Insect Pest Complex of Wheat Crop

Wheat Triticum aestivum L. is grown on broad range of climatic conditions because of edible grains, cereal crop and stable food of about 2 Billion peoples worldwide. Additionally, it is the rich source of carbohydrates (55–60%), vegetable proteins and contributed 50–60% daily dietary requirement in Pakistan. Globally, wheat crops is grown over 90% area of total cultivated area; facing devastating biotic and abiotic factors. The estimated economic losses in wheat quantity and quality are about 4 thousands per tonne per year including physical crop losses and handling. Economic losses of about 80–90 million USD in Pakistan are recorded due to inadequate production and handling losses. Wheat agro-ecosystem of the world colonizes many herbivore insects which are abundant and causing significant losses. The feeding style of the insects made them dispersive from one habitat to another imposing significant crop loss. Areas of maximum wheat production are encountered with either insect which chew the vegetative as well as reproductive part or stem and root feeders. This chapter provides the pest’s taxonomic rank, distribution across the globe, biology and damage of chewing and sucking insect pest of wheat. It is very important to study biology of the pest in accordance with crop cycle to forecast which insect stage is economically important, what the proper time to manage pest is and what type of control is necessary to manage crop pest. The chapter will provide management strategies well suited to pest stage and environment.

Burkilliodendron album (Fabaceae: Millettieae), a new genus and species record for Thailand

Burkilliodendron album is a new genus and species record for Thailand. The detailed description of the reproductive part of the species is emended based on the fleshy flowers. Photographs taken from the field are provided for easy identification.

Harmful entomofauna of hemp Cannabis sativa L. (analytical overview)

Goal. To study the genesis of the harmful hemp entomofauna, to analyze the areas of expansion, features of development and harmfulness of a complex of insect phytophages. Methods. Information-analytical. Collection and research of information data of Internet resources and available specialized literature. Results. Hemp plants are damaged by a large number of both polyphage and specialized insect phytophages. With a high level of adaptability and ecological plasticity, they are capable of causing significant damage to hemp crops and sometimes even completely destroying their seedlings. Among the polyphage insects, pests from the families are of particular danger: (Elateridae), (Scarabaeidae), (Curculionidae), (Cerambycidae), (Mordellidae), (Noctuidae), (Pyralidae), (Erebidae), (Nymphalidae), (Lycaenidae), (Agromyzidae), (Orthoptera), (Acrididae), (Tettigoniidae), (Aphidiidae), (Miridae) and (Pentatomidae). The dominant specialized phytophages in the hemp field are: flea beetle — Psylliodes attenuata Koch. (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae), tumbling flower beetles — Mordellistena micans (Coleoptera, Mordellidae), hemp moth — Grapholitha delineana Walk (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae); hemp aphids — Phorodon cannabis Pass (Homoptera, Aphidiidae). Conclusions. The genesis of the harmful hemp field entomofauna has been studied. It has been established that, for thousand years, a harmful entomocomplex has been forming on hemp, which, depending on the specific environmental conditions, has been gradually supplemented by introduced, adapted insect species, and at present it is quite numerous. Thus, according to various data, the total entomocomplex of hemp includes 240—300 species and has more than 70 specialized and polyphage insect phytophages, which can cause significant damage to the sprouting seeds, root system, overground vegetative and reproductive part of the plant.

The Phases of Flower in Sangam Tamil Literature

A flower is the reproductive part of flowering plants. Within the flowering stage of flower had different phases like Arumbu / Bud, Mottu / Tender flower Bud, Mugai / Opening bud, Malar / Flower blossom, Alar / Full-blown flower blossom, Vee / Flower drying and Semmal / Faded flower in Sangam Tamil literature. The Sangam Tamil literature was accompanied of Tamil scholars and poets that, according to phases flower are indicated in Thirukkural, Narrinai, Purananuru, Kuruntokai, Silappatikaram, etc., This review is more useful to researchers for understanding the floral scent properties relation to phases of flower and associated with releasing dynamics for fragrant / scent out of flower.

Gynoecium size and ovule number are interconnected traits that impact seed yield

Angiosperms form the largest group of land plants and display an astonishing diversity of floral structures. The development of flowers greatly contributed to the evolutionary success of the angiosperms as they guarantee efficient reproduction with the help of either biotic or abiotic vectors. The female reproductive part of the flower is the gynoecium (also called pistil). Ovules arise from meristematic tissue within the gynoecium. Upon fertilization, these ovules develop into seeds while the gynoecium turns into a fruit. Gene regulatory networks involving transcription factors and hormonal communication regulate ovule primordium initiation, spacing on the placenta, and development. Ovule number and gynoecium size are usually correlated and several genetic factors that impact these traits have been identified. Understanding and fine-tuning the gene regulatory networks influencing ovule number and pistil length open up strategies for crop yield improvement, which is pivotal in light of a rapidly growing world population. In this review, we present an overview of the current knowledge of the genes and hormones involved in determining ovule number and gynoecium size. We propose a model for the gene regulatory network that guides the developmental processes that determine seed yield.

