Whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci, Biotype B, Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) are pests of cotton crops, affecting the yield of the crop both indirectly and directly. These pests feed on the leaves of cotton plants and produce "honeydew," a sticky liquid excretion which covers the lint of the open cotton boll creating problems during the processing of the lint. High densities of these pests also can decrease the productivity of the cotton plant by stripping it of vital nutrients. The primary objective of this research was to screen 116 converted cotton race stocks for resistance to sweetpotato whiteflies. Responses of converted race stocks to whiteflies are compared to that of known susceptible commercial cultivars PSC 355 and Delta Pearl. Screens for antibiosis resistance to whitefly were established using excised leaves placed in a nutrient solution (¼ strength Hoagland's). Cohort populations of whiteflies were established on these leaves and followed daily to determine differences in developmental time as well as percent survival. Resistant candidates were determined using a chi-squared test comparing the ranked sums of leaf averages for the two selection criteria, whitefly developmental time and percent whitefly survival, of each cotton race stock to that of the putative known susceptibles (KS). These tests showed 6 converted race stocks to be significantly different (P ≤ 0.1) from the KS for at least one of the two selection criteria. Of these converted race stocks, M-9044-0154 and M-9044-0156 showed to have lower whitefly survival than the KS, while M-9644-0188, M-9644-0195, M-0044-0221, and M-9644-0242 showed whitefly to have an increased developmental time. Retesting of these six converted race stocks along with several others identified another race stock line, M-0044-0171, which was significantly different from the KS. Retesting also indicated that M-9644-0188 was different for survival in addition to developmental time which was determined in the original screening. Additional tests were conducted in the greenhouse and field to examine these race stock lines. Greenhouse screenings indicated that M-9044-0156 and M-9644-0188 contained possible non-preference resistance characteristics. Field screenings conducted in Weslaco and College Station, TX in 2002 and 2003 failed to provide useful data due to low densities of insects.

No description available.

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(理学) / 甲第20214号 / 理博第4299号 / 新制||理||1617(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院理学研究科生物科学専攻 / (主査)准教授 川北 篤, 教授 田村 実, 准教授 酒井 章子 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

Two sources of reniform nematode (Rotylenchulus reniformis) resistance in two Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) developed from related cotton species, BARBREN-713 (Renbarb1 and Renbarb2 genes), and the LONREN germplasm lines (Renlon gene) are available to breeders. Stunting was observed in the LONREN source of resistance, but not for BARBREN. To investigate future use of LONREN germplasm, lines were developed with different combinations of genes from both the LONREN and BARBREN-713 germplasm lines. Marker assisted selection (MAS) was conducted identify these gene combinations within breeding population 1) Renbarb1 +Renbabr2 2) Renbarb1 + Renbar2 + Renlon 3) Renbarb2 + Renlon 4) Renbarb2 5) Renbarb1 6) Renbarb1+Renlon 7) Renlon, and 8) a susceptible genotype. Two populations were identified and increased in 2015. Genotypes were inoculated with 0, 2300, or 5000 reniform nematodes. Seedlings were harvested at 90 days to collect plant measurements and RF of reniform nematodes from roots and soil. The Renbarb1 genotype was susceptible. No significant differences in genotypes were observed for root and shoot measurements, and there was no indication of stunting.

Strawberry powdery mildew, caused by Podosphaera aphanis, affects leaves, fruit, and runners of strawberry plants. Infected leaves have reduced photosynthetic capability and infected fruit become unmarketable. Both of these factors translate to economic loss for the grower and therefore merit taking measures to control the disease. One objective of this study was to evaluate the resistance developed in populations of strawberry powdery mildew to chemical control measures. A fungicide assay was developed to evaluate the efficacy of six treatments (penthiopyrad, quinoxyfen, myclobutanil, trifloxystrobin, cyflufenamid, fluopyram + trifloxystrobin) for control of the disease. Nineteen isolates of strawberry powdery mildew were collected from Balico, Salinas, Watsonville, San Luis Obispo, Santa Maria, Ventura, and Oxnard CA and tested through the assay. The number of isolates resistant to each treatment was: penthiopyrad (7), quinoxyfen (6), myclobutanil (7), trifloxystrobin (2), cyflufenamid (1), fluopyram + trifloxystrobin (0). This documents resistance in P. aphanis to multiple chemicals used for its control. Documentation of any resistance is novel in California and novel worldwide with resistance to Fungicide Resistance Action Committee (FRAC) codes 7 and 13. Another objective of this study was to evaluate host plant resistance to strawberry powdery mildew. Twelve cultivars were evaluated in a winter greenhouse trial, sixteen cultivars in a summer greenhouse trial, and the ten cultivars shared in both trials were also evaluated in two fields. The cultivars found to be most susceptible to mildew infection were BG 3.324 and Royal Royce. The cultivars found to be the least susceptible to mildew infection were Fronteras, San Andreas, and Sweet Ann. The cultivars evaluated represent more than 55% of the state’s acreage and the host plant resistance information will be a valuable tool to growers looking to culturally control powdery mildew.

