Effects of Plant Stress and Habitat Manipulation on Aphid Control in Greenhouse Sweet Peppers

Abstract

Interactions between sweet pepper, aphids, and natural enemies under greenhouses can be modified by management practices. An excess of salinity in the irrigation of sweet pepper, the effect of flowering plants on aphid density, and natural enemy diversity were evaluated. Aphids were more abundant on plants irrigated with high conductivity solutions and on sweet peppers without associated flowering plants. Parasitoids and predators were more diverse and abundant in presence of flowering plants. Greenhouse horticultural management practices that avoid stress conditions by means of appropriate irrigation, and increase local biodiversity with flowering plants, could improve aphid control by enhancing abundance and diversity of natural enemies.

Keywords:

• Aphididae
• saline stress
• flowering plants
• natural enemies
• biodiversity

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by INTA Greenhouse Horticultural Crops National Project. Thanks to Esteban Saini and Gonzalo Segade for their valuable help in the identification of natural enemies, to Cecilia Pereyra for helpful assistance in the field, and to Cecilia del Pardo, in soil laboratory. This article is part of L. A. Polack's Doctoral Thesis, FCNyM, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina.