Influence of Cassava Morphological Traits and Environmental Conditions on Field Populations of Bemisia tabaci
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Date
2021
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Insects
Abstract
High populations of species in the whitefly complex Bemisia tabaci Gennadius (Hemiptera:
Aleyrodidae) were reported to cause severe damage to cassava in East and Central Africa. However,
reasons for B. tabaci population increases are not well understood. We investigated the effect of
cassava morphological traits, temperature, rainfall and relative humidity (RH) on the abundance of
B. tabaci. Five cassava genotypes with varying levels of resistance to cassava mosaic disease, cassava
brown streak disease, and B. tabaci infestation were planted in three Ugandan agro-ecological zones.
The experiment was conducted in 2016 and 2017 in a randomized complete block design. Across all
locations, the tallest genotype Alado alado supported the lowest number of B. tabaci adults. In areas
with high B. tabaci prevalence, leaf area, leaf lobe width, and leaf lobe number exhibited significant
positive effects (p < 0.001) on B. tabaci adult count. Positive effects of relative humidity and negative
effects of temperature and rainfall on B. tabaci adult and nymph counts were observed in 2016 and
2017, resulting in low populations in Lira. Evidently, temperatures of 28–30 C, rainfall of 30–150 mm
and RH of 55–70%, and deployment of cassava genotypes of low plant height, large leaf area, and
lobe width significantly enhanced B. tabaci population growth.
Description
Keywords
Whitefly, Cassava genotype, Plant morphological characteristics, Population dynamics, Climatic conditions
Citation
Katono, K.; Macfadyen, S.; Omongo, C.A.; Odong, T.L.; Colvin, J.; Karungi, J.; Otim, M.H. Influence of Cassava Morphological Traits and Environmental Conditions on Field Populations of Bemisia tabaci. Insects 2021, 12, 604. https://doi.org/ 10.3390/insects12070604