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- The Pervermac II Project and Its Actions Regarding the Sustainable Use of Pesticides on Agricultural Production, Food Safety and Consumers Health in AzoresPublication . Lopes, David João Horta; Fernandes, Paulo; Aguiar, Andreia; Dias, Ana; Bettencourt, Maria; Tarantino, ElisaThe overall objective of Pervermac II project is to promote a sustainable use of pesticides in the agricultural production and ensure food security in the Macaronesian region (Azores, Madeira, Canaries and Cape Verde). The aim is to ensure farmer’s safety and health with special regards to those who apply pesticides in field through the quantification of residues level in the vegetable and fruits locally produced and imported and, at the same time, decreasing environmental contamination which could represent a risk for consumer health. The level of residues in agricultural products collected during the last four years (2017 to 2020) were been analysed in order to safeguard food safety for the Azorean population. There were also made food surveys to obtain the real proportion of vegetable and fruits in our diet and the correlated level of pesticides residues in the food intake by humans. On most of the products analysed, no pesticide residues were found. Pesticides residuals were found only on a small portion and in this case, the limit allowed by law was never been reached. Activities to raise awareness about the adoption of good diet and promoting actions concerning the implementation of organic production and consumption were conducted with students and Azorean consumers. Actions of knowledge increasing and technology transfer to farmer and the technicians ensured the adoption and implementation of integrated protection measures, promoting the sustainable use of pesticides by the farmers that implemented alternative means of protection against the major crop’s phytosanitary problems. This work has been funded by the European Fund for Regional Development (FEDER), articulated through the Territorial cooperation MAC 2014-2020.
- Monitoring ten insect pests in selected orchards in three Azorean Islands : The project CUARENTAGRIPublication . Lamelas-López, Lucas; Borges, Paulo A. V.; Tarantino, Elisa; Juliano, Maria M.; Fontes, José C.; Moules, Cristina A. R.; Rodrigues, Ricardo; Machado, Jessica; Mota, José A.; Sousa, Beatriz; Amaral, Helder; Filipe, Maria da Conceição; Lopes, David João HortaBACKGROUND: The data we present are part of the CUARENTAGRI project, which involves all archipelagos of the Macaronesia (Azores, Madeira, Canary Islands and Cabo Verde). The project aims to: i) identify and evaluate the risks associated with the introduction of new arthropod pests; ii) study the population dynamics of selected arthropod pest species currently responsible for the damage of key target crops and iii) develop monitoring systems, based on prediction and/or population dynamics of the crop pests, creating warnings and a phytosanitary prevention system. In this contribution, we compile data for three Azorean Islands (Terceira, São Jorge and São Miguel Islands), where pheromone-baited traps were placed in pastures, potato fields and several orchards’ types (apples, banana, chestnuts, olives, orange and strawberry), during three consecutive years (2020, 2021 and 2022). NEW INFORMATION: A total of 114,827 specimens of insects (Arthropoda, Insecta) were collected, belonging to four orders, six families and ten recorded pest species. A total of eight species are considered introduced (Cosmopolites sordidus (Germar, 1824), Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura, 1931), Bactrocera oleae (Rossi, 1790), Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann, 1824), Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller, 1873), Cydia pomonella (Linnaeus, 1758), Cydia splendana (Hübner, 1799) and Grapholita molesta (Busck, 1916); n = 84,986 specimens) and two native non-endemic (Mythimna unipuncta (Haworth, 1809) and Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval, 1833); n = 17,465 specimens). This study intended to contribute to a better knowledge of the arthropods pests that can affect the Azorean crops and will serve as a baseline for future monitoring actions, pest risk assessments and prevention systems.
- Contribution to the study of the beneficial fauna of olive orchards in Porto Martins, Terceira Island, AzoresPublication . Moules, Cristina Alexandra Rocha; Tarantino, Elisa; Lopes, David João Horta; Borges, Paulo A. V.The olive tree culture in Terceira Island occupies a strip in Porto Martins area whose fruit is very sought, mainly by tourists and restaurants. The olive tree is very affected by pests, such as the olive fly, which causes high losses and a drastic loss of production. Therefore, large quantities of pesticides are applied whose applications have a great impact, in particular, on beneficial organisms. In this work, the beneficial fauna present in olive groves was identified through the technique of beatings. The impact of the application of pesticides on these beneficial insects present in olive trees with different levels of treatments was also evaluated. For this, orchards with intensive applications, with less intensive applications and one organic orchard were selected to studied and monitoring. It was verified that in the olive groves with intensive and semi-intensive pesticide applications the abundance of beneficial insects was unbalanced, with a low abundance of predatory insects and still high population densities of the olive cottonweed pest. The results obtained point to the fact that chemical treatments do not destroy the target pests and worst contribute to a reduction in auxiliary organisms. In the organic orchard was observed the highest abundance of predatory insects and the lowest abundance of herbivorous insects. These results showed that this type of orchard is in a natural balance and that this is the way to follow in preserving the presence of beneficial insects in the olive parcels because these are very important to keep low pest populations and permit its better control. The conclusions of this study point to the fact that producers can further increase their yield by taking the biological option in their daily practices that will have a lower impact on the beneficial fauna present in the olive groves. At the same time will also permit to preserve the environment and the health of the applicators, producers and of the consumer by obtaining a product without any pesticide residues.
