NYUS.2: an automated machine learning prediction model for the large-scale real-time simulation of grapevine freezing tolerance in North America.

Accurate and real-time monitoring of grapevine freezing tolerance is crucial for the sustainability of the grape industry in cool climate viticultural regions. However, on-site data are limited due to the complexity of measurement. Current prediction models underperform under diverse climate conditions, which limits the large-scale deployment of these methods. We combined grapevine freezing tolerance data from multiple regions in North America and generated a predictive model based on hourly temperature-derived features and cultivar features using AutoGluon, an automated machine learning engine. Feature importance was quantified by AutoGluon and SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) value. The final model was evaluated and compared with previous models for its performance under different climate conditions. The final model achieved an overall 1.36°C root-mean-square error during model testing and outperformed two previous models using three test cultivars at all testing regions. Two feature importance quantification methods identified five shared essential features. Detailed analysis of the features indicates that the model has adequately extracted some biological mechanisms during training. The final model, named NYUS.2, was deployed along with two previous models as an R shiny-based application in the 2022-23 dormancy season, enabling large-scale and real-time simulation of grapevine freezing tolerance in North America for the first time.

Cluster Zone Leaf Removal Reduces the Rate of Anthracnose (Elsinöe ampelina) Progress and Facilitates Its Control.

Anthracnose caused by Elsinöe ampelina is an economically important disease that affects certain hardy and semihardy grapevine cultivars. The control of this disease requires repeated application of fungicides, which has financial and environmental consequences. In this study, leaf removal in the cluster area was studied with a view to facilitating integrated anthracnose management. First, the effect of leaf removal timing (BBCH stage 53 or 71) and intensity (one or both sides of rows) on the progression of anthracnose and on the microclimate was studied in plots planted with Vidal blanc (Vitis vinifera) at two sites in both 2020 and 2021. Overall, at both sites and in both years, anthracnose on leaves was more severe in plots without cluster zone leaf removal. Regardless of the timing of leaf removal, anthracnose severity on leaves and incidence of infected berries at harvest were significantly lower in plots where leaves had been removed on both sides of the rows compared with plots where leaves were removed on one side only. Second, anthracnose management programs with leaf removal, with or without disease risk estimation, were evaluated. All anthracnose management programs including leaf removal in the cluster zone reduced anthracnose development compared with the standard program without leaf removal. Overall mean leaf anthracnose severity, severity at harvest, and anthracnose incidence on clusters at harvest were lower in plots with leaf removal than in the standard program, but the differences between the two treatments were not significant (P > 0.05). More fungicide applications were made in plots managed using the standard programs, specifically 13 applications, compared with plots managed based on assessing the weather-related risk of anthracnose, with 9 and 10 applications made at sites 1 and 2 for the risk-based program, respectively, and 5 and 7 applications made at sites 1 and 2, respectively, when microclimate within the cluster zone was considered. The results of this study clearly show the important role that leaf removal can play in managing grape anthracnose.

The Potential of Nabis americoferus and Orius insidiosus as Biological Control Agents of Lygus lineolaris in Strawberry Fields.

The tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris, is a major strawberry pest. Only marginally effective control methods exist to manage this pest. Various predators attack L. lineolaris, but their potential is overlooked. In this study, we explore the potential of two omnivorous predators of the tarnished plant bug: the damsel bug, Nabis americoferus, and the minute pirate bug, Orius insidiosus. Firstly, the predation rate of these predators was measured in laboratory tests. Secondly, their potential release rates and release periods were determined in the field using strawberry plants. The results show that N. americoferus feeds on all nymphal stages and adults of the tarnished plant bug, while O. insidiosus attacks only smaller nymphs (up to the N2 stage). In the field, all tested densities of N. americoferus (0.25, 0.5, and 0.75 individual/plant) reduced the population of the tarnished plant bug for several weeks compared with the control treatment, but the effect of O. insidiosus alone was marginal. Additionally, for all the release periods tested, Nabis americoferus was efficient in reducing the pest population. These results demonstrate the potential of N. americoferus to control the tarnished plant bug in strawberry fields. We discuss the possible application of these results for establishing an effective and economically viable biological control strategy.

Selecting aggressiveness to improve biological control agents efficiency.

