Agronomy 2012, 2(1), 1-13; doi:10.3390/agronomy2010001
Article

Wheat Nitrogen Fertilisation Effects on the Performance of the Cereal Aphid Metopolophium dirhodum

Alan F. J. Gashemail
Department of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 84, Lincoln University 7647, Christchurch, New Zealand
Received: 14 December 2011; in revised form: 16 January 2012 / Accepted: 1 February 2012 / Published: 9 February 2012
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Abstract: The effects of five rates of nitrogen fertiliser applications on the performance of the cereal aphid Metopolophium dirhodum on winter wheat, within the range of rates recommended for UK crops, were investigated over two seasons in field-grown crops and also on plants grown in the glasshouse. Longevity was unaffected by the level of fertilisation, but aphid intrinsic rate of increase and fecundity increased with each level applied. In the second field season, when a higher upper limit was used, many of these increases were significant. A previously unreported finding for this species was that there was a significant decrease in fecundity for the highest rate of fertilisation. Results for the glasshouse-reared aphids followed a similar pattern to those in the field, and overall they underline recent reports in the literature of the negative effects of high nutrient concentrations on the performance of herbivorous insects. The underlying reasons for these are discussed.
Keywords: intrinsic rate of increase; fecundity; phloem sap; plant quality; winter wheat

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MDPI and ACS Style

Gash, A.F.J. Wheat Nitrogen Fertilisation Effects on the Performance of the Cereal Aphid Metopolophium dirhodum. Agronomy 2012, 2, 1-13.

AMA Style

Gash AFJ. Wheat Nitrogen Fertilisation Effects on the Performance of the Cereal Aphid Metopolophium dirhodum. Agronomy. 2012; 2(1):1-13.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Gash, Alan F. J. 2012. "Wheat Nitrogen Fertilisation Effects on the Performance of the Cereal Aphid Metopolophium dirhodum." Agronomy 2, no. 1: 1-13.

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