Crop rotation and intercropping are important ways to increase agricultural resource utilization efficiency and crop productivity. Alternate intercropping, or transposition intercropping, is a new intercropping pattern in which two crops are intercropped in a wide strip with planting positions switched annually on the same land. Transposition intercropping combines intercropping and rotation and thus performs better than either practice alone. Compared with traditional intercropping or rotation, it can increase yield and net return by 17–21% and 10–23%, respectively, and the land equivalent ratio (LER) by 20% to 30%. In crop growth and development, a balanced root–shoot relation is essential to obtain satisfactory yields and yield quality. Intercropping, rotation, or the combination can alter the original root–shoot relation by changing the ecology and physiology of both root and shoot to achieve a rebalancing of the relation. The crop yield and yield quality are thus regulated by the root–shoot interactions and the resulting rebalancing. The review examines the effects of above- and belowground interactions and rebalancing of root–shoot relations on crop yields under cotton-based intercropping, rotation, and particularly alternate intercropping with the practices combined. The importance of signaling in regulating the rebalancing of root–shoot relations under intercropping, rotation, and the combination was also explored as a possible focus of future research on intercropping and rotation.

Aphid parasitoids are important components in biological control of aphid populations in a variety of crop systems. Aphidius avenae Haliday and Aphidius gifuensis Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) are key biological control agents for Sitobion avenae (F.) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), which causes serious damage to wheat worldwide. This study aimed to evaluate their parasitic potentials focusing on their thermal biological characteristics in a temperate area. Based on supercooling temperature recording techniques, the freezing point, minimum temperature for walking, and the temperature for activity recovery after chill coma of A. gifuensis females (−19.8, −5.1, and 5.9 °C, respectively) were significantly lower than those of A. avenae (−18.1, −3.3, and 7.8 °C, respectively). The results showed that A. gifuensis had lower temperature tolerance compared with A. avenae, illuminating that it could take precedence in suppressing population growth of S. avenae when aphid colonies were still small in early sp... Resumen Los parasitoides de áfidos son componentes importantes en el control biológico de las poblaciones de áfidos en variedades de sistemas de cultivo. Aphidius avenae Haliday y Aphidius gifuensis Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) son agentes clave de control biológico de Sitobion avenae (F.) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), que causa daños graves al trigo en todo el mundo. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo evaluar sus potenciales como parásitos enfocandose en sus características biológicas térmicas en una área templada. Sobre la base de la técnica de grabación del sobre-enfriamiento de temperatura, el punto de congelación, la temperatura mínima para caminar y la temperatura para la recuperación de la actividad después del efecto decoma por frío de hembras de A. gifuensis (-19.8, -5.1 y 5.9 ° C, respectivamente) fueron significativamente inferiores a los de A. avenae (-18,1, -3,3, y 7,8 ° C, respectivamente). Los resultados mostraron que A. gifuensis tenía más baja tolerancia a la temperatura en comparación con A....

Several Cytospora species have been identified as pathogens that cause canker diseases. In this study, we examined the causal agent of stem canker on Berberis thunbergii var. atropurpurea in Tibet, China. Three fungal strains were isolated that exhibited morphological characteristics consistent with Cytospora, displaying hyaline and allantoid conidia. Differentiation of species within this genus primarily relies on morphology and molecular data. A new species, Cytospora berberidicola, is introduced based on morphology and molecular data of combined ACT, ITS, RPB2, TEF1 and TUB2 sequences.

As a modern orchard management tool, vegetative ground cover can increase biodiversity, enhance the effect of natural enemies, and reduce the amounts of chemical agents used to control pests. This study aimed to investigate the temporal niche relationship between pests and natural enemies in peach orchards (1) planted with flowering plants as a ground cover or (2) with naturally occurring vegetative ground cover or (3) plowed, with the objective of clarifying the conservation effect of peach orchard ground cover on different natural enemies. The results showed that the niche width value of natural enemies in peach orchards planted with the flowering plants was the highest, followed by natural vegetation peach orchards. The ladybird beetle (Coccinellidae) ecological niche width values were the highest in the natural enemy communities of the two types of peach orchards. These results demonstrate that vegetative ground cover in peach orchards can effectively harbor natural enemies and that coccinellids are highly adapted for the ecological environment of the peach orchard.