This chapter looks through the past technological developments and concludes that, to be a successful future technology, nanotechnology needs to be developed in an eco-friendly manner so that any negative impacts on human health and the environment are minimized. It stresses stringent quality...

This chapter discusses various aspects of integrated pest and disease management with a focus on ways to monitor insects and pests using traditional as well as new technologies, advances in spatial and temporal microclimatic measurement techniques and the role of such data in pest monitoring and...

The objective of this chapter is to present an overview of the major production task areas in tree fruit production that either have already been automated or are currently in research and development stages. Specifically, this chapter addresses topics in autonomous navigation, cultural practices,...

This chapter describes the appearance, life cycle, control and management of bed bugs (Cimex hemipterus and C. lectularius). Control measures such as traps and monitors, insecticides, fumigation, heat treatment and repellents are discussed.

This chapter describes some common stored product pests, i.e. the rice weevil (Sitophilus oryzae and S. granarius), sawtoothed grain beetle (Oryzaephilus surinamensis), red flour beetle (Tribolium castaneum) and confused flour beetle (Tribolium confusum), cigarette or tobacco beetle (Lasioderma...

This chapter deals with vertebrate pests, including rats and mice (which transmit parasites and diseases to other animals and humans, and can be found in gardens and forests), bats (find shelter in structures) and birds (which create problems when they come into conflict with human). Information is ...

This chapter examines the nature and character of globalization and sustainable development and the needs for capacity building in developing (African) countries. The interface between globalization, capacity building and sustainable development is discussed, as well as the key elements of capacity ...

This chapter shares experiences in the use of smartphones to collect monitoring data for sweet potato vine multiplication and dissemination activities in sub-Saharan Africa. An Open Data Kit (ODK) technology is used to collect geo-tagged data, perform error validation, on-site data quality control, ...

The sucking pests that feed on rape leaves, stems, buds, flowers, pods or seeds include several Hemiptera (such as aphids and plant bugs), with piercing and sucking mouthparts, some thrips, with rasping and sucking mouthparts, and leafhoppers. This paper discusses the crop damage caused by these...

The cabbage seedpod weevil (CSW), Ceutorhynchus obstrictus, is a European pest of several brassicaceous seed crops from the Mediterranean region to Scandinavia. In North America it was first reported from the Vancouver area in British Columbia in 1931. Since then it has been reported in several...