Endophytic fungi have attracted increasing attention because of their roles in plant growth promotion and their potential applications in agriculture. This study aimed to isolate, identify, and evaluate the plant growth-promoting potential of endophytic fungi from healthy leaves of the Inca nut plants (Plukenetia volubilis) collected from three sites located in China (Honghe, Yunnan Province) and Thailand (Fang and Chiang Dao Districts, Chiang Mai Province). A total of 168 fungal strains belonging to 35 previously known genera and one unrecognized genus were obtained, of which Ascomycota were predominant, accounting for 166 strains (98.8%). The results showed that the Honghe site yielded the highest number of fungal strains. For fungal identification, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region was used as the molecular marker. Nigrospora and Cercospora predominated in the Honghe and Chiang Dao sites, respectively, whereas Hypoxylon was the dominant genus in the Fang site. Two genera, Colletotrichum and Pseudopithomyces, were found at all three sampling sites. A total of 96 strains tested positive for siderophore production, and 47 strains solubilized insoluble phosphate. Additionally, 13 fungal strains produced indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), among which Colletotrichum strain 1-8-1 yielded the highest concentration at 470.00 μg mL−1. The results showed that 57 strains tested positive for cellulase production and 10 strains for chitinase production. Moreover, fungal culture filtrates containing IAA from Colletotrichum strains 1-1-6, 1-8-1, and 2-1-15 enhanced seed germination in Chinese kale and tomato. Regarding seedling growth, the fungal culture filtrate of strain 1-8-1 also significantly increased root length and shoot height of Chinese kale and tomato seedlings. This is the first comprehensive study documenting endophytic fungi from Inca nut plants in China and Thailand. Furthermore, this study provides valuable insights into beneficial endophytic fungi associated with the Inca nut plant and highlights their potential applications in plant growth promotion.
Tag: biological control
Human versus machine: Can generative AI anticipate insect biological control outcomes?
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) could transform evidence synthesis and revolutionize the global scientific enterprise, yet its agricultural applications are understudied. Here, we systematically assess the performance of three web-grounded AI engines (ChatGPT, ScholarAI and DeepSeek) in synthesizing the global literature on biological control of the fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda, and benchmark their outputs against a recent, near-exhaustive human review. Though all engines rapidly screened vast literature corpora, they exhibited shortcomings in factual accuracy, reporting reliability and data consistency. In machine-run syntheses, natural enemy prevalence and performance data often diverged from published records while the level of agreement in enumerating top-performing taxa was evenly low. Meanwhile, internal consistency between laboratory and field-level parasitism data for ScholarAI and DeepSeek was similar to that in human-run reviews. All models tended towards faulty data extrapolation, hallucination and data fabrication, and a sporadic exclusion of key species. While autonomous, machine-only efforts accurately capture coarse-grained patterns in natural enemy identity, abundance, and impacts, they carry limited utility for (living) evidence syntheses or rigorous decision-support. Yet, handled with prudence and due human oversight, machine power might eventually revitalize underfunded disciplines and advance nature-friendly farming.
Biological control protects carbon sequestration capacity of plantation forests
In many natural and managed forest and tree systems, pest attacks and related dieback events have become a matter of increasing global concern. Although these attacks modify the carbon balance of tree systems, their contribution to climate forcing and the relative impact of nature-based mitigation measures is seldom considered. Here, we assess the extent to which biological control protects or reconstitutes carbon sequestration capacity and storage in monoculture tree plantations globally. Specifically, we draw upon field-level assessments, niche modeling and forest carbon flux maps to quantify potential risk of carbon sequestration loss due to three globally important insect herbivores of pine and eucalyptus. Specifically, herbivory by the tree-feeding insects Sirex noctilio, Leptocybe invasa and Ophelimus maskelli conservatively reduces carbon sink capacity by up to 0.96–4.86% at the country level. For a subset of 30, 11 and nine tree-growing countries, this potentially compromises a respective 4.02%, 0.80% and 0.79% of the carbon sink capacity of their tree hosts. Yet, in the invasive range, released biological control agents can help regain lost sink capacity to considerable extent. Equally, across both the S. noctilio native and invasive range, carbon sequestration capacity is protected by resident biota to the tune of (max.) 0.28–0.39 tons of CO2 equivalent per hectare per year. Our exploratory valuation of pest-induced sequestration losses and their biodiversity-driven mitigation informs climate policy, biosecurity, and management practice.
