Crop infestation by aphids is related to flight activity detected with 75 metre high suction traps

Abstract

The flight activity of aphid pests of wheat potato lettuce and squash is currently monitored in New Zealand using 75 m suction traps However there has been little research comparing aphid suction trap catches with crop infestation levels The relationship between the average number of aphids (Rhopalosiphum padi) sampled from wheat plants and the average number of aphids caught in weekly 75 m suction trap samples was examined A significant positive relationship indicated that numbers of aphids caught in suction traps reflected the numbers of aphids infesting wheat fields In another experiment potato aphid flights (mostly Myzus persicae) caught in a 75 m suction trap were compared with a nearby windvane trap Aphid numbers in both traps reflected similar trends However the suction trap caught approximately 10 times more aphids than the windvane trap Thus 75 m suction traps provide a useful tool for assessing aphid infestation levels in crops