Resistance of different cucurbit crops to Tetranychus urticae Koch
Author of the article:YU Rong ZHANG You-Jun WANG Shao-Li
Author's Workplace:Institute of Horticulture, Ningxia Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Yinchuan 750002, China; Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
Key Words:Tetranychus urticae; cucurbitaceae; feeding selectivity; population dynamics
Abstract:
[Objectives] To determine the resistance of different cucurbit
crops to the two-spotted spider
mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, a major global pest of the cucurbitaceae. [Methods] The preference, survival
and reproductive dynamics of T. urticae on bitter gourd, calabash, pumpkin,
towel gourd, watermelon, melon and cucumber, were measured and compared using the leaf disc method in the laboratory
and in field trials. [Results] Cucumbers were the most
preferred crop (35.49%), followed by melons and watermelons. T. urticae had a higher survival and
reproductive rate on the leaf discs of pumpkins and cucumbers, laying 9.72 and
7.83 eggs per female within 12 h, respectively. The abundance of T. urticae had reduced by 47.5% and
32.5% after 48 h on leaf discs of calabash and bitter gourd, respectively,
indicating lower preference for, and survival on, these crops. The reproductive
rate of T. urticae on calabash and bitter
gourd was also significantly lower than on the other 5 cucurbit crops. [Conclusion] T.
urticae has higher fitness on the leaves of cucumber, watermelon and melon
than on those calabash and bitter gourd. These findings provide a scientific basis
for developing ecological strategies to control this pest in the field,
research on mite-resistance mechanisms in the cucurbitaceae and breeding mite-resistant
cucurbit cultivars.