Assessment of three techniques for measuring natural enemy inflicted mortality of leafroller larvae in commercial orchards

Measuring natural enemy (NE) inflicted mortality presents a serious challenge in managed habitats, such as apple orchards, where the crop-plant is frequently treated with a wide range of insecticides. Toxic residues keep natural populations of pests at too low levels to sample and prevent the use of techniques in which laboratory reared insects are released directly on foliage and used to measure NE activity. Three methods to implant obliquebanded leafroller, Choristoneura rosaceana (Harris) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) larvae were tested: (1) larvae placed on potted apple trees, (2) larvae placed on excised leaves inserted in florists’ waterpicks and (3) larvae placed on branches placed into water filled Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes. Use of potted trees allowed accurate estimation of NE inflicted mortality; however, this method was very labor intensive. The waterpick method required less labor, but it underestimated larval mortality caused by NEs. The use of PVC pipes to hold infested branches combined the benefits of the other two methods tested. This technique was simple to use and provided accurate estimates of NE inflicted mortality.     

桂北丰水梨园土壤养分与叶片营养的相关性分析

选取桂北地区有生理异常现象发生的丰水梨园,以成年结果树为研究对象,通过检测年生长周期内梨树叶片矿质营养元素、土壤养分的含量,分析不同时期梨树叶片营养元素和土壤养分含量及其动态变化规律,探讨年生长季内叶片营养与土壤养分之间的相关关系。结果表明:(1)在生长季节内,丰水梨叶片中N、P、K含量丰富;营养元素含量随时间的变化幅度均为P最大,N、K较小,但均未达到显著水平(P>0.05)。(2)梨园土壤中有机质、水解性N含量丰富,有效P、速效K含量普遍偏高;年生长周期内土壤速效N、P、K含量随时间的推移变化较大,均达显著水平(P<0.05),而有机质含量则相对稳定。(3)梨树叶片N含量与土壤有机质、水解性N、有效P、速效K含量呈显著正相关关系(P<0.05);叶片P和K含量与土壤水解性N含量分别呈显著负相关和正相关关系(P<0.05),而与土壤有机质、有效P、速效K相关关系不明显。     

Pecan phenology in Southeastern China

Pecan (Carya illinoensis) is heterodicogamous, which often leads to unstable yield of its nut crops. Relating pecan orchard management to the phenological stage of the trees is the key to increasing yields; however, describing morphology alone does not lead to an orchard management system that is simple and practical. In this work, we extend the BBCH (Biologische Bundesanstalt, Bundessortenamt und Chemische Industrie) coding method to describe the morphology of the protogynous Mahan pecan cultivar over two consecutive years in southern China. Eight main growth stages, from vegetative bud dormancy to fruit harvest, were described and each phenological period was photographed. Pecan orchard management activities were listed for each stage in pecan BBCH scale to allow orchard managers to better manage their trees. This codification will facilitate breeding, conservation of genetic resources and general orchard management of this commercial crop. As well, recording the dates of various morphological stages over time will allow the influence of global climate change on pecan development to be tracked.     

柑橘园土壤中丛枝菌根真菌土著菌株的促生效应研究

柑橘对丛枝菌根(AM)真菌具有较高的依赖性,从柑橘园土壤中分离筛选的高效促生AM真菌菌株具有重要的应用价值。本研究从广东增城柑橘园(酸橘砧‘红江橙’)土壤中分离的4个AM真菌土著菌株对‘红江橙’幼苗的促生效应。结果表明,4个土著菌株分别是Scutellospora属和Glomus属菌株,根系侵染率为12.7%～29.3%;与不接种对照相比,4个土著菌株不同程度地促进‘红江橙’幼苗的株高、生物量和N、P、K养分含量,菌根依赖性达9.4%～37.1%;主成分分析表明,土著菌株ZCSP-D的促生效应达到常用优良菌株Rhizophagus irregularis的水平。     

Soil application of Beauveria bassiana GHA against apple sawfly,Hoplocampa testudinea (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae): Field mortality and fungal persistence

Low impact alternatives to synthetic insecticides for the control of apple sawfly (Hoplocampa testudinea Klug) are scarce encumbering pest management in organic apple orchards. We investigated the soil persistence and field efficacy of the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin (BotaniGard) against apple sawfly under common organic orchard practices. We also assessed the efficacy of B. bassiana GHA and Metarhizium brunneum Petch (indigenous strain) against sawfly in the laboratory. Larvae treated with either fungus in the laboratory died faster than control larvae and displayed 49.4%–68.4% mycosis. In the field, B. bassiana density remained high in the week after application, during larval descent to the soil. Fungal density decreased to 25% at 49 d after application and to 0.4% after 55 weeks. Molecular markers revealed that the majority of fungal isolates recovered comprised the applied B. bassiana strain GHA. Larvae pupating in soil cages in the orchard for 49 d displayed 17% mycosis. The high efficacy under laboratory conditions was not seen in the field. B. bassiana application resulted in densities above the upper natural background level during the growing season, but reversion to background levels occurred within a year. It remains to be investigated whether this has a detrimental effect on nontarget organisms. Additional work is needed to bridge the knowledge gap between laboratory and field efficacy in orchards.     

