Background: The destructive insect pest Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a polyphagous species targeting many economically important plants. The extensive and arbitrary use of insecticides has resulted in the build-up of insecticide resistance and pesticide residues accumulating in food. Therefore, it is becoming evident that alternative pest management tools are needed to reduce risks to humans, the environment, and non-target organisms, and at the same time, they should be used in field application at the lowest cost. Methods: In view of this objective, the present study demonstrates the toxicity of lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) Stapf) essential oil (EO), against the black cutworm A. ipsilon under controlled laboratory conditions in terms of measuring the activity of peroxidase and detoxification enzymes. The chemical components of the EO were analyzed using GC–MS. Results: The results show that after 96 h post treatment, the LC₁₅ and LC₅₀ values were 427.67 and 2623.06 mg/L, respectively, of C. citratus EO on second-instar larvae of A. ipsilon. A slight significance in elongation of the larval duration with LC₁₅ and LC₅₀ value was found with control. By GC–MS analysis, the main compounds identified in the EO were α-citral and β-citral with percentages of 35.91%, and 35%, respectively. The oxidative stress indicates a significant increase in CAT and lipid peroxidase enzyme activity after 96 h post treatment at the LC₁₅ and LC₅₀. Conversely, the detoxification enzyme activity shows an inhibition of CarE and GST enzymes of larvae exposed to LC₁₅ and LC₅₀ values in response to C. citratus EO. Conclusions: The present data show that lemongrass EO has insecticidal activity against the black cutworm, A. ipsilon.

To meet the challenges of climate change, population growth, and an increasing food demand, an accurate, timely and dynamic yield estimation of regional and global crop yield is critical to food trade and policy-making. In this study, a machine learning method (Random Forest, RF) was used to estimate winter wheat yield in China from 2014 to 2018 by integrating satellite data, climate data, and geographic information. The results show that the yield estimation accuracy of RF is higher than that of the multiple linear regression method. The yield estimation accuracy can be significantly improved by using climate data and geographic information. According to the model results, the estimation accuracy of winter wheat yield increases dramatically and then flattens out over months; it approached the maximum in March, with R² and RMSE reaching 0.87 and 488.59 kg/ha, respectively; this model can achieve a better yield forecasting at a large scale two months in advance.

The residual of pesticides after applications and their effects on plant parameters are very important to be estimated. Therefore, this study investigated the efficacy of six insecticides (acetamiprid, thiamethoxam, imidacloprid, azadirachtin, thiocyclam, and sulfoxaflor) against Aphis craccivora adults and their residue in fennel plants (Foeniculum vulgare) in two successive seasons. The physiological and phytochemical responses of fennel plants after exposure to these insecticides were studied. The tested insecticides were able to keep the reduction percentage of A. craccivora adults above 90% except of azadirachtin, which reached 52% only. Thiocyclam and sulfoxaflor were more effective in decreasing the number of A. craccivora adults than other treatments until 7th day after application. Significant effects were observed among different treatments compared to control for all the vegetative parameters of fennel plants. In the first season, the highest plant height (151.83 cm) and number of umbel/plant (77.63) were obtained in plants treated with thiocyclam with the values from fruit yield (2504 kg/fed) followed by azadirachtin (2281 kg/fed). The same trend for these parameters was obtained in the 2nd season. Azadirachtin demonstrated the best value of oil yield (2.99 and 3.77 ml/plant) for 2017 and 2018 seasons, respectively). The main chemical compound of fennel seed essential oils was estragole (methyl chavicol) and ranged from 68.10 (with Azadirachtin) to 79.90% (with control), the undesirable component, with increasing the amount of anethole (10.06%). It can be concluded that, thiocyclam, sulfoxaflor with neonicotinoid group could be included as a useful agent in a comprehensive aphid management programs in Egypt.

The objective of this paper was to develop agro-climatic zones in the old cultivated lands of Egypt in the Nile Delta and Valley using climate normals from 1985–2014 to facilitate better irrigation water management under water scarcity conditions. 30-year monthly climate data were collected for 17 agricultural governorates in Egypt and yearly averages and 30-year averages were calculated. BISm model was used to calculate yearly averages of potential evapotranspiration (PET) and 30-year average for each governorate. Analysis of variance was done using one factor randomize complete block design, with number of years as replicates. Furthermore, the mean, the range and R2 were calculated to test the strength of the relationship between PET and climate elements. The means of PET for each governorate was separated and ranked in ascending order using least significant difference test (LSD0.05). The results identified 7 agro-climatic zones (LSD0.05 = 0.146). These zones were: (1) Alexandria; (2) Demiatte, Kafr El-Sheikh and Dakhlia; (3) El-Behira, and El-Gharbia; (4) El-Minofia, El-Sharkia, El-Kalubia, Giza and El-Fayom; (5) Beni Sweif, El-Minia, Assuit and Sohag; (6) Qena; and (7) Aswan. Such zoning will increase the ability of the Egyptian policy makers to prepare the appropriate water management and development policies as a result of the availability of proper information on each zone aiming at efficient use of the limited water resources