Toxicity of pendimethalin containing formulation and copper sulphate to chicken embryos.

The aim of this study was to determine the individual and combined toxic effects of STOMP 330 EC herbicide (33% pendimethalin) and copper sulphate on the development of chicken embryos. On the first day of incubation chicken eggs were dipped in the solution or emulsion of the test materials for 30 minutes. Applied concentration of copper sulphate was 0.01% and of herbicide STOMP 330 EC was 1.25%. The chicken embryos were examined for the followings: rate of embryo mortality, body weight, type of developmental anomalies, macroscopic examination. Our teratogenicity study revealed that, the individual toxic effect of copper sulphate and pendimethalin containing herbicide formulation (STOMP 330 EC) were embryotoxic but not teratogenic in chicken. The combined administration of STOMP 330 EC and copper sulphate did not increase the embryotoxic effect.

Study on weevil pests of oilseed rape at Keszthely, Hungary.

One of the most important pests of rape in early spring are weevils (Ceutorhynchus spp.). The aim of our studies was to identify the occurring weevil species and to study their emergence, swarming, mating and damage. Our observations were performed on an experimental plot at Keszthely (Hungary, Zala County) in early spring of four consecutive years. Following species were collected and identified: Ceutorhynchus pallidactylus MARSHAM, Ceutorhynchus obstrictus MARSHAM, Ceutorhynchus napi GYLLENHAL, Ceutorhynchus pleurostigma MARSHAM. The obvious dominance of C. pallidactylus and C. obstrictus was detected. Their frequency of occurrence was 88-90% among the identified adults. We found that C. obstrictus was the last species to settle. Complete developmental period was 68 +/- 7 days in case of C. pallidactylus and 70 +/- 7 days in case of C. obstrictus. Average number of eggs laid by one female was 176 +/- 23 in case of C. obstrictus and 21 +/- 6 in case of C. pallidactylus.

Making soil containing numerous eggs of WCR for greenhouse and laboratory experiments.

In the course of our work we often faced to the problem that WCR lays its eggs unevenly (Berger, 2008) so it is impossible to find soils under field circumstances which contains eggs in homogenous distribution and in large numbers. Owing to the inhomogeneous distribution and low number of eggs it is quite difficult to study the effectiveness of soil disinfectant and seed-dressing insecticides on larvae of WCR in pot experiments. Therefore, the aim of our studies was to gain soil samples with known quantity and distribution of eggs. According to our prevailing idea, numerous adults are placed into a relatively small place under ideal environmental conditions and a small quantity of soil is provided for them to lay eggs.