The Lamiaceae family is widely distributed worldwide. In this study, we investigated the insecticidal activity of five Lamiaceae essential oils against Thrips flavus Schrank and the phytotoxic activity against Glycine max (L.) Merr., Zea mays L., Portulaca oleracea L., and Echinochloa oryzoides (Ard.) Fritsch. Then, the chemical composition of the five essential oils was analyzed by using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The five Lamiaceae essential oils were melissa, basil, rosemary, negundo chastetree, and salvia. The main constituents of the five Lamiaceae essential oils were preliminarily determined to be as follows: α-pinene and 1,8-cineole in the rosemary essential oil; β-pinene, γ-terpinene, and d-limonene in the negundo chastetree essential oil; β-cadinene and isolongifolen-5-one in the melissa essential oil; 5-allylguaiacol in the basil essential oil; and isopropyl myristate, linalyl acetate, and linalool in the salvia essential oil. Using a bioassay, it was found that, among the five essential oils, the melissa essential oil exhibited the lowest LC₅₀ value, which was 0.18 mg/mL, and the salvia essential oil exhibited the highest LC₅₀ value, which was 0.42 mg/mL. The control efficacy of the five essential oils significantly increased with time and concentration in pot experiments. The negundo chastetree, basil, rosemary, and salvia essential oils at 900.00 g a.i.·hm⁻² showed high control efficacy against T. flavus, with values higher than 90%. Female thrips were attracted to the negundo chastetree essential oil. The five essential oils were also tested for their effects on the germination rate, germination potential, germination index, and shoot length of G. max, Z. mays, P. oleracea, and E. oryzoides. The basil essential oil significantly inhibited the germination of P. oleracea, with germination at a concentration of 1.0 mg/mL being only 11.11 ± 5.09%. This study provides a reference for the development of botanical pesticides to control T. flavus, crops, and weeds.

In soybean fields across Northeast China, Thrips flavus Schrank (Thysanoptera, Thripidae) populations are increasing, posing a significant threat to soybean production. The aim of this study was to evaluate the toxicity, insecticide efficacy, and field performance of thirty insecticides against T. flavus. Laboratory bioassays revealed that fenthion (LC₅₀ = 2.26 mg/L), sulfoxaflor (LC₅₀ = 4.28 mg/L), cyetpyrafen (LC₅₀ = 4.94 mg/L), and imidacloprid (LC₅₀ = 6.16 mg/L) exhibited the highest toxicity against T. flavus. Pot experiments were subsequently conducted to assess insecticide efficacy. Seven days after application at the highest tested concentration, the insecticide efficacy of fenthion, sulfoxaflor, chlorantraniliprole, bifenazate, and malathion achieved 100% control efficacy. The four insecticides were selected for field trials based on their high toxicity and insecticide efficacy. Seven days after application, the field efficacy of fenthion at 11.25 g a.i.·hm⁻², sulfoxaflor at 1.19 g a.i.·hm⁻², cyetpyrafen at 8.10 g a.i.·hm⁻², and imidacloprid at 11.25 g a.i.·hm⁻² exceeded 80%. Thus, these four insecticides hold strong potential for integrated management of T. flavus. Overall, the findings provide a valuable reference for developing chemical control strategies against this pest.

In recent years, with the increasing awareness of environmental protection and food safety, essential oils (EOs) have gained significant attention as safer and more environmentally friendly alternatives. This study investigated the insecticidal activity of four Lamiaceae EOs (patchouli oil, catnip oil, lavender oil, and mint oil) against Thrips flavus and their effects on crops and weeds. The results show that patchouli oil, catnip oil, and lavender oil exhibited better insecticidal activity, with patchouli oil having the strongest toxicity, with an LC₅₀ value of 0.31 mg/mL. Additionally, catnip oil and lavender oil had significant attractive effects on T. flavus, where lavender oil only had a significant attractive effect on male T. flavus, with an attraction rate of 71.88% (p = 0.03), suggesting that it could be a potential alternative to insect lures. In pot experiments, these EOs demonstrated sustained insecticidal effects and varied impacts on crops. Lavender oil only significantly affected the shoot length of soybeans (Glycine max), while mint oil did not significantly affect the growth of G. max. Finally, we preliminarily analyzed the chemical composition of the EOs to provide insights into their active components. These findings indicate that EOs have potential applications as natural agrochemicals, but further research on their mechanisms and application conditions is required.