In agroecosystems, omnivorous predators are recognized as potential biological control agents because of the numerous pest species they prey on. Nonetheless, it could be possible to enhance their efficiency through artificial selection on traits of economical or ecological relevance. Aggressiveness, which defines the readiness of an individual to display agonistic actions toward other individuals, is expected to be related to zoophagy, diet preferences and to a higher attack rate. The study aimed to assess the aggressiveness degree of the damsel bug, Nabis americoferus, and to estimate its heritability. We hypothesized that a high aggressiveness degree can be selected, and that males are more aggressive than females. Using artificial selection, we reared two separate populations, each composed of nine genetically isolated lines characterized by their different aggressiveness degree (aggressive, docile and non-selected). After three generations, we had efficiently selected aggressive behavior. The realized heritability was 0.16 and 0.27 for aggressiveness and docility in the first population. It was 0.25 and 0.23 for the second population. Males were more aggressive than females only for the second population. The potential of these individuals as biological control agents and the ecological consequences of aggressiveness are discussed.

Using Autumnal Trap Crops to Manage Tarnished Plant Bugs (Lygus lineolaris).

For insects, surviving winter depends on their capacity to store enough energy and find proper hibernation sites. A common strategy is to minimize movement and hibernate near autumn food sources. We investigated the efficiency of autumnal hosts to act as trap crops where insects could be exposed to targeted repressive treatments. This approach could reduce the local populations of insect pests in the next production season, reducing the need for insecticides. First, we tested the mullein plant's attractiveness as an autumn trap crop for Lygus lineolaris (Hemiptera: Miridae) in strawberry fields by comparing peak population density among mullein (Verbascum thapsus), strawberry plants (Fragaria × ananassa), buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum), and mustard (Sinapis alba). Second, we tested four treatments applied to the autumn trap crops to reduce L. lineolaris winter survivorship: (1) hot water, (2) a pathogen (Beauveria bassiana), (3) insecticide (cypermethrin), and (4) a control. The density of the L. lineolaris population on mullein in autumn and on buckwheat in summer was higher than on strawberry and mustard. Of the overwintering L. lineolaris, 0% survived the winter when treated with the insecticide cypermethrin, while 38.3% survived in the control treatment (without repressive treatment). The B. bassiana and hot water treatments did not differ from the control. The mullein autumn trap crops combined with insecticide treatments could contribute to reducing the overwintering population, hence potentially reducing population during the following growing season.

The biological sink of atmospheric H2 is more sensitive to spatial variation of microbial diversity than N2O and CO2 emissions in a winter cover crop field trial.

The integration of winter cover crop (WCC) in culture rotations promotes multiple ecosystem services, but concomitant microbial diversity and functioning responses in soil have received less attention. A field trial was established to test the hypothesis that enhanced crop diversity with the integration of WCC in a conventional maize-soy rotation promotes microbial diversity and the biological sink of H2 in soil, while reducing N2O emissions to the atmosphere. Vicia villosa (hairy vetch), Avena sativa (oat), and Raphanus sativus (Daikon radish) were cultivated alone or in combinations and flux measurements were performed throughout two subsequent growing seasons. Soil acted as a net sink for H2 and as a net source for CO2 and N2O. CO2 flux was the most sensitive to WCC whereas a significant spatial variation was observed for H2 flux with soil uptake rates observed in the most productive area two-fold greater than the baseline level. Sequencing and quantification of taxonomic and functional genes were integrated to explain variation in trace gas fluxes with compositional changes in soil microbial communities. Fungal communities were the most sensitive to WCC, but neither community abundance nor beta diversity were found to be indicative of fluxes. The alpha diversity of taxonomic and functional genes, expressed as the number of effective species, was integrated into composite variables extracted from multivariate analyses. Only the composite variable computed with the inverse Simpson's index displayed a reproducible pattern throughout both growing seasons, with functional genes and bacterial 16S rRNA gene defining the two most contrasting gradients. The composite variable was decoupled from WCC treatment and explained 19-20% spatial variation of H2 fluxes. The coupling of composite alpha diversity metrics derived from multiple genes with soil processes warrants further investigations to implement novel indicators of soil health in response to changing management practices at the local scale.

Anthracnose Risk Establishment Based on Age-Related Susceptibility of Grape Leaves, Flowers, and Berries to Infection by Elsinoë ampelina.

