Efffect of crop plant species on the efficacy of pheromone traps for monitoring of the turnip moth (agrotis segetum [schiff.]) (lep., noctuidae)

Abstract

Common cutworm (Turnip moth) (Agrotis segetum), a serious polyphagous pest of many agricultural and horticultural crops, attacks a wide range of plant species in their various growth stages. The larvae are nocturnal in habits, spending the day hiding in the litter or in the soil and their presence is often only notice by farmers when the damage already occurred. Therefore development of an effective monitoring of the adults migration into a crop may help in controlling the pest. The pheromone traps are presently considered as the most effective monitoring system of A. segetum moth. Optimization of pheromone traps location will reduce cost of purchasing traps and labour and at the same time assuring collection of reliable information on A. segetum migration. The "on - farm research" with active participation of farmer in planning and execution of the project was carried out in the two growing seasons: 2005 and 2006 on 10 crop fields and natural vegetation of various ecological infrastructures of a selected representative farm in Piaski village, near Warsaw. A Delta type traps were used for monitoring. The relations between the dynamics of trapping month and density of traps per chosen area and characteristics of agrocenosis (type of crop and uncultivated land, drainage ditches, river embankment, etc.) were established. The collected data may be used in improving the present methods of short- and longterm forecasting of A. segetum population dynamics and optimize the pest chemical control. © 2008, Versita. All rights reserved.