Cadmium was recognised as one of the major environmental and public health risk problem. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of cadmium on growth and morphology of phylloplane fungi. Discs of fungal cultures were placed on Cd amended PDA medium. Alternaria alternata, Septaria tritici, Epicoccum purpurascens, Fusarium avenaceum, Bipolaris sorokiniana were tested. Mycelial growth, morphology and sporulation were studied. All tested species differed in cadmium response. Retardation of radial growth of myceli um was observed. Changes of pigmentation, and inhibition or loss of sporulation was noted. The most sensitive to cadmium was S. tritici.

Caballero P., Lopez-Ferber, M., Williams, T. (eds.). 2001. Los Baculovirus y sus Aplicaciones como Bioinsecticidas en el Control Biologico de Plagas [Baculoviruses and their Application as Bioinsecticides in Biological Control of Pests]. PHYTOMA-Espaiia, Universidad Publica de Navarra, Valencia. 2001. ISBN 84-9320256-0-5, 518 pp. Price: $35.80

Baculoviruses are widely used as bioagents for controlling insect populations. Although they are successfully replicated in cell cultures, still the production in laboratory reared larvae is the cheapest way for large-scale production of viral agents. Commercial products are prepared as liquid suspensions and as dried powders. We investigated the stability of two formulations of S. exigua nuclear polyhedrosis virus (SeMNPV) stored at +4°C for over twenty years as a powder (prepared by aceton precipitation) and in a suspension. The biological activity and biochemical properties of these formulations were examinated. Viral biological activity of the suspension was 1 OOO times better than the activity of powdered virus. Aceton precipitation method caused the significant loss of virus activity. Electrophoretic analysis of proteins showed degradation of polyhedrin peptide. There was also partial DNA degradation. These changes may lead to decreased bioactivity of powdered SeMNPV virus.

Caballero, P., Ferre, J. (eds.). 2001. Bioinsecticidas: Fundamentos y Aplicaciones de Bacillus thuringiensis en el Control Integrado de Plagas [Bioinsecticides: Fundamentals and Applications of Bacillus thuringiensis in Integrated Pest Control]. Universidad Publica de Navarra, PHYTOMA-Espafia, Valencia, 318 pp. ISBN 84-932056-1-3.

The objective of the present study was to identify the dynamics of Alternaria blight spread on spring oilseed rape lower, middle and upper leaves and siliques, to determine the disease incidence (DI) and severity (DS) on leaves, stems, siliques and seeds under the effect of prochloraz and tebuconazole. Efficiency of the fungicides was compared in relation to their application time. Field experiments with the spring oilseed rape cv. 'Star' were conducted at the Lithuanian Institute of Agriculture during 1997-1999.

It was confirmed that in the north of Poland winged specimens of Myzus persicae (Sulz.) start to migrate in spring approximately over three weeks later than in the central and sou them regions. It was observed that during the 1981-1990 and 1991-2000 decades, M. persicae started its flights approximately over two weeks earlier than during the 1971-1980 decade. With this respect one may conclude that the changes are permanent. There were also changes in quantity. In some places the M. persicae share in the entire aphid fauna on potato crops was observed to have decreased as the time passed, which, as it seems, may be associated with a decrease in potato crops area in Poland. Such a correlation can also be confirmed by the fact that in the area where M. persicae share increased, the potato crops area also increased extensively.

In the climatic conditions of Lower Silesia, Poland the European corn borer lays eggs on sweet corn during 3-5 week period between the 3rd decade of June and the 2nd decade ofAugust. The eggs are laid on leaves L1 to LS ofmain and lateral stems of the plants. Caterpillars start to hatch at the beginning ofJuly, but in 1998-2000 a massive hatching was observed only in the 2nd and in the 3rd decade ofJuly, whereas in 2001 - in the 3rd decade of this month and in the l st decade of August. Larvae are capable of migrating between plant rows on the soil surface, which was observed in 1998-2000 from the end ofJuly till the end of October. Most caterpillars migrated in the 2nd and in the 3rd decade of August and in the first days of September. The cob damage by caterpillars ranged between 31 and 46%. Delayed harvest caused a substantial increase in damage.

Modern methods of raspberry protection aim at a substantial reduction of chemicals use. The investigation on potential biological control of phytophagous mites on this crop has been begun. Field studies on the occurrence, species composition, and density of populations of tetranychid mites (Tetranychidae) and phytoseiid mites (Phytoseiidae) in different areas of raspberry growing in Poland was carried out in 2000-2001. Leaf samples were collected from 71 plantations located in five of the main regions of Polish raspberry production. There were clear differences in the densities of tetranychid mite populations between regions, with raspberry spider mite Neotetranychus rubi (Trag.) being more numerous than two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae (Koch.) in most except the Skierniewice region. Among the phytoseiid mites collected from raspberry leaves, eleven species were identified. Although their occurrence and species composition varied with region, Amblyseius bryophilus Karg, Euseius finlandicus (Oudemans) and Amblyseius andersoni (Chant) were the most common; each species occurred at least in three regions. Results obtained showed good prospects for the deployment of the phytoseiids in biological control of spider mites on raspberry.

The experiments were carried out on red beet (cv. Czerwona Kula) from 1997 to 2000. Four combinations differing in ground coverage by weeds were analyzed. During the whole observation period, the greatest numbers of aphids were noticed on the plots kept weed free, while the lowest numbers of aphids were found on the plots where the weeds were not removed and exceptionally, in 1997, on the plots weeded twice. Over the years of observations, the greatest numbers of larvae and adult of Coccinellidae were found on the plots kept weed free, where the bean aphids were the most numerous. Among the four species of adult coccinellid beetles found in the colonies of black bean aphids, the most dominant was Coccinella septempunctata L.