Louis E. N. Jackai

Pest Control Practices for the German Cockroach (Blattodea: Blattellidae): A Survey of Rural Residents in North Carolina

ABSTRACT The German cockroach, Blattella germanica (L.) (Blattodea: Blattellidae), is a serious pest in rural and urban housing. The aim of this study was to ascertain the pest control practice used by home residents to control the German cockroach and to assess the level of residents’ awareness and knowledge of integrated pest management. A face-to-face survey of 100 participants was carried out in 3 rural counties in NC. Only individuals who acknowledged that the German cockroach was a pest in their homes were selected for the survey. Of these participants only 23% indicated that the German cockroach was a major indoor pest, while 48% indicated that mosquitoes and 50% indicated that ants were major pests in their homes. The majority (71%) of survey respondents reported that to cope with domestic pest problems, they or a member of their household applied pesticides, and 16% worked with a contractor to do so. Pesticides were the main control measure used in homes and most (65%) respondents indicated these were applied routinely irrespective of need. The majority (93%) of residents surveyed were unfamiliar with the strategy of integrated pest management (IPM) and associated measures of control and prevention. Based on our findings, we believe that organizing an educational IPM program would increase awareness among residents of the economic, human health and environmental costs and benefits of each control measure and make sustainable IPM implementation more likely to succeed.

Assessment of Risk of Introduction of Cylas formicarius elegantulus (Coleoptera: Brentidae) into Weevil-Free Areas in the Southern United States

Abstract We assessed the risk associated with introduction of sweet potato weevil, Cylas formicarius elegantulus (Summers) (Coleoptera: Brentidae), from infested areas to noninfested areas via shipment of sweet potato, Ipomoea batatas (L.), roots within the southern United States. Our study quantifies the effectiveness of risk mitigation procedures of sweet potatoes before shipment in relation to introduction of the weevil. The risk assessment relied on literature and expert information to determine appropriate parameters. Using a computational model, Monte Carlo simulations were conducted to estimate the likelihood of introduction of sweet potato weevil. Risk management options were incorporated and the risk analyses were performed to assess how the risk could be reduced. The study found the risk of introduction of the weevil for both domestic shipment and imports of sweet potatoes into new areas within the southern United States to be low. Sensitivity analysis was performed to assess model stability and the impact of parameter changes. Based on the sensitivity analysis, the most critical input was the postharvest mitigation, followed by the number of weevils per ton of sweet potatoes. We concluded that maintaining mitigations with monitoring in conjunction with public education to stop illegal transport of sweet potatoes and alternate hosts would significantly reduce the risk of introduction.

Microarray analysis of the effect of Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) phenolic extract in bovine peripheral blood

ABSTRACT In this study, the effect of polyphenolic extracts from cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) on global gene expression in bovine peripheral blood was investigated. Blood collected from Holstein-Friesian cows (n = 10) was treated with 10 µg/mL of cowpea phenolic extract (CPE) and subsequently used for transcriptional profiling using the Agilent bovine (v2) 4 × 44 K array. Calculation of fold change in gene expression and pathway analysis was conducted using the GeneSpring GX software 13.0. Real-time quantitative PCR was performed to validate the microarray data. Phenolic extracts of cowpea impacted global gene expression and resulted in 3170 differentially expressed genes (p < .05); 1716 genes were upregulated and 1454 genes were downregulated. Exposure to CPE impacted 66 pathways (p < .05) including the Wnt signalling pathway, Toll-like receptor pathway, inflammation response pathway, MAPK cascade pathway, prostaglandin synthesis and regulation pathway, cell cycle pathway, insulin signalling pathway, and the adipogenesis pathway. Expression of immune markers such as CD40, CD68, Toll-like receptors, and Wnt signalling changed. Exposure to CPE modulated expression of genes associated with immunity and homeostasis. Transcriptional profiles of the response to polyphenols may aid in the design of targeted diets to influence animal production and health and thus requires further study.