TY - JOUR

T1 - Banker plants promote functional biodiversity and decrease populations of the cabbage whitefly Aleyrodes proletella

AU - Laurenz, Sebastian

AU - Meyhöfer, Rainer

N1 - Funding Information: The project was supported by funds of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) based on a decision of the Parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany via the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE) under the innovation support programme. We thank Lisa Hildebrandt, Andr? Brun, Florian Wulf, Timo Michel, Birgit Milde, Serafine Herrmann and Johannes Specht for their support during data collection and crop cultivation. Open access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL.

PY - 2021/1/16

Y1 - 2021/1/16

N2 - In this study, potential banker plant systems against the cabbage whitefly Aleyrodes proletella Linnaeus (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) were developed under controlled conditions. The two most promising banker plant systems, that is, the parasitoid Encarsia tricolor Förster (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) either with Aleyrodes lonicerae Walker on European columbine (columbine system) or with Trialeurodes vaporariorum Westwood (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) on Hokkaido squash (pumpkin system), were further evaluated in the field. Although the pumpkin system produced three times more parasitoids than the columbine system, both banker plants led to an 1.5-fold increase in A. proletella parasitism rates. However, only the pumpkin system increased the abundance of syrphid larvae on cabbage by 61.5% and reduced A. proletella populations on average by 4.4%–25.8% depending on the respective assessment date. In conclusion, the pumpkin system revealed to be a promising (supplementary) control measure against A. proletella. Options for further improvement and standardization of the pumpkin system as well as a potential implementation in cabbage production are discussed.

AB - In this study, potential banker plant systems against the cabbage whitefly Aleyrodes proletella Linnaeus (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) were developed under controlled conditions. The two most promising banker plant systems, that is, the parasitoid Encarsia tricolor Förster (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) either with Aleyrodes lonicerae Walker on European columbine (columbine system) or with Trialeurodes vaporariorum Westwood (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) on Hokkaido squash (pumpkin system), were further evaluated in the field. Although the pumpkin system produced three times more parasitoids than the columbine system, both banker plants led to an 1.5-fold increase in A. proletella parasitism rates. However, only the pumpkin system increased the abundance of syrphid larvae on cabbage by 61.5% and reduced A. proletella populations on average by 4.4%–25.8% depending on the respective assessment date. In conclusion, the pumpkin system revealed to be a promising (supplementary) control measure against A. proletella. Options for further improvement and standardization of the pumpkin system as well as a potential implementation in cabbage production are discussed.

KW - Aleyrodidae

KW - Encarsia tricolor

KW - alternative hosts/prey

KW - biological control

KW - habitat manipulation

KW - natural enemies

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85092148648&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1111/jen.12831

DO - 10.1111/jen.12831

M3 - Article

VL - 145

SP - 36

EP - 45

JO - Journal of applied entomology

JF - Journal of applied entomology

SN - 0044-2240

IS - 1-2

ER -