Bahaa Alrahban*(1), Magda Mofleh(1), Rafeek Abboud(2), Nader Asaad(3), Hanan Habak(2), Raeed Sbaih(2), and Mohamad Ahmad(4)
(1) Plant Protection Research Admin., General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research (GCSAR), Damascus, Syria
(2) Agriculture Research Center in Lattakia, General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research, (GCSAR), Lattakia, Syria.
(3)Agriculture Research Center in Al-Gab, General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research, (GCSAR), Lattakia, Syria.
(4) Plant Protection Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Tishreen University, Lattakia, Syria.
(*Corresponding author: Bahaa Alrahban, E-Mail bahaarahban@gmail.com).
Received: 11/07/2021 Accepted: 09/09/2021
Abstract:
The research was carried out at the Jeb Ramleh Station (Al-Ghab Research Center) in Hama province in a 1000 m2 square for the 2019 and 2020 seasons to evaluate the efficacy of the predator Serangium parcesetosum Sicard (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) for controlling the cotton whitefly Bemisia tabaci Genn. (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) on eggplant in cages and in the open field. The S. parcesetosum was released in three times (29/7, 20/8 and 4/9/2019) for the 2019 season and on (16/7, 23/7, 29/7) for the 2020 season at a rate of 2 adults / plants in cages and 100 adult predators/ 1000 m2 per time. The data were recorded weekly, after the first release of the predator’s release, when the immature stages of the cotton whitefly (eggs, nymphs) were recorded on an area of 1 cm2 from the under the surface of the leaves, which were randomly selected from the top, middle and bottom of the plant. The mortality, parasitism, and emergence ratios of whitefly adults were also calculated within an area of 5 cm2 from the underside of leaves. The intensity of adult and immature stages of whitefly was significantly decreased after the sixth week of release in the two treatments of the predator S. parcesetosum compared with control without release either in the open field or in cages. The average death rate of nymphs of whitefly was more than eight times greater in treatments of the predator compared to the control. The results showed the ability of the predator to control the cotton whitefly population on the eggplant in Hama, Al-Ghab area.
Keywords: eggplant, Cotton Whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, biological control, Serangium parcesetosum.
Full paper in Arabic: pdf