Phylogenetic relationships of 25 genera of Holarctic Teleiodini (Gelechiidae) are postulated based on morphology and molecular characters, including CO?I, CO?II, and 28S genes. The phylogenetic analysis of the morphology matrix yielded six equal most parsimonious trees (length 329 steps, CI = 0.38, RI = 0.53) and a strict consensus tree (length 342 steps, CI = 0.36, RI = 0.50) with two polytomies and two trichotomies. The phylogenetic analysis of the combined morphology matrix and the CO?I + CO?II + 28S matrix yielded two equally most parsimonious trees (length 1184 steps, CI = 0.50, RI = 0.41) and a strict consensus tree (length 1187 steps, CI = 0.50, RI = 0.40) that reinforced results from the morphological analysis and resolved the two polytomies and one of the two trichotomies present in the morphology consensus tree. Teleiodini are defined as a monophyletic clade with a Bremer support value greater than 5 in the consensus tree based on morphology and molecular data. Twenty?three clades of genera are defined with Bremer support values provided. An analyses of larval host plant preferences based on the consensus tree for combined data indicates derivation of feeding on woody hosts from genera feeding on herbaceous hosts and a single origin of feeding on coniferous hosts. An area cladogram indicates five independent origins of Nearctic genera from Holarctic ancestors and one origin from a Palearctic genus. The review of genera includes descriptions of imagos, genitalia, larvae, and pupae with illustrations of selected species. A new genus and a new species from Alabama and Mississippi, United States are described with illustrations of imago, wing venation, and male and female genitalia.

No description available.

Blackman (1987) used life cycle and morphology to separate Myzus nicotianae Blackman, a tobacco-feeding species of aphid, from Myzus persicae (Sulzer). In the present study, the first objective was to investigate the influence of temperature and host plant on the morphology of M. nicotianae and M. persicae. The second objective was to assess Blackman's 1987 key to Myzus for separating tobacco and non-tobacco originating morphs under different environmental conditions. Four host plants were used: tobacco, turnip, pepper, and okra, and three temperatures, 15°C, 20°C, and 25°C. The intraclonal plasticity of two tobacco collected morphs and one turnip collected morph was investigated in relation to these combinations of host and temperature in a 4 x 3 x 3 factorial experimental design. Fifth generation mature apterous aphids were mounted on slides and 10 different morphological structures utilized in morphometric analysis were measured. Data support a morphologically distinct, host-adapted tobacco race but not a separate tobacco-feeding species of M. persicae. The key developed by Blackman (1987) did not discriminate between the tobacco and non-tobacco originating clones but the canonical variates generated from the analysis successfully separated the tobacco and non-tobacco groups. Other studies have used many different clones to investigate the possible distinctions between M. persicae and M. nicotianae; the objective here was to see how much morphological perturbation may be induced within a clone by rearing at different temperatures and on different host plants. Temperature and host plant had substantial influences on the morphology of these aphids. The physiological interactions of temperature-host plant-aphid morphology are very complex yet controlling only for temperature and host plant was sufficient to group specimens according to these independent variables with remarkable accuracy using the linear discriminant functions generated with these data. Percent of aphids in which rearing temperature was correctly identified using linear discriminant functions generated for temperature classes was 87%, 63%, and 64% for 15°C, 20°C, and 25°C, respectively. Random designations would be 33%. Correct identification of host plant was 65%, 45%, 47%, and 48% successful for tobacco, turnip, pepper, and okra, respectively. Random designations for host plant would be 25%. Canonical variates produced clusters by host, temperature, morph, and combinations of these independent variables with varying degrees of discreteness. CV1 by CV2 for host plants gave a very distinct cluster for tobacco and also separate groupings for aphids reared on turnip and pepper. Aphids from the host plant okra were scattered quite widely across the CV1 by CV2 graph. CV1 by CV2 for temperature conditions showed a tight cluster for aphids from 15°C and still distinct though less closely grouped clusters for both 20°C and 25°C rearing temperatures. CV1 by CV2 for the three morphs gave substantial overlap for the two tobacco originating morphs and a more separate cluster for the morph originally collected from turnip. / Master of Science

