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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Charleston, South Carolina » Vegetable Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #81244
Title: USE OF NICOTIANA KAWAKAMII AS A TRAP CROP FOR PROTECTING FLUE-CURED TOBACCO FROM DAMAGE BY TOBACCO BUDWORM LARVAE

Author
item Jackson, D
item SISSON, VERNE - N. C. STATE UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Journal of Economic Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/12/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Nicotiana kawakamii is a close relative of commercial tobacco. In the field N. kawakamii is very susceptible to damage by larvae of the tobacco budworm. Field-cage experiments confirmed that budworm moths select N. kawakamii over tobacco for laying eggs. Feeding experiments showed that tobacco budworm larvae survive and develop as well on N. kawakamii as they do on tobacco. Thus, N. kawakamii was tested as a potential trap crop for protecting commercial tobacco fields. During 1992-94 at Oxford, NC., N. kawakamii was planted in every fifth row of several flue-cured tobacco fields. Infestations of tobacco budworm larvae were much higher in rows of N. kawakamii than in adjacent rows of flue-cured tobacco. Also, for some experiments, tobacco in rows adjacent to N. kawakamii had less budworm damage than did tobacco in remote tobacco fields, suggesting that this plant species has potential as a trap crop in tobacco production. There were no significant differences in the percentages of two beneficial parasites from N. kawakamii or tobacco.

Technical Abstract: Nicotiana kawakamii Y. Ohashi was more susceptible to damage by larvae of the tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens (F.), in field plots than was commercial flue-cured tobacco, N. tabacum L. Field-cage experiments confirmed that N. kawakamii is preferred over tobacco by ovipositing tobacco budworm moths. Feeding experiments showed that tobacco budworm larvae survive and develop as well on N. kawakamii as they do on tobacco. Thus, N. kawakamii was tested as a potential trap crop for protecting commercial tobacco fields. During 1992-94 at Oxford, NC, N. kawakamii was planted in every fifth row of flue-cured tobacco fields. Infestations of tobacco budworm larvae were much higher in rows of N. kawakamii than in adjacent rows of flue-cured tobacco. Also, for some experiments, tobacco in rows adjacent to N. kawakamii had less budworm damage than did tobacco in remote tobacco fields, suggesting that this plant species has potential as a trap crop in tobacco production. There were no significant differences in the percentages of parasitism by Cardiochiles nigriceps Viereck and Campoletis sonorensis (Cameron) for tobacco budworm larvae collected from N. kawakamii or tobacco. Hornworm larvae, Manduca spp., were also monitored, but N. kawakamii provided no consistent protection from infestations of these pests.