Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-pjpqr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-07T00:38:35.140Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Growth inhibition and fruit distortion in okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) induced by the flea beetle Podagrica uniforma (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) herbivory

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 December 2012

O.O.R. Pitan  and
E.E. Ekoja
O.O.R. Pitan*
Affiliation:
Department of Crop Protection, University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria
E.E. Ekoja
Affiliation:
Department of Crop and Environmental Protection, University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Nigeria
*
*E-mail: femipitan@yahoo.com
Get access

Abstract

Inhibition of okra growth in response to flea beetle injury was studied in both the screen house and field. In the screen house or field, 0, 5, 10, 20, 30 and 40 pairs of Podagrica uniforma (Jacoby), representing six treatments, were introduced into different cages containing five 3-week-old okra plants, replicated three times. Data were collected on the number of flowers and branches, plant height, stem girth and functional leaf area in both experiments. With increasing densities of P. uniforma, days to 50% flowering and fruit initiation were prolonged by 1–13 days and 2–15 days, respectively. The beetle did not exhibit florivory but caused distortion of okra fruits, i.e. bending of fruit tips at the point of flea beetle-induced damage. From the 20-pair level (eight beetles per plant), there were significant reductions in plant height (up to 50%) and stem girth (up to 43%) in both the screen house and field. The number of distorted fruits showing bent tips was significantly higher relative to the control from the 5-pair level, and was more than 90% at the 40-pair level. Regression analysis indicated that plant height was a linear function of flea beetle population. Third-degree polynomial models best described the relationship between insect density and the number of bent fruits. χ2 analysis showed that these models derived from the screen house data were not significantly different from the field data models.

