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Development of a biological control-based integrated management of Plutella xylostella (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) in South Africa

Thesis (PhD (Entomology))--University of Pretoria, 2013.

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Other Authors: Scholtz, Clarke H.
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: University of Pretoria 2014
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access_status_str Open Access
author2 Scholtz, Clarke H.
author_browse Scholtz, Clarke H.
author_facet Scholtz, Clarke H.
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv © 2013 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria.
description Thesis (PhD (Entomology))--University of Pretoria, 2013.
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institution University of Pretoria (South Africa)
language English
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:37:49.734Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
publishDate 2014
publishDateRange 2014
publishDateSort 2014
publisher University of Pretoria
publisherStr University of Pretoria
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source_str UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
spelling oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/40182 Development of a biological control-based integrated management of Plutella xylostella (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) in South Africa Scholtz, Clarke H. novemelar@arc.agric.za Nofemela, Robert Sicelo Biological control-based integrated management Diamondback moth Plutella xylostella (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) Temperature Population Regulation of P. xylostella Diversity UCTD Thesis (PhD (Entomology))--University of Pretoria, 2013. This study investigated the potential of developing a biological control-based integrated management of diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), a key insect pest of Brassica crops in South Africa. This study used data sets collected at weekly intervals on unsprayed cabbage fields during February 2002–January 2008 to critically examine: 1) the roles of temperature and parasitoid diversity on population regulation of P. xylostella; 2) the effect of hyperparasitoids on biological control of P. xylostella; 3) the influence of parasitism levels on the ability of synthetic sex pheromone traps to forecast infestations; and 4) the potential of using ratios of parasitoid cocoons to pest infestations to estimate field parasitism levels. Adult and immature P. xylostella were recorded throughout the year. But, moth catches and larval and pupal infestations were high only during September–October peaking at (mean ± SD) 36.2 ± 18.65 and 10.6 ± 9.59, respectively. Five species of indigenous primary parasitic Hymenoptera were recorded, and parasitism levels were higher (≥50 %) during late October–May than during June–early October (<50 %). Parasitism levels were positively influenced by average field temperatures where 50 % parasitism rates corresponded with field temperatures of 20 °C. A positive influence of parasitoid diversity on parasitism was only observed during September–early October; thus, the aggregation of primary parasitoids prevented further increases of P. xylostella population density during this period. However, only Cotesia vestalis (Haliday) (Braconidae), Oomyzus sokolowskii (Kurdjumov) (Eulophidae) and Diadromus collaris (Gravenhorst) (Ichneumonidae) showed significant numerical responses. In contrast, regulation of infestations at low levels, mainly <1 P. xylostella larvae and pupae per plant per week, during November–May was due to C. vestalis and O. sokolowskii. Larvae and pupae of C. vestalis, which accounted for 78.26 % of total primary parasitism, were attacked by obligate hyperparasitoids Mesochorus sp. (Ichneumonidae), Eurytoma sp. (Eurytomidae) and Pteromalus sp. (Pteromalidae). Their impact on C. vestalis population density was significant at times, but that did not reduce total primary parasitism levels nor resulted in higher P. xylostella infestations. This is because O. sokolowskii and D. collaris increased their contributions to primary parasitism as C. vestalis population declined. The ability of male moth catches to forecast infestations was better during periods of low than during high parasitism. Thus, the ability of pheromone trap catches to forecast infestations depends on survival of P. xylostella immature stages. Since moth catches were significantly low during high parasitism than during low parasitism period, a pheromone-based action threshold of 8.6 moths per trap for two consecutive weeks is suggested. It was demonstrated that ratios of parasitoid cocoons to infestations can be used as a simple and practical method to estimate background parasitism levels in the field. A 20 % ratio of parasitoid cocoons to infestations corresponded with 50 % parasitism level, above which they are considered high enough to regulate pest population. This thesis provides evidence that biological control-based integrated management of P. xylostella is feasible using indigenous parasitoids in South Africa, and that the methods developed herein to estimate the impact of parasitoids on the pest population can be used in decision making by growers on insecticide applications. gm2014 Zoology and Entomology PhD (Entomology) Unrestricted 2014-06-17T12:57:38Z 2014-06-17T12:57:38Z 2014-04-09 2013 Thesis Nofemela, RS 2013, Development of a biological control-based integrated management of Plutella xylostella (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) in South Africa, PhD thesis, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd <http://hdl.handle.net/2263/40182> D14/4/148/gm http://hdl.handle.net/2263/40182 en © 2013 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria
spellingShingle Biological control-based integrated management
Diamondback moth
Plutella xylostella (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae)
Temperature
Population
Regulation of P. xylostella
Diversity
UCTD
Development of a biological control-based integrated management of Plutella xylostella (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) in South Africa
title Development of a biological control-based integrated management of Plutella xylostella (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) in South Africa
title_full Development of a biological control-based integrated management of Plutella xylostella (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) in South Africa
title_fullStr Development of a biological control-based integrated management of Plutella xylostella (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) in South Africa
title_full_unstemmed Development of a biological control-based integrated management of Plutella xylostella (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) in South Africa
title_short Development of a biological control-based integrated management of Plutella xylostella (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) in South Africa
title_sort development of a biological control based integrated management of plutella xylostella linnaeus lepidoptera plutellidae in south africa
topic Biological control-based integrated management
Diamondback moth
Plutella xylostella (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae)
Temperature
Population
Regulation of P. xylostella
Diversity
UCTD
url http://hdl.handle.net/2263/40182