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The Origins of Infestations of Diamondback Moth, Plutella Xylostella (L.), in Canola in Western Canada L.M. Dosdall1, P.G. Mason

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The Origins of Infestations of Diamondback Moth, Plutella Xylostella (L.), in Canola in Western Canada L.M. Dosdall1, P.G. Mason The management of diamondback moth and other crucifer pests The origins of infestations of diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.), in canola in western Canada L.M. Dosdall1, P.G. Mason2, O. Olfert3, L. Kaminski3, and B.A. Keddie4 1Dept. of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2P5 2Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 960 Carling Ave., Ottawa, ON, Canada K1A 0C6 3Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 107 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK, Canada S7N 0X2 4Dept. of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2E9 Corresponding author: [email protected] Abstract Recent evidence that a population of Plutella xylostella (L.) overwintered successfully in western Canada prompted studies to evaluate overwintering survival of diamondback moth under field conditions in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Successful overwintering was not demonstrated at either site for any life stage under a variety of tillage and organic matter treatments, using either laboratory-reared or field-acclimated specimens of diamondback moth. Diamondback moth infestations in western Canada evidently originate primarily from southern U.S.A. or Mexico when strong winds carry adults northward in spring. To provide early warning predictions of infestations, air parcel trajectories into western Canada were investigated for monitoring long-range movement of P. xylostella early in the season. Using wind fields generated by the Canadian Meteorological Centre’s Global Environmental Multiscale model, three-dimensional air parcel trajectories were calculated using time-forward (prognostic) and time-backward (diagnostic) modes for several sites in North America. The model predicted strong northerly airflow in May 2001 which coincided with the occurrence of massive infestations of diamondback moth in canola in western Canada. The model can therefore serve as an important new tool for monitoring the dispersal of this pest to western Canadian canola crops. Keywords overwintering, air flow trajectories Introduction Populations of diamondback moth routinely infest canola (Brassica napus L. and Brassica rapa L.) in western Canada. In most years, P. xylostella causes minor economic damage, but in some years populations reach outbreak densities and substantial crop losses occur. For example, in 1995 more than 1.25 million ha were sprayed with insecticide to control diamondback moth populations at an estimated cost to producers of $45 to 52 million (Can.) (WCCP 1995). An outbreak on an even greater geographic scale occurred in 2001, with approximately 1.8 million ha treated with insecticide in western Canada (WCCP 2001). The capability of diamondback moth to overwinter in Canada has been the subject of some controversy. Harcourt (1957) found that in eastern Ontario, P. xylostella survived in the field only until mid-December. Butts (1979) observed complete mortality of diamondback moth in field cages in Ontario, but predicted that the species should be able to overwinter there successfully. Putnam (1978) assumed that diamondback moth did not overwinter in Saskatchewan, but found that one of its parasitoids, Microplitis plutellae Muesebeck (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) survived under snow cover in the field. Although western Canadian populations were believed to originate from annual migrations from the south (Putnam and Burgess 1977; Philip and Mengersen 1989), Dosdall (1994) reported evidence for overwintering of P. xylostella in central Alberta during 1991–1992. Overwintering by diamondback moth in western Canada has important implications for its pest status in canola; consequently several studies were undertaken to investigate overwintering success under field conditions in Alberta and Saskatchewan. In addition, wind trajectories to western Canada from southern U.S.A. were analysed to determine the coincidence of favourable wind patterns with the appearance of P. xylostella in canola crops. Materials and methods To investigate conditions that favoured overwintering of diamondback moth in western Canada, replicated field trials were conducted from October to July in 1993–1994 and 1994–1995 at Vegreville, AB (112°02’N; 53°05’W). The experiments were randomised complete block designs with five replications conducted on Proceedings of the 4th International Workshop, Nov. 2001, Melbourne, Australia 95 The management of diamondback moth and other crucifer pests plots seeded in the preceding season to B. napus. The study comprised four treatments: 1) untilled canola stubble; 2) untilled canola stubble covered with 1.7 kg per m2 of dried, threshed canola plant matter; 3) tilled canola stubble and 4) tilled canola stubble covered with 1.7 kg per m2 of dried, threshed canola matter. In mid-October 1993 and 1994, one insect cage was placed onto each experimental plot; the cages each enclosed an area