新疆叶城两种主栽红枣土壤养分、微生物多样性与营养品质的比较分析

比较新疆叶城两种主栽红枣—骏枣与灰枣的土壤养分、微生物多样性和枣营养品质之间的差异,分析土壤养分、微生物与枣营养品质之间的相关性,从土壤养分、微生物角度研究枣营养品质的影响因素。通过化学分析法测定叶城骏枣与灰枣土壤养分、枣营养品质指标,高通量测序分析土壤微生物多样性,将土壤养分和微生物优势门属微生物进行冗余分析,研究枣营养品质指标与土壤养分、微生物功能类群的相关性。结果显示,新疆叶城两种主栽红枣土壤的全氮、速效氮、有机质含量显著不同;细菌群落变化的主要原因是土壤TN(全氮)值,真菌群落变化的主要原因是土壤AN(速效氮)值。两种主栽红枣土壤微生物多样性显示,骏枣土壤微生物在细菌水平上具有更高的物种丰富性和多样性,薄壁杆菌属(Gracilibacillus)、芽胞杆菌目(Bacillales)等溶磷微生物、固氮微生物等功能土壤微生物相对丰度和占比较高,差异显著;枣营养品质,尤其是不可溶膳食纤维、Fe、K、Zn的含量差异明显。而不可溶膳食纤维、K、蔗糖含量与TP(全磷)、OM(有机质)存在显著负相关;Fe、Zn含量与薄壁杆菌属、芽胞杆菌目等九类功能微生物存在显著正相关;Mg、可溶性糖、可溶性...     

广西南宁郊区杧果园小气候初步研究

在冬半年(9~2月),对广西南宁市郊杧果园内及空旷地主要气象要素进行对比观测,结果表明,①果园内日平均光照强度为7390 lx,比空旷地(13830 lx)减少46.6%。②果园内日平均气温为21.3℃,比空旷地(21.5℃)低0.2℃;气温日较差比空旷地低0.1℃。③果园内土壤浅层(0~20cm)日均温为20.4~21.1℃,比空旷地(23.3~24.4℃)低1.8~2.8℃;果园内土温日较差为0.5~6.8℃,比空旷地(1.3~12.8℃)低0.8~6.0℃。④果园内日均相对湿度为77%,比空旷地(74%)高3%。⑤果园内日均风速为0.26m/s,比空旷地(1.25m/s)低79.2%。观测数据表明,杧果园内光照强度减弱、温度日较差降低、相对湿度升高、风速减少的效果极为显著。     

Field tests with the Insect Growth Regulators, epofenonane and fenoxycarb, in apple orchards against leafrollers and side-effects on some leafroller parasites

The Insect Growth Regulators with juvenile hormone activity, fenoxycarb and epofenonane, were applied either to separate apple trees, which were artificially inoculated with Adoxophyes orana (F.v.R.) and Pandemis heparana (Denn. & Schiff.), or in apple orchards infested with several naturally occurring leafroller species. The susceptibility of leafrollers to fenoxycarb was very high and the foliar residue remained active for at least 4 weeks. The leafroller parasites Apanteles ater (Ratzeburg) and Colpoclypeus florus (Walker), during their development in or on the host, appeared to be less susceptible to both epofenonane and fenoxycarb than the host itself.

