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Status of Chilo agamemnon Bles. in Israel and the probable reasons for the decrease in its populations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2011

Venezia Melamed-Madjar
Venezia Melamed-Madjar
Affiliation:
Department of Entomology, ARO, The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel
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Abstract

Since the introduction of irrigation in the early 1950s major changes in the crop regime have taken place in Israel. These changes had greatly influenced the populations of the four species of corn borers found in Israel. Chilo agamemnon, which was the main pest during the 1960s decreased and the numbers of Sesamia nonagrioides increased. The reduction in the sorghum acreage, caused a decrease in the numbers of Sesamia cretica. In 1981 an increase in the numbers of the European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis, was observed. At present S. nonagrioides and O. nubilalis are the main corn pests in Israel.

Chilo agamemnon was first recorded in Israel in 1959 near the Gaza strip. In the course of 2–3 years it became a very serious pest in the southern parts of the country. Later, the spread of the pest continued throughout the country. Since 1973 a drastic decrease in the populations of C. agamemnon was recorded. The probable reasons for the decrease in the populations of this pest in Israel are:

(1) The relative increase of the areas of sweet corn, which is not its preferable host plant.

(2) Rice and sugar-cane, which are very important host plants in Egypt, are not grown in Israel.

Field experiments against C. agamemnon, carried out when populations were high, showed that dust applications were more effective than sprays.

Résumé

Depuis l'introduction de l'irrigation au debut des années cinquante, on a obsérvé des changements majeurs dans le régime des cultures végétables qui se sont produits en Israël. Ces changements ont profondement influencé les populations des quatre éspèces de borers trouvées en Israël. Chilo agamemnon qui fut la principale peste pendant les années soixante décrût et les quantitées, de Sesamia nonagrioides augmenerent. La réduction des surfaces des cultures du sorgho a cause un décroissement des quantitées de Sesamia cretica. En 1981 on a observé une augmentation des quantitees de la pyrale du mais, Ostrinia nubilalis. Actuellement, S. nonagrioides et O. nubilalis sont les principales pèstes du mais en Israel.

C. agamemnon a été obsérvé en Israël pour la première fois en 1959, près de la bande de Gaza. Pendant 2–3 ans, il devint une très sérieuse peste dans le sud du pays. Plus tard, la peste s'est repandue dans tout le pays. Après 1953, un décroissement drastique des populations de C. agamemnon a été observe, les raisons probables étant les suivantes:

(1) L'augmentation relative des surfaces cultivees avec le mais doux qui n'est pas sa plante-hote preferee.

(2) Le riz et la canne a sucre qui sont des plantes-hôtes très importantes en Egypte, ne sont pas cultivées en Israël.

Des essais contre C. agamemnon sur terrain, réalisés lorsque les populations étaient nombreuses, ont montre que les applications en poudre furent plus efficaces que les aérosols.

Keywords

Corn borersSesamia nonagrioidesS. creticaOstrinia nubilalisChilo agamemnon
Type
Status and Control of Chilo spp. in Different Regions
Information
International Journal of Tropical Insect Science , Volume 11 , Special Issue 4-5: Tropical Stem Borers of Graminaceous Crops: A New Synthesis , October 1990 , pp. 541 - 545
Copyright
Copyright © ICIPE 1990

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References

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