Year 2017, Volume 2, Issue 1

Year : 2017
Volume : 2
Issue : 1
   
Authors : Snežana TANASKOVIĆ, Branka POPOVIĆ, Sonja GVOZDENAC, Zsolt KARPÁTI, Csengele BÓGNAR, Matthias ERB
Title : LEVEL OF LARVAL ATACK ON MAIZE ROOTS AS A CONSEQUENCE OF ARTIFICIAL INFESTATIONWITH WESTERN CORN ROOTWORM EGGS
Abstract : The Western corn rootworm (WCR), Diabrotica virgifera sp. virgifera (Col., Chrysomelidae), is an oligophagous pest native in America. WCR is a maize pest present in all regions of the Corn Belt. It is an invasive species which was, in Europe, first identified in Serbia, in 1992, near the Belgrade airport. The presence of this pest in maize field can cause losses and plant damages up to 100%. A field experiment was carried out in Bečej, Vojvodina province (Serbia), during 2014 and 2015. In the field, 96 plants (maize cultivar NS 640), arranged in 48 pairs were selected. Each pair consisted of one plant artificially infested with WCR eggs (D plant) and the control plant (C plant). In both years, the experiment in the field was regularly inspected, once a week. During each observation, the presence of "goose neck" symptoms was recorded, and the number of plants damaged by the most important stem boring and leaf feeding insects (Ostrinia nubilalis, Helicoverpa armigera, H. zeae, aphids, mites, cicadas, etc.) was counted. Root damages were assessed at the end of the experiment (September), according to Ostlie and Notzel (1987), on scale 1-6. Comparing the root damages on C and D plants, less root damages were established on C plants. Only six i.e. four D plants had healthy roots (rate 1) during 2014 and 2015, respectively. Between D plants in 2014, the most damaged were14 plants, with the rate 3 (least one root chewed to within 1½ inches (3.8 cm) of the plant). In 2015, severe damages were registered on 18 plants, which were ranked as level 6 (with three or more nodes destroyed). Only two C plants during vegetation 2014-2015were registered with damages with rate 5 (two nodes destroyed) and rate 6 (three or more nodes destroyed), respectively.
For citation : Tanasković, S., Popović, B., Gvozdenac, S., Karpáti, Z., Bógnar, C., Erb, M. (2017). Level of larval attack on maize roots as a consequence of artificial infestation with western corn rootworm eggs. AGROFOR International Journal, Volume 2. Issue No. 1. pp. 132-138. DOI: 10.7251/AGRENG1701132T
Keywords : Maize, WCR, Artificial infestation, Root inspection, Damages
   
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