Field experiments were carried out at El-Ghorieb village, Sahel Selem district, Assiut Governorate during two growing successive seasons, 2013 and 2014 to study some ecological aspects of some piercing sucking pests and associated natural enemies inhabiting water melon, Citrullus vulgaris (Schard). Results indicated that the major piercing sucking pests [the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch; the whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Genn.); the cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover and the leafhopper, Empoasca decipiens (Paoli)] and their associated natural enemies [Coccinella undecimpunctata, Chrysopa carnea, Orius sp. and Scolothrips longicornis] Data showed that the relation between the natural enemies with their preys was positively and significantly during both seasons. The results also showed that the highest dominance and abundance were recorded with the piercing sucking pests; T. urticae and B. tabaci followed by E. decipiens and A. gossypii as for the natural enemies; S. longicornis followed by Orius sp., C. undecimpunctata and Ch. Carnea. Finally, the previous natural enemies could have a promising role when planning Integrated Pest Management (I.P.M.) strategies with other safe methods to protect the surrounding environment from pollution.
Field studies were carried out at the Experimental Farm, Faculty of Agriculture, Assiut University, during two successive seasons of 2014 and 2015 used three planting dates (early summer, summer and nili plantations) in order to study the relationship between planting dates as well as some of the climatic factors (temperatures and relative humidity) on the census of the twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch on some eggplant cultivars (i.e., black balady, white balady and romy). The results obtained showed that the three tested planting dates gave significant and highly significant differences between mean numbers of T. urticae Koch recorded on the eggplant cultivars. The highest general mean number of T. urticae was recorded on the nili plantation followed by summer and early summer ones during the two growing seasons of 2014 and 2015. On the other side, the Max. and Min. temperatures gave highly significant and significant correlation values on the census of T. urticae through the three tested planting dates. While, the relative humidity showed negative insignificant correlations with the T. urticae census in the early summer plantation and positive significant in summer and nili ones on the three tested eggplant cultivars during 2014 and 2015 growing seasons. It can be concluded that, the planting dates and climatic factors have a strong effect on the rate of eggplant cultivars infestation with T. urticae. Therefore, severe injury of the pest can be avoided by using the early summer plantation date.
Field studies were carried out at the Experimental Farm, Faculty of Agriculture, Assiut University, during two successive seasons 2014 and 2015 in early summer plantation to study the influence of chemical and bio-fertilizers on, infestation of eggplant cultivars, black balady; white balady and romy with the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, and some of eggplant cultivars characters; growth vegetative and fruit characters. Results indicated that T. urticae Koch started to appear with high mean numbers on eggplant cultivars in case of using chemical fertilizers (NPK) as compared with bio-fertilizers (Phosphorein and Nitrobein). The eggplant cultivars can be arranged according to the degree of infestation with T. urticae Koch as following white balady, black balady and romy, in either chemical or bio-fertilizers during the two seasons, 2014 and 2015. Also, using the bio-fertilizers increased significantly the growth vegetative (plant height and number of branches) and fruit characters (fruit length, fruit diameter and fruit weight) in the two seasons of study. According to mite infestation and the effect on the growth vegetative and fruit characters, bio-fertilizers may be recommend for use in eggplant varieties fertilization.
Solanaceous crops, potato, Solanum tuberosum L.; sweet pepper, Capsicum annuum L.; tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. and eggplant, Solanum melongena L. were used to survey the insects, mites and natural enemies and to study the population fluctuation of the piercing sucking pests, aphid, Aphis gossypii (Glover); whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Genn.); leafhopper, Empoasca decipiens (Paoli) and the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch inhabiting it at Sahel-Saleem district, Assiut Governorate during 2009 and 2010 growing seasons. Fifty five species belonging to thirty five families and nine orders found on Solanaceous crops, were encountered by using the sweeping net method. Data also, revealed that, all the Solanaceous crops infest with the piercing sucking pests, but with a variable degree, eggplant received a higher mean number with the piercing sucking pests, followed by potato, tomato and sweet pepper. A higher infestation with aphid and whitefly to the Soalanceous crops were in March, but the higher infestation with leafhopper and twospotted spider mite to the Solanaceous crops were in May during the two successive seasons.
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