Effect of kaolin clay on migrant alate aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in blueberry fields in the context of Blueberry scorch virus

Authors

  • D. A. Raworth Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre P.O. Box 1000 Agassiz, BC VOM 1A0 phone: (604) 796-1709 fax: (604) 796-0359
  • S. Mathur Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre P.O. Box 1000 Agassiz, BC VOM 1A0
  • M. G. Bernardy Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre P.O. Box 1000 Agassiz, BC VOM 1A0
  • C. J. French Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre P.O. Box 1000 Agassiz, BC VOM 1A0
  • M. Chatterton 11 Takhini Avenue Whitehorse, YK Y1A 3N3 phone: (867) 668-4146
  • C.-K. Chan 27 West 22nd Avenue Vancouver, BC V5Y 2E9 phone: (604) 879-3285
  • R. G. Foottit Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Central Experimental Farm KW Neatby Bldg. 960 Carling Avenue Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0C6
  • E. Maw Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Central Experimental Farm KW Neatby Bldg. 960 Carling Avenue Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0C6

Keywords:

Ericaphis fimbriata, aphid behaviour, virus transmission

Abstract

The efficacy of kaolin clay (Surround® WP) in reducing the number of migrant aphids on blueberry, Vaccinium corymbosum L. (Ericaceae) and the incidence of Blueberry scorch virus (BlScV) was determined. Two applications of kaolin clay reduced the number of alatae collected on treated ‘Berkeley’ plants by as much as a factor of eight between 4 June and 16 August. However, five of 100 test plants located near infected fields and exposed only to migrant alatae between 10 May and 16 August became infected with BlScV: three controls and two treated with kaolin clay. The work demonstrates the importance of migrant alatae in the spread of BlScV; 5% transmission is consistent with previous estimates of annual virus spread by winged and non-winged aphids. Three of the plants became infected between 10 and 27 May (one control and two treated with kaolin clay), indicating the importance of aphid flights in May for virus transmission. Rainfall removed much of the kaolin clay and this may have affected its efficacy. The aphid data demonstrated that migrant alatae are able to discriminate between untreated and kaolin—treated blueberry plants, and that Ericaphis fimbriata (Richards), which utilizes blueberry as a host, discriminates better than other migrant species. Water trap data do not necessarily reflect the total migrant aphid composition found on plants in the field. Plant growth was not affected by the kaolin clay, but the fruit had clay residues amongst the bracts of the calyx limiting the use of this product on producing fields to the period before fruit set. Kaolin clay may be best suited to protection of nursery stock, but further work is needed to improve efficacy during wet weather and determine optimal application frequency.


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Vol. 104 (2007): Journal of the Entomological Society of British Columbia

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