Studies on the Release of the Two Predatory Species Ccoccinella septempunctata L. and Chrysoperla carnea (Steph.) for Controlling the Legume Aphid, Aphis craccivora Koch., on the Faba Bean Plants, in the Greenhouses Located in Sohag Governorate

M., Ali, M. A.; A., El-Hadary, W.; A., Bahy EL-Din, I.

doi:10.21608/eajbsa.2021.153849

Studies on the Release of the Two Predatory Species Ccoccinella septempunctata L. and Chrysoperla carnea (Steph.) for Controlling the Legume Aphid, Aphis craccivora Koch., on the Faba Bean Plants, in the Greenhouses Located in Sohag Governorate

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Biological Control Research Department, Plant Protection Research Institute, Agriculture Research Centre.

² Biological Control Research Department, Plant Protection Research Institute, Agriculture Research Centre

10.21608/eajbsa.2021.153849

Abstract

In Egypt, the faba bean plants (Vicia faba L.) are considered as one of the most important winter field crops that are continuously and extensively grown year after year. This crop is subjected to attack by the legume aphid, Aphis craccivora Koch. (Homoptera: Aphididae), which cause obvious damage to the resulted faba bean yield. The obtained results indicated that the faba bean plants that were cultivated in the greenhouses of the two tested released areas (the ladybird beetle,Ccoccinella septempunctata L. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) and the green lacewing, Chrysoperla carnea (Steph.) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) areas), when were compared with that area of the unreleased control were as follow: for the unreleased control, the mean total numbers of the legume aphid A. craccivora individuals per season were; 64.91±12.66 (13.35-150.52) and 43.88±10.79 (2.57-110.00) individuals, for the two successive seasons 2016/2017 and 2017/2018, respectively. While, in case of the released area of the ladybird beetle C. septempunctata, the corresponding mean total numbers of the legume aphid, A. craccivora were; 16.92±5.25 (0.00-53.72) and 17.31±6.27 (0.00-79.02) individuals, for the two seasons respectively, with a mean percentage of reduction in the mean total numbers of the legume aphid, A. craccivora for the two seasons together of 67.11% (60.29 -73.93%). But, in case of the released area of the green lacewing, C. carnea, the mean total numbers of the legume aphid, A. craccivora individuals for the two seasons were; 15.15±4.95 (0.00-50.72) and 15.76±6.23 (0.00-78.47) individuals, with a mean percentage of reduction in the mean total numbers of the legume aphid, A. craccivora for the two seasons together of 70.34% (64.04-76.64%). Also, using the two previous biocontrol agents had led to an increase in the yield of faba bean crop. Therefore, the obtained results revealed the important role of the two predators (the ladybird beetle, C. septempunctata and the green lacewing, C. carnea), as effective biocontrol agents, (representing a major component of the biological control techniques) against the legume aphid, A. craccivoraon the faba bean plants. As a result, they can be released in the faba bean fields and/or other related fields that suffer from the pest attack. Using such biocontrol agents must be included in Integrated Pest Management (I.P.M.) strategies, for decreasing the chemical control methods for avoiding the undesirable effects of the direct use of the insecticidal application, for protecting man and his surrounding environment from pollution.

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