Keywords

okragrowth performanceheightfruit distortionbent fruit tipPodagrica uniforma
Type
Research Article
Information
International Journal of Tropical Insect Science , Volume 32 , Issue 4 , December 2012 , pp. 210 - 217
Copyright
Copyright © ICIPE 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Agunloye, O. (1986) Effects of cypermethrine on the population of Podagrica uniforma (Jacoby) and Podagrica sjostedti (Jacoby) and the yield of okra. Tropical Pest Management 32, 55–57.Google Scholar
Ahmed, B. I., Yusuf, S. R., Garba, A. A. and Mustapha, S. (2004) Effect of cropping arrangement and rainfall on the performance of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench) in Bauchi State, Nigeria. Emirates Journal of Agricultural Sciences 18, 1–10.Google Scholar
Ariyo, O. J. (1990) Measurement and classification of genetic diversity in okra (Abelmoschus esculentus). Annals of Applied Biology 116, 335–341.Google Scholar
Bentley K. and Clack C. (2005) Morphological plasticity: environmentally driven morphogenesis, pp. 118–127. In Advances in Artificial Life, Proceedings of the 8th European Conference, ‘ECAL 2005’, Canterbury, UK, 5–9 September 2005. Lecture Notes in Computer Science 3630 (edited by M. Capcarrère, A. A. Freitas, P. J. Bentley C. G. Johnson and J. Timmis). Springer (ISBN 3-540-28848-1).Google Scholar
Bhatt, M. and Chanda, S. V. (2003) Prediction of leaf area in Phaseolus vulgaris by non-destructive method. Bulgarian Journal of Plant Physiology 29, 96–100.Google Scholar
Boote K. J., Jones J. W. and Hoogenboom G. (1988) Research and management application of the ‘PNUTGRO’ crop growth model. Proceedings of the American Peanut Research Educational Society 20, 57 pp.Google Scholar
Dunn, G. and Martin, S. (2007) A functional association in Vitis vinifera L. cv. Cabernet Sauvignon between the extent of primary branching and the number of flowers formed per inflorescence. Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research 13, 95–100.Google Scholar
Enoch, H. Z. and Hurd, R. G. (1979) The effect of elevated CO2 concatenation in the atmosphere on plant transpiration and water use efficiency: a study with potted carnation plants. International Journal of Biometeorology 23, 343–351.Google Scholar
FAOSTAT (2009) Food and Agriculture Organisation Statistics Division. www.faostat.org (accessed 14 April 2009).Google Scholar
Gulsen, O., Karagul, S. and Abak, K. (2007) Diversity and relationships among Turkish okra germplasm by SRAP and phenotypic marker polymorphism. Biologia Bratislava 62, 41–45.Google Scholar
Hamon, S. and Koechlin, J. (1991) The reproductive biology of okra. 1. Study of the breeding system in four Abelmoschus spp. Euphytica 53, 41–48.Google Scholar
Hamon, S. and Van Sloten, D. H. (1989) Characterization and evaluation of okra, pp. 173–196. In The Use of Crop Genetic Resources (edited by ). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.Google Scholar
Hassan, F. U., Qadir, G. and Cheema, M. A. (2005) Growth and development of sunflower in response to seasonal variations. Pakistan Journal of Botany 37, 859–864.Google Scholar
Herbert, D. A. (2002) Biotic stress and yield loss. Crop Science 42, 656–657.Google Scholar
Higley, L. G., Browde, J. A. and Higley, P. M. (1993) Moving towards new understandings of biotic stress and stress interactions, pp. 749–754. In International Crop Science I (edited by ). Crop Science Society of America, Inc., Madison, WI(ISBN 0-89118-538-0).Google Scholar
Hill D. S. and Walter J. M. (1988). Pests and Diseases of Tropical Crops: Field Handbook (Volume 2 of Intermediate Tropical Agriculture Series). Longman Group. 440 pp (ISBN 0470209399).Google Scholar
Karban, R. and Baldwin, I. T. (1997) Induced Responses to Herbivory. Chicago University Press, Chicago, USA. 98 pp.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Leith, J. H., Reynolds, J. P. and Rogers, H. H. (1986) Estimation of leaf area of soybeans grown under elevated carbon dioxide levels. Field Crops Research 13, 193–203.Google Scholar
Naeve L., Taber H., Haynes C., Romer J., Nelson D. and Lenahan J. (2007) Harvesting and Preparing Vegetables for Exhibit, 8 pp. Iowa State University, University Extension and Outreach, USA (Hort and LA 2–9).Google Scholar
Oke, O. A. and Odebiyi, J. A. (2008) Rearing procedure for the pre-imaginal stages of the flea beetle (Podagrica sjostedti) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), and its developmental biology on okra (Abelmoschus esculentus). International Journal of Tropical Insect Science 28, 151–157.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pessarakli M. (ed) (2002) Handbook of Plant and Crop Physiology, 2nd edn. Marcel Dekker, New York, USA. 973 pp (revised and expanded).Google Scholar
Pitan O. O. R. and Adewole M. M. (2011) The relationship between plant chemicals in leaves of Malvaceae crops and host preference by Podagrica sjostedti Jacoby (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). ASSET: An International Journal of Agricultural Sciences, Science, Environment and Technology, Series A: Agricultural Sciences and Environment 11 (in press).Google Scholar
Pitan, O. O. R., Alasiri, K. O., Kintomo, A. A., Babalola, S. O. and Olatunde, G. O. (2007) Variations in yield and susceptibility to insect attack in three varieties of roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa var. sabdariffa L.) at different planting densities and fertiliser rates in a sub-humid environment. Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology 82, 49–54.Google Scholar
SAS (2000) Statistical Analysis System SAS/STAT User's Guide Version 8, Vol. 2. SAS Institute Inc, Cary, NC.Google Scholar
Schoonhoven L. M., van Loon J. J. A. and Dicke M. (2005) Insect–Plant Biology. Oxford University Press, Oxford. 421 pp. (ISBN 0198525958).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Siemonsma J. C. and Kouame C. (2004) Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench, pp. 21–29. In Plant Resources of Tropical Africa 2: Vegetables (edited by G. J. H. Grubben and O. A. Denton). Plant Resources of Tropical Africa (PROTA) Foundation, UK.Google Scholar
Strauss, S. Y., Conner, J. K. and Rush, S. L. (1996) Foliar herbivory affects floral characters and plant attractiveness to pollinators: implications for male and female plant fitness. The American Naturalist 147, 1098–1107.Google Scholar
Torti C. (2009) How to export okra to Europe. http://www.businessdayonline.com/index.php?option = com_content&view = article&id = 814:how-to-export-okra-to-europe&catid = 81:entrepreneur&Itemid = 323. (accessed 27 August 2009).Google Scholar
Vanlommel, S., Duchateau, L. and Coosemans, J. (1996) The effect of okra mosaic virus and beetle damage on yield of four okra cultivars. African Crop Science Journal 4, 71–77.Google Scholar
Varela, A. M. and Seif, A. (2004) A Guide to IPM and Hygiene Standards in Okra Production in Kenya. icipe Science Press, Nairobi (ISBN 92 9064 161 5).Google Scholar