The western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis) is an invasive thrips pest of tomatoes in the southeastern United States. This species causes crop loss to farmers by injuring fruits and vectoring Tomato spotted wilt virus. Previous attempts to control this species using calendar applications ...

Gene drives may be capable of addressing ecological problems by altering entire populations of wild organisms, but their use has remained largely theoretical due to technical constraints. Here we consider the potential for RNA-guided gene drives based on the CRISPR nuclease Cas9 to serve as a...

Information is extensive on the consequences of climate change on diverse spheres, such as an increase in rates of desertification, increase in the frequency and intensity of hurricanes and tropical storms, and changes in the patterns of distribution and reproduction of flora and fauna. This paper...

Owing to complex direct and indirect effects, impacts of higher trophic levels on plants is poorly understood. In tropical agroecosystems, ants interact with crop mutualists and antagonists, but little is known about how this integrates into the final ecosystem service, crop yield. We combined ant...

Maize provides an important source of forage for the maize-dairy farmers in Kenya. However, due to small farm size, maize cannot supply all the feed needed for dairy cattle and forage is in short supply in the dry seasons. This paper examines practices to increase the health and use of maize and...

These proceedings contain abstracts of papers on diseases, weeds and pests associated with crops (mainly horticultural and field crops) and trees. The abstracts are classified under the following headings: economic entomology, mites, fungal diseases, bacterial diseases, viral diseases, nematodes,...

Phytoplasmas are bacterial plant pathogens consisting of more than 50 phylogenetic groups that cause devastating diseases in various crops worldwide. They are obligate parasites restricted to the phloem tissue of the host plant and are transmitted from plant to plant mostly by leafhoppers...

This paper presents the history, distribution, types, transmission and symptoms of the Citrus Huanglongbing (HLB) disease, and discusses the causal organisms and their vectors including impacts for Florida and Brazil (two relatively new areas where the disease has been discovered) as well as...

At least 10 species of aphid are known to be vectors of plum pox virus (PPV) in stone fruit crops. In Poland, the most effective vector is Brachycaudus helichrysi, followed by B. cardui, Phorodon humuli and Hyalopterus pruni, while Nectarosiphon persicae [Myzus persicae] occurs in stone fruit...