Biological control using essential oil of Ocimum gratissimum and four other biopesticides on Formicococcus njalensis, the most active mealybugs species in the transmission of CSSV (Cocoa swollen shoot virus)
A laboratory investigation was conducted to evaluate the use of Ocimum gratissimum essential oil to control the development of Formicococcus njalensis, the main vector of Cocoa Swollen shoot virus (CSSV) in West Africa. Commercial biopesticides (Squad, Agriphy, Mycotal and Banole), the essential oil of O. gratissimum obtained by hydrodistillation were compared at the concentration of 0, 1000, 2000 and 3000 µl.l-1 respectively. Ten mealybugs were directly sprayed using the different concentrations. The mortality rate of the mealybugs was evaluated by counting the number of mealybugs dead in each Petri dish 24, 48, 72 and 96 h after treatment. The highest toxicity was observed with Squad which killed all the mealybugs at each of the 3 concentrations. The second highest toxicity was observed with O. gratissimum treatment which mortality rate increased with the concentration. Indeed, a mortality rate of 39.27, 50 and 59% was observed at 1000, 2000 and 3000 µl.l-1 respectively. The third highest lethality rate was observed with Agriphy (29.36%) at 1000 µl.l-1 and with Banole (48%) at 2000 µl.l -1. At 2000 µl.l -1, Agriphy and Mycotal lethality rates were 41.4 and 5% respectively. No death was observed in the control treatment. Conclusively, environmental friendly biopesticides such as O. gratissimum and Squad can be used to control Formicococcus njalensis population, and hence limit CSSV prevalence.
Distribution ecology and management of Chromolaena Odorata repartition ecologie et gestion de Chromolaena Odorata
C’est à la fin des années 1930 que l’arbuste Chromolaena odorata (L.) R. M. King et H. Robinson a été introduit en Afrique de l’Ouest pour la première fois. Depuis, il s’est largement propagé dans toute l’Afrique Occidentale et Centrale, de la Guinée jusqu’au nord de l’Angola et au centre du Zaire. C. odorata est devenue une adventice problématiquedans les espaces ouverts, les clairières aux alentours des villages, dans la phase initiale des successions secondaires, dans les pâturages et les cultures, ainsi que dans les jeunes plantations d’arbres. C. odorata est maintenant une espèce dominante dans toute la zone humide et subhumide de l’Afrique du Centre et de l’Ouest, fournissant abri et espace de reproduction à des insectes nuisibles comme le criquet puant, Zonocerus variegatus.Les noms locaux attribués à C. Odorata soulignent et la réussite de son implantation et la nature des ravages qu’elle cause. On lui reconnait également des propriétés utiles puisqu’elle peut contribuer à l’élaboration de la matière organique du sol, intervenir dans le contrôle de l’érosion et être utilisée à des fins médicales. La lutte biologique est considérée comme étant l’approche à long terme la plus réaliste pour le contrôle et la gestion de C. odorata. En Afrique de l’Ouest et du Centre, les travaux dans ce domaine sont encore limités à la Côte d’Ivoire et au Ghana. Peu d’attention a été accordée à l’élaboration de stratégies efficaces de contrôle et de gestion de C. odorata pour les paysans les plus démunis d’Afrique.
Lateral resource flow and capture – the key to scaling up agroforestry results
The ideal of agroforestry experimentation has become a situation where all resource capture is restricted to a vertical soil column under the plot and lateral light interception is minimized.
Measuring the economic value of redistributing parasitoids for the control of the maize stemborer Busseola fusca Fuller (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in Kenya
This study assesses the ex ante economic impact of the establishment of two parasitoids, the scelionid egg parasitoid Telenomus isis Polaszek from West Africa and a virulent strain of the braconid larval parasitoid Cotesia sesamiae Cameron from western Kenya, to control stemborer. Using a Cobb-Douglas production function, it was estimated that yields increased by 28.5% when pesticides were used to control stemborers. The benefit-cost ratio after the establishment of the parasitoids ranged from 1:1 to 777:1, with a net present value of up to US$192 million. The study demonstrates the potential of redistributing parasitoids indigenous to Africa for the control of African stemborers. Because the benefits of biological control are positively scale dependent, while the costs are generally scale irresponsive, biological control programs would accrue more benefits if parasitoids were released to a wider area.
Global scientific progress and shortfalls in biological control of the fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda
Since 2016, the fall armyworm (FAW) Spodoptera frugiperda has spread over extensive areas of the tropics and subtropics, imperiling food security, economic progress and the livelihoods of millions of cereal farmers. Although FAW has received long-standing scientific attention in its home range in the Americas, chemical inputs feature prominently in its mitigation and biological control uptake is globally lagging. Here, building upon a quantitative review of the global literature, we methodically dissect FAW biological control science. Of the known entomopathogens (46), parasitoids (304) and predators (215) of FAW, approx. 40% have been subject to laboratory- or field-level scrutiny. Laboratory-level performance has partially been assessed for 14–18% of the above invertebrate taxa. Yet, organismal, geographic, methodological and thematic biases hamper efforts to relate in-field biodiversity to actual ecosystem service delivery. Often, single-guild ‘snapshot’ surveys are preferred over comprehensive bio-inventories or population dynamics appraisals, trophic interactions are wrongly inferred from co-occurrence, standard pest infestation metrics are lacking and natural enemy censuses are performed arbitrarily. Diurnal biota receive inordinate attention, while egg and pupal predation – the main biotic sources of mortality – are routinely overlooked. Multiple microbial and invertebrate biota are investigated with a view towards mass-rearing and augmentative release, but the basis for agent selection is often unclear. Lastly, conservation biological control receives marginal attention and cross-disciplinary engagement with the agroecology domain is lagging. We lay out several steps, including standardized methodologies, smart use of biodemographic toolkits, networked field trials and a fortification of its ecological underpinnings, to sharpen the science of (FAW) biological control and urge further momentum in its global implementation.