Abstract
Host preference and performance of cabbage aphid Brevicoryne brassicae were studied on seven brassica varieties under Greenhouse. Nymphs, apterous and alate aphids were significantly different on day three and day 15 among tested varieties. Higher total number of aphids per plant was recorded on Brassica carinata and lower on Brassica oleracea. Alates of B. brassicae preferred more to feed and reproduce on B. carinata varieties than the other tested varieties. Developmental and reproduction periods, fecundity and longevity of B. brassicae were significantly different among tested varieties. Shortest and longest developmental period were recorded on Holeta-1 (6.4 days) and Kale (8.9 days), respectively. The aphid had the highest fecundity on B. niger (79.5 nymphs/adult) and the lowest on cabbage (62.4 nymphs/adult).The reproductive rate, intrinsic rate of increase, generation time, doubling time of B. brassicae were significantly different among tested varieties. The intrinsic rate of increase of B. brassicae was 0.337, 0.310, 0.286, 0.276, 0.262, 0.250 and 0.239 days-1 on Holeta-1, Yellow Dodola, Axana, Blinda, B. niger, Cabbage, and kale respectively. Varieties of B. carinata were more suitable for cabbage aphid feeding and reproduction than the other tested varieties. Key words: B. brassicae, reproduction, development, intrinsic rate of increase, fecundity, Ethiopian mustard.
Highlights
Cabbage aphid Brevicoryne brassicae (L.) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) is a specialized aphid on brassica plants and creates problem worldwide with a significant negative impact on brassica crops (Pontoppidan et al, 2003; Bashir et al, 2013)
The day three pooled data of the varieties to species indicated that significantly more aphids were on B. carinata (44.38) than the remaining; B. napus (24.75), B. number of alates on B. niger and B. oleracea and the number of nymphs on B. napus, B. niger and B. oleracea were not significantly different
The trends were similar on day 15 and the highest number of aphids were on B. carinata (842 aphids/plant), the lowest on B. oleracea (572.9 aphids/ plant) and therewas no significant difference between B. napus and B. niger (Figure 1b)
Summary
Cabbage aphid Brevicoryne brassicae (L.) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) is a specialized aphid on brassica plants and creates problem worldwide with a significant negative impact on brassica crops (Pontoppidan et al, 2003; Bashir et al, 2013). The cabbage aphid B. brassicae is a phloem sucking insects that have a strategy for manipulating toxic substance from Brassicaceae crops, which is harmful to other brassica insects (Rebecca et al, 2011). These substances are important as plant defense response and provoked after insect herbivore feeding on the plant (Muhammad et al, 2009; Bones et al, 2011). The variation on quantity and quality of phytochemicals among plant genotypes, tissues and ontogenetic stages has an effect on insect performance (Ode, 2006).the aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of different brassica species on the preference and performance of cabbage aphid B. brassicae in Ethiopia
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