![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Aphids!
Today at work, I was attacked by the evil spirit of slash.
I present:
Potato-Farming Expert RPS
Title: Aphid Attacks Hot Up
Fandom: Agricultural Journalism
Pairing: Michael Tait/Richard Harrington/Our Reporter
Rating: R
Disclaimer: This never happened. I do not know Mr Tait or Dr Harrington. This is amateur fiction. Very amateur fiction. I am making no money from it, unless you count the pittance they paid me to key the article in before I started messing with it. Parts of this were written by some faceless press officer with no knowledge of punctuation. I stole those bits.
Warnings: Reference to oilseed rape. Spoilers for the national aphid monitoring scheme. Really bad.
Notes: Our reporter is an original fictional character. We don't have any reporters.
Aphid attacks hot up
Aphid numbers are building with warm settled weather, and the seasonal pattern of aphid insecticide resistance has started to emerge in potato and field vegetable crops.
The first MACE resistant peach-potato aphids (Mysus persicae) have been identified in the national aphid monitoring scheme, with Broom's Barn in Suffolk reported as a 'very noticeable hotspot'. Furthermore, migrating M. persicae caught in the aphid traps have already tested positive for R2 and R3 levels of esterase resistance.
Potato growers need to be changing their control strategies to take account of the aphid numbers and resistance issues, Syngenta Technical Manager, Michael Tait told our reporter, his chocolate brown eyes seeming to melt into darkness as he spoke.
"Clearly some of the aphids have developed seasonal resistance to organophosphate insecticides and, in some instances, partial resistance to pyrethroids as well. God, it's just so... damned hot in here. Aren't you hot?" He loosened his grey and navy blue striped Marks and Spencer's tie, letting out a little 'ah' of relief, and our reporter couldn't help but notice as a sliver of tanned chest became visible in the 'v' of the open shirt.
"The development of R3 and MACE resistance may also affect the field efficacy of carbamates," Mr Tait went on. "Where growers see M. persicae populations building, control programmes must now include an alternation with Plenum (pymetrozine), to which there's no known resistance." He looked deep into our reporter's eyes.
"Did you get that? No ... known ... resistance..." he repeated slowly. Our reporter swallowed, his throat suddenly dry.
"The best aphid control in potatoes has been achieved from an initial application early in the season, to kill any over-wintered ... resistant ... aphids," Tait explained. Our reporter wondered how Mr Tait had suddenly got so close. Their faces were mere centimetres apart. Now that he thought about it, it was hot in the small interview room. Very hot. He tried not to show his discomfort, but Mr Tait's gaze mesmerised him strangely. "Go on," he breathed. And Mr Tait did.
"Now that the resistant aphids are starting to be identified," he said (his voice seemed oddly hoarse; our reporter wondered whether the tape recorder had picked that up), "it's time to move back to Plenum, which can provide up to 14 days residual protection from new aphid attacks."
"14 days?" gasped our reporter. God damn it, but the man was impressive!
"Yes," breathed Mr Tait. "The use of Plenum will also ensure the maximum number of beneficial predators survive in the field, to mop up any aphids migrating into the crop. You don't mind if I just ... take off my shirt, do you? It's just ... it's the heat. That same heat that's been encouraging aphids to breed ... I find it really affects me - you know?"
"No," gulped the reporter. "I mean - I don't mind at all. Go ahead!" He watched out of the corner of his eye, as Michael Tait peeled off the excellent quality pale blue Marks and Spencer's shirt, and threw it carelessly to the ground.
"It's okay," said Mr Tait. He reached over suddenly, and touched our reporter gently on the cheek. "I... I know how you're feeling, because, well, because I feel it, too. And listen..." He came up very close, so that our reporter could feel the heat radiating from his naked skin. "Rates," he said, "can be tailored to fit in with blight application programmes, with 0.2 kg/ha providing around 10 days residual protection, covering two blight applications in a high risk period, increasing rates to 0.3 kg/ha for up to 14 days aphid control."
"Yes," agreed our reporter faintly, "Yes... 14 days. You said..."
Mr Tait leaned forward and touched his lips softly to our reporter's ear. He reported, in a voice the texture of molasses, how the buckthorn-potato aphid (Aphis nasturtii) has also now been identified in East Anglian potato crops.
"Oh God..." he moaned into our reporter's ear. "You're so... I just want to ... the persistent activity -- yeah -- ensures far more effective long-term control..."
Just then, the door flew open. Both men started backward guiltily.
"Oh, sorry," said the intruder, "I came for the aphids interview... Michael!"
It was aphid population dynamics expert, Dr Richard Harrington, of BBSRC Rothamsted.
"Richard!" gasped Mr Tait. "I didn't think -- I thought you were in Luxembourg!"
"Well," said Dr Harrington, "Yes, I was. But now I'm here. To report that Myzus persicae started flying earlier than expected this year because of the very mild and dry spring. There has been a trend towards greater aphid populations in the early part of the growing season over the past 10 years - a legacy of larger numbers surviving over the winter. And anyway... I just ... I had to see you."
