Field and Greenhouse Studies with Acalymma and Diabrotica: Protection of Cucurbits with a Kaolin-Based Particle Film: Feeding Damage to Cucumbers with and Without Cucurbitacin

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Field and Greenhouse Studies with Acalymma and Diabrotica: Protection of Cucurbits with a Kaolin-Based Particle Film: Feeding Damage to Cucumbers with and Without Cucurbitacin AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF Joel A. Reich for the degree of Master of Science in Horticulture presented on March 2, 2006. Title: Field and Greenhouse Studies with Acalymma and Diabrotica: Protection of Cucurbits with a Kaolin-based Particle Film; Feeding Damage to Cucumbers with and without Cucurbitacin. Abstract approved: Glenn C. Fisher Research was conducted in the field and greenhouse to determine if a kaolinite-based particle film, Surround®, would reduce colonization and early season feeding damage in cucurbits by the Western Striped Cucumber Beetle, Acalymma trivitattum (Mannerheim). Greenhouse studies were designed to determine effect of particle film on cucumber dry weight production and (2) relationship between cucurbitacin content and adult feeding damage to two cucumber varieties, Experiments were conducted in 2004 – 05 on commercial farms in western Oregon during 2004 and 2005. Greenhouse enclosure trials were also conducted in 2004 and 2005. Different rates of solution and manners of application were evaluated. Young plantings of cucurbit crops which received label-rate applications of the kaolinite-based particle film (KBPF) had fewer A. trivitattum adults and less feeding damage than untreated plants. Weight of marketable fruit harvested from plants dipped in the particle film solution prior to transplanting or sprayed with the particle film immediately after transplanting were significantly greater than weight of marketable fruit harvested from untreated plants. In the greenhouse, a 1x rate applied to the top sides of leaves significantly increased dry weight over the UTC. Plant damage to cucumber seedlings from both Acalymma and Diabrotica adults was significantly reduced by the kaolin based particle film. However, in the absence of insect pests, the kaolin-based particle film significantly reduced plant dry weights of plants compared to the UTC when applied to both underside and topside of leaves at 1x rate as well as when applied at the 2x rate to the topside of leaves. KBPF treated cucurbit seedlings attract fewer WSCB, sustain less feeding damage as seedlings and yield better than untreated plants. ©Copyright by Joel A. Reich March 2, 2006 All Rights Reserved Field and Greenhouse Studies with Acalymma and Diabrotica: Protection of Cucurbits with a Kaolin- based Particle Film; Feeding Damage to Cucumbers with and without Cucurbitacin by Joel A. Reich A THESIS submitted to Oregon State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science Presented March 2, 2006 Commencement June 2006 Master of Science thesis of Joel A. Reich presented on March 2, 2006. APPROVED: Major Professor, representing Horticulture Head of the Department of Horticulture Dean of the Graduate School I understand that my thesis will become part of the permanent collection of Oregon State University libraries. My signature below authorizes release of my thesis to any reader upon request Joel A. Reich, Author ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to thank first of all my major advisor, Dr. Glenn Fisher, for his assistance and guidance throughout the thesis writing process. He not only helped with the academic side of this undertaking but with the frustration-management side as well. I especially want to thank him for accepting me as his student under rather unusual circumstances. I also wish to thank the other members of my committee, Dr. Anita Azarenko and Dr. Paul Jepson, who took time to offer me guidance even though they are incredibly busy with their other responsibilities. Deep gratitude is what I feel for Jack Giovannini of the Statistics Department, a fellow graduate student who offered indispensable and significant aid in the preparation and execution of my statistical analyses. Without his help I would still be swimming in a morass of data and spreadsheets. To my family I wish to express my deepest gratitude. Without their encouragement and support, from day one through the present, I could not have made it this far. Especially during the sometimes rocky experience of my masters education, their counsel was invaluable. I wish to express thanks to the growers who allowed me to conduct trials on their farms and often assisted me at critical moments: John Eveland at Gathering Together farm, Steve Haley at McDowell Creek Family Farm, Jeff and Eleanor at Persephone Farm and Andy Bennett and Scott Polschneider at Stahlbush Island Farms. I also owe thanks to all the O.S.U. staff members who assisted me, from the Horticulture Dept. staff to the greenhouse staff to the Veg. Farm crew and everyone in between. Finally I wish to thank all of my friends and acquaintances in the Corvallis area who have shared their lives with me. You all have made my time in Corvallis so much more than just a degree program, it has been a great time in my life. Thank you. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Introduction………………………………… 1 Literature Review…………………………... 