Sitophilus granarius (L.) is considered to be one of the major pests causing damage to cereal grain stored in silos and granaries. Using traditional methods (synthetic insecticides, mechanical, or physical methods) to control this pest is either ineffective or dangerous to people and nature. It is, therefore, necessary to develop new cultivars of cereals that will be distinguished by a high natural tolerance of the foraging by S. granarius. The aim of this study is expressed in the set research hypothesis, stating that the number of offspring of the grain weevil on stored wheat kernels can depend on the content of fatty acids in the kernels. Thus, the qualitative and quantitative composition of fatty acids was determined in kernels of 10 winter wheat cultivars, and the abundance of the beetle’s offspring generation of S. granarius that developed on the wheat grain, as well as the mass of produced dust and loss in the mass of wheat grain were determined. By applying statistical analyses (GLM, ANOVA, Pearson’s linear correlation coefficient, and analysis of redundancy), the presence and character of the dependence between the determined content of fatty acids in wheat grain and the factors describing the development of S. granarius were established. The research results indicate that fatty acids from the groups C 18:1 and C 20:1 probably play an important role as substances stimulating the increase in the number of the tested pest progeny. In contrast, fatty acids C 15:0, C 16:1, and C 18:3, which were determined in large amounts in the grain of wheat cultivars Speedway, KWS Livius, and Julius, can reduce the number of offspring of pest insect.

This study, concerning the epigeic fauna of carabid beetles (Coleoptera; Carabidae), was conducted in the north-east of Poland, in an area which is part of the Dąbrówka Forest Subdistrict and has been included in the “Small water retention program for the Province of Warmia and Mazury in 2006–2015”. The purpose of the study was to assess the impact of the water retention implemented within the framework of the above program on assemblages of ground beetles. These insects are highly sensitive to any anthropogenically induced transformations. This analysis was based on the interactions among the analyzed insects caused by changes occurring in their habitat. During the 3-year study, 5,807 specimens representing 84 species were captured. The water storage had a significant influence on the structure of the Carabidae assemblages. Before the earthworks were constructed for the project, the beetle assemblages had comprised a large group of xerophilous species, whereas after the small retention reservoirs had been created, an increase in the contribution of hygrophilous species was noticed. The results indicate that the retention works cause alterations in the water and environmental conditions of the habitats, and thereby effect changes in the composition of Carabidae assemblages. Moreover, modification in water relations within a habitat causes long-term changes in the structural and functional diversity of the beetles.

Plant stress caused by aphid foraging can cause a number of disturbances in its vital functions. The degree of disturbance depends on the duration of the stress factor and its intensity. The aim of this study has been to evaluate the impact of aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum Harris, Rhopalosiphum padi L., Myzus persicae Sulzer) foraging on plants and the intensity of photosynthesis and transpiration in several crops (Pisum sativum L., Triticum aestivum L., Brassica napus L.). The laboratory experiment conducted for this purpose revealed that aphids feeding on plants affect the course of photosynthesis and transpiration in crops. Statistically significant correlations were determined between the efficiency of these processes and the number of aphids as well as the duration of their foraging. The average values of the intensity of photosynthesis and transpiration in the test crops were found to increase with the increasing number of aphids in a short feeding period (day 5). A longer foraging time (10, 15 days) coincided with a decrease in the intensity of photosynthesis and transpiration. A detailed analysis of the three species of crops demonstrated that the effect of the biotic stressors on the course of the analysed processes could vary, depending on the host plant.

Wheat, the main source of protein in the human diet, is a staple food in many countries. The yields and technological quality of wheat grain depend on both the yielding potential of wheat and the properties of wheat grain that allow its safe storage. To a large extent, losses during storage are caused by storage pests. Grains of 46 wheat cultivars were used in the study (samples weighing 20 g of each variety in 10 replications), on which the development of the grain weevil Sitophilus granarius (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) was observed (20 insects aged 3–4 days; sex ratio of 1:1). The laboratory study was carried out at constant temperature (27 OC) and humidity (75% relative humidity). The laboratory study demonstrated that the physicochemical parameters of grain (hardness, glassiness, flouriness, content of protein, sugars, starch, and crude fat), which are cultivar-dependent, can act as regulators of the development of the grain weevil. The main aim of the study was to develop recommendations regarding the breeding of wheat cultivars resistant to the foraging of S. granarius and which could therefore produce grain for longer storage, and to distinguish those that are more sensitive to the grain weevil and whose grain should therefore be supplied to the market more quickly. Knowledge of the resistance or susceptibility of individual cereal varieties to the feeding of storage pests may be useful in integrated grain storage management. Among the 46 wheat cultivars studied, five cultivars with the highest and five cultivars with the lowest susceptibility to foraging by S. granarius were identified. The highest inherent tolerance to the grain weevil was displayed by the following cultivars: KWS Livius, Bogatka, Speedway, Platin, and Julius; in contrast, the cultivars Askalon, Bamberka, Ostroga, Forum, and Muszelka proved to be the most sensitive. The chemical and physical analysis of the selected cultivars revealed a significant, positive correlation between the intensity of the development of the grain weevil, the content of starch and crude fat in the grain, and grain hardness and flouriness.

The influence of chemical plant protection on carabid beetle assemblages was studied in an experiment conducted on fields of sugar beet at the IOR-PIB Experimental Station in Winna Góra, Poland. The experiment was composed of a block of control fields (no chemical plant protection treatments) and second block, where plant protection was carried out in compliance with the applicable plant protection program. Ground beetles were caught from May to August/September in four years, using modified Barber traps. As a result of the study, 11 881 specimens belonging to 52 species of Carabidae were collected. The most numerous species were: Harpalus rufipes, Pterostichus melanarius, Calathus ambiguus and Bembidion properans. Overall, our results demonstrate that the application of chemical plant protection treatments decreased the abundance of carabid beetles in sugar beet fields, but had no effect on species richness. The use of pesticides induced changes in some life traits of Carabidae fauna. After a pesticide application, the abundance of macropterous hemizoophages and medium carnivores with the autumn type of breeding decreased, whereas the abundance of small carnivores increased.

The increasing food crisis in times of ecological threats has challenged conventional agriculture to transform into a more efficient and sustainable agri-food system. The global priority of these activities has become, among others, the responsible and effective use of already produced food. This study aimed to assess the impact of the natural resistance of cereal grains to consumption by storage pests. The study presented here analyzed the impact of selected chemical factors from the grain of six species of cereals (wheat, triticale, rye, barley, oat, corn) on the development of one of the most dangerous storage pests—the lesser grain borer Rhyzopertha dominica F. The increased development of this beetle on the tested grain was determined based on the number of progeny, the mass of dust produced, and the loss of grain mass. Moreover, the correlations between the above-mentioned development parameters of the pest and the content in the grain of dry matter, crude ash, total protein, crude fat, starch, and water-soluble carbohydrates (WSCs) were examined. The results showed that the tested pest developed most intensively on barley and triticale grains and was least abundant on oat and corn grains. Chemical analysis of the selected grain showed that the low number of the R. dominica progeny population was correlated with a higher crude fat content and a lower total protein content in the cereal grain, and therefore, these chemical properties could affect the development of the pest. Knowledge of these relationships can be used in cereal breeding programs and when recommending cereals for more extended storage. This directly translates into improved local and global nutritional and food security. Moreover, it may also contribute to the reduction of pesticide use at the storage stage, which is one of the basic requirements for agricultural production in a sustainable agriculture system.