Can Macrolophus pygmaeus mediate teh damage caused by Bemisia tabaci on vegetable crops?
Today, pest management based on biological control is the most sustainable alternative to pesticide use. The whitefly Bemisia tabaci is one of the key pests negatively impacting yield and quality of vegetable crops; while the predator Macrolophus pygmaeus is one of the main natural enemies widely used for its control, although it can sometimes behave as a pest, causing damage to plants. In this study, the impact of M. pygmaeus as a plant feeder has been investigated, by analyzing the combined impact of the whitefly and the predator bug on potted eggplants under laboratory conditions. Results show no statistical differences between the heights of plants infested by the whitefly or by both insects compared with non infested control plants. However, indirect chlorophyll content, photosynthetic performance, leaf area, and shoot dry weight were all greatly reduced in plants infested only by B. tabaci, compared with those infested by both the pest and its predator or with noninfested control plants. Contrarily, root area and dry weight values were more reduced in plants exposed to both insects, compared to those infested only by the whitefly or to noninfested plants (the latter showing the highest values). These results show how M. pygmaeus can significantly reduce the damage caused by B. tabaci to host plants, although its effects on the belowground part of the plants remains unclear. Anyway, from a practical point of view and given the overall positive effect of the predator, both for its control of the whitefly and reduction of negative effects on crops, its release during the early stages of B. tabaci infestation in greenhouse environments is recommended.
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Información detallada sobre la contribución
- Ubicación
- Europe
- Italy
- Autores
- Alessia Farina
- Giuseppe Eros Massimino Cocuzza
- Pompeo Suma
- Carmelo Rapisarda
- Propósito
- Dissemination
- Decision-making support
- Education/Training
- Monitoring
- Tipo de fichero
- Document
- Tamaño del archivo
- 419 kB
- Creado el
- 08-02-2023
- Lengua de origen
- English
- Sitio web oficial del proyecto
- VIRTIGATION
- Licencia
- CC BY
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