Aphid populations (Hemiptera: Aphidoidea) depend of mulching in watermelon production in the Mediterranean region of Croatia
Abstract
Winged morphs of aphids were investigated under field conditions during 2008, 2010 and 2011 in the Mediterranean region of Croatia. Field experiments were conducted to record aphid diversity and compare polyethylene black mulch to straw mulch and bare soil in terms of their attractiveness to aphid species in a watermelon crop. Aphids were collected weekly using yellow water metal traps from May to July. During the study, 44 species in 31 genera were detected; 36 species in 24 genera were identified in 2008, 18 species in 15 genera were identified in 2010, and 34 species in 25 genera were identified in 2011. The overall seasonal percentage composition showed that Aphis fabae Scopoli and Myzus persicae (Sulzer) were consistently eudominant species, whereas Acyrtosiphon pisum (Harris) was consistently dominant. Cabbage aphid Brevicoryne brassicae (L.) was determined as the dominant species in 2008 and as eudominant species in 2011. Additionally, Macrosiphum rosae (L.) was twice recorded as the dominant species, whereas Aphis gossipii Glover was dominant once, and Phorodon humuli (Schrank) was eudominant once. Our study also demonstrated that mulching sporadically affected the abundance of individual species. The attractiveness of mulching for aphid species differed between the treatments. It was found that bare soil was attractive to A. pisum and M. rosae, black mulch was attractive to B. helichrysi and P. humuli, and straw mulch was attractive to four aphid species, of which two were eudominant, A. fabae and M. persicae. The presented species are mostly polyphagous, and their preference for certain mulches can be used in crop protection management.Downloads
References
Adlerz WC, Everett PH, 1968. Aluminium foil and white polyethylene mulches to repel aphids and control watermelon mosaic. J Econ Entomol 61: 1276-1279.
Ban D, Zanic K, Dumicic G, Gotlin Culjak T, Goreta Ban S, 2009. The type of polyethylene mulch impacts vegetative growth, yield, and aphid populations in watermelon production. J Food Agric Environ 7: 543-550.
Ban D, Goreta Ban S, Sraka M, Horvat J, Popovic A, Znidarcic D, 2010. Impact of different nitrogen rates and mulch types on watermelon growth and yield. Proc XLV Croatian & V Int Symp on Agriculture. University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture (Croatia), Feb 18-20. pp: 544-548.
Basky Z, Perring TM, Tobias I, 2001. Spread of zucchini yellow mosaic potyvirus in squash in Hungary. J Appl Ent 125: 271-275. http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1439-0418.2001.00541.x
Blackman RL, Eastop VF, 1994. Aphids on the world's trees: an identification and information guide. CAB Int, Wallingford, UK. 987 pp.
Blackman RL, Eastop VF, 2000. Aphids on the world's crops: an identification and information guide, 2nd ed. Wiley, London, UK. 466 pp.
Castle SJ, Perring TM, Farrar CA, Kishaba AN, 1992. Field and laboratory transmission of watermelon mosaic virus 2 and zucchini yellow mosaic virus by various aphid species. Phytopathology 82: 235-240. http://dx.doi.org/10.1094/Phyto-82-235
Csizinszky AA, Schuster DJ, Kring JB, 1995. Color mulches influence yield and insect pest populations in tomatoes. J Amer Soc Hort Sci 120: 778-784.
Döring TF, Kirchner SM, Kühne S, Saucke H, 2004. Response of alate aphids to green targets on coloured backgrounds. Entomol Exp Appl 113: 53-61. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.0013-8703.2004.00208.x
Farias-Larios J, Orozco-Santos M, 1997. Color polyethylene mulches increase fruit quality and yield in watermelon and reduce insect pest populations in dry tropics. Gartenbauwissenschaft 62: 255-260.
Goreta S, Perica S, Dumicic G, Bucan L, Zanic K, 2005. Growth and yield of watermelon on polyethylene mulch with different spacings and nitrogen rates. HortScience 40: 366-369.
