Applied Entomology and Phytopathology
Year:2009 | Volume:77 | Issue:1 (88)|Papers Count:13

The hawthorn red midget moth, Phyllonorycter corylifoliella (Lep.: Gracillariidae) is one of the important pests of apple trees in Fars Province. Parasitoid complex of this leafminer moth were investigated during 2006 and 2007. The leaves containing larvae and pupae were collected from five sites in Sarhad region and maintained in room conditions at temperature of 25±5oC until the parasitoids were emerged. A total of ten parasitoid species were reared: Achrysocharoides suprafolius*, Neochrysocharis longiventris*, Zagrammosoma talitzkii, Sympiesis gordius, Sympiesis acalle*, Sympiesis sericeicornis, Pnigalio agraules, Minotetrastichus frontalis*, Baryscapus sp. (Hym., Eulophidae) and Pholetesor bicolor (Hym., Braconidae). Among them, four species (marked with*) are new records for the fauna of Iran. The most common parasitoid was A. suprafolius (60.24% in 2006 and 68.98% in 2007) followed by Z. talitzkii (14.20% in 2006 and 14.13% in 2007). Our new findings represent detailed evidence on parasitoid complex of P. corylifoliella. Notes on relative frequency, morphology, distribution and host range of the new parasitoid species records are included.

In order to evaluate the antifungal activities of bryophytes, 23 taxa (including 21 mosses and two leafy liverworts) were collected, washed, dry-powdered and then extracted in different solvents including water, methanol, ethanol, acetone and petroleum ether. These extracts were mixed with Czapek-Dox (CzA) medium at the ratio of 1:10, and seven different pathogenic fungal species, namely, Alternaria alternata, Fusarium solani, F. oxysporum, Macrophomina phaseolina, Rhizoctonia solani, Verticillium dahliae and Pythium sp. Were then grown on these mixtures. Controls were kept free of the plant extracts. Among the collected and studied bryophytes, the broadest spectrum of antifungal activity were shown by the ethanolic extracts of six moss species, namely, Philonotis marchica, Grimmia pulvinata, Plagiomnium rugicum, Haplocladium sp., Bryum pallens and Drepanocladus aduncus followed by two liverworts called Pellia epiphylla and Dumortiera hirsuta. It was also concluded that, ethanol was the most efficient among other experimental solvents. The statistical analysis using MSTATC showed significant variances between the effects of above-mentioned bryophyte extracts on the mycelial growth of the pathogenic fungi under investigation.

Khuzestan is the most important sesame (Sesamum indicum) growing province in Iran. In recent years, outbreak of sesame phyllody (SP) hase inflicted heavy losses to sesame crop in this province. In a survey in 2000 and 2001 in sesame growing regions of Khuzestan the rate of infection was 0.5 to 100 percent. Infected tissue showed positive reaction with dienes stain and on the basis of this result, SP disease has phytoplasmatal etiology. Among various leaf hoppers collected from sesame fields, only Circulifer haematoceps transmitted the disease agent. The effect of five sowing dates (June 8, 22 July 6, 16and 28) and spraying with Metasistox -R on SP and crop yield was evaluated in Hamidieh. The experiment consisted of a split plot randomized complete block design with three replications. The results showed that spraying had no significant effect on the yield although the rate of infection was significantly decreased at 5% level. Date of planting had significant effect on the yield (at 5% level) and disease incidence rate (at 1% level). Highest yield and lowest disease incidence were obtained with the latest sowing date (July 28) plus spraying.

In this study 14 Colletotrichum isolates and one Glomerella isolate were obtained from symptomatic legumes plant including alfalfa, clover, bean and soybean. Isolates were subjected to morphological and molecular comparisons. By using morphological features and ITS1, ITS2 and 5.8S regions of rDNA sequences. Four species of Colletotrichum and one species of Glomerella were identified comprising C. acutatum, C. dematium, C. destractivum, C. trancatum and G. cingulata (Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5). Among these species C. acutatum from bean and C. destractivum from alfalfa and clover are new for mycoflora of Iran. In addition This is the first report of C. dematium on bean and G. cingulata on soybesn in Iran as well as C. trancatum on alfalfa is reported for the first time in Hamedan province.

A new, simple and accurate method is used for measuring pesticides residue.Multivariate Curve Resolution- Alternating Least Squares (MCR-ALS) has become a popular chemometric method used for the resolution of multiple component responses in unknown unresolved mixtures.The chemical discipline that uses mathematical and statistical methods to design or select optimal procedures and experiments and to provide maximum chemical information by analyzing chemical dataIn this research, MCR-ALS method is proposed for spectrophotometric UV-Vis data analysis of carbendazim in aqueous solution. This method decomposes the composite signal in a data matrix into the product of concentration profiles and spectra of each pure species contributing to mixture signal. Soft modeling MCR-ALS is a much more analytical way to model experimental data using only very weak and soft assumptions.Pesticide residue of carbendazim in cucumber with different concentrations was measured. To show the ability of MCR-ALS, same samples were analyzed by HPLC. Results showed the ability of proposed method as compared with HPLC.