"Um..." said our reporter nervously. "Perhaps you could tell me about..."
Dr Harrington turned to look at our reporter. His eyes were a piercing ice blue, the colour of ... blue ice. They shimmered. He looked our reporter up and down.
"Yeah..." he said. "Yeah, I reckon I can." He walked over to our reporter and put his briefcase down on the desk. "See, milder winters are leading to earlier problems. With early attacks it is crucial growers make every effort to protect beneficial predators when making insecticide applications. The second generations of ladybirds and other natural enemies can make a significant impact on holding down aphid numbers; they have been doing rather well this year."
He smiled and ran a long, supple finger through our reporter's pale blond hair. A finger, our reporter thought, strengthened by hours of aphid-study in the bleak fields of Luxembourg.
"Currently," Dr Harrington went on, "potato aphids are mostly reproducing within the crop, since there is an ample food supply and weather conditions are settled. Any resistant populations can multiply rapidly, particularly when insecticides kill only the susceptible strains and remove any competition."
Our reporter let out a small moan of pleasure, as Dr Harrington fastened his strong hands in his hair and pulled our reporter's face towards him. "Yes," breathed the young journalist. "Please..." And then Dr Harrington kissed him hungrily, devouring his lips, whispering sweet incoherent words into his mouth.
"Potato crops reach maturity ... mass migrations ... mmm ... vegetable brassicas ... oilseed rape ... extremely heavy ... air flows ... yeah ... (Acyrthosiphon pisum!)"
"Oh God... Mr Tait!" As Dr Harrington kissed him, lithe arms had wrapped around our reporter's waist from behind, undoing his belt-buckle and dragging down his second-best Marks and Spencer's work trousers. "Call me Michael," the technical manager whispered in his ear.
"Michael... oh!" gasped our reporter, as the aphid population dynamics expert ripped off the journalist's plain white Marks and Spencer's boxer shorts with his teeth, and Dr Harrington sank to his knees before him...
"Aphid numbers are hotting up with the recent warm weather. Growers must continue to monitor all field vegetable and potato crops; control strategies for Myzus persicae will be equally effective on the other aphid species," Michael Tait concluded lazily, some time later. A weak shaft of sunlight penetrated through the dusty window of the interview room, gilding the rosy naked flesh of the two aphid experts and the young reporter, gleaming on the polished surface of a black lace-up shoe from Barratts.
"Yeah..." yawned our reporter, tracing absent-minded circles around Dr Harrington's left nipple. "I bet."
I present:
Potato-Farming Expert RPS
Title: Aphid Attacks Hot Up
Fandom: Agricultural Journalism
Pairing: Michael Tait/Richard Harrington/Our Reporter
Rating: R
Disclaimer: This never happened. I do not know Mr Tait or Dr Harrington. This is amateur fiction. Very amateur fiction. I am making no money from it, unless you count the pittance they paid me to key the article in before I started messing with it. Parts of this were written by some faceless press officer with no knowledge of punctuation. I stole those bits.
Warnings: Reference to oilseed rape. Spoilers for the national aphid monitoring scheme. Really bad.
Notes: Our reporter is an original fictional character. We don't have any reporters.
Aphid attacks hot up
Aphid numbers are building with warm settled weather, and the seasonal pattern of aphid insecticide resistance has started to emerge in potato and field vegetable crops.
The first MACE resistant peach-potato aphids (Mysus persicae) have been identified in the national aphid monitoring scheme, with Broom's Barn in Suffolk reported as a 'very noticeable hotspot'. Furthermore, migrating M. persicae caught in the aphid traps have already tested positive for R2 and R3 levels of esterase resistance.
Potato growers need to be changing their control strategies to take account of the aphid numbers and resistance issues, Syngenta Technical Manager, Michael Tait told our reporter, his chocolate brown eyes seeming to melt into darkness as he spoke.
"Clearly some of the aphids have developed seasonal resistance to organophosphate insecticides and, in some instances, partial resistance to pyrethroids as well. God, it's just so... damned hot in here. Aren't you hot?" He loosened his grey and navy blue striped Marks and Spencer's tie, letting out a little 'ah' of relief, and our reporter couldn't help but notice as a sliver of tanned chest became visible in the 'v' of the open shirt.
"The development of R3 and MACE resistance may also affect the field efficacy of carbamates," Mr Tait went on. "Where growers see M. persicae populations building, control programmes must now include an alternation with Plenum (pymetrozine), to which there's no known resistance." He looked deep into our reporter's eyes.
"Did you get that? No ... known ... resistance..." he repeated slowly. Our reporter swallowed, his throat suddenly dry.
"The best aphid control in potatoes has been achieved from an initial application early in the season, to kill any over-wintered ... resistant ... aphids," Tait explained. Our reporter wondered how Mr Tait had suddenly got so close. Their faces were mere centimetres apart. Now that he thought about it, it was hot in the small interview room. Very hot. He tried not to show his discomfort, but Mr Tait's gaze mesmerised him strangely. "Go on," he breathed. And Mr Tait did.
