Abstract
A series of experiments was conducted to investigate the effect of inclusion of bark in potting composts on the numbers of vine weevil larvae on polyanthus plants. In 1989 more larvae were recovered from plants grown in peat compost than those grown in bark but these results were reversed when the study was repeated in 1990. Numbers of larvae also increased with higher ratios of bark:peat in composts but declined as the size fraction of bark used increased. The degree to which bark was composted did not appear to materially affect the numbers of vine weevil recovered. A strong, positive, relationship between larval numbers and foliage dry weight was found. Similarly, larval numbers were bigger with greater root development in bark composts. The results are discussed and it is suggested that the use of bark may promote more vigorous growth in polyanthus and thus enable plants to support more larvae.
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