Donna Read

Mechanisms for flowering plants to benefit arthropod natural enemies of insect pests: Prospects for enhanced use in agriculture

Reduction of noncrop habitats, intensive use of pesticides and high levels of disturbance associated with intensive crop production simplify the farming landscape and bring about a sharp decline of biodiversity. This, in turn, weakens the biological control ecosystem service provided by arthropod natural enemies. Strategic use of flowering plants to enhance plant biodiversity in a well‐targeted manner can provide natural enemies with food sources and shelter to improve biological control and reduce dependence on chemical pesticides. This article reviews the nutritional value of various types of plant‐derived food for natural enemies, possible adverse effects on pest management, and the practical application of flowering plants in orchards, vegetables and field crops, agricultural systems where most research has taken place. Prospects for more effective use of flowering plants to maximize biological control of insect pests in agroecosystem are good but depend up on selection of optimal plant species based on information on the ecological mechanisms by which natural enemies are selectively favored over pest species.

Parasitoids of the rice leaffolder Cnaphalocrocis medinalis and prospects for enhancing biological control with nectar plants

1 The rice leaffolder Cnaphalocrocis medinalis (Guenée) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) is a serious rice pest in Asia. The conspicuous foliar damage caused by C. medinalis larvae leads to early‐season insecticide applications that disrupt the biological control of this and other pest species. 2 Despite the often dramatic impact of C. medinalis, rice plants can tolerate severe defoliation with no impact on grain yield, although persuading farmers to withhold insecticide application has proven very difficult. 3 The present review assesses the prevention of damage caused by C. medinalis via biological control using parasitoids. Information on the indigenous parasitoids of C. medinalis is drawn together for the first time from the non‐English literature published in Asia. This is integrated with the wider English language literature to provide a comprehensive analysis of the parasitoid fauna. 4 Survey studies have been conducted in many Asian countries in recent decades, showing that parasitoids of rice pests can achieve high rates of parasitism but are far from consistent as a mortality factor. There is much less work available on the biology of leaffolder parasitoids in rice and there is an unexpected dearth of studies regarding increasing their performance by providing nectar sources, which is a widely explored approach for other crop systems. 5 It is concluded that the recently reported work in which nectar plants are established on rice bunds to support planthopper parasitoids may have significant benefit for leaffolder parasitoids. The use of plant species, however, that are selective in not allowing adult moths to feed will be essential.

Economic Deregulation and Trade Liberalization in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda: Growth and Poverty

With economic growth as a principal target, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda have implemented deregulation and trade liberalization policies. By tracing the trends in major economic aggregates, the progress of these economies is reviewed. While acknowledging the conceptual arguments supporting the measures adopted, constraints in both the international economy and domestically have resulted in disappointing outcomes. International trade rules and practices, particularly in the agricultural sector, have worked against all three countries. Moreover, their domestic economies lack crucial resources. The results suggest that it may be a long time before the deregulation policies lead to a reduction in poverty.

Communicating information to difficult-to-reach landholders: perspectives of natural resource management communication practitioners

Landholder participation in conservation programs is vital for achieving the environmental goals of natural resource management organisations. However, some landholders can be difficult to reach. This article presents findings based on telephone interviews with communications practitioners within 22 Australian organisations involved with promoting national resource management. The research provides insights into how communication with difficult-to-reach landholders might be improved by investigating the perceptions and communication practices of Australian national resource management communications officers and their organisations. Overall, the results indicate that differing communication strategies were used and perceived as necessary to reach different groups of landholders. Nevertheless, while organisations used a range of communication channels, there is relatively little targeting of difficult-to-reach landholders, nor evaluation of the effectiveness of communications with difficult-to-reach landholders. We suggest that greater commitment, investment, effort and careful tailoring of channel–message combinations to landholder groups are likely to be necessary to improve communications and thereby achieve greater engagement in national resource management.

Stayin’ on Track: the feasibility of developing Internet and mobile phone-based resources to support young Aboriginal fathers

Young Aboriginal fathers face social and emotional challenges in the transition to fatherhood, yet culturally appropriate support mechanisms are lacking. Peer mentoring to develop online- and mobile phone-based resources and support may be a viable approach to successfully engage these young men. This feasibility study engaged two trusted Aboriginal mentors and researchers to partner with one regional and two rural Aboriginal communities in New South Wales, Australia. Early in the research process, 20 young Aboriginal fathers were recruited as co-investigators. These fathers were integral in the development of web-based resources and testing of mobile phone-based text messaging and mood-tracking programs tailored to provide fathering and mental health support. Overwhelmingly positive feedback from evaluations reinforced community pride in and ownership of the outcomes. The young mens involvement was instrumental in not only developing culturally appropriate support, but also in building their capacity as role models for other fathers in the community. The positive results from this feasibility study support the adoption of participatory approaches in the development of resources for Aboriginal communities.

Effective communication with difficult to reach landholders

ABSTRACT While considerable research has been undertaken to understand which communication channels are most effective at reaching landholders, much less research has examined which communication channels are most effective for reaching those landholder segments characterised by low program participation (i.e. ‘lifestylers’, traditional and absentee segments). Even less research has examined what messages most effectively engage these landholders, or landholders in general. In this study, eight communications campaigns were developed with specific messages and appeals that allowed us to examine the perceptions of difficult-to-reach landholders towards rational versus emotional, inform versus persuade and individual versus community-based appeals, using a qualitative methodology. The findings indicate that landholder’s perceptions of both rational and emotional messages depended on the congruence with segment values. Inform messages were found often to be well regarded, especially when they clarified eligibility and program benefits. Persuade messages could be effective, but this also depended on the consistency of the message with segment values. Community-based messages were often not well received, but they could be effective at reaching lifestylers.