Comparative assessment of insect pests population densities of three selected cucurbit crops

  • Olaitan A
  • Abiodun T
  • Foluke A
  • et al.
N/ACitations
Citations of this article
13Readers
Mendeley users who have this article in their library.

Abstract

Received: 2016-09-05 | Accepted: 2016-12-21 | Available online: 2017-12-31 http://dx.doi.org/10.15414/afz.2017.20.04.78-83 The study on the relative abundance of insect pests is a critical factor for a successful implementation of insect pest management program. Therefore, this experiment was conducted to compare the intensity of insect infestations among the selected three cucurbit crops (Cucumber, Egusi melon and Watermelon). The experiment was set up at Teaching and Research Farm Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso in a Randomized Complete Block Design replicated three times. Significant difference was observed in the tested crops in respect to insect population density on leaf, flower and fruit. Among the tested crops, watermelon was observed to be the most susceptible to the observed insects meanwhile the cucumber had the least insect infestation rate 0.00 at P < 0.05. Also the insect infestation was low as the maturity of the leaves increased. The population density of flea beetle ( Phyllotreta cruciferea ) and spotted beetle ( Diabrotica undecimpunctata ) were observed to be relatively higher at vegetative stage and decreased at flowering stages while Dacus cucubitae caused significant economic damage during the fruiting stage to watermelon, melon and cucumber fruits (33.3, 20.0 and 1.0) respectively. This research work demonstrated that control of insect pests should be initiated at each growing stage of the selected crops. Keywords: Cucumber, Dacus cucubitae , Pyllotreta cruciferae , watermelon, melon References AFZAL, M. and BASHIR, M.H. (2007) Influence of certain leaf characters of some summervegetables with incidence of predatory mites of the family cunaxidae. Pak. J. Bot. , vol. 39, pp. 205–209. ALLWOOD, A. J. et al. (1999) Host plant records for fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Southeast Asia. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology , vol. 47, pp. 1–92; 26. ALAO, F. O. and ADEBAYO, T. A. (2015) Comparative efficacy of Tephrosia vogelii and Mo ringa oleifera against insect pests of watermelon (Citrulus lanatus Thumb). International letters of natural sciences , vol. 36, pp. 71–78. doi: https://doi.org/10.18052/www.scipress.com/ilcpa.51.5 BOWYER, P. et al. (1995) Host range of a plant pathogenic fungus determined by a saponin detoxifying enzyme. Science, vol. 267, pp. 371–374. doi: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.7824933 CLANCY, K. M. et al. (1988b) Variation in host foliage nutrient concentrations in relation to western spruce budworm herbivory. Can. J. For. Res. , vol. 18, pp. 530–539. doi: https://doi.org/10.1139/x88-077 DHILLON, M. K. et al. ( 2005) Influence of physico-chemical traits of bitter gourd, Momordica charantia L. on larval density and resistance to melon fruit fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coquillett). Journal of Applied Entomology , vol.129, pp. 393–399. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0418.2005.00911.x DIXON, R. A. et al. (1996) Metabolic engineering: prospects for crop improvement through the genetic manipulation of phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and defense responses–a review. Gene , vol. 179, pp. 61–71. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/s0378-1119(96)00327-7 FAO (2006) FAOSTAT Agriculture Data [Internet] Available from: http://apps.fao.org/page/collections?subset=agriculture. [Accessed 2006]. FELKL, G. et al. (2005) Tolerance and antibiosis resistance to cabbage root fly in vegetable Brassica species. Entomol. Exp. Appl. , vol. 116, pp. 65–71. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1570-7458.2005.00312.x GOGI, M. D. et al. (2010). Screening of better gourd ( momordica charantia ) germplasm for resistance against melon fruit fly ( Bactrocera cucurbitae ) in Pakistan. International Journal of Agricultural Biology , vol. 11, pp. 746–750. HOCH, H. et al. (1987) Signaling for growth orientation and cell differentiation by surface topography in Uromyces. Science , vol. 235, pp. 1659–1662. doi: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.235.4796.1659 ISMAIL, H. I. et al. (2010) Phenolic content and antioxidant activity of cantaloupe ( Cucumis melo ) methanolic extracts. Food Chemistry , vol. 119, pp. 643–647. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2009.07.023 KENNEDY, G. G. and BARBOUR, J. G. (1992). Resistance variation in natural and managed systems. In: Fritz, R. S. and Simms, E. L. (eds.) Plant resistance to herbivores and pathogens: ecology, evolution, and genetics . Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press, pp. 13–41. OYETUNJI, O. E. et al. (2014) Antixenotic and Antibiotic Mechanisms of Resistance to African Rice Gall Midge in Nigeria. Trends in Applied Sciences Research, vol. 9, pp. 174–186. doi: https://doi.org/10.3923/tasr.2014.174.186 PARACHNOWITSCH, A. L. et al. (2012). Phenotypic selection to increase floral scent emission, but not flower size or colour in bee-pollinated Penstemon digitalis . New Phytol. , vol. 195, pp. 667–675. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8137.2012.04188.x SHARMA, H. C. et al. (2009) Morphological and chemical components of resistance to pod borer, Helicoverpa armigera in wild relatives of pigeonpea. Arthropod-Plant Interactions , vol. 3, pp. 151–161. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11829-009-9068-5 SIMMONS, A. T. and GURR, G. M. (2004) Trichome-based host plant resistance of Lycopersicon species and the biocontrol agent Mallada signata : Are they compatible?. Entomol Exp Appl , vol. 113, pp. 95–101. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0013-8703.2004.00210.x SMITH, C. M. and Clement, S. L. (2012) Molecular bases of plant resistance to arthropods . Annual Review of Entomology , vol. 57, pp. 309–328. STOTZ, H. U. et al. (2000) Induced plant defense responses against chewing insects. Ethylene signaling reduces resistance of Arabidopsis against Egyptian cotton worm but not diamondback moth. Plant Physiology , vol. 124, pp. 1007–1018. doi: https://doi.org/10.1104/pp.124.3.1007

Cite

CITATION STYLE

APA

Olaitan, A. F., Abiodun, T. A., Foluke, A. O., & Oluwaseyi, O. E. (2017). Comparative assessment of insect pests population densities of three selected cucurbit crops. Acta Fytotechnica et Zootechnica, 20(4), 78–83. https://doi.org/10.15414/afz.2017.20.04.78-83

Register to see more suggestions

Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.

Already have an account?

Save time finding and organizing research with Mendeley

Sign up for free