Abstract: Bean common mosaic virus (BCMV), bean common mosaic necrosis virus (BCMNV), and cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) are important pathogens of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), a crop vital for food security in sub-Saharan Africa. These viruses are vectored by aphids non-persistently, with virions bound loosely to stylet receptors. These viruses also manipulate aphid-mediated transmission by altering host properties. Virus-induced effects on host-aphid interactions were investigated using ...
Abstract: Building climate-resilient farming systems is important to promote the sustainability of agriculture at the global level. Scaling-up agroecological approaches in main staple crops, such as maize, is particularly important in enhancing the climate resilience of millions of smallholder farmers in developing countries. In this regard, push–pull technology (PPT) is an ecological approach to a farming system that aims to improve the climate resilience of maize producers in a smallhold...
Abstract: We investigated the susceptibility of five cabbage varieties (‘Oxylus’, ‘Super Cross’, ‘Vantar F1 Hybrid’, ‘Santa’F1 and ‘Fortune’) to aphids. Trials were set up in the Accra plains for two rainy seasons in 2017. The first trial examined aphid infestation and the second included weekly blanket spray of neem oil at 0.48 L/ha (60 ml/15 L water) during the second rainy season. Five systematically sampled cabbage leaves per plot were examined for the numbers of aphi...
Abstract: In the Eastern Africa highlands, the gradual transformation of natural ecosystems to smallholding coffee-based agrosystems has resulted in more fragmented landscapes. Major pests of coffee find appropriate living conditions leading to high infestation rates and the need for smallholder farmers to implement pest control measures. This study aims to understand the influence of landscapes on the ecology of three major coffee pests: the coffee berry borer (CBB), Hypothenemus hampei, an...
Abstract: There are various postharvest treatments currently available in the market. Among these, heat-based treatments are very effective. Several hot water treatment (HWT) protocols at various temperature regimes and time durations have been developed for different mango cultivars and varieties. However, many concerns have been raised regarding the quality of fruits subjected to HWT, particularly on physical and biochemical properties. The purpose of this study was to generate empirical e...
Abstract: Long-horned grasshopper (Ruspolia differens Serville) is a tasty delicacy in over 20 African countries. This study evaluated the impact of diverse post-harvest thermal treatment (blanching, boiling, toasting, and deep-frying) on the nutrients, total flavonoid content and sterols preservation of R. differens products. Crude protein, ash, and fibre of R. differens was drastically reduced by deep-frying technique. There was increase in Omega-3 (α-linolenic acid), Omega-6 fatty acid (...
Abstract: Global pest invasions have significantly increased in recent years. These invasions together with climate warming directly impact agriculture. Tropical climates feature extreme weather events, including high temperatures and seasonal droughts. Thus, successful invasive pests in tropics have to adapt to these extreme climate features. The intrinsic factors relevant to tropical invasion of insects have been explored in many studies, but the knowledge is rather dispersed in contempora...
Abstract: Endophytic fungal isolates Hypocrea lixii F3ST1 and Beauveria bassiana G1LU3 were evalu-ated for their potential to endophytically colonize and induce active compounds in Phaseolus vulgaris,as a defense mechanism against pea leafminer (Liriomyza huidobrensis) and fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda). Endophytic colonization was achieved through seed inoculation with the volatile emis- sions from P. vulgaris plants being analyzed using GC-MS. The crude extracts of P. vulgaris obtai...
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Biological control plays a key role in reducing crop damage byTuta absoluta(Meyrick) andTrialeurodes vapor-ariorum(Westwood), which cause huge yield losses in tomato (Solanum lycopersicumL.). The mirid predatorNesidiocoris tenuis(Reuter) preys heavily on these pests, with satisfying control levels in tomato greenhouses. AlthoughN. tenuisis known to beattracted to volatiles of tomato plants infested byT. absolutaand whitefly, little is known about the specific attractive...
Abstract: Abstract Purpose Push–pull is an intercropping technology that is rapidly spreading among smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa. The technology intercrops cereals with Desmodium to fight off stem borers, eliminate parasitic weeds, and improve soil fertility and yields of cereals. The above-ground components of push–pull cropping have been well investigated. However, the impact of the technol-ogy on the soil microbiome and the subsequent role of the microbiome on diverse eco...
Abstract: Lepidoptera represents one of the most abundant and diverse insect groups globally, with more than 178,159 species described in more than 4000 genera. This paper discusses the economic importance of these insects in Cameroon. The work was built on a comprehensive review of 60 relevant published articles from 1955 to 2021.Results show a great diversity of insects of economic importance belonging to the order Lepidoptera, of which 51 are known at the species level, eleven at the genu...
Abstract: Invasive alien trees transform landscapes and subsequent ecosystem function. For grassland ecosystems, fragmentation following invasion by alien woody species is of concern. In this study, we examined how an invasive alien tree, Robinia pseudoacacia L. (Fabaceae) impacts grassland microclimates and the subsequent assemblages of endemic arthropods. The phenological trajectory of R. pseudoacacia, temperature and light intensity, as well as arthropod abundances in both invaded and uni...
Abstract: Plant parasitic nematodes (PPNs) develop through three major stages in their life cycle: hatching, infection, and reproduction. Interruption of any of these stages can affect their growth and survival. We used screenhouse pot experiments, laboratory in vitro hatching and mortality assays, and chemical analysis to test the hypothesis that the non-host Asteraceae plant vegetable black-jack (Bidens pilosa) suppresses infection of the PPN Meloidogyne incognita in two susceptible Solana...
Abstract: The unfavorable soil (low supply of nutrients, high levels of toxic elements, salinity, compaction) and climatic (drought, waterlogging, high temperature, low temperature) conditions reduce plant and crop productivity (Pereira, 2016). Low fertility soils, and extreme weather events resulting from climate change, are a major threat to global food security (Evans, 2009). Plants have evolved sophisticated adaptive mechanisms to withstand the multiple abiotic stresses to which they are...
Abstract: The use of endophytic fungi has dramatically increased plant performance through the enhancement of plant protection against abiotic and biotic stressors. We previously demonstrated that the endophytic fungus Trichoderma asperellum M2RT4 improves tomato defenses against the tomato leafminer Tuta absoluta through the reduction of oviposition, leafmining, pupation, and adult emergence. However, the underlying mechanism by which the presence of this endophytic fungus within tomato hos...