Seasonal incidence and enzyme-based susceptibility to synthetic insecticides in two upcoming sucking insect pests of tea

Abstract

Climate change, deforestation and over reliance on chemical pesticides during the last five decades are presumed to have had a significant impact on the incidence and abundance of agricultural pests. The thrips (Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood) and the greenfly (Empoasca flavescens Fabricius), which were previously considered as minor or occasionally as serious pests in localized areas of tea plantations, are now established as regular and at times major pests in tea plantations of North Bengal spread over the sub Himalayan slopes and the adjoining plains of Terai and the Dooars. Tea-planters from different pockets of North Bengal have been repeatedly reporting control failures of these pests with the use of insecticides in recommended dilutions. A study of their seasonal incidence along with activity of detoxifying enzymes was considered. The trend of a recent population study revealed that E. flavescens and S. dorsalis were abundant throughout the year, with peaks during April to June. Abiotic factors such as temperature, rainfall, sunshine hours and relative humidity (afternoon) influenced the population abundance. Insecticide-exposed populations showed higher levels of activity of the detoxifying enzymes than those collected from organic plantations and the laboratory-reared populations that had not been exposed to insecticides. Detoxifying enzymes in insecticide-exposed E. flavescens collected from Terai and the Dooars as compared with laboratory control specimens showed 3.0–5.2 and 3.0–9.7-fold increases in general esterases (GEs), 1.5–4.8 and 3.6–5.3-fold increases in cytochrome P450s (CYPs) and 1.2–3.5 and 1.5–2.5-fold increases in glutathione-s-transferases (GSTs), respectively. Similarly, S. dorsalis collected from Terai and the Dooars showed 2.0–6.0 and 2.3–5.6-fold increases in GEs, 1.5–2.3 and 1.6–2.4-fold increases in CYPs and 2.6–3.7 and 2.3–3.6-fold increases for GSTs, respectively. Bands of isozymes of esterase I–VI and I–V were found to be expressed in insecticide-exposed specimens whereas a negligible expression was evident for the bands in unexposed E. flavescens and S. dorsalis of organic plantations and laboratory-reared origins, respectively. The data obtained in the present study would be useful in developing the integrated resistance management strategies leading to effective management of the said pests.