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Title: Effect of three irrigation methods on incidences of Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) and some whitefly-transmitted viruses in four vegetable crops

Author
item ABD-RABOU, SHAABAN - Egyptian Ministry Of Agriculture
item Simmons, Alvin

Submitted to: Trends in Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/30/2012
Publication Date: 12/31/2012
Citation: Abd-Rabou, S., Simmons, A.M. 2012. Effect of three irrigation methods on incidences of Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) and some whitefly-transmitted viruses in four vegetable crops. Trends in Entomology. 8:21-26.

Interpretive Summary: The sweetpotato whitefly is a major global pest which attacks and transmits plant viruses to many vegetable and other crops. This study was conducted to determine the impacts that three common irrigation methods have on whitefly infestation and on whitefly-transmitted viruses in the Egyptian vegetable system. A daily drip irrigation treatment resulted in the lowest whitefly infestation and lowest virus infection in cucumber, green bean, squash and tomato; the highest whitefly infestation and virus infection were seen in crops with a weekly sprinkler irrigation followed by crops with a biweekly furrow irrigation treatment. Information from this study is useful for developing cultural management strategies to help growers manage whiteflies and whitefly-transmitted viruses in vegetable crops.

Technical Abstract: Whiteflies and whitefly-transmitted viruses cause major agricultural problems in environments ranging from arid to humid climates. Experiments were conducted to assess the effect of some cultural irrigation practices (drip, furrow and sprinkler) on the population of the sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius), and on the infection of some whitefly-transmitted viruses in the Egyptian vegetable cropping system. All irrigation treatments were conducted in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.), green bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), squash (Cucurbita pepo L.) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). Less than 30% of plants in all plots displayed whitefly-virus infection symptoms (Cucumber vein yellowing virus, Squash leaf curl virus or Tomato yellow leaf curl virus). The daily drip irrigation treatment resulted in the lowest whitefly population and lowest incidence of plants with virus symptoms while the highest infestation and infection were observed for the weekly sprinkler irrigation treatment and the biweekly furrow irrigation treatment, respectively. However, percentages of plants displaying virus infection were similar among irrigation treatments on many sample dates within a given crop. Regardless of irrigation treatment, whitefly populations were highly correlated with the percentage of plants with virus symptoms. Integration of management strategies is essential for sustainable management of whiteflies and whitefly-transmitted viruses. This study demonstrates that certain irrigation methods can affect whitefly populations and incidences of whitefly-transmitted viruses in the Egyptian vegetable cropping system.