| Autor: |
Dale A. Halbritter, Eutychus Kariuki, Gregory S. Wheeler, Min B. Rayamajhi, Carey Minteer, Quentin D. Read |
| Jazyk: |
angličtina |
| Rok vydání: |
2024 |
| Předmět: |
|
| Zdroj: |
Biological Control, Vol 188, Iss , Pp 105434- (2024) |
| Druh dokumentu: |
article |
| ISSN: |
1049-9644 |
| DOI: |
10.1016/j.biocontrol.2023.105434 |
| Popis: |
Plants may compensate for herbivory damage by reallocating resources and altering growth patterns, which may be further influenced by environmental variables like nutrient availability. We compared the impacts of fertilizer applications on the growth attributes of Brazilian peppertree before and after releasing Pseudophilothrips ichini (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae), an approved biological control agent. A garden plot containing 96–103 saplings was established at two research sites in Florida: one site with high background soil nitrogen and one with 1/4 the background soil nitrogen. Each plant was randomly assigned a permanent fertilizer supplement (24N-8P-16K) administered bimonthly: no fertilizer n = 69 (0 g/L), medium fertilizer n = 66 (0.8 g/L), or high fertilizer n = 66 (3.6 g/L). Thrips were released after 22 months and releases continued every 1–3 months. Plant growth attributes were collected approximately monthly from October 2017 to April 2021. Crown volume and height steadily increased at both plots, but greater rates of increase were observed for plants with higher supplemental fertilizer at the lower nitrogen site. Thrips had negligible impact on plant attributes at the high nitrogen site. In contrast, the density of stem tips at the low nitrogen site increased dramatically following thrips release and was greatest for plants with high supplemental fertilizer. Additionally, the percentage of dead tips quadrupled during the second year of thrips releases, but tip mortality was greatest for plants with medium supplemental fertilizer. Fertilized plants produced more unseasonal axillary vegetative buds after thrips attack at the low nitrogen site, providing new resources to sustain thrips numbers. Soil nitrogen levels at natural field sites may therefore impact thrips performance. |
| Databáze: |
Directory of Open Access Journals |
| Externí odkaz: |
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Full Text from ScienceDirect