ISSN:
1365-3059
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
Notes:
An ‘ecological’ method of wheat bulb fly (Leptohylemyia coarctata (Fall.)) control was investigated in 1966/1967. This involved the exclusion of winter wheat and winter rye in 1966 from about 2,000 acres (800 ha) of organic soil in an area usually subject to heavy attacks. In the centre of this experimental area, the mean egg count was reduced from 763,000 per acre (1,885,000/ha) in 1966 to 198,000 per acre (489,000/ha) in 1967 and in the intermediate area from 1,058,000 to 677,000 eggs per acre (2,614,000 to 1,673,000/ha). There was no egg reduction in the fields adjacent to the experimental area. This and the observations on adults suggest that most flies do not travel much over 1/4-1/2 mile (0⋅4–0⋅8 km) from their emergence sites.The examination of wild host grasses in and surrounding a number of fields indicated that they are inefficient hosts and therefore unimportant in the build-up and maintenance of wheat bulb fly populations.Although this method of wheat bulb fly control is feasible, the substitution of spring sown cereals for winter wheat has several disadvantages which are briefly discussed.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3059.1968.tb00436.x
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