1. Pheromone-mediated mating disruption of Planococcus ficus (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) in Tunisian vineyards: Effect on insect population dynamics.
- Author
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MANSOUR, Ramzi, GRISSA-LEBDI, Kaouthar, KHEMAKHEM, Mounir, CHAARI, Imed, TRABELSI, Imen, SABRI, Ameur, and MARTI, Santiago
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PLANOCOCCUS , *VINEYARDS , *PHEROMONES , *IMIDACLOPRID , *MEALYBUGS - Abstract
The mating disruption technique using Checkmate® VMB-XL pheromone dispensers, in combination with imidacloprid-based insecticide treatments through drip irrigation, was tested against vine mealybug in Tunisian vineyards for the first time in the South Mediterranean area. The number of male vine mealybugs caught in traps of mating disruption (MD) plots was significantly lower than that of Non-MD plots, indicating that the application of Checkmate® VMB-XL significantly disrupted the male-female vine mealybug sexual communication. The cumulative effect of mating disruption on vine mealybug over time reached 120 days. Two months after Checkmate® VMB-XL application, the density of mealybug nymphs and adult females on grapevine basal leaves was significantly reduced in all MD plots. The obtained results provide evidence that the application of Checkmate VMB-XL under Center-South Tunisian vineyard conditions proved to be very effective in confusing vine mealybug males and disrupting the mating process. The eventual future use of this technique in Integrated Pest Management programs in Tunisia is discussed herein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2017
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