"Now that the resistant aphids are starting to be identified," he said (his voice seemed oddly hoarse; our reporter wondered whether the tape recorder had picked that up), "it's time to move back to Plenum, which can provide up to 14 days residual protection from new aphid attacks."
"14 days?" gasped our reporter. God damn it, but the man was impressive!
"Yes," breathed Mr Tait. "The use of Plenum will also ensure the maximum number of beneficial predators survive in the field, to mop up any aphids migrating into the crop. You don't mind if I just ... take off my shirt, do you? It's just ... it's the heat. That same heat that's been encouraging aphids to breed ... I find it really affects me - you know?"
"No," gulped the reporter. "I mean - I don't mind at all. Go ahead!" He watched out of the corner of his eye, as Michael Tait peeled off the excellent quality pale blue Marks and Spencer's shirt, and threw it carelessly to the ground.
"It's okay," said Mr Tait. He reached over suddenly, and touched our reporter gently on the cheek. "I... I know how you're feeling, because, well, because I feel it, too. And listen..." He came up very close, so that our reporter could feel the heat radiating from his naked skin. "Rates," he said, "can be tailored to fit in with blight application programmes, with 0.2 kg/ha providing around 10 days residual protection, covering two blight applications in a high risk period, increasing rates to 0.3 kg/ha for up to 14 days aphid control."
"Yes," agreed our reporter faintly, "Yes... 14 days. You said..."
Mr Tait leaned forward and touched his lips softly to our reporter's ear. He reported, in a voice the texture of molasses, how the buckthorn-potato aphid (Aphis nasturtii) has also now been identified in East Anglian potato crops.
"Oh God..." he moaned into our reporter's ear. "You're so... I just want to ... the persistent activity -- yeah -- ensures far more effective long-term control..."
Just then, the door flew open. Both men started backward guiltily.
"Oh, sorry," said the intruder, "I came for the aphids interview... Michael!"
It was aphid population dynamics expert, Dr Richard Harrington, of BBSRC Rothamsted.
"Richard!" gasped Mr Tait. "I didn't think -- I thought you were in Luxembourg!"
"Well," said Dr Harrington, "Yes, I was. But now I'm here. To report that Myzus persicae started flying earlier than expected this year because of the very mild and dry spring. There has been a trend towards greater aphid populations in the early part of the growing season over the past 10 years - a legacy of larger numbers surviving over the winter. And anyway... I just ... I had to see you."
"Um..." said our reporter nervously. "Perhaps you could tell me about..."
Dr Harrington turned to look at our reporter. His eyes were a piercing ice blue, the colour of ... blue ice. They shimmered. He looked our reporter up and down.
"Yeah..." he said. "Yeah, I reckon I can." He walked over to our reporter and put his briefcase down on the desk. "See, milder winters are leading to earlier problems. With early attacks it is crucial growers make every effort to protect beneficial predators when making insecticide applications. The second generations of ladybirds and other natural enemies can make a significant impact on holding down aphid numbers; they have been doing rather well this year."
He smiled and ran a long, supple finger through our reporter's pale blond hair. A finger, our reporter thought, strengthened by hours of aphid-study in the bleak fields of Luxembourg.
"Currently," Dr Harrington went on, "potato aphids are mostly reproducing within the crop, since there is an ample food supply and weather conditions are settled. Any resistant populations can multiply rapidly, particularly when insecticides kill only the susceptible strains and remove any competition."
Our reporter let out a small moan of pleasure, as Dr Harrington fastened his strong hands in his hair and pulled our reporter's face towards him. "Yes," breathed the young journalist. "Please..." And then Dr Harrington kissed him hungrily, devouring his lips, whispering sweet incoherent words into his mouth.
"Potato crops reach maturity ... mass migrations ... mmm ... vegetable brassicas ... oilseed rape ... extremely heavy ... air flows ... yeah ... (Acyrthosiphon pisum!)"
"Oh God... Mr Tait!" As Dr Harrington kissed him, lithe arms had wrapped around our reporter's waist from behind, undoing his belt-buckle and dragging down his second-best Marks and Spencer's work trousers. "Call me Michael," the technical manager whispered in his ear.
"Michael... oh!" gasped our reporter, as the aphid population dynamics expert ripped off the journalist's plain white Marks and Spencer's boxer shorts with his teeth, and Dr Harrington sank to his knees before him...
***
"Aphid numbers are hotting up with the recent warm weather. Growers must continue to monitor all field vegetable and potato crops; control strategies for Myzus persicae will be equally effective on the other aphid species," Michael Tait concluded lazily, some time later. A weak shaft of sunlight penetrated through the dusty window of the interview room, gilding the rosy naked flesh of the two aphid experts and the young reporter, gleaming on the polished surface of a black lace-up shoe from Barratts.
"Yeah..." yawned our reporter, tracing absent-minded circles around Dr Harrington's left nipple. "I bet."