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NATIVE PREDATORS AND THE CONTROL OF POTATO APHIDS

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 May 2012

Gilles Boiteau
Gilles Boiteau
Affiliation:
Agriculture Canada Research Station, PO Box 20280, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada E3B 4Z7
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Abstract

Experiments were done in fields of potato in Fredericton, New Brunswick, in 1981, 1982, and 1984 to determine the effect of native predators on the abundance of aphids. The populations of predators were altered by pitfall trapping within plots enclosed by polythene barriers and by applying a selective insecticide. The abundance of aphids was monitored in the enclosed plots and in unenclosed areas serving as control. The experimental design was successful at significantly reducing the numbers of Carabidae in the enclosures compared with the open plots. Aphid populations tended to be larger in the plots with depleted populations of Carabidae than in the control areas and were significantly larger in the plots where the insecticide depleted the populations of canopy level predators. These results suggest that the Carabidae play a relatively minor role in aphid control on the potato crop compared with specific predators.

Résumé

Une étude a été faite dans des champs de pomme de terre à Frédéricton au Nouveau-Brunswick en 1981, 1982 et 1984 pour déterminer l’effet des prédateurs indigènes sur l’abondance des pucerons. On a varié les populations de prédateurs en plaçant des pièges de Barber à l’intérieur de parcelles expérimentales entourées de barrières de polyéthylène et en appliquant un insecticide sélectif. L’abondance des pucerons était évaluée dans les parcelles entourées de barrières et dans les parcelles sans barrières qui servaient de contrôles. Le dispositif expérimental a permis de réduire significativement l’abondance des Carabidae dans les enceintes par rapport aux parcelles sans barrières. Les populations de pucerons tendaient à être plus élevées dans les parcelles dont les populations de Carabidae avaient été réduites que dans les zones de contrôle et étaient significativement plus élevées dans les parcelles où l’insecticide avait réduit l’abondance des prédateurs au niveau du feuillage des plants. Ces résultats suggèrent que le rôle des Carabidae polyphages dans le contrôle des pucerons sur pomme de terre est secondaire par rapport aux prédateurs spécifiques.

Type
Articles
Information
The Canadian Entomologist , Volume 118 , Issue 11 , November 1986 , pp. 1177 - 1183
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 1986

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