Kin but less than kind: within-group male relatedness does not increase female fitness in seed beetles

Theory maintains within-group male relatedness can mediate sexual conflict by reducing male–male competition and collateral harm to females. We tested whether male relatedness can lessen female harm in the seed beetle Callosobruchus maculatus . Male relatedness did not influence female lifetime reproductive success or individual fitness across two different ecologically relevant scenarios of mating competition. However, male relatedness marginally improved female survival. Because male relatedness improved female survival in late life when C. maculatus females are no longer producing offspring, our results do not provide support for the role of within-group male relatedness in mediating sexual conflict. The fact that male relatedness improves the post-reproductive part of the female life cycle strongly suggests that the effect is non-adaptive. We discuss adaptive and non-adaptive mechanisms that could result in reduced female harm in this and previous studies, and suggest that cognitive error is a likely explanation.

Kin selection and sexual conflict: male relatedness and familiarity do not affect female fitness in seed beetles

SummaryTheory maintains that kin selection can mediate sexual conflict because within-group male relatedness should reduce male-male competition, thereby reducing collateral harm to females. We tested whether male relatedness and familiarity can lessen female harm in the seed beetle Callosobruchus maculatus. Neither male relatedness nor familiarity influenced female lifetime reproductive success or individual fitness. However, male relatedness, but not familiarity, marginally improved female survival. Because male relatedness improved female survival in late life when C. maculatus females are no longer producing offspring, our results do not provide support for the role of kin selection in mediating sexual conflict. The fact that male relatedness improves the post-reproductive part of female life cycle strongly suggests that the effect is non-adaptive. We discuss adaptive and non-adaptive mechanisms that could result in reduced female harm in this and previous studies and suggest that cognitive error is a likely explanation.

An interaction map of transcription factors controlling gynoecium development in Arabidopsis

Flowers are composed of different organs, whose identity is defined at the molecular by the combinatorial activity of transcription factors (TFs). MADS-box TFs interact forming complexes that have been schematized in the quartet model. The gynoecium is the female reproductive part in the flower, crucial for plant reproduction, and fruit and seed production. Once carpel identity is established, a gynoecium containing many tissues arises. Several TFs have been identified as regulators of gynoecium development, and some of these TFs form complexes. However, broad knowledge about the interactions among these TFs is still scarce. In this work, we used a systems biology approach to understand the formation of a complex reproductive unit as the gynoecium by mapping binary interactions between well-characterized TFs. We analyzed over 3500 combinations and detected more than 200 protein-protein interactions (PPIs), resulting in a process specific interaction map. Topological analyses suggest hidden functions and novel roles for many TFs. Furthermore, a relationship between TFs involved in auxin and cytokinin signaling pathways and other TFs was observed. We analyzed the network by combining PPI data, expression and genetic data, allowing us to dissect it into several dynamic spatio-temporal sub-networks related to gynoecium development subprocesses.

Patterns of Reproductive and Seed Dispersal and Ecological Significance of the Clonal Spring Ephemeroid Plant Carex physodes in the Gurbantuggut Desert

ABSTRACT: Carex physodes is an ephemeral species in the cold desert of Gurbantunggut in Northwest China. It has both asexual and sexual reproductive patterns. The primary aims of this study were to characterize the reproduction systems and identify the role of fruit dispersal in the sexual reproduction of C. physodes. Aboveground and underground biomass, root-shoot ratio, inflorescence biomass, fruit-set of C. physodes were measured and dispersal of perigynia and achenes in the natural habitat and indoor condition were studied. The underground biomass of C. physodes was approximately 10 times more than the aboveground biomass. The most parts of aboveground biomass is allocated to the inflorescence, which suggests that C. physodes allocates most biomass to the reproductive part. C. physodes produces perigynium with a pericarp containing one achene. The perigynia disperse at a much greater distance than achenes at both 1 and 4 m s-1 wind velocity, and the floating time of perigynia in water was much longer than that of achenes. Perigynia can hold more water and adher soil much more easily than achenes, which suggests that perigynia are suitable for wind dispersal, and they also adapt to spread at a long distance by occasionally rainfall. However, achenes may remain near the mother plants and only disperse at short distances. C. physodes is morphologically and physiologically adapted to the cold desert environment via a combination of characters associated with the rhizomatous and perigynium. This adaption may increase the opportunity of survival and expansion of population of C. physodes.

TO THE PROBLEM OF PRACTICABILITY OF CHANGING FISHERIES MEASURES FOR COMMERCIAL CATCHES OF ROACH AND SHEATFISHIN THE VOLGA-CASPIAN BASIN (THE ASTRAKHAN REGION)

Fisheries measures is an instrument allowing to regulate fish catch pressing to the aquatic bio-resources stocks. Roach and sheatfish are the species which are exploited in industrial and amateur fisheries of the Volga-Caspian basin (the Astrakhan region). According to the Fishery Regulations, today the minimum allowable length for roach is 17 centimeters, and for sheatfish it is 60 centimeters. According to the results of retrospective analysis of stocks dynamics, commercial catch of roach and cheatfish, experience in changing fisheries measures for roach and sheatfish in the Volga-Caspian basin, changing fisheries measures for these species has been found inexpedient. The current fisheries measures for commercial catch of roach allows to exploit only the reproductive part of the population, minimizing losses of restocking. Also, the work shows that a change of fisheries measures for sheatfish will lead to the decrease of the commercial catch of sheatfish and objects of its ration. In general, it must be stressed that changing fisheries measures will lead to redistribution of roach and sheatfish catches between the main participants (commercial fishers, amateur fishers and poachers), but not in favor of the official fish catching