Plant Nutrients and the Spatiotemporal Distribution Dynamics of &lt;I&gt;Ceutorhynchus obstrictus&lt;/I&gt; (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and Its Parasitoids

Blake, Adam J.; Dosdall, Lloyd M.; Keddie, B. A.

doi:10.1603/en09217

Cited by 7 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…The study was designed to distinguish among the contrasting predictions of the plant vigor and plant stress hypotheses on oviposition preference and larval performance of C. obstrictus. It is also recognized that N and S may have competing effects on aspects of C. obstrictus oviposition and development, similar to the effects observed in field experiments by Blake et al (2010). An overall goal of the study was to improve understanding of the environmental factors affecting oviposition choice and the resulting spatial structure of C. obstrictus populations within fields of B. napus, and so enable more effective strategies of control that require fewer inputs and reduce detrimental impacts on beneficial insects.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 84%

Bottom-up effects of Brassica napus nutrition on the oviposition preference and larval performance of Ceutorhynchus obstrictus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Blake

Dosdall

Keddie

2010

Arthropod-Plant Interactions

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The cabbage seedpod weevil, Ceutorhynchus obstrictus (Marsham) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is a serious pest of canola, Brassica napus L. and Brassica rapa L., both in Europe and North America. Nitrogen and sulfur levels can be readily manipulated by growers and could potentially be exploited to improve current pest management strategies. In an effort to better understand the relationship between host plant nutrition and C. obstrictus oviposition preference and its larval developmental biology, we exposed gravid females to host plants grown under differing regimes of nitrogen and sulfur. Results indicated that plants grown with a higher supply of nitrogen were preferred as hosts. Plants with a higher sulfur supply were also preferred but only in plants grown at lower nitrogen levels. In contrast, larval development time increased with increasing nitrogen levels although larval dry weights were unaffected. The results were inconsistent with the preference-performance hypothesis. The inconsistencies between oviposition choice and larval growth and development may be due to a conflict between maternal and larval fitness. Observed changes in larval development time may not represent a significant fitness cost for larval C. obstrictus, as no corresponding change in larval weight was observed. Possible causal mechanisms for the increase in development time include differences in oil, protein and glucosinolate contents of the seed. Fertilizer management regimes currently recommended were considered to be optimal for management of C. obstrictus as the yield benefits from higher rates of nitrogen fertilization would more than compensate for increased level of infestation.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 84%