Crop residue trials were conducted to evaluate sprayed pesticide residue levels in the parts of rice whole-crop silage (RWCS) above ground. This study evaluated the validity of 15-hill composite sampling across different rice varieties (Koshihikari and Tachisuzuka) and years. Despite substantial unit-to-unit heterogeneity (coefficient of variation [CV] up to 116%), the analytical results of 15-hill composite samples were largely within the theoretically estimated residue level ranges, confirming the validity of this sampling approach for the entire field. Furthermore, no substantial differences in residue levels were observed between the two varieties under identical experimental designs, and the residue levels of the 15-hill composite samples were in good agreement with the mean values of the 20 individual hills (R²=0.963). These results suggest that the current 15-hill composite sampling procedure is a practical and valid method for obtaining reliable residue data in RWCS, regardless of variety.

Hydrophobic compounds, including certain types of pesticides and pollutants, are generally considered to exhibit limited root-to-shoot translocation because of their strong affinity for lipids and soil organic matter. However, cucurbit crops such as zucchini and pumpkin uniquely accumulate these compounds in aerial tissues. This review summarizes current knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying the uptake, translocation, and accumulation of hydrophobic compounds in plants, with particular emphasis on recent advances in cucurbit species. Our studies have demonstrated that major latex-like proteins (MLPs) in xylem sap function as carrier proteins that bind structurally diverse hydrophobic compounds and facilitate their long-distance transport from roots to shoots. We also describe the physiological roles of MLPs and recent strategies to regulate their expression or ligand-binding activity to reduce contaminant accumulation in crops. These findings provide new insights into the fate of hydrophobic chemicals in plants and offer promising approaches for improving crop safety, pesticide management, and phytoremediation technologies.

Isocycloheximide is a glutarimide antibiotic that exhibits antibacterial and moderate anti-cancer activity. The total synthesis of (±)-isocycloheximide was achieved using Diels–Alder and diastereoselective reduction reactions as key steps providing the biologically critical six-membered ring moiety. Subsequently, diastereoselective synthesis was achieved through stereoselective reduction, using the allylic hydroxy group as a directing group.

Populations of arrhenotokous and thelytokous Thrips tabaci (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) that have developed resistance to spinosad have been identified in fields in Japan. Resistance to spinosad was moderate in resistant strains of arrhenotokous, whereas it was high in those of thelytokous. Variant analysis of the target gene of spinosad, nicotinic acetylcholine receptor α6 subunit, revealed that a well-known G275E mutation was present in the moderately resistant arrhenotokous strain, whereas a three-amino acid deletion in the fourth transmembrane domain, which has not been previously reported in the thrip species, was identified in highly resistant thelytokous strains. The deletion site is highly similar to the previously reported three-amino acid deletion in the target gene of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella, which conferred high resistance to spinosad. These results indicate that two types of mutations identified in T. tabaci strains confer different levels of resistance to spinosad.