4 Materials and Methods……………………… 13 Results……………………………………… 30 Discussion………………………………….. 54 References Cited…………………………… 58 LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Average number of A. trivittatum per plant by treatment and date at SIFI-34 trial.……….................... 36 2. Average leaf damage to delicate squash seedlings by A. trivittatum by treatment by date at GTF 2004.……… 37 3. Average leaf damage to pumpkin seedlings by A. trivittatum by treatment by date during McDowell 2004 trial (log transformed).……………………………………… 40 4. Average leaf damage to pumpkin seedlings by A. trivittatum by treatment by date at SIFI-Riverside trial.…………… 42 5. Average leaf damage to pumpkin seedlings by A. trivittatum by treatment by date at SIFI-Riverside trial.…………….. 44 6. Average number of A. trivittatum per plant, by treatment and date, at GTF 2005 (log transformed).……………………. 46 7. Damage ratings (0-4) measured on treated and untreated cucumber seedlings after 48 hour exposure to D. uu during 2004 KBPF Enclosure Choice Tests.…………….. 48 8. Damage ratings (0-4) measured on treated and untreated cucumber seedlings after 48 hour exposure to A. trivittatum during 2004 KBPF Enclosure Choice Tests.…………………………………………………… 49 9. Damage ratings (0-4) measured on treated and untreated cucumber seedlings after 48 hour exposure to A. trivittatum during 2005 KBPF Enclosure Choice Tests. (8/12)………………............................................. 50 10. Damage ratings (0-4) measured on treated and untreated cucumber seedlings after 48 hour exposure to A. trivittatum during 2005 KBPF Enclosure Choice Tests. (8/14)…………………………………………….. 50 11. 2005 KBPF Enclosure Choice Test Using A. trivittatum (8/16)…………………………….. 51 LIST OF FIGURES (cont.) Figure Page 12. 2004 growth rate comparison of C. sativa grown with different KBPF application rates and application methods.………………………………………………… 52 LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. SIFI 34, 2004. Pumpkin Golden delicious. Means ± SE of numbers of A. trivittatum per plant by treatment and date for 1 and 2 Applications of KBPF. Numbers include beetles found in soil immediately adjacent to stems.…………………………………………………... 36 2. A. trivittatum damage to delicata squash seedlings at Gathering Together Farm, 2004. Damage means ± SE are based on 0-4 visual damage rating scale.………………. 38 3. Mean number of plants killed by A. trivittatum feeding on delicata squash plants at Gathering Together Farm, 2004… 39 4. Effect of KBPF on mean yield of marketable delicata squash at GTF 2004 trial. …………………………………. 40 5. A. trivittatum damage on pumpkin seedlings at McDowell Creek Farm, 2004. Damage means ± SE are based on 0-4 visual damage rating scale.……………………………... 41 6. Persephone Farm 2004. A. trivittatum damage on pumpkin seedlings, June 29, 2004. Damage means ± SE are based on 0-4 visual damage rating scale.…………………………. 41 7. Mean ± SE of number of dead plants per plot caused by A. trivittatum feeding at Persephone Farm as of 6/29/05. Plots contained 18 plants each at the beginning of the experiment.………………………………………………… 42 8. A. trivittatum damage to ‘golden delicious’ pumpkin plants at SIFI-Riverside trial, 2005. Damage means ± SE are based on 0-4 visual damage rating scale.…………………… 43 9. Mean number of plants killed by A. trivittatum feeding on ‘golden delicious’ pumpkin plants at SIFI-Riverside trial, 2005. Plots contained 50 plants on average.………………. 43 10. A. trivittatum damage on delicate squash seedlings at Gathering Together Farm, 2005. Damage means ± SE are based on 0-4 visual damage rating scale.…………………………….. 45 LIST OF TABLES (cont.) Table Page 11. Means ± SE of number of beetles (A. trivittatum) per plant by treatment and date at GTF-Delicata trial, 2005. Values include beetles found in soil immediately adjacent to stems.…………………………………………… 47 12. D. undecimpunctata damage on cucumber seedlings in greenhouse choice test, 2004. Damage means ± SE are based on 0-4 visual damage rating scale. Means are calculated using data from four replications, conducted on 7/7, 7/13, 7/18 and 7/24.……………………. 48 13. A. trivittatum damage on cucumber seedlings in greenhouse choice test, 2004. Damage means ± SE are based on 0-4 visual damage rating scale. Means are calculated using data from four replications, conducted on 7/7, 7/13, 7/18 and 7/24.…………………………………………………… 49 14. A. trivittatum damage on cucumber seedlings in greenhouse choice test, 2005. Damage means ± SE are based on 0-4 visual damage rating scale.………………………………… 51 15. D. undecimpunctata damage on cucumber seedlings in variety (‘Marketmore 76/80’) choice test, 2004. Damage means ± SE are based on 0-4 visual damage rating scale.… 52 16. Dry weight averages ± SE of cucumber plants grown with different rates and application types of KBPF………... 53 Field and Greenhouse Studies with Acalymma and Diabrotica: Protection of Cucurbits with a Kaolin-based Particle Film; Feeding Damage to Cucumbers with and without Cucurbitacin Introduction Cucumber beetles The Western Striped Cucumber Beetle (Acalymma trivittatum (Mannerheim)) (A. trivittatum) and the Striped Cucumber Beetle (Acalymma vittatum (Fabricius)) (SCB) are common pests of Cucurbit crops throughout large areas of North America, especially cucumbers, pumpkins and winter and summer squash (Ferguson and Metcalf, 1985, Chambliss and Jones, 1966).
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