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This study presents a new sex pheromone trap for European Grapevine Moth, Lobesia botrana, to monitor its field population without direct field observations in Turkey. The study was conducted in Hadim and Taşkent (Konya) districts in 2016. Viticulture has been carried out for many years in both districts where the maximum vineyards are located. Due to the distance to the center and the difficulty of transportation to these districts, there has not been conducted any detailed studies until today. Therefore, this study about L. botrana, which is harmful in these vineyards, was planned. In order to monitor the pest population, the cameras were placed onto the pheromone traps, and it was tried to get information about the population development of the pest via internet without going to the vineyards. For this purpose, four locations in Hadim and one location in Taşkent district were selected and one pheromone trap was established in each location before the bud burst in vineyards. The camera was placed on each pheromone trap and was linked with vMEyeIPC program via internet. The time of first adult flight and the population development of adult L. botrana were determined. The first adult flight began at the beginning (7/4/2016) and in the middle of April (15/4/2016) in Hadim and Taşkent, respectively. The number of offspring and the maximum number of pest individuals caught in traps were recorded in vineyards in both districts.

Field studies were conducted in Harran Plain, Turkey, to investigate the infestation of spiny bollworm (SBW) and pink bollworm (PBW) in cotton blind bolls during the period 1999-2001. Blind bolls left on the cotton plants after the harvest were collected, and the PBW and SBW larvae, which are the causes of infection were counted in the laboratory by splitting the bolls. The statistical methods reveal that the infestation ratio variable plays an important role in reducing cotton yield. The infestation ratio variable was found to be statistically significant in all models used. Different soil types may have little effects on yield. We also estimate elasticity of yield with respect to infestation ratio variable. A 1% increase in infestation ratio would reduce about 2.5-6% of cotton yield. Although the infestation ratio of cotton yield is inelastic, which means that the yield is less responsive to the infestation ratio, the elasticity is however an economically important indication because additional cost spent on pests will increase total cost thereby increasing the level where marginal revenue equals the marginal cost.

Most of the commercialized Bt crops express cry genes under 35S promoter that induces strong gene expression in all plant parts. However, targeted foreign gene expression in plants is esteemed more important as public may be likely to accept 'less intrusive' expression of transgene. We developed plant expression constructs harboring cry1Ac gene under control of wound-inducible promoter (AoPR1) to confine Bt gene expression in insect wounding parts of the plants in comparison with cry1Ac gene under the control of 35S promoter. The constructs were used to transform four Turkish cotton cultivars (GSN-12, STN-468, Ozbek-100 and Ayhan-107) through Agrobacterium tumefaciens strains GV2260 containing binary vectors p35SAcBAR.101 and AoPR1AcBAR.101 harboring cry1Ac gene under control of 35S and AoPR1, respectively. Phosphinothricin (PPT) was used at concentration of 5 mg L-1 for selection of primary transformants. The primary transformants were analyzed for transgene presence and expression standard molecular techniques. The transformants exhibited appreciable mortality rates against larvae of Spodoptera exigua and S. littoralis. It was found that mechanical wounding of T 1 transgenic plants was effective in inducing expression of cry1Ac protein as accumulated levels of cry1Ac protein increased during post-wounding period. We conclude that use of woundinducible promoter to drive insecticidal gene(s) can be regarded as a valuable insect-resistant management strategy since the promoter activity is limited to insect biting sites of plant. There is no Bt toxin accumulation in unwounded plant organs, seed and crop residues, cotton products and by-products, thus minimizing food and environmental concerns.

Mass rearing techniques are a necessity in developing a suitable and economic biological control method. Anthocoris minki Dohrn (Heteroptera: Anthocoridae), which is successfully reared for use in biological control, is a promising indigenous Anthocoris species for biological control of Agonoscena pistaciae Burckhardt and Lauterer (Homoptera: Psyllidae) in pistachio orchards. Development time of nymphal instars, mortality percentage and prey consumption of A. minki fed on Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) eggs were studied at three constant temperatures (20, 25 and 30±1°C) and two relative humidity levels (40 and 65±5%) under laboratory conditions. Temperature and r.h. significantly affected development time and nymphal prey consumption of A. minki. Duration of incubation and total nymphal development time decreased significantly with each increase in temperature. Total nymphal development time of A. minki at 40% and 65% r.h. was 18.6 and 18.6 days at 20°C; 13.7 and 14.6 days at 25°C; and 10.8 and 11.8 days at 30°C, respectively. The shortest nymphal development time and highest nymphal mortality percentage were recorded at 30°C and 40% r.h. The lowest nymphal mortality was 30.1% and 32.1% at 40% and 65% r.h., respectively, at 25°C; the highest nymphal mortality was 51.5% and 52.1% at 20°and 30°C, respectively, and 40% r.h. The highest average number of E. kuehniella eggs consumed was 123.1 at 20°C and 65% r.h., and the lowest was 86.4 at 30°C and 40% r.h. during nymphal development time of A. minki.

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