of 1 m2. The cages were described in Dosdall et al. (1996) and were dug into the soil to prevent escape of insects from within the traps or their entry from the outside. Approximately 425 adults, 200 pupae, 300 larvae and 500 eggs of P. xylostella were placed into each cage. The diamondback moth specimens were F3 progeny of ca. 100 adults collected in the field in June each year (1993 and 1994) and reared on canola in greenhouse chambers. The field cages were examined three times per week for the presence of living diamondback moths from 1 May to 31 July in 1994 and 1995. The experiments were repeated in 1995–1996 and 1996–1997 at Vegreville and in 1996–1997 at Saskatoon, SK (106°38’N; 52°07’W). The same experimental design, treatments and diamondback moth numbers were used as described above except that the insects placed into the cages were acclimated, not derived from laboratory colonies. Acclimation of the diamondback moth specimens was accomplished by placing five large screened cages (3.5 m x 3.5 m at the base and 2 m high) onto tilled soil in the spring of 1995 and 1996, digging the cages into the soil and then seeding canola within each cage. Six weeks later, ca. 40 field- collected adults of P. xylostella were added to the cages and progeny from these individuals were removed and placed into the overwintering cages in mid-September of 1995 and 1996. The field cages were examined three times weekly for the presence of living diamondback moth specimens from 1 May to 31 July in 1996 and 1997. A third overwintering study was conducted from mid-October 1997 to late July 1998 at the Vegreville, AB site. The study used the same experimental design, treatments, diamondback moth numbers and acclimated specimens as described above, but sheets of styrofoam (90 x 90 cm, and 5 cm in thickness) were secured over the diamondback moth specimens within the 1 m2 field cages to simulate snow cover. The styrofoam sheets were placed in the field cages on 20 October 1997 and secured with ropes and metal stakes to the soil surface. The sheets were removed on 20 April 1998, corresponding to the approximate time of snow melt. The cages were examined three times weekly for living diamondback moth specimens from 1 May to 31 July 1998. To investigate dispersal of diamondback moth to western Canada from source populations to the south, air parcel trajectories were analysed to follow air movement from southern North America to western Canada during 1999–2001. The trajectories were constructed from wind fields at discrete intervals and solved numerically (D’Amours & Pagé 2001). The trajectories utilised wind fields of the Global Environmental Multiscale (GEM) model, which had a horizontal resolution of 24 km and 28 vertical levels over North America. The trajectories have been used successfully as a diagnostic tool for documenting long-range transport of air pollutants (Olson et al. 1978), tracking volcanic ash clouds for aircraft advisories (Servranckx et al. 1999) and for other applications. In our study, the model was run at three levels corresponding to approximately near surface (950 hPa) and 1500 (850 hPa) and 3000 (750 hPa) m above sea level and followed parcels of air on curves denoting their successive positions in time. By following forward trajectories for the air parcels through time, it was then possible to diagnose advection from possible source locations. Results No living specimens of any life stage of diamondback moth were collected in the field cages on any of the tillage or organic cover treatment types at Vegreville, AB from 1 May to 31 July 1994 and 1995. Similarly, no overwintered, living specimens were collected at Vegreville or Saskatoon, SK from May to July 1996 and 1997 in the field studies using acclimated specimens of diamondback moth. No living specimens of P. xylostella were recovered from 1 May to 31 July 1998 in field cages after removal of the styrofoam sheets used to simulate snow cover. From 1 May to 30 June 1999 and 2000, there was no evidence of sustained advection from southern North America to western Canada. However, in 2001 prolonged advection occurred for approximately 10 days in early May involving airflow from Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, and Florida into eastern Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario. A map of airflow into western Canada is presented in Figure 1 for a selected time during 2–7 May 2001; the map is reasonably representative of the direction of movement of air parcels on several occasions during this period. 96 Proceedings of the 4th International Workshop, Nov. 2001, Melbourne, Australia The management of diamondback moth and other crucifer pests [May 7] [May 6] [May 5] [May 4] [May 3] [May 2] 8000 surface 1500 m 3000 m 6000 4000 2000 0 May 2 May 3 May 4 May 5 May 6 May 7 Figure 1. Canadian Meteorological Centre time-forward trajectories starting at Brownsville, TX at 00 UTC, 2 May 2001 and ending at 00 UTC, 7 May 2001. Air parcels were tracked from initial pressure levels of 950, 850 and 750 hPa (approximately near surface, 1500 and 3000 m above ground). The approximate altitude of the air parcels is shown on the vertical cross-section (bottom) and the horizontal position is shown on the top diagram.
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