Plant Protection Science, 2009 (vol. 45), issue 2
The myth of organic agriculture
Zvonko PACANOSKI
Plant Protect. Sci., 2009, 45(2):39-48 | DOI: 10.17221/43/2008-PPS 
Although many people are convinced of the superiority of organic agriculture in any form, there are many negative aspects that follow this type of agricultural system. The productivity of organic cropping systems is considerably lower than that of conventional or integrated systems and leads to less land being available for non-agricultural uses such as wildlife habitats, has greater negative impacts on the environment, and reduced sustainability. The absence of synthetic fertilisers or pesticides does not necessarily lead to an ability to produce healthy and safe food in an environmentally sustainable manner.
Assessing the suitability of morphological and phenotypical traits to screen sesame accessions for resistance to Fusarium wilt and charcoal rot diseases
Mohamed Abd El-Hamid Sayied EL-BRAMAWY, Salah El-Sayed EL-HENDAWY, Waleed Ibrahim SHABAN
Plant Protect. Sci., 2009, 45(2):49-58 | DOI: 10.17221/10/2008-PPS
Since sesame accessions differ significantly in many morphological and phenotypical traits, some of these traits could be suitable for direct selection for resistance to Fusarium wilt and charcoal rot diseases. Forty-eight sesame accessions that originated from different countries were screened for their reaction to infection by Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. sesami (FOS) and Macrophomina phaseolina (MPH), the Fusarium wilt and charcoal rot pathogens, respectively, in 2005 and 2006. The level of infection and seed yield were measured. Number of branches and days to maturity as morphological traits and seed color as phenotypical trait,...
Insect damage to and mortality of seedlings of Chenopodium album L. and Fallopia convolvulus (L.) Á.Löve
Jindra ŠTOLCOVÁ
Plant Protect. Sci., 2009, 45(2):59-65 | DOI: 10.17221/21/2008-PPS
During 1997-1999, the damage and mortality caused by insect herbivores to pigweed (Chenopodium album) and wild buckwheat (Fallopia convolvulus) were studied in an early fallow field at Prague-Ruzyně. The highest abundances of Ch. Album and F. convolvulus (83 and 3.5 plants/m2, resp.) were recorded in 1999, the lowest (11.6 and 0.3 plants/m2, resp.) in 1998. Mortality was low in 1997 (9.6% and 1.4%, resp.) and 1999 (4.0% and 2.5%, resp.), but high in 1998 (25% and 10%, resp.) due to concurrent drought. In accordance with previous studies on Thlaspi arvense, herbivory and concurrent drought...
Effect of plant essential oils on mortality of the stem nematode (Ditylenchus dipsaci)
Miloslav ZOUHAR, Ondřej DOUDA, David LHOTSKÝ, Roman PAVELA
Plant Protect. Sci., 2009, 45(2):66-73 | DOI: 10.17221/6/2009-PPS
The aim of this study was to assess the nematicidal activity of different essential oils from medicinal and aromatic plants for use in nematode management. Essential oils of Eugenia caryophyllata, Origanum compactum, Origanum vulgare, Thymus matschiana and Thymus vulgaris showed nematicidal activity against Ditylenchus dipsaci.
Chalara fraxinea - ash dieback in the Czech Republic
Libor JANKOVSKÝ, Ottmar HOLDENRIEDER
Plant Protect. Sci., 2009, 45(2):74-78 | DOI: 10.17221/45/2008-PPS
The causal agent of ash dieback, the hyphomycete Chalara fraxinea, was isolated from a Fraxinus excelsior cv. Pendula tree, in the Arboretum Křtiny between Křtiny and Jedovnice in Drahany Highland, and subsequently from several other locations in South Moravia in the Czech Republic. The infection was associated with severe twig dieback and symptoms of ash dieback were observed in many locations across the Czech Republic. The morphology of C. fraxinea is described and an ITS sequence is provided. Hymenoscyphus albidus, the teleomorph of C. fraxinea, is known as a quit common species from precedent mycofloristic...
A. Lebeda, P.T.N. Spencer-Phillips, B.M. Cooke (eds) - The Downy Mildews - Genetics, Molecular Biology and Control
Karel Veverka
Plant Protect. Sci., 2009, 45(2):79-80 | DOI: 10.17221/1536-PPS