- The Fruit Fly Protect project and its actions regarding the evaluation of different traps and attractants for Ceratitis capitata Wied. in AzoresPublication . Lopes, David João Horta; Costa, V.; Tarantino, ElisaThe Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratis capitata Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae) is one of the most important pests for fruit and vegetable production because of its ability to damage fruits and adapt to new environments. This study aimed to compare different traps, namely Cera Trap® (Bioiberica) filled with food attractant and Tephri trap baited with Econex Trypack® for C. capitata monitoring. C. capitata adults were collected during three years (2018–2020) in citrus orchards on three different islands of the Azorean archipelago: Terceira, S. Miguel and S. Jorge. The results show only a statistical difference in 2020 for São Miguel Island in Tephri Trap. Cera Trap showed good results in terms of capture when population densities are high and it is, therefore, a good tool to control this pest but at low C. capitata densities, Tephri trap with Trypack represents a good control device.
- First finding of Sophonia orientalis (Matsumura) in the AzoresPublication . Tarantino, Elisa; Ros-Prieto, Alejandra; Lopes, David João Horta; Borges, Paulo A. V.Sophonia orientalis (Matsumura) (Hemiptera; Cicadellidae) is native to South-East Asia and is a highly polyphagous pest, considered an invasive pest, that affects crops as well as endemic plants. This paper presents the first report of S. orientalis in the Azores (Portugal). The first individuals were found in 2018 in the botanic garden on Terceira Island and later in 2020 in banana orchards. In 2020, S. orientalis was found in Pico Island in mixed forests.
- Inventory of Arthropod pests in Azorean orchards : the project CUARENTAGRIPublication . Lamelas-López, Lucas; Borges, Paulo A. V.; Lopes, David João HortaThe data we present are part of the CUARENTAGRI project, which involves all archipelagos of the Macaronesia region (Azores, Madeira, Canary Islands, and Cabo Verde). The project aims to identify and evaluate the risk associated with the introduction of new arthropod pests and also to study the population evolution of those present and the arthropod pests responsible by damaging crops, as well as develop monitoring systems based on prediction and/or evolution of the crop pests, creating warnings and a phytosanitary prevention system. The presented data comprised three islands of the Azores archipelago (Terceira, São Jorge and São Miguel islands), where pheromones-baited traps were placed in several orchards types (banana, olives, orange, strawberry, chestnuts, pasture, potato and apples), during 3 consecutive years (2020, 2021 and 2022). This publication contributes to a better knowledge of the arthropods pests that can affect the Azorean crops, and will serve as a baseline for future monitoring actions, pest risk assessments, and impacts warning and prevention systems.
- Guia Prático da Fauna de Artrópodes Predadores dos Ecossistemas Agrícolas dos AçoresPublication . Borges, Paulo A. V.; Lamelas-López, Lucas; Ferrante, Marco; Monjardino, Paulo; Lopes, David João Horta; Soares, António O.; Gil, Artur José Freire; Nunes, Rui; Gabriel, Rosalina; Arroz, Ana Moura; Rigal, François; Bacher, Sven; Lövei, Gábor L.A agricultura intensiva é uma das actividades que mais influencia a estrutura da paisagem, levando frequentemente à destruição e à perda de biodiversidade local. Por exemplo, a intensidade e gestão das actividades agrícolas pode influenciar dramaticamente a composição e abundância das comunidades de artrópodes que habitam nos agroecosistemas. Alguns artrópodes fitófagos podem causar danos aos pomares ao consumirem parte da planta ou fruto. No entanto, muitos outros podem fornecer serviços benéficos, como a polinização, o controlo de pragas e a decomposição. Os carochos, formigas e aranhas são predadores generalistas importantes para ajudar a controlar pragas de insectos, e, inclusive, reduzir a quantidade de ervas daninhas ao consumir as suas sementes. Quer os ecólogos quer os agrónomos acreditam que a simplicidade dos modernos campos agrícolas, especialmente os extensos campos em monoculturas que recebem frequentes aplicações de pesticidas, contribuem para os surtos de pragas, bastante típicos desses tipos de sistema. Os agroecossistemas mais simples podem ser ambientes relativamente hostis para os inimigos naturais, conduzindo à depauperação das comunidades de predadores e parasitóides. Os ecossistemas agrícolas mais diversificados, por outro lado, tendem a recrutar espécies ruderais, as quais, em geral, são mais resistentes à perturbação destes ambientes agrícolas. O declínio da biodiversidade dos inimigos naturais geralmente enfraquece o controlo biológico. Uma das razões por trás disso é que as comunidades mais ricas podem reunir espécies de inimigos naturais que atacam pragas usando diferentes estratégias ou nichos espaciais e temporais, de modo que a mortalidade total infligida sobre as pragas é maximizada apenas quando várias espécies inimigas ocorrem simultaneamente. O desafio que se coloca aos ecólogos e agrónomos é entender de que forma a biodiversidade dos inimigos naturais pode fortalecer o controlo biológico. Este livro contribui para a identificação e proteção dos artrópodes predadores, que são muito úteis para a agricultura e por isso benéficos para toda a sociedade. [da Nota Introdutória]