One of the most important pests of palms is the red palm weevil, RPW, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier). It can cause the death of the trees. In the laboratory, we reared RPW, on semi-artificial diet for several generations. The adult fed, oviposition period and first larval fed occurred on freshly sugarcane stems. The second larval stage transferred on semi-artificial diet through to pupation. Weight of food consumption, duration and weight of each developmental stage were determined. Duration of the life cycle for males and females were 60.00±5.37 and 86.41±16.5 days, respectively. The average egg production per female was 87.33±16.50, and the greatest number of eggs was laid during the 12-21 days old, and then declined. The percentage of hatching eggs was 76.71±10.18. In our study, the weight of laboratory adults were less than the adult's weight collected from field.

The objective of this study was the study of tomato varieties tolerance to Orobanch aegyptica. Seeds of 26 tomato varieties: cal-g, super-b, rio-s, super-y, super-h, shef, CH, earur-vf, supst-b, CH-falat, y-falat, SDR13128, falat111, hyb1509, primoear, calgn3, erur-111, FDT202, FDT101, primo, petoerCH, kingst, viva-100, primax, petorak, primato, together broomrape seeds were sown in pots in a controlled-environment greenhouse. The characteristics of tomato cultivars were evaluated after broomrape emergence and before fruit ripenning. The following characteristics were evaluated in tomato weekly: stem dry weight, root dry weight, leaf number, stem height, and stem diameter. The following characteristics were evaluated in broomrape: stem dry weight, root dry weight, stem number. In general, it was found that the most tolerant cultivar was Petorak with 6.94 % root weight, 28.61% stem weight, and the most sensitive cultivar was Primoearly with 79.64% root weight and 99.37% stem weight reduction. It is notable that broomrape showed minimum shoot number and shoot dry weight as grown together Petorak cultivar.

The flea beetle (Psylliodes persicus) (Col.: Chrysomelidae) is one of the most important pests in oil seed rape fields in Khuzestan province. The adult beetles attacks young leaves and seedlings of the crop. At present, chemical control is performed against the pest, but alternative methods such as planting date, planting systems and resistance cultivars have been concerned. An experiment was carried out in split plot design with 3 main plot (Planting dates of 6 and 21 Nov. and 6 Dec.) And 4 sub plot (oil seed rape varieties: Hyola 401, Hyola 308, PF and Option) in 4 replications in Behbahan Agricultural Research Station in 2003-2005.The population fluctuation, pest density, percentage of infection and damage intensity were evaluated. Population fluctuation of the adult beetles was also investigated in oil seed rape fields of Behbahan in 2003-2004.The comparison of average effects of three factors (year, varity and planting date) showed that Hyola 308 had maximum of seed yield (2053 Kg/Ha) in planting date 6 Nov.with minimum of the pest population, damage percentage and intensity in 2002.The minimum of seed yield (1042 Kg/Ha) with maximum of beetles population, damage percentage and intensity, was belong to PF variety. Also the results showed that delay in planting date caused reduce yield, increase flea beetles numbers, damage percentage and intensity.

Powdery mildew caused by Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici is one of the most important diseases of wheat, especially in Northern provinces of Iran. Use of resistant cultivars is the most effective way for controlling the disease. In this study, 58 elite lines (ERWYT) related to Moderate, Cold and North zones and 200 advanced lines (ARWYT) (2003-2004) were evaluated for two years in Gorgan, Sari, Moghan and Varamin areas. Materials were sown in autumn 2004 and 2005. The reaction of plants was recorded twice in booting stage and two weeks after the first record. Results of two years showed that, among 58 elite lines, in Gorgan 8 lines, in Moghan 25 lines, in Varamin 30 lines and in Mazandaran 16 lines were resistant.Among 200 advanced lines, in Gorgan 31, in Moghan 55, in Varamin 109 lines and in Mazandaran 65 lines were resistant. Based on the field results, totally 39 lines were selected and tested again with five pathotypes of the fungus under controlled conditions at the seedling stage these pathotypes had been characterized already. The results showed that most of the lines were susceptible to the disease at the seedling stage. However, line ARWYT-N83-8 having SITE/ORL9127 in pedigree was resistant to four pathotypes (except isolate #2 of Gorgan). In addition, line ARWYT-C83- 49, carrying APPOLO / HIL 81A, in its pedigree was resistant against isolate #4 of Moghan and #5 of Varamin but susceptible to other isolates. Line ARWYT-C83-69 having APPOLO/90ZHONG87 in its pedigree was resistant to isolate #1 of Moghanand and #3 of Varamin but susceptible to other isolates. This study showed that lines having APPOLO in their pedigree were resistant to most of the pathogen pathotypes in Iran. These lines have potential to be used as commercial varieties in the region but needs further tests for other agronomical traits.

Beauveria bassiana is one of the biocontrol agents of saw-toothed beetle Oryzaephilus surinamensis. For selection the best Iranian isolates of this fungus the effect of temperature and germination and radial growth and virulence of three isolates of this fungus were studied on larvae and adult stages. Results showed that there were significant differences in germination and radial growth at different temperatures. Minimum temperature for germination and radial growth was 5oC and maximum of those was 35oC. Optimum temperature for IRAN 441C and IRAN 403C activities was 25oC and for IRAN 440C was 20oC. Bioassay showed that the lowest LC50 belong to IRAN 441C for adult and larvae were 2.51e4 and 2.31e3 respectively. The highest LC50 belong to IRAN 440C for adult and larvae were 3.34e5 and 9.02e3 respectively. Results showed that isolate IRAN 441C had the best germination and radial growth at wide range of temperatures. It had also the higher mortality effect on adult and larvae stages; therefore it was suitable for application in date store in tropical and subtropical conditions.