Gotlin Culjak T, Igrc Barcic J, 2002. A check–list of aphid species superfam. Aphidoidea (Hemiptera, Homoptera, Sternorrhyncha) in Croatia. Nat Croat 11: 243-264.
Gotlin Culjak T, Zanic K, Goreta Ban S, Ban D, Dumicic G, Grubisic D, 2011. The aphid fauna (Hemiptera: Aphidoidea) of watermelons. Entomol Croat 15: 177-183.
Hartz TK, Hochmuth GJ, 1996. Fertility management of drip-irrigated vegetables. HortTechnology 6: 168-172.
Katis NI, Tsitsipis JA, Lykouressis DP, Papapanayotou A, Margaritopoulos JT, Kokinis GM, Perdikis DC, Manoussopoulos IN, 2006. Transmission of Zucchini yellow mosaic virus by colonizing and non-colonizing aphids in Greece and new aphid species vectors of the virus. J Phytopathol 154: 293-302. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0434.2006.01096.x
Kos K, Trdan S, Petrovic A, Starý P, Kavallieratos N, Petrovic-Obradovic O, Tomanovic Z, 2012. Aphidiinae (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Aphidiinae) from Slovenia, with description of a new Aphidius species. Zootaxa 3456: 36-50.
Kring JB, Schuster DJ, 1992. Management of insects on pepper and tomato with UV-reflective mulches. Fla Entomol 75: 119-129. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3495490
Stapleton JJ, Summers CG, 2002. Reflective mulches for management of aphids and aphid-borne virus diseases in late-season cantaloupe (Cucumis melo L. var. cantalupensis). Crop Prot 21: 891-898. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0261-2194(02)00055-8
Summers CG, Mitchell JP, Stapleton JJ, 2005. Mulches reduce aphid-borne viruses and whiteflies in cantaloupe. Calif Agr 59: 90-94. http://dx.doi.org/10.3733/ca.v059n02p90
Taylor LR, 1980. Handbook for aphids identification. Rothamsted Experimental Station, Harpenden, UK. 171 pp.
Tischler I, 1949. Grundzüge der terrestrischen Tierökologie. Vieweg Braunschweig, Germany. 219 pp. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-663-02549-8 PMid:15401295
Tsitsipis JA, Katis NI, Margaritopoulos JT, Lykouressis DP, Avgelis AD, Gargalianou I, Zarpas KD, Perdikis DC, Papapanayotou A, 2007. A contribution to the aphid fauna of Greece. B Insectol 60(1): 31-38.
Wallis CM, Fleischer SJ, Luster D, Gildow FE, 2005. Aphid (Hemiptera: Aphididae) species composition and potential aphid vectors of plum pox virus in Pennsylvania peach orchards. J Econ Entomol 98: 1441-1450. http://dx.doi.org/10.1603/0022-0493-98.5.1441 PMid:16334309
Walters SA, 2003. Suppression of watermelon mosaic virus in summer squash with plastic mulches and rowcovers. HortTechnology 13: 352-357.
Wolfenbarger DO, Moore WD, 1968. Insect abundance on tomatoes and squash mulched with aluminium and plastic sheeting. J Econ Entomol 61: 34-36.
Zanic K, Ban D, Goreta Ban S, Gotlin Culjak T, Dumicic G, 2009. Response of alate aphid species to mulch colour in watermelon. J Food Agric Environ 7: 496-502.
© CSIC. Manuscripts published in both the printed and online versions of this Journal are the property of Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, and quoting this source is a requirement for any partial or full reproduction.
All contents of this electronic edition, except where otherwise noted, are distributed under a “Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International” (CC BY 4.0) License. You may read here the basic information and the legal text of the license. The indication of the CC BY 4.0 License must be expressly stated in this way when necessary.
Self-archiving in repositories, personal webpages or similar, of any version other than the published by the Editor, is not allowed.