Neotrop Entomol (2013) 42:539–543 DOI 10.1007/s13744-013-0158-9 PEST MANAGEMENT Population Growth and Damage Caused by Rhopalosiphum padi (L.) (Hemiptera, Aphididae) on Different Cultivars and Phenological Stages of Wheat 1 1 2 1 1 1 MSAVARIS ,SLAMPERT ,JRSALVADORI ,DLAU ,PRVSPEREIRA ,MASMANIOTTO 1Embrapa Trigo, Lab de Entomologia, Passo Fundo, RS, Brasil 2Univ de Passo Fundo, Fac de Agronomia e Medicina Veterinária, Passo Fundo, RS, Brasil Keywords Abstract Aphids, damage, Triticum aestivum,yield Among the aphids associated with wheat and other winter cereals, Correspondence Rhopalosiphum padi (L.) is currently the predominant species in the wheat PRVS Pereira, Embrapa Trigo, Lab de growing region of southern Brazil. The damage caused by this aphid occurs Entomologia, Caixa Postal 451, CEP by direct feeding and/or by the transmission of pathogenic viruses, such as 99001-970, Passo Fundo, RS, Brasil;
[email protected] the Barley/Cereal yellow dwarf virus. In order to estimate the direct damage caused by R. padi on wheat, we evaluated the population growth Edited by Jorge B Torres – UFRPE of this aphid during the tillering and elongation stages and its effects on Received 22 June 2012 and accepted 29 July grain yield components. The experiment was conducted in a screenhouse 2013 with three wheat cultivars (BRS Guabiju, BRS Timbaúva, and Embrapa 16). Published online: 29 August 2013 The effect of a period of 16 days, starting from an infestation of 40 aviruliferous aphids/plant, was evaluated and compared to non-infested * Sociedade Entomológica do Brasil 2013 plants. In both stages, the population growth of R.