Author
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Henneberry, Thomas |
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Jech, Lynn |
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Submitted to: Sweetpotato Whitefly Progress Review Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings Publication Acceptance Date: 4/1/2002 Publication Date: 6/1/2002 Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: We used thermodetector analysis to determine the effect on lint stickiness of different numbers of days of exposure of open cotton bolls to whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) Strain B (=Bemisia argentifolii) populations. Thermodetector lint stickiness measurement is accomplished by manipulating a 2.5 g sample of cotton lint into a fine mat, which is placed between two sheets of aluminum foil and heated under pressure. The foil sheets are separated and the number of sticky spots counted. Thermodetector counts do not distinguish between the contributions of the different sugars in honeydew or plant physiological sugars. However, the counts are an overall assessment of cotton lint stickiness. We also studied the effect of rainfall on sticky cotton. Trehalulose and melezitose produced by Bemisia and thermodetector counts in cotton lint increased with increasing numbers of days of exposure of open cotton bolls in infested cotton plots. Thermodetector counts were significantly correlated to amounts of trehalulose and melezitose. Rainfall of 0.5 inch reduced trehalulose and melezitose in cotton lint within 5 h following the rain. The results suggest dissolution of the sugars followed by runoff as opposed to microbial degradation. |
