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The Effect of Plant Nitrogen and Moisture on the Reproductive Potential of Cotton-melon Aphid, Aphid, Apids Gossypii Glover (homoptera : Aphididae) in Ashgourd.

M. M. H. KHAN
Department of Entomology, Patuakhali Agricultural College, Durnki, Patuakhali. Bangladesh

A. J. M. S. KARIM
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mzyibur Rahman Agricultural University,Salna, Gazipur, Bangladesh

M. Z. ALAM
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mzyibur Rahman Agricultural University,Salna, Gazipur, Bangladesh

R. KUNDU
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mzyibur Rahman Agricultural University,Salna, Gazipur, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

The effect of plant nitrogen and moisture on the reproductive potential of the aphid. Aphis gossypii Glover on different leaf categories at various stages of ashgourd was evaluated. Higher nitrogen (o/o dry weight) and moisture (o/o fresh weight) content of terminal and young leaves compared to mature and senescent ones were found to exert a profound positive influence on the number of total and well developed embryos in aphids. The host plant quality did not show any remarkable influence on the size of the largest embryo of aphid developed on different leaf categories.

Keywords: Aphis gossypii. Ashgourd, Nitrogen, Moisture, Embryo.

Location:

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Pest Management

Commodity: Insects

Objectives:

To assess the effect of plant nitrogen content and moisture level of ashgourd on its reproductive investment, i.e. on the number of total and well developed embryos, and the size of the largest embryo.

Methodology:

The local long genotype of ashgourd, Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn was grown in the experimental farm of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Salna, Gazipur. Bangladesh during May to August, 1997. The samples were collected from the field and the investigation was performed in the Entomology and Soil Science laboratories of IPSA. The whole cropping period was divided into various growth stages, viz. early fruiting stage (EFS). mid fruiting stage (MFS), late fruiting stage (LFS) and senescent stage (SS). Plants were selected randomly at each of the growth stages and the leaves of each selected plant was divided into four categories, viz. folded or newly expanded leaf as terminal leaf (TL), light green leaf as young leaf (YL), deep green leaf as mature leaf (ML), and yellowish leaf as senescent leaf (SL). It may be noted that senescent leaves appeared after mid fruiting stage. From each selected plant. one of the each of TL, YL, ML and SL were taken separately. The percentage of moisture content of different leaf categories was determined from the fresh and dry weight of leaves. The quantity of nitrogen content on percentage of dry weight basis was determined follow.ing Kjeldahl's method. Adult apterae developed on different leaf categories were collected and carefully dissected in saline solution on a glass slide under a binocular microscope. The junction of the abdomen and the thorax was held with a pair of fine forceps. The tip of the abdomen was gripped and gently pulled with another pair of fine forceps until the abdomen ruptured, and gonads were pulled free of the rest of the body undamaged. The gonads thus removed were washed in clean saline, ovarioles gently separated with a tungsten needle and the total number of embryos and the number of embryos with pigmented eye spots (developed) were counted. Dissection and counting conform the standard procedure. Some of the countings were checked on TV monitor. The size (volume) of the largest embryo was determined by the formula: length X breadth squared (Lb2). after measuring the embryos under a microscope using a graticule. The results were analysed using single factor ANOVA following completely randomized design. Data on percentage of leaf moisture content were subjected to Arcsin transformation.

Source of Information: J. Asiat. Soc. Bangladesh, Sci. 25(1): 87-95, 1999

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Funding Source:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

The percentage of moisture content on fresh weight basis in different leaf categories at various stages. A significantly higher amount of leaf moisture was found in terminal and young leaves compared to mature and senescent leaves. No significant difference was observed in the size of the largest embryo in the gonads of aphids developed on different leaf categories excepting the senescent stage. This is due to the fact that the aphid model predicts a certain optimum birth size for maximizing the population growth. In early adult life aphids ovulate additional embryos rather than they speed up the rate of growth of the already developing embryos. Because of the constraint on the minimum length of embryonic development, an increased birth size is achieved at the expense of offspring number only later in life. Thus in the present aphid, the host quality affected only the number of total and well developed embryos, and not the size of the largest one. Higher nitrogen (o/o dry weight) and moisture (o/o fresh weight) content of terminal and young leaves compared to mature and senescent ones were found to exert a profound positive influence on the number of total and well developed embryos in aphids. The host plant quality did not show any remarkable influence on the size of the largest embryo of aphid developed on different leaf categories.

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