Population Density of Bemisia tabaci on Sweet Pepper (Capsicum annuum) Varieties in the Greenhouse

Abstract

We conducted an experiment in a greenhouse at the research station belonging to the Department of Plant Protection / Ministry of Agriculture, in Abu Ghraib area during the spring and autumn season 2022-2023, to study the population density of the whitefly on two varieties of sweet pepper plant (Charisma and Sierra Nevada). The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design “RCBD” with three replicates for each variety. The results showed that in spring season the population density of B. tabaci eggs and nymphs reached the peak in the last week of May, which where 2.667 and 4.444 individual / leaf, respectively while the population density peak of the adults was in the first week of June, where it reached 3.33 individual / leaf for Charisma variety, while in Sierra Nevada variety the population density of eggs reached its peak at the first week of May 2.889 individual / leaf, while the nymphs reached its peak at the last week of May 4.44 individual / leaf, also the adults reached its peak the in the second week of June 2.667 individual / leaf. In autumn season the population density of the eggs, nymphs and adults on Charisma variety reached its peak in the third week of November, where it were 3.556, 2.778 and 3.444 individual / leaf respectively, while the population density of the eggs, nymphs and adults recorded on the Sierra Nevada variety reached its peak in the third week of November with 3.889, 3.778 and 3.778 individual / leaf respectively. These results clearly showed that B. tabaci had nearly the same preference to infest the two varieties of sweet pepper, Charisma and Sierra Nevada through the abundance of their stages on the plants.