Olfactory response of Myzus persicae (Homoptera : Aphididae) to volatiles from leek and chive: Potential for intercropping with sweet pepper

Abstract

Odour-mediated effects of leek Allium porum and chives Allium schoenoprasum (Alliaceae) on the host searching behaviour of the aphid Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Homoptera: Aphididae) were studied. In an olfactometer, odour of the host plant sweet pepper Capsicum annuum L. (Solanaceae) was significantly attractive, whereas odour of chives was significantly repellent. Combined odour of sweet pepper and chives was neither attractive nor repellent. When sweet pepper plants were exposed to volatiles from chives for five days, their odour subsequently became repellent to M. persicae. An extract of leek plants was significantly repellent to aphids in the olfactometer, as were sweet pepper plants sprayed with this extract. Because both leek and chives can disrupt host finding by the aphid, both plants have potential for intercropping with sweet pepper. If successful in the field, such a system could bring economic benefits for farmers in the wet zone of Sri Lanka and other parts of the world

Published in

Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section B - Soil and Plant Science
2007, volume: 57, number: 1, pages: 87-91
Publisher: TAYLOR & FRANCIS AS

SLU Authors

• Pettersson, Jan

  • Department of Entomology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Ninkovic, Velemir

  • Department of Entomology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Glinwood, Robert

  • Department of Entomology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Horticulture
Environmental Sciences and Nature Conservation
Agricultural Science

Publication identifier

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09064710500487721

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/9151