Influence of three pest management treatments against aphid, Sitobion avenae in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under Moscow area conditions

Abstract

In Russia, winter wheat represents a significant proportion of food production in the whole agricultural system. However, wheat pests, particularly English grain aphid, Sitobion avenae, induce high quantitative and qualitative losses with important economic losses. The current study aimed at investigating three pest management treatments: basic, intensive and highly intensive on the control of Sitobion avenae. The treatments included: fertilizers, insecticides and growth regulators at different combinations and concentrations. Six winter wheat varieties studied during 2016, 2017 and 2018 were Moscovckaya 39 variety (V1), Moscovckaya 40 variety (V2), Moscovckaya 56 variety (V3) Nemchinovckaya 17 variety (V4), Nemchinovckaya 24 variety (V5) and Nemchinovckaya 57 variety (V6). Yield performances, protein content and the infection rates of S. avenae on winter wheat crop were measured according to the tested treatments and the investigated varieties. The results showed that S. avenae was responsible of significant negative impacts causing important economic losses. The tested treatments demonstrated that the highly intensive treatment was the most effective to control S. avenae and to preserve wheat yield and grain quality particularly when tested on Moscovckaya 56 variety (V3) with (13.49 t/ha) of production. The results were variety-dependent revealing the intrinsic genetic potential where Moscovckaya 40 variety (V2) appeared as the most resistant against S. avenae with the lowest infection rate (0.02%). The current study opens opportunities for a large-scale application of the tested treatments on winter wheat in different wheat cultivated land.