COTON-DOC is a multimedia management software system giving information about cotton plants and their pests in francophone Africa south of the Sahara. Using an interactive graphic system, it assists in the identification of pathogenic organisms which cause disease symptoms observed on cotton plants. Each of 150 pests or diseases is contained as a block of information which allows the user interactively to refer to descriptive text, monographs, colour images, geographical distribution, control methods and an extensive bibliography. Integrated pest control is described by using definitions and pictures and includes information about implementation methods detailing each component. A copiously illustrated section is devoted to beneficial insects in cotton cultivation. Rational chemical control is also considered with details of active materials (including LD50 values), application techniques and treatment programmes. The main production data are set out for fourteen cotton-growing countries south of the Sahara. Bibliographical references are cited for every topic examined, giving details of the principal studies and findings in francophone countries and there is a glossary which is directly accessible from all texts and which supplies definitions of technical terms. COTON-DOC is simple to set up and use, making it suitable for teaching, and its user-friendly form makes it accessible to non-computer literate individuals who are untrained in crop protection but are working in the field of cotton production. COTON-DOC incorporates 480 colour photos, 1500 pages of text, 180 bibliographical references and a glossary of more than 450 definitions and is available on CD-ROM, in French. It was developed as a result of a partnership between the Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement (CIRAD) and the Association des universites partiellement ou entierement de langue française (AUPELF). CIRAD-CA Service des publications, de l'information et de la documentation 2477 avenue du Val de Montferrand BP 5053 34032 Montpellier Cedex 1 FRANCE | COTON-DOC is a multimedia management software system

Respiratory diseases occur in some textile mill workers who are exposed to cotton dust for long periods. Research has shown that endotoxins are present in cotton dust. Correlations between endotoxin content of cotton dust and pulmonary function of human volunteers exposed to the dust have been found. It has been shown that short-duration, high-temperature treatments of cotton can reduce the amount of endotoxin present in cotton dust. This report describes development and evaluation of a device to provide rapid, high-temperature treatment of cotton as it comes out of a gin. The device is based partially on the principle of the belt dryer, which employs a conveyor belt to transport cotton, and uses hot air for drying. The device recirculates heated air that can be controlled at temperatures up to 260 degrees C (500 degrees F). Regulating belt speed controls exposure time of the cotton batt flowing through the device. The device's ability to regulate air temperature and duration of exposure allowed large-scale pseudo-duplication of experimental procedures used previously in destroying endotoxin in cotton. The device performed very well in a three-day test, successfully treating 179 kg (394 lb) of cotton lint for examinations of endotoxin content, guinea pig pulmonary response, cotton quality, and textile processing performance. Related research on the cotton and dust from this work showed that endotoxin content was reduced about the amount expected, guinea pig responses to dust were partially ameliorated, but cotton quality and processing performance were reduced.

Complex investigation containing field remote spectral measurements, the definition of the model input parameters and mathematical modeling for potato and cotton crops enable to study the influence of plant diseases and to obtain the optimal conditions of remote sensing

A double-crop rotation of cotton-triticale-soybean-triticale was grown for 4-5 yr in three experiments on loamy sand soil. Tillage treatments were conventional (moldboard plowing 20-25 cm deep after burning triticale residues), no-till, row-till, and ridge-plant. Triticale residues were managed by burning or cutting the straw short (20 cm) or tall (60 cm) at harvest. Population densities of Rhizoctonia solani anastomosis group (AG)-4 in soil after triticale were low to moderate and similar among treatments. Population densities of Pythium spp. in soil were high and variable among treatments. Root and hypocotyl disease severity in cotton and soybean seedlings was low to moderate each year. In most years and crops, tillage and residue management treatments did not influence seedling disease or inoculum densities of pathogens. When there were differences, burning triticale residues and moldboard plowing improved seedling health.

Concepts for the integration of genotype resistance, age-related resistance, and fungicide for the suppression of Alternaria diseases were developed and evaluated by a computer simulation model and in the field. The model reflects the effects of environment, genotype resistance, and fungicide efficacy on Alternaria solani in potatoes. We found that changes in host resistance, with age and among genotypes, could be compensated for by adjusting the intensity of fungicide applications, i.e., by increasing the frequency of sprays toward the end of the season and spraying moderately resistant cultivars at longer intervals than susceptible cultivars. The time during the growing season when application of a systemic spray within a routine application of protectant sprays would most effectively suppress Alternaria spp. was examined in simulation experiments and in the field. The efficacy of a single systemic spray was highest when applied toward the end of the season when host susceptibility increased. The concepts for integration were evaluated in six field trials, three involving A. macrospora in cotton and three involving A. solani in potatoes. In most cases, the disease suppression achieved by the integration treatment did not differ significantly from that achieved by application of either protectant fungicides (maneb, mancozeb, or chlorothalonil) on a 7-day schedule or systemic fungicides (tebuconazole or difenoconazole) on a 14-day schedule, although up to five fewer sprays were applied in the integration treatment.

Concepts for the integration of genotype resistance, age-related resistance, and fungicide for the suppression of Alternaria diseases were developed and evaluated by a computer simulation model and in the field. The model reflects the effects of environment, genotype resistance, and fungicide efficacy on Alternaria solani in potatoes. We found that changes in host resistance, with age and among genotypes, could be compensated for by adjusting the intensity of fungicide applications, i.e., by increasing the frequency of sprays toward the end of the season and spraying moderately resistant cultivars at longer intervals than susceptible cultivars. The time during the growing season when application of a systemic spray within a routine application of protectant sprays would most effectively suppress Alternaria spp. was examined in simulation experiments and in the field. The efficacy of a single systemic spray was highest when applied toward the end of the season when host susceptibility increased. The concepts for integration were evaluated in six field trials, three involving A. macrospora in cotton and three involving A. solani in potatoes. In most cases, the disease suppression achieved by the integration treatment did not differ significantly from that achieved by application of either protectant fungicides (maneb, mancozeb, or chlorothalonil) on a 7-day schedule or systemic fungicides (tebuconazole or difenoconazole) on a 14-day schedule, although up to five fewer sprays were applied in the integration treatment.