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Does Insecticide Application in a Winter Oilseed Rape Field Effect the Presences of Pollen Beetle, Meligethes Aeneus (coleoptera: Nitidulidae) in Nearby Ornamental Flowers and Vegetables?

Nur Ahmed
CSO & Head
Entomology Division BRRI, Gazipur 1701

Jan-Eric Englund
Senior Lecturer
Dept. of Agrosystems, SLU PO Box 104 SE-230 53 Alnarp, Sweden Tel: +46 04041 51 39, 040-41 52 36

Eva Johansson
Professor
Dept. of Agrosystems, SLU PO Box 104 SE-230 53 Alnarp, Sweden Tel: +46 40 41 55 62 Cell: +46 761 28 57 37 Fax +46 40 41 55 19

Inger Åhman
Professor
Department of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, SLU PO Box 101 SE-230 53 Alnarp, Sweden Telephone: +46 40 41 52 40

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

BACKGROUND: Pollen beetle is a pest that attacks oilseed rape as well as many other brassicaceous crops, garden vegetables and ornamental flowers. The present study was primarily carried out to investigate whether insecticide application in brassicaceous field crops might influence the abundance of pollen beetles in nearby private garden flowers and vegetables. RESULTS: At peak emergence of the new generation of pollen beetles, a significantly higher number of beetles were found in flowers, and in window traps, alongside untreated as opposed to alongside treated sections of the winter oilseed rape (WOSR) field. However, the type of flower played a role in the number of pollen beetles found in the flowers. The presence of pollen beetles in both ornamental and wild flowers was also significantly influenced by the direction of placement of the flowers. No pollen beetle, neither overwintering nor newly emerged,was observed in any of the brassicaceous vegetables placed along the field. CONCLUSION: The number of pollen beetles in the WOSR field strongly influenced the number of pollen beetles in nearby flowers of preference to the beetles, and insecticide treatment with Biscaya (thiacloprid) against pollen beetle in oilseed rape may thus help, indirectly, to protect nearby garden flowers from damage.

Keywords: Brassica; Leucanthemum; Dahlia; Cosmos; Cauliflower; Broccoli

Location: Alnarp, Sweden

Start Date: 01-09-2008

End Date: 30-07-2009

Program Area: Pest Management

Commodity: Insects

Objectives:

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether insecticide treatment in field crops influences the number of pollen beetles in neighboring ornamental flowers and brassica ceous vegetables. A subordinate aim was to investigate whether there was any other directional influence on pollen beetle abundance in the flowers and vegetables with respect to their placement in relation to the WOSR field.

Methodology:

Winter oilseed rape (WOSR cv. Galileo) was sown on 1 September 2008 in Southern Sweden. The WOSR field (1050 m long, 250 m wide on the north side and 350 m wide on the south side, ca 28 ha) was divided into four sections. Two of the sections were insecticide treated (sections 1 and 3; randomly assigned but in a chessboard pattern), while the other two sections were untreated and used as controls (sections 2 and 4). and the chessboard treatment layout was applied to allow for the fact that pollen beetle flight directions might be affected by wind directions. The insecticide Biscaya (240 g L⁻¹ thiacloprid) was applied at BBCH growth stage 53 against pollen beetle on 23 April 2009. This pesticide treatment was carried out even though the recommended economic threshold of 3–4 pollen beetles per plant at growth stage 52–53 had not been reached. A summary of experimental set-up, treatments and sampling dates with corresponding BBCH growth stages of WOSR. Scouting the WOSR field for immigration by the over wintering pollen beetles was started at the beginning of April 2009. On site, visual counts of pollen beetles from 50 randomly selected whole plants along a centre row of each section of the WOSR field were taken on 9, 14 and 21 April 2009. After insecticide application, similar sampling was carried out on 29 April and 7 May 2009. All the counts were carried out at 09:30–10:30.To evaluate whether over wintering pollen beetles were at all attracted to brassicaceous vegetables in spring, organically grown cauliflower and broccoli head-cuttings, one of each, were placed alongside section 4 of the WOSR field on 12 May 2009, as the pollen beetles were found to invade this section of the field first. Then, one more head-cutting of each cauliflower and broccoli was placed alongside section 1 and section 2 of the WOSR field on 25 May. All the head-cuttings were placed in beakers with water. The head-cuttings of section 4 were removed on 4 June, and those of sections 1 and 2 on 17 June. A few days after the first emergence of the new pollen beetle generation, on 30 June, one new head-cutting each of cauliflower and broccoli was placed alongside each of the four sections of the WOSR field, to test for differences in attack rates by new-generation pollen beetles in relation to insecticide treatment in the field. The head-cuttings of cauliflower and broccoli were checked regularly for pollen beetles until 21 July 2009. Soil traps were used to keep track of time for emergence of the new generation of adult pollen beetles and to control effects of pesticide application. Five sides of the soil traps were wooden walls, while the sixth side (the bottom) was open towards the soil. In order to record the abundance and direction of flight of the adult pollen beetles emerging from the WOSR field, eight window traps were placed on the ground alongside the experimental field, two traps for each section.

Source of Information: Pest Management Science, 69:1253-1260; 2013. DOI 10.1002/ps.3492

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

1.	Budget:
2.	Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Previously, it has been shown that regional pollen beetle abundance varies with relative area of brassica crops and landscape characteristics, wind directions and cropping systems, as well as with insecticide treatment. Here, it has been shown that insecticide application against pollen beetle in agricultural fields may reduce the numbers of that pest in nearby gardens too. As pollen beetle abundance in the present experimental field was low, it is anticipated that, had the pollen beetle abundance in the WOSR been higher, the consequences for ornamentals in the vicinity of such an untreated field would have been more dramatic. However, the numbers of pollen beetles in nearby ornamental flowers are also influenced by the type of flowers, as well as by position in relation to the field and time of season.

Knowledge Management: Journal