Soybean bacterial blight disease is a threat to soybean production. Multispectral technology has shown good potential in detecting this disease and can overcome the limitations of traditional methods. The aim of this study was to perform field monitoring of the dynamics of this disease in Northeast China in 2022. The correlation between the soybean chlorophyll content index (CCI) and disease grade was obtained using artificial inoculation of the pathogen. The correlation between the soybean CCI, disease grade, green normalized difference vegetation index (GNDVI), and soybean yield was analyzed using a drone-mounted spectrometer platform for image acquisition and preprocessing. The soybean CCI was negatively correlated with the disease grade. The GNDVI declined with disease progression, which allowed for an indirect determination of the disease grade. The soybean yield loss was significant at disease grade 4 for soybean bacterial blight disease. The random forest regression model was more accurate than the regression model in estimating the yield based on the GNDVI. Therefore, the GNDVI could be used to survey the disease class and estimate the yield using the random forest model. This study provides support for field trials of drone-mounted multispectral equipment. This surveillance approach holds the potential to bring about precision plant protection in the future.

Floral phenology and features are intricately linked to pollinator behavior and pollination systems. Iris setosa is one of the ornamental irises of the family Iridaceae with beautiful flowers and leaves, and little research has been reported on its pollination biology. This study analyzed how phenology, floral features, breeding systems, and pollinator visits affect reproductive success of I. setosa populations in Jilin Province. Field observations and pollination studies demonstrated that I. setosa reached the bud stage in late May, with an average flowering time of 30 days. The anthers were outwardly dehiscent toward the outer edge of the style branches. In herkogamy, the relative locations of the anthers and stigma remained unchanged during flower opening. The stamens matured first. The pollen was most viable and the stigmas were most receptive on the first day of flowering. The nectar had the maximum sugar content. The sexual reproduction system was mainly outcrossing, with some self-compatibility and a need for pollinators. After artificial self-pollination, fluorescent microscopy revealed the winding of pollen tubes. The predominant flower-visiting insects were Apis mellifera, Megachile sp., Syrphus corollae, Episyrphus balteatus, and Lasioglossum sp., among which A. mellifera, Megachile sp., and Lasioglossum sp. were effective pollinators. Understanding the pollination mechanisms and strategies of I. setosa provides basic reference data on the potential for reproduction, and conservation efforts.

The Soybean aphid (Aphis glycines) is a destructive pest that threatens soybeans. In order to develop green and effective control strategies, we propose an EQPAL epidemic model that integrates four developmental stages (1st–2nd stage nymphs, 3rd stage nymphs, 4th stage nymphs, and adults) and a ladybug (Harmonia axyridis) compartment. This model achieves green pest control by artificially releasing a natural enemy of soybean aphids to prey on adult soybean aphids. We analyzed the dynamic behavior of the model and derived the basic reproduction number ${\mathcal{R}}_0$. Using field monitoring data from Changchun City, Jilin Province, China in 2025, the segmented nonlinear least squares method was used for parameter estimation and fitting, resulting in an overall determination coefficient of $R^2=0.8204$. The numerical simulation results showed that the release of ladybugs significantly reduced the density and peak value of soybean aphid adults, and the predation rate $\beta$, predation conversion rate c, and ladybug migration rate $\omega$ were identified as key regulatory parameters. In addition, a cost–benefit analysis was conducted to determine the most cost-effective control measures.