Publication Date
1993
Description
After many decades of research on their control, insects and weeds still arc a major factor in semi-arid grassland ranching. Much has been learned concerning their biology, habits and chemical control but penetrating study of the microbial world surrounding them is quite recent. Plant pathogens are credited with little damage to semiarid grasslands. Potentially, their most important role may be one of toxigensis among grazing animals after unusual weather that promotes exceptional increase of any one or a combination of several indigenous toxigenic fungi on senescing grasses. Objective cost-benefit consideration of pest and disease control was limited in past decades by the slate-of-the-art in applied mathematical and computer sciences, an area receiving particular emphasis in current research. Chemical insecticides provide the principal defence against rangeland insect pests but little research is directed toward the discovery of more effective ones. Instead, techniques are sought to improve their delivery to the target pest, reduce atmospheric pollution and increase the cost effectiveness of control. The trend in pest control is away from traditional chemicals and toward refined, naturally occurring and genetically engineered, packaged entomopathogenic microbes. Most current research is in this arena. Numerous companies, worldwide, are in various stages of production and marketing microbe-based pesticides. The higher cost of these products may limit their use on extensive grasslands. These microbes consist of bacteria, fungi, endophytic fungi, microsporidia, nematodes or viruses. Erosion of the natural grassland resource by pests and diseases is not expected as long as the level of livestock grazing is not drastically more than in the pre-ranching era. However, uncontrolled outbreaks of such pests as grasshoppers or white grubs may influence sustainability because of the resulting invasion by weeds and brush.
Citation
Watts, J G.; Burgess, L W.; and Huddleston, E W., "Invertebrate Pests, Plant Pathogens, and Beneficial Organisms in Extensive Natural Grassland" (2024). IGC Proceedings (1993-2023). 25.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1993/session22/25
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Invertebrate Pests, Plant Pathogens, and Beneficial Organisms in Extensive Natural Grassland
After many decades of research on their control, insects and weeds still arc a major factor in semi-arid grassland ranching. Much has been learned concerning their biology, habits and chemical control but penetrating study of the microbial world surrounding them is quite recent. Plant pathogens are credited with little damage to semiarid grasslands. Potentially, their most important role may be one of toxigensis among grazing animals after unusual weather that promotes exceptional increase of any one or a combination of several indigenous toxigenic fungi on senescing grasses. Objective cost-benefit consideration of pest and disease control was limited in past decades by the slate-of-the-art in applied mathematical and computer sciences, an area receiving particular emphasis in current research. Chemical insecticides provide the principal defence against rangeland insect pests but little research is directed toward the discovery of more effective ones. Instead, techniques are sought to improve their delivery to the target pest, reduce atmospheric pollution and increase the cost effectiveness of control. The trend in pest control is away from traditional chemicals and toward refined, naturally occurring and genetically engineered, packaged entomopathogenic microbes. Most current research is in this arena. Numerous companies, worldwide, are in various stages of production and marketing microbe-based pesticides. The higher cost of these products may limit their use on extensive grasslands. These microbes consist of bacteria, fungi, endophytic fungi, microsporidia, nematodes or viruses. Erosion of the natural grassland resource by pests and diseases is not expected as long as the level of livestock grazing is not drastically more than in the pre-ranching era. However, uncontrolled outbreaks of such pests as grasshoppers or white grubs may influence sustainability because of the resulting invasion by weeds and brush.