Anthracnose is an important disease of grapevines caused by the fungus Elsinoë ampelina. In recent years, there have been regular outbreaks in humid grape-growing regions around the world. Young leaves and berries are reported to be highly susceptible to E. ampelina, but detailed and seasonal development of age-related susceptibility remains unclear. Experiments were conducted under greenhouse and vineyard conditions by inoculating 1- to 19-day-old leaves, flowers, and berries at different phenological stages of three grapevine cultivars (Vandal-Cliche, Marquette, and Vidal). Leaf susceptibility was highest when inoculated at 1 to 2 days old, and inoculated leaves were moderately susceptible at 3 to 6 days old and almost resistant when older than 6 days. The influence of leaf age on anthracnose relative severity was adequately described by an exponential decay model. The susceptibility of the inflorescences was high when inoculated from their initiation to the full flowering (50% fall of the caps), and the inflorescences/flowers were moderately susceptible until veraison, after which the berries were practically resistant. The flower/berry susceptibility as a function of degree-days accumulated since 1 April was modeled using a sigmoid model. Based on this model, 50% disease incidence is reached when 656, 543, and 550 degree days are accumulated for the cultivars Vandal-Cliche, Marquette, and Vidal, respectively. These results suggest that the risk of anthracnose development is high from bud-break to fruit set, and on newly emerged leaves either early in the season or following pruning. More knowledge on anthracnose epidemiology is needed, but these results could be used to improve timing of fungicide applications and pruning activities.

Influence of Leaf Wetness Duration and Temperature on Infection of Grape Leaves by Elsinoë ampelina under Controlled and Vineyard Conditions.

On susceptible varieties, indirect damage to vines infected by Elsinoë ampelina range from reduced vigor to complete defoliation while, on berries, damage ranges from reduced quality to complete yield loss. Limited knowledge about the relationship between weather conditions and infection makes anthracnose management difficult and favors routine application of fungicides. The influence of leaf wetness duration and temperature on infection of grape leaves by E. ampelina was studied under both controlled and vineyard conditions. For the controlled conditions experiments, the five youngest leaves of potted vines (Vidal) were inoculated with a conidia suspension and exposed to combinations of six leaf wetness durations (from 0 to 24 h) and six constant temperatures (from 5 to 30°C). A week after each preset infection period, the percent leaf area diseased (PLAD) was assessed. At 5°C, regardless of the leaf wetness duration, no disease developed. At 10 and at 15 to 30°C, the minimum leaf wetness durations were 4 and 6 h, respectively. Above the minimum wetness duration, at temperatures from 10 to 30°C, PLAD increased linearly, with increasing leaf wetness up to 12 h, and then at a lower rate from 12 to 24 h. The optimal temperature for infection was 25°C. Relative infection was modeled as a function of both temperature and wetness duration using a Richards model (R2 = 0.93). The predictive capacity of the model was evaluated with data collected in experimental vineyard plots exposed to natural wetness durations or artificial wetness durations created using sprinklers. In total, 264 vineyard infection events were used to validate the controlled experiments model. There was a linear relationship between the risk of infection estimated with the model and the observed severity of anthracnose (R2 = 90); however, the model underestimated disease severity. A risk chart was constructed using the model corrected for vineyard observations and three levels of risk, with light, moderate, and severe risks corresponding to ≤5, >5% to ≤25, and >25% leaf area diseased, respectively. Overall, 93.9% of 132 independent observations were correctly classified, with 100, 29.4, and 9.4% of the light, moderate, and severe risks, respectively.

Impact of intraguild predation and lambda-cyhalothrin on predation efficacy of three acarophagous predators.

This laboratory study reports the interaction of three predators found in commercial apple orchards in Quebec, Hyaliodes vitripennis (Say) (Hemiptera: Miridae), Harmonia axyridis Pallas (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) and Amblyseius fallacis (Garman) (Acarina: Phytoseiidae). First, intraguild predation between H vitripennis and the two other predators was characterized in the absence and presence of their extraguild prey, Tetranychus urticae Koch. The results showed an asymmetrical interaction in favour of the larger predator and the levels of intraguild predation were weak for the two predatory combinations. Presence of the phytophagous mite reduced the intensity of intraguild predation in the predatory combination of H axyridis and H vitripennis. Second, the effects of intraguild predation and the application of lambda-cyhalothrin on predation efficacy of the predators were evaluated. The application of the insecticide reduced prey consumption of H vitripennis and H axyridis but did not affect that of A fallacis. Combination of predators and an insecticide application resulted in two different situations depending on the species involved: a reduced predation efficacy for the combination of H vitripennis and H axyridis due to a knockdown effect caused by the insecticide, and no effect on T urticae consumption for H vitripennis and A fallacis. It is suggested that an integrated pest management program based on H vitripennis, A fallacis and lambda-cyhalothrin may be evaluated to repress phytophagous mites in Quebec orchards.