CICs) and voice short message service (SMS).

The evidence and impact of pest warning information

Research into PRISE is now revealing the impact these alerts have had on farmer food security. In 2021-22, CABI conducted a study in Ghana’s major maize-growing regions of Bono and Bono East. It involved 888 farm households operating 1,305 maize fields. These smallholder farmers were provided with pest risk information obtained from satellite technology. The results gave positive results. Those who received this information experienced an average gain of 4% in their maize yields. Furthermore, they were also 33% less likely to report experiencing hunger. This is a crucial indicator of food security.

The findings of the research imply some interesting results. Early warning pest alerts, together with actionable IPM information, are a win-win. They can contribute to the adoption of sustainable crop protection technologies. And they can improve the standard of living of farming households in Ghana.

Including women in pest alert services

Moreover, the study revealed a notable trend. When women received the pest risk information, positive outcomes were more likely. This is in comparison to when the information was solely directed at men. The positive outcomes were evident when women were either alone or together with their spouses. This insight underscores an important finding. Ensuring that information reaches all stakeholders in farming households – especially women – is beneficial.

A brighter future for smallholder farmers

The study’s lead author is Dr. Justice Tambo, a Senior Socio-Economist at CABI. He underscored how the gains from pest risk information are significant. However, they are not limited to increasing yields and reducing hunger. The reduction in pesticide use was less substantial than expected. Neither were improvements in household dietary diversity. However, the positive impact on food security was undeniable.

Dr. Tambo talked about how the study’s objectives were not nutrition-related. However, any positive indirect effect on dietary quality or nutrition outcomes is important. This is particularly pertinent given the alarming levels of malnutrition among rural populations.

Could pest warnings pave the way to nutrition-sensitive agriculture?

The findings of this study open the door to a broader perspective on agricultural interventions. Early warning pest alerts and IPM can increase yields and reduce hunger. But they can also be leveraged to promote nutrition-sensitive agriculture. Integrating nutrition education into pest-related campaign messages is beneficial. These interventions can contribute to better diets and, ultimately, healthier rural populations.

This research underscores the potential for well-informed, technology-driven interventions. They can transform the lives of smallholder farmers. In Ghana and beyond, early pest warnings and IPM advice are transformational. They have the power to enhance food security and reduce hunger. They can lay the foundation for more resilient and prosperous farming communities. We continue to face agricultural challenges in an ever-changing world. Climate change impacts rural communities across the globe. But the data-driven knowledge sharing offers hope and practical solutions for the future.

For more information about PRISE, see the project page. 

For more information about fall armyworm, see the portal.

PlantwisePlus is financially supported by the Directorate-General for International Cooperation (DGIS), Netherlands; European Commission Directorate General for International Partnerships (INTPA, EU); the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), United Kingdom; the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC); the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR); the Ministry of Agriculture of the People’s Republic of China (MARA)

All images are ©CABI

Fall armyworm, Ghana, IPM, PRISE, food security, maize, pest alerts, plant health, technology

Agriculture and International Development, Crop health

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Posted in Biological control, IPM, Meetings | Leave a Comment

California: Spotting Wine Grape Disease From Skies

November 14, 2023 by IAPPS

Aug. 4, 2023

Plant pathologist Katie Gold, an assistant professor at Cornell University, inspects diseased grapes in a field. Gold’s team used a JPL-developed instrument to detect infected crops from the air in one of California’s most important wine grape producing regions.

 Credit: Allison Usavage

In a case study, scientists detected the costly infection in cabernet sauvignon grapevines before they showed symptoms visible to the human eye.

Withering molds, root-rotting bacteria, viruses, and other plant pathogens destroy an estimated 15 to 30% of global harvests every year. Early detection can make the difference between a failed crop and a treatable one. Using an airborne science instrument developed at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, researchers have found that they can accurately spot the stealthy signs of a grape disease that inflicts billions of dollars in annual crop damage. The remote sensing technique could aid ground-based monitoring for this and other crops.

In a pair of new studies, researchers from JPL and Cornell University focused on a viral disease called GLRaV-3 (short for grapevine leafroll-associated virus complex 3). Primarily spread by insects, GLRaV-3 reduces yields and sours developing fruit, costing the U.S. wine and grape industry some $3 billion in damage and losses annually. It typically is detected by labor-intensive vine-by-vine scouting and expensive molecular testing.

The research team wanted to see if they could help growers identify GLRaV-3 infections early and from the air by using machine learning and NASA’s next-generation Airborne Visible/InfraRed Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS-NG). The instrument’s optical sensor, which records the interaction of sunlight with chemical bonds, has been used to measure and monitor hazards such as wildfires, oil spills, greenhouse gases, and air pollution associated with volcanic eruptions.

A drone captured a grateful message written among grapevines by individuals with the wine industry who collaborated on the pathogen-spotting research in the Lodi, California, region.

 Credit: Aaron Lange/Lodi Winegrape Commission

It was during a 2020 campaign to map methane leaks in California that plant pathologist Dr. Katie Gold and her team seized the opportunity to pose a different question: Could AVIRIS-NG uncover undercover crop infection in one of the state’s most important grape-producing regions?

