Abstract
BACKGROUND: The gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar, is one of the main pests of oak forests worldwide and causes extensive defoliation during its periodic outbreaks. In the Mediterranean region, control of gypsy moth populations in cork oak forests is based on application of Bacillus thuringiensis serovar kurstaki (Btk) formulations. This research investigated the effects of Btk applications carried out in two different population development phases on gypsy moth population dynamics. With this aim, temporal and spatial fluctuation patterns of L. dispar egg density were monitored in cork oak forests treated with Btk applications from 2004 to 2009 in Sardinia (Italy). RESULTS: Applications undertaken during the progradation and culmination phases protected the oak canopies equally in the year of application, leading to a similar decrease in pest population density in the following year. However, the medium-term effectiveness of Btk differed between the two application timings, because only applications in the culmination phase caused a gradual decrease in L. dispar infestations throughout subsequent years. By contrast, when the application was undertaken during the progradation phase, population density increased again after 2-3 years. Moreover, Btk applications in the culmination phase reduced significantly the number of years in which gypsy moth density was damaging compared with those done in progradation. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that Btk applications during the culmination phase were more effective than those in the progradation period, because application in the latter case did not suppress the population, but only postponed the outbreak peak by 2-3 years. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Claims 5
Claim · model-written summary
Btk applications in both phases protected oak canopies equally during the application year.
- Taxon
- cork oak
Quercus subert0 - Treatment
- Applications undertaken during the progradation and culmination phasese0
- Outcome
- oak canopiese0
- Direction
- equallye0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Applications undertaken during the progradation and culmination phases protected the oak canopies equally in the year of application”
t0“cork oak forests”
Claim · model-written summary
Both application timings caused a similar decrease in subsequent pest population density.
- Taxon
- cork oakQuercus subert0
- Outcome
- pest population densitye0
- Direction
- decreasee0
Not reportedTreatmentComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“leading to a similar decrease in pest population density in the following year”
t0“cork oak forests”
Claim · model-written summary
Culmination phase Btk applications gradually decreased L. dispar infestations in subsequent years.
- Taxon
- cork oakQuercus subert0
- Treatment
- applications in the culmination phasee0
- Interactor
- L. dispar
_Female_Dos.jpg?width=60)
Lymantria dispare0pest - Outcome
- L. dispar infestationse0
- Direction
- decreasee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
_Female_Dos.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“only applications in the culmination phase caused a gradual decrease in L. dispar infestations throughout subsequent years”
t0“cork oak forests”
Claim · model-written summary
Pest density rose again two to three years after progradation phase application.
- Taxon
- cork oakQuercus subert0
- Treatment
- application was undertaken during the progradation phasee0
- Outcome
- population densitye0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 2-3 yearse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“when the application was undertaken during the progradation phase, population density increased again after 2-3 years”
t0“cork oak forests”
Claim · model-written summary
Culmination phase Btk reduced the number of years of damaging gypsy moth density compared with progradation phase.
- Taxon
- cork oakQuercus subert0
- Treatment
- Btk applications in the culmination phasee0
- Interactor
- gypsy mothLymantria dispare0pest
- Outcome
- number of years in which gypsy moth density was damaginge0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Comparator
- those done in progradatione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Btk applications in the culmination phase reduced significantly the number of years in which gypsy moth density was damaging compared with those done in progradation”
t0“cork oak forests”