Master of Science / Department of Entomology / John C. Reese / The soybean aphid, Aphis glycines is documented to have arrived in North America in mid 2000 and has ever since established itself as a formidable pest of soybeans, with the capacity to cause immense crop losses. This formidable pest with its complex life cycle and habits represents a current threat to soybean production. Host plant resistance is a promising avenue that can offer considerable control over the soybean aphid problem. Antibiosis being the most effective host plant resistance category, this study was aimed at attempting to understand the effects of induction on the antibiosis levels of soybeans. In the first set of experiments, different soybean genotypes and two soybean aphid biotypes were tested to comprehend if and how the genotypes and biotypes affected the survival and reproduction of the aphid. The experiments revealed mixed results that can be attributed to the genotypes tested and the biotypes used. While some genotypes showed no significant changes due to previous infestation, K1621 suggested signs of induced resistance to biotype 1 and PI567301B showed induced resistance to biotype 2, while K1639 pointed towards induced susceptibility to biotype 2. A follow up feeding behavior study with Electrical Penetration Graph (EPG) technique was carried out on PI567301B to elucidate if the induced resistance was tissue-specific, which could affect the feeding behavior of the aphid (biotype 2); but the results showed no appreciable differences in the feeding behavior of the aphids on clean vs. infested plants. Induced response studies shed light on how plants respond to herbivory and help us identify how changes in plant physiology affect the various herbivores that visit it for food and shelter. This knowledge can thus be applied to the development of superior varieties of crops that can defend themselves better against recurring infestations.

Master of Science / Department of Entomology / James R. Nechols / Temperature has an important indirect impact on pest populations. Direct effects occur, but also may result from temperature-induced changes in plant quality, including the expression of host plant resistance traits. Therefore, I examined both indirect and direct effects of temperature on biotype 1 soybean aphids (SBA), Aphis glycines, on a Rag1-resistant soybean variety and compared the effects with a susceptible variety to gain a better understanding of how temperature impacts SBA. Four aphid responses were evaluated: preimaginal development, survival to adulthood, number of progeny produced, and adult longevity. In the first experiment, I grew soybean seedlings to the V-0 stage at 25°C and then conditioned them for 0, 3 or 5 days at 20° or 30°C before infesting with a single first instar SBA at each of the two experimental temperatures. Based on previous literature for SBA, I hypothesized that conditioning plants at the lower temperature would cause resistance to break down and that longer exposure would exacerbate the effect. Results showed that conditioning soybeans to 20°C significantly reduced SBA survival, and the effect on survival increased with longer conditioning. Conditioning plants to 30°C had no significant effect on SBA survival. However, estimated population growth decreased as conditioning time increased at 30°C and this effect was also observed at 20°C. Thus, plant resistance may have increased at both temperatures. The second experiment compared SBA responses, including population growth, at four temperatures (15, 20, 25, and 30⁰C) on a Rag1-resistant and susceptible soybean variety. I predicted that SBA fitness would be lower at all temperatures on resistant soybeans, but the magnitude of differences between cultivars would not be uniform across temperatures. Results indicated that both temperature (highest and lowest) and plant resistance detrimentally affected SBA fitness. There was also a significant interaction between the two variables with respect to SBA survival. Survival was lower and development rates were slower on the resistant cultivar. SBA required more degree-days to develop on resistant soybeans compared to the susceptible cultivar. This information will aid soybean producers in implementing a cost-efficient IPM strategy involving Rag1 resistant soybeans to combat SBA under a range of temperatures.