“Like humans, sick plants may not exhibit outward symptoms right away, making early detection the greatest challenge facing growers,” said Gold, an assistant professor at Cornell University and senior author of the new studies. In the case of grapevine leafroll virus, it can take up to a year before a vine betrays the telltale signs of infection, such as discolored foliage and stunted fruit. However, on the cellular level, stress is well underway before then, changing how sunlight interacts with plant tissue.

Aerial Advantage

Mounted in the belly of a research plane, AVIRIS-NG observed roughly 11,000 acres of vineyards in Lodi, California. The region – located in the heart of California’s Central Valley – is a major producer of the state’s premium wine grapes.

The team fed the observations into computer models they developed and trained to distinguish infection. To help check the results, industry collaborators scouted more than 300 acres of the vineyards from the ground for visible viral symptoms while collecting vine samples for molecular testing.

California: Spotting Wine Grape Disease From Skies

November 14, 2023 by IAPPS

Aug. 4, 2023

Plant pathologist Katie Gold, an assistant professor at Cornell University, inspects diseased grapes in a field. Gold’s team used a JPL-developed instrument to detect infected crops from the air in one of California’s most important wine grape producing regions.

 Credit: Allison Usavage

In a case study, scientists detected the costly infection in cabernet sauvignon grapevines before they showed symptoms visible to the human eye.

Withering molds, root-rotting bacteria, viruses, and other plant pathogens destroy an estimated 15 to 30% of global harvests every year. Early detection can make the difference between a failed crop and a treatable one. Using an airborne science instrument developed at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, researchers have found that they can accurately spot the stealthy signs of a grape disease that inflicts billions of dollars in annual crop damage. The remote sensing technique could aid ground-based monitoring for this and other crops.

In a pair of new studies, researchers from JPL and Cornell University focused on a viral disease called GLRaV-3 (short for grapevine leafroll-associated virus complex 3). Primarily spread by insects, GLRaV-3 reduces yields and sours developing fruit, costing the U.S. wine and grape industry some $3 billion in damage and losses annually. It typically is detected by labor-intensive vine-by-vine scouting and expensive molecular testing.

The research team wanted to see if they could help growers identify GLRaV-3 infections early and from the air by using machine learning and NASA’s next-generation Airborne Visible/InfraRed Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS-NG). The instrument’s optical sensor, which records the interaction of sunlight with chemical bonds, has been used to measure and monitor hazards such as wildfires, oil spills, greenhouse gases, and air pollution associated with volcanic eruptions.

A drone captured a grateful message written among grapevines by individuals with the wine industry who collaborated on the pathogen-spotting research in the Lodi, California, region.

 Credit: Aaron Lange/Lodi Winegrape Commission

It was during a 2020 campaign to map methane leaks in California that plant pathologist Dr. Katie Gold and her team seized the opportunity to pose a different question: Could AVIRIS-NG uncover undercover crop infection in one of the state’s most important grape-producing regions?

“Like humans, sick plants may not exhibit outward symptoms right away, making early detection the greatest challenge facing growers,” said Gold, an assistant professor at Cornell University and senior author of the new studies. In the case of grapevine leafroll virus, it can take up to a year before a vine betrays the telltale signs of infection, such as discolored foliage and stunted fruit. However, on the cellular level, stress is well underway before then, changing how sunlight interacts with plant tissue.

Aerial Advantage

Mounted in the belly of a research plane, AVIRIS-NG observed roughly 11,000 acres of vineyards in Lodi, California. The region – located in the heart of California’s Central Valley – is a major producer of the state’s premium wine grapes.

The team fed the observations into computer models they developed and trained to distinguish infection. To help check the results, industry collaborators scouted more than 300 acres of the vineyards from the ground for visible viral symptoms while collecting vine samples for molecular testing.

Gold noted it was a labor-intensive process, undertaken during a California heat wave. “Without the hard work of the growers, industry collaborators, and the scouting teams, none of what we accomplished would have been possible,” she said. Similar efforts will continue under the NASA Acres Consortium, of which Gold is a lead scientist.

The researchers found that they were able to differentiate non-infected and infected vines both before and after they became symptomatic, with the best-performing models achieving 87% accuracy. Successful early detection of GLRaV-3 could help provide grape growers up to a year’s warning to intervene.

In a complementary paper, the researchers said their case study shows how emerging capabilities in air and space can support ground-based pathogen surveillance efforts. These capabilities include forthcoming missions like NASA’s Surface Biology and Geology (SBG) – part of the fleet of missions that will compose the agency’s Earth System Observatory. They said that SBG will provide data that could be used in combination with machine learning for agricultural decision-making at the global scale.

Fernando Romero Galvan, a doctoral candidate and lead author of both studies, noted that sustainable farming practices are more important than ever in the face of climate change. “I think these are exciting times for remote sensing and plant disease detection,” he said. “Scalable solutions can help growers make data-driven, sustainable crop management decisions.”

“What we did with this study targets one area of California for one disease,” said co-author Ryan Pavlick, a research technologist at JPL. “The ultimate vision that we have is being able to do this across the planet for many crop diseases and for growers all over the world.”

News Media Contact

Jane J. Lee / Andrew Wang

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.

818-354-0307 / 626-379-6874

jane.j.lee@jpl.nasa.gov / andrew.wang@jpl.nasa.gov

Written by Sally Younger

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