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Résumé Le fénoxycarbe et l'épofénonane (régulateurs de croissance des insectes) ont été appliqués soit sur des pommiers isolés, artificiellement inoculés avec Adoxophyes orana (F.v.R.) et avec Pandemis heparana (Denn und Schiff), soit dans des vergers, contaminés naturellement par plusieurs espèces de tordeuses. Sur les arbres isolés, le fénoxycarbe appliqué à raison de 5 g de composé actif/100 l et l'épofénonane de 5 ml de composé actif/100 l, affectent la morphogenèse d'A. orana et P. heparana. Le fénoxycarbe agit sur A. orana même à une concentration de 0,5 g de composé actif/100 l. Dans les vergers, la vaporisation d'épofénonane (750 ml de composé actif/100 l) et de fénoxycarbe (75–150 g de composé actif/100 l) a déformé sévèrement les larves d'A. orana, d'Archips podana (Sc.), de Spilonota ocellana (F.) de P. heparana et d'Archips rosana (L.). Les résidus foliaires actifs ont persisté au moins 4 semaines, comme l'ont montré les effets morphogénétiques observés chez A. orana et P. haparana. Au cours de leur développement, sur ou à l'intérieur de l'hôte, les parasites de tordeuses Apanteles ater (Ratzeburg) et Colpoclypeus florus (Walker), sont moins sensibles à l'épofénonane et au fénoxycarbe que l'hôte lui-même. Des expériences ultérieures à plus grande échelle sont nécessaires pour évaluer l'utilisation des régulateurs de croissance des insectes contre les tordeuses dans le contrôle intégré des vergers.

     

Earwig (Forficula auricularia) predation on the woolly apple aphid, Eriosoma lanigerum

Woolly apply aphid predation by the common earwig, Forficula auricularia L., and other predators was compared in high, intermediate and low earwig density plots of mature apple trees at an experimental orchard in the Netherlands. Aphid colonies were discovered and exterminated primarily by earwigs much more rapidly in the high and intermediate earwig density plots than in the low density plots. Where earwigs were excluded from trees by Tanglefoot bands around the trunks, woolly apple aphids infested 30–35% of new growth shoots whereas less than 10% of the shoots were infested where earwigs were relatively abundant.Several factors including the availability of alternate prey (e.g. Aphis pomi De Geer), earwig developmental phenology and weather probably influenced the outcome of the predation experiments. Nevertheless earwigs play an important role in suppressing woolly apple aphid populations and are potentially important, naturally occurring biological control agents for this pest.

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Résumé L'action prédatrice exercée sur le puceron lanigère par le perceoreille commun, Forficula auricularia, et par d'autres prédateurs, a été comparée dans des parcelles d'un verger expérimental de pommiers adultes aux Pays-Bas. Ces parcelles étaient caractérisées par des densités fortes, intermédiaires, et basses en perce-oreilles. Les colonies de pucerons ont été découvertes et exterminées principalement par les perce-oreilles beaucoup plus rapidement dans les parcelles à forte et moyenne densité de perce-oreilles que dans celles à faible densité. Les pucerons lanigères ont colonisé 30 à 35% des nouvelles pousses lorsque les perce-oreilles étaient exclus par une barrière mécanique (Tanglefoot), alors que moins de 10% des pousses ont été infestées lorsque les perce-oreilles étaient relativement abondants.Plusieurs facterus ont probablement influencé le résultat des expériences de prédation, notamment la présence de proies alternatives (par exemple Aphis pomi), la phénologie du développement des perce-oreilles et le climat. Néanmoins, les perce-oreilles ont joué un rôle important en limitant les populations du puceron lanigère, et constituent potentiellement d'importants agents de contrôle naturel de ce ravageur.

     

How many species are there in apple insect communities?: testing the resource diversity and intermediate disturbance hypotheses

Abstract.

• 1 In European and American apple orchards the insect species richness, calculated from our own, and published data, varied widely (30–940 species). The dominance of insect orders was similar to that found in natural communities.
• 2 To test the predictions of the‘resource diversity hypothesis’(RDH) and the‘intermediate disturbance hypothesis’(IDH) of insect diversity, we analysed the simultaneous impact of vegetational diversity and intensity of orchard management practice on the species richness of characteristic insect categories in six types of apple stands, over 5 years, in Hungary.
• 3 The more diverse was the vegetation adjacent to the orchard and the less intensively was the orchard managed, the greater was the total insect species richness, supporting both hypotheses.
• 4 The number of agricultural pest species found in the apple orchards depended above all on the diversity of adjacent agricultural vegetation, supporting only the RDH.
• 5 The species richness of specialized apple pests was limited only by the intensity of pest control, supporting only the IDH.
• 6 Within the category of generalist natural enemies species richness mainly varied with the diversity of adjacent vegetation, supporting the RDH.
• 7 The aeroentomofauna constituted a surprisingly high percentage (>50%) for both total species and agricultural pests, but was poorly represented within the natural enemies category, and absent from the specific apple pest category.
• 8 A general conclusion is that the number of insect species in perennial orchard-systems within agricultural areas is determined primarily by the regional extra-orchard vegetational diversity and secondly by the degree of local intra-orchard disturbances and plant diversity. Consequently, at the community level the predictions of both hypotheses can be simultaneously valid at different spatial scales and are not mutually exclusive. However, within the community, at the level of the different insect categories studied here, only one of the hypotheses proved to be valid.