Effects resulting from the use of reclaimed waters on mandarins and grapefruits are evaluated by measuring the spectral responses of their canopies and the anatomy and the chlorophyll content of their leaves against control trees irrigated with waters provided by an interbasin transfer. Spectral responses from the red (R) and near-infrared (NIR) wavelength bands, and its normalized ratio (NDVI)...

Three potentially important aspects of mark-release-recapture experimentation were addressed: 1) source of mosquitoes for release, 2) time of release, and 3) weather during recapture. Culex tarsalis Coquillett mosquitoes collected as adult host-seeking females from dry ice-baited traps (CO2 traps) operated within the study area (local) were recaptured more frequently than females collected from...

As tropical forests are cleared, a greater proportion of migratory songbirds are forced to winter in agricultural and disturbed habitats, which, if poorer in quality than natural forests, could contribute to population declines. We compared demographic indicators of habitat quality for a focal species, the American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla), wintering in Jamaican citrus orchards and shade ...

When it comes to keeping the world green, roots have historically been considered to be mere purveyors of water and nutrients to the shoots. However, this view has changed dramatically over the past 25 years as evidence has accumulated that roots can be the ‘movers and shakers’ in orchestrating aboveground interactions between plants and their panoply of parasites (Bezemer and van Dam, 2005; Er...

The Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae), is considered one of the most economically damaging pests of citrus orchards in Spain. Insecticide treatments for the control of this pest are mainly based on aerial and ground treatments with malathion bait sprays. However, the frequency of insecticide treatments has been increased in some areas of the Comunida...

The leafminer, Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), is a global pest of citrus and contributes to the incidence and severity of citrus bacterial canker. SPLAT CLM (ISCA Technologies, Riverside, CA) is an emulsified wax that provides sustained release of (Z,Z,E)-7,11,13-hexadecatrienal, the major component of P. citrella sex pheromone. Trials in commercial orchards demo...

Stigmaeidae are very important predators of mite and insect pests on several crops in Brazil. It is considered the second most important family of predatory mites in citrus orchards in Brazil. However, their identification, especially that of the members of the genus Agistemus, is rather difficult based only on morphology. Hence, this study describes the use of random amplified polymorphic DNA ...