- Limited effect of management on apple pollination : a case study from an oceanic IslandPublication . Pardo, Adara; Lopes, David João Horta; Fierro, Natalia; Borges, Paulo A. V.Intensive agricultural practices leading to habitat degradation represent a major threat to pollinators. Diverse management practices are expected to influence wild pollinator abundance and richness on farms, although their effect in perennial crops is still unclear. In this study, we assessed the impact of management on apple (Malus domestica) pollination on an oceanic island, by comparing conventional (with and without herbicide application) and organic apple orchards. Pollinator visitation and pan trap surveys were carried out in six apple orchards in Terceira Island (Azores) and the landscape composition surrounding orchards was characterized. We also quantified fruit set, seed set and apple weight. We found no significant effect of management on insect visitation rates, whereas there was a negative association with increasing surrounding agricultural land. In contrast, management had an effect on species abundance, richness and diversity at the orchard level. Conventional orchards without herbicides showed higher abundance than the rest, but lower richness and diversity than conventional orchards with herbicides. Management had an effect on fruit set, but not on seed set or fruit weight. Our results suggest that management alone is insufficient for the overall improvement of apple pollination on an oceanic island, while landscape composition may play a relevant role.
- Long-term monitoring data on Popillia japonica (Newman, 1838) (Coleoptera, Rutelidae) across the Azorean IslandsPublication . Teixeira, Mário; Soares, António; Lopes, David João Horta; Lamelas-López, Lucas; Borges, Paulo A. V.; Mota, José; Simões, NelsonBackground The Japanese Beetle, Popillia japonica Newman, 1838 (Coleoptera, Rutelidae), is a univoltine agricultural pest that poses a serious threat to various agricultural crops. For more than 16 years, the Azorean official authorities have implemented a Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) programme that is crucial for understanding the dynamics of insect pests, such as the Japanese Beetle, and their impacts on agricultural ecosystems. The significance of this long-term monitoring extends beyond understanding the pest's life cycle. By sharing this long-term monitoring data with the scientific community, we hope it allows for a more comprehensive assessment of P. japonica success and spread, enabling a deeper understanding of how this pest interacts and correlates with biotic and abiotic factors to uncover patterns and trends crucial for effective pest management. In the Azores Archipelago, P. japonica adults emerge from pupae at the end of May and peak in density by early July, persisting until October. Larvae develop through three instars, with the third instar grub pupating by early May. This lifecycle highlights the pest population's seasonal activity, including the timing of emergence, adult stages and larval stages. It reveals when and for how long the pest is active in each of its life stages and provides critical information for pest management strategies. Worldwide, this pest can cause damage to 414 plant species across 94 families, underscoring the potential for elevated crop damage. This information is invaluable for developing targeted intervention strategies and mitigating economic losses caused by P. japonica infestations. Therefore, establishing and maintaining long-term programmes for monitoring P. japonica populations are essential for scientific understanding and practical pest management efforts in the Azores Archipelago. New information The data presented here report the officials' records of a 16-year (from 2008 to 2023) long-term monitoring programme on P. japonica in the Azores Archipelago, undertaken by the Secretaria Regional da Agricultura e Alimentação operational services. Based on the last checklist of Azorean arthropods, the species is recorded for the first time for the Corvo, Graciosa and São Jorge Islands.
- FRUITFLYRISKMANAGE: A Euphresco project for Ceratitis capitata Wiedemann (Diptera: Tephritidae) risk management applied in some European countriesPublication . Lopes, David João Horta; Andrade, Eugénia de; Egartner, Alois; Beitia, Francisco J.; Rot, Mojca; Chireceanu, Constantina; Balmés, Valerie; Loomans, Antoon; Konefal, Tomasz; Radonjić, SanjaABSTRACT: Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), the Mediterranean fruit fly or medfly, is one of the world's most serious threats to fresh fruits. It is highly polyphagous (recorded from over 300 hosts) and capable of adapting to a wide range of climates. This pest has spread to the EPPO region and is mainly present in the southern part, damaging Citrus and Prunus. In Northern and Central Europe records refer to interceptions or short-lived adventive populations only. Sustainable programs for surveillance, spread assessment using models and control strategies for pests such as C. capitata represent a major plant health challenge for all countries in Europe. This article includes a review of pest distribution and monitoring techniques in 11 countries of the EPPO region. This work compiles information that was crucial for a better understanding of pest occurrence and contributes to identifying areas susceptible to potential invasion and establishment. The key outputs and results obtained in the Euphresco project included knowledge transfer about early detection tools and methods used in different countries for pest monitoring. A MaxEnt software model resulted in risk maps for C. capitata in different climatic regions. This is an important tool to help decision making and to develop actions against this pest in the different partner countries.