Cereal aphid colony turnover and persistence in winter wheat.

An understanding of spatial and temporal processes in agricultural ecosystems provides a basis for rational decision-making with regards to the management and husbandry of crops, supporting the implementation of integrated farming strategies. In this study we investigated the spatial and temporal di...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Linton Winder, Colin J Alexander, Chris Woolley, Joe N Perry, John M Holland
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2014-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4182095?pdf=render
_version_ 1818384111131164672
author Linton Winder
Colin J Alexander
Chris Woolley
Joe N Perry
John M Holland
author_facet Linton Winder
Colin J Alexander
Chris Woolley
Joe N Perry
John M Holland
author_sort Linton Winder
collection DOAJ
description An understanding of spatial and temporal processes in agricultural ecosystems provides a basis for rational decision-making with regards to the management and husbandry of crops, supporting the implementation of integrated farming strategies. In this study we investigated the spatial and temporal distribution of aphid pests (Sitobion avenae and Metopolophium dirhodum) within winter wheat fields. Using an intensive sampling programme we investigated distributions at both the small (single shoot) and large (field) scales. Within two fields, a grid with 82 locations was established (area 120 m by 168 m). At each location, 25 shoots were individually marked and aphid counts by observation conducted on 21 and 22 occasions as the crop matured, resulting in 43,050 and 45,100 counts being conducted in the two fields respectively. We quantified field scale spatial distributions, demonstrating that spatial pattern generally emerged, with temporal stability being both species- and field- dependent. We then measured turnover of colonies at the small (individual shoot) and large (field) scales by comparing consecutive pairs of sampling occasions. Four turnover categories were defined: Empty (no aphids recorded on either occasion); Colonised (aphids recorded on the second occasion but not the first); Extinction (aphids recorded on the first occasion but not the second); Stable (aphids recorded on both occasions). At the field scale, population stability soon established, but, at the small scale there was a consistently high proportion of unoccupied shoots with considerable colonisation and extinction and low stability. The redistribution of aphids within the crop at the local scale is a vulnerability which could be used to disrupt population development--by mediating exposure to ground-active natural enemies and by incurring a metabolic cost caused by the physiological demands to re-establish on a nearby host plant.
first_indexed 2024-12-14T03:17:04Z
format Article
id doaj.art-128c1217bdfd4b82856485ae4623b329
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1932-6203
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-14T03:17:04Z
publishDate 2014-01-01
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
record_format Article
series PLoS ONE
spelling doaj.art-128c1217bdfd4b82856485ae4623b3292022-12-21T23:19:06ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032014-01-0199e10682210.1371/journal.pone.0106822Cereal aphid colony turnover and persistence in winter wheat.Linton WinderColin J AlexanderChris WoolleyJoe N PerryJohn M HollandAn understanding of spatial and temporal processes in agricultural ecosystems provides a basis for rational decision-making with regards to the management and husbandry of crops, supporting the implementation of integrated farming strategies. In this study we investigated the spatial and temporal distribution of aphid pests (Sitobion avenae and Metopolophium dirhodum) within winter wheat fields. Using an intensive sampling programme we investigated distributions at both the small (single shoot) and large (field) scales. Within two fields, a grid with 82 locations was established (area 120 m by 168 m). At each location, 25 shoots were individually marked and aphid counts by observation conducted on 21 and 22 occasions as the crop matured, resulting in 43,050 and 45,100 counts being conducted in the two fields respectively. We quantified field scale spatial distributions, demonstrating that spatial pattern generally emerged, with temporal stability being both species- and field- dependent. We then measured turnover of colonies at the small (individual shoot) and large (field) scales by comparing consecutive pairs of sampling occasions. Four turnover categories were defined: Empty (no aphids recorded on either occasion); Colonised (aphids recorded on the second occasion but not the first); Extinction (aphids recorded on the first occasion but not the second); Stable (aphids recorded on both occasions). At the field scale, population stability soon established, but, at the small scale there was a consistently high proportion of unoccupied shoots with considerable colonisation and extinction and low stability. The redistribution of aphids within the crop at the local scale is a vulnerability which could be used to disrupt population development--by mediating exposure to ground-active natural enemies and by incurring a metabolic cost caused by the physiological demands to re-establish on a nearby host plant.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4182095?pdf=render
spellingShingle Linton Winder
Colin J Alexander
Chris Woolley
Joe N Perry
John M Holland
Cereal aphid colony turnover and persistence in winter wheat.
PLoS ONE
title Cereal aphid colony turnover and persistence in winter wheat.
title_full Cereal aphid colony turnover and persistence in winter wheat.
title_fullStr Cereal aphid colony turnover and persistence in winter wheat.
title_full_unstemmed Cereal aphid colony turnover and persistence in winter wheat.
title_short Cereal aphid colony turnover and persistence in winter wheat.
title_sort cereal aphid colony turnover and persistence in winter wheat
url http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4182095?pdf=render
work_keys_str_mv AT lintonwinder cerealaphidcolonyturnoverandpersistenceinwinterwheat
AT colinjalexander cerealaphidcolonyturnoverandpersistenceinwinterwheat
AT chriswoolley cerealaphidcolonyturnoverandpersistenceinwinterwheat
AT joenperry cerealaphidcolonyturnoverandpersistenceinwinterwheat
AT johnmholland cerealaphidcolonyturnoverandpersistenceinwinterwheat