Green Manure Crops as Food Source: Impact on the Performance of the Migratory Beet Webworm, <i>Loxostege sticticalis</i> (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

The application of green manure is crucial for achieving sustainable agriculture and animal husbandry, but pest management is often overlooked. Conducting a risk assessment for insect pests in green manure is essential. The beet webworm, <i>Loxostege sticticalis</i>, a polyphagous insect...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Lin Ma, Yaolu Tang, Lei Zhang, Xingfu Jiang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-08-01
Series:Insects
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/14/8/693
Description
Summary:The application of green manure is crucial for achieving sustainable agriculture and animal husbandry, but pest management is often overlooked. Conducting a risk assessment for insect pests in green manure is essential. The beet webworm, <i>Loxostege sticticalis</i>, a polyphagous insect, is currently experiencing an outbreak in northern China, and represents a significant migratory pest. A two-sex life table and flight mill test approach was used to comprehensively evaluate the effects of three major legume green manure crops (<i>Pisum sativam</i>, <i>Vicia sativa</i>, and <i>Vicia villosa</i>) on the growth, development, fecundity, and flight ability of <i>L. sticticalis</i> in China. Our findings indicate that <i>L. sticticalis</i> cannot utilize <i>V. villosa</i> for generational development. <i>L. sticticalis</i> shows reduced performance on <i>P. sativam</i> and <i>V. sativa</i> compared to its suitable host <i>Chenopodium album</i>. However, both the population parameters (<i>R<sub>0</sub></i>, <i>r</i>, <i>λ</i>, and <i>T</i>) and the population prediction results suggest that <i>L. sticticalis</i> can adapt to <i>P. sativam</i> and <i>V. sativa</i>. In the process of promoting green manure, careful consideration should be given to the selection of appropriate green manure varieties and the implementation of effective pest control measures during their planting. Our findings lay the groundwork for the promotion of green manure and implementation of an ecological management plan for <i>L. sticticalis</i>.
ISSN:2075-4450