Abstract
Fertilization is a limiting factor in plant development and indirectly affects the population density of phytophagous insects. This study tested the performance of the aphid Rhodobium porosum (Hemiptera: Aphididae) on three rose cultivars exposed to two nutrient solutions in subsurface 'ebb and flow' irrigation systems in greenhouse. The performance of R. porosum was determined by means of the life table and fertility. Both cultivar and fertilization affected many life history and population traits of the aphid. The lower insect fertility and survival were observed in the nutrient solution usually recommended for fruit-type vegetables and on the 'Tineke' rose cultivar, because this combination caused lower net reproductive rate R0 (0.52 female), finite rate of increase λ (0.9469 female/day), innate capacity to increase in number rm (-0.0516 female/female/day), as well as longer time interval between each generation T (16.62 days). The lowest performance of the R. porosum on 'Tineke' rose cultivated in the nutrient solution 1 suggests that this seems to be the best combination to reduce problems with aphid attack in soilless rose cultivation.
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